Learning gardens I am so excited to be able to offer you a guest interview all about teaching with gardens! My experience is with wild ecosystems, but Victoria Hackett from Outdoor Classrooms has researched teaching gardens across the U.S. Through this research, she developed a framework of 4 different types of gardens that can be […]
Outdoor Education
Podcast
5 Outdoor Education Safety Tips for Teaching Outside [Ep. 6]Outdoor education safety tips If you’ve considered teaching outside, but safety concerns have held you back, I’m here to help! Outdoor education safety can be managed just like any other aspect of teaching and can come as second nature when practiced regularly. In this episode, I share 5 tips to help you feel more at […]
Podcast
Outdoor Learning Environment: 3 Things to Plan for Back to School [Ep. 2]Outdoor learning environment Outdoor education is a great way to enhance your science studies in elementary school, but what’s the best way to set up your outdoor learning environment? In this episode, I’m going to help you plan for the school year by talking through 3 aspects of your outdoor learning environment. First, we talk […]
Outdoor Education
Winter Gear Wisdom: A Practical Guide for Elementary Outdoor EducationDelving into the realm of winter gear for outdoor learning, elementary teachers often find themselves facing the challenge of ensuring their students are adequately dressed for the season. This guide aims to unravel the complexities surrounding winter gear, ensuring students are well-prepared and enthusiastic about outdoor learning during the winter season. What is the weather […]
Science
Snowy Science: A Guide to Teaching About Matter in WinterSometimes teaching about matter can be intimidating and challenging. It’s an abstract concept that educators have the difficult task of teaching to young children. This guide to teaching matter in winter will hopefully give you some ideas for leveraging the season to help you fulfill your curricular goals in an impactful and engaging way while […]
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education: How to Use Nature to Improve Your Science StudiesWhat is outdoor education? Outdoor education is a challenging thing to define, but most sources agree that it’s intentional or organized learning that takes place in nature or outside the classroom. Sometimes outdoor education is also referred to as outdoor learning, outdoor schools, forest schools, or wilderness education. But don’t let those names hold you […]
Science
Outdoor Education
Teaching the Weather of Summer: A Helpful Guide for Elementary TeachersTeaching the weather of summer is a great way to end your school year and weather studies in kindergarten and 3rd grade. Your students are already feeling the warmer temperatures, hearing the birds call, and getting antsy, so why not harness the excitement and get outside?! Summer is unique in each region and will have […]
Science
Outdoor Education
How Vernal Pools Can Be Used to Reach Your Curricular GoalsTrudging through the woods with a trail of kindergarteners behind me, we spot our destination right away. Vernal pools sitting there, waiting for us to explore. We all stand around the edge and stare at these innocent puddles wondering what we may find. I give directions about how to use scientific tools to sample the […]
Science
Outdoor Education
A Helpful Guide to Answering the Question, “What is the Spring Season?”What is the spring season and what can it do for you in your classroom? Teaching the spring season is a great way to extend the weather studies your kindergarteners or 3rd graders started at the beginning of the school year. Spring is unique in each region and will have its own set of weather […]
Science
Outdoor Education
A Helpful Guide to Teaching the Season Transition to WinterTeaching the season transition from fall to winter is a great way to continue the weather studies your kindergarteners or 3rd graders started at the beginning of the school year. Winter is unique in each region and will have its own set of weather patterns to be studied. By studying your local winter weather, your […]