Gratitude
Mushrooms!
It has been a long time since I have written a newsletter/blog! Sure, I’ve shared about events and the curriculum here and there over the past year, but it’s been quite a while since I’ve shared a true heart-to-heart newsletter. For those of you that recently subscribed to my newsletter, albeit from the Homeschool Conferences last summer, online, or at our local farmers markets, WELCOME! My newsletters are usually a labor of love; chock-full of the latest happenings in our nature program, seasonal nature-based musings, riddles or quizzes for the kids, and news about upcoming things. Just FYI, these newsletters are also blog posts, so if you happen to “lose” it, you can always find it again on the website.
One of the reasons I have been so remiss in the newsletters is that I have been busy! Just plain busy… and so the few attempts I have made at writing a newsletter, I asked AI/ChatGPT for help. And well, help it did, but every time I was just about to share, I stopped myself and thought, “This just does not sound like me.” And I couldn’t put my name on it. So I didn’t send. Which means that these newsletters are written by me not AI. I admit I use AI for spelling and grammar checks and will use it for short announcement-type messages, but the blogs and newsletters, well, I’m afraid they will be written by me…complete with the occasional mistake, some rambling, and perhaps even some incomplete thoughts. But on the flip side, you can rest assured, it comes from a human who loves nature and is dedicated to helping children learn through nature while in nature.
Photo on the left is me when I was in Texas last summer for the Homeschool Conference.
latest happenings at Ohmapi
This year at Ohmapi, we have 41 students. (yep, Ohmapi has grown a lot!!!) We are studying GEOLOGY! Our first three blocks this fall focused on big picture topics like the Universe, the Earth, and Plate Tectonics. Those first 3 blocks are big, heady concepts and maybe not what you would expect from a nature school that prides itself on doing and touching and experiencing. Worry not, we have woven in 6 field trips in 8 weeks to touch, feel and explore rocks of all shapes and sizes and geologic backgrounds.
Below are some images from our 6 field trips.
Peanut butter and graham crackers to model plate tectonics.
On the days that we are not on field trips and working on understanding those big concepts, we do so by playing games, singing songs (We Will Rock You!), telling stories, doing activities like measuring and making, drawing, and writing. We have designed some really fantastic games for the kids to understand the planets and plate tectonics. Of course, plate tectonics is best explained through graham crackers and peanut butter (you could use cream cheese or frosting if you have allergies). The kids asked if we could do that activity every day! And I must admit, I think that’s a pretty good idea as I fondly recall that in 1st grade, my entire class was served milk and graham crackers everyday before our morning nap. Side note: The cinnamon graham crackers are surprisingly delicious with peanut butter.
In addition to our usual learning of math and language arts through our nature topic (geology), this year, to accommodate 41 students, we have expanded our staff and broadened our range of subjects. This year, Gladiz is teaching Spanish and Geology through cooking. Yep, that’s right… she simultaneously teaches geology, Spanish, and cooking. How? You may be wondering… Well, let me share one example. When we studied the solar system, the kids learned the planets and the names of several fruits in Spanish by modeling a solar system made of fruits. Then they documented their learning by writing and drawing it on their main lesson paper. As we continue into spring, Gladiz will teach about the elements and foods. For example, when we explore calcium and learn which rocks it is found in (such as limestone), the kids will also discover which foods are rich in calcium.
Our fourth main subject is California Geography and History. As part of that class, Miss September reads aloud The Arctic Star by Scott O’Dell and the students are making a relief map of CA. It is almost done…
That’s just a glimpse of what we’ve been doing since September. If you want to see more of what we’ve been up to, visit our Instagram. Our lovely and new employee Kelsey posts regularly there.
Nature Based Musings
As part of our geology studies and in my language arts class, my middle school class is reading Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. I was initially hesitant to assign this book, as it was written in 1864 and, as such, much of it is no longer scientifically accurate. But after I reading it last summer and researching the scientific theories of time when it was written, I became intrigued with it and realized all what this book could teach my students who are in the midst of their 12-Year-Old Change (some refer to it as a 12-Year-Old Crisis). For those of you who have not read it or have only seen one or more of the four movies made about it, let me tell you a bit about it.
It is a story about Professor Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel, and their hired guide Hans descending into a dormant volcano to discover the what lies beneath the Earth’s surface. At the time of its writing, the “hollow Earth” theory was commonly believed. It posits that the Earth is made of a series of concentric spheres (like stacking Russian dolls). Later theories of the Earth included that the Earth had a hole through its center, going from the North Pole to the South Pole and that all the oceans went through that hole and circled the Earth in that manner. Although current science dispels these theories, understanding that science and its “truths” are constantly evolving as we learn more every day is valuable for students in the midst of the 12 year change. Two more examples of how Earth science evolved include: plate tectonics was only widely accepted 60 years ago (that is such a short time ago considering the Earth is 4.54 billion years old) and until only about 200 years ago, it was commonly believed the Earth was only 6000 years old. Now, I feel it is important to recognize that there are many who still believe the Earth is 6000 years old, that the Earth is flat, and that our Earth does have a hole from the North Pole to the South Pole. More about the hollow Earth theories can be found here: http://www.t0.or.at/subrise/hollow.htm
And so why is this fitting for a 12-year-old? The 12-year-old is experiencing a renewed sense of will. Just as kids go through an emergence of will at 3 years, 6 years, and 9 years, they also experience it at 12 years. And what makes this 12-year change a “crisis” to some is that in addition to this emergence of will, they are also experiencing hormonal changes! And so all this “change” manifests as a questioning of the adults around them, a desire for more freedom and choice in they spend their time, and valuing peers more than the adults in their lives. This shift also aligns with their newfound ability to observe and reason.
