Flowers Bloom in February!

Teacher’s name: Jack Sheridan and Nancy Mullane

Name of school: Otis Elementary

Location of school: East Boston, MA

What grades: 5

Your nature report:: Notes from the Field (Outdoor Classroom)

Date: February 23, 2010, 1:45 PM    Weather: 44⁰F, Cloudy, light wind

School: Otis Elementary School Outdoor Classroom      Class: Mrs.  Mullane 5th Grade Class

Flowers blooming in February!

Mrs. Mullane, 5th grade class were all surprised when we went out to the Otis Outdoor Classroom and  group  of students  observed this flowering bush (picture on the left) including  Mrs. Mullane their teacher and I, Jack Sheridan , Boston Schoolyard Initiative.

Before we went out, the class made a list of what they thought they would observe as signs of approaching spring. But no one predicted that flowers would be blooming in February.

The class went out to collect baseline data for a long term study of “The Science of Spring”, which I modified from  the free online web program, Journey North.  They started by making predictions about what they already knew about the signs of spring and then took their clipboards and notebooks to collect some data in their outdoor classroom and surrounding schoolyard.

Everyone was surprised by the flowers blooming in winter. So I  did an internet search about flowers that bloom in winter and was very surprised that there are many flowers that bloom in winter, I  just wasn’t aware of them.  Neil McCarthy, Boston Schoolyard Horticulturalist, said it’s a Witch-hazel- probably the Arnold Promise Witch-hazel (Hamamelis ‘Arnold Promise’).  

 

Have you found something interesting or surprising in your outdoor classroom/schoolyard? Send me a picture and a description and I will let other schools know about your discovery.

 Jack Sheridan,

Preschoolers Watch Nest Building

Teacher’s name: Marcia Wuest

Name of school: Messiah Lutheran Preschool

Location: Port Byron, IL

What grades: Preschool

Your nature report: There is a large wooden cross outside the front doors of the church where our preschool classroom is housed.  Our observations began in March, when we would walk from the church entry to our outdoor classroom.  We began to notice small birds—at least two of them—fly into a hole at the end of the horizontal section of the cross.  We guessed they were chickadees.  Every time we passed the cross after that first time, we would usually see one of the birds peeking out, flying to/from, or bringing grass into the hole in the side of the cross.  It was interesting to see the children become so eager to check on “their” birds and what they were doing.  The interest in this held through the end of the school year.  In fact, several children even drew pictures for us of the cross with the bird inside.  What a gift we can give children when we take the time to help them notice and appreciate the wonderment that exists in the world around us!

First Graders Go Tracking!

Teacher’s name: Mary DeAngelis

Name of school: Upper Providence Elementary School Location of school (city, state): Royersford, PA What grades: 1st Grade

Your nature report: We took a walk through the field behind the school last week.  We saw deer tracks in the mud along the side of the field.  Then, we listened for birds in the woods behind the school.  We heard a cardinal and saw Black-Capped Chickadees and lots of Juncos!    We also gathered small rocks, twigs, and moss during our nature walk, and used them in our terrarium project.  We recycled 2-liter bottles and created mini-terrariums inside them.  It was fun to bring a little bit of nature inside!

Nature Poetry at Uwchlan Hills

Teacher’s name: Kim Lichman and Barbara Norris

Name of school: Uwchlan Hills

Location of school (city, state): Downingtown PA

What grades: first and fifth

Your nature report: We went outside in our school yard and listened and looked for signs of spring.Then, the children worked together to create beautiful poems about spring.

Second graders take a river walk

Teacher’s name: Patricia Pfeifer

Name of school: Winfield School

Location of school (city, state): 7 1/2 Gulfstream Ave, Winfield, NJ 0742

What grades: grade 2

Your nature report: The Rahway River is within 3 minutes walking distance from our school. On November 17th, the children, my co-teacher and I took a walk to the river. We were excited to see many Mallards in the river, and were able to observe them feeding and preening. Since it was such a beautiful day, a turtle was basking on a log. Unfortunately the children’s excitement scared it away, and many were not able to see it. We had fun watching a squirrel run up a tree, cross over on the branches above us and then go near its nest. We examined brambles, red berries, and the habitats of forest, river, pond and freshwater marsh. We plan on taking these walking trips once a month to compare the seasonal changes in the habitats and the river environs.

Jane recomends you check out this school's field guide

Teacher’s name:Joyce Nett

Name of school:Lexington Montessori School

Location of school (city, state): Lexington, MA

What grades: 4, 5, & 6

Your nature report: We did it! We’ve been going out each Friday since school started in September. We walk .6 miles from our school to a protected green space. Each student was given the assignment to find one animal and one plant specimen. Then, we worked to identify the organisms (as best we could). Finally, each student wrote up a field guide page and we put it together on a web site. You can see it at   http://sites.google.com/site/lmsfieldguide/

Send us a photo please (Winner Dec. 2009)

Teacher’s name: Brenda Running

Name of school: Shadow Lake Elementary

Location of school (city, state): Maple Valley, WA

What grades: K-5

Your nature report: We have a Townsend chipmunk that likes to fill his cheeks at the feeder at our “Nature Nut Clubhouse”. We also often see him playing in the rock wall next to the playground. One time we found a junco INSIDE our clubhouse when we left the door open!

Observe during recess

Teacher’s name: Rachel Grottke

Name of school: Ellerhorst

Location of school (city, state): Pinole, CA

What grades: 1st

Your nature report: Quite often during recess, we always notice the trees around our yard’s perimeter. Many of the kids find acorns and rolly poly bugs. Whenever we find spiders in our classroom, I’m delighted to find the girls are not afraid to relocate them outside. We have found inch worms and praying mantids also. Last year on a particularly rainy day, there was a male and female mallard duck waddling around in the puddles. It is also common to find ravens scavenging and once in awhile, a wild turkey.

Student claims "Nature is better than recess!" (Winner Jan. 2010)

Teacher’s Name: Katie Baughn

Name of School: Mary Munford Elementary School

Location of School (city, state): Richmond, VA

Nature Report: It was so great having you both at Munford.  We were on a “nature” high for weeks.  I just wanted to pass along that when we were doing our field guides last week, my student Taylor said, “Mrs. Baughan, doing field guides is better than recess!”  Thanks for getting us off to a great start. 

Bring books to life

Teacher’s Name: Elizabeth Stalb

Name of school: St. Joseph School

Location of school (city, state): Oradell, NJ 

What grades: 1st

Nature Report: The children were very excited to see the many different leaves we read about  in the books by Lois Ehlert. We also spotted birds that were in her books. Taking a nature walk made the books come alive.