WHAT WE DO
We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don't have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth's beings.- Robin Wall Kimmerer
Curriculum
Week 1 - Myself and My Ecosystem |
Students are introduced to the idea of ecosystems, first by watching a video on ecosystems and then by participating in an eco-mapping exercise. Another exercise is performed to establish a new ecosystem of trust amongst the new “EarthWilders” community. The idea of native plants is introduced through story telling about the Douglas fir, and students are given a Douglas fir cone to take home. |
Week 2 - Emotions Matter |
Students learn about the importance of emotions to many different facets of life, (attention, memory and learning, relationships, decision making, creativity, and physical and mental health). They are then introduced to the restoration site and the concept of ecosystem restoration. |
Week 3 - Act Out That Emotion |
Students develop a “feelings” vocabulary to better characterize their feelings. They participate in an exercise to act out emotional responses and others are supposed to guess which emotion the actor is impersonating. They then learn to channel big feelings through physical activity on the restoration site |
Week 4 - Mood Meter |
The idea of a “mood meter” is introduced. Students are invited to place themselves on the mood meter. They are tasked with thinking about factors that impact where they end up on the mood meter. Groups do a jigsaw puzzle to learn about mutually beneficial interactions in a healthy ecosystem. |
Week 5 - Regulating Emotions |
Students engage in several exercises wherein they offer suggestions as to how to regulate emotions, and participate in some of those activities. They then remove more weeds on the restoration site to model how physical activity and outdoor time can help alleviate strong negative emotions. |
Week 6 - Reciprocal Relationships |
Students will learn the meaning of the phrase reciprocal relationship. They then each plant a tree and give it a name, to symbolize the start of a new relationship. |
Week 7 - Expanding Outwards |
Students engage in exercises that let them explore how to be empathetic and open-minded regarding emotions. They learn also about healthy habits, including diversity of coping mechanisms, boundary setting, and physical activity. They continue to plant more in their restoration site as they come to see biodiversity as a source of strength and resilience. |
Week 8 - Joy |
Emotions are contagious. Students will reflect on times they have felt more connected to each other and to the restoration site over the course of the program, and more joyful. The program will end in a celebration of the new restoration site. |