From Nature Deficit to Outdoor Exploration: Curriculum for Sustainability in Vermont’s Public Schools

Nicole Corneau and Jonathan Silverman

Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Saint Michael’s College for providing the funding for this project through the Vice President of Academic Affairs Summer Research Grant. We would also like to thank Shelburne Farms for allowing observations at their programs and the participating teachers in Vermont who contributed interviews.

Abstract

Children today are spending less time than ever outdoors, contributing to a culture of environmental apathy and separation from the natural world. In the growing field of environmental education, teachers are challenged to find the time and justification to introduce the outdoors into their curriculum. In Vermont, some public school teachers have successfully implemented environmental education into their practice in a variety of interesting ways. This paper analyzes a series of teacher interviews and observations in Vermont public schools to identify successful pedagogies being utilized for environmental education. Building holistic curriculum, embracing and personalizing place-based education, exploring student choice, and adventuring outside were emerging themes from this study.

Key words: place-based education, hands-on learning, sustainability education, interdisciplinary teaching, Vermont education

Introduction

Childhood memories for many adults are those that were spent outdoors. TV shows or later computer games were activities considered to be more of a “special occasion” rather than a common way to spend free time. Today, this is no longer the case. Concerns about health and safety, pressure to achieve state and national curriculum standards, and an increase in time spent on technology, have created a new reality for many kids, one that does not involve playing outdoors (Louv, 2005).

Research in the past several decades has indicated a shift in childhood recreation from outdoor play to indoor, sedentary activities. Hofferth’s study revealed that between 1997 and 2003, there was a fifty percent decline in the amount of time 9 to 12 year-olds spent recreating outdoors (2009). Diary entries of children’s time outdoors revealed that the average 3 to 11 year-old spends only thirty minutes a week on outdoor activities (Sandberg & Hofferth, 2005). This lack of time outside is coupled with a lack of unstructured and sometimes unsupervised play. It seems that parents today are anxious about ‘concerted cultivation’ – activities considered constructive to academics, sports, or other skills (Cordell, et. al, 2011). Mental health becomes a concern as children are increasingly distracted by technologies competing for attention and overwhelmed by relentless scheduling (Levitin, 2015). Children seem to live in a world where boredom seems obsolete and there is always something to watch, turn on, or listen to. The reduction of physical activity as part of children’s education may be one significant factor for an increase in obesity (Mi-Hwa & Riley, 2015).

Social and cultural factors influence children’s lack of time spent outdoors. Many parents today are, understandably, overprotective protective of their children’s health and safety and fear the risks of outdoor play and getting lost in the woods. However, a certain level of risk and independence is healthy for young children and their physical and emotional development (Rosin, 2014). When parents over-protect they may unintentionally limit their child’s ability to overcome challenges and build resilience and confidence. Although our population is increasing

and urban areas are sprawling, teachers and parents need to advocate for and allow children to play.

Many physicians have studied children’s physical need for contact with nature. Mustapa states, ‘…humans have an innate affinity for nature and need nature for aesthetics, intellectual, cognitive and spiritual meaning’ (2015). Biophobia, coined by Louv as “Nature Deficit Disorder,” has led to many developmental issues ( 2005). Separating people from the environment contributes to a culture of irresponsibility and disconnect which eventually will jeopardize our planet. The last two decades were the warmest in 400 years (International Panel on Climate ChangeBeclu, et. al., 2015) and 22 different species went extinct in the year 2014 (World Wildlife Foundation).biodiversity loss and extinction are at an all-time high (Tedesco, et. al., 2014). Such statistics remind us that apathy is unsustainable. Sadly as there is an increased need for children to become caring stewards of the environment they are more out of touch with nature than ever before.

With the increased pressures of standardized testing, educational reforms, and finding time during an exhaustive day teachers are challenged to integrate outdoor education into curriculum. Bigelow (1996) describes the disturbing way the education system contributes to the disconnect between children and nature. For example, well-meaning environmental education can overemphasize environmental problems rather than promote solutions. Lessons which focus on the mounting hazards of environmental degradation may be developmentally inappropriate and exclude hands-on experiences with nature. When asked why they value nature leading environmentalists responded that it was their many hours of childhood play in natural habitats as well as a ‘parent, teacher, or other adult who fostered their interest in nature’ (Chawla, 1988, p.18). To care enough about the natural environment to practice stewardship in their future, children need to intrinsically value nature and be guided to interact regularly with plants, animals, and nearby outdoor places.

Methodology

Who, then, is responsible for fostering interest in nature, re-connecting our youth to the environment, and teaching them the skills of stewardship for a sustainable future? How might educators transform learning environments to include the natural world? A professor of Education and an undergraduate student majoring in Environmental Studies and Elementary Education collaborated to address these questions by exploring insight from northern Vermont elementary school educators who strive to effectively integrate environmental education into their practice. They examined how these teachers effectively engage students by integrating outdoor education into curriculum and how students respond to this this curriculum. Drawing upon interviews , field observations in outdoor settings with students, and l literature on environmental and outdoor learning this paper analyzes strategies for teachers to integrate effective environmental education into their curriculum. Ideally, the implications from this study in northern Vermont will be relevant to other teachers as they strive to reconnect children to the natural world in other school communities.

