Tag: Stewardship

Human Impact and Role

  • Key idea: The impact of humans on biodiversity –  .g. Comparing the wild life populations of cities, rural and wilderness areas (UC2.5).
  • Key idea: Human protection of nature is essential – e.g. Stewardship activities in support of local wildlife, providing bird tables, bat and bird boxes, bug hotels etc. (UC2.6)

Title:  All Around Dudley’s Bird Table
Author: Dinah Mason Eagers
Illustrator: Anna Platts
Publisher:  Crumps Barn Studio
Publication Date: 2024
ISBN: ‎ 978-1915067678

A delightful story about Billy and Betty Bluetit, Robin, Mr Magpie, and all the other birds who visit Dudley’s Bird table.

Emergent learning:

Where wild flowers, hedgerow and trees are lost due to building and industrialisation we can involve the children in planting and growing and restoration projects. The children can also contribute to local food production through pre-school gardens and community allotments. In terms of animal wildlife, in England we often see Bluetits, and we have recommended the above book for parents and educators in Taiwan as well. But Bluetit’s don’t fly to Taiwan, although they do have Blue Magpie’s there, which in England we don’t, and in Taiwan they have Wren’s, Robin’s and Starlings, and many more birds that children can learn the names of such as Barbet’s and Bulbuls, Sparrows and Pigeons – and the children can put out their own seeds and water to support them.  In fact there are many activities that children can engage in to support the local wildlife, in addition to providing bird tables, they may make and/or install bat and bird boxes, and bug hotels.  In the process they will begin to learn about, and learn to care about, animal feeding habits, habitats, and migration patterns. If we encourage international preschool partnership projects the children can also learn from each other, and learn that all around the world people car and are working towards a more sustainable future. One example for Kenya.

Activity recommendation:

The impact of human settlement on the natural world is obvious as soon as we begin to compare the wildlife to be seen in the countryside to that in the inner cities. There is a wonderful free Smartphone App that has brought a great deal of joy to many families – it recognises bird songs, giving you the name of the bird, and further information that you can share with your children. It is called the Merlin Bird ID, produced by Cornell Labs – download it online, from Apple Store or Google Play.

Reference: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Other Book Recommendations:

Title:  The Extraordinary Gardener
Author: Sam Boughton
Illustrator: Sam Boughton
Publisher: ‎ Tate Publishing
Publication Date:  2020
ISBN: ‎ 978-1849766890

Ecological Interdependence

  • Key idea: Ecosystems are animals and plants in interaction with each other. –  e.g. identifying animals that eat other animals, and some that eat plants.

Title: Yum Yum: A book about food chains
Author: Mick Manning
Illustrator: Brita Grantrom
Publisher:  Franklin Watts Ltd
Publication Date: 2014
ISBN: 978-1445128986

This is a book about eating. It’s also about being part of a chain – the food chain in which every living thing plays a part.

Emergent learning:

Food webs, and the water and carbon cycles are of critical importance to ecology and environmental sustainability.  Following our ‘emergent’ learning perspective, here again, our aim will not be to teach young children these cyclical theoretical models, but to give them the knowledge and experiences that will make them meaningful to them when they are introduced to the topics in school.  They can observe and learn about what different animals eat and most especially they can be directly involved in composting, and our adult support of a balanced and ecologically thriving soils.

‘Interdependence’ is one of most important ideas in sustainability education and we can support children’s understanding of this through continually stressing the enormous contribution that species that might otherwise considered quite humble, like the fabulous Earthworm, makes every day to the sustainability of our natural world. 

Activity recommendation:

‘Rotation’ is a cognitive scheme, and theme that is often observed to be a strong feature and of particular interest to young children in their free play.  Children’s attention is therefore easily drawn to the fascinating wheels and circles that abound in the natural and built world. 

Parachute play provides a fun opportunity to support collaboration and co-operation. The children need work together, they need to spread out around the chute and all participate for it to work. Parachutes suitable for use with babies and older preschoolers are available from most educational suppliers, and there are lots of ideas for developing the play online.
TES Free printable booklet

Other Book recommendations: