8: The Change of the Seasons
Autumn means harvest, And grain in the bin. Autumn means farmers Are bringing fruit in. It means summer’s blooming Has given its yield. Autumn means high tide In orchard and field. -Lenore Hetrick In 1720, Antonio Vivaldi, a great Italian composer, captured the essence of the four seasons by composing a series of concertos. His music is a narrative of life through the seasons, which transports his listeners to the world that he has painted through his melody. His works are considered to be timeless classics up to now. As we transition into a new season, I borrowed Vivaldi’s masterpiece, Autumn, as a provocation for our yearlong inquiry on the earth’s cycles. I introduced the children to the concerto, which they tapped and clapped along with as they listened. We talked about autumn colors, and connected this beautiful season with falling leaves. The children went out of our classroom to see if they could collect dried leaves that have fallen from our playground pl