Forest Education Session Planning Template

Date/ Information from previous session(s) and nature notes related to this session: (Be very specific) Additional resources needed:
Session -children seemed interested in trees
number: -some talked about cutting them down Snack: apples and peanut butter
-fruit Staff: 6-7 people
5 -what kind of trees do we have?
-mostly apple Guests: none
-a variety of bushes

Assignments: included who is doing gathering special materials, snack prep, fire prep, popcorn, other special assignments
Gather Materials: Nature Notes:
Food supplies -apple trees can live over 100 years
Knives for whittling -apples are ripe when you can pick them, and the stem comes off with the apple
Bags/baskets -trees provide oxygen and shade
Picnic blanket/tablecloth
Rope
Small shovels

Opportunities for self-direction, learning, play. Include STEAML activities Learning Objectives/ Links to learning and development for our group:
using natural materials:  Interact verbally and nonverbally with others
Collection time to go find things, whatever they want  Be able to compare and communicate differences with mathematical terms
 Demonstrate engagement and sustained attention in activities
S: teach different types of trees, play tree tag
T: using rocks to mush up leaves and make pastes or soup
E: pully systems on tree branches, bowling with natural materials Back Pocket Activities:
A: farmer’s market dramatic play Sardines
M: counting trees, tally marks I Spy
L: talk about grandpa tree, read “Big Black Bear”, and talk about hurting homes, Scavenger hunt/Collection game
teach those who talked about cutting it down why that is hurtful, talk about emotions
Session Summary: Main Gathering Activities:
9:00am – Drop-off time, children can free-play in the classroom Reading “Big Black Bear”
9:30am – Enter the woods Teaching different kinds of trees and doing tree tag
9:50am – Gather at base camp and discuss plan for the day Making mud faces on trees
10:00am – Teacher-directed play/learning, four stations for children to choose from
10:45am – Child-directed play/exploration, 11:30 Pick up Activity: Missionary Tag
11:30am – Lunch at base camp
12:15pm – Split off into sit spots to reflect on day and feelings
12:25pm – Gather in small groups to talk about what we learned
12:35pm – Get everything together and return to classroom
12:55pm – Children can journal or return to free-play
1:30pm – Dismissal

8:30 Drop off Activity: Sharks and Minnows

How I expect to:

 Establish a safe community of learning: be an example of what safety is, make sure that I know how to do the things we do in the safest way possible, and teach the
children how to do the same
 Establish/ manage group expectations: have a group discussion at the first session and come up with and write down class rules and consequences
 Provide opportunities for self-directed learning and play: most of the time will be child directed so that they are free to do what interests them, and I will use those times
and their interests to incorporate things they need to learn
 Provide opportunities for holistic development: have a variety of options for play each day that promote STEAM so that children learn as they play
Information from this session that can be used in the future:

 They really liked building things likes structures and pulleys

 The children need to work on their social-emotional skills
 They are good at making observations