Fall’s splendor is broadcast; autumn is upon us with its radiant colors: intense yellows, vivid reds, deep oranges and rusty browns. Autumn is a magic time providing so many new colors, sounds, objects and experiences to explore. Autumn adventures include trying to creep unheard across crunchy leaves, practicing jumps in piles of crispy leaves, collecting fruit and nuts to eat, vegetables to taste and natural objects to transform in art.
Inspired by all these natural wonders, preschool and primary school teachers and students are invited to explore the natural areas from their neighborhood, to discover together creative ways to take the class into nature and bring nature into the classroom.
Fall Sensations project aims to improve the connectivity of the theoretical part of the regular class activities with its applicability in nature. This can be achieved by planning and implementing more nature related activities, allowing to the natural environment to become a valuable teaching and learning resource.
The outputs of this short project (2 months, October, November 2018) are:
- An exhibition with art crafts, paintings, drawings make by the students using as many natural objects (pieces of wood, fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, leaves, natural fibers, clay, stones and rocks) as possible. 2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage. Through this project we can celebrate national artists, classical or modern, encouraging our students to transpose and interpret their artistic ideas and vision into new pieces of art. Teachers and students could find their inspiration in national folklore themes, in traditional art crafts.
- A demo nature related activity developed by partner teachers as an example of good practice in planning and implementing nature related activities in their classes (video & photos, presentations, didactic materials).
Aims:
- Social and intercultural exchange: traditional art, folklore themes, classic and modern national artists, folklore themes, traditional art crafts. Understanding diversity of European cultures and languages.
- Team-building, communication, collaboration, practice foreign languages.
- Acquire and improve nature-related skills, planning and undertaking nature related activities, and a growing respect for nature.
- Enhancing awareness of the benefits of nature programs in child education within the community (children, parents, teachers and wider society).
Fall Sensations is part of an Erasmus+ project, Explore the Curriculum Through Nature Programs, ECTNP( 2018-2020). Teachers from six preschools and primary schools (from Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Latvia and Spain) decide to discover together as many as possible means to take the class into nature and bring the nature into the classroom. ECTNP project aims to develop and integrate nature programs as an essential part in implementing the national curriculum at preschool and primary school level.
Fall Sensations Exhibition is a wonderful collection of autumn-inspired artworks made with natural materials by the students of the primary classes of our school, Discovery Kids Primary School, under the guidance of their teachers. See Pictures in Materials/Folders. The exhibition was opened for two weeks, 29th of October-11th of November, 2018 and was a real succes.
