Making Meaning of Our Intellectual Experiences

Our rainy season has arrived! During the rain, we are intrigued to harvest rainwater. In our sense, the rain is beautiful with its clarity, sound, texture, and of course, its gentleness and calmness. Harvesting rainwater can possibly be another idea for us to make connections between the characteristics of the rain and our emerging understanding of various emotions. Sometimes the rain can be full of emotion with its pouring rain; however, many times the rain comes with its therapeutic gentle sound.

The rain does not dampen our uplifted feeling; instead we enjoy every single bit of it by keeping our rhythmic awareness to the drops and drips outside. Emily and Kalyan exhibit whole body movement with patterning like jiggling or spinning along to slow  and fast raindrop sounds.

Some of us prefer to work with more concentration or focus in working with KEVA planks. KEVA can help us see changes from abstract concepts into tangible form. We can build towers, mazes, bridges, and ... of course ... geometric shapes like square. pentagon, hexagon, and octagon.

Through this experience, Pranssi and Kai work together in testing the balance of a plank to stand on another piece of plank. Tvisha puts her effortful attempts by engaging her left hand to anchor the base and place a single plank on it. Kalyan places planks side by side to construct a layer of planks.

When we go outside, some of us are being interested to collect rainwater over a period of time. By learning how to collect and measure rainwater, we can help ourselves gain a deeper understanding of weather patterns and the water cycle. The science behind rainwater collection is fascinating and educational for us. Rainwater is a valuable and renewable resource that can be used for many purpose, from watering plants to cleaning our walls. The process of collecting rainwater involves understanding the water cycle, which is an essential part of the Earth's ecosystem.

Nora and Fides take on this idea by agreeing to prepare clear cups on top of the fence as  a possible place to collect the rainwater. We take ownership by writing our names on the cups to take note of how much water we are able to collect overnight.

On the same day, a friend asks us to read a storybook of Dr.Seuss: f I Ran The Rainforest. The storybook offers a very important role of the rain forest and its relationships with animals and trees living in. We begin to understand the rain forest is actually a home to many. In addition to our  growing understanding, the significance of the rain forest, as a home, is also part our ecosystem. Our actions make a big difference in being responsible to the sustainable process of our biodiversity. 

There is one illustration of the trees being cut down for their timbers. It immediately sparks our concern in regard to this situation by raising this question, What is happening to great numbers of animals and plant species when their home is being destructed? When eighty percent of Earth's land animals and plants live in forests, and deforestation threatens species including the orangutan, sloths, tigers, and many other species of birds like toucan, macaw, we take a chance to question ourselves of our conscience,

We purposefully pose this question to ourselves, If we were the animal, where would we prefer to live? The critical period for this catalyst is the first three years of life (Cozolino, 2006; Perry, 2000, 2010). During this time, brain structures necessary for interpreting social events, experiencing compassion, and making decisions necessary for conscience are being shaped and connected. Conscience is an internal voice that obliges us to act with kindness, respect, and fairness and to make things right as best as we can when we do not.

Being free to live is one of the many aspects highlighted by Nora. Empathy is an intellectual experience that involves perception and understanding. With empathy, we recreate in our own mind the circumstances and experience of someone or something else.

​Wonderfully, a broader debate arises if water is wasted when it rains. This comes up as we talk about the rainforest and the Amazon. As we are having rainy days, it creates a perfect backdrop for a conversation. We are learning about the rainforest and the Amazon, and the role of the rain there.

Kai, always full of curiosity, says, The water is wasting. He seems concerned by the rain, considering that unsure of what happens to all the water when it falls to the earth. His comment sparks something more—an opportunity to explore the idea of water not as waste, but as part of a cycle that sustains life in ecosystems like the rainforest.

Fides' gestures as he talks, his hands tracing the movement of water. Water goes up and down, he explains, showing how it evaporates into the sky, then falls as rain. He traces the cycle in the air, his fingers moving in circles to mimic the flow of water, from the clouds to the ground, and back again. Kai listens intently, his gaze fixes on Fides, absorbing every word, every gesture. There’s something about the way Fides moves his hands, the way his ideas flow, that helps Kai pictures the cycle.
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Fide’s words are simple but powerful, reflecting an understanding that water isn’t wasted, but rather constantly moving, changing forms, and nourishing the Earth. He is making a connection between the rain we are experiencing and the larger cycle of water that sustains the Amazon rainforest, a place we have been learning about recently.

