# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Getting Outdoors Archives - Outdoor Learning School & Store

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We are a charitable social enterprise offering excellent outdoor learning training, tools and resources, with 100% of proceeds supporting outdoor learning non-profit initiatives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
W e learn a place and how to visualize spatial relationships, as children, on foot and with imagination. Place and the scale of place must be measured against our bodies and their capabilities.

(Snyder, 1990, pp. 98-99)

Now available on Amazon markets worldwide.

In CANADA? Purchase from the Outdoor Learning Store and support Canadian NonProfits!

The 2022 30-Day Walking Curriculum Challenge starts Earth Day, April 22! Learn more and register on the event page today!

The Walking Forward: Learning From Place resource is now available! Co-authored by Heidi Wood and Gillian Judson, this resource applies an Indigenous lens to walking practices and shares the spiral-inquiries of 14 educators that employ imaginative and ecological pedagogies to teach learners about the First Peoples Principles of Learning.

If the message of this resource was a hashtag it could be #getoutside. The simple act of taking a walk-a walk with a curricular focus or purpose-can have multiple positive consequences-many of which are much more profound than we ever imagine. For example, walking can support students' health and wellbeing by getting them moving. It can also emotionally and imaginatively engage learners by changing the "context" of learning ("context" meaning both location and the form of attention and involvement required of students).

On a deeper level walking-based practice connects curriculum topics with/in the real world. A new level of curriculum relevance can emerge for students as a result. Going even deeper, walking-based practice can support students in developing a sense of Place. Sense of Place, here, refers to an emotional connection to some aspect of the wildness in the world that surrounds them. Sense of Place involves a sense of community. Sense of Place is what can change how our students understand the world of which they are part-it can help them re-imagine their relationship with the natural and cultural communities they live in (Judson, 2010, 2015).WA

The Walking Curriculum provides us with easy-to-use, child-centred and developmentally appropriate activities that make outdoor learning - regardless of whether you're surrounded by trees or concrete - memorable, meaningful and fun. (Karen Hiscott, Principal)

This Walking Curriculum challenges teachers to re-imagine how they teach and it encourages teachers to personally re-connect to Place and community. The #getoutside message involves acknowledging that our communities-natural and cultural-are teachers, too. This Walking Curriculum breaks down concepts of "school" that keep students inside and inactive. So, this book offers practical strategies and examples, but, more profoundly, it encourages teachers to have a new outlook on their teaching. It will empower teachers to #getoutside (physically outside and, figuratively, "outside" by rethinking how they engage their students). It invites teachers to grow beyond the book within an online community of K-12 imaginative ecological educators.

NEW! Watch THIS webinar (April 20, 2021) on Imaginative Ecological Education and the Walking Curriculum to learn more. (Thank you to the Outdoor Learning Store for offering this Spring 2021 learning series!)

Doing the walks has been highly motivational for me as a teacher and a life-long learner. (Courtney Robertson, Vice Principal/Teacher)

The Walking Curriculum is readily useable for teachers K-12. The activities described can be easily adapted and used in all contexts-limited additional time and/or resources are required. It reflects principles and practices of Imaginative Ecological Education as it offers walking activities that engage student imagination and cultivate emotional connection with place.

The 60 walks provided in the resource reflect a variety of themes, perspectives, and motivations. For example, students may be asked to find things (such as shapes, spaces or lines, evidence of growth or change, "the best" hiding places), to change perspectives (imagine being a beetle, a detective, or a visitor from outer space), to encounter the world differently (emphasizing one sense over another or moving through space differently), or to seek evidence of human-nature relationships. In all activities, the aim is to deepen awareness of the particularities and meaning of place.

Walking activities are designed to

engage the body, emotions, and imagination in ways that can increase familiarity with the local and natural contexts of school and learning;

increase attention to detail, particularity and their connection with place;

connect Place-based learning activities with cross-curricular goals;

serve as examples for your own, place-inspired teaching ideas.

Want more information? Click HERE for 5 Sample Walks from the Walking Curriculum and recent posts on the Walking Curriculum (PreK through Higher Education) by practitioners.

