Learning.
Know & Tell Time
Learning happens in several organized ways during a Gathered We Grow Farm School day. The first is Know and Tell Time, based on Karen Glass’ principles of narration, which is our weekly practice in communication and listening skills. Students gather around to practice public speaking, communication, and the art of narration by sharing with their peers something they have been studying at home. It’s always incredible to see the progress students make over the year. Some are so timid and barely willing to share at all in the beginning, but sure enough, by the end, all of the students blossom and grow in these important life skills! Students share topics related to science, history, poetry, art, etc. Some student favorites have been on topics such as earth worm farming, human anatomy, archery, and artist study. The list could go on!
As students share with their peers, new interests are sparked in the students who are listening. It is always our hope that new passions will develop from the inspiration of their friends!
Life-Skills Training
The 2023-2024 schedule includes themes like wood working, preserving food, animal processing, foraging and plant identification, Maker’s Market, navigation and compass skills.
Book Club
Finally, students gather with an enticing snack and a good book for literature discussion, also known as Book Club! Some of our farm-based book club picks for the 2023-2024 school year are:
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Abe Lincoln Grows Up by Carl Sandburg
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Below are some images taken during a few Know and Tell times and Life Skills classes during previous semesters.
A student shares about tomatoes and gardening from a Farm Anatomy book.
Picture books hold a special place in my heart, so it’s not uncommon for Miss Courtney to share one of her favorites with the group, especially if it relates to the day’s life skill training.
One student taught and brought his earth worm farm. The other students were big fans, as his presentation quickly became a very hands-on learning experience for all!
Older students can choose to present in front of the whole class, while younger students may prefer presenting to a smaller group of their peers.
For this STEM skills based project we learned about boat/raft making as students created their own miniature rubber-band-powered bark boats. Students assembled and tested them out as they learned engaging physics principles like conservation of energy and potential energy.
A simple wood working project
A few boys practicing their compass navigation skills.
Students gather around, waiting to hear from the next student presenter.
Today a student needed a set of extra hands as she presented her anatomy lesson - complete with a model skeleton and organs!
We encourage group presentations when possible, to promote camaraderie and team work skills.
Students learn important entrepreneurship principles through our handicraft class. These girls were in the process of knitting scarves to add to the student Maker’s Market later on in the year.
A student learning entrepreneurship skills at a Maker’s Market. He helped make stackable wooden trees by cutting, sanding and staining them and got his first purchase!
A Student learning to identify seeds.
