Forest/ Nature School: "My Place In Nature" - Inquiry Unit Bundle

The bundle supports the expansion of the text to a play-based/ child-led unit of inquiry in "My Place in Nature". The resources in this bundle may also be adapted to traditional classroom teaching contexts.

As a unit, "My Place in Nature" aims foster children's curiosity and their deep connection to the physical world through authentic play and child-directed inquiry, while also exploring how understanding our geography and ecosystems deepen our sense of belonging.

This unit responds to children's natural curiosity and their desire to explore their surroundings. By providing opportunities to engage in play-based learning experiences that are centred around nature and the immediate environment, we support cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development as well as children’s sense of connection and belonging to the world they inhabit (Tuan, 1990). By emphasizing the human geography perspective and the development of a geographic sense of place, we empower children to recognize their identity as individuals with unique contributions to their communities and their broader ecosystems. Through this unit, children will gain a deeper appreciation for the environment, develop empathy towards all living beings, and cultivate a lifelong commitment to protecting and preserving the natural world.

Resource Alignment:

The resources in this bundle have been developed in alignment with:

• Play-based learning (including guided play and intentional teaching).
• The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP)
• The science of reading.
• The science of early childhood teaching.
• The Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF, v2).
• The Nurturing Early Learners Framework (Singapore).
• Michigan Essential Literacy Practices.
• The principles of child-led learning.
• The principles of forest-school education.
• Eight-Ways (Indigenous) Pedagogy.
• The Pedagogy of Imagination.
• Neuroaffirming Practices.

Connect:

These read-aloud notes form part of the play-based inquiry unit "My Place in Nature", by Alice Campbell, a national award-winning Early Childhood Educator (0 - 8 years) and founder and creator of In The Real Wonderland. You can connect with Alice on:

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