Education

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Getting Ready to Teach Outdoors

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Getting Ready to Teach Outdoors

There are a wide-range of benefits to teaching outside, and we are here to help you prepare your students and yourself for the learning that awaits in your natural environment.

The biological realities of living with COVID-19 is pushing our society to rethink and redesign the spaces we inhabit. Practicing outdoor learning can be one resource to draw upon as we change our education system to rely on safe social practices.

Here are some ideas for everyone, in all areas of the education system, to think about before you venture outside with your students.

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Bursting with Life: Spring with Kids Outside

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For each of the last two years, Carolyn has worked with the DNR, Dane County Land and Water Resources Department, the Southern Wisconsin Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and Lincoln Elementary to provide a field trip for Josie's fourth grade class on the Sugar River. The site is the County's Basco Sugar River Wildlife Unit #1, on STH 69, just south of Paoli and across the road from Basco.

Madison Audubon photo

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The Owl

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The Owl

The dry oak leaves rustled in the same wind that frosted their fingers. They listened to each other’s feet crunch, crunch, crunch in the crystallized snow. A quiet but powerful sound caught their attention; a low, echoing call, above our eyes and ears and fingers, resounded through Cherokee Marsh. Kids and adults alike closed their mouths and glued their feet to the snow to try and hear it again...

A patient group, they peered around at each other, wide-eyed with anticipation. Hushed gasps and little clouds of frosty breath emitted as all ears heard, “who cooks for you?”

Photo by Arlene Koziol

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From the Educators: Vera Court Creates a Field Guide

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The elementary school kids at Vera Court Neighborhood Center are excited about a brand-new project they’re working on- their very own Field Guide! This semester they’re building their literacy and art skills by creating pages for their field guide. Each week the kids head off to a new park with a MAS educator and focus on exploring different subjects like birds, mammals, plants, and macroinvertibrates. They keep a careful list of everything they encounter, and the following week each student selects one organism to enter into their field guide.

Madison Audubon photo

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From the Educators: Fall is in the air, and kids are outside learning

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Last summer Our summer educator, Olivia Sanderfoot, reached over 300 kids with our outdoor education programming! Wow! Many of those kids met weekly with Olivia, and were able to benefit from repeat visits and lesson content that built as time progressed.

This fall we are once again partnering with Vera Court, Bayview, and Salvation Army community centers. They’re all doing awesome things, but we’re particularly excited about our lessons with Salvation Army: the older elementary school students are mentoring the younger as everyone explores local parks. We’re hoping the older kids grow and shine with the added responsibility. At the very least, they’re excited about their new roles!

Madison Audubon photo

 
 
 
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