This is part of our Lesson Plan Focus series. To download samples of the planning materials that come included in the ClassVR Subscription, see </school-curriculum-content-subjects/sample-lesson-plans/>
It goes without saying that real experience in the outdoors is absolutely essential to give children first-hand knowledge about the cycles of nature. The virtual world is no replacement for getting out there and touching the falling leaves or smelling the flowers of spring. Where 360 images come into their own is when they give young students the opportunity to see landscapes changing with the seasons as quickly as clicking a button; giving them a tangible, immersive way to recall their own memories of the winter time, even in the height of summer.
That’s why we’ve created a cross-curricular lesson plan themed around seasonal changes, designed for younger children (aged 5 to 7 years), that uses ClassVR content to transport students through the seasons (and around the world – particularly relevant if you teach in an area with less obvious cyclical changes).
Your students can look all around a range of landscapes across the four seasons – and as they do, you can direct their attention to points of particular interest: the bluebells just starting to grow on the forest floor; the field of tall, blooming sunflowers; one tree that has leaves darker and redder than the rest; deep footprints in the fresh snow.
While your students are immersed in a season, they can describe the scene to a partner – and just listen to the range of vocabulary they draw upon, in comparison to when they recall a scene from their mind’s eye. After the session, draw upon this enthusiasm and extend learning with one of our teaching ideas that span across subjects as diverse as Art, Geography, English Language, Physical Education and Music.
If you’re already a ClassVR customer, all these ideas can be found in our Through the Seasons Lesson Plan. Just take a look at your subscription in the Admin area of the ClassVR portal to download these plans in PDF format.