An Exploration of the Four Elements

This is a classic Waldorf First Grade block. Usually, it is a Science block. We are actually exploring it more briefly, as a topic to transition into the Archetypal Professions. There is much more that could be done using a Science slant as opposed to a Cultural slant. I would love to hear other suggestions for each of these Elements! It would be a fun Summer Camp...

Monday, January 6 - Water

• read Flood by Mary Calhoun
• discuss Water as a creative force and a destructive force
• do Ice Cube Race, 2 trials, 5 minutes

Tuesday, January 7 - Earth

• recall Water, read It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw
• do The Great Backwards Ice Cube Melting Race, 2 trials, 10 minutes
• add Water to MLB
• read And the Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson
• discuss Earth as a creative force and a destructive force
• work with and explore clay

Thursday, January 9 - Air

• recall Earth, read excerpt from Morning Altars by Day Schildkret
  "The Seven Movements for a Morning Altars Practice," pp.16-17
  "Being a Guest," p.56
• work collaboratively to make altars in the yard
• look at a Native American obsidian arrowhead
• add Earth to MLB
• examine Air by doing Air Pressure Demonstrations
  "Water Glass Trick"
  "Ping-Pong Funnel"
  "Kissing Balloons"
  "Fountain Bottle" (the straw needs to go in the water)
  "The Million Dollar Bet"

Friday, January 10 - Fire

• read What Color is the Wind? by Anne Herbauts
• discuss Air as a creative force and a destructive force
• recall Air experiments, do Three-Hole Bottle Experiment
• read Mirette on the High Wire
• add Air to MLB
• make Stone Soup:
  chicken broth, potato, celery, beet, tomato, green bean, lima bean
• read The Burning Mountain by Anico Surany
• discuss Fire as a creative force and a destructive force

Reflections from June 2020:
The next time I teach this topic, I will give it an entire main lesson block and I will give a full block to the Archetypal Professions as well. They each deserve plenty of time! Also, I had scheduled someone to come in on our Fire day and show the class how to light a fire with two sticks. He had to cancel, sadly. But that's something I'm really committed to doing next time!

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