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Who describes the most
familiar object with a zest and vividness of imagery as if he saw it for
the first time, the novelty consisting not in the strangeness of the
object, but in the new and clearer perception of it.
Henry David Thoreau,
Journal October 13, 1860
Journaling & Writing
Self-expression
is extremely important for the development of children. The following
suggestive resources for journaling and writing are aimed at providing
you with ideas and teaching opportunities in your classroom.
Nature journaling
develops students observational skills and often leads to more
thoughtful and reflective journaling and writing. Journaling outside
develops a student's sense of place, a connection to the places they live.
Ask your students to pick something that they observe every day
(preferably in nature) and use
drawing, writing, music, and poetry, etc. to create their
journals and connect in a meaningful way to their place.
When you first start journaling with your students...
Some stimuli for entries in a Journal of Place
Nature
journaling resources
Reflective
journaling resources
Other journaling
resources
When you
first start journaling with your students,
do several exercises that will engage all of their senses.
This is a
necessary tool for exploration, learning to pay attention, and
journaling.
Activity:
Ask students to
sit down outside with their eyes closed for 2 minutes. Ask them to pay
attention to sounds around them. Afterwards – share.
Activity:
Put nature objects
in a box and ask one person to identify the object by putting their hand
through a hole in the box. Ask them to describe the object using
adjectives. Show the object to the rest of the group beforehand, so that
they know what their peer is touching.
Activity:
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Divide your
students into teams of two.
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Blindfold one
person.
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Lead the
blindfolded person to a site.
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The
blindfolded person uses his or her sense of touch, smell, taste, and
hearing to get to know the spot where they are.
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Next, lead the
blindfolded person away. Remove the blindfold. Ask the person to
find the spot they explored when they were blindfolded.
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Switch roles.
Some stimuli
for initial entries in a Journal of Place:
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Thoreau's quotes
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See
writing and
reflective exercises
designed by Tammis Coffin targeted at
shifting awareness into
moment and place, engaging
sensory and imaginative impressions, and encouraging a flow of
words.
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What is the
sound, sight, or smell most closely associated with your place?
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What sounds,
sights, or smells
represent change in your place?
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What sounds,
sights, or smells
show human–environmental interaction in your place?
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Write
a creative history for something that could have happened in your
place.
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Write
about invisible or internal landscapes.
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Write about
the wind.
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Describe a summer’s
evening.
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Dig
(literally) at your place. Examine and write about what you find.
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Interview assisted living
people and encourage them to explore the idea of memory being
connected to places.
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Take the point
of view of a non-human entity at your place. Write from that
perspective.
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In your field
guide read about two birds, as yet unfamiliar to you, but observable
in our region. Find, read, and print out from the Internet two
articles about each bird. Glue them into your journal.
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Jail – as a
place and as an experience (after reading “The Night Thoreau Spent
in Jail”):
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Catalogue
qualities/associations suggested literally by “jail”.
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Talk about
and relate to “jail” metaphorically.
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Why did
Thoreau spend a night in jail? What does this act illustrate
about him?
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What
positive experiences did he derive from there, as the playwright
suggest?
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Could you
do what he did? Why?
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Write about places that
inspire you and places that you cannot forget.
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Invent a metaphor for an
observation (e.g. Thoreau used water as a metaphor for soul).
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What amazed you the most
last week?
Nature journaling resources:
Reflective journaling
resources:
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See
prompts for classroom discussions and reflective journaling on
topics of social justice and social reform donated
generously by Erica Schwartz, Approaching Walden 2005 alumna.
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See
course curriculum for “Meet Mr. Thoreau” class by
Bill Schechter, Approaching Walden 1997 alum
for journaling and other class assignments ideas.
Other journaling resources:
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Check out the
website “The
Private Eye” - a program about the drama and wonder of looking
closely at the world, thinking by analogy, changing scale and
theorizing.
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Visit
Lessons for Hope, a web-based, high school curriculum
that focuses on journaling and sketching in the 1st unit
to help students become responsible citizens.
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