1 . PLT Early Childhood CD . . . . . . . . . Appendices Early Childhood CD . . . . . . . . . ... Track 6: Flight of the . Bumblebee - 2:53. ... guitar, bass and percussion;

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 1 . Exploring Nature with Five Senses Experience 1 Get In Touch With Trees

Experience 2 The Shape of Things . . .

Experience 3 Sounds Around . . . . . . .

Experience 4 We All Need Trees . . . .

Section 2 . Experiencing Trees Through the Seasons Experience 5 Signs of Fall . . . . . . . . .

Experience 6 Evergreens in Winter . .

Experience 7 Bursting Buds . . . . . . . . .

Experience 8 Adopt a Tree . . . . . . . .

Section 3 . Meeting Neighborhood Trees .

Experience 9 To Be a Tree . . . . . . . . .

Experience 10 Trees as Habitats . . . . .

Experience 11 Three Cheers for Trees

Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1 . PLT Early Childhood CD . . . . . . . . .

2 . Playing It Safe Outdoors . . . . . . . . .

3 . Collecting Plants and Animals . . . . .

4 . Taking Neighborhood Walks . . . . . .

5 . Setting Up an Outdoor Classroom .

6 . Encouraging Unstructured Outdoor Play 7 . Bringing Nature into the Classroom

8 . “Greening” Your Classroom . . . . . . .

9 . Setting Up a Woodworking Center

10 . Using Technology with Early Childhood Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11 . Extending the Learning With PLT . .

12 . Finding Additional Resources . . . . . .

Appendices

Project Learning Tree • Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood© American Forest Foundation

100

PLT’s Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood CD provides music selections that support the activities and experiences in this guide .

The selections include five songs from children’s music artist Billy B . Brennan . A professional songwriter and educator, Billy B . has been writing and performing children’s song and dance shows with environmental themes since 1978 . The CD also features instrumentals and selected classical music .

This CD was engineered, edited, and mastered by Steve Murphy, www .smurphco .com .

Activity 1 – Shape of ThingsTrack 1: Shape Walk - 3:34 Use with the “Dance with Leaves” experience on page 22 .

B Roll, by Kevin MacLeodTchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, by Kevin

MacLeodKumasi Groove Flugelhorn, by Kevin MacLeodSleep and Then, by Kevin MacLeodBark Rap, sound design by Steve Murphy Flutey String, by Kevin MacLeod(Music selections by Kevin MacLeod used with permission from www .incompetech .com)

Track 2: Outside - 1:25Use with the “Sing and dance with Billy B” experience on page 22 .

Outside, by Billy B . Brennan

Well I get myself dressed, get my shoes onCause I’m gonna go where I belongI’m gonna go to the door and open it wideLet my family know I’m heading outsideOutside with all the living things Outside to hear the birdies singOutside for discovery Outside for my own curiosity

Jump down, look aroundThere’s bees feeding on the flowersNew finds all the timeStay outside for hours and hours

Well, I hit the trailThe sun does shineThe sky is blue and I’m feeling fineMy legs are moving I’ve caught my strideThe air is clean and I’m outside

Outside with all the living things Outside to hear the birdies singOutside for discovery Outside for my own curiosityOutside with all the living thingsOutside to hear the birdies singOutside for discoveryOutside for my own curiosity

Billy B . Brennan – vocals, guitar; Paul Seydewitz – bass; Hal Trapkin – percussion; Kid Chorus – see www .billybproductions .com for the many kids involved .© Billy B . Brennan 1994

Activity 2 – Sounds AroundTrack 3: Neighborhood Sounds - 1:30Use with the “Introducing the Theme” experience on page 27 .

Sound effects design by Steve Murphy .

Track 4: Nature Sounds - 2:30Use with the “Introducing the Theme” experience on page 27 and the “Featured Experience–Forest Concert” on page 28 .

Sound effects design by Steve Murphy .

