Let’s learn more about Nature…
- Did you know that you are a part of nature? That’s right, every plant and animal, including humans, are all connected in one big web of life. Notice the similarities between yourself and a leaf. Think about how animals live, breath, grow and die like humans.
- Humans have relationships with all sorts of plants and animals, and we can’t live without them. For example, plants are food, medicine, and create oxygen.
- Animals also provide food, as well as clothing and companionship. Insects pollinate the plants we eat and decompose waste.
- We are connected to Nature in the food we eat, the water we drink, the paper we write on, the air we breathe, the buildings we live in, the electricity we consume… because everything including you, is from the Earth.
Activity
Choose one of the engaging activities below to take action:
- Earth Poet Laureate: Write a haiku poem about saving Earth. Remember haikus have three lines with the following syllable pattern for each line 5, 7 and 5. Share it – with your teacher, friends, even the local newspaper!
Sit Spot: Go outside and find a place to sit quietly, preferably beside a bush or tree. Look and listen to what’s happening around you. What signs of life can you observe? Return to your sit spot everyday for a week and see what changes. Focus on something different each day. - Nature Art: Create some nature art that shows how you are connected with nature. Take a photo and share with your teacher and classmates
- “Eco” Food Web: Create a food web that includes humans. Remember a web is connected on all sides, and make sure to think about our waste. See the Eco vs Ego image below for inspiration. Draw this out, or get creative and build a 3D version!
Journaling prompts
Choose one of the topics below to write about:
- Explain how “we are nature”.
- What are the benefits of spending time in nature?
- Write a short story about a walk through the forest.
- Write a story that starts “If I only watered my plant like I was asked too..”
Videos
Check out some of our favourite We Are Nature videos:
Extras
Movies about being part of nature:
- The Lorax: A 12-year old boy, Ted, lives in a world where everything is artificial. In an effort to win over a girl, he searches out a real tree and finds himself on an adventure to undo the environmental disaster linked to the greedy mayor.
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople: A rebellious kid and his foster uncle seek refuge from Child Services in the New Zealand forest.
- Planet Earth, Planet Earth II, Blue Planet: These documentary mini-series all show incredible shots of interesting and unusual plants and animals around the world.
- March of the Penguins: A documentary set in Antarctica, following emperor penguins as they travel across the tundra to their traditional breeding grounds.
- Whale Rider: The story of a Maori (New Zealand Aboriginal) girl named Pai, who befriends and saves southern right whales that are very meaningful to her tribe.
Kahoot
Come play a Kahoot with us…