Kristie Henwood


November 29, 2020

Outdoor Education
Learning In Nature 


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 Kristie Henwood

November 29, 2020

Outdoor education draws upon the philosophy, theory and practices of Experiential
Education and Environmental Education.

Experiential education is based on the practice of learning through direct experience. The
quote by Confucius “I HEAR and I FORGET, I SEE and I REMEMBER, I DO and I
UNDERSTAND” sums up the benefit of Experiential learning. Environmental awareness is
developed through experiential learning in nature (Palmer, 2003).

Environmental education focuses on 1) building an understanding of ecological systems

and how they that are affected by environmental problems in order to discover solutions 2)
developing student consciousness and concern for environmental problems to elicit change
in individual consumption practices such as identifying your ecological footprint. Students
are invited to reconnect with nature and the land, enjoy natural beauty, and consider their
place within natural systems (Palmer, 2003). Environmental Education is a multi-
disciplinary field integrating biology, ecology, earth science, atmospheric science,
mathematics and geography.

Why is Outdoor Education Important?

Louv (2012) has stated that our relationship with nature or lack thereof influences our
physical, mental and spiritual health. He introduces the philosophical theory of the Nature
Principle - reconnecting with nature as fundamental for human health and wellbeing.
Nature provides us with enhanced opportunities to build bonds of family, friendship and
connections with the natural world.

Traditional ways of living off the land that would build connections with nature are
diminished because so many of us work in office spaces and live in cities. Our lives are
consumed by responsibility, electronics are at our finger tips and spending time to connect
with nature takes planning and concerted effort.

Outdoor education provides an opportunity for children and teachers to learn and
reconnect with nature. The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario (2007) have stated
that:

• spending time in nature is equally important to children as adequate nutrition and sleep

• time spent outdoors corresponds to increased physical exercise

• exposure to nature increases physical and mental wellbeing as well as develops an ability
to focus and concentrate

• character traits of creativity, enthusiasm, self-motivation, independence and self-

confidence have been found to be enhanced from Outdoor Education experiences. These
character traits are essential for successful student learning.

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• social skills of cooperation, effective communication, problem solving and leadership are
developed and strengthened during Outdoor Education experiences. These social skills
build a positive classroom environment that facilitates effective learning for ALL students.

Learning Literacy and Numeracy Outdoors

During a pandemic outdoor education provides a viable and safer option for teaching and
learning together. Being outside allows for social distancing and provides better ventilation
greatly reducing the risks for spreading Covid-19.

Learning outdoors can be used as s teaching approach for all curriculum subjects. The Math
lesson (found below) is one I developed with an outdoor learning component.

The following website provides many examples of outdoor lesson ideas for many Subject
areas.

https://www.ltl.org.uk/free-resources/?fbclid=IwAR1RDErok1NyiRoUsepP7M4bwPe-
Hf1YoKaWSC9StGf8cXbXBHXdBfKLrCQ

The following Literacy and Numeracy ideas for outdoor learning come from the Council of
Outdoor Educators of Ontario hhtp:///www.coeo.org/.

Literacy Outdoors

Reading - read alouds, independent reading, read to a partner

Writing - create a scavenger hunt, writing reflections, create a field guide, create narratives
on rocks

Oral Communication - sharing circles, create a natural amphitheatre for drama and oral
presentations

Media - create a podcast, write letters to municipal officials about the importance of
protecting local ecosystems

Numeracy Outdoors

Number - ten frame collections of natural objects to practice counting and arranging
numbers, construct number lines with chalk

Data - graph tree species

Spatial Sense - examine shapes of natural objects, create shapes using sticks; estimate and
measure length, area, mass, capacity, time and temperature outdoors

Algebra - use natural objects to create patterns, identify math patterns in nature

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Mathematics Lesson

Grade: 6 Unit Title: Lesson Title: How Much CO2 is Length: 2hrs
Climate Change Stored in a Tree?