Appendix 1: Project Learning Tree’s Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood CD

Appendices© American Forest Foundation

101

Appendices

Activity 3 – Get in Touch with Trees

Track 5: Getting in Touch with Trees - 3:28Use with the “Take a texture walk” experience on page 36 .

Desert City, by Kevin MacLeodBeach Bum, by Kevin MacLeodDivertissement, by Kevin MacLeodNo Frills Salsa, by Kevin MacLeodThat’s a Wrap, by Kevin MacLeodSuper Polka, by Kevin MacLeod(Music selections by Kevin MacLeod used with permission from www .incompetech .com)

Activity 4 – We All Need TreesTrack 6: Flight of the Bumblebee - 2:53Use with the “Smell the flowers” experience on page 43.

The Flight of the Bumblebee, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (licensed from www .musicloops .com)

Activity 5 – Signs of FallTrack 7: Signs of Fall - 3:01Use with the “Pretend to be dancing leaves” experience on page 51 .

Untitled Rhythm, by Kevin MacLeodDivertimento K131, by Kevin MacLeodBeach Party, by Kevin MacLeodModern Piano Beta - Jackhammer, by Kevin MacLeod Bumbly March, by Kevin MacLeod(Music selections by Kevin MacLeod used with permission from www .incompetech .com)

Activity 6 – Evergreens in WinterNo music selections are included for this activity .

Activity 7 – Bursting BudsTrack 8: Celtic Collection - 2:33Use with the “Dance around a Maypole” experience on page 64 .

Dance Ye Merry, by Adam Skorupa (licensed from www .shockwave-sound .com)

Track 9: The Four Seasons: Spring - 3:20 Use with the “Play peek-a-boo with spring” experience on page 64 .

Spring (Movement 1), by Antonio Vivaldi (licensed from www .musicloops .com)

Activity 8 – Adopt a TreeTrack 10: Yummy, Yummy - 1:54Use with the “Sing and dance with Billy B” experience on page 71 .

Yummy, Yummy, by Billy B . Brennan

Now, yummy, yummy, yummy; It’s awfully sunny.I can eat all that I want; I can eat all that I want.My leaves need the sun to make food for all of me.They can only do it with sunshine energy! Sunshine energy!

Now, yummy, yummy, yummy; It’s awfully sunny.I can eat all that I want; I can eat all that I want.My leaves need the sun to make food for all of me.They can only do it with sunshine energy! Sunshine energy!

Now, the water comes up from the roots into the leaves.They use what they need, And the rest they sweat from their underneath.

With the sun and the water, the leaf makes food,Then lets it goDown through the limb, into the trunkSo the tree can grow!Now, yummy, yummy, yummy;


102

It’s awfully sunny.I can eat all that I want; I can eat all that I want.

My leaves need the sun to make food for all of me.They can only do it with sunshine energy! Sunshine energy!

Oh, yummy, yummy, yummy; It’s awfully sunny.

Billy B . Brennan – vocals, guitar; John Seydewitz – percussion; Jeffery Hill - glockenspiel© Billy B . Brennan 1978

Activity 9 – To Be a TreeTrack 11: Yippee, Hooray! - 1:08Use with the “Sing and dance with Billy B” experience on page 80 .

Yippee, Hooray!, by Billy B . Brennan

Wet ground! Warm sun!My life as a tree has just begun.I’m so sure, I have no doubts,Because my shell has cracked, and I have a sprout!It’s growing up, and growing out,It’s growing up, and growing out!Yippee, hooray, I have a sprout!Yippee, hooray, I am a sprout!Yippee, hooray, I have a sprout!Yippee, hooray, I am a sprout!

Wet ground! Warm sun!My life as a tree has just begun.I’m so sure, I have no doubts,Because my shell has cracked, and I have a sprout!It’s growing up, and growing out,It’s growing up, and growing out!Yippee, hooray, I have a sprout!Yippee, hooray, I am a sprout!Yippee, hooray, I have a sprout!Yippee, hooray, I am a sprout!

