Learning about insects and pollination

Our theme these past couple weeks has been all about insects! Below are some activities we did to learn more about insects, including how they pollinate, what defines an insect, and what types we can find in our area.

Here our farm-to-school group came to sing a song about pollination, and do a pollination role play with yellow cotton balls serving as pollen. 

We also went on a bug hunt in the schoolyard!

I brought in some insect specimens to inspect closely.

My WIN group did a more involved insect research project, in which students got to choose an insect to research, using books and the website Pebble Go. After taking notes, they made posters that they presented to the class on our last day.

We have also been going to the garden weekly, where a parent (and scientist) runs learning stations for us. One of the stations was testing the wind with streamers. Another was experimenting with acids and bases (and making explosions).

We visited our Sit Spots in the mini-forest, and added to our time wheels (aka phenology wheels) to document what we observed this season. We only have one more sit to document before our wheels are complete!

We also took a field trip to the zoo! I don't have a lot of photos since I was only with one group of students, so if you have more, feel free to send them to me and I'll post them here!

Learning and playing outside

As I'm sure you already know, there are enormous benefits for students to learn and play outdoors, and we are lucky enough to have a nature-based play-space for our students at our school that the parents and community continue to add to and advocate for. Each Monday we use the space for our recess play, and try to go in the garden several times each spring and fall with the help of a parent volunteer. Below are some pictures of some of the activities we've been doing!

Moving and balancing logs

Searching for ants

Playing in the digging pit in the garden

Visiting the mama duck in the mini forest, as she sits on her nest

Drawing in our Sit Spots

Picking flowers

Testing the wind with streamers

Testing for acids and bases with our garden parent liaison/scientist

Sweeping and watering plants

Oh, and reading about bugs once we got inside :)

We also had a visit from the city water people, who installed a water bottle fountain, gave us all free water bottles, and let us try the pesto-making bike! It was a lot of fun.