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Notebook

Starting from Language Arts

These language arts activities are aimed for intermediate students; however, they can be adapted depending on the group of students. Writing activities allow students to connect with their place, exploring the environment as well as their position within it. The exercises encourages students to practice their creativity and empathy for the non-human world through writing and drawing. 

Map

1

Nature Comic

Create and share stories that are inspired by the outdoors. This activity allows students to translate their outdoor learning into their own creative narrative. Creating comics allow students to practice writing and detailed drawings.

2

A Letter to an Other

This activity aims to connect students with something in their environment, strengthening their connection with their place. This creative writing activity allows students to tell stories, share memories, and create new bonds with nature. 

3

Sit Spot Journal

In this creative writing activity, students will have the opportunity to spend time outdoors getting to know the place and the non-humans that share it. 

Nature Comic

Curricular Competencies

English Language Arts

  • Exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared understanding

  • Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create texts for a variety of purposes and audiences

  • Use language in creative and playful ways to develop style

  • Communicate in sentences and paragraphs, applying conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and punctuation

  • Transform ideas and information to create original texts

Science

  • Demonstrate curiosity about the natural world

  • Observe objects and events in familiar contexts

  • Identify questions about familiar objects and events that can be investigated scientifically

  • Identify some simple environmental implications of their and others’ actions

  • Express and reflect on personal or shared experiences of place

Art

  • Explore identity, place, culture, and belonging through arts experiences

​

Materials: ​

  • clipboards

  • comic layout/bubbles sheets

  • pencils

  • optional: scissors and glue

​

  1. Explain to students they will each be making their own short comics. Discuss story sequence (beginning, middle, end) and elements (plot, setting, characters, problem, and solution). 

  2. Invite students to go on a nature walk outside. Try to take them to a spot with different non-human beings (e.g. forest, field, etc). 

  3. Walk as a group with nature and notice what elements they can use in their story (e.g. the main character could be a bee who cannot find a flower to pollinate). 

  4. Hand out comic layouts. Remind students they can use captions for text. Cut and glue speech bubbles and illustrations to liven up the comic.

  5. Invite students to share their story with the class.

 

Extensions:​

  • Have them translate their story in a digital format (e.g. using Pixton). 

  • Create a detailed title page for your comic.

  • Write a sequel to your comic.

A Letter to an Other

Curricular Competencies

English Language Arts

  • Exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared understanding

  • Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create texts for a variety of purposes and audiences

  • Use language in creative and playful ways to develop style

  • Communicate in sentences and paragraphs, applying conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and punctuation

  • Transform ideas and information to create original texts

Science

  • Demonstrate curiosity about the natural world

  • Observe objects and events in familiar contexts

  • Identify questions about familiar objects and events that can be investigated scientifically

  • Identify some simple environmental implications of their and others’ actions

  • Express and reflect on personal or shared experiences of place

Art

  • Explore identity, place, culture, and belonging through arts experiences

​

Materials: ​

  • clipboards

  • worksheets

  • pencils/ pencil crayons

​

  1. Take students outside. Outline boundaries and tell students to wander until they find a space they feel drawn to, away from peers. Ask students to sit in that spot and just notice (using their senses). 

  2. Have each student pick one non-human to write a letter to. Think about what you would say to this being if they could also talk, what would you ask?

  3. Write a letter to the "other".

  4. Draw a small picture (of the being, of the student with the being, or the environment they are in). 

  5. Come back as a group and share who your wrote your letter to and why.

 

Extensions: 

  • As a class, share who you wrote your letter to and why. 

  • Draw a detailed drawing, using a medium of your choice, of the 'other'.

  • Research your 'other' using a non-fiction book or the internet, add fun facts to your letter and/or labels on your drawing.

Sit Spot Journal

Curricular Competencies

English Language Arts

  • Exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared understanding

  • Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create texts for a variety of purposes and audiences

  • Use language in creative and playful ways to develop style

  • Communicate in sentences and paragraphs, applying conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and punctuation

  • Transform ideas and information to create original texts

Science

  • Demonstrate curiosity about the natural world

  • Observe objects and events in familiar contexts

  • Identify questions about familiar objects and events that can be investigated scientifically

  • Identify some simple environmental implications of their and others’ actions

  • Express and reflect on personal or shared experiences of place

Art

  • Create artistic works collaboratively and as an individual using ideas inspired by imagination, inquiry, experimentation, and purposeful play

​

Materials:

  • clipboards

  • worksheets

  • pencils/ pencil crayons

​

  1. Take students outside to a large area where each student can have their own space, preferably a natural area but can also be adapted for more urban spaces closer to the school. 

  2. Take the students on a mini nature walk, explain boundaries.

  3. Explain that each student will find their own space to sit and reflect upon the area through writing and drawing. Encourage using their senses to deepen their connection with the space.

  4. Hand out clipboards, worksheets, and pencils.

  5. Walk through the space once more; however, this time as you're walking, ask students to fall out of line when they see a spot that intrigues them (should be away from others). 

  6. Depending on the group, give them 10-20 minutes to write and draw about their sit spot. 

  7. Come together as a class and share about their sit spot. 

 

Extensions: 

  • Revisit their spot weekly, monthly, or the next time you TOC. Notice any changes.

  • Take a field guide outside with you and identify flora and fauna in your sit spot.

  • Draw a detailed picture of your sit spot, labelling key elements (e.g. plant names, recognizable features, etc.). Ask a friend to find where the spot is. Were they correct?

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