About the Book
This is an extensive collection of outdoor games (many based on traditional forms such as racing, relays, tag, and singing circles) that are active, sociable, and fun. This book will help youngsters increase their understanding and appreciation of the temperate forest bioregion of eastern North America, its creatures, and vital processes. At the same time, they will exercise their motor muscles, executive functioning skills, in addition to developing creative imaginations and social emotional learning/SEL capacities. Also included are correlations with the Next Generation Science Standards, a variety of supporting visuals, and some simple creative dramatics for the very young. The projects and text highlight the benefits of lively, evolutionarily consonant, arts- and play-based learning.
Table of Contents:
CONTENTSBiography IntroductionCircle of the Seasons: a year round activity for the youngest1. Circle of the Seasons, a singing circle dance with creativedramatics (ages 3 to 7)1.1 Scenes from the Four Seasons1.2 Circle of the Seasons Clock, a paper craft to color and construct(printable PDF available at https://evolvingbeauty.org) 1.3 Circle of the Seasons Clock InstructionsPlants2. Seed Song, a singing and impersonating game (ages 3 to 8) All3. For Plants to Live and Grow, They Need to Photosynthesize,an associative learning, collecting game featuring alinked-run race (ages 5 to 12) All3.1 For Plants to Live and Grow Cards They Need toPhotosynthesize Card (for the younger students)3.2 For Plants to Live and Grow, They Need toPhotosynthesize Cards (for older students)4. Sprouting Seeds Game, a Progress towards a Goal’ group game of chance (ages 5 to 9) All4.1 Sprouting Seeds Events Cards5. Recipe for a Forest, an associative learning, collectinggame featuring a linked-run race (ages 6 to 12) All5.1 Recipe for a Forest Cards5.2 New Hampshire Forest Succession6. Old White Pine is Falling Down, a singing, processionalgame with a final ‘ Tug-of-War’ (4 to 8)Invertebrate Animal, especially Insects7. An Insect’ s Life Cycle Activity, a singing, impersonatinggame (ages 4 to 7)8. Buzzing Bumblebee Circle Game, a singing, choosing circlesong building verbal knowledge / vocabulary related tolocal flowering plants (ages 3 to 7)9. The Foraging Bee’ s Adventures, a "Progress towards a Goal’ team game of chance (ages 6 to 12)9.1 Honey Bee and Strawberry Plant Name Tags10. Blossoms and Pollinators, an example of the basic formatfor ’ Associative Learning through Team Relays’ (ages 9 to 12)10.1 A Few Common Pollinators10.2 Guess the PollinatorsGuess the Pollinators (with Answer Key)10.3 Flowers and their Pollination Partners11. The Last Wasp of Autumn, a stationary circle gamewith a race (ages 6 to 10)12. Mosquito in the Woods (Alternate casts of characters:Black Fly, Dragonfly, Bat, Mouse, Owl, Phoebe, orTree Swallow), a singing, choosing, and racing circlegame about food webs (ages 5 to 10)Vertebrate Animals13. Little Frog Jumping, a jump rope chant and physicalchallenge focused on rhythmic coordination (ages 3 to 6)14. Lily Pond Hop, ‘ Musical Chairs’ for Amphibians, a gameof chance, choice, and impersonation (ages 4 to 9)15. Frog Fortunes, another example of the basic formatfor a ‘ Progress towards a Goal’ Game (ages 6 to 12)15.1 A Few Common North American Amphibians16. Blue Jay, Blue Jay through the Forest, (Can be adapted to celebrateother flying creatures such as Butterflies, Katydids,Dragonflies,etc.), a singing, choosing, circle game for building students’ verbal knowledge and vocabulary related to common birdspecies or flying forest creatures in general (ages 3 to 7)16.1 First Birds, Primary Colors17. Cardinal Weaves a Basket, a singing circle game featuringchoices and simple tossing skills (ages 4 to 7)18. Berry in the Beak, a singing, choosing, circle game with a racethat highlights co-evolution and seed dispersal (ages 6 to 12)18.1 Acorn and Raspberry Disk Illustrations19. The Hawk in the Nest, a singing, choosing, and acting circlegame about energy flow and food chains (ages 5 to 10)20. When the Beavers Build their Dam, a singing, choosing, andacting circle game with a guessing component about wetlandcreatures (ages 4 to 10)20.1 Components for a Diorama about Beavers and theNiches They Create21. Northeastern Animal Steps, a simple, impersonating game aboutmovement, best suited for small groups of individuals - not teams (ages 3 to 10)21.1 Animal Steps Cards22. There’ s a Mouse Gnawing in these Woods, a singing, choosing,and racing circle game about food webs (ages 5 to 10)22.1 A Few Common Mice22.2 Three Northeastern Owls23. Mixed Feeding Flocks in January (or Squirre
About the Author :
Edith Pucci Couchman is an award-winning educator and visual artist dedicated to helping youngsters learn more about the amazing Earth Community to which they belong. She encourages children to play active games inspired by ecology and natural history, and offers them opportunities to build their capacities for creating art in many genres. She is on the Board of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire. She is blessed to be the mother of two grown children and a grandmother as well.
Review :
"For many years now, Edith Pucci Couchman has been developing some of the most stimulating and creative activities for encouraging young minds to explore the natural world. Her collection "Circling the Sun, Racing the Wind" is the right book at the right time and destined to be well-used by those fortunate to get their hands on a copy."
--Green Teacher Magazine "Circling the Sun, Racing the Wind offers a variety of learning experiences for students and youth ages 3-12 to honor and sustain local environments and our Earth. The games and songs can be utilized by garden educators to teach about pollinators and plants and will enhance youth garden programming." --Stacey Purslow, Farm to School Program Coordinator for the state of New Hampshire
"Here's a collection of lively, arts-infused, outdoor games, creative dramatics, carefully drawn activity pages, and more. The activities in Circling the Sun, Racing the Wind seek to nurture children's enjoyment of learning, their physical health and sociability, their creative imaginations, executive functioning skills, and aptitudes for the arts--as well as their informed and compassionate sense of belonging within Nature." --North American Association for Environmental Education
