This school uses a community approach to creating beautiful learning spacesfor the school. They’ve generously shared their ‘how to’ and it’s truly inspirational!
For visual learners, this video explains it well.
Writing prompts provide an open-ended and immediate way to focus. These turn the “great outdoors” into a discovery process full of observational and detailed writing. Give the page for student choice or provide prompts one at a time to teacher direct the writing goal.
Observation can deepen from the sense of hearing as well. Using deep listening through Sound Mapping strengthens focus as a skill and is known to calm the nervous system.
Digital directions – plus a story – for teaching the sound mapping process.
Some students prefer a blank page; use this model for students who need the visual cues of concentric circles.
Using nature as an “algorhythm,” find out how to determine the temperature by counting cricket chirps!
Students can explore natural resources, erosion, community environmental health, and writing that deepens understanding of incorporating evidence and persuasion for an audience. The lesson/activity helps students visualize the paths of water and includes links to more teaching slides and a video.
This outdoor lesson ties science, health, and math together (standards aligned for K, but all ages love this lesson). The Big Idea of Change Over Time is embedded as children explore patterns, symmetry, and impermanence while gaining the opportunity to gather natural ephemera.
Using nature as a backdrop, students explore patterns and how those patterns are evident everywhere around us. Students will use motif, color, balance, symmetry and geometry to create solo or even group works of art.
