The Lofties - 6s & 7s
'How we organise ourselves'
This term the 6s & 7s have very ably walked from Preshil, up to Burke Road, to catch the first of two trams to Wattle Park for Bush School: the numbers 70 & 72!
Bush School, Forest School or Beach School, all refer to the combination of nature and play, as a tool for learning. The beauty of outdoor education is that it allows children to engage in a variety of activities, scenarios and demonstrations not typically available in the four walls of a classroom. In addition, children who learn outdoors improve their nature-literacy, becoming more confident and empathetic towards the natural world. In only two weeks we have seen a shift in some of the children’s responses; from screams and squeals when noticing bull ants and insects to earnest observation of centipedes and millipedes.
We chose Wattle Park as a site for Bush School due to its accessibility by public transport and it is one of the few sites in Melbourne where remnant indigenous vegetation exists. The conservation zone in the eastern half of the park plays an important role in protecting the indigenous flora and fauna.
Our unit of inquiry is framed under the transdisciplinary theme, ‘How we organise ourselves.’ It is a an inquiry into how humans relate to nature, how public spaces are shared places and nature as a mathematical place. In the following weeks we will continue to explore these lines of inquiry with a visit from ‘Uncle Bill’ from the Wurundjeri Tribe Council and a workshop with the Victorian Basketmakers, whose head office is located in Wattle Park. We will also play some golf and tennis at the Wattle Park Golf course and Tennis Courts.
Talitha Crawford & Paul O'Leary
6s & 7s Classroom Teachers