Strand(s): NUMBER and SPATIAL SENSE

Big Ideas:
• Trees act as Carbon sinks and are important components of the Carbon Cycle
• Measurement techniques and mathematical calculations can be used to estimate the Carbon and
Carbon Dioxide found within trees.
• Data collected from measurement can be used to answer questions about individual trees as well
as a population of trees
• Imbalance in the Carbon Cycle causes Global Warming and Climate Change

Learning Goals:
I am learning about the Carbon Cycle
I am learning to identify sources that produce Carbon Dioxide
I am learning that trees are carbon sinks
I am learning to identify other carbon sinks
I am learning how human activity impacts the Carbon Cycle
I am learning how to measure and calculate the amount of carbon and CO2 stored in a tree

Overall Expectation(s):
B. Number - B2.Operations - use knowledge of numbers and operations to solve mathematical
problems encountered in everyday life
E. Spatial Sense - E2.Measurement - compare estimate and determine measurements in various
contexts

Specific Expectation(s):
B2.1 Properties and Relationships - use the properties of operations and the relationships
between operations to solve problems involving whole numbers and decimal numbers including
those requiring multiple steps and multiple operations
E2.1 The Metric System - measure length using the appropriate metric units

Integrated Learning:
This lesson is integrated with Grade 6 SCIENCE, Understanding Life Systems Biodiversity
Specific Expectation 1. Relating Science and Technology to Society and the Environment
1.1 analyse a local issue related to biodiversity (impacts of human activity on the Carbon Cycle and
how this affects biodiversity)

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Mathematical Processes:
Problem Solving - Using mathematical knowledge to investigate and form connections with
scientific inquiry
Connecting - Using concepts and skills from multiple Math strands to make discoveries about the
natural world (trees)
Representing - Using numerical data to represent scientific relationships and ideas gathered from
mathematical processes
Communicating - Expressing mathematical understanding and relating this to a scientific problem

MATH Vocabulary and Definitions:

Circumference - the distance around the outside of a circle or an object
Average - middle value that is calculated by adding up all the values then dividing this total by the
total number of values
Estimate - rough calculation or a best guess
Calculate - use mathematics to determine an amount or number of something
Equivalent - same as/equal to/very similar to
SCIENCE Vocabulary and Definitions:
Matter - anything that has mass and volume -takes up space
Atom - basic building block for all matter in the universe
Molecule - when 2 or more atoms join together by a chemical bond
Compound - formed when different atoms are joined together by a chemical bond. Carbon Dioxide
(CO2) is a chemical compound because its molecules have 1 Carbon atom and 2 Oxygen atoms
Carbon - Forms the basis of all plant and animal life. 2nd most abundant element in the human
body.
Carbon Cycle - process where Carbon travels from the atmosphere into living organisms and the
Earth then back into the atmosphere. Plants take CO2 from the air and use it to make food.
Animals then eat that food and Carbon is stored in their bodies or released as CO2 through
respiration. See APPENDIX J Teacher Resources FOR Carbon Cycle Diagrams with active
resouce links.
Global Warming - unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average temperature over the past century
caused by CO2 and other greenhouse gases trapping heat that would otherwise escape the Earth’s
atmosphere
Climate Change - change in the average conditions (temperature and rainfall) in a region over a
long period of time - including warming temperatures, changes in precipitation and the effects of
rising sea level
Concentration - the amount of ingredients or parts in relation to the other ingredients or parts
such as the amount of salt to water

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Materials:
Flagging tape and a black sharpie marker (for Marking trees)
Tape measure or string that is cut to a length of 1.3 metres (one per student pair)
String - long enough in length to wrap around a tree (one per student pair)
Soft tape measure (one per student pair)
Scrap paper (1 per student)
White Chalk (one per student pair)
Trees to measure that have at least a 50 cm circumference
Student Worksheet - How much CO2 can be stored in a Tree? APPENDIX L (1 per Student)

Lesson Description:
Using a mathematical lens this lesson is designed to help students recognize that measurement
techniques and mathematical operations can be used to estimate Carbon and CO2 stored in a tree.
Using a scientific lens this lesson will describe the Carbon Cycle, Carbon sources and Carbon sinks
and how Human activity impacts the Carbon Cycle.

