Learning Plan
Watch and Review
Video #1: Place-Based Learning: Connecting Kids to their Community
Review: Questions to consider while watching.
What does place-based learning mean?
How would you define "place" where you are teaching?
Where in your curriculum could you take students into the local environment?
Video #2: Place-Based Learning: Using your Location as a Classroom
Review: Questions to consider while watching.
What things in your location could be used as a tool?
Who could you ask about secret "nooks and crannies" that are in your area?
How can you connect what you are learning to where you live?
Read
Place-Based Education (pp. 1-8, 14)
This publication has a lot of great information if you have time to read the whole thing!
What-is-Place-Based-Education-and-Why-Does-it-Matter.pdfIceberg Analogy: Reflection
Looking at the illustration and make a list of possible elements of culture that could be used to connect to your curriculum.
Think of how you could use these to connect with your curriculum and the community.
Recommended Reading
The Power of Place: Authentic Learning through Place-Based Education offers a comprehensive and compelling case for making communities the locus of learning for students of all ages and backgrounds.
This highly recommended and can be purchased at Amazon.com.
Try It
Task 1: Evaluating Your Curriculum:
Using the chart:
List at least five content areas covered in your chosen curriculum. (You do not need to complete ALL the lines on the chart.)
As you interact with your community (go shopping, get mail, take walks), start listing connections and possible trips you take with your students to connect with what you are learning.
Ask a parapro in your building to sit with you for a couple minutes and get their advice - they have valuable experience in this area (they may even have memories of things they did in school that will work!)
Submit your completed chart in Canvas (where you will find an editable version assigned to you).
Task 2: Field Trip
1. Complete the "Planning a Field Trip" sheet and turn it in on Canvas (where you will find an editable version assigned to you).
2. Make arrangements as specified...
3. Take your students OUT!
4. If possible, invite another teacher to join your outing (either a parapro or a teacher who might join you with their class).
Task 3: Place-based lesson
Teach a place-based activity tied to the field trip that will deepen students' understanding of the learning goal of the excursion. The activity can take place before, during or after the field trip.
Reflection on Task 2 and 3
On Canvas, submit your curriculum connections chart, your completed field trip planning sheet and offer brief reflections on the following prompts:
Where did you take your students for their field trip? What was the learning goal(s) for the excursion? How did the students respond to the field trip? What were its strengths? What changes would you make if you did this excursion again?
Give a brief description of the place-based lesson you taught in connection with the field trip. How did the students respond to the activity? What were its strengths? What changes would you make if you taught it again in the future?
What are some additional field trips and place-based activities you could do with your students this year?
What is one curriculum area that you would like to focus on developing a more "place-based" approach to teaching this year? Why did you pick this content area? What are some realistic ways you could connect this content area more effectively with your students' lives?