ECLC: Caring for Trees
Each year, preschool students learn about trees during a comprehensive unit that features art, science, language, and math. Their activities include using watercolors to paint trees, dissecting seed pods, discovering new words such as “bark” and “roots,” and even measuring the circumference of a tree trunk. Through these activities, Graland’s youngest students are introduced to the empathy piece of service learning that will be woven into their course curriculum for years to come. Preschoolers not only realize that they are connected to trees through our mutual need for water, sunshine, and food but also find out how to take care of trees from Graland’s very own grounds experts, Sarah Shutts-Love and Tony Ianni.
This October, Ms. Sarah, and Mr. Tony took the students all over campus to show them different kinds of trees at Graland. Along the way, they collected various berries, pinecones, acorns, and trees, to talk about when they returned to the classroom. The students also learned important insider information from Ms. Sarah and Mr. Tony, including where the oldest trees live on campus and which trees are the best for tree climbing!
The unit will continue until Thanksgiving as our preschoolers continue to explore and experience the world around them.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
