Olivia Westfall
Wright State University
OH

Natural Resources: Outdoor Classrooms

Sun, Nov 27, 2016 10:05 PM
Outdoor Classrooms

This article provides examples of the ways organizations have helped many schools to construct outdoor learning gardens. It gives a list of organizations and resources to assist teachers in building learning gardens. It also gives resources that can aid teachers in successfully implementing learning gardens. This article is great for the teacher who is just beginning to consider an outdoor learning space, and provides many helpful tools in getting started!

Natural Resources: Outdoor Classrooms

Sun, Nov 27, 2016 9:47 PM
Outdoor Classrooms

This article provides examples of the ways organizations have helped many schools to construct outdoor learning gardens. It gives a list of organizations and resources to assist teachers in building learning gardens. It also gives resources that can aid teachers in successfully implementing learning gardens. This article is great for the teacher who is just beginning to consider an outdoor learning space, and provides many helpful tools in getting started!

Outdoor Integration

Sun, Nov 27, 2016 9:27 PM
Outdoor Integration

This article introduces ways to use an outdoor space as the basis for inquiry in a science lesson. The author says that first, students are introduced to the topic by reading a science article or story to get them interested and gain background knowledge on the topic. Then students are asked to make observations outdoors to apply the concepts they read about to our natural world. I like the idea of using our natural surroundings as a basis for inquiry, because that is what real scientists do, and it makes the scientific experience authentic. However, I wish that the process was reversed. If we are truly teaching through inquiry-based learning, the students should acquire the knowledge independently through observations and communication with peers. Then, once they have gained the information, they may solidify knowledge and correct any misconceptions through a scientific article or teacher support. I liked the ideas presented in this article about how to use a garden space for inquiry learning; however, the format I feel could use improvement. Of course, ideas are always subject to what works best in your own classroom!