Billy B . Brennan – vocals, guitar; John Seydewitz – percussion; David Kenny – 12 string guitar; Susan Mackay, Pamela Albinson, Brendan Collins – kid chorus .© Billy B . Brennan 1978

Activity 10 – Trees as HabitatsTrack 12: This Bark on Me - 2:30Use with the “Sing and dance with Billy B” experience on page 88 .

This Bark on Me, by Billy B . Brennan

This bark on me is my skin.It keeps diseases out and tree juices in,And protects me from bugs, dust, and wind.Even though sometimes the bugs get in,So the woodpeckers come,And they make their mark,Saying, “Knock, knock, knock!We’re hungry and there’sBugs in your bark.” “Knock, knock, knock!We’re hungry and there’sBugs in your bark.”But, if the bark breaks,Disease may set in, killing me,Just because of broken skin,Just because of broken skin,Just because.

This bark on me is my skin.It keeps diseases out and tree juices in,And protects me from bugs, dust, and wind.Even though sometimes the bugs get in,So the woodpeckers come,And they make their mark,Saying, “Knock, knock, knock!We’re hungry and there’sBugs in your bark.”“Knock, knock, knock!We’re hungry and there’sBugs in your bark.”

Now leaves make foodThat travels through the barkDown to the rootsThe food goes (phloem)While minerals and waterRise through sap woodUp to the leavesThey flow (xylem)And in between the barkAnd the sap woodEach springA new tree ring grows (cambium)So if the bark is brokenIn a ring around the treeThe food stops, the tree dies (oh no!)


103

Appendices

This bark on me is my skin.It keeps diseases out and tree juices in,And protects me from bugs, dust, and wind.Even though sometimes the bugs get in,So the woodpeckers come,And they make their mark,Saying, “Knock, knock, knock!We’re hungry and there’sBugs in your bark.”“Knock, knock, knock!We’re hungry and there’sBugs in your bark.”

Billy B . Brennan – vocals, guitar; Jeffery Hill – bass, vocals; John Seydewitz – percussion; Steve Murphy – keyboards, harmonies, percussion; Susan Mackay, Pamela Albinson, Brendan Collins – kid chorus .© Billy B . Brennan 1978, 2009

Activity 11 – Three Cheers for Trees

Track 13: These Trees - 3:23Use with the “Sing and dance with Billy B” experience on page 94 .

These Trees, by Billy B . Brennan

Every day people say, “What difference can I make,What deeds can I do, what actions can I take?”Well now is the time for you and meTo find a spot , dig a hole, and plant a young tree.

These trees releasing sweet oxygen,These trees the monkeys and the birds are living in.These trees limbs stretching up towards the skyWhoa, these trees absorbing carbon dioxide.

Big trees, green leaves, deep roots in the ground,The branches grow up, as the bark grows around.And the flowers turn into fruitWhich falls to the ground.The seeds sprout and take root.Tree grows, sap flows, young tree grows big and oldTree grows, sap flows, young tree grows big and old

Every day people say, “What difference can I make,What deeds can I do, what action can I take?”Well now is the time for you and meTo find a spot , dig a hole, and plant a young tree.

These trees releasing sweet oxygen,These trees the monkeys and the birds are living in.These trees oh their limbs stretching up towards the skyThese trees absorbing carbon dioxide.So plant the tree that you preferThe deciduous or the conifer.

Dig a hole deep, keep the roots straight,Put that tree in the ground, water it and wait.Water and wait, water and wait, Water and wait, water and wait.And as that tree grows, give it careSo it will thrive and grow when you’re not there.Yes, as that tree grows tall and strongYou can watch it grow all your life long.Yes, as that tree grows tall and strongYou can watch it grow all your life long.

Billy B . Brennan – vocals, guitar; Paul Seydewitz – guitar, bass and percussion; Namu Luanga – vocals; Steve Murphy – percussion .© Billy B . Brennan and Paul Seydewitz 1999

Track 14: Tree Celebration Hoedown - 2:35Use with the “Dance around a tree” experience on page 94 .

