Dancing With The Wind
By Amanda Sargeant
What about the weather? It seems easy to go outside on warm and sunny days but what about rainy, snowy, or windy days? Not so much! After having very windy days on-campus, I was motivated to embrace the weather with my students. Rooney (2018) discusses the concept of our place in the world with weather and not separate from it; “We cannot therefore dissociate our relations and interactions with the world around us from the weather; and as we move through places where air, water and earth intermingle we can be said to be moving with and part of the ever-changing elements of the ‘weather world’” (Ingold, 2015, as cited in Rooney, 2018, p. 6). Some questions arose: “How can we be with the wind?” “What might we do in the wind?”
I WAS MOTIVATED TO EMBRACE THE WEATHER
The students and I discussed how wind was created. We could feel the wind and see the effects of it. Some commented they did not know much else about the wind. Learning more about this aspect of weather became our inquiry. “How do humans use wind?” we wondered. “What about animals, plants, and trees?” After gathering information using non-fiction children’s books and online resources, we found that
human use of the wind includes modes of transportation like planes and sailboats. We talked about wind as an energy source from windmills and wind farms.
We researched how wind is formed and looked at how animals are guided by scents in the wind. Then we discovered more about how seeds of plants and trees are transported by the wind, and how pollination occurs. What emerged was a rich understanding of wind and its benefits for all life forms. Part of embracing the weather is being playful with it. The students and I collected loose parts including fabric, string and ribbon, and fallen branches to create our own wind sticks. We played and ran in the wind. It whipped through our hair and made us laugh! Much to our delight, the wind picked up
our creations and danced with them. Out of breath from running, the students rested. One student commented that they had never had “fun” in the wind before. Our discussion also included how loose parts could be found and used with children in the outdoors.
THEIR CONFIDENCE IN EMBRACING THE WIND AND ITS POSSIBILITIES FOR FURTHER EXPERIENCES HAS BEEN INSPIRING.
From this experience, the students imagined all kinds of opportunities with children. Their confidence in embracing the wind and its possibilities for further experiences has been inspiring. Reflecting on this experience and our discussions in our outdoor pedagogy research group, I have begun to develop a new perspective of the weather and see changes in the natural environment as a provocation.
Returning to the environment time and time again helps us to slow down, to notice, and build a relationship with nature. The outdoor environment with its changing weather patterns and seasons is continually providing us with opportunities to explore, inquire, and experience. What could the weather have in store for us next?
References:
Aston, D.H. (2021). A Seed is Sleepy. Chronicle Books.
Rooney, T. (2016). Weather Worlding: Learning with the elements in early childhood. Environmental Education Research, 24(1), 1-12, https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2016.1217398
Sargeant, A. (2022). Dancing with the wind. [Photo].
Sargeant, A. (2022). Wind in the trees. [Photo].
The NEED Project. 2013. Wonders of Wind. Switch Energy Alliance.
http://www.switchenergyproject.com/education/CurriculaPDFS/SwitchCurricula-Elementary-WondersofWindStudent.pdf.
