Arts in the Garden

Today we were introduced to a variety of engaging ways to integrate arts in the garden.

Dance, Music, and Movement
We began with earth dance and movement with Eleanor (Ele) Hendriks. Ele had teacher candidates slowly warm up their bodies in a movement circle from the toes up, with each TC taking a turn to guide the rest of the group. We then took the time to lay down in the field and breath and listen to the sights, smells, and sounds around us and the feeling of the grass. Afterwards, each person led the group in a movement inspired by nature (trees blowing in the wind, birds flying, grass under hands).
Next, Ele taught the group a scientific earth dance which involved half of us acting as a stream while the other half swam upstream as salmon. This activity also included percussive instruments, particular body movements, and sounds ("Glup, glup, swish, swish," goes the salmon). You can see how this would be a useful activity for some of our primary students, learning about the life cycle of salmon, by adding a perspective-taking element. We can also feel more empathy for the challenge facing salmon when we introduced culverts - making a difficult journey even more difficult.
Soundscapes came next. We gathered ourselves into small groups and prepared soundscapes, using body, voice, and percussive instruments, to represent what we have done so far during the CFE. Groups presented interpretations of preparing beeswax, harvesting blackberry and weaving fibres, wheelbarrow and mulching, flax processing, and preparing the ground for planting seeds. 

Eco-Poetry 
In the afternoon, Susan and Jo led us in a number of bee-themed poetry activities. We began with bee greetings, where everyone created small poems to make offerings to the bees. See the bee poems below. We planted some flowering herbs to keep the bees busy. 

New food for the bees. 

After we shared our offerings, we group-wrote small poems or statements to the bees, based around a sound. One group, for example, focused on the 'sh' sound. 

Shh, listen to the wind and the bees. 
Swishing in and out of the hive. 
Socializing, hear them hum. 
Together we share this space.

All the groups read their poems, one after the other, to create a collective poem/letter to the bees. Conversations ensued about how we could use such an activity to teach students about alliteration, onomatopoeia, consonance, assonance, and to do so in an outdoor, place-based classroom.

Finally, Jo invited us to write dialogue form poems based on the provocation 'Consider the Weeds'. This more structured form of eco-poetry allows the author to position themselves as part of the ecosystem. We also can use this type of poetry to consider perspective-taking; in this case, the perspective of the weeds. For example,

I, the dandelion:
You need a blank canvas. I need a space to thrive.
You want water to feed your plants. I want to feed on the water meant for your plants.
We both want the water, you see.
You feel frustrated.
I feel tenacious.
I think I will win.

At the end of the day, we gathered in a circle to share our gratitude for the bees. We, the CFE students, are grateful for the bees and their honey, their fuzzy bodies, their busy and hard work, their pollination, and so much more.

Gratitude circle for the bees.

Offerings to the Bees (a collection of poems):

To our new friends, the honey bees,
We offer you shade beneath these trees.
We offer cold water to cool your knees,
and a field of clover swaying in the breeze. 
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A wild and welcoming garden
for you roam free
I give to you the bees
---the 
On the cold cold days of winter
a shelter from the frost and snow
for when you awake in the early spring
a humble abode with flowers that grow
---
Fragrant flowers fill the fields,
Off fly our fuzzy friends.

Susan adds:

Here are links to audio files of us reading our Letter to the Bees (in two different sequences) and the form poems, I Want/ You Want. They are really lovely! So great to hear these poems read aloud, and with musical sounds effects.

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