Field Notes

Explorers explore. Scientists unlock treasure by practicing + exercising their powers of observation. Adventurers immemorial tracked their thoughts + observations—in song, dance, in field notebooks. 

We are on an adventure + we can unlock treasure with the key of curiosity. Our Field Notes can fit in our pockets or in our satchels. We always carry them with us so that we can note curiosities, challenges + ideas. Patterns, questions, things that sparkle in the starlight—we awaken + ignite our spirits, our intellect + we engage with the treasure all around + throughout us. 

Think back over the last few hours—touch your temple if you encountered an unfamiliar word? A pattern? Did anyone observe a kindness or someone leaving something better than they found it? Let's chart some examples, both real + imagined. <chart, examine, discuss>

So let's practice together—<choose two students based on an observed superpower (thoughtful listening, helpful feedback, etc.) to come to the front of the room and role play an example>. Do we have another tool in our classroom in which we might share that example? Yes! The C3 Chest always welcomes your curiosities, challenges + celebrations! I imagine it will commonly occur that we'll note things in our Field Notes to later remember + share in our C3 Chest. 

Field Notes are jotted thoughts + sketches—this is a place for quick scribblings to build with later. We don't worry about polished grammar or spelling here—we focus on documenting ideas + observations for later exploration. 

Casual writing

Say you see a friend helping another friend or you are really excited about some aspect of learning today or tomorrow—make a quick note, and you can expound on it later if you'd like. Or say you heard a word that sparked your curiosity, but you didn't have time to explore it then—this is perfect for your Field Notes—don't stress about spelling, we'll sort that out when it becomes important.

<Graph students who saw something worth celebrating, curiosities and other things that students might want to note>

Throughout the year, we'll review and share with these tools, and at the end of the year, we'll transform our Field Notes into Field Guides and share some of the highlights of our learning for our Portfolio Scrapbooks, ourselves, each other and future generations. In preparation for this and celebration of our learning, we will review our notebooks weekly and monthly and highlight, note and weave together learning patterns we see developing.

<Share a few examples. For instance, I have uncovered my own love for all things sight and lens and light related, treasure, curiosity, wonderstanding, explorers, etc. These common themes interweave and reinforce my learning and channel it through stronger storytelling focus, enabling me to both see more clearly and enriching and focusing the story that I find myself hungry to share.>

I've added various examples of field notes and guides throughout the classroom, so keep your eyes peeled during centers and independent study periods, and if you feel inspired by any of them, please make a note and expound on those ideas during Writing Workshop! 

<model/demo>

For now, I want to give you all 5-15 minutes of quiet to explore and experiment with your Field Notes. You can write an introductory note to your Field Guide and your future self at your desk exploring curiosities and goals for the year. You can celebrate something you're grateful for or excited or anxious about. You might explore a random word you find in the dictionary or one you've recently heard or discovered. You can might a book deliberately or at random from our Idea Agriculture section, or you can select a meme or poster from any of our four learning corners and write about the thoughts that it brings to mind for you. The idea here is to break it in, to introduce yourself to your Future Self via your Field Notes and to get the ball rolling.

<10-15 minutes to introduce themselves and get a feel for their new tools>