Duration: 5 – 10 minutes
Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:
- Flexibility
- Valuing people and nature
Brief description
In this stage, we make the children move. The task is to find something in nature that has a feature that the teacher “suddenly” asks for. The children do not know in advance what the teacher will ask for. Children should find different materials in nature by touching.
Stand up! Run and touch something that is…”
- made of wood!
- made of metal!
- rough to the touch!
- soft to the touch!
- wet!
- dry!
- cool!
- warm!
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
While touching different materials, children continuously perceive various textures, which stimulate their sensory nerves. These nerves must constantly adapt, providing a physiological foundation for both cognitive and emotional flexibility. In addition, children must quickly and spontaneously respond to unexpected instructions by finding and touching an item that fits the given description as fast as possible
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
During the activity, children develop sensory awareness as they recognize different materials and temperature qualities while moving. The quickly changing instructions promote cognitive and emotional flexibility, as they need to adapt to new situations and stay focused on the task. This supports their self-confidence and flexible attitude toward situations, while also strengthening their social skills.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
Recognition of different materials and experiencing their properties.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
None need materials. Things in their environment
Preparation notes
The teacher should be familiar with the location in order to give varied and engaging instructions.
Guided Questions
- How can you react quickly when you receive an unexpected instruction?
- How do you feel when you suddenly have to change what you are doing?
- How do you quickly find the material you need to look for based on the instruction?
- What helps you keep your focus when you have to touch different materials one after another?
- How can you stay calm when the instructions change quickly?
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- Was there a moment when it was difficult to switch quickly between tasks? How did you handle it?
- What did it feel like when you had to unexpectedly change your activity?
- Were you able to help others if they reacted more slowly to the instructions?
- What helped you stay calm when you had to touch different materials one after another?
- How could you handle unexpected changes even better next time?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
In this stage, the same issues may arise as were described in the previous stage. In this case the guidelines described there also apply.