Children’s outdoor activities and games Lesson planning for outdoor activities is challenging if you haven’t seen it in action before. Trying to imagine how to implement children’s outdoor activities and games without some sort of modeling or prior support seems incredibly daunting. However, I’m here to help you with descriptions and examples for different kinds […]
Podcast
10 Nocturnal Animal Books: Introducing Animal Adaptations That Help Animals Survive the Night [Ep. 21]Nocturnal Animal Books Nocturnal animals are inherently interesting creatures and could be a great way to hook your students into your science studies this October. Bats, flying squirrels, raccoons, owls, moths, and more could grab your students’ attention, but many of them have never seen these creatures. Introduce them and their unique adaptations through picture […]
Podcast
6 Animal Migration Activities for the Elementary Classroom [Ep. 20]Animal migration activities Fall animal migration is in full swing and is a natural phenomenon that your students will love to study! And guess what?! It’s a very dynamic concept that can actually apply to physics, life science, Earth science, and space science! In this episode, I introduce a Next Generation Science Standard for each […]
Podcast
Classroom Halloween Activities for An Outdoor Celebration [Ep. 19]Classroom Halloween activities Halloween is coming and so is your classroom party! You’re either planning your classroom Halloween activities, or you’re waiting just a wee bit longer to get your to-do list started. Whichever method you use, you should consider taking your Halloween party outside this year. By taking your party outside, you could end […]
Outdoor Education
Podcast
Nature Based Preschools and Elementary Classrooms: Talking Teacher Roles with Dr. Rachel Larimore [Ep. 18]Teacher roles in nature based preschools and elementary classrooms I am so excited to be able to offer you a guest interview all about teacher roles in nature based preschools and elementary classrooms! Dr. Rachel Larimore is a consultant, educator, and former nature preschool director and has recently co-written a book about the human element […]
Podcast
6 Fun Fall Activities Aligned with K-5 Next Generation Science Standards [Ep. 17]Fun fall activities Learning through play is a powerful way to teach your students. Gamifying your curriculum will help your students experience your content and will help them understand the phenomena in a deeper way and fall is a great time to begin this process. In this episode, we’ll talk about 6 fun fall activities […]
Podcast
10 Fall Picture Books to Introduce Seasonal Signs, Falling Leaves, and Animals in Autumn [Ep. 16]Fall Picture Books Fall is on its way and with it comes a change in weather and fewer hours of daylight. Fall picture books could be just what you need to help introduce your students to the seasonal signs they may see and how plants and animals react to the change in weather and shorter […]
Podcast
6 Citizen Science Projects for Elementary Students and Teachers [Ep. 15]Citizen Science Projects Citizen science projects are powerful, real-world opportunities to develop your students’ science skills, get them involved with the community, contribute to the scientific community, and nurture future stewards of the Earth. But what are they? Citizen science projects are opportunities that involve non-scientist participation in data collection and reporting for scientific research. […]
Podcast
Outdoor Classroom Routines and Procedures: 5 Easy Activities for Your First Week Outside [Ep. 14]Classroom Routines and Procedures Practicing classroom routines and procedures is essential in the first few weeks of school. When done consistently, you can set you and your students up for success for the rest of the school year. The same can be said for your outdoor classroom routines and procedures. In this episode, I describe […]
Podcast
Teaching with Phenology: How to Plan Your Science Standards Around the Seasons [Ep. 11]Teaching with Phenology Organizing science standards with phenology in mind can truly benefit your students’ overall learning. Not only does it encourage the use of all the senses, lends itself well to a variety of different science activities, and provides a scaffolded approach to understanding of content, it most importantly gives your students authentic phenomenon […]