Outdoor Classrooms
From the Children and Nature Network Blog:
Factoring out other variables, studies of students in California and nationwide showed that schools that used outdoor classrooms and other forms of nature-based experiential education were associated with significant student gains in social studies, science, language arts, and math. One recent study found that students in outdoor science programs improved their science testing scores by 27 percent.
The WCIWA Projects
The Watershed Alliance coverage areas may be lacking in financial resources, however there are abundant learning opportunities, often adjacent to schools.
Hymera Elementary
The combination of existing prairie habitat along with a faculty that is active in demonstrating environmental and life sciences made the Hymera Elementary School made an excellent choice as the initial site for the WCIWA Outdoor Classroom Project.
Dugger Schools
With help from a Peabody Energy grant, the project has expanded to include Union Jr/Sr High School. Planning has commenced to improve the existing Union outdoor lab by installing a BioSwale. This structure will not only filter run-off from School buildings and parking lots, it will also provide additional wildlife habitat for students' studies. In addition to this work, donations from Ron and Dee Ronk will help seed a large portion of the adjacent Dugger Elementary lot to prairie habitat - providing yet another area for outdoor studies.
Farmersburg Elementary
In addition to the Dugger schools, the Peabody Energy grant mentioned above will hlep underwrite development of environmental facilities at Farmersburg Elementary. Initial work will focus on addressing exisiting drainage issues and planning for a future rain garden - as well as installing a weather station to augment the school's current science facilities.
The Process
Step 1: Lab Establishment
The Outdoor Lab facilities typically build up exisitn components. For example, a prairie plot had been established near Hymera Elementary. After years of growth, the prairie plot was becoming a transitional woodlot - and in need of rejuvenation. During Fall 2008, with a goal of increasing forb (non-grass) content, and controlling / eradicating encroaching woody growth, a burn plan was devised by Roger Stonebraker, District Biologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Fire breaks were created by volunteers from Wildlife Land and Resource Management and members of local chapters of Quail Unlimited managed the controlled burn. Another section was burned in Fall 2010.
Students have been using the site to collect and identify insects and plants.
Step 2: Lesson Plans
Incorporating outdoor activities into lesson plans that address State standards can be enough to make the most seasoned of instructors quake in their shoes. Luckily, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has addressed that issue through their Natural Resources Education Center (NREC).
The NREC has developed "non-biased supplementary curriculum that enhances student learning in all subject and skill areas". The WCIWA and the Environmental Education Center at Turtle Creek hope to host a series of workshops. If you are interested in these workshops - or have ideas for subject matter, please use the Contact Us form with Subject "Outdoor Classroom".
Step 3: Learning Kits
The WCIWA is working with Freshwater Fred's Lending Libary to provide kits that may be used in Outdoor Classroom instruction as well as more traditional classroom settings. A community service of Hoosier Energy, the library has a catalogue of over 1,000 items. There is no charge for Freshwater Fred items.
Reaching Across Districts
Our goal is to develop Outdoor Classrooms at each of the schools located in the Busseron Creek Watershed. We recognize that tightening
budgets, stricter guidelines, and field trip limitations can can severely hinder outdoor education opportunities. Varied and multiple Outdoor
Classrooms established in a school district can help overcome these hurdles to hands-on natural resource education. In addition, the BCWP hopes
to facilitate use of other areas not associated with a school district for outdoor education. These areas include: