Into

Nature

A Guide to
Teaching in
Nearby Nature
 Positioning Statement
A Province of Ontario Network – Back to Nature

A connection to the natural world is fundamental to all aspects of

child development and is a key component to building optimal mental,
Who are we? emotional, social and physical health for every child. This critical link also
represents a key building block for the future of a sustainable society.
The Back to Nature Network
is a multisectoral coalition of Research shows that when we foster a child’s connection with nature, the
organizations and agencies child flourishes: child obesity decreases, bullying rates decrease, child
working to connect children injury rates decrease, while academic achievement rises, physical activity
and families with nature. The rates increase, attention spans improve, physical and cultural barriers melt
Network has been established away and environmental stewards of the future emerge.
with the support of the Ontario
Trillium Foundation through More work needs to be done by our governments, our educational
a collaborative partnership institutions, our communities, our families and individuals to develop
between Royal Botanical and support the natural spaces and initiatives necessary for our children
Gardens, Parks and Recreation to thrive and the research to guide us as we make these important
Ontario and Ontario Nature. changes. Connecting our children to nature needs to be a provincial and
national priority.

Over 75 organizations have endorsed the Back to Nature Network and its
Positioning Statement; to view the logos of all current Endorsers please visit
our website at www.back2nature.ca/network-members.

This guide can be downloaded

in English or French at
www.back2nature.ca.

Copyright © Royal Botanical Gardens,

on behalf of the Back to Nature Network
Supporting Organizations
2012. All rights reserved.
Activities contained in this guide may be
This guide has been developed by the Back to Nature Network with
reproduced for educational use.
support from the following:
ISBN 978-0-9691759-8-8

Written and edited by

Bill Kilburn, Project Manager,
Back to Nature Network

Illustrations by Jocelyne Bond

Design by IFdesign Inc.
Table of Contents
Section 1 — Into Nature: Why and How
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Organization of the Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Big Ten of Outdoor Experiential Education . . . . 4

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Creating your Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Getting Real! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Sample Letter to Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Sample Parent Information Letter . . . . . . . . . . 11

Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Quick Readiness Checklist
for Outdoor Learning Experience . . . . . . . . . . 13

Section 2 — Learning Experiences

NATURE 101
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Culminating Task:
Create Your Own Outdoor Learning Space . . . . . . 21

NATURE2GO
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

LESSONS
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

References
Contributors

1
Introduction
In 2005, Richard Louv published Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our
Children from Nature-deficit Disorder. The central idea of the book
was that regular experience in nature is a fundamental requirement for
healthy human development. Louv pointed to a growing body of evidence-
based scientific literature that relates many health and wellness issues with
the lack of time children spend outdoors in nature. To characterize the
results, Louv coined the term nature-deficit disorder, which “…describes
the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of
the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional
illness.” Louv’s compelling expression of the human need for nature sparked
an international movement to connect children with nature. Today, based on
a large and increasing body of scientific research, regular experience in
nature is increasingly seen as a foundational element in the positive
development of happiness, health, and intellectual capacity in children.

In 2008, Ontario’s Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) convened a meeting of a

wide group of interested parties with the objective of establishing a
collaborative effort to promote the child and nature movement in Ontario.
As a result of the gathering, RBG, Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO) and
Ontario Nature joined together to approach the Ontario Trillium Foundation
(OTF) with a proposal to fund a child and nature initiative. The intent was to
create a network of organizations that build community capacity to connect
children with nature. In April 2011, with the generous support of the OTF,
the Back to Nature Network (B2N) began work to accomplish this goal.

The Back to Nature Network is a collaborative of organizations from across

Ontario. Sectors represented include education, health, planning, early
child development, environmental stewardship, and active healthy living.
The inspiration for this effort is envisioning a world where all children have
access to nature within walking distance of their homes, and regular
opportunities to spend meaningful time in it, and to create this world with
on-the-ground actions. The primary function of the network is to support all
organizations working to further the connection of children and families
with nature by producing useful materials and acting as a hub to advance
communication and cross-sectoral collaboration.

One of the priority materials identified was a teachers’ resource for

elementary teachers from Kindergarten through Grade 8 across Ontario.
The goal was to create a guide to instruct and support teachers in using
nature as a regular component of teaching. In July 2011 in partnership
with Royal Botanical Gardens, Halton District School Board and Ontario
EcoSchools, with financial support from TD Friends of the Environment
Fund and The North Face Explore Fund, and with contributions from
several other important organizations, the Back to Nature Network
commenced work on the teachers’ guide.

2
 Section 1
Purpose Organization of the Guide
The purpose of the Back to Nature Network Teachers’ The guide is divided into two sections: Section 1
Guide is to enable teachers to teach all curriculum introduces why and how to use nature as both a
subject matter outdoors in nearby nature on a regular teaching environment and a teaching tool; and
basis. For schools, nearby nature encompasses natural Section 2 offers a large number of learning experiences
space that is within walking distance of the school: for direct use in teaching outside with nature. A
either green space on school property, or neighbourhood dedicated effort has been made to anticipate the needs
natural areas that can be visited readily by a class. of teachers who are new to the idea of teaching in
nature; this is reflected in the suggestions provided in
In serving the needs of children, this guide was Section 1, as well as in the Nature101 series of lessons
written by and for teachers. This effort has three found in Section 2. It is recommended that first-time
main objectives: users of the guide read Section 1 first, even briefly, to
1) Offer a fresh alternative to teaching that will make set the stage for using the learning experiences in
teachers’ lives easier by providing learning activities Section 2. The learning experiences together form the
that are curriculum-linked, teacher-developed and majority of this guide and provide a large number of
tested, and readily understandable. teaching options that can be used immediately.
2) Offer an opportunity to strengthen the relationships
teachers have with their students. Many inspirational people have contributed expansive
3) Provide simple and practical ways to help teachers ideas and highly valuable tools in passionately urging
use the outdoor learning space in combination with others to teach in the out-of-doors. At the end of this
the indoor classroom. guide is a reference section to honour their work, some
by name and others by association. Included on this
From the start, this project has been designed to list are several publications of note that have earned
facilitate these goals; learning activities centre on their status as “classics”; acquiring these will enrich
mutual discovery by teacher and student in an any library.
exploratory framework that offers them the opportunity
to learn together. Such an approach is crucial to this
work. Learning in, through, and about nature is a
process of self-discovery in which each individual
discovers meaning within a lesson or experience that is
personally relevant. This is no different from learning in
Language, Mathematics, The Arts or any other subject,
and this recognition has formed an important guiding
principle in the creation of every part of this guide.

3
 1. Improve teaching for the teacher,
and learning for the student
2. Explore, discover and inquire
3. Prepare
4. Be Safe
5. Communicate

10
6. Gather Support
7. Manage your class effectively
8. Be a facilitator
9. Teach in the outdoors on a regular basis
10. Nurture care for the natural world
THE BIG TEN
OF OUTDOOR
1. Improve teaching for the teacher, and learning for the student
EXPERIENTIAL a. Teaching outdoors needs to be an enjoyable and readily achievable
EDUCATION undertaking in order to enhance the life of a teacher. A happy, energized
teacher serves the learning experiences of students in rich and
meaningful ways. Thus, the first objective is for the teacher to find
renewable vigour in teaching and relating to students through use of the
outdoors and nature.
b. Regular learning time outdoors improves the lives of all students in
multiple ways: it enhances emotional contentment, physical health, and
intellectual development. At school, it can contribute to increased focus
and higher academic achievement. In addition, the experience of
learning outdoors can reach some who are the most reluctant learners
inside the classroom, providing the opportunity for expression that is
different and more relevant to those learners. For scientific evidence
that supports these statements, please see the annotated list of research
studies compiled and updated by the Children and Nature Network
at the following link: www.childrenandnature.org/documents/C118/.

2. Explore, discover and inquire

The process of teaching with and in nature should centre on exploration.
Using a teaching approach that incorporates inquiry-based learning
promotes questioning and discovery that arises from students through
experiences designed by the teacher to inspire curiosity and wonder. An
excellent manual that supports this approach is Natural Curiosity: Building
Children’s Understanding of the World through Environmental Inquiry
produced by The Laboratory School at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of
Child Study, which is associated with University of Toronto’s Ontario
Institute For Studies in Education. The manual is available as a free
download at www.naturalcuriosity.ca.

4
3. Prepare
a. Cover your bases:
i. Complete “Getting Started” in the next section, to figure out where
you are now and where you want to be.
ii. Review your learning activity.
iii. Gather needed materials.
iv. Visit the outdoor area you will use before your first visit with the class.
b. Review the inquiry-based learning approach.
c. Reflect on what you need to make outdoor teaching a personally
enriching experience.

4. Be Safe
(Note: discussing and defining safety with your class is covered in
Nature101: Phase 1 – Co-created Nature Contract)
Safety is as essential to the outdoor learning experience as it is to teaching
indoors, but there are several differences to consider:
a. Have a do’s and don’ts discussion with your class. Make a list of all
things you want to cover and add subjects your students would like to
discuss. The list could include:
i. Things to avoid and the reasons, for example Poison Ivy can cause
itchy, spreadable, fluid-filled blisters on skin.
ii. How to interact with things found in nature using our senses:
observing, smelling, and touching (but not eating) natural objects.
iii. Responsible handling of animals such as insects after confirming
with the teacher that it is safe to do so.
b. Be weather-aware:
i. Wearing appropriate clothes and footwear for the conditions.
ii. Weather limits for outdoor learning experiences, e.g. need for shade
during excessive heat, class procedures in the case of extreme
weather such as lightning and high winds.
iii. Symptoms of hypothermia and heat stroke.
c. Discuss how to react if injury occurs:
i. Create a step-wise procedure for all to follow if injury occurs.
ii. Post the procedure for regular review and print off a reminder sheet
for outdoor student kits.
iii. Consider inviting a First Aid teacher to visit the class.
d. Let the office or a teaching partner know every time the class is going
outside, and establish a method for communicating with the school at all
times while outside (see see next section for specific suggestions).

“ What’s important is that children have an opportunity to bond with the

natural world, to learn to love it and feel comfortable in it, before being
asked to heal its wounds... If we want children to flourish, to become truly
empowered, let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.

David Sobel, American education writer

5
5. Communicate
Before beginning your outdoor teaching:
a. Discuss your outdoor teaching plans with your school administration and
teaching colleagues (see sample letter in this section to communicate
with your school administration).
b. Contact parents and share your outdoor teaching plans to seek support and
involvement (see sample letter in this section to send home to parents).
On days you’re teaching outdoors:
c. Let the Office Staff know of your outdoor teaching plans; place a class-
created poster on the door and/or write on the chalkboard “Gone Into
Nature to Learn!”
d. Carry a cellphone or two-way radio to communicate with office staff
when necessary.
e. Ensure that a method of communicating is established and well-
understood by the entire class, including volunteers; there should be a
gathering signal that is used by the teacher (e.g. using a whistle) and a
signaling device such as a whistle could also be included in each
student kit for safety (students could be taught that three blasts from a
whistle is an internationally-recognized distress signal).

6. Gather Support
a. Administration
i. Request direct acknowledgement and approval of your plans from
your school administration.
ii. Invite school administration (e.g. Principal) to participate in one or
more of your outdoor learning experiences.
iii. Share results and successes with administration on a regular basis to
keep everyone informed on how your outdoor teaching is working.
b. Teaching Colleagues
i. Invite other teachers to observe and participate in your outdoor
learning experiences.
ii. Partner with another teacher to share learning experiences and join
classes e.g. pair an older grade with a younger grade and assign
partners to provide mentoring opportunities for students.
iii. Share outdoor teaching resources with colleagues.
c. Community Volunteers
i. Invite parents and caregivers to participate in the outdoor
learning experiences.
ii. Provide clear and explicit guidelines to volunteers for assisting your
teaching, including class-developed rules, safety procedures, and
facilitating inquiry with students.
iii. Share updates and successes in an online update, open house,
or letter home.
d. Open House
i. Organize seasonal events to celebrate outside learning and invite the
school and community, e.g. celebrate the changing of the seasons
with equinox and solstice events, or have a Dandelion Festival when
your schoolyard dandelions are in bloom.

6
7. Manage your class effectively
a. Establish a meeting place.
b. Create a call-back signal (e.g., use a blast from a whistle).
c. Set boundaries.
d. Make sure of a washroom break before each outing and create a routine
to satisfy immediate needs such as a bathroom buddy system system, etc.
e. Establish consequences for misbehaviour and follow through; make sure
to offer the opportunity to try again as soon as possible.

8. Be a facilitator
a. Review the inquiry-based learning approach.
b. Reflect on your knowledge about nature (also known as natural history
knowledge) and what you anticipate your students will expect you to know.
c. Embrace “not knowing” while demonstrating an open enthusiasm for
learning more — “I don’t know — let’s find out together” is often the
best answer; being an expert in natural history is not necessary and can
often hamper a teacher’s ability to teach through exploration and inquiry.
d. Teach how to explore in nature — many students will not have
experience exploring on their own.
e. Avoid attempting to define the experience for your students — every
student will define his or her own meaning from nature.
f. Learn/explore alongside your students.

9. Teach in the outdoors on a regular basis

a. You define “regular”, but you should set a goal before you introduce the
routine e.g. once per season, once per month.
b. Start with a small and manageable goal, even smaller than you think
you can achieve, and then modify your goal as you and your class
gain experience.
c. Reflect on the best uses for both indoor and outdoor learning spaces.
Herbert Broda, author of Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning: Using the
Outdoors as an Instructional Tool, K-8, offers the following perspective:
“I want to be clear that I am not advocating that all or even most traditional
instruction be moved outdoors. There are many concepts and objectives
that are best learned in an indoor setting with the equipment and facilities
that are readily available there...An overuse of the outdoors can actually
diminish the novelty of going to a different venue for learning.”

10. Nurture care for the natural world

a. It is clear from recent studies that adults who express personal
responsibility, care and compassion for the natural world developed rich
personal relationships with nature as children.
i. Experiences in nature once per week are essential to the
development of conservation ethics.
ii. Stewardship must be allowed to develop through personal experience
and not through compelling students to act responsibly; conservation
actions will arise as a consequence of such experience as students
advance through the junior grades, and may last a lifetime.

7
Getting Started
The following questions will help you consider where you’re making. Keep a copy in a “Teaching Outside” file
you are in your practice with respect to teaching to do cument your approach. Discuss the questions on
outside in nature, where you want to go, and how Your Class with your students to find out about their
you’re going to get there. Share the completed thoughts and feelings, to consider appropriate
questions with colleagues and administration to preparation and to develop an anticipation guide to
stimulate discussion and demonstrate the preparations prepare your students.

PART I: Creating Your Vision! 7. What benefits do you hope to gain personally from
YOU teaching outdoors?
1. What stage are you at in teaching outdoors?
Beginner Some experience Experienced

2. What excites you about teaching outdoors?

YOUR CLASS
8. How much experience do you think your students
What are your concerns?
have learning in the outdoors?
Lots Some None Don’t Know

9. In general, how supportive do you expect parents to

be of taking students outside?
3. In which seasons can you see yourself teaching
Very Somewhat Indifferent
out-of-doors?
Not Very Not At All
Fall Winter Spring Summer
All Seasons 10. What challenges do you anticipate for your students?
Whole Class
4. What is your goal for the regular number of times you
would like to teach outside?
Once/season Once/month
Once/week Once/day

5. List the subjects you would like to teach outside:

Individual Student: use a class list to consider each student

11. What benefits do you anticipate for your students?

Whole Class

6. How supportive do you anticipate your administration

will be for outside teaching?
Very Somewhat Indifferent
Not Very Not At All Individual Student: use a class list to consider each student

8
PART II: Getting Real! 5. What outdoor space do I want to use?
YOU
1. Who do I need to inform of my plans?
When am I going to make my pre-visit?
Date

When? 6. What support do I need for the outing (e.g., planning,

resources, supervision)?

2. What forms do I need to prepare and to whom

should I send them? Who will I approach for support (e.g., teaching partner,
Form principal, parent volunteers)?

Sent to
7. When am I going to start: what day, what period?

8. What alternate plans do I have for the experience

(e.g., indoor plan, alternate date)?
3. What background information do I need (e.g., safety,
learning experiences to use)?

YOUR CLASS
9. How am I going to learn about and address fears
(e.g., class discussion, individual conferences)?

4. What materials do I need to gather (e.g., safety kit,

lesson supplies)?
10. What am I going to do to inspire an exciting tone?

9
 Sample Letter to Administrator

Dear Administrator,
to
s year, and I am eager
exc itin g ne w lea rni ng routine for my class thi
I have planned an r participation.
wit h you to en list you r support and invite you
share it
nnect
nts understand and co
rni ng exp eriences that help stude
To devel op ne w lea tdoors as regular
a
r cu rric ulu m su bje cts, I plan to use the ou
personally with reg ula rd and/or in
s I wil l be tea ch ing in and around the schoolya
an
learning space. This me taught indoors.
de live rin g the sam e content that is normally
local natural areas
es. There is growing
tive is ba sed on sol id pedagogical principl
This teaching ini tia nature are
ren wh o exp eri en ce regular time outdoors in
ch ild
scientific evidence that , they are better learne
rs
lly, em oti on ally an d int ellectually; as students po ne nt
healthier physica Ric hard Louv, a writer and
leading pro
ctu al sta nd ard s.
and achieve higher intelle more success for your
ild ren an d na tur e, ha s written that if you want
of connecting ch
outside”.
children “tell them to go
indoor classroom
tha t tho se wh o fi nd it hardest to function in the
s
Other evidence suggest tdoors, including those
fro m sp en din g regular time learning ou
benefit tremend ou sly experience less
wit h AD HD . In su ch cases, classmates who
ed
students who are afflict
g les son s share the advantage.
disruption durin
nt of
ential for full developme
de nc e, reg ula r co nn ection with nature is ess st. Us ing
In light of the evi in the pa
we ver , sp en d far les s time outside today than
ho r
our children. Children, ng space will help delive
an d aro un d the sch oo lyard as part of our learni po we rfu l
natural areas in d
ing the most current an
ke y ne ed an d de mo ns trate leadership in apply
on this .
fully engage our students
teaching tools to more
the
rning outside includes
exp eri en ce s, the pla n I have prepared for lea I wo uld
Besides learning and student preparedne
ss.
l co ns ide rat ion s of saf ety, parent involvement you r feedback
crucia er to solicit
se pla ns wit h you at your convenience in ord
like to share the
and approval.
excitement for
tin g my pla ns to you in person and sharing my
I look forward to presen learning space!
lea rni ng of ou r stu de nts by using our outdoor
improving the

Thank you!

Best regards,

10
Sample Parent Information Letter

Dear Parent,
s year. I want to share it
exc itin g ne w lea rni ng routine for our class thi
I have planned an d your child.
what it means for you an
with you to let you know
op new learning
ou tdo ors as a reg ula r learning space to devel
the
Our class will be using nally with all curriculum
lp stu de nts un de rst and and connect perso
experiences that he Curriculum to
l be de sig nin g les son s based on The Ontario
wil
subjects. This means I al natural areas.
d the schoolyard and/or in loc
teach in and aroun
provide children with the
ou nt of sci en tifi c evidence that when we
There is a growin g am tter learners.
e in na tur e, the y are happier, healthier and be
r tim
chance to spend regula opportunities to learn
ite r an d lea din g pro ponent of giving children
Richard Louv, a wr ll them to
if you wa nt mo re su cc ess for your children “te
t
in nature, has written tha
go outside”.
than in the past, even
ild ren sp en d far less time outside today
Unfortunately, mo st ch tdoors is very
ou t tha t a co nn ec tio n with nature and the ou
ing
though we are now find oolyard as part of our
l de vel op me nt. Us ing natural areas of the sch
important for ful
this key need at school.
learning space provides
ors please help
g co mf ort ab le an d rea dy to learn in the outdo
To help your child in fee
lin ch day. I
twe ar tha t are ap pro priate for the weather ea
thes and foo
him or her to choose clo ou tfi tting your child and wil
l be discussing
tha t wil l he lp in
can provide a list of items quick and inexpensive
In ad dit ion , we will work as a class on
these needs in cla ss. for a light rain.
e.g . rai n jac ke ts ma de of new garbage bags
solutions for the weather,
child’s individual
s ab ou t ou r ou tdo or learning or about your
If you have any question
.
needs please contact me

Thank you!

Best regards,

11
Materials
You can teach outside in nature with just your own determination and a
detailed plan. It is highly recommended, however, that you create outdoor
learning kits for both yourself and your students. Use the following lists just
as they are, or modify them to develop your own.

Store kits in a single location inside, and replace after each use.
Teacher Kit (in backpack)
Cell phone/two way radio (other given to office before each departure)
First aid kit
Water bottle
Sunscreen
Insect repellent
Signal (e.g. whistle)
Ziploc bags of various sizes
Small containers for capturing small creatures and sharing discoveries
with class
Magnifiers (e.g. inexpensive magnifying glasses, loupes, etc.)
Recording book and pencil for observations, notes, sketches
Extra pencils and pencil sharpener
Camera (optional)
Field guides (optional)

Student Kit (in large sealable plastic bag, e.g. Ziploc)

Signal (e.g. whistle)
Clipboard (e.g. purchase inexpensive versions or make by laminating
cardboard and attaching paper with large binder clips) and pencil
Folded garbage bag with head-sized slit through bottom to be used as
rain gear
Instruction sheet of step-by-step procedures in case of injury or
other emergency
Water bottle
Individual magnifier, Ziploc bags, small containers (optional)

Other items might include:

Class set of portable seats
(e.g. newspaper covered with plastic bags, pieces of foam)
Inexpensive tarp to set up as a cover in the rain
Insect nets
Larger container for collection of natural items or to use in sharing
objects as a class

12
Quick Readiness Checklist for Outdoor Learning Experience
Date of learning experience:
Period:
Subject:
Title of learning experience:

Students informed ahead of time

Nature Contract reviewed (if necessary)
Materials prepared
Teacher and student outdoor kits ready
Office informed, and given 2-way radio if necessary
“We’re Into Nature!” sign on classroom door
Washroom break provided before going outside

Reflections on the learning experience:

13
Learning Experiences

1
This section consists of three parts and forms the bulk of this
teachers’ guide.

The first part is Nature101, a stepwise series of five phases that is designed
to assist the teacher in envisioning the outdoor learning experience with the
class, forming guidelines for learning outside, and gradually moving from
the indoor classroom to the outdoor learning space. The culminating task

2
after successful completion of the phases is for the class to design its own
outdoor learning space.

