Opening the Door to the
Outdoor Classroom
Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, you will:
• Be aware of how Cedar Grove has
integrated curriculum content with the
No Child Left Inside movement.
• Explore how you can access safe,
effective, and frequent lessons that
connect curriculum content outdoors.
• Review how to ensure a comfortable
and valuable learning experience for
you and your students.
No Child Left Inside Act of 2009
http://www.cbf.org/Page.aspx?pid=687
Governor O’Malley’s Executive Order
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/education/children_nature/
MCPS Comprehensive Calendar
2009–2010
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publishingservices/PDF/compcal.pdf
Teaching and Learning Through Environmental Awareness
Benefits of Using the Outdoors for
Learning:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
increased attendance
increased physical activity
reduced ADHD symptoms
decreased disciplinary referrals
increased authentic experiences
increased student achievement
increased teacher job
satisfaction
• increased success for all
students
Research Shows:
A positive, statistically
significant relationship
between schools with the
Maryland Green School*
designation and higher
reading and math
achievement on the Maryland
State Assessments.
*Maryland Green Schools are
those schools who have
applied for and received
certification through the
Maryland Association of
Environmental and Outdoor
Educators (MAEOE).
A sampling of green
schools…
Research Also Shows:
American children, on average, are spending only 30
minutes of unstructured time outdoors each week.
So wouldn’t it be great if we could get them outside
more often AND make learning more meaningful?
Have you ever thought
about…
…using the outdoors to teach
Social Studies?
…using the outdoors to teach Math?
…using the outdoors
to make
interdisciplinary
connections …
Safety First!
• Instruct safe science observation
practices, such as “safe touching, no
tasting.”
• Emphasize the expectation that all
students remain with the group while
walking around the school grounds.
• Inform the main office prior to any
outdoor excursion!
• Clean hands and equipment upon
returning to the classroom.
Foster Positive Attitudes
•Replace “outdoor activity” with
“field experience” or “field work.”
•Refer to the students as
“scientists, botanists” or
“zoologists.”
•Replace “eeewww” or
“gross” with “interesting”
or “cool” or “I wonder…”
or “I think...”
Best Practices for Teachers
 Integrate Learning
 Make connections

Brainstorm inquiry topics
 Encourage questions!
Creating Professional Learning Communities for
Teachers using the Outdoors as a Classroom
•Collaborate with
other colleagues.
•Keep up on local
environmental
issues!
• Take advantage of professional development
opportunities.
• Support our Maryland Green School recertification
process.
So, what can we do at Cedar
Grove so that no child is left
inside…?
Using…EE-02 Teaching Techniques for
Outdoor Education
“Get Kids Outside”
Claire Gardner
5-12-09
Why is this time well spent?
The Maryland No Child Left Inside Coalition
Ensuring environmental literacy
Strengthening student’s connection to nature during the
school day
How could it NOT be time well spent?
Report: Who?
*Borrowed second graders
What?
*Journaling
*Capturing thoughts or observations of nature
*Encouraging constructive thought about the environment
*Making associations with past experiences to ‘make sense’ of observations
Where?
*School courtyard
*Tree selected for its unusual characteristics
When?
*For this project: End of March – Early May: about once a week
The Real Reason: Raising awareness
of natural surroundings through
the vehicle of journaling.
February 24, 2009
May 5, 2009
Preparation:
 Choose a time period that will cover seasonal changes
 Choose a location that will provide many sensory experiences
 Determine how much information you want the students to
‘discover’ (how soon are you willing to share the informational texts)
 Determine how often to visit the location
 Choose appropriate informational texts
 Be a good model: record in your own journal
 Materials?
Observing
and
Recording
Researching
and
Identifying
Comparing
and
Describing
Exploring
and
Explaining
Measuring
and
Converting
Review: So What?
Evaluation:
Students constructed knowledge.
Students applied evidence and reasoning.
Students communicated scientific information.
Created opportunity to ensure the development
of environmental literacy.
Strengthened student’s connection to nature
during the school day.
Insights into student learning:
•Students are not accustomed to having ‘free
writing’: “can we…”, “do we…”, “are we
allowed to…”
•Students test new information based on their
past knowledge and experiences (“Is that
algae?” referring to moss)
•Students realize the potential (“Hey, this is
science AND math!”)
“When can we go to see our tree again?”
…and during sneak preview
this summer…
2nd grade studied insects and ants…
• …so we researched an insect and created
Kidspiration webs.
• …and then we went outside!
What happens when
we leave fruit
outside?
4th graders researched the different
Chesapeake Bay Habitats…
• …so we
created our
habitat webs.
• …and then we
went outside!
Open
Waters
Habitat
Aquatic
Reef Habitat
5th graders researched the planets…
• …so we created
our travel
brochures in
Publisher –
taking a
vacation from
earth.
• …and then we
went outside!
Measuring our
planet’s orbit from the
sun…
Examining
the orbiting
difference
between
planets…
Oh, and
having fun!
That was just a preview of what was to come!
So far this year…
We’ve been outside to…
• Journal based on observations (even using poetry)!
• Compare types of motion – variable, uniform, and
periodic!
• Measure tracings!
• Create patterns with natural objects!
• List different construction materials!
• Find and measure wind speed with our
anemometer!
• Collect signs of Fall!
• Classify leaves!
We’ve changed our mission for the
2010 Science Fair to:
• Enlist more student participation.
• Change the name to Cedar Grove Science Inquiry
Expo to emphasize the inquiry process.
• Create a timeline for the completion of each phase
of the inquiry process, focusing on using the
components of a well-designed investigation.
• Provide opportunities for students/parents to
perform simple investigations during Expo.
• Use local scientists and HHMI science educator
volunteers as presenters during expo.
We’re using all our resources:
 MCPS Content Curriculum
 The science lab
 Our courtyard
 Our science kits
 Field Trips
 The media center
So the question is: How can you encourage
 Experts
from our
community
No Child
Left Inside
in your
classroom?