This week marks our fifth Solo Spots session. For any who are not familiar, “solo spots” is a time for our class to get outside, and journal while in nature. It is a prime opportunity for students to create a personal sense of place in nature, while also working on observations and reflective writing.
This year, our spot is the Horseshoe of Lake Leopold. Every Tuesday (weather permitting) we take our nature bags and journal by the lake. Journaling alternates between prompted and free-writing sessions. Students are also encouraged to draw observations, make maps, etc.
Solo Spot journals were collected for the first time last week. Grades are now in Powerschool, and journals have been returned. Every student received a post-it in their journal with their grade; I included notes on areas I suggest they improve upon. This can be used as a resource; notes on how students can raise their score in the future. Here is a copy of the rubric used for grading.