The second part offers 50 short Nature2Go activities to enable the teacher
to achieve quick curriculum-connected “hits” with the class outside in
nature. The activities help teachers to try the out-of-doors as a learning
space,reflect on the experience (both personally and with the class), and
develop successful outdoor education routines.

3
The third part consists of five full Lessons for each of the elementary
divisions, Primary, Junior and Intermediate. Each lesson includes full and
detailed instructions to prepare for and deliver the lesson in class.

14
 Section 2
Nature 101
GRADES K–8
Nature101 is a sequence of lessons created to enable teachers to
transition the class from an indoor classroom learning environment to
learning outdoors in nature. These lessons are designed for a teacher to
move from Phase 1 through Phase 5 in a stepwise fashion. Depending on
the experience of the teacher and class, however, it may be more
appropriate to skip one or more of the initial phases and start at a more
advanced phase. On the other hand, it may be beneficial even for a
teacher who has initiated outdoor learning experiences to re-visit the early
phases in order to establish a consistent framework, particularly at the
beginning of the school year.

All phases include Learning Skills and Work Habits, and each phase after
Phase 1 is linked to a Nature2Go (N2G) activity to provide curriculum links
to specific subjects. The culminating activity for accomplishing the final
Nature101 phase is to design and construct an outdoor learning space to
use on a regular basis.

15
Nature 101: Phase 1 Co-created Nature Contract
Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions
• Understanding of how to co-create a set of expectations to 1. How do you imagine learning outdoors to be different from
prepare students for learning and working together in the out- learning indoors? Will it feel different?
door classroom. 2. Can we make it happen? What does success look like?
3. What do we need to consider?
4. Can we use the same classroom contract both indoors
and outdoors?

Curriculum Expectations
Responsibility Initiative
• Fulfils responsibilities and commitments within the • Recognizes and advocates appropriately for the rights of self
learning environment and others
Collaboration
• Accepts various roles and an equitable share of work in a group

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Understanding of how to create the co-created in-class contract • Whiteboard, interactive surface, or chart paper to record
• Skills to participate in class discussions brainstorming
• The meaning of a contract: What is included? What happens • Markers
when a contract is broken?

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Pose the follow-up question: “Where does learning happen
• What is nature? at school?”
• What do we need to think about to be ready for learning outside? • At school, most teaching and learning is set up to take place
Learning Goals (share with class) indoors in the classroom and the outdoors is seen as a place
• We will discuss and create a class contract together to “just to play.” Does learning happen on the playground? Are there
guide and govern our actions and interactions while we are other outdoor spaces that could be used for learning?
learning outdoors. • Can you imagine what an outdoor classroom would look
Introduction like? Creating an outdoor classroom for ourselves will mean
Discuss the question: “Where does learning happen?” considering what we need to make it work, recording guide-
• Learning happens everywhere and all the time—at home, during lines for ourselves, and then practicing those things as we move
a walk, at school—everywhere! We just can’t stop our brains from step-by-step from learning in the indoor classroom to creating an
always wanting to find out more about the things in our lives, outdoor learning space for ourselves to use on a regular basis.
whether it be music, sports, art, books, or other people.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Brainstorm responses to following question: 6. Gather the whole group together.
• What are the considerations for learning outdoors? 7. Each group shares the contract guidelines they created for their
2. Sort responses into following categories assigned category.
A. Safety e.g. being separated from the group 8. The class decides together which guidelines will become part of
B. Respectful interactions e.g. how, with whom, and with what? the contract.
C. Learning tools e.g. materials 9. The teacher records the agreed-upon guidelines to create the
D. Preparedness e.g. weather final Nature Contract on chart paper.
E. Routines e.g. gathering place, washroom 10. Pose the following question to the class: What will it take to
3. Brainstorm guidelines for creating the Nature Contract. make this a success in practice e.g. sticking to guidelines,
4. Divide the class into five groups. Each group needs a scribe, a consequences of breaking the contract?
presenter, marker and chart paper. 11. Create a copy for each student, either paper or electronic.
5. Each group brainstorms guidelines for one of the five categories
in the contract for a short period of time. Record on chart paper.

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Nature 101: Phase 2 Out the Window...
Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions
• To discuss our individual needs as learners 1. Where do you learn best? Why do you think that is?
• To consider different learning spaces that could be used in 2. Do you ever find yourself gazing out the classroom window?
studying school subjects When? Why?
• To examine the outdoors as a learning space 3. Does it feel better to be in a building with lots of windows or few?
Are windows necessary? Why or why not?

Curriculum Expectations
Independent Work Initiative
• Follows instructions with minimal supervision • Demonstrates curiosity and interest in learning

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Familiarity with Co-created Nature Contract • Frames, which can be as simple as paper cut-outs, for N2G
“Framing Nature” activity

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
• What places can you think of where you are separated from • Revisit Nature101 Phase 1 to discuss the idea of learning outside
another space by a sheet of glass? What does the glass keep in or and how the co-created nature contract will assist the goal of
keep out? learning in the outdoors.
Learning Goals (share with class) • Introduce the idea that the outdoors can be used as a learning
• We will consider the differences between being indoors space to teach all subjects including The Arts, Mathematics,
and outdoors. Science and Technology, and Language.
• We will begin to imagine an outdoor learning space for our class • Pose the question: How can our class develop an outdoor
and look at the Nature Contract we developed as a class to classroom for learning?
consider whether it still seems complete. • Describe how you think the outdoor classroom will differ from the
• We will take part in an activity to experience nature looking out indoor classroom.
the window.
• We will individually reflect on the experience.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Look around: describe and list the features of the classroom. 7. Provide time for students to independently record reflections.
2. Turn seats outward: describe the classroom again. 8. Discuss the activity: Is there nature in the classroom? What was
What has changed? it like to frame outdoor nature from inside?
3. Gather at the window: describe everything that you see 9. Consider reading The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer to
(including the window). inspire the idea of using both the indoors and outdoors as a
4. Anticipate the differences between seeing the outdoors and learning space. (This is a good book for younger grades, but can
standing in the middle of it: how might your senses experience be effectively used with older grades as well.)
each differently? 10. Review the Nature Contract: does anything need to be added
5. Envision possible outdoor learning spaces. Anticipate how it or subtracted?
might be different from the indoor learning space.
6. Introduce the N2G activity “Nature Through the Window” and
carry it out through the window.

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Nature 101: Phase 3 Out the Door!
Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions
• To consider how the events in our lives are experienced through 1. What does it mean to experience something—do you
our senses “experience” a sporting event when you watch it on television?
• To experience the same outdoor space from different “sense” 2. When you use more than one sense does it change how you
perspectives (i.e., indoors looking out vs. being out in the space, experience an event?
and discuss the outcome) 3. How is the same activity different when done indoors vs. outdoors?

Curriculum Expectations
Responsibility Collaboration
• Takes responsibility for and manages own behaviour • Shares information, resources, and expertise and promotes
Independent Work critical thinking to solve problems and make decisions
• Follows instructions with minimal supervision

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Familiarity with Co-created Nature Contract • Writing materials

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Describe a journey that passes through neighbourhoods on the way
• What would it be like if all schools were closed down and all to a destination:
learning took place at home on the computer? What would you • Every day, anyone who uses a train, bus, or car drives through
gain? What would you enjoy? What would you miss? neighbourhoods — houses, stores, parks, etc. — and gains the
Learning Goals (share with class) experience of what they are like through a window, but doesn’t
• We will examine the impressions we have of an outdoor space experience what it is like to live in there. What do we gain and what
when looked at through a window as compared to experiencing it do we miss when we view a neighbourhood through a window?
in person. Introduce the features of a first-hand experience and how it
• We will explore an outdoor space using as many senses compares when it is gained in the indoors versus the outdoors:
as possible. • In addition to the things we see, we experience and remember
• We will individually reflect on the experience. the places and events in our lives by smells, sounds, and tastes.
Introduction • Learning outdoors provides opportunities for learning that involve
Discuss the activity of playing video games: multiple senses.
• We have fun playing video games such as car racing, flight
simulators, and adventure games. Think about a video game you
have experienced: what was it like for you? What do you think are
the similarities and differences compared to participating in the
activity in real life?

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Gather at a classroom window, or at another school window with 7. Gather together as a whole class and share thoughts from the
a view of an accessible outdoor space. Think-Pair-Share.
2. Instruct students to each stand in one place and choose a spot 8. As a class, choose one of the outside spaces as a “meeting
on the ground outside that can be easily reached when the class place” for the following activity.
goes outside during this phase. 9. Introduce the N2G activity “Wake Up Those Senses”.
3. Encourage students to write down adjectives to describe what 10. Provide time for students to independently record reflections.
is seen, heard, smelled and felt while concentrating on their 11. Debrief the activity: what do you think the same activity would
outdoor spots. be like if it were carried out in the indoor classroom?
4. Take the class outside to the area that can be seen from inside (Option: As a follow-up or addition repeat the N2G activity
at the window. “Waking Up Those Senses” in the indoor classroom
5. Each student will find the spot found from the window and, and compare.
standing or sitting in it, record the same information as was 12. Briefly re-visit the Nature Contract: are any modifications
recorded inside: sights, sounds, smells, and feelings. necessary after experiencing “Out the Door”?
6. Think-Pair-Share: Ask students to each think about how the 13. Summarize the steps accomplished in the Nature101 series
window and outdoor lists compare, pair students, and instruct thus far and check in to see what students’ impressions are.
pairs to discuss their thoughts on the comparison.

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Nature 101: Phase 4 The Thrill of the Grass!
Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions
• To examine our perspectives on the use of outdoor space 1. How would you describe a sports field?
i.e. field or area of grass 2. Is a sports field only useful as an area to play sports?
• To consider what we know about a familiar outdoor space 3. What is contained in an area of grass e.g. lawn, sports field?
• To explore a familiar outdoor space to determine what other life 4. Can a grassy area be a learning space?
forms use it and how

Curriculum Expectations
Responsibility Collaboration
• Fulfils responsibilities and commitments within the • Responds positively to the ideas, opinions, values, and traditions
learning environment of others
Independent Work Initiative
• Uses class time appropriately to complete tasks • Approaches new tasks with a positive attitude

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Familiarity with Co-created Nature Contract • Hula hoops and optional recording sheets for N2G activity
“Life Lasso”

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
• Produce a soccer ball, baseball, or other piece of sports Discuss the grassy areas in the local community:
equipment from a field sport and ask students to describe the • We often see our grassy areas at school and local parks only as
space needed to play the game: what do you know about it? surfaces for playing organized sports. Seen this way, knowing
What else can you imagine there is to learn about it? these areas simply as “grass” is all that we need.
Learning Goals (share with class) • Most sports fields, however, are used infrequently, so there are
• We will continue our progression in learning about, experiencing, lots of opportunities to use such areas for other activities we enjoy
and creating an outdoor classroom as part of the Nature101 such as Frisbee, picnics, walking, reading, enjoying the sun, or
series of lessons. meeting friends.
• We will explore a familiar outdoor space — a grassy lawn or field • Ask students to describe the components of a grassy field or area
— to learn about what occurs in it. at the school in detail:
• We will individually reflect on the experience. • It seems easy, but in all likelihood none of the students have
ever actually explored it. What makes up a grassy place — is it
only grass?

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Go outside and gather in the “meeting place” chosen in 5. Provide time for students to independently record reflections.
Nature101 “Out the Door” (or choose a new one if desired). 6. Following the activity, give groups time to fill in the third column
2. Pose the questions: of the KWL chart (i.e., “Learned”).
• Can the area you’re in be a place of exploration? 7. Discuss the grassy area as a place of exploration: what did you
• What do you know about the plants and animals discover that was new to you?
found here? 8. As a class, imagine other places with plants and animals that
3. Form small groups. Give each group a copy of a blank KWL you would like to explore: what nearby places of nature could
(Know, Want to Know, Learned) chart to fill in about the plants be explored?
and animals that might live in the area. (NOTE: a short lesson 9. Briefly re-visit the Nature Contract: are any modifications
on KWL charts will be necessary if these aren’t used regularly necessary after experiencing “Thrill of the Grass?”
by students.) Give groups time to fill in the first two columns i.e. 10. Summarize the steps accomplished in the Nature101 series
“Know” and “Want to Know.” thus far and check in to see what students’ impressions are.
4. Introduce the N2G activity “Life Lasso.”

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Nature 101: Phase 5 Into Nearby Nature
Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions
• To consider what nature means to each of us 1. What does nature mean to you?
• To discuss how we recognize nature 2. What does nature look like? Can we find nature on our
• To reflect on the difference between personal and shared school grounds?
experience in nature 3. What is different about being outdoors on the playground
compared to outdoors in nature?
4. What is it like being in nature alone compared to sharing nature
with others?

Curriculum Expectations
Organization (Follow-up Activity) Initiative
• Devises and follows a process plan for completing work and tasks • Demonstrates curiosity and interest in learning
Independent Work • Self-regulation
• Follows instructions with minimal supervision • Assesses and reflects critically on own strengths, needs,
Collaboration and interests
• Works with others to resolve conflicts and build consensus to
achieve group goals

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Familiarity with Co-created Nature Contract • Blindfolds for Nature2Go activity “My Own Tree”

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
• Close your eyes and imagine one of your favourite pieces of music Discuss the following question: Does everyone enjoy rap music?
— how does it make you feel? • Some do and some don’t. Why?
Learning Goals (share with class) • Different music means different things to different people, just
• In continuing the Nature101 series of lessons we will move from like school, our choice of friends, and other things in our lives.
the open grassy area experienced in Phase 4 to the most natural Experiencing nature, even in the same place, means something
area we can find on the school grounds. different to each of us too.
• We will consider what nature looks like and means to each Introduce the topic of spending personal time in nature on a regular
of us. basis as an activity that can build skills, improve health, invigorate
• We will experience an activity to explore nature first-hand. our lives, and provide a peaceful space in a day.
• Nature time is also enjoyable in a group in which so many
different thoughts and perspectives can be shared and add to
each person’s personal experience.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Go outside and gather in the “meeting place” chosen in 7. Provide time for students to independently record reflections.
previous Nature101 lessons. 8. Briefly re-visit the Nature Contract: are any modifications
2. Consider where nature is found in the schoolyard. Does it satisfy necessary? Finalize the contract.
your picture of what nature is? 9. Gain consensus on the outdoor meeting place for
3. Discuss what “untouched” or “pristine” nature looks like. Is learning activities.
there a natural space found at school that is “pristine”? 10. Summarize the steps accomplished in the Nature101 series:
4. Discuss the different view of nature that each of us has. • Created, practiced and modified the building blocks of the
• No one can define what nature means for anyone else; Nature Contract
however, we can share experiences of discovery in nature. • Established an outdoor learning space
• Humans share the spirit of exploration in everything we do and • Accomplished different outdoor learning activities
we can share that same spirit in nature. 11. Celebrate the success of the class in completing the lesson
5. Describe how regular experience in nature improves our lives: cycle (e.g. offer appreciations, have a class lunch outside, hand
• A growing body of evidence strongly suggests that regular out nature learning certificates).
activity in nature produces people that are healthier, happier 12. As a follow-up activity, design and create an outdoor learning
and smarter. space as a class to be used to learn in nature on a regular basis
6. Introduce the N2G activity “My Own Tree.” (see section on Designing the Outdoor Learning Space).

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20
Nature101
Culminating Task:
Create Your Own Outdoor Learning Space
Create an outdoor learning space as a class to celebrate Ask your school board’s facilities department for its
the successful completion of all five phases of the feedback on your plan (approaching the facilities
Nature101 series of lessons. department might be a highly valuable project for your
students to undertake). As you put in place detailed
To begin, consult excellent free resources many of plans to accomplish the project, communicate regularly
which are available online. For example, Evergreen with school administration and custodial staff. Ask local
(www.evergreen.ca) has written Dig it, Plant it, Build it, businesses for donations of needed materials, and seek
Paint it!, a manual on design ideas for the outdoor the active involvement of parent volunteers.
classroom. Download it free at www.evergreen.ca/en/
resources/schools/design-ideas.sn. Ontario EcoSchools Plan your “construction” day or days in detail;
(ontarioecoschools.org/) offers another resource that include alternative dates as a backup in case a
provides thorough information on creating a sheltered postponement is necessary. Mark the completion of
(i.e. shaded) space for outdoor learning: Ontario the project with a celebration for everyone who was
EcoSchools School Ground Greening: Designing for involved and any others you would like to share in
Shade and Energy Conservation Guide is offered as a your class’ achievement!
free download at ontarioecoschools.org/program_
guides/sgg.html. An alternative project to consider as a class is to design
and build a school garden. The process is very similar to
Once you have gained an idea of the possibilities for that described above for designing an outdoor learning
your outdoor learning space, approach your school space. Again, gather information, consult with your
board for information on guidelines in place and school board and other experts, survey your schoolyard,
additional resources available. Consult other schools make a list of the elements you envision as a class, and
and teachers that have experience creating the outdoor contract your original list down to a manageable three.
learning space, and identify other organizations that A good primer on developing a school food garden
have expertise and/or resources that you can use. program has been put together by Seeds for Change
(seedsforchangegardens.org) and can be accessed free
Now take a walk in your schoolyard with your class and on the website at seedsforchangegardens.org/index.
envision the best outdoor learning space you can fit into php/programs/school.
the available areas. Make a list of both essential and
desirable elements of the space (e.g. gathering space, Finally, as an outward extension of the culminating task,
shade tree, minimal safety concerns, grass to lie on, a encourage your students to identify and create their own
favourite rock) and draw a diagram of what it would nature spaces to explore, or grow their own gardens with
look like. family and friends at home. A very positive way to
encourage this independent step is to assist students in
As a class, discuss the elements of the learning space forming an extracurricular school Nature Club that
you have come up with and sort them from most could gather at lunch or after school.
important to least important. Take the top three
elements and use these as the action items to work on
as a class. Keep the rest of the list and consider the
other elements after the first three are in place. As Herb
Broda has heard from countless teachers, and strongly
recommends in his wonderful book Schoolyard-
Enhanced Learning: “start small!”

21
Nature2Go
Nature2Go activities have been designed to provide quick access to
curriculum-based experiences that can be completed in a short period of
time. You can accomplish most activities in 30 minutes or less, and they
can be extended to become longer lessons if desired. In many cases these
activities will serve a broad range of elementary grades and can usually be
adapted to serve a grade that is not specifically listed. Altogether, the guide
offers 50 Nature2Go activities.

Each activity includes: grades best suited to the activity; appropriate

seasons to use it; Curriculum Connections to the Ontario Curriculum;
materials needed; a detailed description of the steps involved; suggested
teacher prompts; and options to modify or extend the activity.

22
Nature2Go INDEX
Grade Level Primary Junior Intermediate
Subject ST M A L SS HPE ST M A L SS HPE ST M A L SS HPE

es
e
ad
g
ACTIVITY Season

Pa

Gr
A Day in the Life 24 2-7 All Seasons x x x x x x
Big Snake 24 1-5 All Seasons x x x x x
Big Wind Blows 25 K-8 All Seasons x x x x
Blank Postcards 25 K-8 All Seasons x x x
Blindfold Walk 26 1-3 All Seasons x x
Bug-Eyed 26 4-6 Fall/Spring x
Build a Mini-Space 27 K-8 Fall/Spring/Summer x x x
Camouflage 27 1-7 All Seasons x x x x x
Changes of Matter 28 1-8 All Seasons x x x x x x x x x
Cloud Watching 28 K-8 All Seasons x x x x x x x
Decomposition Tag 29 1-8 All Seasons x x x x x x
Deer Ears 29 1-6 All Seasons x x x x
Finding and Making Patterns in Nature 30 K-6 All Seasons x x
Framing Nature 30 K-8 All Seasons x x x x x x
Geography 31 6-7 All Seasons x x x x
Getting to the Roots 31 3-8 Fall/Spring x x x x x x
Guided Fantasy 32 K-8 All Seasons x x x x x
Interpreting Nature 32 1-8 All Seasons x x x
Is This a Plant? 33 1-6 All Seasons x x x x x x
I’ve Been Here Before 33 K-8 All Seasons x x x
Just Like Us 34 1-3 All Seasons x
Leapfrog 34 1-7 All Seasons x x x
Life Lasso 35 K-8 Fall/Spring x x x x x x x x x
Mental Vacation 35 1-8 All Seasons x x x
Micro Hike 36 1-8 All Seasons x x x x x x x x x
More Than Meets the Eye 36 2-7 Fall/Spring x x x x x x
My Own Tree 37 1-8 All Seasons x x x x x x x x x x x x
Nature Charades 37 1-8 All Seasons x x x x x x x x x
Nature Cheers 38 1-6 All Seasons x x x x x x
Nature Reporters 38 1-6 All Seasons x x x x
Nature Sundae 39 K-6 Fall/Spring x x x x
Nature Symphony 39 1-4 All Seasons x x
Nature Through the Window 40 3-8 All Seasons x x x x x x x x
Nature’s Paintbrush 40 K-3 Fall/Spring x x x x
Popcorn 41 1-6 All Seasons x x x x x x
Rainbow Chips 41 1-8 All Seasons x x x x x x
Rainstorm 42 K-8 All Seasons x x x
Rocky Road 42 4-8 Fall/Spring x x x x x x x x x x x x
Scavenger Hunt 43 1-8 All Seasons x x x
Seed Rockets 43 1-8 Fall/Spring X x x x x x
Singin’ in the Rain 44 2-8 All Seasons x x x x
Sorting Rules in Nature 44 K-6 Fall/Spring x x x x x
Sound Bingo 45 1-8 Fall/Spring/Summer x x x x
Sound Map 45 1-8 All Seasons x x x
Tableaux 46 7-8 All Seasons x x
Texture Rubbings 46 1-8 Fall/Spring x x x x x x
This is a Stone 47 1-8 All Seasons x x x x x x
Touchstones 47 1-8 All Seasons x x x x x x
Wake Up Those Senses 48 K-8 All Seasons x x x x x x
What Colour Is It? 48 K-8 All Seasons x x x x x x

Subject Legend: ST: Science and Technology; M: Mathematics; A: The Arts; L: Language; SS: Social Studies; HPE: Health and Physical Education

23
Nature2Go: A Day in the Life
GRADES 2–7 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons Task: imagine you are an animal or a plant living in or under the
tree. Write a story about a day in your life.
Curriculum Connections:
• Language: Writing ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems 1. Review what living things need in their habitats to survive.
Learning Skills and Work Habits: Imagine that the grassy or forested area is now black top. What
• Responsibility needs would be easy/hard to obtain in the black
• Independent Work top environment?
2. Compare and contrast a day in two different seasons.
Materials Needed: Journal, pencil, and clipboard for
each student

ACTIVITY:
Take students outside and have them select a tree to sit near.
Provide five minutes to observe the tree and look at the plants and
animals that may be observed in, on, or around the tree. After the
observation time, begin a creative writing exercise. Students write
a journal entry themed on a day in the life of one of the animals or
plants observed.

