Winter at Forest School

Provocations

A provocation at Forest School can be story, a found relic, loose parts strategically placed, a call to imagine or a question. It is a gentle nudge in a direction that is built on previous play and in our context, related to the Ontario Curriculum. The provocation sometimes sparks play, exploration or discovery but is not a “must do”. Heading into to the 7th week, when we set provocations, we had a list of related Big Ideas in Science, Social Studies or Mathematics which could guide our questioning. But as always, the students were given freedom and choice in their play and often veered in new directions. Other times, a provocation framed new discoveries in the forest. For example, we read the Book “Over and Under” in class as part of a Math lesson. This book lead to a discussion about the subnivean zone between the forest floor and the snow and the animals that survive in this “secret kingdom” during the winter. During our next visit to the Ottawa Forest and Nature School, MA and SA discovered a large hole beside a tree, with dirt strewn about. Inside there was a deep holes with porcupine needles. The girls were so excited to share their discovery about the secret kingdom and went back to that hole for weeks afterwards, observing changes.

 

Impact on Student Well-Being

With rituals and routines established, we began to observe play moving more quickly from chaos to deep, meaningful play. We were observing FLOW. A small group of students, however, were still finding it challenging to self-regulate and we grouped them together to go over expectations in a more explicit way while letting the others jump into play.

We began to notice many of the students on the other end of the self-regulation continuum, gaining confidence and taking risks. Many of these students were students that enjoyed the more directed activities in the classroom (e.g.,VH would hesitate to answer in class unless she felt they had the “right” answer). Their discomfort with the ambiguity of open-ended play began to disappear around Week 11.

Many of the “reluctant speakers” students began to participate and be more vocal both in class and at OFN (e.g., GM, who is a select-mute began to speak in an audible voice). When an ECE accidentally stepped on MD squirrel house, he very confidently told her that she was walking all over the backyard of the house.

 

Impact on Student Achievement

The establishment of the rituals and routines meant that we could now count on a provocation, a play or activity time, a sit spot, an individual reflection time, and the “Story of the Day”, a group reflection time, building built into the structure of the day.

We were able to link learning in class to play in the forest (e.g., building structures) and exploration in the forest to inquiries back at school (e.g., inquiry into the subnivean zone). Students were able to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding  of the Big Ideas of the Ontario Curriculum in non-traditional ways and we were able to document their learning by taking anecdotal notes and photos. However, for students to communicate their experiences in a clear, precise way remained a challenge.

We knew the reflection piece was there. Sit Spots occurred during the play period. When the moment struck, we would find a spot to sit and reflect. Some students craved this time, others were developing their ability to slow down and BE. But the communication piece was trickier, especially in a second language, when very little direct instruction was given.

March 8, 2016

Provocation: This visit was our last trip to Forest School before the March Break and the educators at OFNS put together a Winter Celebration with a special magic line.

Play: We all remarked, how comfortable the students were in the forest. All of the effort to establish rituals and routines, guidelines and control measures were paying off. The play was independent, autonomous, deep, meaningful. Could our students become leaders for other students at our school?

Sit Spot: We asked the students to listen for what the forest was telling us? Was it telling us that change was coming?

Story of the Day: As a finale to the wonderful celebration, Sonja prepared bannock and the children cooked it over the fire (small bannock cookies were fried up quickly for those who could not wait).

Back at school: The warm March weather was upon us. Instead of asking students to reflect on their day at Forest School, we invited them to participate in a mini Pop-Up adventure play day in the Kindergarten Yard. Sometimes play calls!

March 1, 2016

Provocation: That morning at school, students were engaged in bird feeder making. Carrie had communicated sent a photo of a deer beside MK’s bird feeder.

Play: Upon arriving at Forest School, the students’ play flowed immediately. We saw students engage in free play: cops and robbers, hockey (we made a deal with boys to take the loud play away from the quieter play e.g., playing baby squirrel establishing a hockey zone), etc.

Sit Spot: The students were so engaged in their sit spot, listening to the sounds of the snow, that when cross-country skiers, skied through, everyone continued to sit and notice using their senses. Over the course of several weeks, we noticed the same students were uncomfortable with the quiet, so when it came time to choose their spots, I invited them to sit close to me.

Story of the Day: It was the students who documented our day this week, as I had left my devices at home. I realized how much time I spent with my iPad “documenting learning” when students were making “icePads” and pretending to take photos. Their pictures were elaborate, especially VH’s: she had added details including deer tracks, scat and “yellow snow”.

Back at school: We had been building bird houses back at school. We reviewed the established criteria and changed our designs as not many of our original feeders successfully attracted birds, except for MK’s.

February 23, 2016

We had missed a week of Forest School when buses were cancelled due to the enormous snowstorm the previous Tuesday. Since then, the area had received 50cm of snow, followed by rain, then cold and a little more snow.

Provocation: When the groups met at the morning campfire, they were asked to think of what kind of magic was happening under the snow.

Play: After our snack, the play began around the cabin, both groups together. BM, MK and OR found an enormous store of squirrel mittens. Others we fascinated by the bird feeders. An email from Forest School prompted us to redesign our bird feeders and wonder who had moved the smaller ones into the woods? Students were invited to make new feeders using toilet paper rolls, margarine and seeds. Then they began to improve the design based on their observations of birds’ behaviour, putting the magic bird seed recipe on sticks.

Sit Spot: As the play continued to be deep and meaningful, we decided collectively, as a group, to allow it to continue.

Story of the Day: What magic did you see today in the forest?

Back at school: Students shared what magically things they saw in the forest (e.g., porcupine quills, squirrel middens, the campfire, etc.).

