Thinks to Do #3

Here's a third blog post that offers the following items!

INSIDE

• A place to share stuff.
• Challenge #1 -- What have you made, built, or created?
• Challenge #2 -- A nature journal

A PLACE TO SHARE STUFF

Are you interested in a space where you can share some of the stuff that you have done and are learning? I know that I'm eager to reconnect with you.

We are still not sure what the rest of our year will look like, so I created a temporary space where we might share our thinking and connect with each other: it's a simple Google Doc that will contain links. Let's use this to do some thinking and sharing!

You can access the doc by clicking here. Or you can view the document below. We'll add to it later.

For the sake of internet safety, all of the links off of that document will be only for those who have a Decorah email account, so even parents will need you to be there with them in order to see what we are up to.

If this stay-away-from-school continues much longer and we learn more about what that additional time will look like, I will offer other options for learning and connection in the future.

In the meantime, here's a reasonably simple solution below!

REMEMBER: None of this is required! You don't have to participate unless you want to.
NOTE: I sent this post to all of the students in my Reading/Writing class. If you are reading this and want to participate AND you are a fifth-grader, that learner should be able to participate just by clicking on the links, as long as s/he is using the school email account!

OPPORTUNITY #1: Share one thing you built, created, or made. 
UPDATE: (Link is live NOW.)

You'll need to think about how you will document this. It can be just in writing, or with photos, or video.

Share something about what you were thinking, how making it made you feel, and/or how you made it!

I'll put the sharing link up as a Google Presentation. Remember from past projects, if you want to share a video, you'll need to drop the video into Drive and wait about 30 minutes for Drive to work it's magic before others can see it.

I'll have that link live on Wednesday. So, if you want to participate, spend some time creating something, making something, or building something to share with your classmates!

OPPORTUNITY #2: A nature journal + a short video (Link goes live on Friday.)

This challenge helps you get outdoors to do the work of a scientist. Spring is coming; there are lots of things to see outside; you have some time. :) Besides, being outdoors is great for one's mental and physical health.

So, here's the challenge.

Find a spot outside and begin a nature journal. It's easy. Here's how:

1. Bring a notebook outside to a favorite spot. (Below is a video of me in one of my favorite spots.)
2. Give yourself a minimum amount of time to sit there. Try a short time (say 10 minutes) if you are a novice reverie-sitter. Try longer if you are more expert! 
3. Open the notebook and just sit, listen, and look and get a sense of the place.
4. Begin to write or sketch things that interest you. Here's a routine that I really like.
• Human and animal sounds. Can you identify them? How many can you identify?
• Focus big, then go small. What's that mean? Look at a tree and get a sense of where it is in relation to other things (manmade or natural) in the yard. Sketch the yard and place the tree in it. Then, observe the tree. Notice how its branches come off the trunk and how the smaller branches come off the larger branches. Finally, look more closely at the very ends of the branches and notice the terminal buds. Maybe sketch one or describe it. How many parts can you see? What do you think they do? What's going to come out of that bud? What will it look like?
• Human and animal sounds. Come back to the soundscape. Note what you hear. How many of the same things do you hear? Different things?

If you want to participate, starting on Friday, you can post what you've done over the week. That could be any of the following (or something else you might have thought about...):

• a video of you showing off your spot and/or a page from your nature journal;
• a photo of you and your nature journal;
• just a photo from your nature journal.

Does that sound at all interesting? If so, get out there and do some observations, scientists!

Here's a short video of me at one of my favorite outdoor spots to visit. I go to this spot almost every time I walk the dog. I always pause right here to listen and look, to notice how the valley is the same and how it is different. I've come to know this spot very well over the years.

Do you have a special spot outside, too?

I'm looking forward to hearing what you are doing, what you are thinking.