Kai, absorbs Fides' explanation. And there is a sense of shared discovery, as if the rain itself has brought our classroom learning into the present moment. Through their conversation, the rain isn't just water falling from the sky—it was part of a much larger, interconnected process that reaches all the way to the Amazon, where trees, plants, and animals rely on the water cycle to survive.

Our discussion about the water cycle in relation to the rainforest deepens as we reflect on the importance of water. How rainwater could seem like it’s “wasting” when it falls to the ground, but in the context of the rainforest, the idea shifts. The connection between the local, everyday experience of rain and the distant, vast ecosystem of the Amazon becomes clear to us. Water, we understand, is never wasted—it’s part of a cycle that sustains life everywhere, from the small puddle outside to the vast expanse of the rainforest.

​As Fides finishes speaking, Kai’s eyes light up. His mind is clearly processing what he hears, thinking through it, making connections. He speaks, his voice steady but with a spark of excitement. Water moves to another waterfall, he says, almost as if the thought has just appeared to him, like a light bulb turning on.

The words hang in the air for a moment. They’re simple, but they carry a deeper meaning. Kai has just taken Fides’ explanation about the water cycle and adds something of his own. Instead of just thinking about water falling from the sky, Kai is now imagining it as something that flows, something that moves and transforms.

​Water doesn’t just fall once; it travels, it changes, and it keeps moving, from rivers to waterfalls to the next point in its cycle. This moment of understanding. It’s not just about the water cycle anymore. It’s about seeing the world in motion, understanding how everything is interconnected, how ideas flow like water from one mind to another, changing, transforming, and growing as they move along.

In our journey to explore the natural wonders of our world, we embark on an adventure to understand more of the rainforest, one of the Earth’s most vibrant ecosystems. Our journey began with the National Geographic video, Rainforests 101, which opens our eyes to the importance of rainforests, their vast beauty, and the many creatures that call it home.
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We are fascinated to learn that tropical rainforests, which are warm and wet year-round, are home to some of the most diverse plants and animals. These forests, found near the equator, have towering trees and thick layers of plants that provide shelter and food for countless species. On the other hand, temperate rainforests are cooler and found in places like the Pacific Northwest. These rainforests receive a lot of rain, too, but they experience more seasonal changes and host different types of plants and animals, like giant trees and unique mosses.

​We are amazed to learn that rainforests act as Earth’s “lungs,” absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through photosynthesis. This process not only provides oxygen but also helps balance global atmospheric levels by reducing greenhouse gases, which is essential for combating climate change.

​The video explains the threats rainforests face, especially from deforestation and logging, which lead to habitat loss and reduce the forest's ability to absorb carbon. We express concern for animals losing their homes and recognize the broader impact of rainforest destruction on climate and biodiversity.
Kai shares an important observation: “They cut the trees and they don’t have houses,” referring to the animals that lose their homes due to deforestation. 

​Pranssi shares a powerful page from If I Ran the Rain Forest showing humans cutting down trees, with animals running and flying away to escape the destruction. This image sparks a thoughtful discussion among the children about the impact of human actions on animal habitats.

We explore a page showing the diverse animals that inhabit the rainforest. Pranssi shares that there are brightly colored parrots in the rainforest, adding to its beauty with their vibrant feathers and songs.

Fides mentions toucans with their large, colorful beaks, as well as sloths that move slowly among the branches. These contributions help us picture the unique animals that make the rainforest their home and the adaptations that help them thrive in this environment.

​Kai observes that birds “fly over the ocean” as they flee the rainforest, searching for new homes with trees where they can find shelter. 

​Through this exploration, we develop more understanding on how the rainforest acts as a protector of our planet, not only as a habitat but also as a regulator of air and water quality. We share ideas on how we can help, from caring for local trees to conserving resources. By learning about tropical and temperate rainforests, their layers, and their ecological roles, we are inspired to protect these essential forests for the future.