Lesson 1
What exactly is a mountain? What do we already know about them?

 

Every child receives a letter just before school begins. Among other things, this letter asks them to hunt for pictures of mountains and to bring in any they want to share. There are typically enough for a small handful per group.

Whole class - divided into groups of 4/5

Materials: a large sheet of paper, markers, and a handful of postcards, photos, and magazine pictures of mountains for each group.

Directions:
We’re going to find out what can you learn about mountains by looking at pictures.
For about 10 minutes, take turns writing down what you see. When I say “switch”, start another list of things you wonder about mountains and can’t tell from your pictures.

Group time:
Share what you noticed.
Can we come up with a definition?
What do we wonder?

Concepts I expect (and if I don't hear them, will elicit, or introduce)
relative size – it will be very hard to agree on when a hill becomes a mountain
collection - the idea of mountain chains, or ranges
origin – earth folding, volcanoes

Vocabulary I expect (will elicit, or introduce)
Rock, stone, hill, steep, high, higher, highest, valley, peak, summit….