Teaching Outdoors — Natural Links to Curriculum Taking students outdoors is an important part of environmental education, providing experiential learning in the environment around the school, fostering a connection to local places and developing a greater understanding of ecosystems. Before planning outdoor activities check with your board for policies or procedures to help keep students safe.
Students learn taxonomy at Blair Outdoor Education Centre, Waterloo Region District School Board.
Educational Garden Pathways - 101 Ways to Connect Learning to the Garden
This Gardening Project Map created by Vicki Greenhouse for her 2nd & 3rd grade students in Lincoln, Vermont, visualizes 101 ways to connect learning with a school garden. The map is available for download from the Life Lab Science Program, a non-profit in California supporting science and garden-based education. Download PDF Version (1.1mb)
Interpretive Hike Linked to Curriculum
Earthkeepers – Community Environmental Leadership program, UGDSB
Exploring local places can help students to feel a connection to the natural world and develop a
“sense of place.” This exposure can sensitize students and help to lay the foundation for an ethic
of care and stewardship for the natural world. Through the use of their senses and a variety of
trailside activities, students will gain an appreciation for wildlife and its natural settings.
All school grounds or local parks, even those in urban areas,
have the ability to be a playground for interpretive hikes.
Never underestimate the imagination and playfulness of students.
Evergreen has a new on-line resource, Teacher's Corner, in their Learning Grounds section. The teacher's corner was developed to help teachers get the most out of the outdoor classroom.
Within the Teacher's Corner there is a helpful article entitled Before You Go Outside - Be Prepared which explores effective class management strategies, knowing your audience and knowing the
outdoors.
