The lesson began in the realm of science, an introduction to the diversity of living things and the life’s work of Carolus Linneaus:
We discussed and explore how he created a system to organize organisms by their physical similarities beginning with the 5 Kingdoms (Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, & Monera) and honing in on animals. We crept a bit further and explored the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates:
Here, since our goal was to understand the science of being an abalone, we veered toward invertebrates, to mollusks, to a specific type of mollusk called a gastropod, and so on to the genus and species for the specific abalone we were observing:
Our guest Mentor, Sara then told a story of visiting an abalone farm, how the animals grow and are harvested and how it was that she was able to gather shells for us to explore:
Then with journals in hand, our apprentices took all of the information gleaned and were set writing.
Yes, writing, “Now craft an imaginary story about an abalone from the point of view of the abalone. Personify the creature, help us to really know the world the abalone is from in a creative way.”
I can’t wait to share these stories with you in this year’s edition of Reveal!