‘What gifts does autumn bring? What is the name of the lady who comes to us bearing gifts?’ – these were the questions that pupils in one of our classes set out to answer during lessons on the theme of ‘Autumn Inspirations’.
The children listened to poems and explored autumn fruit, leaves and flowers through touch, taste and smell, taking enormous joy in it. Apples, blackberries and pumpkins appeared on the tables, and the pupils posed for photos in hats decorated with flowers and in garlands of autumn leaves.
Lady Autumn (Pani Jesień) – for she is the answer to the riddle – has long been a guest in Polish poems and songs for children, usually imagined as a figure in a colourful dress of leaves, carrying a basket full of fruit. Exploring the world with several senses at once helps the youngest children remember new words: the name of a fruit is easier to recall when you remember its smell, taste and texture. For children who use two languages every day, this is a particularly valuable way of learning.
The icing on the cake of these lessons, made possible by the kindness of the teachers from class B, was a visit from three tortoises. The pupils were able to look at them up close and even hold them. One of the tortoises also went for a walk across the classroom floor.
More photos from the autumn lessons and the meeting with the tortoises can be seen in the gallery.
