Instruction and Pedagogy

In a typical year, outdoor school is an opportunity for many students to work shoulder-to-shoulder with their peers. This year, outdoor school will look much different. Still, some of the major characteristics of outdoor school instruction, such as instruction that is learner-centered and offers opportunities for collaboration, can apply to these modified outdoor school programs. On this page, we use characteristics from our Instructional Resource Self-Evaluation Tool as a guide for thinking about how to adjust outdoor school programming for 2021-2022. 

Our guiding question for each characteristic was: How might this characteristic show up differently in modified outdoor school programming? Some characteristics don't need much reimagining to apply in physically distanced in-person outdoor school, while others are a challenge to apply when students are not in close contact and can't share materials. Most characteristics need some rethinking to apply in a distance learning context. The ideas provided on this page are not intended as an exhaustive list, but rather as a starting point for thinking about how outdoor school instruction might change this year while still prioritizing culturally relevant, student-centered instruction. 

Oregon Senate Bill 439

No matter the programming format, outdoor school programs supported by Measure 99 funds must align with the requirements in OR Senate Bill 439 (SB439), including:

  • content that fits explicitly into the field study areas of SB 439:
    • soil, water, plants, and animals
    • the role of timber, agriculture and other natural resources in the economy of this state
    • the interrelationship of nature, natural resources, economic development and career opportunities in this state
    • the interdependence of urban and rural areas
  • opportunities for students to develop leadership, critical thinking and decision-making skills 
  • integration of the outdoor school curriculum with local school curriculum to support students in meeting state standards

Addressing the inequity of outdoor educational opportunities for underserved children in the state is also a requirement of OR Senate Bill 439. Providing quality and equitable outdoor educational opportunities and experiences for historically underrepresented students allows them to see their cultural practices, backgrounds, and perspectives centered and valued within the educational realm. However, this representation does not only benefit students from historically underrepresented communities, but also allows students who have always been represented opportunities to see culture and experiences different from theirs as valid.

Multimodal

Multimodal resources are structured in a way that use more than one mode or media. They may require the use of other senses such as touch, smell, visual stimuli, etc. Instructional resources may be differentiated and include mixed and interdependent student roles, scaffolded and multisensory activities.

Considerations:

  • Activities that utilize multiple senses may help to ensure students with visual, hearing, or other impairments are able to participate.
  • It may be necessary to enlarge visual aids to ensure that students can see them while maintaining a safe physical distance from each other and from the instructor(s). 
  • Props and materials should not be shared among students unless the materials can be sanitized between use.

Considerations:

  • Activities that utilize multiple senses may help to ensure students with visual, hearing, or other impairments are able to participate.
  • In virtual programming, consider incorporating activities that direct students’ senses to stimuli that are off-screen. 
  • Recognize that there will be diversity in access to materials, quiet spaces, and natural areas/objects, and build flexibility into the program design.

Examples:

Asynchronous learning using a mix of skilled pedagogy and digital learning tools can create learning experiences that are scalable to every student and delivered at the learner’s preferred pace.

  • You could consider using the free resource edpuzzle. This website allows you to make interactive video lessons, utilizing any video, and edit out relevant portions, create pauses and ask questions, or give instructions. 
  • The How to Teach Nature Journaling website has several YouTube videos that demonstrate nature journaling activities. You can edit these videos using edpuzzle to create questions, pauses, or comments to reflect your own instructions.  
Collaborative/Cooperative

A valuable part of the learning process is having opportunities to deliberate, discuss, and investigate in groups. Here are some ideas for discussion routines from the BEETLES project that allow for student collaboration on any topic.

Considerations:

  • Establish clear expectations for student behavior during group work, especially regarding physical distancing and sharing of materials. 
  • Allow for additional space between groups, as students may need to speak loudly for their group members to hear while physically distanced. 

Example:

Discussion routines allow for students to improve comprehension of scientific questions through individual thinking and reflection, as well as provide an opportunity for peer discussion before sharing out with the whole group.

  • Adapt the Argument Lines discussion activity to accommodate physical distancing. Set out a rope or draw a long imaginary line. Pose a question with two possible answers (e.g., Is this green fuzzy stuff growing on the tree a plant?), and establish which end of the rope/line represents “yes” and which end represents “no.” (Look for opportunities to use questions that are generated by the students!) If you are in a small area, have 3 or 4 students come up at once and place themselves along the continuum (in the middle if they aren’t sure) depending on what they think the answer is. (Ensure appropriate physical distancing where students have selected similar points along the continuum.) Have them explain why. Students who are not along the continuum can ask questions about their classmates' ideas and explanations. Provide opportunities for students to change their place on the continuum after discussion. If you have a larger area that allows for all students to arrange themselves on the continuum while maintaining physical distancing, all can participate at the same time.