From Wisconsin Project Learning Tree Early Childhood Music & Movement CD


104

The benefits of moving your classroom outdoors greatly outweigh the assumed risks, but play it safe by following these simple guidelines .

Scout the play areas and walking paths before you head outside with children. • Check for rusty metal, broken glass, and litter. Ask

parents and other adults to help you keep play areas free of hazards .

• Be aware of traffic patterns and busy intersections. • Know the locations of public restrooms, drinking

fountains, and picnic areas .• Be familiar with distances and potential shortcuts.

Little legs take longer to walk .• Check out distractions, such as mud puddles, water,

and playground equipment . Budget time for children to explore those areas safely, or plan your walk to avoid them .

• Learn how to identify potentially harmful local plants (e .g ., poison ivy and poison oak) and avoid them .

• Contact an area naturalist to learn about small animals that might have painful or poisonous bites (e .g ., centipedes and scorpions) . Be aware of any allergies (e .g ., bee stings or pollen) that your children might have .

• Contact your local health department to receive up-to-date information on local health concerns .

Be prepared.• Take a backpack that contains everything you

need for a basic walk, including a first-aid kit and emergency contact information . Attach a note to the pack to remind you to take your cell phone .

• Make each child an identification tag with his or her name, the name of your school, and the school’s phone number . Children can wear the tags inside their clothing .

• Pack water and a snack if you plan to be outside for an extended time .

• Inform caregivers in advance that children will be going outside on a regular basis . Share tips to ensure that children are dressed properly for each adventure . Depending on the temperature and destination, children might need closed-toed shoes, socks, layers of clothing, long pants, long sleeves, or a combination of such items .

• Organize chaperones. On your first walk with 3-year-olds, each child should hold an adult’s hand;

4- and 5-year-olds can walk in pairs . Plan to have one adult at the front of the group and one at the back . Groups of children will always include stragglers and rushers . Honor their pace as much as possible while still keeping them safe .

• Keep a full set of clothing on hand—underwear, socks, shoes, pants, shirts, coats, hats, mittens, and so forth . You never know what accidents are waiting to happen!

Dress for the outdoors. • Protect eyes and skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Wear sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen . You can check the UV index for your zip code at www .epa .gov/sunwise/uvindex .html .

• Model appropriate clothing yourself!

Teach your children safe behaviors. • Remind children that school rules apply in their

outdoor “classrooms” too! • Teach children to “sit and stay” if they become

separated from their classmates . Role-play what to do if lost .

• Assign children to a specific adult, and remind them to stay with that adult . Be sure the adult assumes responsibility for always knowing each child’s whereabouts .

• Use the buddy system when hiking or exploring. When you call out “buddy check,” children should immediately find their buddies and hold up their hands. Conduct buddy checks or head counts with every transition .

• Ensure that children know the boundaries before they head off to explore . If necessary, walk the boundaries with the children or mark those limits with flagging tape.

• Establish a “meeting signal”—such as clapping, whistling, or using a birdcall—that will call the children back together .

• Establish “stick guidelines.” Preschoolers find sticks irresistible . They use sticks to dig in the dirt, chop ice, knock on trees, and playact . Sticks should be no taller than the child, may not touch other people’s bodies or their sticks, and may not be poked into animal habitats .

• Teach caution when picking up litter. Although it is desirable to leave natural spaces cleaner than you found them, unusual or suspicious “litter” should be left in place and reported .

Appendix 2: Playing it Safe Outdoors


105

Appendices

Learn to care for nature! Eager young learners want to be as close to nature as possible, and sometimes that closeness involves pulling leaves; uprooting plants; and collecting rocks, sticks, and bugs . Help children understand their role in taking care of nature . For example, if everyone removed sticks, rocks, and bugs from a favorite wild space, those precious natural objects would disappear quickly!

• Ask permission before you collect natural objects from an area . National and state parks have strict collection rules .

• Collect plant specimens only if you see other plants of the same type in the area .

• Care for small living organisms you bring back to your classroom (e .g ., aquatic insects in pond water) . Keep all containers away from direct sunlight . Provide the animals food, water, and a hiding place . Return all animals to their original locations as soon as the children complete their observations .

