Teacher Guide for Using the Outdoor Classroom

A PowerPoint presentationdesigned to complement the

Outdoor Classroom video

A project to support the classroom teacher from Jeffers Foundation

Contents• Why use the Outdoor Classroom?

• Teaching Higher Level Thinking Skills

• Planning and Preparation for Taking Students Outdoors

• Sample Outdoor Guidelines

• Getting to the Outdoor Classroom

• How to Visit Area Without Making a Big Impact

• Outdoor Classroom Management Techniques

• The Walking Field Trip

• Starter Activities (Teaching ALL Subjects Outdoors)

• Returning to the Indoor Classroom

• Follow-up Activities in the Indoor Classroom

• Appendix

Why use the outdoor classroom?

The outdoor classroom provides opportunities for students to gain knowledge and obtain skills in a natural environment.

Instructors can allow students to learn by doing, taking a “hands-on” approach to learning in an outdoor setting.

•Will help students develop an understanding, appreciation and respect for the environment

•The outdoor classroom is not as crowded

•Research shows that children learn more when in natural light (Scholastic, Early Childhood Today)

•Unlimited opportunities exist for “hands on/experiential” learning (I do and I understand)

•The outdoor classroom offers many opportunities to teach any subject using nature as your assistant

•Our children are our next generation of environmentally aware adults and “Stewards of the Earth.”

•Provides unlimited opportunities for higher level thinking (Bloom’s Taxonomy)

Bloom’s New Taxonomy

Teaching Higher LevelThinking Skills

Higher Level Thinking

Remembering: Can the student recall or remember the information?

define, duplicate, list, memorize, recall, repeat, reproduce state

Understanding: Can the student explain ideas or concepts? classify,

describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognize, report, select, translate, paraphrase

Applying: Can the student use the information in a new way? choose,

demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write.

Analyzing: Can the student distinguish between the different

parts? appraise, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test.

Evaluating: Can the student justify a stand or decision?

appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, evaluate

Creating: Can the student create new product or point of

view? assemble, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write.

Planning and Preparation for Taking Students Outdoors

• Explore outdoor classroom area prior to visit to be familiar with the site: (safety: water, poison ivy, bees, etc.)

• Establish, model and practice expected behavior in the outdoor classroom using many of the same rules that you have established in the indoor classroom.

• Consider using volunteers to assist with management.• Establish a line leader and caboose• Have a first aid kit, a cell phone or walkie-talkie for emergency

purposes.• Make sure office staff knows where you are going and what your

plans are

Establish Signals(Example)

One whistle: Look at person in charge

Two whistles: Go to established meeting place

Three whistles: Emergency, all return to classroom

Sample Outdoor GuidelinesModel the techniques and steps you expect your

students to followEstablish consequences and follow through for

inappropriate behavior as in the indoor classroomSet physical boundariesEmphasize keeping up with the leaderStay on trails provided

Getting to the Outdoor ClassroomPlan short activities on the way to the Outdoor Classroom to keep group focused

Model the techniques and steps you expect your students to follow

Pick a color and have students find as many things in nature that have that color

Pick a letter of the alphabet and have students identify as many objects as they can that begin with that letter

Count paces between landmarks. Discuss average, median and mode

Phenology - look for signs of the season and make predictions

How to Visit Area Without Making a Big Impact

• Equate hallway walking with outdoor walking; walk quietly with hands to self

• Be respectful of living things and leave natural things where they were found

Outdoor Classroom Management Techniques

• Discuss Safety based on area you will be visiting • Strategic placement of students in line or in small

groups• To help focus attention, give specific assignments• Share responsibilities for carrying equipment• Provide frequent time reminders• Check-in with progress made

The Walking Field Trip Observation: The first walk could be very short walk just

observing things in nature

The Theme Walk: Other walks could have a theme: Looking for things that start with a letter of the alphabet, a certain color, or a shape.

Language Walk: Develop a language bank to increase student’s nature vocabulary by identifying “things” in nature.

Give each student a laminated picture chart to use in identifying things they observe while on a walking trip:

• Animal Tracking Chart to identify animal tracks and scat in winter

• Leaf Chart to identify various types of leaves

• Tree Chart to identify different species of trees

Sample lesson

Starter ActivitiesTeaching ALL subjects outdoors

Choose an activity that can best be taught outdoors

Math – Data gathering, types of leaves, most types, biggest, smallest , compare

Measurement – measure stump or tree to find circumference, radius, diameter

Noun or adjective bank for poetry - increase student‘s nature vocabulary by identifying things in nature

Reading – Simply read a book about nature or have students read outside

Writing – conduct a poetry lesson or have students write in journals Science – study weather, rocks, insects, water, soil, erosion, land forms Social Studies – Mapping, geography of land, history of area Physical Education –snowshoeing, cross country skiing, hiking Art – drawing, painting, sketching natural objects Music – songs about nature, listening for sounds, “song birds” Special Education – hands on experiences Responsive Classroom – morning meetings can be held outside

Language ArtsReading: A simple activity to enhance reading is to

simply read with or to your students outdoors

Language: Develop a language bank to increase student’s nature vocabulary by having them identify things they see in nature

Writing: Journaling and writing poetry about “things” you observe in nature make writing real

MathCounting: Count “things” seen in nature: birds, trees,

pinecones critters, etc.

