Pre-K: A Sensational Way to Explore
Pre-K students have been using their five senses to study trees during science and art. They examined leaves, branches, and stems with magnifying glasses, searched tree bark for bugs, built leaf piles on the playground, and created trees with a variety of art materials.
A visit to Graland from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science extended that sensory exploration to animals. Through the museum’s “Wild Senses” program, students investigated how Colorado animals use their senses to find food and navigate their surroundings.
“Partnering with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) was a fantastic way to deepen our study through a hands-on experience alongside a museum docent,” Pre-K Teacher Mrs. Laura Brown said.
At five interactive stations, students took on animal roles through costumes and play. As chipmunks, they used smell to find nuts hidden by classmates. At the bird station, they listened for calls to guide them back to nests. They also used touch to feel for vibrating spiders on a web, guided a snake puppet to capture a mouse, and searched for food inside a dark log as raccoons.
“I saw so many moments of joyful learning while watching students explore the stations,” Mrs. Brown said.
The experience gave students another way to practice using their senses, building on what they had learned while studying trees.
“The DMNS staff described key characteristics of a scientist as being curious, playful, and inquiry-driven,” Mrs. Brown said. “These qualities directly align with Graland’s intellectual and character traits, helping our students deepen their self-identity as curious, active learners.”
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.
