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PROVOKE

Watch the video below.

Videos/Images

Where does this learning connect to our lives? Our schools? Our communities?

Created: Xena Biffert

We can provoke students in many ways, using a video is just one of many.

For this example we will be using video- The Big Freeze. Preview for 35 secs

As you can see here there are many ways this provocation could unfold.

Predator-prey
Sea ice
Animal adaptations and survival in winter

Once we provoke students we want to be ready to have a rich discussion with them. See the next slide.

PROVOCATION: Video- The Big Freeze- a series of episodes that introduces the Arctic and the animals that live there; predators and prey. The series also touches on the importance of ice to our planet and the role it plays in the lives of these arctic animals.

Possible curricular connections are listed below. The route you choose to go will be entirely dependent on the conversation you have with your students.

Gr1: Topic B Seasonal Changes, Topic C Building Things, Topic D Senses and Topic E Needs of Animals and Plants

Gr2: Topic A Exploring Liquids, Topic D Hot and Cold Temperatures and Topic E Small Crawling and Flying Animals

Gr3: Topic E Animal Life Cycles

Gr4: Topic D Light and Shadows and Topic E Plant Growth and Changes

Gr5: Topic D Weather Watch and Topic E Wetland Ecosystems

Gr6: Topic D Evidence and Investigation and Topic E Trees and Forests

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DISCUSS

Conduct a discussion with your Ss:

What did they see? What did they think? What do they wonder?

Ask Ocean Questions!

These are just some questions that might come up.

Think- How can we guide the discussion to allow for curricular connections to be made but honour student voice?

Division I

Who’s tracks might we see outside today, in the snow?
What do these animals do to survive in the winter?
If we were to follow the tracks outside, where do you think they might lead?

Division II

Who’s tracks might we see outside today, in the snow?
What adaptations or survival skills do these animals have?
What story might unfold if we were to follow tracks outside?
Who might the predator be? prey?

Keeping in mind the many different topics that could possibly come up in discussion with our students, we want to be prepared regardless, to allow the students interests to drive the discussion.

It is very important to LISTEN to our students voices during these discussions to find the connections to our curriculum. This is the basis of outdoor learning- emergent curriculum. If we allow the curriculum to “emerge” through the interests of our students, the time outside will not only be purposeful and connected but also meaningful to their desires/wants.

Once the teacher can pinpoint a certain recurring theme/interest within the discussion, the teacher can start to ask driving questions to lead the discussion into a certain direction connected to curriculum.

To begin the discussion one would want to ask simple, yet powerful questions such as; “What did you see? What do you think? What do you wonder?”

Some students might mention the different animals they saw in the video.

Students might start to think that it might be hard to live in such a cold climate.

(there will always be SOOO many things that come up and we don’t want to miss the different learning opportunities or interests so there is a way to record these discussion in a KBC - which I will talk to in a minute)

but from these two comments a teacher could start a discussion about predators and prey. From there a teacher could ask driving questions like:

What animal would be a predator in the arctic? Which animals would be prey?

What predators and prey do you think are in our backyard?

Who’s tracks might we see outside today, in the snow?

At this point you might invite your students to join you outside to be track detectives!

Now there will be many other ideas and questions that come up. And Keeping track of these other questions will be key to continuing to extend and connect learning next time you go outside, or when you return to the classroom.

A KBC (knowledge building circle) is a way to record information at the beginning, middle and end of an inquiry. You can learn more about them at madlylearning.com or by clicking the link in these notes. Basically a KBC is a tool to help you record information as you listen to the discussion.

Paired with a KBC is the skill of asking deep, investigative questions. These two things paired together can make for really rich inquiry projects.

Training our students on KBC is something you should do, starting at the beginning of the year. They can then be used across subjects, throughout the day.

Training our kids to ask deep investigative questions is also something we should be doing at the beginning of the year and throughout our days, across all subjects. I have put a google slide lesson on how to ask Ocean questions here for you. Please “file-make a copy” and use this lesson to teach Ss how to ask deep, investigative questions.

If at some point you have questions about KBC or Ocean questions please do not hesitate to shoot me an email, I would be happy to have a quick Teams call with you to clarify the processes.

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EXPLORE

Go outside and be track detectives!

Locate tracks, identify tracks, retell the story!

Throw in a game to keep warm:)

Find tracks!

3. Orally tell the story of what happened and who was there!

2. Identify tracks!

Predict, then use a guide.

Division I game:

Play the Web/Life Game(p.12) or Predator-Prey (p.13) blindfold game.

Division II game:

Play Habitat Tag or Surivival Game (p.9)

So, as we go outside we want to remind students of the focus for the time we are spending in the outdoors. Remember from last session, that consistent outdoor routines and expectations are just as important outside as they are inside.

So as you head out clearly state the purpose and the intent for the day. Repeat this several time if need be.

So as track detectives your first job will be to use “eagle eyes” to spot any tracks you notice outside.

Look at the different tracks around you as you are walking.

Notice your tracks to begin! Then notice each others tracks.

What shapes do our tracks make? What patterns do our tracks make?

