Teacher Guide for Using the Outdoor Classroom

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• Teacher Guide for Using the Outdoor Classroom

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• A PowerPoint presentation
• designed to complement the
• Outdoor Classroom video

A project to support the classroom teacher from
Jeffers Foundation
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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

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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.

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• 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
• (Blooms Taxonomy)

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Teaching Higher LevelThinking Skills

• Blooms New Taxonomy

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Higher Level Thinking
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• 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.

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• 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.

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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

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Establish Signals (Example) One whistle Look at
person in charge Two whistles Go to established
meeting place Three whistles Emergency, all
return to classroom
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Sample Outdoor Guidelines

• Model the techniques and steps you expect your
  students to follow
• Establish consequences and follow through for
  inappropriate behavior as in the indoor
  classroom
• Set physical boundaries
• Emphasize keeping up with the leader
• Stay on trails provided

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Getting to the Outdoor Classroom
Plan 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
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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

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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

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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 students nature vocabulary by
  identifying things in nature.

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Sample lesson

• 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

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Starter Activities

• Teaching ALL subjects outdoors

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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
  students 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

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Language Arts

• Reading A simple activity to enhance reading is
  to simply read with or to your students outdoors
• Language Develop a language bank to increase
  students 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

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Math

• Counting 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

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Outdoor Science

• Biological Sciences
• Biology
• Physiology
• Ecology
• Botany
• Physical Sciences
• Astronomy
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Earth Science
• Oceanography
• Meteorology
• Geology

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SCIENCE
Science 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
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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?

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Art

• Draw, 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

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Physical Education

• Fall 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

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Music

• Sing 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

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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

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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.

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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

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We LOVE the Outdoor Classroom in the winter
Happy kids
Happy teachers
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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

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• If you have any questions, please feel free to
  contact
• Dar Fosse
• dfosse_at_jeffersfoundation.org 612-747-3245
• Jeffers Foundation P.O. Box 408
• Wayzata, Minnesota 55391 www.jeffersfoundation.org

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Appendix
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Outdoor EducationResearch

• What does the research say about the importance
  of exposing children to the outdoors?

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Nature Experience

• Nature 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

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A New Report Time Out
Using the Outdoors to Enhance Classroom
Performance highlights the vast research linking
time kids spend outside to increased classroom
preparedness. Americans 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
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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.)

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Research on Childrens 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
  weekand this figure in on the increase
• Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005 and 2006

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Vitamin D
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
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Nature-Deficit Disorder

• Nature-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

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