Experiential Learning at Lakenenland by Kel Sassi

ksassi1 — 2025-09-29 23:07:34 UTC

Add your pictures and teaching ideas for how to apply Lorena German's framework of textured teaching's principle of experiential learning at Lakenenland. Remember, that the goal of experiential learning is to actively engage students through community resources, sensory experiences, and hands-on reflection to dismantle oppressive practices and promote liberation and equity.

Bog Walk - Ashlee

2025-09-29 23:37:43 UTC

I would take my students through the bog walk and have them take a mental note of what they hear, see, feel, smell and then have them write a creative story including everything they experienced while there.

Lakenenland Experiential Learning

2025-09-29 23:40:35 UTC

My group went to the Bogwalk, and I think that it would be cool to do a poetry activity there. There are some signs that encourage the reader to take in their surroundings, so I think that they would be a great jumping off point. There really is so much to look at, so the possibilities are practically endless!

Logging Culture and History

2025-09-29 23:44:55 UTC

There’s a lot to learn from both the logging people and history through all sorts of texts and other resources. It plays a bigger part in the roots of the UP than some might realize, so putting these into writing could benefit more than just a classroom, but also a whole community.

Lakenenland Learning

2025-09-30 14:37:31 UTC

This sculpture fits well with the sensorial aspect of experiential learning; students could listen to folk music while analyzing the lyrics and why this song might be paired with the Statue of Liberty. Additionally, students could analyze the poem that is at the base of the statue and make connections to the song.

Lakenenland Learning

2025-09-30 20:27:42 UTC

I feel that the opportunities for the start of an experiential learning activity are endless at Lakenenland. One of the photos I took (above) is of a sculpture that talks about the dwindling of natural resources. I feel that there are various assignments that could come from this specific art piece including:

Interdisciplinary Writing w/ Science- Students could choose one of these resources in specific to research and write an essay about. It may include what it is, how humans use it, and the outlook of its use.
Personal Reflection- Using any topic or personal life happening, students could look to the form of this piece to create their own visual. With one central idea at the center and various pieces stemming from it, there is a lot of opportunity for connection.
Creative/Dystopian (ish) Writing- Have students select one (or multiple) of the natural elements listed and create a story of our world if/when this is no longer available.

Lakenenland Bog Walk

2025-10-01 14:36:59 UTC

I would take my students on the bog walk and we would stop in front of this. I would have them look around and use their senses. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you touch? Maybe even, what do you smell. I would have my students jot that down in notebooks and then when we were done in the bog walk I would ask them to write a creative short story about why the boots sticking out in the bog using what they wrote down. They could even write a poem or any kind of creative writing piece based on this image and their senses.

Lakenenland Learning!

2025-10-01 17:45:15 UTC

I didn't actually take any pictures from class on Monday, but I have so many other pictures that I knew I could use!

I would take my students and have them separate into small groups to explore Lakenenland, where they could take photos to capture the art — or, if they wanted to, act something out that goes along with the art, like my cousin did in this picture. Each group would then choose one or more of their photos to use as the foundation for a short story. At the end I think it'd be fun for students to show their picture and share their short story, so they can see all the differences in how they saw the art!

Literature and Art

2025-10-01 18:45:02 UTC

There are so many sculptures at Lakenenland that can be used for either connections to literature or for students' own writing. There are a few political pieces, such as the one pictured and the "corporate pig," that can be connected with texts students are reading in class, like Animal Farm or 1984. Students can use sculptures to make real world connections or to write their own experiences. Whether it's connecting art to their own experiences or just writing about their visit to the sculpture park, there are plenty of opportunities for connection.

Lakenenland Learning

2025-10-01 19:17:32 UTC

I think there are many great opportunities to promote community through the statues in Lakenenland. For this one, we can see bullet holes from Al Capone and Bonnie and Clyde featured in this statue. It would be a great creative writing prompt for students to imagine how they would interact with Marquette County in the 30's. and how the Marquette County sheriff would interact with them. This could involve conducting background research on Marquette, providing students with a deeper connection to the community around them.

Creative Writing & Lakenenland

2025-10-01 19:42:55 UTC

Our group talked about how all of the statues at Lakenenland can be used as creative writing prompts for students. There was no better example than this statue, found toward the front of the park. After looking at this piece of art, we can ask students questions like:

"What's the story here? How did this dinosaur catch this fish?"

Prompts like these inspire students to use their creativity. They are also invited to a key piece of their community when visiting here, so writing about this connects them to this community. We also discussed how there is a show where the characters kind of look like the dinosaur in this statue (I think Kel was thinking of Dinosaucers, but I'm not 100% sure) that we could watch an episode of in class. Then we could have students write their own screen play of an episode.

2025-10-01 20:56:36 UTC

There are so many opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning at Lakenenland, so I might create a bingo-style board of prompts for my students to choose from as they explore the park. They could explore in pairs or small groups, and individually respond to 3-5 prompts. Some ideas I had:

- Give a title to a sculpture. Describe the sculpture and explain why you chose that title.

- Find a sculpture that references local, state, or global events. What is the artist trying to convey? How do you know?

- Find a sculpture that references local, state, or global events. What is the event? What do you know about it? (Follow up with research)

- Choose a favorite sculpture. What draws you to it?

- Pick a sculpture and write a short story to go with it.

- Pick a sculpture and write a poem to go with it.

After we are back in the classroom, I would ask students to reflect and share their thoughts. I might also set up a "sculpture park" (gallery walk) of student work if this field trip is planned around a creative assessment.

Lakenenland Learning

2025-10-01 22:04:54 UTC

I think this sculpture could go really well with any sort of text that brings up some form of the “American Dream”. There’s a lot of irony and contradiction in that idea just as a concept, so I feel like it would be interesting for them to reflect on. What does the “American Dream” mean to them, and what does it look like in reality for some people? Who might the audience be for this sculpture? Who is the 1%? Who might be seeking the American Dream, and who might not be included? They could answer this in a journal or poem, or even a creative physical project.

Pig Sculpture

2025-10-01 22:07:18 UTC

One sculpture that really caught my eye was the ‘corporate’ pig. The students in my class are reading George Orwell’s Animal Farm and I think asking them to compare and contrast with the textile experience could be cool!

Snowy owl

2025-10-02 14:19:31 UTC

After our Lakenenland bog walk experience, I would ask my students to find an animal (like this snowy owl) to research a little about. After they've learned a little about this animal, they can make up a story for this specific animal and all the events that led them to be in this specific location in the UP - a sort of ancestry/history/story-telling project. I think this is a fun way to get students to start thinking about their own stories - what events led me to be here, where I am now? What are my parents' and grandparents' stories, and beyond? How do I fit in with the big picture of my family, classroom, and community? It would be a good Segway assignment into a book touching on these topics, such as those in our literary circles.

Experiential Learning at Lakenenland

2025-10-09 21:54:48 UTC

One of my favorite things about Lakenenland is how much variety there is in its structures. There are ones with personal meaning, political meaning, local history, local culture, etc. I think the structures with political or historical meaning provide a cool opportunity for students to write about their interpretation and do some research on the context for the sculpture. This also provides an opportunity to discuss how world events inspire art and creativity. Another idea to get students connecting this art to their own lives is to have them write about a sculpture that they feel inspired by, connected to, or curious about. This activity would push students to explore their own relationship to different pieces of art.