Can you make different patterns with your tracks?

As students start to notice different tracks in the snow have them mark some off that they will investigate further. You can use hula hoops to do this, sticks, or any frame you can get your hands on.

Start to ask questions like:

Who might the tracks belong to?

What shapes do you see?

How many shapes do you see in the tracks?

Do you notice any patterns?

You can take out track guides with you. Print them ahead of time and put them into protective sleeves. Students can work in pairs to try and identify who the tracks might belong to.

Once students have had some times to predict who the tracks might belong to start to have them think about what happened outside today. Where were these animals going? The bathroom? The kitchen? And what were they doing outside today?

Have students role play who the animals were and what they were doing.

To end the day outside play a game. We always want to ensure the kiddos are staying warm and having fun!

Some ideas for games are linked in the slide for you to try out.

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CONNECT

Back inside, connect to curriculum and provide cross-curricular opportunities.

All images are linked to activities.

SNOW Curricular Connections

STEP 1: LEARN Resources	STEP 2: CREATE	STEP 3: SHARE

Created: Xena Biffert

Template adapted from the Peel School District

Back in the classroom find opportunity to continue the learning. What is magical about outside is that there are no limits. Anything can happen! If we are listening to our students intently we will notice interests that connect to our curriculum. These connections can continue on when we come back to the classroom.

First off, when we return to the classroom, I liked to always have my students complete a journal entry

“what did I see, what did i think, what do i wonder?” for both Div I and Div II

This is a good reflective practice to get into that has many benefits; authentic reflection, connections to learning, formative assessment, collection of evidence of learning outside...the list is endless. (ELA Connections; reading, writing, representing and working with texts by exploring thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences, managing ideas and information, and enhancing the clarity and artistry of communication)

More specific ways to connect the learning to the track investigations outside are as follows:

Division I learning activities connected to curriculum across the division

You might consider setting up some learning centers for students to explore further.

Retelling the story with loose parts; beads, rocks, fabric, recycled materials etc. encouraging students to then share their story with others using a platform like Flipgrid/Seesaw. Parents can then listen to their child’s storytelling and provide comments/feedback on platforms like Seesaw which makes this intriguing for the little ones (ELA; Clarify and extend, Use strategies and cues, Create original text)
Learn about scientists that track animals tracks! Track detectives learning video. ANimal track detective video (Science Inquiry and Problem Solving)
Provide images of tracks and animals and have students match these up Free printable here
Have students get messy and make different animal tracks- be inspired here (Math; patterns and relations)
Gross-motor activity can be made for the hallway- tracks in different colours, to jump on, while counting be inspired here (Physical Education- basic skills; locomotor and nonlocomotor)
Create homemade animal stamps and have students create animal track patterns be inspired here (Math; patterns and relations)
Find other cold climates on a map, learn about how animals in other cold climates adapt to the environment to meet their needs. Build maps and locate your home on the map! Arctic tiled map and lesson guide (Social Studies; Dimensions of thinking-Geographic thinking)
Learn more about life in the arctic through these lesson resources (Social Studies; Values and Attitudes, Knowledge and Understanding, Skills and Processes)
Learn some animal facts here (Science; Life and Earth Sciences)
Bring in artifacts and have students explore different characteristics of the animals (Math; Relationships and Spatial Sense)
Have students listen to a story about animals parents and their babies here (ELA; Respond to texts)
Have students learn more about animal habitats here (Science; Life Sciences)
Have students design and construct animal habitat dioramas (Science; Physical Sciences)
Have them play a Matching track animal game printable (Math; Spatial Sense)
Have them play a digital tracking game Hinterland’s Who’s Who (EdTech, Science, Math)

For Division II learning centers could be

Using storyboards retell the story that was told outside, create a digital story using a platform like bookcreator (ELA; Clarify and extend, Use strategies and cues, Create original text)
Research the predators and prey that were part of your story using National Geographic or learn about animal adaptations in the arctic through Nat Geo Ed Lesson. You can see an extensive list of NetGeoEd Animal Research Library here. Have students create an animal research book (see pdf link below) and then share on flipgrid

file:///D:/Elem.%20Sc.%20Consultant/Science%20Consultant/Take%20it%20Outside%20Learning%20Series/Winter/AnimalResearchtemplatefreebie-1.pdf

(ELA; Discover and explore, Clarify and extend, Respond to texts, Create original text, Plan and focus, Select and process, Organize, record and evaluate, Share and review, Enhance and improve, Attend to conventions, Present and share)

Have students design and construct animal habitat dioramas (Science; Physical Sciences, EdTech)
Learn more about Indigenous people of the north and do some mapping!- Arctic tiled map lesson guide and Arctic lesson (Social Studies; Dimensions of thinking-Geographic thinking)
Have students partiicipate in the CWF Track Contest- digital contest. Which has new tracks to be solved each week.(EdTech)
Have students complete the ChangeMAKER 2.1 Difference Makers or the Water Challenge, both challenges that can stem from what we know is happening in the arctic to what we can do here to make an impact! (Science; Life, Earth and Physical Sciences)

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