Nature2Go: Big Snake

GRADES 1–5 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons Animals move in many ways: birds fly, rabbits and frogs hop. How
do snakes move?
Curriculum Connections:
• Health and Physical Education: Active Living; Movement ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Competence: Skills, Concepts, Strategies 1. Look around and observe how animals move. Work together in
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems groups to create one big animal, with each person acting as one
Learning Skills and Work Habits: part of the animal. Now coordinate your movements and move
• Collaboration together as your one animal.
2. Try acting as an animal on your own and then as one part of a
ACTIVITY: larger animal. How are the two experiences different?
Begin with the Teacher Prompt. Follow up by asking students to 3. Find animal tracks in the snow or mud: can you mimic their way
imagine themselves as snakes. Students stretch out on stomachs of walking?
in groups of two, grabbing the ankles of the person in front of them 4. Play “Snake Tag”. This can be done as a whole class or in 2-3
to make a two-person snake. Snakes seek out other snakes and groups. Each group gets in a line and holds the waist of the
connect to ankles to create larger and larger snakes until you have person in front, forming a big snake. The snake is trying to bite
one big snake! This snake may become coordinated enough to roll its tail – the person at the front has to try to tag the person at the
over, and curl up and go to sleep! back. If the head (front person) is successful at catching the tail
(back person), switch and have the back become the head and
the front the tail and repeat the game. NOTE: This is best played
on a softer surface such as grass.

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Nature2Go: Big Wind Blows
GRADES K–8 ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
All Seasons 1. Connect this to your present Science and Technology topic
(e.g. ...can identify food for an animal, …has watched
Curriculum Connections: birds, …enjoys spending time in nature in the winter, …can
• Language: Oral Communication see a deciduous tree, ...can name the parts of a plant).
• Health and Physical Education: Active Living Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 2. Use this activity as an opener to the Grade 2 topic related to
• Collaboration wind. Science and Technology: Understanding Earth and
Space Systems

ACTIVITY:
Everyone sits in a circle outside with one person in the middle.
Person in the middle yells out a nature-related statement such
as ”The big wind blows for anyone who walked to school today!”
All people to whom this applies run across the circle to find an
open spot or to switch spots with another. Students to whom this
statement does not apply stay seated. At this time, the person who
was in the middle tries to get one of the empty spots. One student
will be left without a spot. That student goes to the middle and
calls out a new nature statement: “The big wind blows for anyone
who_______________ .”

Nature2Go: Blank Postcards

GRADES K–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons Advise students to focus strongly on observation, and encourage
students to pose questions about what was observed.
Curriculum Connections:
• The Arts: Visual Arts ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 1. Photograph your plant or animal in addition to/instead of
• Initiative drawing it. The Arts: Visual Arts
2. Record questions along with recorded observations.
Language: Writing
Materials Needed: Blank cards, pencil crayons, paints

ACTIVITY:
Take a short walk in a nearby natural area. Gather as a group either
outdoors or back in class. Students choose a plant or animal seen
outside to draw or paint. Once the pictures are complete, students
lie down and reflect on what features attracted them to their
chosen plants and animals, and record their thoughts.

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Nature2Go: Blindfold Walk
GRADES 1–3 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. Did you feel more or less a part of nature while sitting or
standing with the blindfold on?
Curriculum Connections: 2. We all did the same walk yet each had a different experience
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems in some way. Discuss how the experience was unique for each
• Language: Oral Communication person and why.
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
• Collaboration ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Responsibility Ask students to write a poem about how things felt, smelled, and
sounded, incorporating their emotions about being in nature.
• Self-regulation
Language: Writing

Materials Needed: One long rope; one blindfold per student

ACTIVITY:
Students blindfold each other and then everyone hangs onto a
long rope. The teacher takes one end of the rope and one student
with-out a blindfold, takes the other end. The teacher SLOWLY
leads the participants SILENTLY to a destination in a natural area
that will stimulate the senses. Instruct students to imagine that
this is their home; take note of how it feels, smells and sounds.
In an open space, all students take off blindfolds and discuss
their experiences.

Nature2Go: Bug-Eyed
GRADES 4–6 TEACHER PROMPTS:
Fall / Spring 1. If you could choose, what kind of small creature would you want
to be e.g. flying, walking, burrowing, stinging, munching, etc.?
Curriculum Connections: 2. What does it mean to respect somebody or something?
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems 3. What roles do little creatures like insects play in our world?
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
• Collaboration ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Responsibility 1. Make a sorting chart; draw insects and label them with
• Self-regulation descriptive characters; record observations on insect behavior.
Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
• Initiative
2. Design and draw your own insect from categories provided and
determine where it would live. The Arts: Visual Arts; Science and
Materials Needed: Containers for collecting insects, gauze or
Technology: Understanding Life Systems
foam pieces to cover or plug the top of the container
3. Keep an insect log to record what you discovered.
Language: Writing
ACTIVITY:
Pair students. Go outside into any natural environment (garden,
field, forest). Hand out the materials to each student. Students
work to capture insects and other small creatures in the container
and sort them into different groups. After careful observation,
students release their catch and try to capture more. Students
should try to find small creatures representing three or more
different groups.

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Nature2Go: Build a Mini-Space
GRADES K–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
Fall / Spring / Summer What animals are this size? What might the world be like for them?

Curriculum Connections: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:

• Language: Reading 1. Record the objects in the mini-space (draw or photograph
• Mathematics: Geometry and Spatial Sense; Measurement items). The Arts: Visual Arts
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 2. Present a tour of your mini-space, or tell classmates about one
• Collaboration or all objects collected. Language: Oral Communication
• Organization 3. Write an advertisement to attract thumb-sized people to your
• Initiative site. Language: Writing; Media Literacy
4. Make a list of all the small living things found: what do you know
Materials Needed: One long rope; one blindfold per student about each one? How does each one connect to the others?
Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
ACTIVITY:
Read aloud a book (e.g. The Magic School Bus, Gulliver’s Travels)
describing the world from the perspective of someone very small.
In small groups create an outdoor museum for a person the size
of your thumb using items found within the confines of a geometric
shape (e.g. a triangle measured in straw units for Grade 1; a
two-metre circumference circle outlined with string for Grade 8) on
an out-door natural space.

Nature2Go: Camouflage
GRADES 1–7 mouse is considered to be eaten and turns
All Seasons into an “owl pellet” sitting in a circle around the owl’s perch.
The mouse that is the best at surviving is the one who remains
uncaught and who is closest to the owl — a master of camouflage!
Curriculum Connections:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
If the mice are too well camouflaged for the owl to find, introduce a
• Health and Physical Education: Active Living; Movement
“food break”: mice must visit a food source (e.g. squares of paper,
Competence: Skills, Concepts, Strategies
scattered crayons) and then return to hiding while the owl counts
Learning Skills and Work Habits: to 10 with eyes closed. To shorten the game, place the food close
• Collaboration to the owl. Discuss the decisions that a mouse must make to find
food while staying safe.
Materials Needed: Squares of paper, crayons, etc. for “food
break” option to activity. NOTE: this game is best played in long grass or areas with trees
where there are lots of places to hide nearby!
ACTIVITY:
The teacher chooses one student to be a Great-Horned Owl ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
(predator); the remaining students are Deer Mice (prey). The owl 1. Blindfold the owl. Mice sneak toward the food encircling the owl:
stays on its “perch” (in one spot), closes its eyes, and counts to 20. when detected by sound, a mouse becomes a pellet.
The mice run and hide within a boundary. Once hidden, students Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
must remain silent in order to avoid detection by the owl. At 20, the 2. Move like an animal. Prey can be: mouse (Deer Mouse), rabbit
owl opens his eyes and yells ‘Camouflage!’. The owl can turn all the (Eastern Cottontail), fox, domestic cat or dog.
way around on the spot, but cannot leave the perch. Using keen The Arts: Dance; Drama; Health and Physical Education:
eyesight, the owl must spy the mice and call out the name of the Movement Competence: Skills, Concepts, Strategies
student or colour of clothing spotted. As soon as it is spotted, the

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Nature2Go: Changes of Matter
GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. Call out “energy removed” or “energy added.”
2. Call out changes of state.
Curriculum Connections: 3. Call out “zero degrees Celsius” and then instruct small groups
• Science and Technology: Understanding Matter and Energy each to “grow” into a different snowflake shape.
• The Arts: Drama
• Health and Physical Education: Movement Competence: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Skills, Concepts, Strategies 1. In small groups students create a short matter skit. Other
Learning Skills and Work Habits: students guess what happened to the matter during the skit.
• Collaboration 2. As a class, create a water drama that begins with snow in your
• Responsibility nearby nature area, cycles through the seasons, and ends when
water once again appears as snow.
ACTIVITY:
Each student represents a molecule that makes up a water droplet.
Call out prompts e.g. “Energy added!” and have students in small
groups move to represent the way molecules of water would react
in a given space.

Nature2Go: Cloud Watching

GRADES K–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

All Seasons 1. Identify the types of clouds you see.
2. What kind of pictures/lines/textures do you see?
Curriculum Connections: 3. “This cloud reminds me of …” story development (similar to
• Language: Oral Communication constellation legends).
• Science and Technology: Understanding Earth 4. Can you predict the weather?
and Space Systems
Learning Skills and Work Habits: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Collaboration 1. Paint what was seen or draw story ideas. The Arts: Visual Arts
• Initiative 2. Use sidewalk chalk to draw on the playground the pictures seen.
The Arts: Visual Arts
Materials Needed: Cloud chart if desired 3. Read The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown as an
introduction, then create a class book of clouds to share with
another class. Language: Reading; Writing.
ACTIVITY:
On a cloudy day (partial sun and cloud is best), go outside to a
space with a clear view of the sky. Everybody lies on their backs
or assumes a different comfortable position looking up to the sky.
View the clouds. Simply call out what you see e.g. colour, shape,
type of cloud while observing the sky, or discuss what you see
using the teacher prompts as cloud watching continues or after the
conclusion of a defined period of cloud watching time.

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Nature2Go: Decomposition Tag
GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. What is a decomposer?
2. What benefits does a decomposer provide?
Curriculum Connections: 3. What would our world look like without decomposers?
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
• Health and Physical Education: Movement Competence: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Skills, Concepts, Strategies During the game pull the Decomposer out for a few minutes,
Learning Skills and Work Habits: explaining that it has been harmed by human activity. For example,
• Collaboration the slug ate slug bait in a garden and died, or the fungus died due
• Responsibility to soil acidity from acid rain, or the insects died due to pesticides.
The living things will all be dead. Discuss as a group how this
ACTIVITY: relates to the circle of life.
Discuss decomposition and decomposers (worms, fungi, snails,
slugs, insects, bacteria). One student is “Death”, another is a
“Decomposer”. All others are living things. Death chases and
tags the living things who freeze OR lay down on the ground
when tagged. When the Decomposer touches a lifeless body it is
returned to the cycle of life as another living thing.

Nature2Go: Deer Ears

GRADES 1–6 being caught, the Wolf can become the

All Seasons Deer and the game can restart.
NOTE: trees are rooted to the ground quietly!
Curriculum Connections:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems TEACHER PROMPTS:
• Health and Physical Education: Active Living 1. Do you think that predators are always successful catching
their prey?
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
• Organization 2. What features serve each the Wolf and Deer in their roles as
predator and prey?

Materials Needed: Two bandanas

ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Try the activity with other predator/prey pairs, such as owl and
ACTIVITY:
mouse, fox and rabbit, snake and frog, etc.
Students stand in a very large circle (areas with long grass or
forests are best) and become trees. The teacher picks a Deer, who
stands in the middle of the circle, blindfolded and with a bandana
tucked into the back of his/her pants to represent a tail. The
teacher silently picks a Wolf from the circle of trees, who then tries
to silently sneak up on the Deer and steal his/her “tail”. Ears are
cupped for the “deer ears” effect and if a sound is heard, the Deer
points in the direction of the sound. If the Deer points at the Wolf,
the Wolf is caught and has to return to the circle of trees and a new
Wolf is chosen. If the Wolf successfully steals the Deer’s tail without

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Nature2Go: Finding and Making Patterns in Nature
GRADES K–6 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. Were your predictions similar or different from the patterns you
found on the walk?
Curriculum Connections: 2. What was the most interesting pattern you found? Why?
• Mathematics: Patterning and Algebra; 3. For older grades, challenge students to look beyond simple
Geometry and Spatial Sense shapes and patterns to find more complicated relationships to
Learning Skills and Work Habits: math e.g. inside of sunflower or pine cone seen as a
• Independent Work Fibonacci set.
• Initiative
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
ACTIVITY: 1. Try the activity in a forested area.
Patterns can be seen everywhere in Nature! Explain to your 2. Change your perspective. Pretend you are an insect on the
students that shapes can be found in nature too. Discuss ground. Lie down on your stomach and use a magnifying glass
examples. Ask the students to take a two minute quiet walk to get an ant’s eye view. Or, lie under the trees and look up into
about your natural area and then re-group and share any patterns the canopy.
they observed (e.g. visual patterns in plant growth on a leaf, 3. Visit the area regularly to observe seasonal changes.
sound patterns, branching twigs, milkweed or dandelion fluff, 4. Students can do the same activity using shapes and three-
ice crystals). dimensional shapes they recognize. Simple materials can be
gathered to demonstrate AB type patterns.
5. Collect and press common flowers. Use the pressed plants
as examples of different patterns. Create art from the
pressed flowers.
6. Dissect a flower to look at shapes and patterns.

Nature2Go: Framing Nature

GRADES K–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

All Seasons 1. Frame a scene that reflects your mood.
2. Frame a place/object that represents to you a character or
Curriculum Connections: setting in a short story read in class.
• The Arts: Visual Arts 3. Frame a scene that reminds you of an experience in your life.
• Language: Oral Communication; Reading
Learning Skills and Work Habits: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Initiative 1. In groups, add characters to the picture and perform a short
drama or skit in the scene. The Arts: Drama
Materials Needed: One empty frame per student 2. Write about your framed picture based on the teacher prompt.
(e.g. make it out of construction paper, etc., or form a frame Language: Writing
with your fingers) 3. Draw your framed picture. The Arts: Visual Arts
4. Work in groups or as a class to come up with a theme that
ACTIVITY: connects different framed pictures. Science and Technology:
Beginning outdoors in a natural area, each student is given an Understanding Life Systems
empty frame. Students will be the artists, looking through their 5. Choose a framed picture that is present year-round; return and
frames from a variety of perspectives until each finds a scene to photograph the same picture in each season. Science and
capture. The frame is left at the spot where the picture has been Technology: Understanding Earth and Space Systems
captured and each student rejoins the group. The whole class goes
on a gallery walk, stopping at each frame. Each frame is held by
the artist for the class to look through as the picture is described.

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Nature2Go: Geography
GRADES 6–7 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. What habitats/ecosystems are in our area that support
living things?
Curriculum Connections: 2. How are these habitats/ecosystems connected to our lives?
• Geography 3. What actions affect the ecosystems both positively
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems and negatively?
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 4. What environmental topics are relevant to our local
• Collaboration school community?

ACTIVITY: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:

With clipboards, walk around the school grounds and/or local 1. Exchange maps with a classmate and see if you can follow it
neighbourhood. Observe examples of habitats and/or ecosystems and find the items recorded.
that you recognize and record these on your map. Describe the
living things that might be found in those habitats/ecosystems.
Note your impressions.

Nature2Go: Getting to the Roots

GRADES 3–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

Fall / Spring 1. How are the plants different?
2. Why might the roots differ and how might the differences
Curriculum Connections: observed affect the life of the plant?
• Language: Oral Communication 3. Sort the plants into their different types i.e. classify the plants.
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
Learning Skills and Work Habits: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Responsibility 1. Pick one of the plants and draw a detailed sketch using different
• Collaboration elements of design e.g. texture, line, etc. The Arts: Visual Arts
2. Use magnifiers to make comparisons between plant structures.
Materials Needed: Plants, garden tools, container with water
FOR INTERMEDIATE: jeweller’s loupes, microscopes,
magnifying glasses

ACTIVITY:
Go out to any natural area e.g. grass, forest, field. Dig up some
different plants (i.e., grass, clover, wild strawberry, dandelion).
Carefully wash off the roots and compare. Look at more detailed
comparisons using magnifiers.

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Nature2Go: Guided Fantasy
GRADES K–8 group, the entire field, higher and higher,
All Seasons until you start moving forward, realizing that you can fly! Continue
this journey using your own ideas and curricular areas! You may
journey e.g. over or into forests, water systems, to other countries.
Curriculum Connections:
To end, slowly move back to your bodies and slowly wake up or
• Language: Oral Communication
squeeze each part. Get up slowly!
• Science and Technology: Understanding Earth and Space
Systems; Understanding Life Systems
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Social Studies
1. Paint a story: what did you see? The Arts: Visual Arts
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
2. Write your own guided fantasy and guide the class through it.
• Collaboration
Language: Writing; Oral Communication
3. Draw a map of all the places you went on the fantasy.
ACTIVITY: Social Studies/Geography
Ask students to find a place in nature where they can comfortably
lie on their backs and close their eyes. First point out each of the
senses, and ask the students to concentrate on these things. How
does the air feel against your skin? How does your weight feel
against the earth? What can you hear? Smell? This will allow
students to focus in on the natural surroundings using all senses.
At this point, verbally go through each of the major body parts,
head to toe, asking students to tense, then relax each body part. If
this is going well, you may lead an imaginary journey e.g. imagine
you are leaving your body, lifting up slowly like a balloon. You see
your body be-low you, and then you rise higher seeing our entire

Nature2Go: Interpreting Nature

GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

All Seasons Do you ever imagine being someone or something different from
who you are? Why?
Curriculum Connections:
• Language: Writing ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 1. Students can present or perform their work to classmates
• Independent Work individually, in pairs, or in small groups (since the question
posed can elicit personal answers, consider allowing students
Materials Needed: Clipboards, writing/drawing materials to “pass”). The Arts: Drama
2. Create a story from your answer. Language: Writing
ACTIVITY:
Go outside to a natural area. Ask students, “If you were something
out here in nature, what would you be and why?” Write in journals
or draw pictures to explain.

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Nature2Go: Is This a Plant?
GRADES 1–6 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. What is a plant? What are the characteristics of plants?
2. How are plants different from each other?
Curriculum Connections: 3. What would our world be like without plants?
• Language: Oral Communication
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• The Arts: Visual Arts 1. In small groups or individually, create a dichotomous key
Learning Skills and Work Habits: (e.g. branching diagram) using e.g. words, pictures based
• Responsibility on the plants you observed. To test if it works, exchange with
• Collaboration another group to see if they come up with the correct plant using
the key.
ACTIVITY: 2. Press schoolyard plants; use the dried plants to make herbarium
Go outside to a natural area. Point to various plant species. Is this specimens, or notecards and book marks. The Arts: Visual Arts
a tree or shrub? Is it a wildflower, weed, bulb, or vegetable? How do 3. Use GPS to mark examples of different types of plants. Map
you know? Why do we care? How does it fit within our world? them out. Social Studies: Geography, Grade 7

Nature2Go: I’ve Been Here Before

GRADES K–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

All Seasons 1. Before (Anticipation): How do you think your scene will change?
Make a list.
Curriculum Connections: After (Reflection): What changes did you expect? What changes
• The Arts: Visual Art surprised you?
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 2. Before (Anticipation): What events e.g. storm, amount of rain,
• Initiative human use, etc. do you expect will cause changes in the
landscape?
After (Reflection): Reflect on your expectations.
Materials Needed: Cameras, art materials

ACTIVITY: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:

Choose a spot outside in a natural area to take a photograph. 1. Cut photos in half and use different mediums e.g. paint, pastel,
Return to the exact spot once per month throughout the year and pencil crayons to recreate the missing side of the photo.
take a photograph of the same spot. Create an art piece with all the 2. On a return visit, draw your scene instead of photographing it.
photographs near the end of the school year. Reflect on how the 3. For Grades K-2 focus on one tree or a small area of
area changed throughout the year and how the changes made nearby nature.
you feel.

