Inclusive lessons foster love of nature for all ages

For many children, a lifelong love of nature starts with positive memories of being outside, having fun and feeling connected to people who care about them.

This fact underpins Canopy’s K-12 curriculum, which prioritizes fun, social, and hands-on learning that engages kids of different learning styles, abilities, and cultural backgrounds. Always incorporating teacher and student feedback, Canopy designs lessons that meet students where they are and supports teachers' classroom goals while also meeting Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

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New curricula gets kids moving, exploring, and creating together

As kids return to in-person school, social-emotional learning is a priority. That's one message Paul LaVallee heard from teachers and STEM coordinators when he met to gather feedback and brainstorm with them after starting as Canopy's Environmental Educator in May of 2022.

Paul spent the summer designing new 3rd Grade curriculum to supplement Canopy's existing 2nd and 4th Grade lessons. He also updated existing curriculum based on teacher feedback, like breaking up some lessons into two parts to allow more time for activities and outdoor exploration.

"One teacher shared that, with some of our lessons, outdoor time was backloaded at the end of the lesson, but kids heard they were going to learn about trees and were excited to go outside right away," shares Paul. "That was really helpful feedback, and we can definitely move that outdoor time up in the lessons."

"Teachers are also looking for more group and partner work," he says, "so we made that pivot in all of our lessons, too. We're using different activities like models, skits, and storytelling to implement student-led teaching in a fun and creative way."

Paul says the new lessons are going well this Fall and that he's excited to continue partnering with teachers. "When we have a new lesson idea, it's great to have affirmation from teachers that they think it will work for their class."

Check out Canopy's K-12 curricula →

Staff shout-out: Paul LaVallee started with Canopy in May 2022 and immediately started meeting with teachers and creating new lessons. Meet Paul →

“Teachers tell us that they love the partner and group-based work. Our new curriculum builds on that and attends to multiple learning modalities through crafting, storytelling, drawing, art, model-making, movement, and more... Discussion-based lessons tend to privilege more extraverted and verbal students; we still include discussion, but definitely mix it up so that every student can participate in a way that works for them."

- Paul LaVallee, Environmental Educator

A peek at Canopy's newest lessons

"AdaptaTheater"
New 3rd Grade Lesson

Ever wonder how trees survive the shock of a hurricane or inferno of a wildfire? In this lesson, students explore how trees adapt to survive and thrive in different climates. Kids dress up to explore how people adapt to harsh weather conditions, head outside to investigate trees on their school campus, then work together to create a skit that portrays the ways that trees adapt.

"Tree Tales"
New 3rd Grade Lesson

It might be hard to believe that a towering Redwood or sprawling Oak grew from a tiny seed! This lesson about tree life cycles starts with a "life cycle stretch" where kids literally move through the five stages of a tree life cycle. Next, students study tree parts associated with each stage at hands-on "exploration stations" before creating their own drawing or comic depicting the story of a tree.

"Defense against the Bark Arts" 4th Grade Lesson

Is it science or is it magic? In this lesson, students learn about animals, insects, bacteria, and fungi that threaten a trees' survival and how trees defend themselves against attacks using both mechanical and chemical protections. A matching game builds students' understanding of different defense mechanisms while a hands-on craft gives them the chance to design a tree defense.

Canopy intern: why environmental education matters

Canopy college intern Yingran Zhang shares research about the the impact of COVID-19 on outdoor and environmental education programs, and why it's so important that communities continue to invest in nature education for all youth.

Read Yingran's blog post →

Wellness Tree Walks help high school students destress in nature

Canopy first introduced Wellness Tree Walks in 2018 as a way to share tree knowledge with high school students while also providing a mental health break through spending time outside in nature. The program took on new significance during the pandemic, which underscored disparities in nature access and the consequences for people's mental and physical wellbeing.

During lockdown, Canopy offered self-guided Wellness Tree Walks with maps and videos that students could reference as they took a walk on their own. In 2022, Canopy was able to resume in-person Wellness Walks.

"Lots of students comment that it’s very eye-opening to see the trees on their school campus and understand their value in a different light," shares Environmental Educator Paul LaValleee. "They walk away with a new perspective on the role of nature and natural spaces in wellness, as well as tools they can use in their own life."

“I am always excited to see the "quiet" student engage, or the kid who never takes time to calm down take that deep breath and do a mindfulness activity under a tree for just 2 minutes of their hectic day. It's wonderful to see them explore themselves through the world of trees and nature.” - Jeanette Tucker, Teacher, Gunn High School

In their own words: students share Wellness Tree Walk impressions

After each Wellness Tree Walk Canopy invites students to fill out a lesson evaluation. Out of 261 responses for 2022 summer and fall walks, 80% of students reported feeling more relaxed after the walk, 91% reported a better understanding of tree benefits, and 92% said they learned nature-based stress relief skills that they can use on their own. Here are a few thoughts they shared with us:

“I was surprised by the walk. The walk made me feel so much more calm and peaceful. It also helped me learn about some of the trees I walk past almost everyday.”

“It was nice to take the time to be quiet and observe. When it was quiet I was able to see and hear much more. I learned a lot more about trees on the walk.”

“I didn’t realize how many birds and trees were there around campus. It stood out to me how nice it felt to relax in nature.”

“I liked the moment where we got to savor a memory. It made me feel more thankful for those moments."

Youth-led design: One of Canopy's newest Wellness Walk routes was created by two high school students who are offering the walk experience to their peers. Read the blog post →

Expanding Wellness Walks to new audiences

To date, Canopy has offered Wellness Tree Walks in Palo Alto and Mountain View high schools, with lessons tailored to the trees on each campus. But projects are in the works to expand to new audiences, with the goal of offering walks to all high schools in Canopy's service areas.

The team has also offered adult Wellness Walks for the first time, piloting a route in Palo Alto's Mitchell Park for Palo Alto's Community Advisory Committee for Special Education.

Recruiting a new cohort of Education Volunteers

Canopy education volunteers play an important role in classroom lessons, expanding Canopy's capacity to offer lessons and helping engage kids more personally during each lesson. This volunteer role was paused during the pandemic, and has been officially revived as of Fall 2022.

In October, Canopy offered a revamped Education Volunteer training that prepares volunteers to enter the classroom. The training, which will repeat throughout the year based on volunteer interest, provides background information about the schools Canopy serves, tools for working with English Bilingual learners, and tips for promoting classroom discussion and inclusion.

Want to join the fun? We're still looking for volunteers to help inspire kids! Contact Paul →