ABSTRACT
A father, his daughter, and his son crouch on the ground, examining the skulls of a beaver
and a raccoon on a nature walk. “Look at those long teeth!” the daughter says, holding up
the beaver skull. The father explains how the teeth will continue to grow if the beaver
does not chew on wood, and his son talks about a related television show. They turn their
attention to the other skull and continue looking, talking, and asking each other questions
—sharing their knowledge, questions, and observations. Completely rooted in the
immediacy of the moment, their attention is focused on the physical objects in front of
them and on each other, each connecting this moment to other experiences and
knowledge while fertilizing the soil of their knowledge base that will support future
experiences.
