My plan in the lesson plan below is to help facilitate students developing a more conscious and deliberate interaction with

nature. I am presenting material which will provide for a diverse array of experience and interaction with nature so that the learner might consider natures many qualities. The qualities that I am specifically working on highlighting are seeing nature as miraculous - both because of its direct relationship to Hashem as well as its potential aid to the human experience. Furthermore I want students to see nature as a powerful and external force as well as something internal that we as humans are inherently connected to. Finally its important to see that nature is not just positive as many of our western liberal ideals suggest but also see the struggle that we as humans have had living in and struggling with surviving in nature. I begin by presenting my own experience with nature in order to both bring the conscious interactions of the directives but also to influence on a more subconscious level. I mean to accomplish this subconscious interaction by jump starting the students brain as we hear somebody elses narrative we immediately begin to consider how we interact with whatever is being presented. A secondary goal I am achieving is pushing students to consider the world around them in new ways that are unique to their skill set - if discovery is both a communal and individual pursuit I hope to help equip students with the necessary tools so that they might contribute to the communal journey and understanding. This guide carries a direct relationship to our course this summer in many ways. I feel there were several main factors which influenced me in terms of I create the experience of education which enabled me to both create this project as well as aid in future facilitation of more experiential education. Specifically what stuck with me was the need to present material from several different directions - meaning to engage the mind in several differing forms in effort to best spark deep thinking and processing. With this project I feel this meant engaging in different forms of activity - writing, reading, free expression, thinking in song, exploration and others. Other aspects of our class which I felt were reflected in this project was the use of subtle expression as a form of influence - by presenting my own experience I hoped to spark interest as well as present potential options for engagement with that which I was presenting - ie ones experience with nature. Due to the limitations of this being being a project printed in a packet I was hindered in that there are other potential ways I would engage the learner such as conversations and physical activities as well as dramatic reenactments but that would be part of a much larger curriculum. By using Jewish texts and including Jewish perspectives I felt I was channeling and pushing the student towards understanding nature within a Jewish paradigm. I have often felt that teaching and engaging with Jewish material has both its advantages and disadvantages. Many of us are immersed in the Jewish experience and our experience in a classroom or educational setting is often mirrored outside of class in the world which is of incredible benefit. That said the cannon of Jewish text can be limiting and confusing as well are rigid in its interpretations which can be a frustrating experience for students. It was my goal to push the envelop and work with a topic that in and of it self was not inherently Jewish but could be (and I hope I aided) looked at through a Jewish lens and understood through that lens but also extrapolated to be a part of a greater and potentially secular world.

Dearest Explorer, My strongest memories from childhood and exploration come from my experiences outside. It was in nature where I discovered my independence as well as the interconnectedness of everything which I interact with, my curiosity for those things I dont inherently understand and allowed myself to soak in my environs so that they might be slowly and most beneficially absorbed as opposed to forcibly digested. While my revelations were

guided by my own curiosity and independence - I was aided by the use of several guiding factors. It is my hope that this guide will provide a framework to facilitate positive experiences but at the same time leave room for creativity and spontaneity of experience as I consider those crucial to creating a personal and lasting relationship with the outdoors. By incorporating a spectrum of sources, directives, meditations and ideas for consideration I envision a well rounded and proactive experience. Its also important to understand that this guide presents the paradigm of how I view nature - and my ultimate goal is that you will define nature and what it means to you. You will see that what stands out in nature to me is its endless beauty how it is constantly a source for my own developing independence. While I am not alone in finding these important and central to the value of nature there are a great deal of other opinions and ideas all of which are completely legitimate. I am struck while writing this of the potential irony of creating a guide for that which is a personal discovery. Had I read this before encountering nature for the first time I would have glanced at it and discarded it. That said I would have most likely returned to it after discovering that vastness that is the natural world. It is my hope that you will find this useful - perhaps not immediately but in time as your relationship with nature grows and matures this can serve as a reference - something to return to and pull from in order to guide your own experiences. If the opposite should happen - that this guide becomes a more literal guide for your experience I hope youll also step away from the paper and explore the world around you as only you would. The only the way to truly experience anything is to experience it in the unique manner that fits into the paradigm of your unique world. For some of you this will be an inspiration to know that you are blazing your own trails. Others of you will disagree and in many ways rightfully so - the human experience of nature has produced many similar view points and experiences. Along those lines I hope youll appreciate the gravity of your explorations - as you encounter nature you are discovering something nobody else has and nobody will ever again. Your experience will be fully yours. Allow yourself to process and grab hold of your experience - follow your instincts, educate yourself by allowing yourself to earnestly experience without cynicism. Use this as a framework to push your experience to its fullest experience but above all - be your own guide. Ill end this letter of introduction with a warning of sorts. The importance of your experience as an individual is a part of a collective energy. That is to say that while you are embarking and discovering something that nobody else has you are doing so in manner which before you have done. This is not meant to stifle your experience but rather it should serve as a dual motivation - we explore on our own but with the comfort and support of joining the human experience and narrative. An exercise to begin - complete the following sentence: The difference between a miracle and an act of nature is _______________________ The Baal Shem Tov - the founder of Hassidut was the original author of this sentence and his thoughts were expounded upon by The Lubavichter Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson (zl) with the following: The difference between a miracle and an act of nature is only in frequency. Imagine that the sun were to rise only once in our lifetime. Everyone would rush to see it, proclaiming it the most

miraculous event they had ever witnessed. But since we experience a sunrise every day, we see it as just another ordinary part of our lives. Miracles are all around us; we must open our eyes to see them. This quote encapsulates in many ways how I view nature and I arrived here through my own personal explorations as well as through the insight of teachers and those who I accompanied me on my journey. It is my hope that by using this packet you will continue to develop your own relationship with nature - by seeking to create understanding and a degree of intimacy. As for a final thought I will say that creating this packet has been a furthering of my relationship to nature and I thank you as a reader and participant for coming along with me. -Will Keller