FREE journal to support your Walking Curriculum work/outdoorlearning.

Feedback From Teachers

The Walking Curriculum has been one of the best ways for my Immersion Kindergarten students to retain vocabulary. (Andrea Koch, Teacher)

I took my class (Grades 3/4) and another class (Grades 1/2) for the "shapes walk" on Tuesday through the wooded ravine area and neighbourhood near our school. I gave them a handout, and after a brief discussion/instruction period, away we went. We have been on many walks, but this one was very different. The other teacher and I could not believe how engaged they were (and this is not an easy group). They noticed things they had never noticed before. They saw the diamonds in the metal that covered the wood bridge. They saw the rectangles in the stairs; one of my students 'saw the leaves that represented stars'. They decided to make another chart on the back to show the shapes they saw that were not on the original chart. It was fantastic! I look forward to trying the other walks. (Dina Lenning, Teacher)

The Walking Curriculum sparks new imaginative ways to develop sense of place and allows for deep cross-curricular connections through many hands-on explorations and discoveries. It is an engaging resource that encourages students to authentically connect with their environment. (Jolene McFadyen-Nein, Teacher)

In this video, educator Paula Huddy (@littlephz) shares her experiences employing the Walking Curriculum with her students.

The Walking Curriculum was selected as a top global innovation by HundrED and the Lego Foundation! Learn more about the 2020 Creativity Spotlight global collection.

Supplementary Resource

Playing In The Muck And Other Arty Stuff: Imaginative Art Activities For The Walking Curriculum

By Adelle Caunce

References

Judson, G. (2015). Engaging imagination in ecological education: Practical strategies for teaching. Vancouver, B.C.: UBC Press.

Judson, G. (2010). A New approach to ecological education: Engaging students' imaginations in their world. New York: Peter Lang.

Snyder, G. (1990). The practice of the wild. San Francisco: North Point Press.

*I acknowledge that the Place-based, ecological practices outlined in the Walking Curriculum align with practices that have been at the heart of Indigenous worldviews since time immemorial. I am actively working with my Indigenous colleagues to expand my understanding of Indigenous ideologies and to authentically interweave the imaginative ecological learning activities in the Walking Curriculum with First Peoples' Principles of Learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
W e learn a place and how to visualize spatial relationships, as children, on foot and with imagination. Place and the scale of place must be measured against our bodies and their capabilities. (Snyder, 1990, pp. 98-99) Now available on Amazon markets worldwide. In CANADA? Purchase from the Outdoor Learning Store and support Canadian NonProfits!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Walking Forward: Indigenous Perspectives in Learning from Place - Outdoor Learning School & Store

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The benefits of teachers moving learning outdoors are well established – rambunctious learners are able to focus, shy children find different ways to express themselves, anxious learners become better able to regulate their emotions, every one breathes a bit more deeply. Getting outdoors is a starting place. But what if we moved from learning outdoors to learning from the outdoors? What if we thought of Place as the teacher? What if we bring imagination to the heart of the practice? How can an understanding of Place and engagement of imagination help move us along the critically important path towards reconciliation? How can First Peoples’ Principles of Learning guide our teaching? This 45 page printed resource will help answer these questions. You will find powerful examples of how teachers are bringing an inquiry mindset and imagination to changing the experiences of their learners and deepening their connection to Place. (You may never look at a mud puddle the same way again after you hear the questions posed by the Kindergarten learners.) You will look at human-made and natural lines in brand new ways. Your eyes and ears will be open to new possibilities and imagination will forever be on your radar. You will consider what it means to be a watchful listener. You will gain a deeper understanding of how the First People’s Principles and Indigenous worldviews can guide connections to Nature in all contexts. Creating a resource like this requires a great deal of imagination, commitment, teamwork, patience and wisdom. The partnership between Heidi Wood and Gillian Judson, with the contribution of Nadine McSpaddin and her colleagues has resulted in an invaluable tool for teachers everywhere. Access the .pdf for free anytime. This resource set comes with a printed copy that is included at cost.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Michelle McKay and Klara Redford share important elements of their approach to planning for outdoor learning with our youngest learners. They talk about how outdoor learning provides a rich and dynamic context for children to learn and grow, fostering their development across multiple domains, nurturing a connection to nature and offering a springboard to engage in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
birding birds "nature drawing" drawing sketching "drawing plants" "how to draw plants" "how to draw birds" "nature journal" "nature journaling" "science note...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What Is Nature Journaling?

