LESSONS IN THE OPEN AIR
Until last year, Lena Brooks spent almost every school day at a desk. Her school, in a small Canadian town, had always taught every subject indoors. Then, last September, the principal announced a new plan: all science and art lessons would take place in a small forest behind the school. Brooks loved the idea from the first week. "In the forest, we could touch and smell the things we were studying," she remembers. "I also found it much easier to remember the lessons afterwards." Next spring, some math lessons will move outdoors too.(lines 1–6)
Outdoor learning means taking ordinary school lessons out of the classroom and into nature. Thousands of schools in Europe and North America now use it, at least for a few hours each month. "Children learn better when all their senses are involved," says education researcher Paul Hendricks. "Many children with a lot of energy, for instance, find it very hard to stay in their chairs for six hours a day, and they often get into trouble because of it. Outside, they can move around while they learn. Outdoor lessons also improve health, since students spend more time walking and breathing fresh air. Research shows that after such lessons, students are calmer and pay more attention in class."(lines 7–14)
Outdoor learning can take several forms. In some schools, one lesson a week is simply moved to the playground or a nearby park. Other schools send their classes to a forest or a farm for a whole day every month. "Naturally, many teachers feel nervous at first, because they have never taught without a board, desks and four walls around them, and they worry that their students will not listen to them," says Hendricks. "That is why a number of schools now offer their teachers special 2-hour training sessions twice a month. There, teachers try out outdoor activities together and share ideas that have worked for them. As a result, they all gain confidence."(lines 15–21)
Not every subject can leave the classroom, though. "Lessons that need special equipment, such as computers or chemistry labs, usually have to stay indoors," Hendricks explains. "Imagine a class that is building robots, for example." Still, he expects outdoor programs to grow quickly. "Parents who worry about screen time are asking for them more and more," he says. "So schools that offer outdoor learning will attract many new families."(lines 22–26)