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Why Nature?

Why Nature?. Bring the kids and the classroom outside... Encourage a love for nature!. Proudly presented by: Peter Walsh and Julia Johnson. Do you remember your childhood? . Was it free range? Did you have a special place? A special memory?. Why Nature?. Asthma Allergies

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Why Nature?

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  1. Why Nature? Bring the kids and the classroom outside... Encourage a love for nature!

  2. Proudly presented by: Peter Walsh and Julia Johnson

  3. Do you remember your childhood? Was it free range? Did you have a special place? A special memory?

  4. Why Nature? • Asthma • Allergies • Obesity • Medications • Research • Fun and mostly free

  5. Why Not Nature • Fear of strangers • Fear of disease • Fear of dirt • Fear of the unknown

  6. Outdoor Management • Discuss the activity before you go outside • Discuss any rules • Create boundaries • Notify the main office before leaving the building

  7. Can you touch a booger? Then you can touch a worm or other type of critter!

  8. “I don’t have time…” The truth is, you don’t have time not to take the kids outside!

  9. Research shows that: • Children with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are better able to concentrate after contact with nature (Taylor et al. 2001). • Children with views of and contact with nature score higher on tests of concentration and self-discipline. The greener, the better the scores (Wells 2000, Taylor et al. 2002). • Children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced motor fitness, including coordination, balance and agility, and they are sick less often (Grahn, et al. 1997, Fjortoft & Sageie 2001). • When children play in natural environments, their play is more diverse with imaginative and creative play that fosters language and collaborative skills (Moore & Wong 1997, Taylor, et al. 1998, Fjortoft 2000). • Exposure to natural environments improves children's cognitive development by improving their awareness, reasoning and observational skills (Pyle 2002). • Nature buffers the impact of life's stresses on children and helps them deal with adversity. The greater the amount of nature exposure, the greater the benefits (Wells & Evans 2003). • Play in a diverse natural environment reduces or eliminates bullying (Malone & Tranter 2003). • Nature helps children develop powers of observation and creativity and instills a sense of peace and being at one with the world (Crain 2001). • Early experiences with the natural world have been positively linked with the development of imagination and the sense of wonder (Cobb 1977, Louv 1991). Wonder is an important motivator for life long learning (Wilson 1997). • Children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other (Moore 1996). • Natural environments stimulate social interaction between children (Moore 1986, Bixler et al. 2002). • Outdoor environments are important to children's development of independence and autonomy (Bartlett 1996). • Play in outdoor environments stimulates all aspects of children development more readily than indoor environments (Moore & Wong 1997). • An affinity to and love of nature, along with a positive environmental ethic, grow out of regular contact with and play in the natural world during early childhood. Children's loss of regular contact with the natural world can result in a biophobic future generation not interested in preserving nature and its diversity (Bunting & Cousins 1985; Chawla 1988; Wilson 1993; Pyle 1993; Chipeniuk 1994; Sobel 1996, 2002 & 2004; Hart 1997; Wilson 1997, Kals et al. 1999; Moore & Cosco 2000; Fisman 2001; Kellert 2002; Bixler et al. 2002; Kals & Ittner 2003; Schultz et al. 2004). • •

  10. Nature Experiences • Children don’t get outside enough • Free play and exploring time in nature is vital for the development of school age children. • They are not getting that time at home. • Why?

  11. What can you do as a family? • Take a hike or walk • Make a snow man • Have no plan • Create a story • Watch clouds • Go on a winter beach hike • Build a fort • Go on a nature program

  12. What can you do with students?

  13. Go outside...

  14. NOW WHAT? Think of the outside as an extension of your classroom!

  15. Bring the classroom outside... Encourage a love for nature!

  16. Various outdoor activities that you can do outside... • Bring blocks outside • Have centers outside • Enjoy snack outside • Lie down under a tree • Have students find shapes, numbers and letters in nature • Music and movement • Read a book outside • Bring puzzles and games outside • Bring projects outside • Use the seasons as a guide • Go for a “Spring, Fall, or Winter Treasure Hunt” • Paint outside • Simply take a nature walk and enjoy the fresh air

  17. Explore the grounds and clean up a bit • Everyone has a pair of garden gloves • Take trash bags outside and clean up the front yard

  18. 5th grade / Kindergarten "Buddies"

  19. Touching and working with nature was new to many of the children

  20. We fed and observed the birds... • We painted and assembled a bird feeder • We filled the feeder with seed • We planted a Shepard's hook in the ground • We hung the feeder and sat back to observe the birds

  21. Plant shrubs, perennials and annuals in the spring

  22. Build a garden parent involvement & a place to enjoy every day

  23. Bring Nature Inside as much as possible too… Have live plants and animals in your classroom for children to care for and interact with.

  24. Plants are important to have in the classroom And home • Teach children respect for plant life • Responsibility each day • Seed emergence and the growth process Hairy heads initials with grass seed lima bean in clear container

  25. Raising quail in the classroom Children cleaned the tank each day

  26. Observing and learning Releasing into the wild and saying goodbye...

  27. Open Space Stewardship Program In January of 2006, the Office of Educational Programs (OEP) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory launched the Open Space Stewardship Program as part of its GREEN Institute. GREEN stands for "Gaining Research Experience in the Environment." The program fosters partnerships between schools and land stewards in their local communities. Students in grades K through 12 perform environmental research on undeveloped land owned either by a public or private agency. (Retrieved from http://www.greenossp.org/) This program is designed to:- help students to learn about the scientific process through working with real-life data in the field- benefit land stewards in the management of their property- promote science literacy- encourage students to consider careers in science and technology- foster a sense of civic responsibility and respect for open space property.

  28. AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY A research based essay contest to promote participation and communication in science. Students will plan and conduct a scientific expedition that will provide questions, data, observations, and conclusions on a self-selected topic in the field of Biology, Earth Science, or astronomy. Young Naturalist Awards Website:www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/

  29. Progress , Problem Solving and Leaf Packs at Pardees Pond…

  30. Testing levels of dissolved oxygen to determine water quality… Leaving the pond a bit cleaner than we found it…

  31. Any curriculum can be adapted to integrate the outdoors It takes the dedication of one person to make a difference It’s worth it! The Point

  32. So remember, Go outside and "Explore the Great Outdoors" with your children... Start tomorrow and have fun!

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