Throwback Thursday - Digging in the Dirt

[Renai]

I mentioned in another really long thread that I saved a few posts from the old old board. Here's one with Paula of Paula's Archives lesson plan for digging in the dirt. Circa 2004: Part 1

 

Cut from WellTrainedMind.com forum (classical education). Paula H's lesson plan is copied at the end of the other responses to this mom's question:

Is digging in the dirt all day o.k. for 4yob?(m)

 

Posted by Heidiho on 8:27 Nov 17

I am having a day where I am questioning if it's o.k. to let him dig all day. Can I give him one more year before starting school? He is so different than our 5yog. She was reading by 4. He does one page in his cutting book and that is it. He has been outside all morning looking for worms. Are all boys this way? Please tell me it's o.k.
Thanks,
Heidi

 

 

-Is it okay? This is what little boys *should* be doing...m - Susan in TX 9:10 Nov 18 (0)

 

-Oh my, I thought my son was the only one! (m) - EKS 17:19 Nov 17 (0)

 

-and just so you know, he'll be digging for years, so you might as well get used to it! (a word of warning inside) - Coley-Pegs 14:05 Nov 17 (0)

 

-My boy was the eager sit down and learn type, my girl was (is) exactly like your son, even now, at 7. nt - Mad Jenny Flint 13:12 Nov 17 (0)

 

-YES...my son is 6 and would still prefer this activity to any other (and is doing fine in school). nm - Rachel in OK 12:35 Nov 17 (0)

 

-Totally normal! Go ahead and relax while he learns about the world around him! :) nt - Amy in FL 11:51 Nov 17 (1)

 

-LOL. My dc are 12 &10. They have been digging outside all morning. - Isabel 11:21 Nov 17 (0)

 

-Thank you for your encouragement!!! I should have posted on the general board,but this is where I lurk!(nt) - Heidiho 11:21 Nov 17 (0)

 

Paula H offers the best lesson plan ever. My 7 year old son is figuring how make a kite with twine. (m) - Testimony 10:55 Nov 17 (0)

 

-You don't "have" to do any school at age for, not even cutting. I'd only do stuff he asks for. Let him play and read aloud to him! nt - OhElizabeth 10:01 Nov 17 (0)

 

-It's not only OK, it's ideal. Please let him dig and be excited when he finds a worm! nt - Donna T. 9:32 Nov 17 (0)

 

-Honey, here's what to write on your lesson plans for today: - Paula H 9:14 Nov 17 (5)

 

-There is nothing that you can teach a 4yo that won't get repeated for the rest of his life....digging in the dirt with the exuberance of a 4yo will not happen again...let him be 4... :0) nt - Tap, tap, tap 8:54 Nov 17 (0)

 

-I have all girls, but I would say YES YES YES. DD loves digging and exploring outside, and allowing time for that is just as important to me as making time for schoolwork. nt - Momto5girls 8:49 Nov 17 (0)

 

y-es, very okay. sounds like my two boys, who are 4th/5th after 3 girls; to sneak in school, provide lots of books on worms this week LOL nt - 74Heaven 8:45 Nov 17 (0)

 

-Yes! Let him dig all day long, and then some more. nt - dangermom 8:42 Nov 17 (0)

 

-Sounds perfectly normal to me! If.... - Donna A. 8:41 Nov 17 (0)

 

-You have plenty of time. Let him be a little boy! nt - Tracie 8:37 Nov 17 (0) 

 

[Renai]

Part 2:

 

Posted by Paula H on 9:14 Nov 17

 

Honey, here's what to write on your lesson plans for today:

 

Areas you intend to cover today:
Gross motor skills (moving big chunks of dirt)
Fine motor skills (picking out those squirmy worms)
Attention to detail (ooh! something moved!)
Cause & effect (my hole caves in if the walls are too steep)
Visual tracking - a very important precursor to reading (watching my toy cars roll down the mountains)
Imagination and visualization - another very important precursor to reading
Spatial reasoning and awareness (Will the Tonka dump truck fit in the hole? Can I fit all this dirt in one load?)
Biology (bugs vs grubs vs spiders vs worms)

And most important, sensory stimulation and variety of experience. He is building up a wealth of experiences, sensations, observations, conclusions, etc. Each one of those is building connections in his brain and expanding his thinking abilities. Let me give an example from physical fitness: Charlie does chin-ups for two hours every day. Dave spends two hours every day swimming, running, climbing trees, playing tag, riding bicycle, and doing gymnastics. After six months, which one will be more physically fit? Dave will be, because he worked all his muscles in a variety of requirements.

Your son is doing the same thing as Dave. He's working his brain in all sorts of non-academic ways, expanding its ability, so he will be better able to digest academics when the time comes.

Come to think of it, looking at all those tasks on your lesson plans for today, are you sure you're not covering too much material in one day???

 

 

[Another Lynn]

And the inevitable responses.....

 

 

"I can verify that 'Dirt Lesson Plans' is the best curriculum out there.  I used it with Johnny and he had a perfect score on the SAT."

 

OR

 

"I tried 'Dirt Lesson Plans' and all I got for my pains was a dirty bathroom and a stopped up tub."

 

OR

 

"If you decide to use 'Dirt Lesson Plans' you must complete every step.  You must not skip anything.  People who are not successful with this program are not using it correctly."

 

OR

 

"Does anyone know if this program is young dirt or old dirt?" 

