Environmental Exploration Week

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Overview

This five-day unit is designed for a classroom of 14 Grade 2 students (ages 7-8) and focuses on developing environmental awareness in alignment with the British Columbia Curriculum. The activities embed hands-on arts, crafts, sensory experiences, and literacy through storybooks to engage students deeply with their natural surroundings and promote stewardship.

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Alignment With BC Curriculum

Science – Grade 2

Big Ideas:

• Living things have features and behaviours that help them survive in their environment.
• Daily and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surroundings.

Curricular Competencies:

• Safely use their senses and simple tools to gather information about the environment.
• Express and reflect on observations and experiences in a variety of ways.
• Collaborate with others to share and gather ideas about their environment.

Content:

• Characteristics and needs of plants and animals.
• Humans and other living things affect the environment in positive and negative ways.

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Weekly Schedule Overview (30 minutes per day)

Day	Theme	Activity Title	BC Learning Objective(s)
1	Introduction to Nature	Sensory Nature Walk & Story	Use senses to observe & reflect on living and non-living things in the environment.
2	Plants and Their Environments	Leaf Art Collage	Identify features of plants and describe their needs.
3	Animals and Habitats	Habitat Diorama Craft	Understand living things’ needs & habitats.
4	Reduce, Reuse, Recycle	Recycled Materials Sculpture	Explain human impact on the environment; express caring in creative ways.
5	Stewardship & Reflection	Nature Promise & Story Writing	Reflect on personal role and responsibility toward the environment.

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Day 1: Introduction to Nature

Learning Objectives

• Students will use senses to explore and observe natural objects.
• Students will express observations verbally and through drawing.

Materials

• Clipboards, paper, crayons/coloured pencils
• Nature storybook: "The Curious Garden" by Peter Brown (emphasises growth and nature’s resilience)

Activities

1. Sensory Nature Walk (15 mins):

   • Take students outside to a safe natural area (schoolyard, garden).
   • Guide them to focus on what they can see, hear, smell, and touch (carefully).
   • Students collect small natural items (leaves, twigs, stones).

2. Story Time (10 mins):

   • Read "The Curious Garden." Pause to discuss the importance of nature in cities and invite students to share thoughts.

3. Reflection Drawing (5 mins):

   • On clipboards, students draw one thing they observed outside, describing it to a partner.

Assessment

• Informal observation of students’ engagement and their ability to describe their observations using senses.
• Listen for vocabulary related to nature and environment.

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Day 2: Plants and Their Environments

Learning Objectives

• Describe the basic needs and features of plants.
• Use art to reinforce understanding of plant parts and environment.

Materials

• Variety of fallen leaves and flowers
• Cardboard base, glue, scissors, coloured paper, markers

Activities

1. Discussion (5 mins):

   • Review what plants need (water, air, soil, light). Talk about different leaf shapes and colours.

2. Leaf Art Collage (20 mins):

   • Students create a collage using collected natural items and coloured papers to represent a plant and surroundings.
   • Encourage naming parts of the plant as they work (stem, leaf, flower).

3. Sharing (5 mins):

   • Each student shares one fact or observation about their plant collage.

Assessment

• Check for correct identification or naming of plant parts.
• Engagement in discussion and creative representation.

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Day 3: Animals and Habitats

Learning Objectives

• Identify animal needs and types of habitats.
• Construct a model habitat and explain it.

Materials

• Shoeboxes, craft supplies (cotton wool, paper, sticks, fabric scraps)
• Picture cards of local animals

Activities

1. Brief Talk (5 mins):

   • Discuss habitats: forest, pond, urban areas. What do animals need?

2. Habitat Diorama (20 mins):

   • Each student selects a local animal and builds a diorama representing its habitat.

3. Gallery Walk & Talk (5 mins):

   • Students explain their diorama to a partner, describing how their animal survives there.

Assessment

• Listen for understanding of habitat-animal relationships.
• Creativity and correct detail in diorama.

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Day 4: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Learning Objectives

• Explore the impact of humans on the environment.
• Create art from recycled materials demonstrating reuse.

Materials

• Clean recycled items: cardboard tubes, yoghurt containers, fabric scraps, bottle caps, buttons
• Glue, tape, scissors

Activities

1. Group Discussion (5 mins):

   • Talk about waste and why reuse and recycling matter.

2. Recycled Materials Sculpture (20 mins):

   • Students design and build sculptures from recycled parts.

3. Sharing (5 mins):

   • Present sculptures, explaining the materials used and how they help reduce waste.

Assessment

• Understanding human impact through discussion.
• Participation and creativity in sculpture assembly.

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Day 5: Stewardship & Reflection

Learning Objectives

• Reflect on personal role in caring for the environment.
• Express ideas through writing and drawing.

Materials

• Paper, markers, crayons
• Storybook: "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss (themes of stewardship and environment)

Activities

1. Read-Aloud & Discussion (10 mins):

   • Read “The Lorax,” discuss what stewardship means and why it is important.

2. Nature Promise Activity (15 mins):

   • Students write/dictate a promise about how they will care for nature (e.g., pick up litter, plant trees).
   • Illustrate their promise creatively.

3. Sharing (5 mins):

   • Volunteers share their promises with the class.

Assessment

• Evaluation of students’ ability to articulate stewardship ideas.
• Creativity and effort in promises.

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Extensions and Teacher Tips

• Sensory Table: Incorporate natural materials for hands-on exploration throughout the week.
• Guest Speaker: Invite a local environmentalist or naturalist for a short talk.
• Outdoor Classroom: Conduct activities outdoors when weather permits to immerse students in the learning environment.

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This week-long program ensures meaningful engagement with environmental science objectives from the British Columbia Curriculum through creative, multi-sensory learning experiences to foster responsible attitudes and knowledge about the natural world.