An Inquiry of Forests!

I love inquiry based learning for so many reasons--but one of the reasons why I love inquiry-based learning is because it allows the students to have a say in the planning process of what they learn.

For instance. Our preschool class is learning all about the features of habitats. This week we were discussing the forest. Prior to our unit, I asked the children what they thought they knew about the forest.

What do we think we know about forests?

If animals live there they will need food and water.

There are fish in the river.

There can be wind and snow in the forest.

There are frogs in the forest.

 I see trees in the forest.

 There are lily pads for the the frogs.

 There are trees, wind, snow, and you can hear the birds whistling.

There is water.

What do we think is not alive in the forest?

Water is not alive.

The river is not alive.

Rocks are not alive.

Snow is not alive.

Trees are not alive.

What Types of Animals do we think live in the Forest?:

 Fish live in the forest.

Bears live in the forest.

Fish live in the forest.

Frogs live in the forest.

Deer live in the forest.

Birds live in the forest.

Tigers live in the forest.

Elephants live in the forest.

Eagles live in the forest.

Eagles live in the forest.

Flies live in the forest.

Ladybugs live in the forest.

Birds live in the forest.

Birds live in the forest.

Doing this KWL allowed me to see what my students already know about forests--as well as how I can address some misconceptions they might have. Because I can type faster than I can write, we usually brainstorm on our computer and I type out what the students are saying so they can see it. Some of my preschool students are already reading quite fluently and I can use this as an extension opportunity for them to read back what we've wrote. 

After this discussion I saw that my students were uncertain if trees and plants were alive. Quite a few thought they were not alive. I also saw that my students were confused about the types of animals that live in a forest versus the animals that would live in the jungle. 

Seeing this, I made the choice to direct my teaching towards an investigation of trees and the weather. Forests tend to be seasonal while jungles tend to be hot all year round.

First we journeyed to the Learning Lab where we watched a time-lapse video of a plant growing. 

Check out this great video of a sunflower growing here: 

Understanding: Plants do grow--they just grow slowly and you have to have a careful eye to notice small changes!

Then we watched this video to see what would happen if a plant did not have water. You can see it here:

Understanding: Plants need water--just like we do! Just like animals do!

Finally we watched this video to see how plants will move to get close to the sunlight: You can see it here:  

Understanding: Plants need sunlight to live--they use the sun to make their food!

We examined the parts of plants and drew the special parts of a tree. We started with a seed, then drew the roots--discussing how roots are like straws drinking in the water. We drew the trunk of a tree, the branches, the twigs, and the leaves. 

Then we went on a journey outside to look at the different kinds of trees we could find around our school. We know that some trees are big, some are small. Leaves can come in different shapes and sizes. Leaves can come in different colors. 

Of course we had to see this in real time--we soaked some beans overnight and are very excited to see them grow!

Finally, we looked at how the weather of a forest differs from the weather of a jungle. This was a great pre-snack video. A Planet Earth excerpt from the BBC. Check it out here!

On Wednesday, we had our Research Station "Mix It Up" time. During this time our neighboring preschool class and my preschool class mingle and mix with one another to explore concepts we are learning about in a play based setting. 

We know that researchers are people who try to find out more information about the world around them. This week our class was transformed into a forest research station. I encouraged all of the K2s to 'slow their thinking'. Good researchers take the time to notice small details. Our researchers this week:

Examined books about leaves and drew pictures of leaves. We attached them to these paper branches which are now hanging up in the classroom.

We researched birds of the forests by looking at real bird photos and using scissors and paper to fold the birds so they could fly across the room (sorry--no photos of this one!)

We examined books about forest flowers and painted pictures of the beautiful images we could see. We know that flowers can come in many different shapes and colors.

We know that forests are full of bugs! Many bugs make their homes in trees! We explored the body of insects with playdough to make imprints. 

All the while we listened to sounds of the forest--because learning is a sensory experience!

Have you been looking for a full hour of bird songs? Don't worry. I got you. You can check it out here.

We read a lot of great nonfiction stories during this week, but my favourite fictional story we read was Fox and Fine Feathers because it talked about how animals use their feathers to blend into the features around them. It's a beautifully illustrated book and your students will take a lot of enjoyment going back to look for the birds hidden in the pictures.

Next week we're off to the savannah!

Until next time learning buddies!