I love this time of year! It feels so good to get outside after being cooped up all winter. Plus, I love watching things come to life. Green grass, buds on trees… It’s so refreshing, isn’t it?




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Here’s what I found about naturalistic learners:
- They are aware of their surroundings
- They love to be outside and get their hands dirty
- They like to learn about living things like plants and animals
- They are interested in weather related events and season changes
- They are quick to notice details and differences in clouds, leaves, and animals
- They are likely to be motivated to take action against pollution or actions that hurt the environment
- They usually enjoy science class
Here are a few examples…




2nd grade Spanish – planted salsa garden (chiles, onions, tomatoes, cilantro)
3rd grade Spanish – planted marigolds
*All grades took turns watering and weeding. They even have camps take turns during the summer months.


Spanish students made salsa and sampled it, took jars home. In October, students also harvested marigolds to be featured in the Día de los Muertos.
Throughout the program students learn about seeds and their needs to grow, the plant life cycle, and the significance of these plants in their target cultures. Target language + science + hands on + culture…
AMAZING WORK, Nathan and Dora!!







You INSPIRE us, Jahdai!


Talk about animal migrations (hummingbirds, butterflies, whales) and what target culture countries do to help animals (like Julie does here)
Start a window sill mini garden before your food unit – so they can see/smell/taste cilantro and learn why it’s so key for good salsa
Feed birds (especially in the winter) – you’ll find lots of return visitors so name them and talk about them in the TL
When you talk about the environment, talk about how to help reuse and recycle around the school
Learn about parks, oceans, and crazy weather from around the world and compare it to home
Field trip OUTSIDE! Scavenger hunt? Free read outside? Sidewalk chalk written conversations?
The possibilities are endless, but like most things, you gotta be intentional!
Share YOUR garden, idea, or dream lesson below to inspire others!
I teach in a very urban high school. We are not allowed to take the kids outside, but I started a windowsill garden. About 2/3 of my students have a pot (they decided if they wanted one–not part of Spanish class, just an add-on) and they could choose between jalapenos and miniature tomatoes. We have a 48% chronic absenteeism rate, and some of them are coming to my class more because they’re concerned about their plant. I’ve found that several of my students who hung out in the hallway until the very last minute come in to class a lot earlier so that they can water their plant and ask me questions about them– most have never seen a vegetable plant growing and have no clue where the tomato or jalapeno grows from. I am definitely a big believer in naturalistic intelligence!
Kat,
Thanks so much for sharing. I love this! Some kids don’t know they love growing something because they’ve never had the chance. I’m so glad you gave them it! Good job!
In fact, I’d like to add you to this post – are you interested?