Leaf Assembly

The "Leaf Assembly" activity is designed for children aged 8–10 and aims to address the relationship between nature and humans in a democratic way. In this activity, children will be the voice of nature and discuss laws related to its rights. Through this fun and educational activity, children will gain environmental awareness and understand the importance of protecting nature.

Purpose of the Activity:

leaf Increase children’s awareness of nature and the environment.

leaf Help them understand that different elements of nature have the right to live.

leaf Support their understanding of the importance of laws that protect nature.

leaf Develop empathy in children.

leaf Help them learn about democratic processes and decision-making mechanisms.

leaf Encourage them to discover the joy of loving nature and spending time outdoors.

First the Story

Tako and Ruka were visiting their grandfather’s village for the summer holidays. Their grandfather was telling them an old story. This story was about how nature also has a voice and the importance of communicating with it. In the days that followed, Tako and Ruka were very inspired by the story and decided to find a way to talk to nature.

Hey, Ruka! Do you remember our grandpa’s story? We should find a way to talk to nature.

Talk to nature? What do you mean, Tako? Are we going to talk to the trees?

No, Ruka. Talking to nature means trying to understand how it feels. It means making a connection with it.

Ah, so we’re going to think about how nature feels? But how will we do that?

Hmm, maybe we can do an activity. I’ve heard of a game called the Leaf Assembly. Each of us represents an element of nature and speaks on its behalf.

Wow! That sounds so fun! Can I represent a bird? I’d like to land on the heads of people who litter and scare them!

Hahaha, Ruka. You can represent any element of nature you want, but no scaring people! The goal is to understand nature’s feelings and think about what we can do to protect it.

Got it, Tako. Now I’m really excited! Shall we start right away?

Materials

Toprak Doğal Malzemeler

Activity

The first step of this activity is for children to choose a leaf from nature. However, it is important not to pick leaves from living trees. We can use fallen leaves instead. This teaches children the importance of not harming nature. These leaves symbolize the natural elements that the children will represent.

Next, the children accept their chosen leaves as the natural element they represent and start speaking on its behalf. For example: “I am a pine tree. When people cut me down, I feel…” or “I am a river, when plastic is thrown into me…” This helps children better understand the relationship between nature and humans.

In the next step, the “Leaf Assembly” gathers around a table. Each child, on behalf of the natural element they represent, proposes a law to protect nature. The proposed laws are voted on, and the top three most accepted nature laws are written on a large banner. This banner is carried during a later nature walk. This activity encourages children’s participation in democratic processes and strengthens their connection with nature.

Attention!

Children should always be under the supervision of an adult during the activity. They should know when and how to ask for help.

Since various plants and leaves will be handled during the activity, caution should be taken against allergic reactions. Unknown plants and leaves should be avoided.

During the leaf collection activity, care should be taken not to pick leaves from living trees. This can harm the trees and disrupt the natural life cycle.

After collecting leaves, personal hygiene rules such as hand washing should be observed. Some leaves found in nature may carry harmful bacteria or microorganisms.

During the activity, it is important to collect any trash or waste found in nature and dispose of it in a trash bin to maintain environmental cleanliness. However, be careful with sharp or dangerous waste and seek adult assistance when needed.

Evaluation Questions

leaf Which element of nature did you represent in the activity? How did it feel to speak on its behalf?

leaf What law did you propose to protect nature? Why did you think of such a law?

leaf Why do you think it is important not to pick leaves from a living tree?

leaf Which law proposed by another friend in the Leaf Assembly caught your attention? Why?

leaf What did this activity make you think about the relationship between nature and humans?

leaf If all the elements of nature could speak, what do you think they would want to tell us the most?

leaf Which of the three nature laws written at the end of the activity do you think was the most important? Why?

leaf After the Leaf Assembly activity, did your perspective on nature change? Can you explain?