Experential Learning

In a state like Maine it isn't a difficult task to find an outdoor space to study is not a difficult task. Expansive Classrooms: Taking Learning Outside by Erin Nicolardi is an article that talks about the benefits of teaching outside and how to get started. Nicolardi lists some different ways to incorporate outside classes into subjects like heath or English but these ideas can be adapted to other subjects as well.

One way to start thinking about learning outside is having one day a year where teachers bring their class outside. I love the idea of getting every subject outside for one or more block on that day of the year. This gives students something to look forward to over the course of the year. Some of the ideas that Nicolardi gave were; writing poetry outdoors, storytelling, or Earthkeeping.

The ideas given work more in an English/ art class but working outside is essential in a science class. Science deals with the real world and with real world processes, so the best way to engage students in the subject is to get them into nature and the environment. In a Biology class, outdoor classes should be at least once a week. Everything can be linked to the world around the students. If student are learning about lifecycles or biodiversity the outside is a great place to have authentic learning experience. In a chemistry class students can be asked to find chemistry in everything around them and they can also study the chemistry of certain outdoor activities. Physics can also be done outside. Even though physics is mostly math, who is to say the math cant be done outside with whiteboards and calculators. The students can drop stuff off bleachers and time it, they can roll balls down a hill. So much can be done outside.

I believe that outdoor classes are a necessity in a science classroom because it allows students to connect the concepts to the real world. Students will have more authentic learning experiences by learning in the environment that it is supposed to be in.

Standards: Learning Development, Learning Environment, Application of Content

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