• Model respect for all living things. Young children learn best when they touch, feel, smell, hear, see, and interact with nature, but teach preschoolers to handle plants and animals gently .

• Collect only what you need. Leave the rest for nature and for others to enjoy .

• Bring just one clear plastic container to hold a classroom collection when hiking or exploring . It will limit the number of natural objects collected and will encourage children to be selective . For

example, children may choose to remove an object from the container so a “cooler” object will fit. Back in the classroom, the container’s contents belong to everyone . Place the objects on the Discovery Table for all to examine .

• Encourage children to “collect” photos, sketches, sounds, and memories .

• Leave no trace of your visit. When the children finish exploring, show them how to restore logs and leaf litter to their original positions .

• If you encourage children to rake fallen leaves, gather branches, or pull weeds or invasive species, explain how those activities differ from outdoor observation and play time .

Learn the laws! Check with local wardens or your state’s conservation department before collecting plants and animals for use in the classroom . Threatened and endangered species are protected . States and municipalities might have further restrictions on which plants and animals can be legally kept .

Transportation of plants and animals, including nonnative species, is also regulated . Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the U .S . Fish and Wildlife Service protects the bodies, feathers, eggs, and nests of many birds . To collect those items for your classroom, you or your center must possess a federal salvage permit . Visit www .fws .gov/migratorybirds for more information .

Appendix 3: Collecting Plants and Animals

Young children’s worlds encompass their immediate surroundings—their backyards, school playgrounds, and neighborhoods . Neighborhood walks are casual walks that you and the children take regularly . Ideally, your route will include trees, grassy areas, gardens, flowerbeds, parks, vacant lots, or even overgrown hedges . The purpose of such walks isn’t to share everything you notice and know about nature in the neighborhood but to give children opportunities to observe and explore nature in their neighborhood!

See Teaching About Nature and Applying Effective Practices (in the Introduction), and Playing It Safe Outdoors (Appendix 2) for additional tips .

Plan ahead.• Find a path that includes several opportunities for

connecting with plants and animals . • Learn the route well so you can take shortcuts if your

children tire faster than anticipated .• Teach children how to use any equipment before

heading outdoors .

Appendix 4: Taking Neighborhood Walks


106

With a few modifications, you can turn an outdoor playground into an outdoor classroom .

Plan ahead.• Organize equipment, and ensure that it is accessible

to the children . A storage container or small garden shed can hold gardening tools, play equipment, and other tools for exploring .

• Provide adult-size tables for activity preparation and child-size tables for snack times and workspace .

• Establish hand-washing and diaper-changing areas. • Store a basic first-aid kit outside. • Set up receptacles for dirty cups, trash, recycling,

and compost . • Provide a wheelbarrow or cart for moving items

between the indoor and outdoor classrooms . • Set aside a special area inside to dress for the

outdoors .

Use exploring tools.Before heading outside, inventory your equipment . Here is a list of possible tools for children to use while exploring:• Magnifying lenses, bug boxes, magnifying stands• Clipboards or sketch boards with clips or rubber

bands • Trowels, weeders, and child-size garden tools and

gloves• Flashlights• Unbreakable mirrors—for directing sunlight into

holes or looking under things• Plastic food containers with holes in the lids for

temporarily holding small animals• Measuring tapes, thermometers, sundials, and

windsocks• Field guides to local plants and animals (Golden

Guides are small and simple to use) • Camera or video recorder

Appendix 5: Setting Up an Outdoor Classroom

Start walking.Your first walk could be a practice walk down the hallway or around the school . As you and the children become more comfortable outside the school, your walks can grow longer and richer . • Rotate the line leader to give each child the

opportunity to be the first to see things.• Make a circle to see something on the ground or to

pass objects . This arrangement prevents crowding and allows everyone to participate .

• Allot plenty of time for observations and conversations about children’s discoveries .

• Emphasize plants and animals equally. Plants are easy for young children to observe—the plants stay still!

