Please use the guidelines below to help you get started in bringing your classroom out into nature.  These ideas are here to help you feel comfortable and secure in getting your students outside.

Classrooms in Nature Guidelines

Purpose

The purpose of this guideline is to inform and prepare teachers to bring their classroom outdoors with ease, effective learning, and safety in mind. 

Before Heading Outside ( Steps 1 - 3 )

Step1: Assessment of Property

• Establish the nature available on your school grounds. 

• Assess boundaries as to where you and students will conduct learning

• Assess the area for safety 

  • Phone Service

  • Bugs/Bees

  • Footing

  • Harmful vegetation (thorns, poison ivy)

Step 2: Creating Boundaries

• Design the space of learning and establish where you want students to be/can go

• Examples:

  • Students will form a seated or standing circle around the teacher.

  • Students will stay in a line while on the nature walk

  • Students will be placed in groups of 3-4 and remain in a specified learning area.

Step 3: Delegating Goals, Expectations, and Materials

• Provide goals, expectations, and boundary limits prior to leaving the classroom.

• Make sure students have something to write with and on for accountability (pencil and clipboard).

• Teachers should bring their own checklist and a cell phone to keep track of timing and for emergency use.

Heading Outside ( Steps 4 -  6)

Step 4: Trial Run

• Take students outside to achieve a small goal, practicing expectations, and responsible behavior while outside. 

• Examples:

  •  Inventory Activity

    • Walking in a line, students will record an inventory of natural items that they see while on a nature walk (example handout can be found here)

    • Seated in a circle, students will write down natural items they see guided by various shapes.

    • Seated in a circle, students will write down natural items they see guided by various colors. 

      • Resource handouts for shapes and colors in nature can be found here

  • Guided Questions

    • I notice

    • I wonder

    • This reminds me of

    • Example handout available here

Step 5: Debrief

• Return to the classroom and debrief with students.

  • Sketch your experience

  • Freewrite your experience

  • Discuss and share your experience with group or partners

Step 6: Time Extension

When you and your students are ready to extend the outdoor lesson, utilize steps above but break up the goal in time increments.

Example Lesson:

The 5-Senses Eye Spy

Goal: Students will observe the outdoors and list an object of nature with a description based on the sense in a group setting.

• “I spy something that is red”

• “I smell something that smells good”