This practical text offers simple activities and lesson plans for young people in a variety of school and community settings. The author examines why outdoor education is important and includes a step-by-step guide for planning field trips through to a complete outdoor education programme.

Outdoor education, a general term describing the use of resources outside the classroom, has long been considered a method to improve student learning. This book aims to create a bridge between current school reform efforts and the field of outdoor education. Chapter 1 introduces the idea of outdoor education and relates several recent educational innovations to principles of outdoor education and experiential learning. These innovations include service learning, children's museums, constructivism, problem-based learning, technology-based authentic learning, concern for multiple intelligences, and interdisciplinary learning. Chapter 2 makes suggestions for planning outdoor learning, explains the role of the teacher in student-centered learning, and outlines a learning adventure model. Chapter 3 presents 12 outdoor adventures that move instruction into the community. Developed for grades 4-9, these adventures can be adapted to most ages or to nonschool situations or can be a model for teachers to develop their own thematic units. Each adventure contains an organizing problem, background, outcomes, activities, reflection questions, and performance assessments. Themes include observing people at the shopping center, community planning, local pollution problems, starting a democratic society, homesteading, seeing a city block, fast-food fact finding, scouting the school grounds, reading the cemetery "story," down the drain, nature in the city, and creating a nature trail. Appendices contain a brief history of outdoor education and experiential learning, an environmental inventory, bibliographies of related materials, guidelines for creating student-centered learning communities, related organizations, and 15 ways to study a place without a guide. Contains 44 references. (SV)

"This is a superb book, and does a wonderful job of relating the current state of research related to outdoor, environmental, and place-based education. The book provides a roadmap showing others to identify problems, develop research questions, put together data, and disseminate information to third parties." Joan Franklin Smutny, Founding Director of the Center for Gifted, a Northern Illinois University Partner, and Director of the Midwest Torrance Center for Creativity This book explores the phenomenon of outdoor education, an approach that permits children from all backgrounds to explore environmental, sustainability, and other issues facing them and their communities. Organized around both the conceptual and the practical issues facing school leaders interested in outdoor education, the book provides a wealth of resources for those interested in implementing outdoor education in their schools or classrooms. Infinitely flexible, outdoor education provides a lens through which teachers may explore any content area with any age group of children. Providing readers with both the theoretical underpinnings that support place-based curriculum as well as practical ways to implement an outdoor education program, the book also provides seven case studies that examine the issues facing school leaders desiring to make such a change. It guides those interested in exploring outdoor education through the curricular, instructional, and policy considerations needed to accomplish this goal. Stephen T. Schroth is Professor of Early Childhood Education/Gifted & Creative Education at Towson University, USA. He is the author of eight monographs, multiple book chapters, and numerous articles, and has taught pre-service teachers and graduate students for over twenty five years.

Teaching Outdoors Creatively offers guidance and a variety of exciting ideas to suit the full range of primary schools and locations. Underpinned by current research and practical experience, it investigates innovative approaches to working creatively with children beyond the classroom. While recognising the diverse needs and opportunities that primary schools have to develop the outdoors as part of their curriculum, it presents a broad range of activities, philosophies and approaches. Key themes explored include: Understanding and using local and home environments Investigating streets and buildings in your area Planning fieldwork Using rivers to inspire children Forest schools Beach schools Physical education outdoors Learning through adventure. Teaching Outdoors Creatively supports teaching and learning in a wide range of settings, from schools in rural and urban areas, to off-site outdoor education centres and residential visits. With a focus on developing effective and stimulating learning environments for children it is a must-have resource for all busy trainee and practising teachers.

Information on teaching outdoor education in different regards such as extending the school curriculum or as resident outdoor education programs.

Following the acclaim for Learning Outside the Classroom in 2012, this latest book more deeply explains how well constructed outdoor learning experiences can benefit children and young people’s academic development and health and wellbeing. Outdoor Learning Across the Curriculum outlines the theory and practice to enable preservice and experienced primary and secondary school teachers to systematically incorporate meaningful outdoor learning opportunities into their daily teaching activities, in a range of environments and with diverse groups of students. Six of the chapters are substantially re-worked versions of the 2012 book, two are completely re-imagined, and four are entirely new. Topics for developing learning and teaching outdoors include: Inclusive educational design Learning for sustainability Community-based learning The role of student curiosity and wonder Evidencing learning Developing a whole school approach Place-responsive education Integrating digital technology With practical and engaging chapters containing aims, case studies, and guidelines for practice, this timely book provides teachers the tools with which they can integrate outdoor learning into their daily timetable. It will also be a valuable resource to other professions which use the outdoors for educational purposes.

"The first curricular-focused outdoor learning textbook for prospective and practising K-12 teachers, this book provides both academic justification and practical support for educators working in a wide variety of environments and with diverse populations of students to incorporate more meaningful outdoor learning opportunities into their daily teaching activities. Learning Outside the Classroom is not a set of prescriptive activities that can be read and used uncritically. The idea of adaptation for personal relevance is central. All teachers are capable of enhancing their students' learning experiences by systematically and progressively incorporating ventures outside the classroom into their lessons. The principles and examples presented in this book are intended to be adapted by teachers to suit the needs of their students in ways that draw upon content offered by the local landscape and its natural and built heritage. Nor is this book just about outdoor learning; it's about good teaching -- wherever it takes place. It is about helping teachers devise and use the tools with which they can address the largely uncontested assumption that legitimate learning only occurs within four walls. Learning outside the classroom affords teachers the privilege of helping and the joy of observing students in a process of intellectual, emotional, and social growth that can last a lifetime"-- Provided by publisher.

"This book helps educators who use the outdoors as a learning setting. It presents teaching methods for people who teach in schools, nature centers, adventure centers, camps, environmental learning centers, government agencies, and universities. These methods apply to many subject areas such as physical education, science education, environmental studies, and recreation"--