Module 4: Curriculum Resources for ECE - Project Learning Tree’s Trees and Me

Introduction to Project Learning Tree’s Trees and Me

Early childhood environmental education is an important component for fostering a lifelong connection to the natural world. There are many resources available to help bridge that connection. You can find a comprehensive and searchable list of Early Childhood Outdoor and Environmental Learning Resources at https://naturalstart.org/resources. Key Characteristic #4 - Curriculum Framework for Environmental Literacy (explored above) is a framework that can help you to evaluate and select appropriate resources across social-emotional, cognitive, physical, and language domains. This framework along with numerous other materials contribute to a diverse catalog of early childhood resources available for educators.

One curriculum resource is Project Learning Tree’s Trees & Me activity book. Trees & Me contains hundreds of ideas for fun, easy-to-do, hands-on experiences to connect young children to nature, with a focus on trees and forests. Through both outdoor and indoor activities, children explore nature through their senses, experience trees throughout all four seasons, and connect with their community. Each activity makes explicit connections with early learning standards in science, English language arts, math, and social studies, as well as the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Head Start.

PLT's Early Childhood program is co-sponsored in Colorado by CAEE, and the Colorado State Forest Service. Learn more about PLT offerings in Colorado at https://coloradoplt.org.

TASK 1: You should have received an email directly from PLT with instructions to access your PLT Trees & Me E-Book. Read the Project Learning Tree's Trees and Me Introduction (pgs 3-5). In your Course Journal, respond to the following:

• What key features of the Guide do you think will be most useful for you?

PLT Early Childhood Activity Experience - Sounds Around and The Shape of Things

Experience the activities Sounds Around and The Shape of Things through hands-on demonstrations.

TASK 2: On a piece of paper, draw all the shapes you can think of. Be sure to leave space near each shape as you may wish to write next to the shapes during the next task.

TASK 3: Take a nature walk (NOTE - if it’s inclement weather or not possible to go outside - this could be done from a window by looking outside and opening the window to hear the sounds). During your nature walk you'll be focusing on shapes and sounds. While on your nature walk either take pictures or sketch or list on your paper shapes you see that match the ones you drew (they don't have to match perfectly just close) and note any new shapes you find. On the backside of your paper also write down any sounds that you hear.

TASK 4: In your Course Journal, upload pictures and/or notes about shapes and sounds from your nature walk. You may even choose to upload a picture of the paper that you took notes on.

TASK 5: Choose one sound from your nature walk that you would like to try and recreate either using your voice or body or by using an object or instrument. Recreate the sound. What other sounds might you encourage your learners to recreate in your area? Add three additional rows to the table below in your Course Journal.




TASK 6: Read the full activities for Sounds Around and The Shape of Things in your PLT Trees and Me Book.

TASK 7: In your Course Journal, debrief the components of the activity by answering the following questions:

• How would you modify or adapt these activities for your teaching? 
• Examine and record how these activities can be made inclusive for all learners.

PLT Early Childhood Activity Experience - Fall for Trees, Evergreens in Winter, Best Buds, or My Tree and Me

Section 2 of the PLT Trees and Me includes activities related to experiencing trees through different seasons.

TASK 8: Read one of the section two activities: Fall for Trees, Evergreens in Winter, Best Buds, or My Tree and Me.

TASK 9: In your Course Journal, record which activity you chose to read through. Select one part/section of the activity to try out and complete. Record what you did in your Course Journal (via any of the following: video, photos, notes, art project, etc.)
*EXAMPLE: In the activity Fall for Trees you could choose to complete the "Create dried leaf art" section of the activity.

TASK 10: In your Course Journal, record your answers to the following reflection questions. Debrief the components of the activity:

• How would you modify or adapt this lesson for your teaching? 
• How would you implement this activity into your existing classroom, center, home child care, or program's schedule/lesson plans? 
• Examine and record how this activity can be made inclusive for all learners. 

TASK 11: Snack Showcase! - Celebrate with snack time by making the snack from the activity. Upload a picture(s) of your snack in your course journal.

TASK 12: Growing up Wild is another curriculum resource you can use with early childhood learners. Developed nationally by Project WILD, this early childhood education curriculum builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Review this sample activity, “Fishing Fun”.

TASK 13: In your Course Journal, record your answers to the following reflection questions. Debrief the components of the activity:

• How would you modify or adapt this lesson for your teaching? 
• How would you implement this activity into your existing classroom, center, home child care, or program's schedule/lesson plans? 
• Examine and record how this activity can be made inclusive for all learners. 

TASK 14: There are a wide variety of resources available for early childhood learners. Check out the resource list available from Natural Start. Identify two you might want to explore further and why they might be relevant to your site and/or learners.