Take learning outside with 100 metre field trips – No consent forms necessary!
Regardless of what your schoolyard has to offer, nature is everywhere and is an amazing teacher. Whether you’re an educator who loves taking learning outside and sharing strategies with peers, or whether this prospect makes you nervous and you’re REALLY not a fan of bugs, mud, and rain – we’re here to support you.
We’d like to remind educators that during this uncertain time, trust in the tools you already have! As an educator you’re a pro at being adaptive in the moment, being resilient to change, and developing new programming. If you’re open to taking some golden nuggets from folks who teach outside everyday and tapping into your adaptive, resilient self – you’re ready to make the transition to getting outside more with your class this year.
Below you’ll find some offerings from OSEE educators who work outside, all year, in all seasons, with all ages, in Ontario. We believe that with just a few extra tools in your toolkit, some ideas for how to connect across curricula in the school yard, and some coordination between your peer-teachers and parents, you can take your class of 30 outside and use your school yard as your classroom. In the process, you’ll also grow new skills and experience, witness many benefits for your learners, create a safer, more relaxed environment in terms of the spread of COVID-19, and be more connected to nature.
Secret ingredients to successful outdoor, nature-based learning
Nature-based and environmental education can connect across curricula and age cohorts and animate a diversity of positive impacts for learners. To name a few impacts, outdoor, nature-based education presents avenues for taking learning out of the abstract, supporting multi-literacy and differentiated learning, supporting physical and mental wellbeing, and increasing engagement, curiosity, and collaboration. We also know that gathering in groups outside, while adhering to public health regulations, presents a low risk scenario for the spread of COVID-19.
To arm yourself with a better understanding of the benefits of environmental and outdoor learning:
Children and Nature Network’s Benefits of Nature Resource Library https://www.childrenandnature.org/resources/category/benefits-of-nature/
School support systems and educator comfort in relation to teaching outside is ad-hoc – but we can learn from one another and build our capacity!
We recognize the ad-hoc nature of the ingredients that support taking learning outside, and connecting to nature across curricula. Examples of some perceived barriers to doing this as a regular part of school culture are: a lack of school administrative and community support and buy-in, a lack of outdoor gear & materials, processes and protocols, and varying educator confidence, experience and training.
Armed with a few tips and tricks, and an open mind to reframing approaches to education – we hope educators may feel more equipped in the process of harnessing support from the school community, gathering some skills and ideas, and building confidence in teaching outdoors.
Have conversations before you go outside to differentiate this outdoor, school yard experience from recess and other free-play activities. Set the stage for learning. Remind kids that they’ll be taking care of their own gear while outside, and that it’s important they use their own designated gear. Body check in: Before you go outside, use the washroom and fill up water.
Circle up using socially distanced markers (consider setting something up in advance as a centre point – like a pretend campfire, or a nature mandala). Consider splitting up into 2 circles, if you are a class of ~30 and have additional classroom support. Get settled on the grass, concrete, blankets, sitting pads, etc. Establish your attention getter, which will be the cue for when everyone needs to focus towards the teacher. You might use a bird song, or another animal voice or nature sound.
Go around the circle/s and invite everyone to share their nature name for the day (a plant or animal they have a relationship with, or are feeling in the mood of! – e.g. Jewelweed Jessie, or Jelly fungus Jess is often mine!). Add on a special question which can also act as a way to get to know each other (e.g. “What is your favourite mammal?”, or “What is a favourite place in nature you have visited?”.
Come up with some agreements together as a class each time you go outside for how you’ll take care of yourselves, each other, and nature. Use these as anchors which you can refer back to they are not respected. For each area, discuss: What are examples of what this looks like? What are examples of what this doesn’t looks like?
Discuss hazards, and COVID-19 related policies, such as mask hygiene and scenarios where you’ll put on your masks (when you can’t stay physically distanced from others). Point at the hand washing stations and outline when and how you’ll use these. Go over other class policies and expectations.
