Schools Tree Day - The Nature of Mindfulness - 15 minutes

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 7 & 8 Health and Physical Education:

• Plan and use health practices, behaviours and resources to enhance the health, safety and well being of their communities (ACPPS077).
• Plan and implement strategies for connecting to natural and built environments to promote the health and well being of their communities (ACPPS078).

Year 9 & 10 Health and Physical Education:

• Plan and evaluate new and creative interventions that promote their own and others’ connection to community and natural and built environments (ACPPS097).

Syllabus Outcomes: PDHPE4.6, PDHPE4.7, PDHPE4.8, PDHPE4.9, PDHPE4.14, PDHPE5.9, PDHPE5.14.

Time required: 15 minutes for each activity.

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – lead students in mindfulness activities.

Materials needed for making States of Mind Bottles:

• Empty, clean plastic 1–1.5 litre bottles (spring/mineral water/soft drink). Students can work in groups of 3–5; each group will need one bottle.
• Source a range of soils, sands, mulch from outside.
• Source funnels to feed materials into bottles, or simply use a sheet of curled paper as a funneling device.

Following this lesson is an ideal way for students to participate in Planet Ark’s Schools Tree Day – the largest nature-care event in Australian schools. You and your students will join thousands of amazing teachers in making a difference, fostering a child’s love of nature and creating positive environmental change. So, get growing! It only takes a minute to register for Schools Tree Day.