PART C: Unit Plan

ARTS SUBJECT FOCUS: Media Arts

UNIT TITLE TEACHER
Maintaining and caring for Nature Lauren Brine
TEACHER: Lauren Brine
SCHOOL CONTEXT YEAR LEVEL/ AGE-GROUP
ELC Class 2 Kindergarten
CONTEXT AND OUTLINE OF LEARNING EXPECTATIONS
OVERVIEW OF THE UNIT CURRICULUM LINKS
EYLF PRACTICES
Emergent curriculum: Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships, intentional teaching, learning through play, learning
- Leah and her friends have expressed interest in environments
a section of the grounds where the plants have EYLF OUTCOMES
died and want to know why this happened and Outcome 2.4
what they could do about it Outcome 4.1
Outcome 4.4
In this unit the children will explore their surrounding Outcome 5.3
environment and methods that children can participate Broad Goals for learning
in to maintain nature. Furthermore, the children will KEY UNDERSTANDINGS/ VIEWPOINTS APPLICATION
create an e-book that highlights some of these Students will understand that… Students will be able to independently use their
methods that will be shared at the preschool and Every person has an effect on the natural learning to…
community. Nature play is a vital to the child’s environment around them Participate in their community and care for the
emotional, social and intellectual development as they natural environment
explore the emotional attachment and connections
with the natural world (NAAEE 2010, p.3-4 cited in Van Specific Learning Outcomes
Hoorn et al. 2015 p.248). The Reggio Emilia philosophy Students will know… Students will be able to…
is explored in this unit as the activities address the four That active processes such as recycling, watering Create an e-book about nature that incorporates
‘big ideas’ outlined: Understanding of self, plants, not littering have an impact on the natural different sound effects.
communication, environment and community. environment.

Prior to this Unit the children have explored weather,

water and plants and how environments connect all
these aspects all together.
Guiding/Focus Questions:
- What can we do to maintain the environment?
- What components does an e-book have?

Differentiation- ‘Dialling up, Dialling down’, modifying for learning needs

The technological aspects of the unit plan allow for the inclusivity of children with sensory needs who may not feel comfortable with the textures of the natural
resources.

The Unit plan provides room for further modification as the teacher can delve deeper into the varying cultures of the children, allowing for the children to explore
the varying roles and impact of nature in different contexts.

The sound effects and music component of the plan also bring a further level of inclusivity as children who may find it easier to express themselves through
artistic aspects will be able to be actively involved in the process.

Learning Outcomes
Students will create an e- book that highlights how the
community can care for nature.
The e-book will incorporate elements such as sound
effects, lighting and space to build onto the story.
EVALUATION
Assessment Evidence
Children’s nature self-portrait
- Are the children able to identify what classifies as nature (i.e. leaves/flowers and not plastic)?
Children’s use of the Instax cameras
- Do the children take photos of nature?
The nature e-book
- The use of elements such as sound effects, lighting and space to support and build on the story
o Why did you choose that particular sound?

LEARNING PLAN
Learning experiences Summary of Key Learning Events and Teaching Strategies
Week 1
Group time/ Intentional teaching
 Identity : Children build on the personal role that nature plays in their life and community
 Well being : Listening quietly to nature – allows children to reflect on the sounds of nature
 Confident learning: Discuss and share-Nature words (placing particular emphasis on emotive words)
 Communication: Expressing to others different emotive words and the meanings behind them
 Play activities to support key focus
 Connectedness Table activities: Instax mini cameras for children to take pictures of nature on the grounds; creating a portrait of
yourself utilising nature (leaves, gum nuts etc.)

Possible emergent Inquiry projects

 The role and impact environment plays in different cultures

In this learning activity the children will discuss the role nature has in their lives, creating a self-portrait utilizing nature from the grounds
which have a personal meaning to the child.
Week 2 Group time/ Intentional teaching
 Identity : Children research how the community cares for the environment
 Well being : Recording nature – sound effects for the e-book
 Confident learning: Discuss and share-What do our families do to care for the environment?
 Communication: Read ‘The Curious Garden’ to the children – discuss what are some things that Liam does to grow his garden?

Play activities to support key focus

 Connectedness: Exploratory instruments: Outside the teacher will have a range of different instruments that communities may
use in maintaining a garden (gloves, hose, bucket, water can etc.) Table activities : Draw your own garden including yourself and
how you would care for the garden (watering the plants for example)

Possible emergent Inquiry projects

How culture can be seen in the way we tend to the environment.

In this learning activity the children will explore the broader concept of environmental care in the community, branching from the
personal reflection of the last week. The children will further create a page for the e-book on one method the community implements to
care for the environment (watering the plants for example).

Week 3 Group time/ Intentional teaching

 Identity : Children learn how their communities recycle (in families, the preschool, and the larger community – recycling bins)
 Well being : Participating in the recycling procedures of the preschool
 Confident learning: Discussion on what further recycling procedures that the class could implement into the classroom
 Communication: Play and sing along to ‘Reduce, Reuse & Recycle: Preschool Recycling Song’

Play activities to support key focus

 Connectedness: Table activities : Bring nature inside the classroom – children draw nature scenes based on the ‘The Curious
Garden’ utilising nature brought from the grounds
 Possible emergent Inquiry projects
Making the classroom more ‘green’ – what can the class do to care for the environment.

In this learning experience the children will explore the role of recycling in maintaining and caring for the environment in the community.
By the end of this week the children will have created a page for their e-book on recycling to care for their ‘garden’ (the small area that
Leah found).

Week 4 Group time/ Intentional teaching

 Identity : Children create a book about how to maintain nature for the preschool and community
 Well being : Renewing the small area that Leah found was dying utilising knowledge gained from previous weeks
 Confident learning: Discussion on what processes and instruments that the preschool can use to revitalise this area
 Communication: Communicating with each other as they tend to the small area

Play activities to support key focus

- Connectedness: Table activities: Taking photos of the children caring for the small area for the e-book; The students will use the
photos as a reference to draw pictures of people caring for nature (by watering plants, recycling etc.)

In this learning experience the children begin to develop the book discussing the different methods that they have explored in the last
couple of weeks that are utilized in maintaining and caring for the environment.

Week 5 Group time/ Intentional teaching

 Identity : Children create a book about how to maintain nature for the preschool and community
 Well being : Recording nature – sound effects for the e-book
 Confident learning: Children participate in the finalising of the story – reading the text, in charge of sound effects, drawing the
pictures, choosing background music etc.
 Communication: Working as a group to create the e-book; Reading and listening to the book the class has created

Play activities to support key focus

 Connectedness: Table activities: Sequenced tables that allow the children to explore the different components of the e-book
(sound effects, recording each other reading the book, adding resources from the environment into the book. Using different
degrees of light to represent different days)
Word Count: 1,173