The Outdoor Classroom
Welcome to the wonderful world of Outdoor Classrooms!
Outdoor classrooms make wonderful educational environments where learning flourishes in many ways. Data and observation skills are developed and sharpened while doing a variety of hands on activities, encouraging students to learn in an outdoor environment.
There are many different ways and approaches to this style of classroom. The needs of the individual school, educators and students guide the style of classroom that you create. One thing to keep in mind no matter what the style of Outdoor Classroom, is keep it environmentally friendly. This will raise environmental awareness in the youngest student as they realize the world is made up of many different creatures, large and small.
The easiest way to do this is to keep in mind what nature needs to live. Food, water, shelter and a place to raise young. This method works for small animals, birds, and insects. By following this simple rule, your garden, be it formal, informal or natural will indeed welcome many life cycles for students to observe and study.
Outdoor classrooms allow educators to bring the standards; reading writing and arithmetic to the outdoors. Writing skills may be sharpened with journaling, recording observations, poetry and story writing. Reading skills improve by reading of books that relate to the outdoors and gardens in general. Planting, caring and harvesting instructions also allow for less formal reading. Math is used in measurements and yields.
Data collection allows numerous educational skills to be developed. Growing vegetables and donating them to those less fortunate allows students to think of others and participate in community service, an ever important lesson for all to learn. Contact: Linda Antonacio-Hoade
