At LNS we cherish the natural world. We consider that our children are citizens of this world and are capable of taking the time to care and reflect about the world around them. A good number of children and families participated in last week’s Climate Strike, including DJ and her family. This was shared with the children in the context that our Earth, our home, has some things that are broken and in need of being fixed. We shared with the children that our oceans and waterways, land and plants and even our animals need our help. Beginning with our oceans, we wondered aloud with the children…
What do we know about water?
“Sharks live there!” ZACK
“Fish swim and fish die.” -SAM
There’s garbage in the ocean.” -VICTORIA
“There’s sharks in the water and there’s octopuses in there and there’s a really big problem in there!…They don’t eat garbage!” -JACK
Why is water important?
“For drinking.” Johann
“So that the animals can live.” -TESSA
“Fish need water.” -AMELIA
“Because water is really important. Because you need water and the fish and the plants will die if there’s no water for them. And you need to drink water to stay healthy and a lot of times you to have water.” -KYLA
“If there’s garbage in there, the fish will have to swim somewhere else.” -JACK
Where? Where will they swim?
“They would have to swim to a different ocean but they can’t. They don’t have feet.” -JACK
Supporting our conversation, we read All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson.
“I have another thing where water comes from. First the clouds rain down and the rain travels down mountains and it follows to some pond. And then there is pipes around that goes in the ground and the rain goes up into the tower and then you get the water off and there’s still some water for the plants to grow. And then if there’s no water, the fish will die and all of them will be dead. All of the water would go and they would be dead.” KYLA
“If there’s no water, then everything in the whole world would be dead.”
CHARLIE KELLY
“You must do the impossible. Because giving up can never, ever be an option.”
Greta Thunberg
In addition to saving the world…
This week we read Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles and Rod Clement. The story’s end inspired a vibrant discussion about the perplexing idea of same and different.
“There’s only one Edward!”
ALEX
“No! There’s 2!”
JACK
