Over the last 10 years we have seen a steady decline in environmental literacy with our visiting students. Today very few students can identify a wattle or a banksia. This coincides with a major English junior dictionary removing nature words to make room for technology focused vocabulary.
In response to this decline in the use of nature words, the Wild Words lesson sequence was developed to connect students to nature through poetry. Using tier 2 vocabulary, students research their own nature word and create an entry for a shared class book of nature poetry. This initiative aims to preserve these ‘wild words’ for future generations, ensuring that the natural world remains a vibrant part of student’s learning.
