A couple of months ago, Dragonfly Nature Programs went plastic neutral. While we have always purposely designed lessons that minimize waste, waste is very hard to avoid.
Teachers, I wanted to find ways to support your virtual work and so I’ve compiled some wonderful tools to help you connect children with nature during this unusual year. I have a little something for everyone this month, from pre-K to AP high school classrooms. The resources shared are all designed to support outdoor education and each has its pros and cons which I’ve listed to help you make the best choice for your classroom.
The pandemic has schools closed and is forcing everyone to adapt. Now is a good time to remind parents and teachers alike that some of our children’s best math lessons are born from time spent with a child, practicing a favorite family recipe. Some of the best lessons on patterns is learning to crochet or knit. Literacy skills are developed and refined during bedtime stories and introductions to our natural environment are done while on family walks.
Not every lesson has to precisely meet every state learning standard for it to be memorable and effective. For all the parents and teachers out there, racking your brains for quality at-home learning experiences, I’d like to suggest, a walk.
By creatively connecting outdoor activities to your required objectives, teaching outside the literal box of your classroom should leave you pleased with the learning and behavior outcomes of your students! Yes, it’s cold outside, so dress warmly and open yourself up to the possibility of new discoveries and a rich connection to your natural environment, for yourself and your students.
My own learning cycle would not have progressed as it has if I kept inside a vacuum, unwilling to change as a reflection of the students I’ve met, the teachers I’ve worked with or the professional development I’ve taken part in. Likewise, life cycles, of any animal, do not occur without influence from outside forces.
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