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Nature2Go: Just Like Us
GRADES 1–3 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. In sharing, begin by describing the object. The name of the
object, if known, can be included, but it isn’t necessary.
Curriculum Connections:
• Language: Oral Communication ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 1. Collect all of the objects and use in the classroom for a
• Collaboration patterning activity or as counters. Mathematics:
• Organization Patterning and Algebra
2. Without mentioning stewardship, prompt students to think about
ACTIVITY: what things might affect or be affected by their objects: “What
Students gather in a circle in a natural area outside and stand happens to a stick in a forest?” (E.g. becomes part of a bird’s
quietly to look and listen in their surroundings for fifteen to thirty nest; picked up by a dog; becomes fungus food and makes new
seconds. Students divide into pairs. Students are instructed that soil.) Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
they are going to find three interesting objects in three minutes and
bring them back to the circle. The objects can be physical objects,
or can be a sight, sound, smell, etc. that has been discovered.
Have the first pair share or describe what they found. If any other
group has found the same object, they step forward into the middle
and call out, “Just like us!” and then step back into the circle. The
pair of students then returns to their place in the circle. The next
pair shares, and so on, until all groups have been given the
opportunity to participate.

Nature2Go: Leapfrog
GRADES 1–7 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. How do you think a frog moves?
2. Why does it move in the way it does?
Curriculum Connections:
• Health and Physical Education: Movement Competence: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Skills, Concepts, Strategies 1. Observe other animals to see how they move; imitate them.
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems Describe how each animal’s body is suited to its natural
Learning Skills and Work Habits: environment. Science and Technology: Understanding Life
• Collaboration Systems; Understanding Structures and Mechanisms
2. Listen to a recording of frog calls on a CD or from the web.
Materials Needed: Pylons (optional) Discuss the sounds: do any of the calls sound like “ribbit”?
The Arts: Music
ACTIVITY:
Discuss how frogs move and imitate frog movement. Form teams
as small as 4 or as large as you like. Each team crouches down in
a straight line with 1.5 metres between each person. The student
at the back end of the line leaps over each of his team members
until he reaches the front of the line, then yells ‘ribbit!’ and, upon
hearing this, the next person goes. Set up start and finish lines with
pylons to make this activity a competitive race.

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Nature2Go: Life Lasso
GRADES K–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
Fall / Spring 1. What does a grass plant look like? Are there different types
of grass plants?
Curriculum Connections: 2. How are grasses different from other plants in your space?
• Language: Oral Communication 3. How many different plants are in your area: is there a lot
Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems of diversity?
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 4. Did you find animals e.g. insects? What were they doing?
• Responsibility
• Collaboration ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
1. Move your “lasso” to an edge e.g. forest/grass or grass/blacktop.
Materials Needed: Hula hoops Is there a difference? If so, what is it and why does it occur?
2. Count the different types and numbers of plants in a 30 cm2
ACTIVITY: area inside your lasso. Extrapolate your findings to a larger area:
Students form small groups. Each group throws or drops a hula how much of the area is made up of grass plants?
hoop onto the ground, preferably on grass, to define an area. If no Mathematics: Measurement; Patterning and Algebra
plants can be seen in the defined area, another area is selected 3. Using a graphing program, represent the data in graph form.
using the same method; this is repeated until plants are found Mathematics: Data Management and Probability
in the hula hoop area. Plants and other living things within the
created area are explored: describe and compare all living things
found, or study one of them e.g. Dandelion, in detail.

Nature2Go: Mental Vacation

GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. Why did you choose the place that you did?
2. How did you feel when you were there?
Curriculum Connections: 3. When could this activity benefit you in everyday life?
• Health and Physical Education: Healthy Living
Learning Skills and Work Habits: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Responsibility Students could write about / draw / create a song about / orally
describe their favourite place. Language: Oral Communication;
ACTIVITY: Writing;The Arts: Visual Arts
Students go outside to a natural space and lie down. Tell the
students to imagine their favourite outdoor place. They are to
picture being there, seeing the sights, feeling the air, imagining the
scents and textures of their favourite place. Tell the students that
they are going to have two minutes of silence to visit this special
favourite place. Reinforce after this exercise that anyone can take
a mental vacation to help create thoughts of relaxation and calm
whenever feelings of trouble, anger or stress arise. This practice
can improve happiness and health.

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Nature2Go: Micro Hike
GRADES 1–8 Follow up with a quick circle talk on what new
All Seasons and interesting things everyone found. This can be repeated in
different locations to compare the life found in grass, dirt, leaves,
forests, tarmac, etc. Record the comparison on a chart to show the
Curriculum Connections:
differences in diversity.
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Skills
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
TEACHER PROMPTS:
• Independent Work
1. Take care not to injure any living thing found —
• Responsibility
draw it, photograph it, or describe it in writing if handling
is uncomfortable.
Materials Needed: Small (5 cm tall) action figures, magnifying
glasses or jeweller’s loupes, metal spoons, notebooks, pencils, 2. Replace any overturned rocks, stones, etc. to preserve the
tooth-picks, string (all materials optional) places for any creatures present.

ACTIVITY: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:

This can be done in pairs or individually. Each student must find a 1. Sketch findings in Art sketchbooks or Science notebooks;
location on the school yard in a natural space (e.g. a garden, a or write a guide to the stops on your micro-trail.
puddle,) for the micro-hike. They are given a set amount of time to The Arts: Visual Arts; Language: Writing; Media Literacy
lay on their bellies and do a hike that is about one-metre long. 2. Take another student on a guided hike on your micro-trail.
Encourage students to gently dig around and find as many Language: Oral Communication
interesting things, living and non-living, as they can by lifting rocks,
scooping soil, etc. List findings in notebooks, or mark points of
interest with toothpicks.

Nature2Go: More Than Meets the Eye

GRADES 2–7 TEACHER PROMPTS:
Fall / Spring 1. Before (Anticipation): What creatures do you think might live on
this plant?
Curriculum Connections: 2. What landed on the sheet: are they insects or something else?
• Language: Oral Communication How can you tell?
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems 3. How are the different animals that fell on the sheet using
the shrub?
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
• Responsibility
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Self-regulation
1. Students could break into groups and try the activity using
different shrubs.
Materials Needed: White sheet, shrubs
2. Classify insects found to the best of your ability.
What percentage could be identified?
ACTIVITY:
3. Count the number of insects of each type that have landed on
As a class, lay white sheet below a shrub in a yard, garden, or
the sheet. Record the findings. Prepare a graph to present the
forested area. Shake the shrub gently. As a group investigate
in-formation visually. Mathematics: Data Management
what you find. Sort the animals e.g. insects, spiders, other, into
and Probability
different groups.
4. How could you predict how many of each type of insect would
be found in a larger area? Make your prediction. Follow up
by shaking more shrubs in different areas and test the results
against your prediction. Mathematics: Data Management
and Probability

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Nature2Go: My Own Tree
GRADES 1-8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. Does the texture of the object feel different with eyes closed
compared to eyes open?
Curriculum Connections: 2. Was it easier to be Explorer or Guide? Did you find it hard to
• Language: Oral Communication; Writing trust your Guide?
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
• Collaboration ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Responsibility 1. Draw a “senses map” of the object: label places to touch,
smell, and listen at with representative symbols.
Materials Needed: Strips of material for blindfolds (e.g. from Mathematics: Geometry and Spatial Sense
old clothes, etc., or pull toques over eyes during cooler weather) 2. Discuss visual impairment: challenges and opportunities.
Health and Physical Education: Movement Competence: Skills,
Concepts, Strategies; Healthy Living
ACTIVITY: 3. Visit the area regularly to observe seasonal changes of your tree.
Pair students. One student is blindfolded — the Explorer — and
Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
the other is the Guide. Guide leads Explorer to a tree or other
4. After removing the blindfold, draw your tree from memory, then
natural object nearby with verbal directions or leading by the
have your Guide take you to find your tree. The Arts: Visual Arts
hand. Explorer gets to know the object presented by using all
5. Take photos of your tree and create a photo display, newspaper
senses other than sight (feel, smell, etc.) and is then led back
article, or “Most Wanted” poster. The Arts: Visual Arts;
to the starting point. The blindfold is removed, and Explorer,
Language: Media Literacy
accompanied by Guide, tries to find the natural object using
6. Write a journal reflection of your experience. Language: Writing
sensory memory. If three unsuccessful attempts are made to find
7. Measure your tree in as many ways as you can, or make a 3-D
the object, Guide will help lead Explorer to the object. Once the
model using shapes studied. Mathematics: Measurement;
object has been found and re-explored with eyes closed and open,
Geometry and Spatial Sense
the students switch roles.

Nature2Go: Nature Charades

GRADES 1–8 All teammates should participate

All Seasons e.g. an animal could be dramatized with one student being the
head, another the legs, etc. Play as many rounds as you like. Adapt
the game for the unit of study you are working on.
Curriculum Connections:
• The Arts: Drama
TEACHER PROMPTS:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
Ideas could be prepared ahead of time and placed in a container
• Language: Oral Communication
for selection by all teams.
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
• Collaboration
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Initiative
1. Students copy the actions and movements of the student
performing the charade.
Materials Needed: White sheet, shrubs
2. Ask students from each team submit ideas on slips of paper for
members of the other team to choose from. Place the ideas in
ACTIVITY: two containers: the student performing the charade selects an
Go outside into a natural area. Form small groups to make up idea from those submitted by the other team.
teams. Students brainstorm components of the natural world in
their teams e.g. an animal for younger grades; a plant cell, organ
system or an environmental concept for older grades. When all
teams are ready, one team acts out a nature charade while the
students in other teams guess what it is in a specified length of
time e.g. one minute to gain points for their team.

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Nature2Go: Nature Cheers
GRADES 1–6 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons Imagine yourself achieving something in front of the public,
e.g. scoring a winning goal in hockey, receiving a special award,
Curriculum Connections: performing on-stage. You succeed and the crowds claps and
• Language: Oral Communication cheers wildly for you. How does it feel?
• The Arts: Music
• Health and Physical Education: Active Living ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 1. Follow up the cheer with a tableaux. The Arts: Drama
• Collaboration 2. Videotape the cheers and play them as a slide show
accompanied by images of nature. Language: Media Literacy
ACTIVITY:
Celebrate nature by having students develop brief group nature
cheers. Set a five minute time to develop cheers as often as you
would like. Groups can use their cheer when they work together
outside, to welcome recess, etc. Groups should share their
cheers with the rest of the class each time a new one is created.
Cheers can be created for seasons, events, special findings,
and celebrations!

Nature2Go: Nature Reporters

GRADES 1–6 TEACHER PROMPTS:

All Seasons 1. Encourage students to look around and find something
interesting in nature to write a question about. Promote
Curriculum Connections: open-ended questions that don’t suggest a simple answer,
• Language: Oral Communication e.g. questions beginning with why or how.
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems 2. Use this activity to learn about specific curriculum outdoors
by specifying topics for questions, e.g. characteristics of
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
living things.
• Collaboration
• Responsibility
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
1. Each student chooses another student for an in-depth
Materials Needed: Clipboard, paper, and pencil for
follow-up interview and writes a short news story about it.
each student
Language: Writing
2. Each student devises questions to interview something in nature,
ACTIVITY:
e.g. a bird, a blade of grass, a stone, and pairs up with another
Each student has five minutes to make up two questions to ask student who makes up answers to the questions in character.
other students with a nature focus, e.g. “How often do you take a The Arts: Drama
walk with your family in nature? What living things do you see every
day?” Split the students into two groups that will each form a circle.
One group will form an inner circle, and the second group will form
another circle just outside of the first circle. Have each student of
the inner circle interview the closest student in the outer circle.
Move to the right and interview the next person.

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Nature2Go: Nature Sundae
GRADES K–6 TEACHER PROMPTS:
Fall / Spring 1. What senses are you using? Why is your sundae desirable?
2. Use various adjectives to entice classmates.
Curriculum Connections:
• Language: Oral Communication ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems; Items gathered can be described, identified, sorted and compared
Understanding Earth and Space Systems working individually, in pairs, or in small groups. Identification aids
Learning Skills and Work Habits: can be used, e.g. field guide, internet.
• Collaboration
• Independent Work

Materials Needed: One cup for each student

ACTIVITY:
Give each person a cup and go out to a natural area to make a
nature sundae or beverage by collecting nature items from the
ground e.g. plants, soil, etc. Each person presents to the whole
group. For example, pine needle punch, dead leaf delight. Remind
students to leave a responsible trace of their activity i.e. while it is
impossible to leave no trace while interacting meaningfully with a
natural area, we must demonstrate appropriate care for the things
we find in it.

Nature2Go: Nature Symphony

GRADES 1–4 TEACHER PROMPTS:

All Seasons Encourage creative movements that motivate students to challenge
themselves physically.
Curriculum Connections:
• The Arts: Music; Drama ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Health and Physical Education: Active Living; Movement 1. In music class, play notes from different instruments and ask
Competence: Skills, Concepts, Strategies students to connect the sound to something experienced in
Learning Skills and Work Habits: nature, e.g. “The flute reminds me of a moving stream.”
• Organization The Arts: Music
• Responsibility 2. Create instruments from materials gathered in the natural area,
e.g. knock stones together, bang sticks, rub a rock against
a piece of bark. As a class, assign each different sound to
ACTIVITY:
represent one animal including one to represent humans.
Students gather in a circle outside in a natural area. Tell the
Discuss the choices. The Arts: Music; Drama
students they are going to do a short silent walk and to come back
when they have heard three nature sounds. When students return,
tell them they are going to choose one and go around the circle
and recreate the sound they heard and students will try to identify
it. After each student has shared, go around the circle again and
have each student create an action to go with the sound e.g. wind
sound, sweeping arms. All students echo the sound and action
around the circle.

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Nature2Go: Nature Through the Window
GRADES 3–8 students have found a scene, have everyone
All Seasons gather at the window and share their frames with the class.
Students can also share their answers to some of the questions
listed under Teacher Prompts below.
Curriculum Connections:
• Language: Oral Communication
TEACHER PROMPTS:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
1. What do you see when you look out the window? Inside the
• The Arts: Visual Arts
frame? (Birds? Trees? Weather? Insects? Flowers?)
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 2. How does the picture in your frame change as you move to
• Responsibility different spots?
• Initiative 3. What are the smells, sounds, feelings you detect? Compare to
• Independent Work standing outside

Materials Needed: One empty frame for each student (e.g. ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
made with construction paper), window, tape 1. Draw a picture of what you see in your frame; can be the entire
scene, or just a part. The Arts: Visual Arts
ACTIVITY: 2. Take a picture of your framed nature scene. As a group, create
Explain to the students that they will be observing nature through an album of “Nature Through the Window” from different
the classroom window and through an empty frame. Students perspectives. The Arts: Visual Arts. Language: Media Literacy
make an empty frame with construction paper. Students take their
frame to the window: they will be the artists, looking through their
frames, finding landscapes they want to capture. Once a scene has
been framed, the frame can be taped to the window. After all

Nature2Go: Nature’s Paintbrush

GRADES K–3 TEACHER PROMPTS:

Fall / Spring 1. What did you notice when you applied the water to the textures?
2. Did anything change as you painted it? Explain.
Curriculum Connections:
• The Arts: Visual Arts ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Language: Oral Communication 1. Attempt to replicate the textures found by painting them on
paper. Do this outside to be close to the object.
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
The Arts: Visual Arts
• Collaboration
2. This could be used as an introduction to a “Group of Seven”
focused unit. The Arts: Visual Arts
Materials Needed: One paintbrush and cup of water for each
pair of students

ACTIVITY:
Discuss use of texture in the paintings of various artists.
Explain the beauty of nature is enhanced by the combination of
colours and textures. In pairs, students find interesting textured
objects outdoors (e.g. leaves, bark, twigs) and gently paint
them using paint brushes and water in order to focus on the
texture being explored. Follow up with a class discussion on
what was discovered.

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Nature2Go: Popcorn
GRADES 1–6 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons Today corn is the third most important food crop in the world after
wheat and rice.
Curriculum Connections:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• The Arts: Drama 1. Students (or teacher) suggest other uses for corn and act them
out e.g. kernels of corn on a cob; stalks growing in a windy field.
• Social Studies
2. Where does corn come from? How was it grown by First Nations
Learning Skills and Work Habits: in Ontario i.e. three sisters arrangement (corn, beans, squash).
• Independent Work 3. Corn is found in a huge variety of the foods we eat each day,
• Responsibility from soft drinks, to ketchup and jam. Gather products that
contain corn from the grocery store and discuss.
ACTIVITY:
Students gather in a field or open area and make a circle. The
teacher opens with the following idea: in the past people in Ontario
relied on the corn plant for nourishment. They would eat it fresh,
dry it to eat over the cold winters and pound it to make corn flour.

Act out the following scenarios:

1. You are a small kernel of fresh corn.
2. You are drying in the sun and shriveling into a hard kernel.
3. You have been put in a pan and that you are sizzling … sizzling
in a pan, then in a moment, start to POP! …
4. You are a kernel planted in fresh soil — act out the growth of a
seed into an adult plant.

Nature2Go: Rainbow Chips

GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

All Seasons 1. What colours are easiest/hardest to match? How do you think
this would change with the seasons?
Curriculum Connections: 2. While looking for colours, did you notice examples of other
• The Arts: Visual Arts elements of design in Nature e.g. line, shape, texture?
• Language: Oral Communication
Learning Skills and Work Habits: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Independent Work 1. Using paint chips, mix paints on a palette until they match the
• Responsibility colours of the chips, then paint a nature scene.
The Arts: Visual Arts
2. Using the nature scene painted, write a short story using the
Materials Needed: Paint chips from local paint store
scene as the setting of the story. Language: Writing
3. Present what was found to another student/whole group, noting
ACTIVITY:
the colour and one other interesting feature of the object.
Collect a selection of paint chips, cut them up, and put them in a Language: Oral Communication
bag. Hand each student a chip and instruct each to match their
4. Repeat the activity by looking for colour matches only on
chip as closely as possible with something in nature. Students may
human-made structures, or indoors. Discuss the results
need to flip things over or examine objects really closely to find a
compared to looking for colour matches in nature.
match! Once a match is found, a student returns to get another
paint chip.

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Nature2Go: Rainstorm
GRADES K–8 6. stomping feet
All Seasons 7. hitting legs
8. tapping all fingers against palm
Curriculum Connections: 9. snapping
• Music: Reflecting; Responding; Analyzing 10. tapping two fingers lightly against your palm
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 11. rubbing hands together
• Collaboration
TEACHER PROMPTS:
ACTIVITY: 1. When you hear this compilation of sounds what does it make
Everyone sits or stands in a circle in a chosen outdoor area. An you think of and how do you feel?
appointed leader goes around the circle doing an action that each 2. What other senses are triggered during a rainfall besides
per-son copies after being passed by the leader. Each individual hearing, e.g. scent, touch, etc.
continues making the action/noise until the leader passes again
with a new action, which is then copied. This way, two actions can ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
be done simultaneously. Each action will become progressively 1. Use this activity as a hook for the introduction to the water cycle.
louder as more people copy the action, then become quieter as a Science and Technology: Understanding Earth
new action is introduced and begins to be copies around the circle. and Space Systems
2. Act out a rainstorm e.g. somersaults for wind, swaying for trees.
Actions in sequence:
Health and Physical Education: Active Participation; The Arts:
1. rubbing hands together Drama; Dance
2. tapping two fingers lightly against your palm 3. Collect “instruments” from nature e.g. two sticks to rub, two
3. snapping stones to tap, and create a rainstorm symphony.
4. tapping all fingers against palm The Arts: Music
5. hitting legs

Nature2Go: Rocky Road

GRADES 4–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

Fall / Spring Humans tell stories about things that happen in their lives.
How old are some of these stories?
Curriculum Connections:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Earth and Space ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Systems, Rocks and Minerals 1. Instead of a rock, find any interesting natural object to write
• Language: Writing about. Language: Writing
• Health and Physical Education: Movement Competence: 2. Using a comic creation program e.g. Bitstrips, Comic Life, turn
Skills, Concepts, Strategies the rock into a character to create a story/comic. Language:
Media Literacy; The Arts: Visual Arts
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
• Responsibility 3. Create a tableaux of an event in the rock’s life. The Arts: Drama
Independent Work 4. Imagine you were a tree or a robin: tell a story about yourself.
The Arts: Oral Communication

Materials Needed: Journal, pencil, clipboard

ACTIVITY:
Gather in a natural area and ask students how we find out about
things that make us curious. Take a walk. While walking, each
student must find a rock that will be used for the next part of the
activity. Once students have found their rocks, the class meets at a
starting location. Students disperse individually to a quiet location.
Students write stories about the rocks they have found.

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Nature2Go: Scavenger Hunt
GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. Specify non-living objects so that all objects can be brought
back to share with the group.
Curriculum Connections: 2. Find a certain colour, shape, size, texture.
• Science and Technology: Several depending on choice 3. Find 2 different textures in nature.
of hunt items 4. Find a feather, find a sign of a animal.
• Health and Physical Education: Active Participation 5. Find something that doesn’t belong in nature.
6. Find something older than the teacher.
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
7. Find something that depends on something else.
• Collaboration
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
ACTIVITY: 1. Students create their own scavenger hunt lists.
Create groups of four students. The teacher calls out an item (e.g. 2. Gather objects and create a written story from the objects found.
“Find something red in nature!”) and determines the point value of Language: Writing
the item. All teams search for the item. Once the team has the item 3. Conduct a photographic scavenger hunt — students photograph
they return to the teacher to gain their points. First team back gets objects. Presentations to the class can follow.
more points and is given the second search item. At the end of The Arts: Visual Arts
the scavenger hunt the team with the highest points accumulated
wins. Close with reminding students to leave a responsible trace
of their activity i.e. while it is impossible to leave no trace while
interacting meaningfully with a natural area, we must demonstrate
appropriate care for the things we find in it; objects may be
returned to nature.

