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,

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!

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!

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.