Prerequisite Skills:
• Students will have prior knowledge and experience with standardized measurement using
centimetres
• Students will have prior experience with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• Students will have some prior understanding of Global Warming and Climate Change

Before (MINDS ON) __15___ Minutes

Full Class Video Activity

Ask the class to take notes on the following 2 videos - What do you Notice and What do you
Wonder?
Watch the video “What is the Carbon Cycle” produced by the National Ocean Service (2 min)
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/carbon-cycle.html#transcript
Watch the National Geographic video entitled “Causes and Effects of Climate Change” (3 min)
https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/0000015d-3cb1-d1cb-a7fd-
fcfd49980000
Full Class Discussion (10min)
Ask students to share what they noticed or what they wonder. Record their ideas on poster
paper

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During (ACTION) _65___ Minutes

Review the Success Criteria Poster APPENDIX K (1 per Student)

This part of the lesson will be divided into 2 sections.
Section 1: Discuss the Carbon Cycle in more detail and identify Carbon sources and sinks (25 min)
APPENDIX J Teaching Resources
Section 2: Students work in assigned pairs to measure trees, record data and complete
calculations (40 min) APPENDIX L Student Worksheet - How Much CO2 can be Stored in a
Tree? (1 per Student)

After (CONSOLIDATE/DEBRIEF) __40___ Minutes

Class Sharing Circle (25 min)

I NOTICE/I WONDER
• How much Carbon is stored in the trees we measured? SUM of all student calculations
• Estimate - How much Carbon is stored in all of the trees in our schoolyard? Record this
estimate!
• What factors could affect the amount of Carbon stored?
Consider the age of the tree, the type of tree (species), where the tree is growing (habitat)
Ask students to consider:
1) How long does it take for a tree to mature?
2) What is the relationship between tree age and the amount of CO2 stored?
• What pattern do you notice?
3) Is tree planting an effective quick solution to reduce Carbon concentrations in the
atmosphere?
• What are the PROS and CONS to planting trees?
BUILDING CONNECTIONS
• How does the Carbon Cycle influence Global Warming and Climate Change?
• How will Climate Change affect your life now and in the future?
• How does the Carbon Cycle impact Biodiversity?
EXIT CARD - (15 min) APPENDIX M (1 per student)

Extension/Enrichment

1) Carbon Reduction Strategies - What Can You Do?

2) Estimating Leaf Area and Perimeter - measurement activity
3) Action Plans to protect Biodiversity
• Tree Planting
• Conservation Efforts
• Creating School Awareness and Change
• Changing personal habits of overconsumption and waste
4) Upcycle ART projects and engineering challenges

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Home Connection/Additional Practice

Humans are dependent on the Earth for survival

Humans impact Biodiversity and the Carbon Cycle in part by over-consuming and creating waste
Humans can be conscious of their actions at home and on the road

Modifications & Differentiated Instruction

• Provide a visual poster of the Carbon Cycle (Class Display and per student as needed)
• Display pictures of Carbon sources and Carbon sinks during the Instructional period
• Pair students appropriately for a positive learning experience
• Provide pre-cut strings that are 1.3m in length (the height of the tree at which circumference is
measured - Standard Chest Height of an adult)
• Review How to measure with a ruler (if needed)
• Review circumference (if needed)
• Assist students with measuring (teacher or peer)
• Provide a worked example of the Student Worksheet showing completed calculations
• Allow extra time for students to perform calculations
Exit Card
• can be completed using a computer
• spelling will not influence student evaluation
• encourage word answers but pictures/diagrams will be accepted as answers for students that
struggle with writing

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Assessment/Evaluation

Observe the following:

• Are students actively participating in class discussions?
• Are students engaged and participating in the tree measurement activity?
• Are paired students collaborating ideas/strategies to help each other and learn together?
Success Criteria Poster (Review together at the beginning of the lesson)
APPENDIX K (1 per student)
• I CAN be a active listener when my teacher and my classmates are speaking
• I CAN be an active thinker and share my ideas during class discussions
• I CAN show respect when I use the measurement tools
• I CAN work cooperatively with my classmates
• I CAN describe the Carbon Cycle
• I CAN provide examples of Carbon Sources and Carbon Sinks
• I CAN describe how human activity impacts the Carbon Cycle
• I CAN accurately measure the circumference of a tree
• I CAN use mathematical operations to calculate Carbon and CO2 in a tree
• I CAN keep my work organized and tidy
EXIT CARD - APPENDIX M (1 per student)
1) Explain how the Carbon Cycle works (words and diagram)
2) Provide 2 examples of a Carbon source and 2 examples of a Carbon sink?
3) Describe how the Carbon Cycle and Global Warming are connected
4) Provide an example of how Climate Change effects a specific plant or animal species
5) What did you like about this lesson?
6) What did you not like about this lesson?

