Digging Deeper into Our Learning

Pranssi, with her growing understanding on the significance of the rainforest, likes to revisit the storybook of I Ran the Rainforest. She shares her thought on why it is important to take some actions to prevent our ongoing issue with deforestation. In order to immerse into a real situation of the concerning issue, we invite ourselves to draw on what we think how a rainforest looks like. (We hear it's kind of wet most of the time due to an ongoing rain). 

Working in a collective drawing indeed requires some strategic thinking as follows:

• who is in-charge of what?
• where is the top position for the sky? where is the bottom position for the ground?
• how the trees look like? (we hear they are super tall and dense)

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Mountains and a tall growing tree with branches almost touching the sky - Kai

Kai, recently. is very interested in drawing mountains and clouds inspires Fides to come up with his decision of being in=charge of the clouds, too. Fides takes a ruler with round circles to be his reference in drawing round shapes. His strategy supports his divergent thinking on how to make his idea more visible.

At the same time, we manage to process who should be in-charge of which areas of drawing.
Fides: So Kai, are you in-charge of the top where we can see clouds and sky and birds, right?
In this way, Fides is trying to reaffirm his point-of-view.

Kai reaffirms: Yes, you see here the blue sky! And the tall trees are going to reach.

Through his illustrative voice and drawing he makes an analogy to better understand how tall the trees are in the rain forest. Through our collective drawing we explore concepts of size, proportion, and spatial relationships. We may start drawing a tree that gets smaller as it recedes into the distance, or begin to understand the relative size of objects within a landscape.

 This is the trunk of the tree which is growing tall, too! - Pranssi

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The drawing has been able to capture the part that Pranssi and Nora are being in-charge of. Our drawing is a window into how we process and express our thoughts, emotions, and understanding of the world. 

When we draw, we often use the act of making marks as a way to externalize our inner thoughts and make sense of our experiences. Through our drawings, we begin to engage with complex concepts like size, space, relationships, and even abstract ideas.

But even as we develop this ability to render the world more accurately, our drawings often still hold layers of deeper, more personal meaning. The way we represent size in our works can reflect how we are grappling with different feelings or ideas, whether it's how big we feel in the world or how we understand the role of ourselves, friends, or even abstract concepts like time or emotion.

Luka stacks logs to explore the concept of height. Through this learning experience, he combines physical learning experience with basic principles of measurement and spatial awareness. In this way Luka observes how the height increases with each additional log. This process allows him to grasp the idea of verticality - how things can be taller or shorter based on our position in space.

Kalyan is observed to carefully place wooden blocks in a systematic way - one after another in a certain position. He puts his full focus on adding the height of each column. Whenever it may become wobbly or unstable, he bends his knees and provides a little adjustment to the position with his anchoring hand. This learning experience provides him with an opportunity to learn about gravity and how objects interact with one another. 

From individual works, Emily, Nora, Kai, Kalyan, and Fides share a collaborative  interest to take  this experiment to the next challenge. This time round we experiment with adding one block at a time to see how each additional block changes the height, noticing how the stack grows or becomes more unstable with each change. 

If the stack falls over, with a big thud loud sound and our anticipating feelings, this learning experience becomes a fun exploration for us to lay the foundation for more abstract concepts of measurement and geometry later on in life.

Many of our ordinary moments are about laying foundations for understanding certain key concepts. Through below experience, Luka and Kalyan are observed to push a car to one another. This fun moment supports our growing observation how the car moves from one point to another. As we push, we can see the distance the car travels. This helps us begin to understand that distance is how far an object moves between two points.

Our exploration into biomes and habitats begin with an invitation to consider the Amazon rainforest not just a place, but as a living entity - a complex web where every life form has a a role. This journey is not only about learning definitions but about developing a deeper sense of how each creature's presence and need are woven into the fabric of the rainforest. 

We begin to dig deeper, examining how the Amazon biome itself is composed of many such "homes" for countless species.  We ​observe that, much like a house has different rooms for different activities, the rainforest is made up of diverse habitats/canopy, layers, rivers, forest floors-each uniquely suited to its residents. 

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In this way, Nora's observation sparks a larger understanding that the Amazon is not simply a large forest, but a delicate mosaic where each species relies on the habitat best suited to its needs.

​Nora's response to the question What is the habitat for a dolphin?. The water she says. It is deceptively simple but profound. Her answer highlights a natural understanding that a habitat is more than just a physical location, it is an essential space where life can flourish. 
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For Nora, "home​" holds meaning as a place of belonging and comfort, and she applies this understanding to the dolphin's relationship with water.

After we understand the layers or canopies mean homes to various species, we bring some photographs contains of specific species or plants living in the rainforest. Nora, Pranssi, Kai, and Emily take charge of match them with their habitats. 

When we match photographs of species to a rainforest drawing, we are engaging in an enriching learning experience that helps us connect real-world organisms with their habitats, encouraging both visual literacy and scientific understanding. This experience also provides us the opportunity to explore biodiversity, learn about different species, and develop a deeper understanding of how ecosystems function.

This whole continuation sparks another intention in our mind to find out the concept of size with our body by visiting our nearby trees. We venture into our own little “rainforest” near the school—a small, wooded area that mirrors some of the elements of a rainforest we’ve been discussing in class. This field trip was a hands-on way to connect with nature, explore the world around us, and engage in meaningful conversations about the environment.

​One of the first things we notice is how high the trees stretches toward the sky. We and Kalyan, in particular, pause to stretch our necks and our sense of sight to trace the height of the tree. We end-up looking up in awe, marveling at the towering giants. 

​During our walk, we notice the tall trees surrounding us, some of which stood bare, without their leaves. When asked where the leaves might have gone, Kai thoughtfully suggests, Maybe people pulled the leaves off. This sparks a discussion about how trees change and interact with their surroundings, whether naturally through seasons or due to human influence.

Tvisha, gently engages her fingers to touch moss on a tree stump. This connection between her and the natural environment provides hands-on opportunities to the concept of texture. While sensing the softness of moss with her fingers, she may experience sensory awareness. 

We also touch and feel the moss growing on the tree trunks and stumps. We are  fascinated by its softness. This sensory exploration helps us connect to the textures and life forms that make up a rainforest.

​As we continue our exploration, we come across tree stumps where trees have been cut down. Our reflections are insightful. We share that animals who may have lived in those trees probably have to move somewhere else.

Kai notes how the lack of trees affects us, saying, Because of the cut trees, we have less shade. Pranssi offers an optimistic perspective, adding, But we still have more trees. Our observations and reflections highlight both the challenges and resilience of nature.

During our exploration, Luka proudly shares two sticks he finds and is holding. Luka’s excitement about his discovery adds an element of play and creativity to our adventure, reminding us of the many treasures nature offers.

​This outdoor experience brought to life the concepts we’ve been exploring in class about rainforests. The tall trees remind us of the rainforest canopy, while the moss and stumps provides tangible examples of the forest floor and human impact. Our observations deepen our understanding of how trees provide shelter, shade, and resources for living creatures, including humans.

Kindest,
Children & Friends.