Materials for the class

String, A4 sheets, scissors, glue, plastic bags, stereo, music, images of natural and artificial borders.

Layout of the classroom

Phase 1: the activity takes place in the class.

Phase 2-3-4: the room should be empty, otherwise you can use the gym.

Phase 1

The teacher explains that a border is a line that bounds a closed area. A border can be: artificial if it’s built by people, or natural if it’s built by nature.

Divided in small groups, children create borders inside the room using string.

The teacher asks the children to find out two artificial and two natural borders.

Phase 2

The children are divided in four groups; each group receives a different type of border. The children should draw elements that are characteristics for their type of border (for example if the border is a wall, they can draw bricks). When they are finished with drawings, they have to crop and glue them on strips made previously with plastic bags.

They will have two strips with artificial borders and two strips with natural borders.

Phase 3

The teacher proposes a game with the created strips.

The children are divided in two groups (red and blue). All move freely in the room listening to the rhythm of music. When music stops the teacher says which type of border they have to use (artificial or natural). Children of one group have to choose the right border  and enclose the other children into it.

Phase 4

The teacher reflects on the activity with the children. Then she/he shows images of artificial and natural borders and asks the children to identify them.