Sorting: Sort “things” seen in nature: rocks, leaves, seeds by size, shape, color, etc.

Collect and Graph Data: Collect data from a bird feeder, record weather information (rainfall. snow, temperature etc.)

Geometry: Learn to use compass, GPS, estimate the height of tree, find shapes in nature

Outdoor ScienceBiological SciencesBiology Physiology Ecology Botany Physical SciencesAstronomy Chemistry Physics Earth Science

Oceanography Meteorology Geology

SCIENCEScience is an area in which there already exists a multitude of activities designed to be taught in the Outdoor Classroom.

In addition, Minnesota DNR has the following curriculum Guides available for teachers:-Project WET-Project WILD-Project Learning Tree-MinnAqua

Social Studies History: Learn about the history of land near school, what kinds

of trees, waterways, who lived there, how land changed over time.

Geography: Make maps of various outdoor areas, map flight of birds in winter, how does weather effect land forms?

Economics: How does supply and demand affect the lives of the birds, squirrels, etc., at a bird feeder?

ArtDraw, Paint, Sketch natural objects outdoors

Sculptures: Using natural objects

Mosaics/Collages: Using natural objects

Camera Art: Photograph things in nature

Observation: Creative art through observation

Physical EducationFall and Spring: students are outside for

physical activities on a regular basis

Winter Activities: Could include: outdoor games, hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, or an ‘Ikiderod’ dog sled race

MusicSing: Sing outdoors with the students

Listen: Listen to sounds made by various songbirds

Record: Record birds at a birdfeeder, duplicate sound with musical instruments

Concert: Hold a concert or sing-along outdoors

27

Special Education

The outdoor classroom is a wonderful place for all students. It engages more senses, provides physical activity, and provides many ‘hands on’ opportunities.

Special Needs students can learn side by side with all students

Returning to the indoor classroom

• Make sure area is left in natural condition.• Check to see that no equipment has been left

behind.• Make sure no student (or parent) has been

left behind• Continue activities used in ‘getting to the

outdoor classroom.’

Follow-up activities in the indoor classroom

• Leave time for follow-up and processing the lesson

• Grade as you would any other lesson taught indoors

• Keep students responsible and accountable for their work

• Have them share their experiences: partners, small groups, whole group

• PRAISE: Tell them what they did right to make their lesson successful

We LOVE the Outdoor Classroom in the winter…

Happy teachers

Happy kids

The Outdoor Classroom Your students will love it…

We hope this presentation has been helpful to you. The Outdoor Classroom has so many advantages. We hope you will use it many times throughout the year to

provide meaningful activities for your students.

Thanks from Jeffers Foundation

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:Dar Fosse

dfosse@jeffersfoundation.org 612-747-3245

Jeffers Foundation P.O. Box 408Wayzata, Minnesota 55391 www.jeffersfoundation.org

Appendix

What does the research say about the importance of exposing children to the

outdoors?

Outdoor EducationResearch

Nature ExperienceNature experience has been linked to better performance

by children in school. Factoring out other variables, studies nationwide showed that schools that used Outdoor Classrooms and other forms of nature-based ‘experiential education’ were associated with significant student gains in social studies, science, language arts, and math. One recent study found that students in outdoor science programs improved their science testing scores by 27%.

American Institute for Research, 2005

Using the Outdoors to Enhance Classroom Performance highlights the vast research linking time kids spend outside to increased classroom preparedness. American’s childhood has largely moved indoors in the past 15 years. The increasingly indoor lifestyle causes several factors that work against high performance in the classroom

National Wildlife Federation, 2009

A New Report: Time Out

No Child Left Inside

Research finds that schools that teach the core subjects using the environment as an integrating context demonstrate reduced discipline and classroom management problems; increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning; and greater student pride and ownership in accomplishments.

SEER State Education and Environmental Roundtable 1998

(On April 22, 2009 both House and Senate versions of NCLI were introduced to Congress. If passed would be first EE legislation to pass in 25 years.)

Research on Children’s Physical Activity

Children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years spend an average of 1.5 hours a day with electronic media and youths between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of 6.5 hours a day with electronic media. That is more than 45 hours a week…and this figure in on the increase

Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005 and 2006

About 7 out of 10 U.S. children have low levels of vitamin D, which puts them at risk for bone and heart disease. The best source of Vitamin D is sunlight requiring only 15 minutes per day

Science Daily *-2009

Vitamin D

Nature-Deficit DisorderNature-Deficit Disorder is not an official diagnosis, but a way of viewing

the problem, and describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them:

-diminished use of the senses

-attention difficulties

-higher rates of physical and emotional illness

The disorder can be detected in individuals, families and communities.

Studies show that nature may be useful as a therapy for children with ADHD. Some researchers now recommend that parents and educators make available more nature experiences, especially green places for these children.

Richard Louve, Last Child in the Woods o