Nature2Go: Seed Rockets

GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

Fall / Spring 1. Read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.
2. Discuss the benefits of planting seeds by scattering them:
Curriculum Connections: how might it be beneficial? In what different ways do plants
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems; reproduce and scatter their seeds?
Earth and Space Systems
• Language: Reading ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Learning Skills and Work Habits: Draw a picture of how the area looks before the seeds are scattered
• Collaboration and a second picture that imagines what it might look like a month
later. Return in one month and compare the second picture with
what is there. Discuss. The Arts: Visual Arts
Materials Needed: Clay, compost or potting soil, Ontario
wildflower seeds

ACTIVITY:
Obtain dry red clay. Mix 5 parts clay with 3 parts compost or
potting soil and 1–2 parts native wildflower seeds. Dampen with
water until moldable (1–2 parts water should do). Take an amount
of mixture up to the size of a golf and make a shape of your choice.
Put aside until dry. Once dry, students launch their seed rocket (or
other shape) into a dry, sunny area e.g. field or garden patch. The
clay ball or other object will shatter on impact. Watch seeds sprout
and develop in the spring.

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Nature2Go: Singin’ in the Rain
GRADES 2–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons Play a song with a rain theme e.g. “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Here
Comes the Rain Again,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.”
Curriculum Connections: Why do we talk about it so often e.g. songs, weather, sayings (e.g.
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems; “Into each life some rain must fall”)? What do people think about
Understanding Earth and Space Systems the rain? Why?
• Mathematics: Data Management and Probability; Patterning
and Algebra ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Learning Skills and Work Habits: 1. Write stories: imagine yourself as a raindrop. Language: Writing
• Organization 2. Compare monthly rainfall readings using online data from
previous years. Take note of changes and trends over time.
• Collaboration
3. Graph the results over a period of weeks and discuss patterns.
Mathematics: Data Management and Probability
Materials Needed: Rain gauge
4. Go outside during a light rainfall to enjoy the experience. What
do you anticipate? What does it feel like? How many raindrops
ACTIVITY: can you catch with your tongue when standing in one place?
Attach a rain gauge outside the classroom, or in another area near
the building. Monitor the rainfall per week and/or per month. Graph
and compare results over time, for example by season e.g. fall,
winter, and spring. Use results in teaching other subject matter in
Math, Science, etc.

Nature2Go: Sorting Rules in Nature

GRADES K–6 TEACHER PROMPTS:

Fall / Spring How would the types of objects found change in fall, winter,
and spring?
Curriculum Connections:
• Mathematics: Data Management and Probability ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems; 1. Bring out a clipboard, paper and pencil to make a rough bar
Understanding Earth and Space Systems graph or pictograph of the objects based on the rule
e.g. percentage of objects found over sorting character,
• Language: Oral Communication
e.g. colour. Mathematics: Data Management
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
2. Repeat the activity in a different area, e.g. playground, stand of
• Collaboration
deciduous or coniferous trees, a more rugged/rocky area.
• Independent Work
3. Working with a partner, sort the objects using a Venn diagram.
4. Take along clipboards, paper, and pencils to make drawings or
ACTIVITY: rubbings of some of the sorted objects. The Arts: Visual Arts
Students go into a natural area in pairs and find objects to create
a sorting rule, e.g. sorting by colour, texture, shape. Teacher and
other students must guess the sorting rule, e.g. “My guess is that
you sorted by texture. These items feel rough, whereas these items
are smooth.”

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Nature2Go: Sound Bingo
GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
Fall / Spring / Summer 1. What is best way to prepare yourself to hear even the
slightest sounds?
Curriculum Connections: 2. Is it possible to filter out some sounds while listening for others?
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
• Mathematics: Data Management and Probability ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
1. Record the order that the sounds were heard and graph your
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
findings over time. Mathematics, Data Management
• Independent Work
and Probability
• Collaboration 2. Create a skit from the sounds you marked on your cards.
The Arts: Drama
Materials Needed: 3" x 3" square bingo cards, collection of 3. Write the name of expected sounds on squares before beginning
nature objects for bingo markers the game. Cover each square as the sound written on it is heard.

ACTIVITY:
Stand quietly as a class for one minute listening for sounds and
share these as a group. Break up into teams of four students each.
Pro-vide Bingo cards with three columns of three squares each;
the columns are labeled “Non-human Lifeforms,” “Human” and
“Other.” Now begin the game. Students in teams write down the
source of the sound and put pieces of grass, leaves, stones, etc.
on a square when sounds are heard (e.g. bird, insect, dog, rustling
leaves for Non-human Lifeforms; car, etc. for Human; wind, etc.
for Other). A team shouts “Bingo” when one line, two lines, or the
entire card are filled. Share sounds at conclusion.

Nature2Go: Sound Map

GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

All Seasons 1. What sounds did you hear the most? Why?
2. Before the walk, anticipate what you might hear and make a list.
Curriculum Connections: After the walk, revisit the list: were there any surprises? Why or
• Social Studies why not?
• Geography
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
• Collaboration Compare data. What can these findings tell us? e.g. There is a
high bird population in the northwest corner of the area (or corner
• Responsibility
where Smith St. meets John St.). Mathematics: Data Management
and Probability
Materials Needed: Clipboards, paper, drawing materials, maps
of area

ACTIVITY:
Imagine yourself in an area you know really well: what makes it
familiar to you? Announce that the class is going to go on a walk to
become familiar with an area by mapping only the sounds heard
along the way. Go for a walk in nature. Using symbols to represent
sounds, record the sounds heard on the map of the area.
Create a legend.

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Nature2Go: Tableaux
GRADES 7–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons Prepare some ideas on slips of paper for students to select from a
hat or bin.
Curriculum Connections:
• The Arts: Drama ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems Reverse the perspective and re-create the tableaux e.g. keeping
Learning Skills and Work Habits: pets from the owner’s perspective is reversed and re-created from
• Collaboration the pet’s perspective.
• Initiative

ACTIVITY:
In a natural area, small groups each create a tableaux to express
ideas using nature themes, e.g., exploring new natural areas
like a cave, rainforest, desert, etc.; predator/prey relationships;
interactions of humans with the environment; interactions of
humans with animals such as hunting, keeping pets, animal testing,
zoos. Each small group presents a tableaux to the whole class.

Nature2Go: Texture Rubbings

GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:

Fall / Spring 1. What words do we use to describe texture?
2. Ask students to describe textures and differences between
Curriculum Connections: them. Why do you think nature has so many different textures?
• The Arts: Visual Arts, Elements of Design
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
1. Make a class collage of all rubbings.
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
2. Use rubbings to make a mosaic, or artwork inspired by art; use
• Organization
illustrations of Eric Carle as an example.
• Independent Work
3. Make 3-D casts of the textures found in nature using plasticene
or plaster of Paris.
Materials Needed: Blank paper, crayons, chalk,
charcoal, clipboards

ACTIVITY:
Students take out their clipboards with a blank sheet of paper and
a preferred medium. Students have 20 minutes to make rubbings
of various interesting textures they discover. Students can use
leaves, bark, roots, rocks, anything they can find in nature that has
texture. Students sort the objects in their rubbings.

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Nature2Go: This is a Stone
GRADES 1–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons What characteristic(s) of the object inspired your imagination?

Curriculum Connections: ACTIVITY OPTIONS:

• Language: Oral Communication 1. Do the activity indoors first, and then outdoors in nature.
• The Arts: Drama Prompt: Do you think that being in nature helps you to think
more clearly and imaginatively?
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
2. Teacher can bring in different interesting natural objects,
• Responsibility
e.g. a shell, and do the same game.
• Initiative 3. Students could guess what the student is doing instead of being
told i.e. charades.
ACTIVITY: 4. Use this activity for French (core or immersion).
In a circle outside in nature, the teacher picks up a natural object
like a stick or stone. The teacher tells the students that this is a
game of imagination, and starts by saying, “This is a not a stone,
this is a…beautiful flower.” (Teacher pretends to smell a flower).
The stone is passed around the circle so that each student has the
opportunity to imagine and share the stone as something different.

Nature2Go: Touchstones

GRADES 1–8 to them? Individual students share how they

All Seasons were able to find their stones, or what made it difficult to do so.

TEACHER PROMPTS:
Curriculum Connections:
1. Describe your stone using as many attributes as you can.
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
2. Discuss how the stones could be a useful resource e.g. as tools
• Language: Oral Communication
Social Studies; History and Geography
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
• Independent Work ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Responsibility 1. Work in pairs. Sit back-to-back. The first student describes a
stone to the second. The second student attempts to identify the
Materials Needed: One stone or pebble for each student stone out of a group of stones.
(varied in size , texture, shape) 2. Describe the stone using math and science terminology
e.g. weight, colour, density, circumference, other geometric
ACTIVITY: properties. Mathematics: Geometry and Spatial Sense; Science
Send students out to collect two stones or pebbles each of various and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
shapes, sizes (smaller than a one-dollar coin), and colours to use 3. Pick a stone. Use the stone to create a stone creature. Use
for the activity. Collect one stone from each student and mix them paint, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, etc. The Arts: Visual Arts
all together in a container. Ask students to sit in a circle and close
their eyes. Hand out one stone to each student and tell students
that they must get to know their rocks without using the sense of
sight. After a few minutes, collect the stones and place them in the
middle of the circle. Can students identify the stones that belonged

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Nature2Go: Wake Up Those Senses
GRADES K–8 SMELL: Take a breath through your mouth then two from your
All Seasons nose. Does it smell different when you breathe through your mouth
compared with your nose? When you face different directions, do
you smell different things?
Curriculum Connections:
• Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems
TEACHER PROMPTS:
• Health and Physical Education: Healthy Living
Do you have different sense memories that you relate to different
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
times of year e.g. smell of autumn leaves, feel of warm summer
• Independent Work
sand, sound of spring rain?
• Responsibility

ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
ACTIVITY:
1. Put some common plant-based cooking ingredients into
Gather the group and tell students that they will be waking up their
opaque containers (e.g. cinnamon, vanilla, basil). Pass around
senses to explore and observe the environment.
for students to see and smell. Describe the characteristics.
SIGHT: How many colours can you see in ten seconds? Use your
Language: Oral Communication
clothing and find a match in nature. How easy or difficult is it to find
2. Try this activity in different seasons or locations: how does
a match?
it compare?
TOUCH: Rub your hands together quickly until you feel heat energy.
3. Write a journal reflection about your experiences using your
Pull them apart slightly to feel your fingers tingle. Notice the way
senses. Language: Writing
your skin on your face feels. Gently brush a leaf against your skin.
What words can describe what you feel? 4. Write a poem about your experiences using at least one example
for each sense experienced outside. Language: Writing
HEAR: What do you hear with eyes open compared to eyes closed?
Make deer ears by cupping hands behind ears: are sounds different? 5. Ask each student to draw a picture of herself/himself in the
centre of a piece of paper and fill the empty space with drawings
TASTE: Open your mouth and breathe deeply 5 times then close.
of things sensed during the activity. The Arts: Visual Arts
Does it taste different? Catch rain or snowflakes if you can!

Nature2Go: What Colour is it?

GRADES K–8 TEACHER PROMPTS:
All Seasons 1. Do all people see colour in the same way? Why or why not?
2. Are there any colours that couldn’t be found in nature?
Curriculum Connections:
• The Arts: Visual Arts ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
• Language: Oral Communication; Writing 1. Ask students to group like colours e.g. all greens and see
if there are any repeats. Mathematics: Data Management
Learning Skills and Work Habits:
and Probability
• Initiative
2. Can you find enough objects to create a colour wheel?
• Organization
• Independent Work

ACTIVITY:
Colours are often described or identified using nature words to
label them e.g. forest green, ruby red, sky blue. As a class, create a
few new colour shades from things you can think of in nature, e.g.
needle green for the shade of pine leaves. Now go out and collect
objects in pairs and share them and the newly invented colour
shades with your classmates. Create a class list and discuss the
diversity of colours in nature.

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Lessons
Five lessons have been created for each elementary division: Primary,
Junior and Intermediate. The lessons represent a variety of subjects,
including Science and Technology, The Arts, Mathematics, Language,
Social Studies, and Geography. Lessons are generally designed for one
class period each, although multiple classes might make the lesson easier
to manage in some cases. In addition, extensions are included that provide
opportunities for the teacher to make greater use of the material.

Each lesson includes a detailed description of how to conduct the lesson

including big ideas and guiding questions, curriculum connections to the
Ontario Curriculum, materials needed, a “Teacher Background
Information” box (where needed), step-by-step instructions for lesson
delivery, and guidance on assessment and evaluation.

PRIMARY LESSONS Page

Cloudwatchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
C
Graphing in Nature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
G
Memory Sticks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
M
Micro-Hiking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
M
Natural Patterns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

JUNIOR LESSONS Page

Can Plants Fly? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Five Senses Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Promenade
Pr des Animaux . . . . . . . . . . 65
Schoolyard Biodiversity . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Space Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

INTERMEDIATE LESSONS Page

Five Themes Walkabout . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Invasive
Invas Species. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Sense Poem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
nse P
Snapshots
apsh of Nature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Supermarket
Superm Sweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

49
Assessment and Evaluation
Assessment is the process of gathering information that accurately reflects
how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations in a subject or
course. The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve
student learning.

Assessment for improving student learning is seen as both “assessment for

learning” and “assessment as learning”. As part of assessment for
learning, teachers provide students with descriptive feedback and coaching
for improvement. Teachers engage in assessment as learning by helping
students develop their capacity to be independent, autonomous learners
who are able to set individual goals, monitor their own progress, determine
next steps, and reflect on thinking and learning 1.

Evaluation refers to the process of judging the quality of student learning

based on established performance standards and assigning a value to
represent that quality. Evaluation accurately summarizes and communicates
to parents, other teachers, employers, institutions of further education, and
students themselves what students know and can do with respect to the
overall curriculum expectations. Evaluation is based on assessment of
learning that provides evidence of student achievement at strategic times
throughout the grade/course, often at the end of a period of learning 2.
 
The type of assessment and/or evaluation (i.e. assessment for, as, or of
learning) followed by what is being assessed and how (e.g., observation,
conversation, product) is provided for all lesson delivery sections
(i.e. “Minds On”, “Action”, and “Consolidation”); it is found in the
“Consider... (Assessing for, as, and/or of learning)” section.

1. Ontario Ministry of Education. 2010. Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting
in Ontario Schools. Page 28

2. Ontario Ministry of Education. 2010. Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting
in Ontario Schools. Page 38

50
Cloudwatchers
SUBJECT: Science and Technology / The Arts
LEVEL: Grades 1–3

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

One of the most interesting stages of the water cycle is when the 1. What happens to water that evaporates from lakes and rivers?
water is hanging in the air in cloud formations. Observing clouds 2. Have you ever noticed the different shapes that clouds can have?
will expose students to the different forms that a cloud can take and 3. Why do you think there are different cloud shapes?
what these forms can mean

Curriculum Expectations
Science and Technology: Understanding Earth and Space Systems Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
Math: Number Sense and Numeration At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
• 2. Investigate the characteristics of air and water and the • Investigate water in the natural environment
visible/ invisible effects of and changes to air and/or water in • Identify clouds as a liquid state of water
the environment.
The Arts—Visual Arts
• D1. Creating and presenting; apply the creative process to
produce a variety of two– and three-dimensional art works,
using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts to
communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings (for the specific
purpose of recording cloud observations).

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

The water cycle: water circulates from bodies of water to the The Cloudspotter’s Guide (published by the Cloud Appreciation
atmosphere and is held in clouds until it rains. Society) is a good resource to share with the class.

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Knowledge of what happens to water in the water cycle
• Basic knowledge of different types of shapes and forms (as related to cloud formations)
Action—Assessing for Learning
• Identification of shapes and forms found in clouds, including use of scientific terminology
Consolidation—Assessing for and of Learning
• Creative representation of shapes and forms found in clouds

Teacher Background Information: Cloud Naming

Apart from neat shapes and forms, clouds are actually named by scientists. Introduce the following four types of clouds:

Cirrus: the highest clouds, made entirely

of ice crystals; ID — wispy and look like
paintbrush strokes (called fallstreaks).
Cumulonimbus:
huge, low storm
clouds with an
Cumulus: known as ‘fair-weather clouds’, they often form on anvil shape at
sunny days; ID — flat base with a bumpy, cauliflower-like top. the top;
ID — dark
undersides,
puffy tops and a
Stratus: they are the lowest clouds, soft top edge.
and include fog and mist;
ID — no distinct features.

www.back2nature.ca 51
Cloudwatchers

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
Does everyone see the same thing when they look at a cloud? Review the water cycle with your students and discuss the path that
water takes in becoming suspended in the air in the form of clouds,
Learning Goals (share with class) which then rain on us and return the water to bodies of water, the
• We will look up at clouds to observe their shapes. soil, etc..
• We will consider how clouds change, and discuss the names of • When and why do people stare up at the clouds?
common cloud shapes and their features as described by Introduce cloudwatching:
weather scientists. • What do you think makes the best cloudwatcher? How can we
help each other enjoy our personal experiences?

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Take the class outside and find a big, open space where 3. For the second part of one class, or another class, students can
everyone has space to lie down and look up. For the first class, spend time individually observing, or sharing with a friend re-
just observe the different types of clouds. Ask students if they can spectfully if that helps them with the experience. Encourage the
group clouds together according to what they look like. use of scientific names (e.g., stratus) at the same time as looking
2. Discuss the nature of clouds as a whole class – what they can for artistic features and shapes in the clouds (e.g., animals, etc.)
look like, how to describe the shapes you can see in them. Use that are recorded using descriptive words.
the following questions to get started: 4. Summary discussion questions:
• Have you ever noticed anything interesting about clouds or their • What did they see?
shapes? Each cloud is unique! Why? • What shapes were in the clouds?
• What are some of the shapes you’ve seen in clouds? • What cloud type is in the sky today?
• What words would you use to describe clouds?

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
Repeat the cloudwatching exercise with the class by reviewing the and record some of their favourite observations through an artistic
traits of a good cloudwatcher and allowing students to return to their rendition of what they see. Painting or using cotton balls (stretching,
spots and observe. On the second visit, take art materials such as piling, gluing) to represent clouds and the shapes seen in them are
paint, paper, brushes, cotton balls, glue and even easels effective ways to record these observations and create a class set of
outdoors with you. Students can observe while lying or standing clouds for display!

52
Graphing in Nature
SUBJECT: Mathematics
LEVEL: Grades 1–3

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

Students will use nature as a tool in the organization of data into 1. How could we use items from nature to tally information?
simple bar graphs. 2. Using two objects, what are some questions you could ask your
friends about them?
3. What can we use to create a bar graph outside without paper
or pencils?

Curriculum Expectations
Mathematics: Data Management and Probability Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
• collect and organize categorical or discrete primary data and At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
display the data, using tally charts, concrete graphs, pictographs, • Organize primary data using 1-to-1 correspondence in concrete
line plots, simple bar graphs, and other graphic organizers... bar graphs

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Knowledge of how to write a mathematical question • Chalk
• Experience tallying information • Preselected natural area or school yard area as the outdoor
• Awareness of bar graphs. This can serve as an introduction to bar boundary for this activity
graphing and remove the need for recording on paper. • Camera (for teacher)
• Clipboards, paper and pencil (per student or pair)
• Cue cards and pencils
• String (for grades 2-3)

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Identifying ways to represent things observed in nature (e.g., tally chart, bar graph)
Action—Assessing for, as and of Learning
• Recording (using tally charts) and organizing observational information using bar graphs
• Teacher and peers examining the tally charts and bar graphs of other students
Consolidation—Assessing for and of Learning
• Accurate representation of observations using an alternative graphic organizer (e.g., circle graph)

www.back2nature.ca 53
Graphing in Nature

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
• If we were planning a walk in nature right now, what things Discuss how we regularly use mathematics without even noticing
would we want to think about that have mathematics in them when we go into nature:
before going on our walk? (e.g., how far is the walk, what is the air • If you have ever wondered how tall a tree was, counted the petals
temperature outside, how long will it take, how many people on a flower, or tried to figure out if you could move faster than a
will be going, etc.). What might we expect to see that we flying bird, you have explored mathematics in nature.
would describe using math? (e.g., number of birds, shapes of Introduce the use of mathematics to communicate the results of
leaves, etc.). questions explored about nature:
• With objects found outside in nature, you can create your own
Learning Goals (share with class) questions to ask your friends and use math to make a chart
• We will consider how to tell other people about things we have that tells other people what you learned (e.g. “Which do you like
discovered by using a bar graph. better?”) NOTE: For Grade 1 and 2 yes/no graphs or two possible
• We will make up questions to ask to other people we know and answers may work best.
tally the answers that we get. • Tally charts can be created with columns:
• We will create bar graph outside to show our results using objects • Create a title (e.g., “Favourite Flower”).
from nature. • Write a name for each column underneath (e.g., “Rose”,
“Sunflower”, etc.).
• Draw each column so the size represents the number of
answers, or by stacking objects that each count for one answer.
• If we create columns by stacking objects, we can make a graph
without using paper and pencils. What objects can you think of
from nature that might be used as counters to make our columns?

