the school garden integrating the sciences and play in an outdoor classroom
DESCRIPTION
The School Garden Integrating the Sciences and Play in an Outdoor Classroom 2009 ACEI International Convention and Exhibition. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The School GardenIntegrating the Sciences and Play in
an Outdoor Classroom
2009 ACEI International Convention and Exhibition
Jeremy Winters Tracey Ring [email protected]
[email protected] Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee
State University
WELCOMEWELCOME
The journey begins…..
An under-utilized space at a public elementary school inspires a project that evolves into an Herb Garden. This project reflects collaboration of the students, parents, teachers, a local university, and the community. The herb garden creates opportunities to integrate curriculum with aspects of play in an outdoor classroom.
The goals of the project are to…
• Create an outdoor classroom • Expose students to herbs and
plants• Provide unique learning
opportunities• Provide a realistic context for
learning• Support the existing curriculum as
well as pioneer specific lessons
What is Play?
• A holistic learning alternative• Meets students cognitive,
emotional, physical, and social needs
• Can be unstructured or guided
Play in the Garden
The garden allows for a playful attitude. It also allows for
spontaneous events that could not occur inside the classroom
walls.
Why teach outdoors?
Given the opportunities, children will choose to engage in outdoor before indoor tasks, perform hands-on and manipulative activities rather than complete worksheets, and associate with relevant and personal meaning as contrasted with the abstract or symbolic.
The Outdoor ClassroomInstructional Uses
• A learning center• A project-based
station• Area for
observation• Area for
reflection
The Outdoor ClassroomThe Environment
Man-made Materials
• Picnic Tables• Gazebos• Birdhouses• Bricks
Natural Materials• Dirt• Rocks• Plants• Trees
The Outdoor ClassroomResearch
Frost (2005) indicates that in the outdoor classroom “the senses are heightened, consciousness is narrowed, self-consciousness disappears, and the person becomes absolutely absorbed in the activity” (p. 9).
The outdoors afford a particular variety of physical and personnel resources, invites naturalistic inquiry, ensures a range of observation and data collection opportunities, and provides aesthetic experiences (Burriss & Foulks, 2005).
The Outdoor ClassroomResearch (Continued)
The Curriculum Principle in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM), reports that mathematics needs to be important and transferable to settings outside the class walls (NCTM, 2000).
Lieberman and Hoody (1998) found that utilizing the environment can improve understanding of mathematical concepts and content, better mastery of math skills, and more enthusiasm for studying math.
About the Garden
• Located at Homer Pittard Campus School in Murfreesboro, TN
• A distinct area within a Nature Trail (1km long) surrounding the school building.
• Garden Details:• Dimensions- 8’ x 8’• Edging- Railroad Ties• Center- Tree stump with a sundial on top• Subdivided into 4 areas by rectangular bricks• Various herbs planted within the 4 sub-regions• See diagram on next slide
HerbsTree
Stump(Sundial)
8 feet
8 feet
Bricks
Railroad Ties
Herbs
Herbs
Herbs
Herbs
Click to seeSampleHerbs orFull listof Herbs
About the Garden
• Utilized by the Kindergarten classrooms
• Used to study• Annuals• Perennials• Herbs• Insects• Bees• Pollination
Sample Lessons from the Herb Garden
Sundial- Roman Numerals/Time
Rocks- Art: Hand painted by each child
Seasonal- Annuals vs. perennials; Changes in leaves; Rocks, insects, bees & pollination
Cooking- Using herbs to cook various items; following recipes, measurement, etc.
Writing Stories- Writing about observations and experiences
Meeting Math Standards• Number and Operations: Children use numbers,
including written numerals, to represent quantities and to solve quantitative problems, such as counting objects in a set, creating a set with a given number of objects, comparing and ordering sets or numerals by using both cardinal and ordinal meanings, and modeling simple joining and separating situations with objects.
• Geometry: Children interpret the physical world with geometric ideas.
• Measurement: Children use measurable attributes, such as length or weight, to solve problems by comparing and ordering objects. (NCTM, 2000, p. 12)
Sample Math Activities
• Counting and Sorting Seeds to be planted• Counting number of plants that grew and
number of herbs picked in the garden• Counting activities associated with herb
biscuit recipe (translating between oral, written, and symbolic) – Herb biscuit recipe
• Common fractions associated with the herb biscuit recipe and in the sub-regions of the garden
Sample Math Activities(Continued)
• Roman numerals associated with the sundial
• Comparing and Ordering – Calculating the amount of herbs produced by each
plant– Comparing and ordering according to productivity– Size of the herbs
• Length of a leaf• Volume of the plant
• Exploring and analyzing shapes found in and near the garden
Meeting Science Standards
• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry• Understanding about scientific inquiry• Properties of objects and materials• Position and motion of objects• Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism• Characteristics of organisms• Life cycles of organisms• Organisms and environments (National
Academies Press, 1996, p. 105-106)
Sample Science Activities
• Hypothesis Testing– What herbs/plants will grow the fastest, grow
the tallest, grow the fullest– What area of the garden will be the most
productive– How does exposure to sunlight effect the
herbs/plants• Time exposed to sunlight• Direct versus indirect sunlight
Sample Science Activities(Continued)
• Charting and classifying– Locating herbs/plants in the garden– Characteristics of organisms in the garden– Differences and similarities of the herbs/plants
• Exposure to the scientific method.– Observations of the seasons– Observations of the life cycles of organisms in
the garden
References
• Burriss, K.G. & Foulks Boyd B. (Eds.). (2005). Outdoor learning and play: Ages 8-12. Olney, MD: Association for Childhood Education International.
• Frost, J. L. (2005). Introduction. In K.G. Burriss & B. Foulks-Boyd (Eds.), Outdoor learning and play, ages 8-12. (pp. 9-12). Olney, MD: Association for Childhood Education International.
• Lieberman, G.A. & Hoody, L. (1998). Closing the achievement gap: Using the environment as an integrating context for learning. San Diego: State Education and Environment Roundtable.
• National Academies Press (1996). National Science Education Standards.
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA.
Must we always teach our children with books?
Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above.
Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth.
They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real
education.
- David Polis
Sample Herbs found in the Garden
Rosemary Mint Sage
Dill
Thyme
Parsley Basil
Click here to return to previous slide
All the Herbs in the Garden
CatnipGarlic ChivesHyssopLavenderLemon BalmMarjoram
MintRosemarySageBasilThymeDillParsley
Click here to return to previous slide
Herb Biscuit Recipe
PREPARATION:Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Fahrenheit. Spray cooking oil on cookie
sheet.
Using a large dinner fork, stir together self-rising flour, mayonnaise, sage, thyme, garlic, parsley, basil, and milk until combined.
Drop dough onto cookie sheet using large serving spoon.
Bake in oven for 10 – 15 minutes.Serve warm.
INGREDIENTS:Cooking oil spray 2 cups self-rising flour 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried sage 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme Dash of garlic1/4 teaspoon of parsley1/4 teaspoon of basil1 cup milk
Click here to return to previous slide