A BIG and key secret ingredient for outdoor learning is that educators model a positive attitude, a curiosity and concern for nature, and demonstrate themselves what suitable gear looks like through the seasons. Simple things, like applying sunscreen together with your kids, taking water breaks together, and wearing or having access to gear that will keep you happy and focused on the important stuff, is super important. Not only will learning to dress well support you to remain happy, present and patient as the facilitator of learning – it is an amazing skill to build for all people in Ontario! It’s important to be mindful of varying budgets and levels of access to gear as you’re sending notes home to caregivers. Strategize with your peers for how your school can build a borrowing library for gear and other outdoor materials to ensure equitable access for learners. Learning the art of dressing for the weather, wicking moisture away from the body, and layering is truly life changing! It can change one’s relationship to weather and the outdoors, drastically.
Find creative ways to engage with and discuss some of the things you, and your learners might feel apprehensive about. This might be mud, insects, rain, sitting on the ground, or cold weather. Get curious about the things you find icky, uncomfortable, or difficult. Observe these things, share stories about them, ask questions and learn more cool facts about them. Before you know it, you and your learners will have reframed your relationships to these things!
Suggestion: 1 station for 0-15 kids, 2 for 15-30 kids
1-2 x folding tables
2-4 x water jugs dispensers with spout placed on either end of the tables with an anti slip mat underneath them
2-4 x buckets for catching soapy water
2-4 x soap dispensers
Optional small pylons, markers or chalk to mark distanced line up spots
Flap your wings like your favourite bird, or soar across the schoolyard to air dry hands – et voila!
Math is everywhere!
This fall, let’s build strategies for taking learning outside to the school yard. Think 100m field trips – with no consent forms necessary!
Food or wildflower gardens, whether in a raised bed or a milk crate, provide amazing opportunities to take learning out of the abstract for learners. Yes, garden’s can be planted or engaged with in the fall! Hardy food plants and local wildflowers will support biodiversity and provide food and shelter for overwintering species, attracting many other-than-human visitors. It’s also the time to think about and strew seeds for next year’s gardens.
Problem solving, measurements, fractions, geometry, data gathering, counting and percentages, even algebra, can all be engaged with through hands-on gardening. Not to mention the many avenues for connecting to pollinators, science, biology, food cultures, diverse perspectives, and food justice.
Ask your school community for seed & material donations to start a milk crate garden.
Covid-19 Considerations
Masks can be worn by all while gardening, or when engaging in certain activities to ease stress for all. Something we found this summer working with kids is that the desire to lean in and get close when looking at plants and gardens can be too tempting! So, put masks on in advance.
Gentle reminders of the need to physically distance between participants can be done by investigating the height of an existing plant, or a shrub, or any school yard feature “let’s all measure something in the school yard that is 2 metres in length…this is how far we’ll try and stay from one another (when not wearing masks)”
Set up hand washing stations (see above).
Articles and ideas to support taking math outside this fall
Toronto Star Article – July 15th: Help kids use Toronto nature as their classroom this summer: https://www.thestar.com/life/parent/2020/07/15/help-kids-use-toronto-nature-as-their-classroom-this-summer.html
“The backyard, park or a walk on a local trail is a great way to get outdoors and play but it can also be a way to stimulate interest in subjects such as math, science and art – and one of the best ways for kids to become engaged is to help them see how a subject connects to daily life, says Ron Lancaster, an Associate Professor at OISE/UT. Lancaster has become known for his “Math Trails” – walks designed to stimulate interest in math through everyday spaces, such as parks and city streets. The idea is that students go outside and explore how math can be found almost anywhere”.
Math Garden Activities: Using Gardens To Teach Math To Kids: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/children/using-gardens-to-teach-math.htm
9 ways to take your maths outside: https://learningoutsidetheclassroomblog.org/2019/04/17/9-ways-to-take-your-maths-lessons-outside/
We’ll keep adding more resources this page ongoing!
Native Plant Seedballs: https://highparknaturecentre.com/2/blog/2019/word-of-the-week-germinate
Sound Mapping & Sit Spots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU_E5PkwbB0
Sit Spot Concept Extended:
https://www.wildernessawareness.org/node/261
https://www.sensorytrust.org.uk/information/creative-activities/sit%20spot.html