Creating a definition As we begin I feel its important to give space for you to begin formulating your own definition of nature. As is stated above my definition both could and should be different from your definition and understanding. Lets start with our relation to nature. Raymond Williams starts his essay, Ideas of Nature by asking, One touch of nature may make the whole world kin, but usually, when we say nature, do we mean to include ourselves?. I view this as an excellent starting place - how do you view yourself? Are you a part of nature or an intruder? Are you masquerading about in civilization only to show your true colors when in the wild or is it the other way around? Take a moment to consider these ideas and write your thoughts below.

Often times we create definitions based upon what something isnt. For example I am not tall so I am often considered to be short. Do you see a difference between nature and the civilized world? What are the characteristics of the civilized world? How do they differ from that of the natural world? Using this dichotomy start shaping an understanding of what nature is to you and how you fit into that understanding. To help guide us further we need to use more then just theory - lets continue by interacting with the natural world around us. Notice the changes you bring to nature: What you sound like in nature (does your voice naturally get quieter or louder) Do you smell like something that belongs in nature or in civilization? Do you leave a trail? Free Experience Throw this packet on the ground and go for a romp. Climb - JUMP - Explore - RUN - BE SAFE but allow yourself to let go and HAVE FUN. Experience both nature in general but also allow yourself to be drawn to specific pieces of the natural experience - is there a bush or cloud

you are drawn to? Do you connect with the way the wind winds its way through the trees? Consciously interact with your environs and do so in a way that will allow you to reflect upon it later.

Writing and/or thoughtful considerations of nature: Allow your self to write freely on how being in nature makes you feel. Things to consider that might help: Could you feel this way without nature? Drink in your surroundings and expound about what it does to you and for you. Imagine how nature must have felt for the generations that proceeded you - as humans have moved further from living in nature how has our experience with nature changed? Do you enjoy nature? Do you think nature enjoys having you? With the advent of modern technology humankinds relationship with nature has shifted significantly putting the power often times into the hands of humans. But before we had the advantage of technology we were much more subject to the whims of nature - we woke up with sunrise and went to sleep with sunset unable to see or work in an effective manner in darkness. Today however with the use of electricity we can illuminate the night in a way which gives us the ability to be just as active at night. Many lands were uninhabitable due to lack of water but by the use of irrigation and transportation of water we have been settle in almost every part of the world. Perhaps the most salient example is that of food. Man used to have to search and forage for our food but as time progressed weve developed systems and industry to allow for many of us to never have to invest ourselves in preparing or looking for our own food. Consider what would happen if the technology you use everyday did not exist - how would your relationship with nature change? Would you be more fearful or in awe of the natural world. We speak of the beauty of nature because in many ways we have tamed the natural world - but what if you didnt have that power - what would your relationship with nature be like? Do you prefer the relationship you have now or would you prefer the raw more exposed to the elements relationship? Write your thoughts below.

Texts The cannon of Jewish thought has many ideas of how humans should interact with nature running the gambit of our domination of natural resources to the intense need to preserve. Lets take a minute to consider this using quotes from the Torah: Bereshit 1:26 And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'

Deut. 20:19

When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, but thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of thee? Compare and contrast the two texts given above. Some say the world is created for our usage and that we can do whatever wed like because of that. The quote from Deuteronomy seems to fall more in line with a more western liberal sensibility that while the world was created with as masters over the earth (as we see in the quote from Bereshit) - we must do so with a sense of responsibility. Do you feel like a master over the earth? Do you feel it is our responsibility to protect the earths resources or are they ours for the taking?

Hashem and nature: Nature is God's niggun, a wordless melody of unfolding Life. To awaken to God we must hear the nigun. To awaken to God we must listen in deep silence. Silence arises when thinking ceases. If we would know God we must quiet the mind, cease the chatter that passes for knowledge when in fact it only flatters the foolish. We cannot live without words but let us not imagine that words are sufficient. As a symphony needs rest to lift music out of noise, so we need silence to lift Truth out of words.
Rami M. Shapiro - Kol HaNeshama Siddur - pg. 185

Sit quietly for a moment - listen to what is around you. Imagine what your niggun would be - what best expresses you? If nature is an expression of Hashem what does that say about Hashem - what does it say about nature? Do you see Hashem and nature as linked or as separate?

To use this idea as a jumping off point - what niggun would you create to symbolize your experience with nature? Sing or humm to yourself and allow yourself to be taken with the melody you create. Sit with this for several minutes - if nothing comes just listen to the nature as it happens around you - imagine nature as a band playing you a song. What is the song saying? Concluding Ideas

I want you to return to the idea of defining and understanding nature for yourself. How has that definition or understanding changed by using this guide? Has it changed at all? Plot a course for yourself - how will you continue to experience nature. Will you go camping by yourself or simply take a moment each day to consider the natural elements of your life. Just as the human experience with nature has changed over the generations so should your personal relationship grow and shift over time - how do you plan to make that happen? Before you put this packet down take time to write or consider any thoughts you havent had the space to express up to this point. As I said before - be your own guide.