Keeping an illustrated, observational journal is a centuries-old method that has been reenvisioned and refined through the lens of our understanding of neuroscience, learning, and deliberate practice. A nature journal is a lens that focuses our attention and crystalizes our observations, thoughts, and experiences.

Nature Journaling is collecting and organizing your observations, questions, connections, and explanations on the pages of a notebook using words pictures, and numbers. You do not need to be an artist or a naturalist to begin. These skills can be learned by anyone, and you can develop them with deliberate practice. The system is creative, rigorous, and playful, easy to begin and learn, and will grow and mature over a lifetime. Start now: you can do this, and the world is waiting.

Nature Jouranling will enrich your experiences and develop observation, curiosity, gratitude, reverence, memory, and the skills of a naturalist. It helps you discover, think, remember, and integrate new information with your existing knowledge. Train your mind, and the world will offer you its secrets of wonder and beauty.
Here is a video I made to help you get started.
Free Live Online Workshops

Need some help getting started or fresh ideas to spice up your practice? Join me online for three one-hour nature journaling workshops every week at 12:00 PM Noon (Pacific Time). See the schedule for details and links to join any of the meetings. There is a new topic for every class!

Tuesday: "Ask Jack" Open office hours where you come with your nature top journaling questions that we troubleshoot together.

Wednesday: Educator Forum. Join nature journaling educators from around the globe for a discussion of best practices and teaching strategies.

Thursday: The Nature Journal Workshop. A deep dive into the details of drawing and journaling strategies. Be sure to check the event description each week for the topic and supply list and sometimes downloadable classroom materials.

Recorded Workshops and Blog Tutorials

If you have missed any of the tutorials or classes, you can watch most of them any time by visiting my blog archive. Skim the categories and find a class that is right for you.

You also might consider the 2020 Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference Video Pass, which gives you access to recordings from our October 2020 conference through April 10, 2021. Click here for details and to purchase.

Books and Materials

The Nature Journal Club

Other Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nature Journaling: Get started and grow!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What Is Nature Journaling? Keeping an illustrated, observational journal is a centuries-old method that has been reenvisioned and refined through the lens of our understanding of neuroscience, learning, and deliberate practice. A nature journal is a lens that focuses our attention and crystalizes our observations, thoughts, and experiences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our double-sided, 11 X 17 inch, laminated biodiversity sheets allow you to scan through many colourful images at once to identify animals and plants. Sometimes it's easier than paging through a book! Field-tested with all ages -- from preschoolers to retirees -- everyone loves them! Sheets are organized to cover specific habitats or concentrate on particular groups of organisms. They also make great placemats. One volunteer's two-and-a-half-year-old grandson can identify all of the insects on the goldenrod sheet and he learned them all while eating at grandpa and grandma's house! We are also working on activity sheets that will help you learn about each group. Click here to see what we have so far.

A big thank you to the photographers who donated shots for this project! The Native Tree Leaves sheet also comes in a trilingual English-French-Anishinaabemowin version. If this sheet becomes popular, we may add more trilingual sheets in the future.

Sheets cost $5 each (which includes tax). You can purchase them from our online store and have them shipped to you.

Biodiversity Identification Sheets

Available in an English-only version or an English-French-Anishinaabemowin version. We have some activity sheets that work this sheet; if you are interested, click here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Biodiversity Identification Sheets: A fun way to learn what is out there!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our double-sided, 11 X 17 inch, laminated biodiversity sheets allow you to scan through many colourful images at once to identify animals and plants. Sometimes it's easier than paging through a book! Field-tested with all ages -- from preschoolers to retirees -- everyone loves them!