Second Graders Explore Nature on Namsan

By Lauren Ayala, Second Grade Teacher

On November 18, second grade students embarked on a field trip to Namsan, following the completion of their second language arts unit, Nature’s Wonders. The outing allowed students to find the patterns in nature they had studied in the classroom, immersing themselves in the outdoors to discover firsthand how growth and movement appear in the natural world.

The field trip was designed as a scavenger hunt where students searched for examples of both growth and movement patterns, as well as visual patterns, throughout the park. Armed with a list of clues, students were tasked with finding various natural phenomena that demonstrated these patterns.

One of the most popular items on their scavenger hunt list was identifying growth patterns, such as spotting young plants (like saplings or sprouts) that showed signs of regeneration. The students also had to find tree rings on stumps, observe the design of spider webs, and search for signs of animal movement like tracks in the dirt.

The adventure continued as the students looked for visual patterns in nature. They admired the symmetry of leaves and flowers, found spirals in pinecones, and observed the beautiful stripes and spots on insects. Students even spotted natural fractals in the branching structure of trees and veins of leaves.

The final item on the scavenger hunt was a wave or ripple pattern—something the students were able to observe in the water and sand around the park.

Throughout the day, the second graders were excited to share their discoveries and observations with one another. By combining lessons from their classroom with the real-world beauty of nature, the field trip helped deepen their understanding of how patterns play a role in the environment around us. This field trip not only provided a chance for hands-on learning but also inspired the students to observe the natural world around them with fresh eyes.