216 results for author: Colin Harris

Nakoda Elementary Wild Program

https://youtu.be/ukWJDtzPTBU The NES Wild program began in 2021 with grade 4 students from Nakoda Elementary, located in Mînî Thnî, Alberta, to help get them outside. Every afternoon, educators linked and Indigenized curriculum so students could embrace the land and their connection to it. Take Me Outside partnered with this program to create this short film to help inspire and show other educators what is possible when both teachers and administration are committed to students learning outside. This project was generously supported by the Pauw Foundation.

Telling stories that are as inclusive and diverse as we are

By Elizabeth Boileau How important are the stories we tell about outdoor learning? Story books have a unique power to shape children’s outlook, motivate and inspire them. Children need to see themselves represented in stories of all types to know they have a world of possibilities before them.  Last year, at an environmental education conference, I learned that families of colour and diverse ethnic origins are seldom portrayed in the literature on the outdoors. Although I have often seen a huge diversity of families enjoying parks and natural areas, there are very few books that feature children and families of colour going camping or playing ...

MARCH TAKE ME OUTSIDE FOR LEARNING CHALLENGE RESOURCES

Sound Maps Grades: All Subjects: Arts & English Language Arts; Social Sciences; Natural Sciences; Math This was one of our most popular activity suggestions during the Winter Challenge, and luckily, it is great fun all year long! This is a great way to extend a sit spot activity, engage our senses and add in some art skills! Head outside with a clipboard, some paper and a pencil, crayon, or charcoal and pick a nice “sit spot”. Close your eyes, relax, and listen: what do you hear? Some sounds might be nature sounds; what human-made sounds can you hear? What would the different sounds ‘look like’? Sketch them into your sound map! This is ...

FEBRUARY TAKE ME OUTSIDE FOR LEARNING CHALLENGE RESOURCES

Winter Bingo Grades: All Subjects: Arts & English Language Arts; Social Sciences; Natural Sciences; Math Learners can create their own winter bingo cards and set out on a quest to fill in the squares, or use a template like these great ones from the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Use images or words to scale sheets through the grades, count natural items, measure snow depth or ice thickness, check out some snowflakes, and keep track of our animal friends who hibernate, go into torpor, and stay out all winter! Either print out a template and head on out, or have learners start indoors! Talk about their favourite things to see outside in the ...

January Take Me Outside for Learning Challenge Resources

Crime Scene Creative Writing All Ages Curricular Areas: English Language Arts & Arts Education   Either have learners create their own crime scene using props and natural materials or have an outdoor crime scene staged already before they arrive. Challenge students to develop a story inspired by the crime scene they create or discover. You can also have learners create a story map for their stories prior to having them write it down!     Create a Math Trail All Ages Curricular Areas: Math & Physical Health Education A mathematics trail is a walk to discover mathematics. A math trail can be almost ...

December Take Me Outside for Learning Challenge Resources

Fox Walking All Ages; especially beneficial for building in self-regulation and fine motor skills and control in all learners.  Curricular Areas: Careers, Physical Health Education, Arts Education, Science Most fox walking sessions begin with a question such as "how many of you like to see wildlife? Who would like to learn how to get close to wild animals?" Next it is time to demonstrate how to fox walk. The first step is to completely relax the body and slowly relax the mind, gently bend your knees, and step forward slowly with one foot leading with your toes. As you set your foot down the goal is for this to be silence make sure to choose ...

November Take Me Outside for Learning Challenge Resources

Nature Scavenger Hunts Curricular Areas: Math & Art Target Age Range: Primary (K-7) Outdoor scavenger hunts can range from relatively simple to complex. For this activity you can use whatever you have on hand and it can be done in an urban or natural setting. First you will need to have plenty of examples of geometric shapes, either 3D blocks from your classroom or printed out sheets of paper with a variety of geometric shapes cut out of them. Once outside you will get your learners to identify these shapes in the surrounding environment. Where can we see or find triangles? Where can we see or find squares? If you are wanting to extend this ...

Act Your Way into Teaching Outside

A three-year-old girl is with her dad at the park down the street from their home on a sunny, autumn afternoon. Her dad brought something he dug out of the storage, something he hadn’t played with in years, it’s his old soccer ball. Finding an open patch of grass, he places the artifact of his athleticism down and kicks it towards his daughter. She laughs as the ball bumps into her shins, excited to see this new toy. She chases it and then swings her leg, her foot connecting to the top of the ball, sending it a few feet away. There are no rules attached. Her dad doesn’t explain the theory of the game, nor are any instructions being given to help ...

Webinar for Educators: Finding Hope Through Connecting to the Land

Thanks to all the educators who joined us on May 28th for our webinar - Finding Hope Through Connecting to the Land. We are grateful to Chief Joe Pierre for sharing the Ktunaxa Creation Story and inspiring educators to help connect their students to the land. The webinar was recorded with ...

Taking on the Take Me Outside for Learning Challenge: A teacher’s perspective

Kate Porter August 1, 2019  I love being outdoors, and as I have gained teaching experience I have learned how to navigate the barriers of taking students outside, and have come to a place in my career where learning outside has been enjoyable and effective. Teachers, if you are at the planning or brainstorming phase for the upcoming school year, I highly recommend you to consider participating in the nation-wide Take Me Outside for Learning Challenge. Before I jump into the details of this great initiative, I’ll discuss two strategies for the planning phases of taking your classroom outside. 1. The Outdoors as a Resource for Curricular ...