1. The following pages outline some of the different ways that the natural world can inspire literacy. It also includes examples of work by visiting school groups and teachers on training days at Chelsea Physic Garden. “Literacy” refers to the ability to read and write, to understand and use language proficiently. The “Landscape” can be defined as one’s environment; human-built, perfectly natural and whatever lies between. The first page shows an overview of this subject, the others aim to expand upon it. Michael Holland - Chelsea Physic Garden, U.K. Literacy in the Landscape

2. Non-fiction Nature diary* Reportage style * Fiction Myth Legend Story* Poetry* Uses of different word types* Picture a word* Structured Free Historical and (ethno)botanical stories Other Here are some of the different strands of literacy. Many of them have links to other curriculum areas such as History, Geography, Art, Music, Design and Technology, Science and Numeracy. Those marked * are elaborated upon in the following pages. Literacy in the Landscape links

3. Developing observational skills Links to numeracy Using different styles of language History link Provides data for further studies Awareness of seasons and other processes Developing an appreciation of the natural world and its diversity Use of local green spaces Nature diaries can be a simple written record of events; or perhaps more complex with illustrations, audio and even video entries to document natural phenomena. Important information includes: location, date, time, weather, the event itself and any other comments. Examples of diary ideas: Bird table observation, Metamorphosis, seed germination and subsequent growth, seasonal changes, astronomical and meteorological events. Art & ICTGeographyCitizenship Different presentation styles Science Nature diaries

4. Haiku - A 3 line Japanese poem; Numbers of syllables in each line are 5,7,5 = a total of 17 syllables. Acrostic - where either the first letters or last letters of each line spell out a word. Freeform -these are poems without any particular constraints. Here are some types of poems which can be useful when expressing aspects of the natural world. More examples can be found elsewhere in this display. T R E E S T all plants, R eaching to the sky, E ver changing, E ach one different - S hading us below. Literacy is:- Expressing “it” into words, In some sort of way. Spreading up and out, Casting shade onto the ground - Leaves rustling in wind. Before he went to school he could read the bark of trees, leaf veins, sea shell convolutions, footprints, and the touch of fingers; now he goes to school, and he can only read words. Jennifer Farley Rhymes - examples are not needed if your garden is well weeded. Poetry inspired by nature

5. Nouns: Different regional names for the same plant; meanings of Latin names; parts of a plant, place names and their origins; habitat names; names of colours. Adjectives: A long, green, spiny, shiny, thick, weathered, fragrant, medicinal, mottled, asymmetrical, narrow, old leaf. Similes: As tall as a tree; As rough as bark; as light as a feather, as fragile as a seedling. Verbs: growing, flowering, gardening, photosynthesising, germinating, adapting, climbing, evolving, raining, sprouting. Alliteration - the complex creeper carefully climbs across crevices and cracks; small Saussurea seedlings slowly sprout sideways, seeking solstice sunshine. Of course, these are just some examples. Synonyms: Wet-damp-dank- sodden-soggy-waterlogged-humid- soaking… Spiky-barbed-bristly-thorny-spiny- brambly… Different word types

6. THE DAILY SUNSHINE FLY SLIPS TO STICKY DEATH IN NASTY NECTAR MIX UP Picture of the Pitcher of doom Issue 1, Tuesday 1st October 2002 “ One minute she was there, the next she had gone”, explained a distraught Ben Blowfly -friend of the deceased - yesterday at the scene of the sad event on a London kitchen windowsill. “These pitcher plants are a menace to us all; we hope to stamp out these pernicious pests”, exclaimed Officer Grub of Ants Hill Accident Prevention Station. Experts believe that these insectivorous plants are By Sarracenia Spider responsible for as many as 400,000,000 missing invertebrates worldwide annually. It is thought that the plants (of which there are many types, mostly growing in damp places) lure our fellow insects by offering stupefying, narcotic nectar, causing them to lose their footing on the already slippery sides of these specially adapted leaves. Turn to page 2, col. 3

7. Reading from books Written about special places and journeys in the garden Based upon historical events, e.g plant hunters, voyages Based upon objects collected around the garden Differentiate between story, legend and myth Incorporate as many words from your nature word bank into your stories as possible Adapt existing stories Stories are a wonderful way of bringing any subject to life. They tap into our imaginations and entwine the different strands of Literacy, whether we are readers or the writers Stories

8. Paper cones Books Pictures Word line/word bank Film Audio Trails Verbally Computer/ web pages Other Ways of presenting Literacy work

9. Picture a word F O O D W E B This is a useful visual way of writing words and terms associated with nature.