Considerations:

  • Many virtual platforms offer options for placing students into small groups. Be sure to follow all school/district rules and expectations for group work on such platforms. (For example, does the school district's cyberbullying policy allow placing students in a virtual room without an adult?)

Example:

Discussion routines allow for students to improve comprehension of scientific questions through individual thinking and reflection, as well as provide an opportunity for peer discussion before sharing out with the whole group.

  • Adapt the Argument Lines discussion activity for virtual delivery. Pose a question with two possible answers (e.g., Was the structure we see in this photo built by animals?). Look for opportunities to use questions that are generated by the students! In the app of your choice (e.g., using sticky notes in Jamboard or using the Annotate feature in Zoom), create a continuum from “yes” to “no” and allow students to mark a location on the continuum based on what they think the answer is. Have students explain why they chose that location and offer opportunities for them to change their position after discussion.
Learner-centered

Learner-centered instructional resources allow students to direct their own learning in ways that are culturally and socially relevant to them, and the learning happens through student voice and choice.

Example:

Discussion routines allow for students to improve comprehension of scientific questions through individual thinking and reflection, as well as provide an opportunity for peer discussion before sharing out with the whole group. 

  • Adapt the Two Cents activity from the BEETLES Project. Place students together in small groups of four people and have them sit spaced apart in a circle. The first round is called one cent and each student in the group gets one minute to say what their ideas are on the topic. They only talk when it is their turn. The second round is called two cents and each student in the group gets one minute to respond to what others have said. An activity like Two Cents takes the emphasis off of what the teacher is saying and puts it on what the students think.

Considerations:

  • Build in opportunities for students to share their learning with their classmates and teach each other (e.g., using the screen sharing feature in Zoom).
  • Offer opportunities for students to observe objects of their choosing from their environment. Allow flexibility to accommodate students’ access to different materials at home.

Example:

Discussion routines allow for students to improve comprehension of scientific questions through individual thinking and reflection, as well as provide an opportunity for peer discussion before sharing out with the whole group. 

  • Adapt the Two Cents activity from the BEETLES Project. Place students together in small virtual groups (e.g., breakout rooms in Zoom). The first round is called one cent and each student in the group gets one minute to say what their ideas are on the topic. They only talk when it is their turn. The second round is called two cents and each student in the group gets one minute to respond to what others have said. An activity like Two Cents takes the emphasis off of what the teacher is saying and puts it on what the students think.
Investigative

Investigative instructional resources asks students to explore questions related to ecological, cultural, or historical phenomena. Through the collection of evidence and the communication of results, students participate in inquiry driven activities. 

Consideration:

  • To foster authentic learning experiences, consider having students first identify an object, topic, or subject that is relevant or interesting to them to investigate further. Embrace student questions about current events (e.g., wildfires) as an opportunity to investigate ecological, cultural, historical, or political phenomena.

Considerations:

  • Be flexible and recognize that students may not have access to natural areas. If you ask students to collect something to observe, have a backup plan for students who don’t have something. Or place a natural object, such as a rock, in a kit to send home to students. 
  • Embrace student questions about current events (e.g., wildfires) as an opportunity to investigate ecological, cultural, historical, or political phenomena.

Example:

Making observations requires attention to the characteristics of an object, and as with any skill, it takes practice. Facilitating observation routines with students allows students to learn to differentiate between similar life forms, recognize patterns in the natural world, and develop models of how nature works. 

Reflective

Reflective instructional resources provide opportunities for students to reflect on their prior experiences or new shared learning experiences in a way that encourages students to reflect on how learning happens for them.

Considerations:

  • Invite students to reflect on how physical distancing is affecting their learning experience and what adjustments (still within the requirements of Ready Schools, Safe Learners) might enhance their learning. 
  • Recognize that many students may be struggling right now, and consider offering additional opportunities for students to recognize and process their emotions.

Example:

  • Poetry offers children an opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas about the environment in creative and artistic ways.
    • Using this Project Learning Tree Poet Tree activity, take students outdoors to observe a natural objects. (Consider allowing students to select a natural object that they find interesting.) Have students spend time observing their object from various perspectives. Using nature journals or notebooks, have students record words, ideas, and impressions that enter their minds. Challenge students to convert their thoughts into the poetic forms provided in the Poet Tree activity. Invite students to reflect on why they chose the poetic form they chose, how different students have represented similar natural objects in different ways, or how poetry affects (or doesn't) their feelings of connection to a natural object.

Considerations:

  • Offer opportunities for students to reflect on which aspects of distance learning work well for them and which don’t. Incorporate this information into your instruction as possible.
  • Recognize that many students may be struggling right now, and consider offering additional opportunities for students to recognize and process their emotions.
  • Encourage reflection throughout an activity. For virtual programming, you could invite students to share reflections verbally or by typing into the chat, and/or use a polling feature (available in Zoom and Google Classroom).
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