• Remember to focus on the children’s discoveries instead of your own interests .

Teach wildlife observation skills.Taking young children outside is always a noisy endeavor . Energetic children will scare away most animals, leaving only bolder squirrels and birds . Make the most of limited animal observations .

• Model wildlife-watching skills: be quiet, whisper, and move slowly . Children enjoy sneaking around outdoors while trying to be quiet like animals . Freeze in place when you observe animals .

• Use “binoculars” made from paper towel or toilet paper tubes to focus children’s attention .

• Encourage children to close their eyes for a few seconds so they can focus on what they hear .

Record your experiences.Observe and record changes to plants in the neighborhood . Observe and record animals’ movements, sounds, appearances, and habitats . Children can illustrate and write in special “Nature in the Neighborhood” journals . You can use recording devices, such as digital cameras and recorders, to add another dimension to writing and drawing in journals .


107

Appendices

In addition to fresh air and exercise, the outdoors provides wonderful opportunities for social interaction and unstructured play (especially exploratory, constructive, and pretend play) . As you present various opportunities, encourage children to take the initiative!

Provide opportunities.Here are some ideas for incorporating nature into outdoor play times . • Plant a vegetable or flower garden or both in the

play area . Mark “keepers” with popsicle sticks or flags so children know what not to weed. Plant fast-growing plants or transplants . Provide child-size hoes and watering cans .

• Supply magnifying lenses and clear containers to encourage children to look for small animals in mulch, grass, and soil .

• Encourage children to play in the dirt by supplying trowels, disposable pie plates, watering cans, pie servers, and miniature farm equipment such as tractors, plows, farm animals, and fence-building materials .

• Supply branches so that children can build forts and shelters .

• Stockpile rocks of various sizes and colors.• Construct an outdoor sandbox. • Build a tree house.• Pitch a tent, and then provide sleeping bags, cooking

gear, backpacks, and stones to build a fire pit.

• Fill a shallow wading pool (“pond”), and equip it with fishing poles.

• Lay a flat board (approximately 2 feet by 2 feet) on the ground . After a week or two, children will begin finding insects, spiders, mice, and other animals under the board . You may need to water the area around the board occasionally .

• Hang bird feeders near classroom windows. Refilling feeders is a great job .

• Plant native wildflowers to attract butterflies. • Plant native shrubs. Nuts, berries, and other fruit will

attract wildlife all year long . (No birdseed needed!)

Play outside in winter! • Shovel snow into big piles. Provide child-size snow

shovels, and encourage children to transform the large piles of snow into snow caves and slides .

• Flood a section of the play area so that children can practice “boot” skating .

• Supply nontoxic, water-based paint so that children can turn snow sculptures into colorful creations .

• Place a heated water dish near your bird feeders, and observe the tracks of animals that visit it .

For more ideas, take a virtual trip to the Nature Explore Classroom at Arbor Day Farm by visiting www .arbordayfarm .org/classroom .cfm .

Appendix 6: Encouraging Unstructured Outdoor Play

Bring the outdoors inside by incorporating natural objects and nature awareness into all aspects of your curriculum .

Involve the children.• Collect natural objects. Children can use them in the

art area; display them on the Discovery Table; and sort, count, and compare them in the math area . Collect pebbles, rocks, bark, seeds, twigs, leaves, acorns, pinecones, shells, fossils, and feathers . Use feathers from domestic, nonnative, or regulated birds . All other birds are protected unless you or

your center has a scientific collector’s permit.• Grow potted plants. Rosemary, mint, thyme, basil,

and sage all grow well indoors . Install grow lights, if necessary . You can even grow lettuce and eat it!

• Adopt a classroom pet. Classroom pets can help children learn how to care for animals and provide many opportunities for observing animal behavior and physiology . Classroom pets can range from hamsters to ants . Except for some insects, wild animals do not make good pets and are often illegal to own . Check your state’s regulations . If you do not wish to adopt a permanent classroom pet, consider

Appendix 7: Bringing Nature into the Classroom


108

temporarily keeping ladybugs, caterpillars, or snails in a terrarium .