February 9, 2016

The day before had been Chinese New Year. In the morning at Meadowlands PS, we made lanterns using different materials (paper cups, plastic cups and styrofoam cups) to be placed in the forest which we would observe over the next few visits. Which materials would stand the test of time? Which ones would go back to the Earth?

Provocation: Carrie asked students to gather pine cones and had them imaging they were baby animals. All of the students immediately jumped into play, building winter homes for their baby animals.

Play: Many students spent the entire time building, adding on to and even landscaping their animal homes. A group of kinders (who were part of the Wold Cub Pack), spent an hour scraping a dead tree and making dirt which they gathered and put in a bag to take back to MPS.

Sit Spots: The owls had their sit spots, but the wolves were so involved in their play, they continued until it was time for the end of the day campfire. A few students expressed disappointment that  they missed sit spots.

Story of the Day: We sang a Chinese New Year Song and lit fire crackers.

Back at school, much of the noticing including action words, observing, climbing, discovering, scraping, building, etc.

February 2, 2016

This week saw the creation of the Wolf Cub group. These students still needed explicit instruction and reminders about forest school guidelines. The others had internalized rules like “Sticks need space” and “Walk around the ring of fire”.

Provocation: Students wanted to continue to build structures. We encouraged them to describe their creation using non-standard units of measure we used in our 20 questions game.

This activity was linked to two “units” we were looking at back at Meadowlands PS: Science: Understanding Structures & Mechanisms and Mathematics: Measurement.

Play: Both groups hiked to the Rocky and Mossy place at different rates. The Owls arrived first, played and had a sit spot. The wolves arrived later.

Sit Spots: It was a warm and sunny day, we asked students to think about what the Rocky and Mossy place was telling us about the people who had been here before.

Story of the Day: What did you create or build at Forest School today?

Back at school, we co-created an anchor chart for our 20 questions game using items commonly found at OFN.

January 26, 2016

This day, the temperature above zero. When we arrived, MK was fascinated by the bird feeder he had place beside the shed 2 weeks before. Someone had altered it. The hole was much bigger  and it had not been made with scissors; it was a zigzag.

Provocation: Students were invited to make tags with their names to place somewhere in the forest. The OFN educators reinforced positional language with the students (e.g., plus loin, plus proche)

Play: Staying close to the cabin, the Owl Parliament began to play, using sticky snow which we discovered was ideal for building forts. Then they flew off for a walk to a new part of Trail 12.

Meanwhile, the wolves built small objects like BB-8 or snow squirrels after their hike to the Rocky and Mossy Place.

MA and SA found an entrance to what they called the “Secret Kingdom” or the subnivean level. Fascinated by how animals survive in the winter.

Sit Spots: We retold the story of the wisest person in the world and asked students to see if wisdom would come to them? Not even a snowshoer walking beside us with his dog could disturb the students

Story of the Day: What mark did you leave

Back at school, we documented examples of team work at OFN.

January 19, 2016

It was the coldest day of winter and we delayed our trip by an hour, hoping the temperature would rise. Happily, the shelter of the forest provided some relief, we were out of the wind.

Provocation: We began our day inside the cabin and we read a story about snow.

Play: We went for a hike stopping to engage in free play when the moment struck. The Owls played near the tiny pond off the trail to the cabin. The pond was frozen and slippy. And cracked when Madame walked on it! But not when the students did… hmm?

Sit Spots: We felt it was too cold to stop, so instead we went for a listening walk.

Story of the Day: Students were asked to share one word to describe the day: frosty, cold, fun, etc.

Back at school, we compared the ice we found before, in Fall and now, in Winter, incorporating Math measurement vocabulary (e.g., épaise et mince) and building on our positional language vocabulary.

What was under the ice? Even on this cold day, there was water under the ice and when we tossed snow on top, We watch snow disappear into the puddle.

January 12, 2016

At Meadowlands PS, before we left for Forest School, some students created their own bird feeders based on a plan they had developed the day before in Science. We had co-created criteria for making an effective bird feeder.

Provocation: At OFN, students placed their bird feeders in the forest.

Play: After snack, we veered off our trail and followed a deer who had antlers (so we understood it was a male). This shortcut led us a short distance, where there were some interesting ice puddles with bubbles frozen inside, and even a stream running underneath.

Sit Spots: We asked the students to use their wolf ears to listen for what sound snow falling makes.

Back at the cabin, students discovered a collection of snow shoes and immediately wanted to try them out.

Story of the Day: What did you hear in the forest with your wolf or owl ears or using you 5 senses.

Back at school, students shared what the noticed using their 5 senses and co-created an anchor chart about how these animals used their wolf eyes, ears, mouth, noses or beaks and paws or wings. Students also drew comparisons about what they saw over and under the snow, developing their positional language skills.

January 5, 2016

Our first day back after the Holiday Break was a very cold winter day. We met at the Magic Line and then gathered around the campfire.

Provocation: Forest School educators asked if the students had noticed any changes?

Play: They had this question in mind as they set off in two groups, wolves and owls, mixing the 2 classes (after a snack in the cabin). The snow was deep and the students found many tracks in the forest. We also found crystals around the frozen puddles on Trail 12.

Sit Spots: We skipped this routine so that students would keep moving and stay warm.

Story of the Day: What did you see with your wolf or owl eyes?

Back at school the story became about what we saw when we looked down. With so much snow on the ground, it became easier to notice all of the animal tracks, even though we did not see any animals? We could see evidence of animals being in the forest but no actual animals. Was it too cold? Where they hibernating? Where could they be hiding? Further investigation would provide some answers about the secret kingdom (the subnivean zone) in the following weeks.