[Renai]

This is for Raining Pineapples

 

[Renai]

I actually kind of took this advice. In my PreK class last year, I gave spring break homework. It was to play in the mud (they all claimed they had never done it because it was too dirty!  :huh:  :mellow:  :confused1:  :glare:  :thumbdown: ). It was a real assignment - I even put it in the newsletter.

 

The parents loved me. I think...

[IsabelC]

My kids have dug a cave in the back yard this week, so I'm happy to hear how educational digging is. :)

[5wolfcubs]

Hey, 2015 is the International Year of Soils! 

Thanks so much for sharing this, Renai! 

 

[Renai]

And the inevitable responses.....

 

 

"I can verify that 'Dirt Lesson Plans' is the best curriculum out there.  I used it with Johnny and he had a perfect score on the SAT."

 

OR

 

"I tried 'Dirt Lesson Plans' and all I got for my pains was a dirty bathroom and a stopped up tub."

 

OR

 

"If you decide to use 'Dirt Lesson Plans' you must complete every step.  You must not skip anything.  People who are not successful with this program are not using it correctly."

 

OR

 

"Does anyone know if this program is young dirt or old dirt?" 

 

 

Don't forget:

 

"DLP is a mastery program, so your child must conquer all there is to know about mud before moving on to other dirty mediums - like sand."

 

or

 

"DLP does not need to 'get it' the first time. Let him/her come back to mud periodically, interspersed with learning about other mediums - like sand."

[Renai]

Hey, 2015 is the International Year of Soils! 

Thanks so much for sharing this, Renai! 

 

Wow, what a coincidence. Dare I say I have Never (ever ever ever) heard of this? 

[blue daisy]

I love this!  My kids (7 and 9) spent the first few days of spring break (before it snowed again) digging in the dirt.  Isn't that what kids are supposed to do?  :)

[ErinE]

I actually kind of took this advice. In my PreK class last year, I gave spring break homework. It was to play in the mud (they all claimed they had never done it because it was too dirty! :huh: :mellow: :confused1: :glare: :thumbdown: ). It was a real assignment - I even put it in the newsletter.

 

The parents loved me. I think...

My dd was in preschool briefly. All the other girls showed up in beautiful dresses that stayed clean, all day! I always wondered how that worked. My oldest DD loves wearing dresses, especially when digging in the creek for crawfish.

 

ETA: dd, not dad

[Renai]

My dad was in preschool briefly. All the other girls showed up in beautiful dresses that stayed clean, all day! I always wondered how that worked. My oldest DD loves wearing dresses, especially when digging in the creek for crawfish.

 

I don't know how that works either. I told the parents at the beginning of the year to send their children in clothes they don't mind gets dirty. It means they're learning. I also reassured parents that the dirt on our playground came out with soap (most was covered with wood chips anyway). Only on picture day did I make sure the kids stayed clean...until after pictures were taken.

 

 The reason I can't pass down clothes from my daughters is because they learn so much outside! Just now, my 4yo went outside to play. My dh tried to call her back inside. I asked him why, and he couldn't give me an answer. I told him to just let her play (he's where he can see her, and I'm on the pc supposedly working, but within eye/earshot).

 

I've seriously considered an outdoor classroom - not just doing school outside sometimes, but school is outside most of the time.

[Zoo Keeper]

You could use this title if you wanted to add in Literature Studies to your well done Dirt Lessons Plans.  ;)

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hole-Dig-Ruth-Krauss/dp/006443205X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427476275&sr=8-1&keywords=A+hole+is+to+dig

 

Love that book. :)

[Renai]

You could use this title if you wanted to add in Literature Studies to your well done Dirt Lessons Plans.  ;)

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hole-Dig-Ruth-Krauss/dp/006443205X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427476275&sr=8-1&keywords=A+hole+is+to+dig

 

Love that book. :)

 

Would you believe I have never seen this book? (or at least don't remember). I'm gonna hafta expand my horizons.

 

I can definitely see a unit study arising out of this DLP...

[Renai]

And the inevitable responses.....

 

 

"I can verify that 'Dirt Lesson Plans' is the best curriculum out there.  I used it with Johnny and he had a perfect score on the SAT."

 

OR

 

"I tried 'Dirt Lesson Plans' and all I got for my pains was a dirty bathroom and a stopped up tub."

 

OR

 

"If you decide to use 'Dirt Lesson Plans' you must complete every step.  You must not skip anything.  People who are not successful with this program are not using it correctly."

 

OR

 

"Does anyone know if this program is young dirt or old dirt?" 

 

I just remembered, we haven't covered:

 

"Is this Common Core aligned?"

 

and

 

"Yes! It is STEM related."

[LoveMyBeautifulGift]

I've seriously considered an outdoor classroom - not just doing school outside sometimes, but school is outside most of the time.

Mmm....sitting next to the window, soaking up end of day sunlight right now...I could be persuaded to move school outside on days like this.

[Raining Pineapples]

This is for Raining Pineapples

 

 

Thank you! I now understand better. I am very visual. 

 

I love to send my kids out to play in the mud. Now I can truly chalk it up to 'science time'.

 

I have one that bathes in it while the other one doesn't want to get his hands dirty. I'm working on him.

[Renai]

Thank you! I now understand better. I am very visual. 

 

I love to send my kids out to play in the mud. Now I can truly chalk it up to 'science time'.

 

I have one that bathes in it while the other one doesn't want to get his hands dirty. I'm working on him.

 

Have you tried just throwing him in? It might work. Then again, you may traumatize him for life. But, you never know until you try.