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Students will work individually or in partners. 6. Completed graphs should each be viewed by the teacher, and can
2. Explain how students will find objects, create questions, survey be photographed to keep a record or display in the classroom.
friends and tally the results. Model an example. 7. Once the teacher has seen each student’s work and taken photo-
3. Allow students time to complete their tallying. graphs, give students 5 minutes to visit the creative graphs of
4. After ample time (approx. 30 min), invite students to join their classmates, or conduct a gallery walk as a whole class.
together. Introduce the next part of the lesson: to take the Discuss the work using the following prompts:
information gathered and present it as a bar graph using objects • What question did you ask your friends?
in nature or chalk. Model this exercise before students are asked • What objects did you choose as tally counters and why?
to complete it. • What did you learn from the bar graph? (e.g., classmates like red
5. Students pick spots on the pavement or grass to create their flowers more than pink ones because the bar is bigger for red; five
bar graphs. For Grade 1, students write or draw their tally titles more people like the sounds of birds than the sounds of bees)
e.g. “leaf” on the cue cards, one title per card. They can line up 8. Finally, scrap it: instruct students to wipe away or disperse the
objects such as rocks, or draw with a stick in dirt or chalk on the objects so there is no evidence of the math lesson!
ground, etc. to represent the number of classmates that preferred 9. Summary discussion questions:
each object, lined up underneath each title. For grades 2 and 3, • Did you see any interesting ideas you would like to try next time
string can be used to make the axes and cue cards can be used we do this?
to label the axes (i.e. vertical axis labeled as “Number”, horizontal • What did you learn from your graph?
axis labeled as “Object”). As students advance their abilities, they • What were the challenges in making your graph outside? What
should be more conscious of labeling bars and axes accurately. was fun?

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
Create a circle graph (i.e., pie chart) using the same information. answer. Join the two ends of the string and form a circle with it.
Use a string to represent each question. Mark off equal segments Starting in the middle of the circle, form each slice of the circle/
along its length to represent each student responding to the pie (each slice represents each answer) by filling in the space with
question. Now remark the string with different colours to objects such as rocks, leaves, etc., or colour in with chalk or mud.
represent the number of students that responded with the same

54
Memory Sticks: Map-making in Nature
SUBJECT: Social Studies
LEVEL: Grades 1–3

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

Students will investigate a local natural area through exploration and 1. What do all maps have?
non-standard mapping techniques. 2. What are some things you might include on a map if you walk
through a forest?
3. How can we all walk the same route but have different maps?

Curriculum Expectations
Social Studies Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
• collect and organize categorical or discrete primary data and At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
display the data, using tally charts, concrete graphs, pictographs, • Organize primary data using 1-to-1 correspondence in concrete
line plots, simple bar graphs, and other graphic organizers... bar graphs

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Elements of standard maps • 1 stick (about 0.5 metres long and 1-2 centimetres wide) per
• Safety (what to touch and what to leave) student (pre-collected by teacher or students)
• Yarn/string, tape, and scissors (1 per adult)
• Pre-determined nature route to walk
• Scrap paper and crayons
• OPTIONAL – cameras and laptops for students who need them or
for all students

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Elements of a map (e.g., title, scale, symbols, legend, and/or cardinal directions); personal experiences following directions using a map
Action—Assessing for and as Learning
• Effectiveness (including clarity, logical sequence, comprehensiveness) of map to show route and key features of route; things that would
improve the map
Consolidation—Assessing as and of Learning
• Inclusion and use of key elements of a map, including accuracy of transfer of route from stick to paper

www.back2nature.ca 55
Memory Sticks: Map-making in Nature

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
• What is the best trip you have ever taken? What details do you Discuss mapping and the activity of making a map:
remember about it? Did you save anything from it? How? • If you were asked to make a map of our school, your home, or
your bedroom, how would you do it? What needs to be included
Learning Goals (share with class) on a map?
• We will go on a walk in nature. • If each of us were to make our own map of the same area, we
• We will create maps of our hike using things we discover along might end up with completely different maps. That’s because our
the way. experiences give each of us a different picture of the same place.
• The map-maker decides what the most important details are to
include on the map.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Designate yourself as the hike leader: 6. Promote independent exploration among students, while
• Ask students to picture what is needed to be comfortable and adults explore alongside to assist and provide mentorship.
safe while outside in nature. Pair up students. Give as little direction as possible while students search for
• NOTE: An adult:student ratio of 1:5 is desirable, although meaningful objects.
not required. NOTES:
2. Head outside to the starting place for your walk. • Some students may need additional equipment, such as a
3. Instruct each student to find a stick or provide them at the be- camera and/or laptop to record and manipulate objects they
ginning of the hike. see on their journey. Photos can be taken on the way and then
• Everyone should be on the lookout for items that are of interest uploaded to a laptop to create a digital map.
or wonder; when items are found, students attach them to their • Some objects, like trees, are not movable. Offer paper and
memory sticks to remind them of the steps on the hike. crayons to do bark rubbings on such objects.
4. Introduce the following questions: 7. At the end of the hike gather the whole group and ask students to
• What are some of the things we need to consider on our share items they found and explain why they chose those items
mapping hike? (in partners, small groups, or as a whole class).
• What is safe to pick up and what should be left alone? 8. Summary discussion questions:
• How far can you stray from the group and your buddy? • How are these sticks a map of our journey?
• What are some things we might find that can be added to • How are they all different but still accurate?
our sticks? • How could we draw a map showing the route using our
5. Signal students when the hike begins. Move slowly and stop memory sticks?
frequently so that places can be explored and discoveries made.
Encourage students to explore and provide help where needed to
attach objects to the sticks or to examine items that are unknown.

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
• To extend this activity, use another class period to allow students • Once maps are complete, students pair up and review each
to transfer the information from their memory sticks to a map other’s map using smiley faces for a job well done, and sugges-
drawn on paper. tions for improvement.
• Imagine the memory stick is bending into the route you took. Draw
the route on a piece of paper and then use symbols to indicate
where the interesting objects were found along the way. Don’t
forget the key elements of all good maps e.g. legend, scale, etc.!

56
Micro-hiking
SUBJECT: Science and Technology / Language
LEVEL: Grades 1–2

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

The life under a rock or log is diverse. Many discoveries can be 1. What are some ways that animals are similar and different from
made while exploring over a distance of 50 centimetres. each other?
2. What kind of things could we find living under rocks and logs on
the school yard?
3. As giants in the world of small creatures, what do we need to
think about when exploring the world of tiny animals and plants?

Curriculum Expectations
Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
Needs and Characteristics of Living Things (Grade 1) At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
• Investigate needs of plants and animals, including humans • Identify needs, characteristics, similarities and differences
Growth and Changes in Animals (Grade 2) between the creatures that reside under objects in the
• Investigate similarities and differences in the characteristics of school yard.
various animals
Language: Oral Communication
• Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate
with different audiences and for a variety of purposes

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

Survival needs of animals and plants: similarities and differences • IMPORTANT: students must bring in a prop the day before this
lesson. Everyone needs a ’mini person’ to do this activity: it can
be as simple as a figure made of toothpicks. It should be a small
person that the student can talk to, preferably no larger than a
finger. Bring in extras just in case someone forgets.
• Magnifying glasses
• Clipboards
• Pencils
• GOOS (Good On One Side) paper

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Basic needs of plants and animals including shelter, food/nutrients, water, and air
Action—Assessing for and as Learning
• Characteristics of plants and animals including appearance and behaviour
• Observation skills including accurate recording of information and respectful treatment of the area and plants and animals
Consolidation—Assessing for Learning
• Similarities and differences between observed plants and animals

www.back2nature.ca 57
Micro-hiking

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
• What do we need to take when going on a hike? (e.g., water, Describe the benefits of hiking:
appropriate clothes and shoes, backpack, etc.) • Hiking provides a great opportunity for discovery of new places
• Set out today’s hiking equipment for everyone to see: magnifying and things.
class, mini person, clipboard and pencil. We’re going to explore • Define what is meant by a “micro-hike”:
an entire habitat with just the items shown. Where could we • Micro means very small or microscopic, so micro-hikes are tiny
possibly be going? hikes. A one-metre hike would be almost unnoticeable to us, but for
a tiny person it could seem like a long journey.
Learning Goals (share with class) • What might a tiny person experience over the distance of a
• We will each use a magnifying glass to explore a very small habitat one-metre hike?
under a rock or log and imagine what it would be like to see it • Discuss what might be seen on a “micro-hike”:
through the eyes of our mini-people. • What living things might be seen? What might they be doing?
• We will investigate what the habitat is like and observe the What helps them survive?
creatures that live there.
• We will consider what it would be like to be a small creature living
in its habitat.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

Going on a Micro-hike 5. Observations students might make include:
1. Divide class into partners, each group with clipboards, pencils, • What are all the different kinds of living things you can find
paper, mini people and with magnifying glasses ready. under your object?
2. We will each pick a spot to lead our mini-people on a • What do they do?
micro-hike that is only as far as the length from your shoulder to • How do you think they get the things they need under there?
your fingertips! • Is there anything you have never seen before?
3. Ask everyone to find their micro hike location and lay next to it, 6. After ample time for observations and recording, ask the students
waiting for further instructions. to carefully return the object to the exact location it was when we
4. Students will be on their bellies alongside a rock, log, or other arrived so that the animals can return to the homes.
object that can be flipped over and where there is life living 7. Share observations as a class.
underneath. Along with their mini people, they will observe the 8. Reflect on what it might be like to be a small creature living in a
life that is found under the log, mostly insects, spiders, slugs, etc. very small habitat.
The mini people are the ones doing the observations; the students
record for them using clipboards, writing or drawing
the information.

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
Interview each student about his/her mini person. • Students should report on what different creatures they saw,
• Give students time to finish recording and to practice how they are how they were similar and different, and what interesting findings
going to tell you about their mini person’s observations. they made.
• The mini person can be the one to do the talking, or the student • While you are meeting with each student, pairs can be sharing
can speak for the mini-person, and report the find-ings from their observations and practicing how they will present them
under the log to the teacher. to you.

58
Natural Patterns
SUBJECT: Mathematics
LEVEL: Grades 1–3

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

Patterns can be discovered and explored in nature. 1. What is an example of a pattern you can see in the classroom?
2. Do you think patterns happen in nature too?
3. Can you think of any examples of patterns in nature before we
head outside?

Curriculum Expectations
Mathematics: Patterning and Algebra Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
• identify, describe, extend, and create repeating patterns (Grade 1) At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
• identify, describe, extend, and create repeating patterns, growing • Identify repeating, growing, and shrinking patterns found outdoors
patterns, and shrinking patterns (Grade 2) in nature.
• describe, extend, and create a variety of numeric patterns and
geometric patterns (Grade 3)

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Basic knowledge of what a pattern is • Blocks or cubes for groups of students
• How to treat the outdoors as a classroom and to work through • Pencils, crayons, paper, cameras (at least one for the teacher)
activities safely • Poster board and glue for the class pattern collage
• Clipboards (class set)
• Pictures/examples of patterns in nature e.g. veins in a leaf, pattern
in a snail shell, etc.

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Identifying repeating patterns involving one or more attributes (e.g., size, shape, colour, orientation, or number)
Action—Assessing for and as Learning
• Representing/creating repeating, growing, shrinking, or geometric patterns
Consolidation—Assessing of Learning
• Identifying the created patterns including the type of pattern and pattern rule

www.back2nature.ca 59
Natural Patterns

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
We create patterns everywhere in our lives: on our clothes, in our Conduct an activity to review and introduce this lesson on patterns:
music, in the paths that we each take every day to get here to • Ask each group of students to create a simple pattern using the
school. Patterns can also be found everywhere in nature. What blocks on their desks. When complete, do a quick check to ensure
patterns in nature can you think of? What is your favourite pattern in that everyone is on the right track.
nature and why? • Ask one or two groups to explain their patterns to the rest of
the class.
Learning Goals (share with class) Discuss the places where you can find patterns while on a walk:
• We will discuss patterns, how they are relevant in our lives, and • Do you think that patterns happen in nature?
where they appear in nature. • Where can we look to find nature’s patterns?
• We will go outside into nature to observe and identify patterns in • Do you think you can see patterns outside that are caused by people
the natural world. (e.g., buildings)?
Introduce the lesson activity:
• The outdoor task is to look for patterns in nature or on man-made
structures outdoors and to record them. Students can write, explain,
draw, or take photos to show their patterns.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Equip each student with a clipboard, pencil, and a few crayons. 5. Call the class in with the ‘call back signal’.
2. Discuss boundaries (on the school yard, on a walk, etc.) and agree 6. Sitting outside, ask the students to share some of the interesting
on (or review) a ‘call back’ signal so students know when to return. patterns they found on their searches.
3. Head outside: allow students to explore within the boundaries and 7. Summary discussion questions:
look for patterns. Provide helpful hints such as: • Was it difficult to find patterns outside?
• Leaf arrangement, animal stripes (e.g., caterpillars), houses and • Where did you find your patterns?
buildings, fence arrangements, flower parts, gardens, colours, • Did you find any animals with patterns? Plants?
honey combs; and sound patterns such as bird song, traffic
sounds, etc.
4. Students record patterns they find in pencil — colour can be
added in the classroom — and show the teacher one or more to be
photographed for the creation of a class pattern collage. A sound
pattern can be recorded as a hum, or by writing a mnemonic (a
memory aid to describe a sound pattern with words e.g., American
Robin: cheer-up; cheer-a-lee; cheer-e-o, whinny).

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
• To complete this activity, print off photos of the students’ patterns • The Fibonacci Sequence (and Rule): This is a natural
and hand them out. Allow each student to attach his or her photo phenomenon that for the most part is a more advanced concept
to the poster board with glue, creating a “Natural Patterns” class than will be taught at this grade level. However, for the teacher’s
collage. Have each student describe their pattern, and explain the own back-ground, search the web for an explanation of what
pattern rule. the Fibonacci Sequence is and how it is recognized in nature.
Introduce it to the class if/when appropriate.

60
Can Plants Fly?
SUBJECT: Science and Technology
LEVEL: Grade 6

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

• Flight occurs when the design of living things or created structures 1. How do living things use properties of air? Transportation
take advantage of properties of air. (e.g. planes, birds, insects), pollination, dispersal, etc.
• Air has many properties that can be used for flight and for 2. What are the properties of air that allow flight to occur?
other purposes. 3. What are the characteristics of various structures that allow them
to take advantage of the properties of air?
4. What forces can air exert?

Curriculum Expectations
Science and Technology: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
2. investigate ways in which flying devices make use of properties At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
of air • Understand how nature manipulates the forces of flight to allow
2.4 use technological problem-solving skills to design, build, and plants to spread their seeds
test a flying device • Design or create a device that will allow a plant to disperse
3. explain ways in which properties of air can be applied to the its seeds
principles of flight and flying devices

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

Basic properties of air e.g. hot air rises, air takes up space • Variety of construction materials
• Various seed pods

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Identifying what makes flight possible using examples from nature
Action—Assessing for and as Learning
• Investigating the forces of flight used in seed dispersal
• Designing, building and testing a flying device that mimics seed dispersal
Consolidation—Assessing for Learning
• Explaining how the design of a flying device uses the forces of flight

www.back2nature.ca 61
Can Plants Fly?

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
One of humanity’s greatest technological achievements is the Using examples gathered from a natural area, school garden, or
invention of machines that allow us to fly. Since the first human schoolyard, explore how seeds are dispersed by wind (e.g., milkweed,
flight, we have invented all kinds of things to help us stay up in the maple keys, ash keys, pine cone, dandelion, thistle, etc.).
air e.g. plane, helicopter, hang-glider, parachute, rocket. Which • In inventing flying devices humans have learned lessons from things
flying machine do you like best and why? that fly in nature. Some of the most common and best fliers are
made by plants to disperse their seeds.
Learning Goals (share with class) • Can students make a model of a wind-dispersed seed?
• We will explore the design elements that enable things to fly.
• We will investigate the features of seeds that fly through the air.
• We will design, build and test a flying machine, consider how
it uses the forces of flight, and reflect on the successes and
challenges of the project.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Go into nature and observe all things that fly: seeds, birds, insects, 5. What is the method of flight for a dandelion seed? (Wind
butterflies, planes flying overhead, etc. What is it about things propels the seed as a result of its light weight and design. The
that allow them to fly? (e.g., observe: wings, surface area, specific seed is able to travel greater distances.)
design, weight) 6. Make and test a flying device that mimics a wind-dispersed
2. Demonstrate specific examples of seeds that use flight to seed (e.g., kite, paper airplane, paper helicopter, parachute).
disperse. What can be observed (e.g., size and weight of seed, 7. How does your device use the forces of flight? What were some
structure, etc.)? challenges? How could it be improved? How do you think it
3. Why do seeds have to leave their parents? (e.g., Maple keys need compares to a real seed?
to find space to grow and an opening in the forest where there is 8. How has the study of natural flying devices impacted human-
light in order to germinate.) made technology?
4. How are the four forces of flight acting on the maple key. (e.g., the
main force acting on the maple key is gravity but with the spinning
of the key it is able to create enough lift and resistance to allow the
key to fly short distances away from the tree.)

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
Explore how the first human flying machines were built and tested.

62
Five Senses Writing
SUBJECT: Language
LEVEL: Grades 4–6

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

• Awareness of the natural environment is gained using all 1. How do we describe nature?
five senses. 2. Do the words we use to describe nature communicate the
• Various forms of descriptive writing can be utilized to experiences we have through all of our senses in a satisfying way?
communicate effectively with the reader. 3. How does a poem use descriptive words to communicate an
experience or describe an object in nature?

Curriculum Expectations
Language: Writing Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
1. generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
an intended purpose and audience • Develop ideas for writing using five senses
2.3 use some vivid and/or figurative language and innovative • Choose appropriate word choice to help develop vividness of idea
expressions to enhance interest
4. reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for
improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful at
different stages in the writing process

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Understand the writing process (brainstorm, rough draft, self-edit, • Clipboard, paper and pencil
peer edit, final draft) • Various poems about nature (e.g. Robert Frost)
• Understand different forms of poetry
• Understand a nature contract

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Recognizing how words are used to describe living and non-living things
Action—Assessing of Learning
• Creating a written representation of an experience in nature in order to describe and share the personal meaning of the experience
Consolidation—Assessing for Learning
• Reflecting on the impact of a piece of writing

“ There was a child went forth every day,

And the first object he look’d upon, that object he became,
And that object became part of him for the day or a certain part of the day,
Or for many years, or stretching cycles of years.

Walt Whitman

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Five Senses Writing

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
Can you be described in five words? Discuss human communication:
• Before we learn language we use sounds to communicate how we
Learning Goals (share with class) feel and what we need (e.g., a baby cries when hungry, tired, in
• We will consider the uses, usefulness and accuracy of using single need of attention, etc.).
words to describe our thoughts and feelings about a person, • Once we learn to use language we choose words to represent the
object, or event that we experience through different senses. things we experience using our different senses (e.g., beautiful,
• We will explore how a poet uses descriptive words effectively to stinky, warm, loud, soft).
communicate thoughts and feelings about nature. • Single words sometimes satisfy our feelings by accurately
• We will each choose a natural object and use descriptive words to communicating our experiences, and are important in sharing
com-municate how we experience it through different senses, and thoughts and stories in longer writing such as poetry.
then create a poem using those descriptive words.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Take students outside to a designated outdoor classroom. 6. Ask students to use all five senses in brainstorming words that
2. Number off students into pairs. Ask students to describe their describe the area they are in.
partners in five separate words. Partners will read the words 7. Have each student choose an object within the natural
aloud in pairs, and the person described can comment on the environment and brainstorm independently using all five senses.
description. Is it accurate? Is it complete? 8. Write a poem about the object – students can use any form of
3. Discuss the previous exercise as a whole group. poetry (e.g., free verse, rhyming, acrostic).
4. Read aloud a poem that uses nature as a central theme 9. Peer edit in pairs, with the following guiding questions:
(e.g., Robert Frost’s Road Not Taken or Birches). • What do I like about my partner’s work?
5. Ask the students the following questions: • What suggestions can I make that might improve my
• Is there any language in the poem that you don’t know? partner’s work?
(Be prepared to offer definitions of unfamiliar language.) 10. Summary discussion questions:
• What do you think the poem is about? • Use the questions from Step 5 to consider your partner’s work
• What specific words did the poet use effectively to describe and have your partner respond to your suggestions: is that what
the environment? was meant?
• When the poet was creating the poem, what senses do you think • What did I like about my work?
he/she engaged in preparing to write?

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
Each person takes the written work of a classmate and Reflect on the experience of representing the written work of another
creates a graphic representation (e.g., painting, drawing, and how you felt about the way your writing was represented?
sculpture, dramatization).

64
Promenade des Animaux
SUBJECT: French as a Second Language
LEVEL: Grades 4–6

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

• Using the five senses go on an animal walk (promenade des 1. Pre-walk: What do you expect to see, hear?
animaux) around the schoolyard to explore “les animaux” 2. Mid-walk: What do you see, hear, smell etc?
• Practice using French vocabulary to describe animals 3. Post walk: Did your observations match your expectations?

Curriculum Expectations
French as a Second Language Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
• Listen and respond to a variety of short, simple spoken texts and At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
media works; • Recognize and name animals heard or seen
• Express ideas, feelings, and opinions on familiar topics, using • Use animal vocabulary
correct pronunciation and appropriate intonation; • Discuss experiences
• Produce short pieces of writing in a variety of forms;

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Animal vocabulary • Chart paper
• Use of the outdoor classroom • Markers
• Journal to record observations / reflections

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Making predictions about what will be found on a nature walk using French language
Action—Assessing for and as Learning
• Recording animals observed using French vocabulary and reflecting on the experience anticipated and gained during a nature walk using
French language
Consolidation—Assessing of Learning
• Creating a piece of writing in French

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Promenade des Animaux

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
Do we always find what we expect in nature? Discuss how we make predictions in our everyday lives:
• We anticipate almost everything we do in life — our trip to school,
Learning Goals (share with class) our food at lunch, a movie we’re about to see.
• We will anticipate a walk in nature and make predictions in • We do the same thing before a walk in nature, both to prepare
French about what we might discover. ourselves for the trip, and to feel excitement over what we might find.
• We will explore a natural area to observe what is there using as • How accurate are our predictions?
many senses as we can.
• We will list our observations in French and compare them with
our predictions.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Read a book or sing a song in French about going on a 7. Stop along the way to turn over a rock, branch, leaf, etc. to see
nature walk. what’s there.
2. Review animal flashcards in French. 8. Make a list in French of the animals observed. Did your
3. Make predictions as a class and post them on chart paper. observations match your expectations?
Ask students in French, “What do you expect to see, hear, 9. Reflect on the exercise using French vocabulary in a journal and/
and touch?” or as a class.
4. Go over some common French expressions that will be useful • What was the experience like?
during the walk for students to express their observations: • Did anything surprise you?
• Qu’est-ce que c’est? C’est un... • What were some of your observations?
• Je vois un …./Je regarde... 10. As a class, compare the predictions with the actual observations
• Je sens un…. and discuss the results.
• J’entends un…./J’écoute un….
5. Model the questions on the walk.
6. Go to different areas of the schoolyard (black top, forest, field,
ravine, sky-cloud).

