Evergreen - Before You Go Outside

Today, many school children view the natural world as a strange, frightening and dangerous place. Creatures like slugs, bugs, beetles and bees threaten to bite, berries can be poisonous, and contact with the soil may carry infection. Cut off from connections with natural environments, many children simply lack the experience to construct alternate patterns of understanding that could help them overcome their fears of nature - their fears of the unknown. By preparing students in advance of their outdoor experiences in the school ground these fears can be minimized. Enthusiasm for the outdoors is contagious and can help students overcome their fears.

Know Your Audience: Investigate the student's backgrounds Know Your Outdoor Environment: Familiarize yourself with all components of the school ground Class Management Strategies for the Outdoors Suggestions to Teachers Ultraviolet Radiation Dress For the Weather

Know Your Audience: Investigate the student's backgrounds

Regardless of whether you start alone or as a part of a coordinated school ground project, certain practical information-gathering steps should be taken before commencing activities outdoors. Begin by surveying your students in order to gain insights into their background understandings and experiences outdoors.

Ask them questions.

Do they have gardens at home? If so, do they help with the planting and upkeep? Do they enjoy this work?
How many outdoor experiences do they have? How frequently do they go camping, fishing, or hiking?
What are their thoughts and feelings about local parks, natural areas and their school grounds?

Try to find out how familiar they are with environmental and ecological topics, from both a conceptual as well as an experiential perspective. Gathering this background information will help give you a starting point for making your school ground activities relevant to your students.

Know Your Outdoor Environment: Familiarize yourself with all components of the school ground

With your student's perceptions in mind, consider carefully the physical characteristics and educational potentials of the school grounds. Take walks through the grounds at different times of the day, while students are at play and when the grounds are quiet. What constructive ideas come to mind; what concerns do you have? Take note of your own thoughts and feelings, remembering that you may soon be asking your students to do likewise. Examine your curriculum expectations and consider your own teaching strengths. Consult activity manuals (see on-line library) for ideas that suit your personal interests and the characteristics of the school. Think of other school grounds you have seen or heard about. What potential can you envision for short and long term student involvement?

Consider creating formal gathering places on school grounds to support the use of the outdoor classroom teaching. Think of ways that this space can support outdoor learning. For instance, if you are using supplies and materials for outdoor study you will want to have easy access to these materials and therefore need to locate your gathering spaces close to the school. Also, make your gathering spaces unique to the needs of students and teachers at your school. Incorporate cultural and symbolic values in your gathering spaces.

Class Management Strategies for the Outdoors

With up to 30 students in a class, activities must be adaptable to varying group dynamics. Participation in outdoor activities may require alternative class management strategies from those applied in indoor settings. The potential for reduced supervision in outdoor areas can be a concern for teachers wary of behavioral issues in their classrooms. Students who have had little previous experience in outdoor settings may require reinforcement of appropriate rules of behaviour.

Suggestions to Teachers

Assess previous development of critical thinking skills including background knowledge and vocabulary terms such as classification, observation, comparison, evaluation, analysis, sequence. Also, assess student's experience in group- and cooperative work.

Develop conceptual and behavioral skills before heading outdoors. School grounds may often be better used as a site for direct experience rather than a site for direct instruction.

Start with simple whole-class activities and build up to more complex and individualized challenges, as children become more comfortable and responsible when learning in the outdoors.

Establish the need for class cooperation by reinforcing basic "ground rules" through role-playing and "dry run" activities. Be prepared to cancel outdoor activities immediately if major problems arise.

Develop productive "study buddy" group relations by recognizing, rewarding and building on positive interpersonal dynamics. Know who works well with whom and reward students by letting them choose their partners. Be attentive and inclusive of students with special needs.

Partner behaviorally challenged students with an adult, if possible. Many behavioral problems stem from student desires for attention. Additional adult assistance is crucial if behaviorally challenged students are to be included in outdoor activities. The rewards, however, can be tremendous, and with increased familiarity in outdoor environments, student behavior will often improve dramatically.

Get help. Invite community workers, parents and specialists to join in your activities and work with the students.

Note: Student skills and behavior will generally improve with increased contact and familiarity with the routines and expectations that accompany outdoor learning activities. School programs that provide school ground activities from K to 7 will develop a continuity of appropriate school ground learning behavior.

Ultraviolet Radiation

Did you know that children are at the greatest risk from the damaging effects of the sun's ultraviolet radiation (UVR) since most of their lifetime exposure to UVR happens before their eighteenth birthday? The peak sun hours of 10am to 3pm fall within the normal school day, putting children at even greater risk while they are outdoors during school. The most important safety standards that schools can implement may actually be in reducing student's exposure to solar UV radiation. A school with an outdoor classroom with shade trees is critical to reducing student's exposure to UVR. However, if there are no shade trees on your school ground here are some additional suggestions: schedule outdoor classes in non-peak sun hours, first thing in the morning or after school; encourage students to wear protective clothing (long sleeves, hats, sunglasses) and sunscreen provide education programs to inform students and teachers about sun exposure.

Dress For the Weather

In order for any lesson to succeed, students must be physically comfortable outdoors. Students must be forewarned to dress appropriately for the weather in advance of the outdoor lesson. Teachers may even want to have an "extra clothes" box for students to borrow cold weather clothes. For younger students, a helpful indoor exercise can involve reviewing what clothing is needed by "dressing" a student and with changing weather conditions. i.e. on a cool fall day what do we need to wear to be comfortable outdoors for an hour? People should wear a hat, warm footwear and warm coat and mitts.

How to Make Your Own "Sit-upon"

A 'sit-upon' is a waterproof cushion used for sitting on grass, logs, or anywhere outside. Having a Wedgie Board keeps children's bottoms dry and comfortable while writing in journals, drawing, quiet listening and rest times. There are many designs of wedgie boards, but the cheapest and simplest is made of one section of the daily newspaper, folded in half, tightly wrapped with a large plastic bag and taped shut. Another option is to use a piece of soft cushion foam instead of newspaper. They should be kept small enough to fit neatly into the student's Basic Kit bag.

How to Make Your Own Lightweight Clipboard

An inexpensive, lightweight, versatile and durable clipboard can be made from rigid Styrofoam poster backing board (foamcore). This rigid foam board is easy to cut with a sharp utility knife. Cut to 8 1/2″×11″ size. It is relatively water-resistant and will not go soft when wet. It weighs very little, but has a hard surface that is excellent to write on. Use butterfly clips to hold down paper work. Fit the clipboard inside an extra large zip-lock bag when working outside in damp and wet weather.