• Cut out animal tracks, and tape them to the floor. Place them in each animal’s walking pattern .

• Arrange glow-in-the-dark stars into constellations on the ceiling .

• Hang cutouts of clouds, birds, bats, bugs, and other airborne objects from the ceiling .

• Use a nature calendar to track daily weather, moon phases, and other natural events .

• Put a thermometer with a highly visible liquid tube and large numbers just outside a window .

• Set up a bird-feeding station outside a window. Keep binoculars and labeled pictures of common birds and animals nearby .

• Set a sundial in a sunny window, and teach children how to mark the shadows . Place a vase or other object in the window, and record shadow lengths at a specific time of day over the course of the school year . Watch the shadows change with the seasons .

• Collect or build child-friendly instruments that replicate natural sounds (e .g ., rainsticks, drums, or birdcalls) .

• Construct mobiles made of twigs and leaves. • Showcase nature art projects in a designated display

area .

Continue to fill the day with nature.• Play CDs of nature sounds. Play a different animal

song each day of the week when the children arrive .

For example, play cardinal songs on Mondays, green frog calls on Tuesdays, and cricket songs on Wednesdays .

• Stock the reading corner shelves with nature-themed picture books, guides, and reference books .

• Provide nature journals for each child to use throughout the year .

• Furnish wooden flower presses for pressing leaves and other plant material .

• Supply costumes and puppets of animals and plants that live in your area .

• Provide small logs of different tree species. Children will enjoy feeling how one tree’s bark differs from the next . You will need to replace these items as necessary . Be careful bringing these items indoors as they are often homes for many insects and other living things .

• Provide fat crayons without paper wrappings to make rubbings of natural objects like leaves and bark .

• Take or collect full-color photographs of plants and animals that live in your area . Label and laminate them. Organize them into a field guide to your schoolyard, or leave them loose for children to select and sort .

Adapted with permission from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Education Resources at www .mndnr .gov/education/ee/classroom .html .

Although young children cannot grasp the concepts of limited natural resources or energy conservation, they can follow your example and can learn behaviors that will reduce their environmental footprints and influence their decisions for years to come . “Green” your classroom and children by modeling these practices: • Set up recycling bins for paper, metal, and plastic.

Label the bins with words and pictures of the items that can be recycled in your community . Show children where to find the numbers on plastic containers, and teach them what can and cannot be put in the bins .

• Set aside a separate box for paper that can be reused before being recycled . Regularly use paper from this box yourself so that children see that it is something that adults do too .

• Involve the children’s families in saving and collecting recyclables or throwaway items for projects, for example, toilet paper tubes and empty egg cartons . Send home notes with lists of things that the class can use .

• Use cloth bags for your personal and classroom shopping . Use the bags to transport items in and out of the classroom . Explain that you can use the bags repeatedly . Use reusable cloth bags in the dramatic play area anytime it is set up as a store .

• Build a simple compost bin outside the school. Place fruit and vegetable scraps from snacks and other compostable materials in it . During outdoor play time, invite children to help you add materials and turn the compost . Find more information at www .kidsgardening .com . If you don’t have room

Appendix 8: “Greening” Your Classroom


109

Appendices

Building something useful with real tools is an excellent way to develop large and small motor skills, to solve problems, to encourage creativity, to build self-esteem, and to practice social skills .

Show the tools.A woodworking center should start with a child-size workbench equipped with a vise . Introduce tools one at a time; by the end of the year, the woodworking center could feature the following equipment:• Safety goggles• Sandpaper and files in a variety of grades and

sizes• Wood glue• Lightweight hammers• Large-headed nails, such as roofing nails• Short screwdrivers with large stubby handles (straight

slot and Phillips) • Large screws• Hand drills (manual)• Pliers• Tape measures, rulers, and squares• Carpenter pencils and notebooks for planning and

sketching• Vises or C-clamps • Small whiskbroom and dustpan for cleanup

Establish the rules.• Everyone must wear safety goggles in the

woodworking area whether he or she is using tools or just watching .

