Observing Trees (3rd-5th Grades)

We started out this class a little differently than usual!  We are currently exploring "earth" as our element, specifically focusing on trees.  We walked around the TIS campus and observed the different trees that are growing around the school.  Many of these beautiful old trees will be cut down when the new school facility is built, so it was also a time to appreciate and enjoy trees that won't be there much longer.  I asked the students to write five adjectives about the trees they observed and draw a picture of one of the trees.When we went back to the classroom we shared our adjectives and drawings.

I actually gave the students Mind Move Make homework from the last week!  The homework was to observe a tree in their yard or neighborhood.  We took the time to share about the trees that are important to us.  One girl said that she has two trees in her yard, and each one is dedicated to a pet dog that has passed away.  Another girl shared that her family stayed in the house they currently live in because of the beautiful trees in their yard.  It was fantastic to hear the students' connections to trees around them.

After that, I asked the students to become the trees that they observed for their homework through movement.  They could do this in any way they wanted.  First, I "planted" each student in a special place in the classroom.  They could move any part of their bodies, except their feet!  Once planted, each girl had to remain in place.  It was interesting to see how different each girl's tree became!  All students were working with the same general concept, but they moved and looked very different.

After that it was time to make art!  The girls began their earth-inspired masks last week, so this week they continued the creation.  Here are the artists in action!