PCS P2 PAL OE ( outdoor education) ... Activity3: Green Treasures

Handout 3  Green Treasures

SIO
PAL Pupils: ·         Will recognise the importance of plants to humans and the Earth. ·         Will discover and learn about how plants are different from each other		SEL ·         Self-awareness -  identifying and recognising emotions (joy, beauty of nature) ·         Self management ·         Teamwork	OTHERS ·         Process skills – observing,  comparing, classifying ·         Art – drawing/nature journaling, ·         Science – plants ·         Language –communicating with instructions ·         Health/cleanliness: need to wash their hands after an outdoor activity.
Location Eco-garden/planted areas of the school			Materials ·         Handout 3 (for each pupil) ·         For wet weather: at least 15-20 dried leaves of different shapes.
Preparation    Safety                Structure of Lesson (1.5 hours)	·         Recce the school areas for plants which you will want to show your pupils (e.g. which tree is interesting to show them, which plants has special leaves e.g. heart-shaped leaves, which flowers are unusual.simple enough to draw; which plants have fruits: e.g. mango or lime). ·         Print the handout for each pupils. ·         Ask pupils to bring a clipboard for this lesson. ·         Collect a variety of dried leaves beforehand in case of wet weather. ·         Remind pupils not to pluck or pick plant parts, especially pupils with  eczema, or allergies. The Sap of some plants can cause skin to become itchy. ·         Watch for ants and ant trails and do not step on them 15min Introduction 60min Outdoor time                   Trees Bush & Herb Game                   Close up of a Tree                   Observing and drawing leaves, flowers and fruits 15min Debrief (back in class)
Recap from last lesson Icebreaker Plants are nature’s green treasures Importance of plants to us Plants come in 3 main forms Being more aware trees Nature drawing/art	How to Conduct   RECAP ·         Types of weather ·         Ask if today’s weather is suitable for PAL OE lesson outdoors? (yes/no) ·         Ask pupils what are some of their treasures. (Toys, computer games, money, etc.). ·         Explain that nature has living green treasures. (Plants, trees, grass, wildflowers, etc.). write on the whiteboard Plants are nature’s treasures” ·         Discuss why plants are so important to us and the Earth. Write on the board as they tell you their answers (Provide us with oxygen, gives us food, provides us with materials, beautify our surroundings, gives us shade, etc.).   Explain the PAL lesson Today: Pupils will explore the gardens and look closely at plants in the school and do some nature drawing of plants. Recap Important Values in PAL and life: ·         Care: for each other and team mates. ·         Consideration: think of others e.g. not making so much noise when walking downstairs, making sure every member in a team gets a chance or nobody gets left behind. ·         Respect: last week we learnt to respect people: listening when they are talking and greeting them. this week we learn to respect living things. Even plants need to be respected: we do not pluck or damage plants, we don’t carve on tree trunks.  Before You Leave The Class ·         What to bring: ask pupils to bring their pencil box/pencil and eraser and clipboard. ·         Ask the class to line up outside. ·         Remind them that they should have: sharp eyes, sharp ears and whispering voices. ·         Switch off all the lights and fan and lock the class door. Outdoor Time Tree, Bush & Herb Game ·         Bring the class to an open, shaded area (ensure there are no ant trails around) ·         The first activity is an active game about plants. Plants come in many heights, but there are 3 main types and each has a body action: ·         Herb – a plant which short (less than 1m) with a soft, green stem. Do the action for a “herb” by squatting on the floor. ·         Bush – a plant which is thick and has many small branches. Height between 1m and 5m tall. Do the action for a “shrub” by lowering body and lifting your hands in front of you, as if hugging a big pillow. ·         Tree – a tall plant growing more than 5m tall – it has one main trunk (sometimes 2) and thick bark on them.  Do the action for a “tree” by standing on tip toe with hands up. ·         Tell pupils that you will say aloud one type of plant (herb, shrub or tree) and they are to do the correct actions.   Close up of a Tree Observe and discuss ·         Parts of a tree: trunk, leaves (canopy) ·         Colour and texture of bark (can be light or dark brown, greyish in colour; the bark can be rough, scaly, smooth) ·         Type of leaves of the tree. You can pick from the ground and use this to remind pupils not to pluck. ·         Look at anther tree and compare the characteristics. Observing and Drawing leaves, flowers and fruits ·         Bring pupils to an area with a variety of plants. ·         You will give pupils a short time to observe leaves, flowers and fruits and draw them on their Handout. ·         Demonstrate nature drawing: choose one leaf, describe the shape and draw it on a paper s=about the same size of the actual leaf. Draw in the features – main veins, edge of leaf, etc. explain that pupils need to have the leaf, flower or fruit in front of them and draw, not from memory. ·         Remind them: o    not to pluck any plant parts. They may pick from the ground. o    If anyone feel itchy,, they are to inform you at once o    look out for ant trails and not step on them o    not to go too near the pond ·         Set the boundary and time limit. ·         Distribute the Handout and let pupils move in the garden to observe and draw the plant parts. ·         When they are done, bring them to wash hands at the canteen sink and then return to class. Note to Teachers Pupils tend to get distracted by animals. If there is an interesting/unusual animal, acknowledge it quickly and tell them they will look for animals in the next PAL lesson.
Wet Weather	·         Bring pupils down to an open area to play the herbs, shrub and tree active game. They then can stand along a corridor to observe trees, bushes and herbs. ·         Cannot conduct the Close-up of a Tree activity. ·         Return to class to observe and draw leaves. In class, distribute the Handout and dried leaves and ask pupils to observe and draw them. They can exchange with their friends and draw a few leaves.
Respect for plants and other living things Appreciation for your partner’s help Maintaining good personal hygiene when in the outdoors	Debrief ·         Praise the class/pupils for putting effort in drawing. They had showed the value of diligence by trying their best and completing the task (try not comment which drawings are good or bad).   Handout Run through the answers for the first part of the handout: How are plants different? (all the answer below) . ð   Colours              Heights          ð   Shapes             Sizes          ð   Textures       Close-up of a Tree Recap the features of the tree/s your class observed. Suggested Facilitative Questions: ·         What did you learn about plants today? (They are green treasures. They help humans and the Earth by giving us oxygen, clean air; Animals eat them and live in them; they beautify our surroundings and homes, etc. Leaves, flowers and fruits come in different shapes, colours, textures, etc.) ·         How do we show care for our green treasures? (Plants are living things and we should respect them. Do not pluck plant parts, do not write or carve words on tree trunks. If we damage plants, they become unhealthy and may become diseased and die) Washing hands ·         What is an important thing everyone should  do after outdoor activities? (Wash your hands with soap) Why?  (to clean off any dirt and germs, especially before we eat) ·         When else do you wash your hands? (Before we eat, after going to the toilet, touching animals, etc.) ·         If you have additional time, let them colour in their drawings. ·         Collect the handout from them after class.
Conclusions	·         Plants are important to humans and the Earth. We must treat them with respect. ·         Plants come in an amazing variety of shapes, colours, etc. ·         After outdoor/gardening activities, we need to wash our hands well, especially before we eat.

Handout 3  Green Treasures

How are plants different? Tick your answers. ð   Colours              Heights          ð   Shapes             Sizes          ð   Textures
CLOSE UP OF A TREE What colour is the bark? How does the bark feel? Is it        Smooth?        Rough?        Scaly?        Peeling?        _______________________?		What are the leaves of the tree like?
Draw an Interesting Flower What colour is it? What does it smell like?	Draw an Interesting  Fruit What colour is it? Is it a fruit a human can eat?