The Journey to the Center of the Earth supports the 12 year old through this time by mirroring their challenges. Axel, Prof. Lidenbrock, and Hans, are experiencing the “unknown”, just like the students. The story is also a coming of age tale for Axel. Although Axel is loyal to his uncle, he questions his uncle’s judgment and decisions regularly, as does a 12-year-old to his or her parents (and teachers). Axel is also very prone to anxiety, mirroring how 12-year-olds feel anxious about: their changing bodies, their awareness of the imperfections in the adults in their lives, and the world around them. Through the journey, Axel grows and becomes more resilient and confident, and by the end he is ready to marry (showing he has become an adult by the standards of 1864). The 12 year old intuits that if Axel made it through and came out stronger, they too can. Seeing how the past theories of the Earth were “wrong,” yet there are so many things that are still accepted as “fact” in the book helps the twelve-year-olds grapple with the faults they see in the adults (and the world) around them as they question ‘how could my adults be “right” when they are so human?’.
And so it is through reading this book that it supports the middle schooler work through the 12-year-old change in a soft, indirect way that speaks to their soul. Learning through stories is one of the foundations of learning for Waldorf schools and us too… and is one of the reasons we write most of the stories we tell to our students, and stories are the main way we convey our lesson materials. Stories at Ohmapi act as lectures do for young adults in universities. More about the 12-year change: https://www.waldorfpublications.org/blogs/book-news/the-truth-about-age-twelve
That is a nice segue to share…
Our very own Stacey will be a part of a worldwide storytelling event hosted by Sparkle Stories, A 24-hour Global Story of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. It takes place on Dec. 1. Stacey’s segment will be at 7 p.m. PST. Storytellers from the 24 time zones in the world will contribute 5–15 minutes of to the story. All the segments will be compiled and shared as a whole in a 2 to 4 hour story! Link to find our more: https://www.davidsewellmccann.com/24-hour-global-story-cycle
Quiz Time!
Rocks rocks on our Earth have seen a lot. Some have been around for 4 billion years. Do you know your rocks? Match the rock with its name.
Options are:
Andesite
Quartz
Basalt
Halite (Salt)
Diorite
Gneiss
answer: Andesite:1, Quartz:3, Basalt:6, Halite (Salt):4, Diorite:5, Gneiss:3
Riddle
A mountain chain beneath the sea,
Where newborn crust is set free.
I push two worlds both left and right,
Yet hide my spine from surface sight.
A watery rift where oceans grow.
Name me now, if you know.
What am I?
(Answer: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge)
What’s coming up?
Well, for starters… let’s talk about the evolution of Ohmapi. I started Ohmapi (formerly Camino de Santiago Nature School) 12 years ago. For most of those 12 years, I have wrote the curriculum. In writing the curriculum, I do not re-invent the wheel. Rather, the curriculum it is an assemblage of original Ohmapi lessons and stories combined with a curated assortment of tried-and-true activities, songs, etc... For example, I rely heavily on Waldorf theory of child development phases as well as lesson style (stories, main lesson pages, movement, song, etc..) in creating our curriculum. I weave the Waldorf approach into our Nature Topic of the year. From there, I write most of my own stories, weaving facts and fiction into stories that not only entertain but also teach both science and pedagogy. Next, I find or create activities, games, and songs that support the lesson. And so, after doing this for nearly 12 years, I have compiled our Ohmapi lessons into an easy to use format so that others can learn through nature while in nature wherever they live. Currently, I have the first grade curriculum titled Fur, Feathers, Skin and Scales. It features 8 animals over the course of 32 weeks of lessons. It guides parents in teaching language arts, science, and making/handwork/art. As you might imagine, it is designed to be “done” outside, and it is very Waldorf without worksheets or online activities. It will walk you through what and how to teach your child outdoors, 4 hours per day, 3–5 days per week. More at: https://www.theohmapistore.com/store/p/first-grade-curriculum-fur-feathers-skin-scales
Additionally, I have 4 making kits. Think Kiwi Co meets Ancestral Skills meets Ohmapi. Each of the kits begins with a story… ah yes, the story! Most DIY-style “kits” for kids do not include a story. But as mentioned above, stories speak to the hearts of kids. They inspire them. After the story, the kids will likely say, “I wanna do that!” And well, lucky them, because the Making Kits also include everything you need to “do that.” Now I say “everything,” yet in some kits you will need to supply things like water or a pot, etc… but I tried to include everything as much as reasonably possible. And so after the story, your kiddo gets to “make” it, and then as a follow-up, there is an activity or lesson for your child so the learning really sinks in. Currently, there is a Wax Tablet Kit, a Gourd Bowl Making Kit, a Berry Ink Making Kit, and a Gall Ink Making Kit. Kits are $43.50 and include shipping. Hint…there is a price break if you order more than one because I can ship them in the same box. So, after the first kit, each additional kit is $28. Plus, I have a Holiday Bundle offering until the end of the November 2025: 4 kits for $100!
I will be announcing something special in my next newsletter/blog for December. It is based on my favorite number, number 12! Lots of magic in 12. But, I’ll save all of that for another time. For this newsletter, we have had plenty of talk about 12 as in the12-year change.
Wishing you a wonderful Turkey Day…. oops wait, that reminds me, check out this fantastic podcast about Gratitude. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smologies-with-alie-ward/id1746567248?i=1000737559486