This research was exploratory in nature. We cross-referenced teacher and classroom observations with environmental education literature to discover common themes for effective teaching strategies. Our goal was to discover viable and accessible models of effective environmental education for the classroom.

From 23 initial contacts nine teachers were interviewed; eight employed as K-5 public school teachers and one as an Afterschool Programs Coordinator at a local Waldorf School. All are committed to having children learn in outdoor environments. Teachers were interviewed at their respective schools with the exception of one in-home interview and one that took place on Saint Michael’s College campus per request of the teachers. The interviews were conducted between April 30th and June 5th of 2015. Teachers were chosen based on our knowledge of their work, availability, location of school, and years of teaching experience which ranged from two and a half years to thirty years. The teachers interviewed taught at six different schools and reflected different instructional styles and served different student and community demographics. Three schools were located in the Burlington area, representing a more diverse population in a very “green” city. To offer a different cultural perspective, three schools were in more rural and agricultural areas of Vermont.

Each interview was recorded using a set of eight open-ended interview questions designed to learn about their vision and practice about including outdoor education into their curriculum. Many teacher responses prompted further questions to draw out their expertise and experience. For example, when one teacher described her students’ field trip to a nearby mountain, she was asked to illuminate what she noticed about her students’ engagement. The interviews averaged 45 minutes. Prior to the interviews, each teacher signed a release form which provided information about the project and with consent to use their information in this paper. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. In addition to the interviews there were five observations of outdoor and environmental education, each in a different setting. The one exception to a school setting was a series of observations at Shelburne Farms, a non-profit organization devoted to the conservation ethic of a sustainable future and an outdoor program that focuses on environmental education. Here students from nearby schools were engaged in such focused programs as “ponding” and field exercises. Key insight s and intervention by teachers as well as student comments were recorded in a journal. As they engaged in outdoor play, some students were asked open-ended questions such as “(tell me) what are you doing?”, or “(what) did you find interesting?” More description of the teacher’s schools and communities will be discussed in the context of our discoveries.

Limitations

This study took place in a small area in Northern Vermont. Burlington, Vermont, was recently deemed the most ‘green’ city in America, with all public facilities running entirely on renewable energy (PBS News). There are many natural recreation areas as well as farmers markets, educational nature centers, and parks. Residents of this area are likely to value the environment, giving the schools within Chittenden County more freedom to incorporate environmental education into their curriculum due to support from parents and the community. Two of the schools are themed magnet schools withThe Integrated Arts Academy and The

Sustainability Academy, have a strong commitment to social justice within their missions and therefore embrace value-based teaching and an integrated approach to learning. Within the Chittenden County Area, there is a high prevalence of sustainability-based events, technologies, and institutions. However, two of the schools involved in the study , Cambridge and Alburgh Elementary Schools, are rural and removed from the “Green” city of Burlington offering a different perspective on the cultural context for teaching children about sustainability.

Even though they had different levels of experience and expertise the teachers interviewed were known as educators who value the environment and who expressed curiosity in this study. They also mostly felt supported by their administration. Nonetheless, these teachers have found their own ways to be mavericks and act on their commitment to bring their students outdoors. Finally, the two authors strongly believe that environmental education is critical to the health and well-being of both children and the natural world. Therefore, the intent of this investigation was less on justifying the need for sustainability education and more on how environmental education can be effectively integrated.

Discoveries

From teacher interviews and observation notes we looked for common threads that would inform us about effective strategies to successfully integrate environmental education into their practice. We cross referenced these with insight from literature on outdoor education. Four themes emerged: Place-Based Education, Interdisciplinary Learning, the structure and logistics of outdoor learning, and Student Choice. In our description of these themes we will include quotes from teachers interviewed and reference literature to help illuminate salient points. Teachers were informed that we would use pseudonyms when quoting or paraphrasing their responses.

Building Holistic Curriculum

‘You have to take another step… otherwise it’s just kind of a boxed curriculum.’

Paul, Fifth Grade Teacher

Too often subjects and learning are compartmentalized. A ‘boxed’ curriculum may be a result of pressures from standardized testing, a tradition of teaching only through disciplines, and the fear of the unknown. As Palmer (2007) suggests, students now spend more time on rote academic skills and standards-based learning and less time on creativity and play. A rigid and highly focused curriculum leaves little room for hands-on and experiential learning and for opportunities to integrate learning from the classroom with the world outside school. Paul, a fifth grade teacher, explained his experience facing the pressures of testing as follows: ‘I can appreciate those that are afraid or don’t think there’s time for it {environmental education}, unless you’re confident and obviously making connections to curriculum, then you can’t make it happen.’