Connecting with Nature and Environmental Stewardship

By 2030, it is estimated that 80% of the world’s population will reside in urban areas
(Henley and Peavy, 2006). We feel so confident in our urban environments with central
heating, air conditioning, sanitation and adequate food and water sources that we have
developed an idea that nature’s laws do not apply to us. We are disconnected from nature.
What we teach in classrooms is not enough. All people need to get outside and have direct
personal experiences with nature to build connection, understanding and a sense of care
and responsibility. Sequential learning in nature fosters kinship and connection with the
natural world where students develop proactive stewardship of the environment Learning
on, from and with the land is essential learning for children and adults and facilitates a love
of nature and care for the environment.

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Does Outdoor Education provide equal participation and opportunities for all students?

As I looked critically through the literature on Outdoor Education I came across several
papers that used a social equity lens and framework to examine Outdoor Education. The
following questions and concerns were reflected in the research.

When we teach Outdoor Education are we including the historical memory of the place and
the traditions that emerged there whether they have been disrupted or conserved
(Gruenwald and Smith, 2008)?

Are we including an Indigenous perspective of knowing and coming to know through

building relationships with the land and remaking relationships with plant and animal
relatives (Bang et al. 2014)?

The following chart shows a comparison of colonial and Indigenous perspectives and
relationships to the land and indicates the mindset difference between peoples.

Ideas from Bang et al. (2014)

Colonial View of Land Indigenous Perspective of Land

I am therefore place is Land is, therefore we are

Recycling and Global Warming Harmony, Healing, Relatives

Relations to Property Relations to Land and Water

Land as a material object to protect for Land as our Relative

perpetual use or conservation Land as Our Teacher

MacLean (2013) has argued that Canadian schools are colonially constructed as white spaces
and Environmental Education supports colonial ideas of race and space - whiteness and
erasing Indigenous Peoples and histories from the land and viewing wilderness as empty
and wild spaces. Outdoor experiential education programs in elementary and secondary
Canadian public schools focus only on Western ideas of ecology and environmental
degradation on water, soil and air (Kahn, 2008) while excluding Indigenous ways of
knowing.

Another concern is that Environmental education programs attract predominantly white

middle and upper class students who have the financial resources to have the necessary
clothing and outdoor gear that allows them to comfortably engage in outdoor excursions
which indicates exclusion of students based on class and race (McLean, 2013).

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Nxumalo and Ross (2019) address the exclusion of Black children from privileged
environmental education spaces such as outdoor preschools and kindergarten programs.
They state the importance of listening to and nurturing Black children’s interests and
curiosities about places, plants and animals.

Environmental Education does not focus on students using a critical inquiry framework to
investigate the role of colonialism and capitalism in environmental degradation - who
benefits from degrading the environment?, and lacks critical consideration for students to
identify their positions of privilege, accumulation and consumption within society.

In Summary, to build inclusive Outdoor Education programs the following issues need to
be addressed and included within programming:

• Addressing racial and class systems of inequality that exist because of ongoing colonial
systems of privilege, power and consumption

• Ensuring Indigenous voices and histories are heard and exist in the curriculum.
Representing Indigenous Peoples as experts of the land as they have direct contact and
connection with the environment and have developed intimate and detailed knowledge
of plants and animals and natural phenomena

• Confronting the dynamics of power and privilege and who benefits from environmental
destruction?

• Identifying the unequal consequences of environmental destruction for Indigenous

communities (Inuit in the North, Indigenous communities without safe drinking water)

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An OUTDOOR EDUCATION Example

Western Quebec School Board - Environmental Awareness and Outdoor Skills Program

The Western Quebec School Board offers an outdoor education program for grades K-12
that is based on experiential learning activities that focus on Environmental Awareness,
Environmental Education and Outdoor Life Skills.

Environmental Awareness activities develop appreciation for the natural world and develop
a sense of value and ethics of ecosystems and the Earth’s changing climate. A sensory
activity called the Magic Spot focuses on student reflections and observations of the direct
world around them. The Gatineau River Cleanup focuses on student action and responsible
environmental citizenship against land degradation.

