Wonder Earth Education Workshop

Relationships
Written By Tiff Bollhorn

Have you ever wondered about the spiral on your fingerprint? Or how we are connected to seashells, flowers and dinosaurs everyday of our lives?

Are you looking for fun, upbeat ways for your students to learn about the environment and inspire sustainability?

Come along on a beautiful journey of what it means to belong to our Earth home and celebrate the colors, patterns, and processes of Nature’s amazing ways at sustaining life.

Students will grow their ‘Eco-literacy’- their understanding of how the Earth works to create life, while going on a wonder-full storytelling journey, gaining appreciation of Nature’s beauty and wisdom.

Using a BIG book, FANTASTIC props and role play, students go on a enlivening discovery of our connections to Nature through the themes in WONDER EARTH -a book inspired by over 15 years of teaching.

Using ART and SCIENCE, this unique workshop is designed to help students to be curious, appreciate, and better understand all that we are connected to and a part of.

Offering a refreshing perspective for children and teachers, the workshop aims to contribute towards a positive outlook for change rooted in a life-enriching narrative of abundance, beauty and relationships.

Workshop Info:

This workshop is ideally for Primary School years, with a Lower (K-2)/ Middle (yrs 3-4) /and Upper primary (yrs 5-6) workshop option to choose from.

*See below for workshop outline

The workshop is held at your school (outside in an undercover area, in the library, or classroom).

Duration and Price Guide:

  • The workshop is 1hr (K-2)-1.5hrs (3-6), to run ideally in Session 1 or 2 of the school day.

  • The workshop is $10 per student (to be accessible and affordable) and can accommodate 2 classes per workshop group (min workshop cost $350).

    Workshop can be split into Stages K-2 and 3-6 for small schools and is also available for home-schooling groups.

  • With a workshop receive a signed copy of WONDER EARTH for the school library!

    *Workshop Outline:

    Lower Primary (K-2): 1 hr workshop. Students explore the Wonder Earth book themes with role play and props & learn 3 main patterns of sustaining life (Food-chains, Cycles, and Relationships)

    Middle Primary (3/4): 1.5hrs workshop. Students explore the 6 main patterns of sustaining life (Ecoliteracy Principles) explored in the book (Food-chains, Cycles, Relationships, Patterns, Biodiversity, and Interdependence ) with props, role play and group work.

    Upper Primary (5/6) (1.5 hrs): This workshop includes a short Author’s Talk; A brief exploration of Ecoliteracy Principles explored in the book; A creative writing exercise with Nature-based themes which inspired the book.

  • **Workshop can also run as a longer full-day immersion program or weekly sessions over 4 weeks/ Term (email for more detail).

Booking: earthheartkids@gmail.com / *To book by phone, please request via email. *booking may include additional travel fee depending on school location


Registered Provider with NSW Department of Education ✔️

Working with Children’s Check ✔️

Author & Environmental Educator✔️

+18 years experience teaching with schools & school groups ✔️

Cross-curricular learning✔️

Most of all -a LOVE for teaching about the Earth ✔️

CURRICULUM LINKS

The workshop is cross curricular in nature, combining Arts, Science, English and Humanities. Below are the main links to the Science Syllabus.

Science syllabus:

STe-3LW-ST explores the characteristics, needs and uses of living things.

ST1-4LW-S describes observable features of living things and their environments.
ST2-4LW-S compares features and characteristics of living and non-living things.
ST3-4LW-S examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things.
ST1-5LW-T identifies how plants and animals are used for food and fibre products.
ST2-8PW-ST describes the characteristics and effects of common forms of energy, such as light and heat.
ST3-8PW-ST explains how energy is transformed from one form to another.

Testimonials

“Tiff is a fantastic environmental educator and storyteller. She brings to life her enchanting book Wonder Earth with her captivating props, teaching the students about the cycles, patterns and processes which sustain life on Earth. My students have loved her lessons and come away with a much deeper understanding of their connection to the natural world”. -Charlotte Bowry, Year 3 Teacher, Living School, NSW

“We thoroughly enjoyed the workshop! Tiff’s use of props and visuals to connect with the themes in her beautiful book was very engaging and stimulating for our students. The students and I loved learning about Wonder Earth with Tiff”. -Sue Craigie, Kindi Teacher Coorabell Public School, NSW

“Tiff is an engaging and creative educator and a great collaborator, I would highly recommend her work”.

- Valley Lipcer, Artistic Director, Roundabout Theatre

Praise for Wonder Earth

“Wonder Earth is a great read that links well with the school curriculum and can easily be implemented in class discussions about sustainability” - Daniela Glyntzos, Visual Arts and LST High School Teacher

“This enlightening book is such a unique text about Earth. It encourages readers to think broadly, to connect with and respect what we have around us. Our ecosystems and the living processes that help sustain our Earth are amazing. This beauty of a book is a real treasure”.. -Rita Szrenko from ‘Get Kids Booked’ Book Reviews.

Tiff Bollhorn