It was a strange sight—twenty three fifth graders forming several head-to-toe lines as they stretched out on the playground. Although it looked like a game, these students were actually taking an abstract concept and translating it into concrete (pardon the pun!) terms. Teacher Laura Grimm had been teaching the […]
Schools in urban environments frequently have meager amounts of green space that can be utilized for outdoor learning. The National Inventor’s Hall of Fame® Middle School…Center for STEM Learning in Akron, Ohio was faced with exactly that challenge. The school is in the heart of downtown Akron, surrounded by concrete, […]
The school grounds can be used as a source of content, or as a venue for learning. At Lancaster High School in Ohio a courtyard has become the venue for displaying an innovative art project that encourages creativity while building a sense of unity. Art Instructor Suzy Rogers teaches the […]
As a new school year unfolds, help students quickly see that outdoor learning is going to be incorporated into your teaching this year. Remember that the school grounds can be used in two ways: As a content source to provide concrete examples of abstract concepts (e.g. finding parallel lines in […]
Question: What makes a school site a rich teaching resource? Answer: A diverse collection of plants and small critters! I’m a fan of low cost/no cost site enhancements that encourage plant and animal diversity on a school site. On a recent visit to the children’s area of the Cleveland, […]