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
Write a French language short story or poem about the nature walk
itself or an object observed on it.

66
Schoolyard Biodiversity
SUBJECT: Mathematics / Science and Technology
LEVEL: Grade 6

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

• Recognizing different components within any system is a 1. Human activities can both increase and decrease biodiversity?
beginning point for understanding the interrelationships among 2. Imagine an area closely managed by humans e.g. soccer field:
the components. what do the plants look like?
• Human activities that enhance our well-being also 3. Imagine a natural area: what do the plants look like?
affect biodiversity.

Curriculum Expectations
Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems—Biodiversity Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
1. assess human impacts on biodiversity, and identify ways of At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
preserving biodiversity • Recognize differences between plants
2. investigate the characteristics of living things and classify diverse • Identify and classify different plant groups within the
organisms according to specific characteristics school community
3. demonstrate an understanding of biodiversity, its contributions to • Estimate percent of an area
the stability of natural systems, and its benefits to humans • Extrapolate data over a school yard using ratios
Mathematics: Data Management • Use area and perimeter to measure a school yard
• read, interpret, and draw conclusions from primary data • Understand differences in plant diversity between natural areas
(e.g., survey results, measurements, observations) and human-managed areas, and consider the implications
Mathematics: Measurement
• estimate, measure and record quantities using the metric
measurement system

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Area • Metre stick
• Estimating percent • Measuring wheel
• Using a field guide • Skewers to mark out quadrant
• Various field guides to common plants including grasses

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Identifying how humans affect plant biodiversity both positively and negatively
Action—Assessing for Learning
• Estimating, measuring and recording information related to a survey of plant biodiversity
• Investigating, comparing and sorting different types of plants
Consolidation—Assessing of Learning
• Explaining how biodiversity is influenced at a local level

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Schoolyard Biodiversity

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
What do you guess are the five most important food crops in the Discuss human plant management:
world? (rice, wheat, maize (i.e. corn), potatoes and soybeans • Management of plants around the world is critical to human well-
provide the majority of calories consumed by humans) being: our current food supply depends on global plant production.
Improved yields and global transportation systems provide many
Learning Goals (share with class) with the food they need to survive.
• We will consider the positive and negative effects of human • There are consequences to crop production and other human
activity on biodiversity. purposes (e.g., lawns, sports fields, etc.).
• We will conduct a survey of plants on the school grounds • When we compare the plants in an area managed by humans with
using quadrants. the plants in a natural area we can evaluate the differences in plant
• We will learn how to use a field guide to identify a plant. diversity and biodiversity.
• We will discuss human management of plant diversity.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Take class outside and create a quadrant together using the 6. Students group plants into two groups: plants that came from
metre stick. 1) managed area; and 2) natural area.
2. Demonstrate how to evaluate the quadrant: 7. Students group plants into look-alikes (same species).
• How many species of plants are present? 8. Have each group take one type of plant and try to identify it
Collect a sample of each. using field guides. Share any information discovered as a group
• Estimate the percent of the surface of the quadrant covered by (e.g., name, defining features, habitat, uses, etc.)
each species of plant. 9. As a group discuss how plants compare between the different
• Record data. areas sampled.
3. Students repeat process in small groups beginning with the 10. Reflect on the benefits and consequences of human activities
creation of a quadrant by each group. that affect plant diversity.
4. Assign the groups to different habitats within the area (natural area,
managed area, edge area between natural and managed).
5. Students collect an example of each type of plant found
NOTE: Poison Ivy can leave an uncomfortable rash if handled.
Make sure that students can identify Poison Ivy in order to avoid
sampling it. Several lookalikes exist — photographing uncertain
plants (“leaflets three let them be”) would ensure students avoid
contact with Poison Ivy.

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension Survey green space on entire school grounds:
• Investigate different methods of food production (e.g., family farm, A. Give each group a map or photo (e.g., print from Google Maps) of
factory farm, organic farm) and compare to determine how each the outdoor school grounds with perimeter dimensions included.
affects biodiversity. B. Each group draws its quadrant on the map to scale.
• As a class pull information together to create a sample field guide C. From the map, each group estimates what percentage of the
to the different species that live on the school grounds. school grounds is similar to their quadrant in plant make-up.
• Discuss actions that could be taken to increase the biodiversity D. Compile, compare and discuss results as a class. What plants
on the school grounds. Pick the top three and form plans to carry dominate the school grounds?
them out. E. Further Extension: Ask each group to draw a quadrant on the
map at least 5 metres away from their own that they predict will
contain the same plants. Trade maps with another group. Each
group takes the partner group’s map and plant list from the first
quadrant outside to survey the second quadrant. Partner groups
share results.

68
Space Walk
SUBJECT: Mathematics / Science and Technology
LEVEL: Grade 6

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

• Marking the distance between planets 1. How big is our planet?
• Understanding the size of our solar system 2. How close is Earth’s nearest neighbour planet?
3. How is the distance between planets measured?
4. How big is our (Earth’s) solar system?

Curriculum Expectations
Science and Technology: Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
Understanding Earth and Space Systems—Space At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
1. assess the impact of space exploration on society and • Visualize the size of the solar system
the environment. • Know the distance between planets
2. investigate characteristics of the systems of which the earth • Be able to estimate percent of an area
is a part and the relationship between the earth, the sun and • Be able to extrapolate data over a schoolyard using ratios
the moon. • Use area and perimeter to measure the school yard
3. demonstrate an understanding of components of the systems
which the earth is a part, and explain the phenomena that result
from the movement of different bodies in space.
Mathematics: Number Sense and Numeration
• represent ratios found in real-life contexts, using concrete
materials, drawings, and standard fractional notation
Mathematics: Data Management and Probability
• read, interpret, and draw conclusions from primary data

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Planets • Metre stick
• Distance • Measuring wheel
• Ratios • Nature objects to represent planets
• Estimating percent • Large outdoor area e.g. field

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Discussing the components and size of the solar system
Action—Assessing for and of Learning
• Making a model to represent the solar system using ratios and measurement data
Consolidation—Assessing for Learning
• Evaluating the effect of using different ratios on the representation of the solar system
• Discussing the impacts of space exploration

Teacher Background Information

• The Titius-Bode Law relates the mean To find the mean distances of the planets, The resulting sequence is very close to
distances of the planets from the sun to begin with the following simple sequence the distribution of mean distances of the
a simple mathematic progression of numbers: planets from the Sun. The distances are
of numbers. 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, 192, 384* measured in astronomical units (A.U.);
• The law is a rough rule that predicts (With the exception of the first two, the one A.U. is equal to approximately
the spacing of the planets in the Solar others are simply twice the value of the 150,000 kilometres, which is the distance
System. The relationship was first preceding number.) between the Earth and Sun.
pointed out by Johann Titius in 1766 Add 4 to each number:
and was formulated as a mathematical 4, 7, 10, 16, 28, 52, 100, 196, 388*
expression by J.E. Bode in 1778. Then divide by 10:
.4, .7, 1, 1.6, 2.8, 5.2, 10.0, 19.6, 38.8*
• It led Bode to predict the existence of
another planet between Mars and * Starred numbers represent Pluto, no
Jupiter in what we now recognize as the longer formally recognized as a planet
asteroid belt.

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Space Walk
Minds On (Elicit & Engage)
The Hook Introduction
• “Space: the final frontier”: what might this mean? Discuss the size and components of the solar system:
• Do you think humans will ever travel in space beyond the Moon? • Planet Earth is tremendously large, so large that it is almost
impossible for us to really comprehend its size. Even so, it belongs to
Learning Goals (share with class) a group of planets, the solar system, arranged around a star — the
We will work toward a better understanding of our solar system and Sun — that covers such a large distance that the Earth seems tiny
its size through participating in an activity to construct it outside. when viewed in the context of its neighbouring planets.
• To attempt to create a better picture in our minds of the size and
scale of our solar system and the planets in it we will create a model
of the solar system outside.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. We are going to make a model of the solar system. 9. Tell students that the first task will be to visit a natural area to
Make a prediction: “How much space do we need to make it?” gather objects that are representative of the planets made of rock
• Ask students to determine where they will make the model and and metal (i.e., Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars). Decide as a
predict how big the solar system is. class how to represent the gas planets (i.e., all other planets.).
• Challenge students to try out their ideas (e.g., on a table top) 10. Gather objects (e.g., rock, acorn, chunk of wood, bag of leaves,
• As a group reflect on the efforts. different-sized snowballs in winter), and decide which object
2. Discuss how to make the distance between planets tangible. should represent each planet.
3. Introduce ratios and scale to the students. 11. Find a spot with plenty of space to construct the solar system.
4. Under “Sun”, list the planets in order based on distance from the 12. Place the Sun at the start and demonstrate how to measure
sun (i.e., Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, the distance to the next planet. This can be done using metre
and Neptune), including “asteroid belt” between Mars and sticks, a specific length of string, or by measuring a pace of one
Jupiter on the list. NOTE: Pluto can be included, but is no longer metre and counting out paces as you go.
considered a planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) 13. Begin walking from the spot for the sun as a whole class and
based on the most recent definition of a planet. stop briefly to drop off each pair or small group with their planet
5. Introduce the Titius-Bode Law and relate student predictions to at the appropriate place; remaining students continue until
Bode’s predictions. Perform the calculations. One really important all the groups are placed with their planets. (Option: include
point to emphasize is the predictive aspect of Bode’s work. Earth’s moon.)
6. Explain that the real distances will be converted to metres (m); 14. As you mark the planets note distances between planets. Also
Earth is 1.0 m from the Sun. Thus, the ratio being used is note sizes (e.g., can you still see Mercury from the spot where
1 m:150,000 kilometres (km). Mars is placed?).
7. Provide a list of the relative sizes of the Sun and planets compared 15. Take pictures.
to the Earth (i.e., Earth = 1). Beginning with the sun and following 16. Summary discussion questions:
the same order above, the sizes are: • How was the space walk different from your predictions or
• 108, .39, .95, 1, .53, (no asteroid belt), 11.1, 9.41, 4.0, 3.89, first attempts?
and .18 (including Pluto). (The moon is .27.) • What were your impressions related to the sizes of and
8. For the outdoor model, use the above conversion ratio of distances between the planets?
1 m:150,000 km to calculate the sizes of the sun and planets:
the width of the earth is converted to 8.5 centimetres; thus all other
sizes are calculated by multiplying the numbers from Step 7 by
8.5 cm (i.e., the size of the sun = 108 x 8.5 cm = 910 cm = 9.1 m).

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension • After building the solar system, discuss the positive impacts of
• Retry the activity using different ratios to fit it into a smaller or space exploration on society and the environment. Conduct a
larger space. How do the results compare? quick garbage-collecting walk in the schoolyard and spread all of
Actual Converted the garbage around the perimeter of the “Earth”. Introduce the
(1 cm = 10,000 km) topic of the negative impacts of human space travel. Contrast
Earth’s width 12,875 km 1.3 cm negative impacts with positive contributions. Brainstorm solutions
Sun’s width 1,287,500 km 130 cm = 1.3 m to the negative impacts. Discuss the future: where might space
Sun–Earth distance 149,730,000 km 150 m exploration lead human society?
• Once created outdoors, consider using the solar system model to
The Moon is 380,000 km from the Earth, which is represented as learn about other phenomena e.g., earth’s day and night cycle,
38 cm using this scale. Halley’s Comet, planetary orbits, etc.

70
Five Themes Walkabout
SUBJECT: Geography
LEVEL: Grades 7–8

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

To apply knowledge of the five themes of geographic inquiry — 1. What is Geography?
place/location, region, movement, interaction, and environ-ment — 2. How does Geography look in our local neighbourhood?
to help deepen understanding of the themes, while exploring the 3. Can we find evidence of the five themes of Geography in our
local neighbourhood local neighbourhood?
4. Which themes are most prevalent?
5. Can something fit under more than one theme of Geography?
6. What is the importance of a natural area within a neighbourhood?

Curriculum Expectations
Geography Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
The Themes of Geographic Inquiry (Grade 7) At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
• identify and explain the themes of geographic inquiry: • Recognize that the themes of geographic inquiry are all around
location/place, environment, region, interaction, and movement (i.e., relate observations to themes)
• analyse current environmental issues or events from the
perspective of one or more of the themes of geographic inquiry
Patterns in Human Geography (Grade 8)
• identify the main patterns of human settlement and identify the
factors that influence population distribution and land use

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

Familiarity with the five themes of geographic inquiry • Clipboards, pencils, and paper or journal to record observation
• A handout with the five themes listed

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Discussing characteristics of a local neighbourhood to better understand it based on the five themes of geographic inquiry
Action—Assessing for and of Learning
• Examining and recording the different features of a local neighbourhood based on the five themes of geographic inquiry
• Analyzing the observations to determine the importance of specific neighbourhood features
Consolidation—Assessment for and of Learning
• Using the five themes of geographic inquiry to analyze different local areas

“ In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach,

in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.

Rachel Carson

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Five Themes Walkabout

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
• How well do you know your own neighbourhood? Introduce the five themes of geographic inquiry: location/place,
• Close your eyes and envision a familiar neighbourhood. environment, region, interaction, and movement:
What does it feel like? What features of the area give you a sense • Are the five themes of geographic inquiry relevant to your
of comfort? Why? everyday lives?
• Could consideration of the five themes in your own neighbourhood
Learning Goals (share with class) help you develop a better understanding or attachment to it?
Grade 7: • How do natural areas fit under the five themes within
• We will discuss the five themes of geographic inquiry: location/ a neighbourhood?
place, environment, region, interaction, and movement. Examine a map that details local features:
• We will apply these themes to a real-life example — our local • Looking at a geographic area on a map tells us about the location
neighbourhood — to investigate what meaning they have in our and some of the features such as roads and nearby places.
everyday lives. • Really understanding an area, however, such as a neighbourhood,
Grade 8: involves much more including how people move and interact
• We will discuss the features of a modern human settlement and what kinds of different places they use (e.g., stores, parks,
i.e. neighbourhood. schools, etc.)
• We will explore our local neighbourhood to discover what • Geographic inquiry based on the five themes provides a method of
features are present and use the information we gather in discovering this information and building a complete picture of the
investigating why people locate where they do in a places in which we live.
neighbourhood.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Ask students what types of things they might see (and/or record) 4. Summary discussion questions:
on their walk that align with one of the five themes e.g. trees for • Which themes/features are most prevalent?
“environment,” bike path for “movement,” someone watering their • Can something fit under more than one theme of Geography?
flowers for “interaction.” (Grade 7)
2. Distribute clipboards, pencils and a chart with the five themes as • What is the importance of a natural area within a neighbourhood?
headings to record observations. • Record the location of the different features of the
3. Begin your neighbourhood walk. Include a natural area. neighbourhood e.g. homes, stores, parks , libraries.
• Discuss why people live where they do in relation to the other
features of the neighbourhood (Grade 8).
• After this activity, reflect again on how well you know your
own neighbourhood.

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
• Divide the lesson in two parts: A) schoolyard; and B) local park, • Write a descriptive paragraph based on the five themes of
woodlot, or creek. Conduct a walkabout of each area recording geographic inquiry with the theme, “What I Know About
observations on the five themes of geographic inquiry. Compare My Neighbourhood.”
the results.

72
Invasive Species
SUBJECT: Science and Technology / Mathematics
LEVEL: Grade 7

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

• Human activities can alter our environment by transporting life 1. What is an introduced species?
forms to areas where they aren’t naturally found 2. How can an introduced species be beneficial/harmful?
• Some human introductions have been highly beneficial, while 3. What conditions allow an introduced species to spread?
others have caused harm to natural ecosystems What human actions contribute to the spread?
• Understanding the impacts of human introductions and assessing 4. When is an introduced species considered to be invasive?
the outcomes is important to understanding changes in the 5. What difficulties can be faced when invasive species
natural environment that result from human action become established?

Curriculum Expectations
Science and Technology: Understanding Life Systems— Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
Interactions in the Environment At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
1. Assess the impacts of human activities and technologies on the • List several introduced species, discuss benefits and harm of
environment, and evaluate ways of controlling these impacts the introductions, demonstrate an understanding of what can
3.8 Describe ways in which human actions alter the balance and cause an introduced species to become invasive, and explain
interactions in the environment what the impact of invasive species has been on land or water
Mathematics: Data Management and Probability using actual examples.
• collect and organize categorical, discrete, or continuous
primary data and secondary data and display the data using
charts and graphs…
• Specific Expectation: Select an appropriate type of graph to
represent a set of data, graph the data…

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

Knowledge of the terms ”Introduced Species” and • Hula Hoops (random sampling devices)
“Invasive Species” • Lawn

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Discussing how human introductions of species have been beneficial or harmful
Action—Assessing for and of Learning
• Investigating the extent and impact of human-introduced species
• Collecting, organizing and drawing conclusions from the data to determine the prevalence of an invasive species
Consolidation—Assessing for and of Learning
• Determining possible human actions to understand and manage invasive species

Teacher Background Information

• Dandelion was introduced to North • The name for the genus Taraxacum • Alternatively, discuss the introduction of
America in the mid-1600s by European comes from an Arabic name for the English Plantain from Europe to North
settlers who brought and planted it in plant that was translated to Greek as America. Plantain seeds tend to spread
their gardens for food and medicine a combination of “Taraxos” meaning when stuck to the mud on the soles of
(because of its high Vitamin C content “disorder” and “akos” meaning people’s shoes; members of First Nations
it is valuable in guarding against scurvy, “remedy” to describe the role of the referred to English Plaintain as “White
a disease that results from Vitamin C plant as a cure for a variety of ailments. Man’s Footprint” because they appeared
deficiency). Today Dandelion is Dandelion is a modification of the French where Europeans walked after being
regularly battled on urban lawns for “Dent de Lion”, which means “teeth of a deposited by their shoes.
aesthetic reasons. lion,” referring to the teeth found on the
edges of the leaves.

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Invasive Species

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
Imagine moving to a new place far away. Discuss how highly mobile humans are today with the ease of
• How would you travel? What would you take with you? Would you transportation over great distances e.g. airplane, ship, car.
take any living creatures with you e.g. pets, plants, seeds to grow? • When humans travel, we move things to new areas, sometimes
on purpose, and sometimes unintentionally. Examples include:
Learning Goals (share with class) plants and animals smuggled across borders; insects transported in
• We will consider how species of plants and animals become imported wood (e.g., crates); and aquatic creatures carried in the
introduced by humans into new areas, how such species ballast water of ships.
can become invasive, and what the consequences are of the Discuss how some human introductions have been highly beneficial
introduction of invasive species. e.g. corn crops provide food for millions of people, while others have
• We will create and examine study plots outdoors to look for caused problems (e.g., Zebra Mussel has caused harm to native
invasive species. mussel populations and changed aquatic ecosystems).
• We will record the presence of invasive species by counting • Understanding the impacts of human introductions and assessing
numbers of plants and presenting our findings in graphs to the factors that cause such introductions to become invasive is
answer questions about patterns and trends of where invasive important to understanding changes in the natural environment that
species occur (e.g., students may see an increase in the number result from human action.
of invasive plants closer to the trail or path).

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Review the term “introduced species” and discuss the positive 5. Define the study area (e.g., an area of lawn with paths or
and negative impacts of introducing a species to an area where it sidewalks around or through it).
isn’t naturally found (e.g., food crops such as corn, potatoes and 6. Start by finding and pointing out an example of Dandelion or
tomatoes, garden plants, Zebra Mussel, diseases such as Avian another invasive species.
Influenza H5N1, Swine Flu). 7. Explore the study area as a class for Dandelion plants.
2. Discuss the factors that lead to an introduced species becoming 8. In pairs, instruct students to select a section within two metres
invasive. Provide the definition of an invasive species. from the trail or path, and another four metres from the trail
3. Discuss the introduction of Dandelion as an example of an or path OR collect data from two different areas (i.e., forest
invasive species. Introduce a specimen and discuss the features vs field).
of Dandelion so students can identify the plant. Discuss the 9. Choose sample area by randomly tossing the hula hoop onto the
scientific name and what it means as well as the common name ground a few feet away. Students count and record the number
“Dandelion” (see Teacher Background Information). of Dandelion plants found in each plot.
4. Set the scene. Designate the school lawn as a natural community 10. As a class, graph the results e.g. scatterplot of number of plants
and the grass as a native species (point out that the grass is likely vs. distance from trail or habitat type (field and forest).
to be an introduced plant such as Kentucky Bluegrass). 11. Discuss trends and patterns that emerge from the data.

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
• Report on the Dandelion as an invasive species: background • Repeat the activity in another area with another invasive species as
on the plant, history of introduction, present status, the target.
recommendations. Should we manage school grounds to get rid • Choose one local invasive species individually or in pairs to
of Dandelions? further study and present to the class. Set up an outside theatre
for the presentations.

74
Sense Poem
SUBJECT: Language
LEVEL: Grades 7–8

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

• Language is the basis for thinking, communicating and learning. 1. What do you see, feel, hear, and smell?
Poetry is a rich method of organizing and communicating language. What tastes can you imagine?
• Engaging in the writing process offers the opportunity to 2. What descriptive words and phrases can you use to
understand that meaningful connections can be made between communicate your sense experiences?
ourselves, written text , and the world. 3. What different ways can you communicate the same feelings
• Language can be used to interact and connect with others, for and information?
personal growth.
• Ideas can be expressed in different and creative ways.

