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Imagine the children in your life learning about the crucial role of pollinators, then planting a bee-friendly garden to help conserve them. Or picture them mapping their neighbourhoods with their families, then making a plan to bike and walk together rather than drive.
Thanks to the David Suzuki Foundation’s Connecting With Nature educational resource guide, children across Canada will soon be doing these and many other inspiring activities. It’s all part of our plan to get kids outside exploring their connections to nature!
Studies have shown time and again that spending time in nature makes children more creative, better problem solvers, and physically healthier. Children have an innate affinity to nature, and we at the Foundation want to use it to inspire them to be environmental stewards of the future.
Each of the 16 lesson plans in this guide are designed to get kids outside exploring the environment and their place within it. While investigating concepts like waste, energy, and biodiversity though fun and hands-on activities, they’ll learn about nature’s value, limits, and interconnections. Children (and educators too!) will be empowered to make decisions and take actions that benefit the planet.
Produced in partnership with the Schulich School of Education at Nipissing University, the guide is geared towards Grades 4 to 6. Lessons are aligned with the Ontario curriculum, but are relevant to educators across Canada. Each one includes step-by-step directions, as well as reflection questions, optional activities for the classroom and community, and helpful resources.
Lessons include:
Living within the limits of nature
In brief: students pack a backpack in preparation for a nature hike. As the hike progresses, students sort through their packs to determine what they really needed for the hike and what they didn’t. They begin to see how consumerism is driving us to live beyond the limits of nature.
What’s inside your personal care products?
In brief: students bring personal care products to class and analyze their ingredients, then make their own toxin-free moisturizer and toothpaste to take home. By learning to read labels and making healthier lifestyle choices, students and their families can reduce exposure to dangerous chemicals.
Greenbelt game show
In brief: students play a question-and-answer game focused on greenbelts, protected natural spaces that wrap around urban areas. Students learn how greenbelts help protect ecosystems and limit urban sprawl, ensuring our access to clean air and water for generations to come.
Visit the site for more information or to download a free copy of Connecting With Nature. And get the kids in your life outside and inspired!