The Pickel Jar
Miss Pickel's Educational Adventures
Nature-Based Teaching Practicum
6 weeks
April- May, 2019
Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada
For my second practicum I had the absolute pleasure of teaching in a Grade 3,4,5 split nature-based class. We spent 1.5 days out of every four day school week in the great outdoors! In the many forests and on the many beaches of the island we explored curricula, played fun games, created natural works of art and participated in a fundraiser that the school has been doing for 14 years! I will never forget my experience at Fernwood Elementary School.
Below are some of the awesome things that happened during those 6 weeks!
Compasses & Navigation at Xwaaqu'um
For 4 consecutive weeks, I taught The Cedars (the name of the class) all about compasses! This included knowing the Cardinal Directions, the historical and modern applications of compasses, and how to use them. We drew "Me Maps" in the sand, and made fun navigational challenges for each other to follow to solidify student learning!
How to Do a "Me Map"
Once students understand the 4 Cardinal Directions and how to use a compass, get them to stand in one spot and draw a little circle around their feet in the sand with a stick. From there, they will use to compass to determine where N,E,S,W is relative to them, and... you guessed it... draw it!
Mud Faces
A fun way to take a break from academia! All you need is mud and bits of nature such as leaves, twigs, and berries (please don't pick these off of trees and bushes if you can avoid it... we want to respect nature).
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The Great Water Walk
What an incredible fundraiser to be a part of! Every year for the past 14 years, Fernwood Elementary School has collected funds and pledges, walked over 1 km to St. Mary's Lake with water jugs, and carried water back to the school to understand what people in India do for hours every day just to get clean drinking water. The fundraised money builds wells in remote areas of India to provide close, clean drinking water for their village.
Beeswax Food Wraps for Mother's Day
Every student made 2 beeswax wraps to give to their amazing mom(s)/ guardian(s). We made these outside over the course of 2.5 days using 100% cotton squares, jojoba oil, tree rosin and bees wax.