Curriculum Expectations
Language: Writing Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
1. Generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
for an intended purpose and audience • Describe experiences gained through different senses using
2. Draft and revise their writing using a variety of informational, descriptive words and phrases, and communicate those
literary, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate experiences to others
for the purpose and audience • Complete a Sense Poem

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

Knowledge of different forms of poetry writing • Paper/ sketchbook/ journal + pencil and eraser

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Discussing how language is used to communicate the experiences we gain through the use of our senses
Action—Assessing for and of Learning
• Writing a poem that uses descriptive words to convey sensory experiences in nature
Consolidation—Assessing for and of Learning
• Communicating ideas and information that represents a sensory experience in nature

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Sense Poem

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
How many words can you think of to describe a smell Discuss the use of language to describe the events in our lives, to ask
(e.g., the scent of a rose)? How about words that describe a sight questions, and to communicate our thoughts and feelings to those
(e.g., consider a rose again)? around us.
• Communicating these same things through writing can seem
Learning Goals (share with class) different because we are usually restricted in the number of words
• We will consider how words are used to describe the experiences we can use to describe whatever it is we are trying to convey. This
we gain through different senses. is a challenge for poets: to communicate experiences using a
• We will gain personal experience describing what we feel through limited number of descriptive words that are powerful enough to
our senses outside in nature. communicate the things they are feeling.
• We will communicate our sense experiences to others using • Becoming assured that your writing captures your experiences in a
various forms of poetry satisfying way often takes a great deal of practice, trying one word,
then another, and another, until you are convinced that the right
word or expression has been created.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Take students outside. 5. Students are given time to complete each sentence before the
2. Share an example of a Haiku poem, an acrostic, or a couple of next one is introduced.
descriptive lines from a longer poem. 6. Encourage students to use effective adjectives and adverbs.
3. As a class, describe the feeling of the air on your skin using 7. Upon completion of the sentence starters, instruct students
single words or short phrases. Does one word capture the feeling to remove the words given by teacher (e.g., I see, I feel, etc.).
for everyone? Is everyone satisfied that the right words have Students will now have a Sense Poem.
been offered? 8. Ask for volunteers to read their work out loud. Offer appreciation.
4. Present the following sentences to the students one-at-a-time: 9. Read aloud Robert Frost’s poem The Road Not Taken. Frost
• I feel… (can be physical or emotional) grew up in a city, but is known for poetry that regularly includes
• I smell… descriptions of places and things in nature. Is it still possible for
• I hear… someone who lives in a city to become a “nature poet”?
• I taste (imagine only)…

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
• Try writing a Sense Poem in different weather conditions (e.g., • Read poems to younger students. Post poems around school, on
calm, windy, rainy, snowy), or different environments (e.g., many class web page, or in the school newsletter.
students in the playground, heavy traffic nearby).

76
Snapshots of Nature
SUBJECT: The Arts
LEVEL: Grades 7–8

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

• An object or scene can be creatively explored from a variety 1. Look around — ahead, up in the sky, on the ground: what really
of perspectives. captures your interest?
• The same object or scene can be expressed in different ways. 2. Explore different perspectives — from below, from the side, with
• Different expressions of the same object or scene can elicit one eye closed. Does the object or scene look very similar from
different responses and evoke different feelings all perspectives, or does it change dramatically?
3. If you could record just one perspective, which would it be
and why?

Curriculum Expectations
The Arts: Visual Arts Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
D1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process to produce At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
art works in a variety of traditional two- and three-dimensional • Offer different perspectives on one object or scene by
forms, as well as multimedia art works, that communicate feelings, manipulating photographic properties.
ideas, and understandings using elements, principles, and • Consider how offering different artistic perspectives on one object
techniques of visual arts as well as current media technologies or scene influences the feelings and responses elicited by it.
D2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis
process to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings in
response to a variety of art works and art experiences

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Elements of Design • Digital cameras (e.g., students’ cameras/cellphones,
• Principles of Design: school cameras)
• unity and harmony (Grade 7) • Computers / Printers
• movement (Grade 8) • Large paper, one per student
• Coloured sketching pencils

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Discussing personal reactions to and perspectives on human-created art and experiences we have in nature
Action—Assessing for, as, and of Learning
• Creating art works that communicate feelings and ideas using the elements and principles of design
Consolidation—Assessing for and as Learning
• Identifying feelings, ideas and understandings generated by an art work

www.back2nature.ca 77
Snapshots of Nature

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
• Andy Warhol was an iconic pop artist most famous for painting a Discuss the phrase, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” What does
series of Campbell’s Soup cans, and for painting a Marilyn Monroe it mean to you?
portrait, which he presented in several different colour versions. Explore our own reactions to things that we see:
The “Turquoise Marilyn” sold in 2010 for $80 million. • Although the job of art critics is to comment on which elements of a
• Show an image of the multiple versions of Warhol’s Marilyn piece of art are well-created and which aren’t, we each judge a piece
painting. If you had $80 million, which would you buy? Why? of art immediately by the way it makes us feel when we first see it.
• Nature is like that too — we each experience different thoughts
Learning Goals (share with class) and feelings when we are out in nature, and we each feel and think
• We will explore how different design choices we make when we differently every time we re-visit the same place in nature.
create art influence the feelings and reactions elicited by the art. • Combining art and nature, then, should provide the opportunity for
• We will choose an object or scene in nature and consider it from a expressing very individual perspectives.
variety of perspectives. Introduce photography as an art form that often represents nature:
• We will each take a single photograph of our object or scene and • Yousuf Karsh is a celebrated Canadian who was famous for his
manipulate it with photo software to observe how people react to portrait photos. American Ansel Adams is remembered for his
different creative expressions of the same object or scene. tremendously beautiful landscape photos. These photographers
are renowned because of the personal perspectives each
communicated through their photographs.
• In creating a uniquely individual photo, the artist must first consider
a variety of perspectives before choosing a single representation of
the subject.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

1. Gather outdoors in nature. 8. Students create photographic art work that communicates
2. Instruct students to individually explore an area and select a spot their ideas and feelings about the object or scene chosen and
that is of personal interest. that incorporate elements and principles of design. Use the
3. Encourage students to select objects or small scenes that they find following procedure:
intriguing. Emphasize that people are an impor-tant part of nature, • Divide a large piece of paper into 4 sections.
but for this activity students will be the creators, not the subjects, of • Glue the original photo in the first section,
the photos. • Copy the photo and change the style, such as an Andy Warhol
4. Ask students to consider their chosen subject from different style, using a computer program.
perspectives. Encourage a variety of body positions (e.g., standing, • Print and glue the copy into the second section.
sitting, lying down). If each student does not have a camera, then (Option: print all in black and white and draw different styles
use frames made of construction paper or simply form a box with using sketching pencils.)
fingers to use as the frame. • Repeat process, choosing another artist’s style for the
5. Each student photographs his/her chosen subject. third section.
6. In class, or on a laptop outside, students download their photos. • Repeat process again, drawing own interpretation for the
7. Students print photos in black and white or colour. fourth section.
9. Conduct a gallery walk of the photographic art works. As
each work of art is viewed, ask the artist which version of the
photograph is preferred and why.

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
• As an art critic, write a review of your own photos or the photos of • Produce an exhibit for other classes, or for the school community.
another student. Compare the different versions including the use • Create cards from the photos to sell to raise money for other
of the elements and principles of design and how your thoughts class projects.
and feelings change when considering each one.

78
Supermarket Sweep
SUBJECT: Geography / Mathematics
LEVEL: Grade 7

Critical Learning/Big Ideas Guiding Questions

• Humans have created systems and structures that allow our 1. How do we get our food?
modern society to function. 2. How do we interact with the food production system?
• Our current systems of food production, distribution and 3. What are the pros and cons of different food options
consumption impact our human and environmental health both e.g. organic vs. non-organic, local vs. imported food?
positively and negatively. 4. What are the implications of our food supply system to human
health and the natural environment?
5. Can we feed ourselves from items found in local nature?

Curriculum Expectations
Geography: The Themes of Geographic Inquiry Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations)
• Analyse current environmental issues or events from the At the end of this lesson, students will (be able to):
perspective of one or more of the themes of geographic inquiry • Explore produce in the local supermarket to consider factors
Mathematics: Data Management and Probability involved in its production such as: growing methods including
• Collect data by conducting a survey or an experiment to do with... scale (e.g. factory farm, family farm) and process (e.g. hydro-
their environment ponic, organic); inputs (e.g. fertilizers, pesticides); labour involved
• Select an appropriate type of graph to represent a set of data, (e.g. how much and by whom); and distribution (e.g. the distance
graph the data...and justify the choice of graph travelled to reach the store and how the food was transported).
• Discuss the implications of production factors on energy use,
environmental health, and human well-being.
• Consider edible food items that grow in local natural areas.

Prior Knowledge and Skills Materials

• Basic understanding of vocabulary associated with food production • Clipboards
• Some prior exploration of the different methods of food production • Pencils
(e.g. organic, non-organic, local, imported) • Tally sheet to record produce observed (organic/non-organic,
• Recognition of the occurrence of edible food items in nature local/imported)

Consider…(assessing for, as, and/or of learning)

Minds On—Assessing for Learning
• Discussing the importance of food, how we gain access to it, and the implications of our food supply system
Action—Assessing for and of Learning
• Investigating the positive and negative aspects of how we acquire food
• Collecting and organizing data to represent information on food items available to us
Consolidation—Assessing for and of Learning
• Providing information and conducting further exploration on food-related issues

www.back2nature.ca 79
Supermarket Sweep

Minds On (Elicit & Engage)

The Hook Introduction
• Riddle: It is greater than your mightiest dreams and worse than Discuss the central role of food stores (e.g., grocery store, local
your darkest nightmares. Poor people have it, but rich people market, farmer’s market) within our communities.
need it, and if you eat it you will die. What is it? • Food stores provide access to the food supply for those of us who
ANSWER: Nothing don’t produce all of our own food, which is almost everyone today.
• Is there anything more important to our lives than the food that Examine how the food we eat is produced and distributed, and
we eat? what the results are, both positive and negative, of our modern food
• How important is the supermarket to modern society? supply system.
• Consider how First Nations peoples gathered their food from nature.
Learning Goals (share with class) What if our food supply system collapsed — could local nature
• We will discuss our modern system of producing and support our food needs?
distributing food.
• We will visit our local supermarket to explore food: what is
available, how was it produced, and where did it come from?
• We will consider the implications of food production both positive
and negative.
• We will investigate edible food items that grow in local nature.

Action! (Explore & Explain)

Part 1 Part 2
1. Bring a couple of fresh food items to class. 9. Discuss what food is available to us “in the wild”: how much
2. Instigate a class discussion with the following teacher prompts: knowledge do we have about food available to us in nature?
• Where did this item come from? 10. Introduce examples of food that can be obtained from nature
• Who produced it? (e.g., maple syrup, raspberries, hemlock tea from
• What are the costs of producing this item, both in terms of inputs hemlock needles).
(e.g., fertilizer, water, etc.) and bigger picture costs (e.g., labour 11. Go on a walk in a local natural area and record how many food
force, environmental)? sources can be recognized using the same headings created in
• Who benefits from the production of this item? Step 3. (NOTE: Other than the number of food items, all headings
3. As a class, in preparation for the supermarket trip, construct a list will give the same answer for all food sources recognized.)
of what you are going to tally. (Suggested headings: number of 12. Compare the information gathered from Part 1 and Part 2 and
different fresh food items available; country of origin for each food discuss the positive and negative aspects of both food supplies.
item; percent of organic food available; and cost of each item). 13. Summary discussion questions:
4. Generate a tally chart to be used on the trip. • What are the alternatives to our current food production system?
5. Review guidelines for the trip. • Could we return to producing our own food, both individually,
6. Lead the walking trip to a nearby supermarket. as a community, or even as a province? Would we want to?
7. Post-trip, provide time in-class to finalize work.
8. Discuss results as a class.

Consolidation (Elaborate, Evaluate, Extend)

Extension
• Share results of the information gathered at the supermarket with • Follow up by having small groups research and present information
the school community to increase public awareness of food- on one edible item that occurs in local nature.
related issues. • Ask students to conduct another survey in their choice of super-
market with their family.

80
References
Broda, Herbert W. 2007. Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning: Using the Outdoors as an
Instructional Tool, K-8. Stenhouse Publishers, Portland Maine.

Broda, Herbert W. 2011. Moving the Classroom Outdoors: Schoolyard-Enhanced

Learning in Action. Stenhouse Publishers, Portland Maine.

Buckline-Sporer, Arden and Rachel Kathleen Pringle. 2010.

How to Grow a School Garden. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.

Canadian Wildlife Federation. 1991. Project Wild. Canadian Wildlife Federation,

Ottawa, Ontario.

Chawla, Louise. 2006. “Learning to Love the Natural World Enough to Protect It.”
Barn: No. 2, pp. 57-78. Norwegian Centre for Child Research, Trondheim, Norway.

Chiarotto, Lorraine. 2011. Natural Curiosity: Building Children’s Understanding of

the World through Environmental Inquiry - A Resource for Teachers. The Laboratory
School at The Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, Ontario Institute for Studies
in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.

Christopher, Todd. 2010. The Green Hour. Trumpeter Books,

Boston, Massachusetts.

Comstock, Anna Botsford. 1911. Handbook of Nature Study.

Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.

Cornell, Joseph. 1987. Listening to Nature: How to Deepen Your Awareness of

Nature. Dawn Publications, Nevada City, California.

Cornell, Joseph. 1998. Sharing Nature with Children II. Dawn Publications,
Nevada City, California.

Cornell, Joseph. 1998. Sharing Nature with Children: 20th Anniversary Edition,
Revised and Expanded. Dawn Publications, Nevada City, California.

Evergreen. 2002. Design Ideas for the Outdoor Classroom: Dig it, Plant it,
Build it and Paint it! www.evergreen.ca/en/resources/schools/design-ideas.sn

Fishbaugh, Angela Schmidt. 2011. Celebrate Nature! Redleaf Press,

St. Paul, Minnesota.

Global, Environmental & Outdoor Education Council. 2002. Five Minute Field Trips.
Global, Environmental & Outdoor Education Council, Calgary, Alberta
www.geoec.org/lessons/5min-fieldtrips.pdf

Glock, Jenna, Susan Wertz and Maggie Meyer. 1999. Discovering the Naturalist
Intelligence: Science in the School Yard. Zephyr Press, Chicago, Illinois.

81
References (continued)

Louv, Richard. 2005. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-
deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Louv, Richard. 2011. The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of
Nature-deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Nuttall, Carolyn and Janet Millington. 2009. Outdoor Classrooms: A Handbook for
School Gardens. PI Productions Photography, Queensland, Australia.
Ontario Forestry Association. 2003. Focus on Forests. The Ontario Forestry
Association, Toronto, Ontario.

Ontario Ministry of Education. 1915. Ontario Teachers’ Manuals: Nature Study.

The Ryerson Press, Toronto, Ontario.

Ontario Ministry of Education. 2010. Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation,

and Reporting in Ontario Schools. Queen’s Printer for Ontario, Toronto, Ontario.

Russell, Helen Ross. 2001. Ten-Minute Field Trips: A Teacher’s Guide to Using
the Schoolgrounds for Environmental Studies (3rd ed, revised). NSTA Press,
Arlington, Virginia.

Sobel, David. 1999. Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart of Nature Education
(Nature Literacy Series Vol. 1). The Orion Society, Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

Sobel, David. 2004. Place-based Education: Connecting Classrooms & Communities

(Nature Literacy Series Vol. 4) (New Patriotism Series, 4). The Orion Society, Great
Barrington, Massachusetts.

Staniforth, Sue. 2009. Get Outdoors: An Educator’s Guide to Outdoor Classrooms in

Parks, Schoolgrounds and Other Special Places. WildBC, BC Parks, BC Ministry of
Education, Parks Canada, and Metro Vancouver, British Columbia.

Van Matre, Steve and Bruce Johnson. 1988. Earthkeepers: Four Keys for Helping
Young People Live in Harmony with the Earth. The Institute for Earth Education,
Warrenville, Illinois.

Van Matre, Steve. 1983. The Earth Speaks. The Institute for Earth Education,
Warrenville, Illinois.

Van Matre, Steve. Earth Education, A New Beginning. 1990. The Institute for Earth
Education, Warrenville, Illinois.

Ward, Jennifer. 2008. I Love Dirt! Trumpeter Books, Boston, Massachusetts.

82
 Guide contributors – July 2011

Contributors
In July 2011, work on this guide began in earnest: Ron Writing, re-writing and editing all materials in this guide
Ballentine from the Halton District School Board (HDSB) relied on the skill and generosity of a small number of
skilfully assembled a group of HDSB teachers with a people over several months, and their contributions simply
remarkable passion for teaching outdoors. Additional cannot be sufficiently acknowledged, but an attempt will
educators with vast and diverse experience from other be made nonetheless.
settings were added to complement the group. The efforts
The contributions of Ron Ballentine cannot be overstated:
of this exceptional team defined this work, and the
no one has been more important to the realization of this
following contributors are owed a great debt of thanks:
project. Ron has been involved at every stage, and provided
HDSB: Ron Ballentine, Kathy Bocsi, Laureen Hardman, his immense abilities, tremendous support and wealth of
Valerie Healey, Kira Ife, Lisa Orvidas, Lori Tsotsos, Bert experience with positive energy and extreme generosity at
VandenNoort and Erin Walsh; Downsview Park: Colin Love; all times.
Elephant Thoughts: Jeremy Rhodes; Hillfield Strathallan
Karin Davidson-Taylor and Kristen Janke provided endless
College: John Hannah; Ontario EcoSchools: Elanor
support, and offered helpful ideas and thoughtful advice
Waslander; Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG): Karin Davidson-
on innumerable occasions. Their good humour, particularly
Taylor, Ian Hendry, Kristen Janke and Barb McKean; The
at the most trying times, made all the difference. The
Laboratory School at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child
suggestions made by Karin and Kristen have improved this
Studies, Ontario Institute of Studies in Education: Lorraine
guide in countless ways.
Chiarotto; and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
(TRCA): Vicky An and Lindsay Bunce. Drawing on her extensive experience in outdoor education,
Barb McKean provided editing assistance and feedback,
Subsequent to the original work, smaller groups worked on
and generously supplied crucial support in freeing up RBG
the learning experiences. Special thanks are owed to:
education staff to contribute as needed.
Kristen Janke and Lisa Orvidas (Primary); Karin Davidson-
Taylor and Valerie Healey (Junior); and Kathy Bocsi Jennifer Kilburn provided constant editing assistance and
(Intermediate). feedback, which improved the final product in a noticeable
way. In addition, Jennifer generously endured many last-
Piloting guide materials took place through teacher work-
minute scheduling challenges, as did Ben and Finn Kilburn,
shops presented in partnership with HDSB. Ron Ballentine
to support the cause of seeing this guide through to its
was instrumental in organizing the workshops, and the
completion.
following teachers served the role of expert presenters:
Kathy Bocsi, Karin Davidson-Taylor, Laureen Hardman, Val Finally, while no material in this guide was copied from an
Healey, Kira Ife, Kristen Janke and Lisa Orvidas. existing resource, some of the themes will undoubtedly
seem familiar in tone or content to some readers.
Kira Ife and Darryl Sault generously field-tested several of
Unquestionably, the teachers who contributed to this guide
the Primary lessons as the focus of a Teaching-Learning
have benefitted tremendously from the ideas of highly
Critical Pathway (TLCP) cycle.
regarded colleagues and resources during their careers.
Elanor Waslander was integral in providing her patience, To those who have generously shared your ideas, passion,
support and guidance in the important role of accomplishing and work with others: your efforts have made this guide
the French translation of the entirety of this guide. possible. Thank you!

Irene Feddema of IF design Inc. applied her skilful Bill Kilburn, Project Manager
graphics eye to the task of turning words on a page into an Back to Nature Network
attractive and enjoyable reading experience. September 2012

83
“
“In 20 years of evaluating outdoor
learning materials, I’ve never seen a
guide so sensitive to the needs of
adults willing and wanting to take
kids outside, but who have not yet
done so. This extraordinary
collection of lessons and activities
invite teachers and youth educators
to open the door to authentic
“Into Nature is a professionally
crafted and user-friendly resource.
Busy teachers need materials that
are well organized, rich in
descriptive detail, and carefully
crafted for maximum impact.

The three major sections of the

guide (preparing to move instruction
“We owe The Back to Nature
Network deep gratitude for
producing one of the most readable,
practical, imaginative guidebooks
for all natural teachers — those
educators who understand that it’s
essential to teach students about
nature, but also to teach them
in nature.
learning in the outdoors.  outdoors, short activities, and full
lessons), make it easy to find There’s not an ounce of fat (or
I was pleased to see so many relevant content. The use of jargon) in this fine toolkit. It’s a
thoughtful inclusions, such as drafts suggested grade level designations ready-to-go resource, applicable to
of letters that could be sent to as well as suggestions for different every discipline. Students and
parents and administrators to seek seasons add to the functionality of teachers will find their imaginations
support for outdoor learning.  the resource. ignited, their sense of awe — of
nature and of learning — returned.
The schools we need are those The professional look and attractive And beyond the school, too, this is a
where real learning happens outside layout rival many commercial tool for the whole family.”
the walls of the school as much as materials. Ontario teachers are very
in, and where young learners fortunate to have access to this Richard Louv, Author of The Nature
develop a sense of wonder and significant contribution to the Principle and Last Child in the
curiousity about the natural world. outdoor learning movement.”   Woods: Saving Our Children from
This guide provides a road map to Nature-Deficit Disorder, and
help get there.” Herb Broda, Professor of Education, Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus,
Author of Schoolyard-Enhanced Children & Nature Network
Tim Grant, Editor, Learning and Moving the
Green Teacher magazine Classroom Outdoors

www.back2nature.ca