Beautiful Stuff

This book, Beautiful Stuff, Learning with found Materials, by Cathy Weisman Topol and Lella Gandini (Davis, 1999), is an excellent resource for implementing a recycling materials project in an early childhood classroom. Colorful, inviting photographs document the collecting, sorting, and using of a variety of intriguing and readily available recycled materials. More than just toilet tissue rolls, recycled materials add a wealth of variety and creativity as materials for children's art. Each face, each fish, each representation is unique, because the materials are unique, and an so they are an important language for children. I have implemented a similar project in my preschool, and I do a 'Beautiful Stuff' workshop in my curriculum planning course in my community college early childhood education program. I was recently delighted to meet Cathy when we both presented at a materials conference for teachers, then again at another conference where we both were in attendance. At each conference I heard teacher after teacher express their appreciation for to her for this book.
What a great way for us to model recycling and help save the planet!

More Resources for Nature Education- Web Sites

Just in time to prepare for Earth Day next month!

1. This link, from Beyond the Journal (NAEYC) connects you to several helpful articles and resource lists, including a book list. The articles are in pdf format, and are available at no cost.

January 2008: Teaching and Learning about the Natural World. This issue offers research-based ideas and practical strategies to give children many opportunities to explore, appreciate, and value the natural world. For more ideas about children and nature, see the two articles published exclusively online. You’ll also find four articles from the January 2008 issue of Young Children as well as additional resources and columns.

2. This link connects you to a page on the National Wildlife Federation web site, Outside in Nature. This page includes several free articles, including Connecting Today's Kids to Nature Action Guide, as well as several activity guides for teachers.

http://www.nwf.org/outside/
National Wildlife Federation

3. This link is a nature resource bibliography.
http://ectc.nde.ne.gov/media/bibs/nature.pdf
Nature Resource Bibliography

4. This article describes what is called the Schoolyard Habitat Movement; how to create natural schoolyard habitats in your outdoor space.
http://eelink.net/eetap/info23.pdf
Schoolyard Habitat Article

Teachers all over the country are creating intentional and engaging nature education exeriences for young children. Take advantage of the multitude of resources for teachers.

Nature Materials and Forms: Inspirations from the work of Andy Goldsworthy-Spirals in Nature

I first encountered the work of Andy Goldsworthy in a film clip during a leadership seminar led by Margaret Wheatley. It immediately struck me as something that teachers should know about. Soon after, I found a photograph of a child's stone spiral constructed next to the cover of Goldsworthy's amazing book, A Collaboration with Nature (1990), and I soon started introducing the images and materials to students in my curriculum courses.
Recently, in the process of developing a photo-presentation for a workshop for teachers, I became enamored by all of the spirals in nature: from snail shells to galaxies, seed patterns in a sunflower head to fiddle head ferns, a ram's horn to the petal patterns of a rose.
The spiral is one of the most ancient human symbols and was described mathematically by the ancient Greeks, including Archimedes. I like them because they are simple and elegant, and children are naturally drawn to them- they love snails and curly snakes and anything that loops around. It's a form they can make using a variety of media and materials.
Check out spirals in google images, then go on a spiral hunt in your school yard. Introduce photographs and natural spirals to the children and see what happens. It's a lovely way to help children connect to the natural world.

Go to flickr.com and search on dgmurphy2002 to see some photographs of Goldsworthy-inspired art by student teachers.