Outdoor classrooms are wonderful for adding to the science curriculum. However, they are not available at many schools. Just because your school does not have an outdoor classroom, it does not mean that you cannot have outdoor science instruction. There are many activities that you can do with your students without having an outdoor classroom. I have listed some ideas below. Be creative and adapt them to meet your needs.
· Go on an insect hunt. Give students bug catchers and magnifying glasses and head outdoors. Students will love turning over rocks and digging around for crawly creatures. After several bugs are collected, meet in a central location with resource books to help identify the creatures that you caught. After examining all of the insects, return them to their homes.
· Take the students on a leaf hunt. Hand each student a bag and let him begin collecting. Be sure that you talk to students about leaves such as poison ivy before you begin. Leaves can also be used to make beautiful artwork.
· Go on a listening adventure. Take students outdoors and listen. Record the various sounds that you hear and try to guess what the sound is coming from. It is amazing what you can hear when you listen!
· Collect rocks. Students love to find fossils, shells, and sugar rocks. It is also fun to paint rocks!
· Go on a shape hunt. After learning about different shapes, take students outside and begin hunting for the different shapes in nature. Try this by finding different colors instead of shapes.
· Most schools will have an anthill around or near the sidewalks. Take students out and sit and observe the anthill. This can be done over several days. Be certain that students stay away from fire ants.
· Create a habitat for frogs and let students observe tadpoles on a daily basis. Students can draw pictures or keep a journal about the tadpoles.
Related Artciles
Tips For Managing Outdoor Instruction
Outdoor Classrooms- The Teacher’s Role