Environmental Education activities are skills and knowledge based and are linked to science
and math curriculum. These activities include measurement, interpretation and analysis of
quantitative data collected by students. Some examples include tree studies, wetland
studies, bird studies, snow studies, mammal skull studies, and water quality studies. These
activities develop an understanding of the health of the environment, teach scientific and
ecological principles, and build knowledge of conservation practices.

Outdoor Life Skills such as canoeing, orienteering, building outdoor shelters, ecology
games, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and camping activities promote the physical
health and wellbeing of students, build life skills through experiential learning
opportunities, build student character and confidence through team building and adventure
activities and encourage life-long skill development.

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References

Bang, M., Curley, L., Kessel, A., Marin, A., Suzukovich, E.S.III. and Strack G. 2014. Muskrat
theories, tobacco in the streets, and living Chicago as Indigenous land. Environmental
Education Research, 20(1): 37-55.

Braun, B. 2003. On the raggedy edge of risk: Articulations of race and nature. In Race,
Nature and the Politics of Difference. Edited by Moore D., Kosek J. and Pandian A. New York:
Duke University Press: 175-203.

Coburn, Hil and Liz Kirk. Outdoor Learning Tips. Council of Outdoor Educators of
Ontario. http://www.coeo.org/

Cornell, Joseph. 1998. Sharing Nature with Children. Dawn Publications.

Grant, Tim and Gail Littlejohn. 2004. Teaching Green The Elementary Years Hands-on
Learning in Grades 6-8. Green Teacher.

Grant, Tim and Gail Littlejohn. 2005. Teaching Green The Elementary Years Hands-on
Learning in Grades K-5. Green Teacher.

Gruenewald, D.A. 2004. A Foucauldian analysis of environmental education: Toward the

socioecological challenge of the Earth Charter. Curriculum Inquiry, 34(1): 71-107.

Gruenwald, D.A. and Smith, D. 2008. Place-based Education in the Global Age: Local Diversity.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Henley, Thom and Kenny Peavy. 2006. As If The Earth Matters Recommitting to
Environmental Education. Linmark Advertising and Printing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outdoor_education

https://theconversation.com/covid-19-and-schools-reopening-now-is-the-time-to-
embrace-outdoor-education-143734

hhtp:///www.coeo.org/

https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/docs/support/sila_video/tek.pdf. Traditional Ecological

Knowledge. A Teacher’s Guide for the video Sila Alangotok - Inuit Observations on Climate
Change.

https://www.ltl.org.uk/free-resources/?fbclid=IwAR1RDErok1NyiRoUsepP7M4bwPe-
Hf1YoKaWSC9StGf8cXbXBHXdBfKLrCQ

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Humphreys, Chloe. 2018. Dynamic Horizons: A Research and Conceptual Summary of

Outdoor Education. Council of Educators of Ontario.

Kahn, R. 2008. Towards ecopedagogy: Weaving a broad-based pedagogy of liberation for

animals, nature and the oppressed people of the earth. In The Critical Pedagogy Reader, Edited
by Darder A., Baltodano M., and Torres R. New York: Rutledge: 523-538.

Louv, Richard. 2006. Last Child in the Woods Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit
Disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Louv, Richard. 2012. The Nature Principle - Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age.
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

McLean, S. 2013. The Whiteness of green: Radicalization and Environmental Education.

Canadian Geographer, 57(3): 354-362.

Milligan, M and McCreary T. 2011. Inscription, Innocence and Invisibility: Early

contributions to the discursive formation of the North in Samuel Hearne’s A Journey to the
Northern Ocean. In Rethinking the Great White North: Race, Nature and the Historical Geographies
of Whiteness in Canada. Edited By, Baldwin A., Cameron L., and Kobayashi A. Vancouver:
UBC Press: 147-168.

Nxumalo, F and Ross K.M. 2019. Envisioning Black Space in Environmental Education for
Young Children. Race Ethnicity and Education, 22(4): 502-524.

Palmer, J. 2003. Environmental Education for the 21st Century: Theory, Practice, Progress and
Promise. New York: Rutledge.

The Council of Outdoor Educators. 2007. Reconnecting Children through Outdoor

Education A Research Summary.

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