STICKS!
Stanley’s Stick by John Hegley follows Stanley’s adventure with his very versatile and very fun stick! There are no limitations to Stanley’s imagination of what his stick can become!
When I read this book, I instantly thought of my time spent in the woods, where a stick could become…
Stanley pretends his stick is a whistle…but by using some science knowledge I actually made my stick into a whistle! Slicing a straight stick in half, carving a small dent and tightly placing a thin leaf in the space between meant that it made a squeaking sound when I blew! This is because the leaf vibrates against the wood, causing the air to vibrate and sound waves to travel to our ears!
Stanley uses his stick to write his own language in the sand…but I actually used sticks to crack the code of a secret language! We found out what words were on each of our sticks, before joining them up to reveal the next instruction on our quest!
Stanley pretends his stick is a Stickosaurus Dinosaur…but I actually used sticks to make a nest for a dragon’s egg! We thought about the science of what would make the best nest, considering heat conservation, camouflage and protection from predators!
Stanley’s Stick is an excellent book to read in Forest School, prompting even more ideas of how to imaginatively use the resources in the woods! Sticks provide endless opportunities to explore cross-curricular concepts, including science!
References
BBC Teach. (No Date) Music/ Science KS2: How woodwind instruments make sound
Danks, F. and Schofield, J. (2012) The Stick Book: Loads of things you can make or do with a stick
Hegley, J. (2011) Stanley’s Stick