Outdoor Work
From Danielle Merrit-Sunseri, Curriculum Developer
When I was growing up in the Allegheny Mountains, I had the opportunity in school to visit our local State Park with a naturalist from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. To this day, it is one of the most memorable experiences of my formal education. We canoed on the lake, fished with nets, and mucked around in some very stinky mud that was well past our knees. At the same time that we students were having this amazing adventure, our naturalist guide was teaching us what she knew about the plant and animal life, the geography, the ecosystem, and the history of this unexplored place that was part of our home. She conveyed deep, personal knowledge that was unknown to us and taught us to look beyond our usual day-to-day experiences - to grasp at the fact that we are part of something bigger. Now I pass a little piece of that on to my children as we revisit that same lake and teach them to find planaria on the banks with their grandfather. They have analogous experiences with local naturalists in our North Carolina Piedmont home. And they discover some of it themselves as they muck around near our house. This is exactly what Mason meant by Nature lore.
When Mason talks about lore in Volume 1 (for young children), she mostly speaks about knowledge and ideas that the mother holds in her mind and shares with the children during their outdoor visits - when they are experiencing it together rather than when they are reading a lesson. Books are only mentioned briefly for their ability to reveal and inspire. Thereafter, in the programmes and Parents’ Review, lore is included for school-age children with their Outdoor Work. We see it mentioned in connection with scouting activities, nature notebook entries, nature rambles, and nature collections, and alongside seasonal reading for inspiration.
Nature lore can be found in a book, but it is not a book, is most definitely not a particular book, and is most especially found outside IN your context. Lore is personal, experiential knowledge that is connected to place and culture. Kerri Forney recently sent me some excerpts from the Parents’ Review on the subject and I thought it was nicely articulated in the following quote from Volume 48:
“Parents who are members of the P.N.E.U. do not need reminding that the nature lore, the literature, the pictures and the music appreciation of a Parents’ Union School programme are not so many parcels of information, but are links in a chain to bind all generations together…”
In fact, while a local naturalist can be incredibly helpful, the children can absolutely accomplish Mason’s purpose on their own with little to no structure. In Volume 46, we hear from a mother who says,
“Their nature studies are largely self-taught, for it is seldom that they can be formally taken for a walk and they range the countryside (precipitous as it is) freely and collect much Nature lore…”
It is for these reasons that I am so excited for the Outdoor Work resource in your lesson plans this year, which may feel different from the approach to Nature lore that we are used to. Every detail has been thoughtfully laid out to bring us ever closer to the beauty and fullness that Mason intended for Nature lore. There is monthly inspiration from an experienced naturalist-blogger; there are scouting activities for different skill levels; there is light, optional structure for nature walks; and there are nature notebook prompts that both coordinate with lessons and give some room to flex. Additionally, we’ve opted to provide this in a take-along format that we hope will be easy to print and tuck into your back pocket or keep on your smartphone. So yay! for easy and flexible - now let’s go outside!
The Outdoor Work resource is something we all can look forward to, what part are you most excited about? Leave a comment letting us know in this Fabulous Friday post!
Notes
1. CMI Virtual Ticket Announcement: Virtual Tickets will be available on May 1st. For $49, you’ll get access to all five keynote sessions, a selection of breakout sessions, a virtual swag bag, a special giveaway for virtual attendees, and more. Sign up here to be notified when tickets are available.
2. Office Hours: Here is the link from Wednesday’s Office Hours on supply lists with Danielle Merrit-Sunseri, Erin Day, Kim Keel, and Melissa Ferguson.
3. Wild + Free: Alveary is a sponsor at the Wild + Free conference this year! Come meet fellow Alveary moms before the conference. Join us anytime from 3:30-5pm on April 19 @ Field Day Coffee.
4. CMI Study Groups: We are considering a few changes to CMI’s study groups. If you have considered joining an online study of Mason, we’d love to get your thoughts in a short focus group. Email melissa@cminst.org if you are willing to assist us.
5. Common Place Quarterly: For only $25/year, you can enjoy digital access to all 25 back issues of CPQ, plus those coming out this year! Use code: CMIdigital25 at checkout.
6. Class of 2024: We would love to celebrate with you! Share a picture of your graduate and a favorite Alveary memory for us to highlight on social media and the Hive!
7. CORE: Registration for the CORE summer cohort is opening on April 15th. This class is likely to sell out, so don’t delay in registering.