• An adult must be present when tools are in use.

• Tools have special jobs and can be used only for that job . Hammers are used only for hammering nails into wood .

• Tools and supplies must be put away. Use a pegboard in the woodworking area to hold tools . Trace around the tools on the pegboard, and write the name of the tool next to the outline . This system makes it easier for children to return tools to their proper places .

Follow these suggestions. • Check home-improvement stores, lumberyards, and

construction sites for scraps of wood . Soft woods are best .

• Introduce tools one at a time to small groups of students .

• Pound large-head nails (roofing nails) into stumps for practice . If your children are not ready for hammering real nails into wood, let them experiment by hammering golf tees into Styrofoam packing pieces .

• To avoid children hurting their fingers when nailing, use needle-nose pliers to hold the nail . Children can also push the nail through a small square of paper and then hold the paper to get the nail started .

• Use a vise or C-clamp to hold wood for sawing, drilling, and hammering . Most injuries happen to the hand that is holding the material—not the hand holding the tool .

• When sawing, either both hands must be on the saw or the “other” hand must be behind the child’s back .

Appendix 9: Setting Up a Woodworking Center

outside, or live where temperatures drop below freezing, set up a worm compost bin in the classroom .

• Be a positive role model by conserving water, closing doors, and turning off lights . Explain to the children what you are doing and why .

• Use reusable plates, cups, and utensils for snacks.

• Take garbage bags on your walks around the neighborhood . Pick up trash that you see, but teach caution and report suspicious litter .

• Replace regular light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs.

• Choose earth-friendly cleaning products. • Plant a tree!


110

Technology cannot replace the rich hands-on experiences that help children learn best . However, it can provide new ways for children to interact with the environment and with one another .

Add special technology.After you have recognized that the purpose of this guide is to promote active exploration of nature, the following suggestions will allow you to focus on helping children use technology for certain activities: • Enhance outdoor exploration, and view things in

different ways by using magnifying lenses, bug boxes, and binoculars .

• Measure the children’s environment by using rulers, thermometers, rain gauges, stethoscopes, and windsocks .

• Become aware of changes in the environment by observing sundials, windsocks, and thermometers .

• Record seasonal changes in the environment with digital photography .

• Record outdoor experiences with digital and video photography .

• Create portfolios of the children’s experiences by using digital cameras, scanners, presentation software, and graphics software .

• Support emergent writing skills using story-writing software .

• Videotape each other as the children are involved in exploration and movement activities for playback .

• Replay natural sounds using digital recorders. • Record the words to theme-related songs and books

for individual and small-group playback using tape or digital recorders .

• Communicate investigations to friends and families through online newsletters and websites .

• Produce charts and graphs using spreadsheet software .

• Track individual progress by creating electronic portfolios using presentation software .

Practice first.Before using a technology for the first time, be sure to let the children explore the technology, and teach them to use it properly . Something as simple as a hand lens might be an entirely new experience for a child .

You might introduce magnification by using magnifying boxes (sometimes called bug boxes) . These boxes put the object to be observed at the proper distance . Let the children determine that the object does not grow bigger, it just looks bigger . Let them play with a variety of items and magnifiers (e.g., reading glasses and magnifying rulers) . By having the children remove the object from the box, double up lenses, and experiment with a variety of magnifiers, the concept of magnification will become clearer. They will also begin to recognize the advantages of using magnification to see detail and complexity that they cannot see with their eyes alone .

For more information on using technology with Project Learning Tree, see Appendix 8 in Project Learning Tree’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide, visit www .plt .org, or visit www .techandyoungchildren .org .

Appendix 10: Using Technology with Early Childhood Learners


111

Appendices

Notes


112

Notes

Documents

1 . PLT Early Childhood CD . . . . . . . . . Appendices Early Childhood CD . . . . . . . . . ... Track 6: Flight of the . Bumblebee - 2:53. ... guitar, bass and percussion;