Grade 6 students kick-start summer with Eco Week: Week Within Walls

A lesson on different kinds of ecosystems.

When we are not impacted by a pandemic, Linden kicks off the school year with Week Without Walls, a series of field trips and events where learning takes place outside of the classroom, and also affords an opportunity for students and teachers to build friendships and trust as they get to know one another.

To close the school year for the elementary grades, Savannah Barker’s Grade 6 class put together Week Within Walls, a series of activities and workshops that centred around the environment, empowering Linden students to be agents of change in sustainable living and local environmental justice. Students from each elementary grade were given the opportunity to step into a leadership role.

To open, Grade 6 students Rory and Izzy led the group in making cards for Mother Nature. Afterwards their classmate Téa helped instruct the group in making a DIY birdfeeder, while Zoey, Sophie, and Andrea mixed up some summer drinks. Later on Olivia, Allison, and Harriet guided an arts and crafts session using materials from nature.

On Tuesday, Grade 5 students Bella, Niamh, and Olivia hosted a Jeopardy-style game of “Do you know where your products are from?” which sparked interesting and informative conversations about the importance of sustainable living and ethical consumption.

Participants showing off their Life Photography drawings.

The following day, Rory and Sophie (Grade 6) helped their younger schoolmates put together unique flower crowns just in time to go for a Virtual Sock Walk with Katherine. Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, the group learned about all the ways animals camouflage themselves in nature. Then to put their knowledge to the test, everyone played a virtual game of Camouflage. In this game of Hide-and-Seek with a twist, the hiders have to disguise themselves in their Zoom screens for the seeker to try to find.

Going into Thursday’s sessions, Alina (Grade 6) guided the whole group in creating recycling awareness posters to remind everyone about the Three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle). Leila (Grade 6) gave extensive and thorough explainers on how to best survive in the wilderness. Afterwards, the whole gang started preparing for Camping at Home Night. Campers set up in their backyards, on balconies, or in their living rooms with sleeping bags and pillows to enjoy an evening of Virtual Campfire, including some classic campfire songs led by Linden teacher Ellen Fowler.

Early Learner Vienna presents a trivia question to the players.

Linden’s elementary students then ended their last day of school with the final Week Without Walls festivities. We began with a Cooking Without Waste hosted by Laura (Grade 6). Then, we circled back to Monday’s activities and finished up any work that needed to be done on the birdhouses while also making up some more summer drinks. The final session was hosted by Grade 6 classmates Alina and Sophie in a Life Photography and Drawing class. Then, in a memorable closing to the year, Grade 3-4 teacher Rebecca Fisher performed a ukulele rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

After a year of Outdoor Learning and Outdoor Education, Eco Week seemed like a perfect way to wind up the 2020-2021 school year. Thank you to all of the teachers who helped put it together and to the students who took their leadership roles to the next level. We hope it will be safe to hold a traditional Week Without Walls in the new school year!