3.1 Definition of the area

A classroom-like gathering place in the outdoors, where you can find the opportunity to grow outdoors, in green boxes and in greenhouses. You can fill the garden or a greenhouse with aromatic herbs, flowers, vegetables, evergreen trees and deciduous trees. The cultivation opportunities on the farm can be arranged for a learning purpose to increase knowledge about cultivation, composting and cycles. The site creates opportunities to follow seasonal changes and to follow the life cycle of plants from sowing to harvest. Develop the senses trough taste, smell, feeling, sight and hearing. The doctrine of insects and wildlife and their interaction with the nature will increase the child´s interest in nature, vegetation, and animals, through the encounter, contact and continuous and constant exploration.

Increase observation skills and stimulate curiosity and induce a careful and respectful attitude towards the natural world. Recognize and enhance the geometry of places: aesthetic idea and idea of order through the creation of vegetable gardens, flower beds or other areas characterized by natural elements.

3.2 Learning Objectives

1. LEARNING NATURE AND PLANTS (NATURAL SCIENCES):
   Increase children's knowledge of nature, plants, animals, and scientific phenomena through an exploratory approach. Follow seasonal changes in nature.
2. LEARNING ABOUT CARE FOR NATURE (SOIL, SEEDS, CROPS) AND GREEN THINKING:
   Creates opportunities to get a feel for, and feel caring about nature and the world we live in. Increase understanding of one's own imprint in the envi-ronment and how one's own actions affect the environment and surround-ings.
3. TEAMWORK:
   Experience nature with all their senses. To feel part of nature and develop re-sponsibility towards it. To achieve well-being, inner peace and freedom.
4. GET CONNECTED TO NATURE:
   Get close and get a sense of nature and the environment. Follow the season through cultivation and harvest.
5. LEARNING ABOUT SENSES AND PERCEPTIONS:
   Explore nature through our five senses, sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Practice sorting impressions and have the peace of mind to process experiences

3.3 Curriculum References

Italy

• File: http://www.indicazioninazionali.it/2018/08/26/indicazioni-2012

• Reference: p.28

• Content: By exploring objects, materials, and symbols, observing the life of plants and animals, children develop personal ideas to compare with those of classmates and teachers. The children elaborate the first physical organization of the external world through concrete activities that bring their attention to the different aspects of reality, the characteristics of light and shadows, the effects of heat.

Cyprus

• File: https://drive.google.com/open?id=14OtOhNRGRDXNMIHe6HBrdl2o9QyWmuMS

• Reference: p.28

  Subject: Science

  Milestone 1: Development of scientific skills Aim - Children to collect data and make observations (observe of elements in the environment, observe changes over time)

  Milestone 2: Development of attitudes Aims: - Children to develop a positive attitude towards nature (to respect, express interest and care about the greater environment and nature, as well as contribute towards its protection and preservation) - Children to be aware (and sensitive) towards the need of proper care of living organisms.

  Milestone 3: Gaining experiences - Aim: - Children to acquire a variety of different experiences through their interaction with objects and the greater environment and phenomena.

• Content:

  Keystone 1: p. 59

  The key recommended practices offered are the following:

  1. The provision of exploring opportunities of specific subjects (e.g. musical instruments, balls etc.), the creation of a collection (e.g. leaves collection that we gather from the school yard)
  2. The children to tidy up cooking utensils in baskets, to tidy up furniture of the doll house etc.
  3. Creation of a spatial diagram or illustration (younger children) or a histogram (older children) based on the selection of specific objects or situations (e.g. fruit or toy I like)

Latvia

• File: http://likumi.lv/ta/id/303371-noteikumi-par-valsts-pirmsskolas-izglitibas-vadlinijam-un-pirmsskolas-izglitibas-programmu-paraugiem

• Reference:
  Keystone 3.4, page 1 - Tasks of implementing pre-school education content;
  Keystone 10.4, page 3 - At the end of pre-school education, the child has acquired the following basics of skills, which include values and virtues, transversal skills and knowledge, understanding and basic skills

• Content: Study the characteristics of rock, water and plants, plants, animals and fungi characteristic to the surroundings by comparing and experimenting, child understands the need to protect nature and its resources, engages in clean-up activities in the immediate area.

Sweden

• File: https://www.skolverket.se/publikationsserier/styrdokument/2019/curriculum-for-the-preschool-lpfo-18?id=4049

• Reference:p. 14 to p. 15.

• Content:

  The preschool should give every child the conditions to develop:

  p.14

  Education in preschool should contribute to children developing an understanding of themselves and their environment.

  P.15

  • an understanding of relationships in nature and different cycles in nature, and how
  • people, nature, and society affect each other,
  • an understanding of how different choices people make in everyday life can contribute to sustainable development.
  • an understanding of natural sciences, knowledge of plants and animals, and simple chemical process and physical phenomena.
  • an ability to explore, describe with different forms of expression, ask questions and discuss science and technology;