With one project-based unit completed, we didn't waste anytime starting a new one. With the essential question of "Is it better to get what you want or give to those in need?," we kicked off this wants and needs unit with some outdoor observations.
Using donated pumpkins from our wonderfully generous families, we enjoyed decorating and placing pumpkins out on our land to observe decomposition and offer our animal friends a nice treat. The class also learned about endurance and problem-solving to get their pumpkin to our "hidden" forest.
With our pumpkins placed, it was time to start our exciting mouse house activity. Taking our background knowledge and initial work with wants and needs into action, we brainstormed what our animal friends might want and need with winter approaching.
With those ideas in mind, we chose our shoeboxes and headed out to collect items for our houses.
Then, heading back inside, we decorated our mouse houses and used natural supplies we had collected from our land and from our trip to the Retzer Nature Center to enhance our creations.
We also added donated corn to our boxes to entice the future visitors.
After discussing the potential items we could bring from home to garnish our boxes, we headed out to the woods to scout a location and place our mouse houses.
Now, we play the waiting game. With daily check ins, we will make changes tour supplies, our locations, and maybe even replace our houses all together. This is just the beginning of our wants and needs adventure.
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