One way to make connections for students is through a holistic approach to curriculum where learning occurs across all subjects. Analyzing an approach to multicultural sustainability education Arnold, Nelson, and Cassell state, ‘…human problems are multifaceted and complex. They are rarely solved through the lens of one discipline’ (2013, p.1). The teachers we

interviewed described repeatedly how an active outdoor component contributes to student learning of other subjects. For example, literacy easily intertwines with environmental education. Reading, writing, and vocabulary can be expanded through outdoor experiences. When students have contact with wildlife, they create vivid and meaningful memories which can provide inspiration for writing (Eick, 2011). Marie, who teaches an ‘Outdoor Explore’ block to first graders, had her students research different parks around Burlington. Her students met a persuasive writing standard by crafting a an essay describing what makes a good public park Nerina described a poetry lesson in which her fifth graders took mindfulness walks outside, focusing on their five senses, then used these walks as a topic for poetry writing. These types of nature-inspired writing lessons develop literacy skills and cultivate an appreciation for nature.

In addition to focusing on writing, teachers can select books and articles with an environmental theme and contribute to a holistic approach to sustainability. Stella, a fourth and fifth grade teacher, described how her students studied a Nobel Peace Prize winning environmentalist, Wangari Mathaai, who started a movement to plant trees in Kenya. In her literacy- based unit students practiced reading skills while they were exposed to environmental and social justice issues across cultures.

An outdoor approach to education addresses the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) which aim to help students explore the scientific process, analyze scientific texts, and learn to think like scientists (Pruitt, 2014). As Turkel & Zarnowski (2013) assert, ‘To develop scientific literacy, students need to understand how scientists approach their work’ As fourth grade teacher Christine remarked, modern environmental education involves children picking a problem, tracking it, and discovering a solution. Most of the teachers interviewed believed that a curriculum that includes time outdoors increases understanding of ecosystems as well as cultivates life-long dispositions that include scientific inquiry, convergent and divergent thinking, and imagination. Paul explained his philosophy behind his hands-on learning and outdoor curriculum: ‘…Science in the classroom done for the sake of science is simply not meaningful to children. Rather, it is the role of teachers to reveal to students the connections between their scientific inquiry skills and the living science occurring in ecosystems all around them.’ In Carrier, et.al’s (2013) discussion of a fifth grade science classroom, it was noted that students identified their outdoor experiences as ‘field trips’ or special events that they could connect to the context of their science lessons.

Visual and performing arts also easily combine with outdoor curriculum. Graham (2007) asserts that ‘Critical place-based pedagogy creates possibilities for art teaching and learning that are responsive to the ecology of local communities’ (p. 379). For a water cycle unit Paul’s fifth graders created dances to convey what happens at each step of the water cycle. Their observations and on-site research enriched the choreography of this dance. Marie’s first graders participated in an art/literacy unit in which they created ‘nature names,’ using natural outdoor materials to craft the letters of their names. The arts both empowered students to learn effective ways to communicate about their discoveries and to deepen their capacity for an aesthetic appreciation for nature.

History, too offers a rich and complex integration of environmental education. For example students in Peralta, California investigated what their neighborhood was like 100 years ago and then created short films about what their neighborhood may look like 100 years in the future, based on their research (Lucker and Noval, 2013). Christine, a fourth grade teacher with thirty years of experience, bases her teaching on this principle: ‘Everything begins with the land. So whether we’re studying science or social science, we take a look first at how the land shaped what is coming.’ Environmental education examines the natural factors which have shaped our society over time and the on-going history of place. Three teachers indicated that lessons about maple sugaring in Vermont helped students learn about the history of the industry, how to preserve the health of trees, and ecosystems that impact the sugaring system. Every region has unique history; students can easily engage in historical, scientific, and artistic inquiry as they explore the relationship between human communities and the environment..

All teachers interviewed agreed that an interdisciplinary approach to environmental education benefits students and educational programs. Teachers felt it easier to justify their commitment to outdoor education when linking to an accepted discipline norm. They had to balance instruction focused on standards with lessons designed to empower students with exploration and creativity. There was less evidence of teachers emphasizing themes such as cycles, power, or resistance when designing their curriculum.

NonethlessNonetheless, tThe interplay of outdoor education with science, arts, literacy, and history offered their students a perspective on the natural world that begin ianwith ‘place.’ As Christine commented ‘There’s no place where it [the environment] doesn’t have importance in any day in the school year’. By integrating environmental themes into all subjects, teachers enhance students’ current understanding while plant the seeds of stewardship for the future.

Embracing and personalizing Place-Based Education

‘To save the environment, you don’t have to do big crazy things.’

Nerina, fifth grade teacher

In our interconnected and globalized world, it is clear that environmental problems are far-reaching and impact people on an international scale. Yet, as Nerina, a fifth grade teacher reminds us, students can be empowered to “save the environment” by beginning with small steps in their own community. David Sobel coined the phrase “Place-based Education” to describe the importance of connecting students and communities. As he eloquently states, “If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the Earth before we ask them to save it.” (Sobel, 1996, pg. 2). Place-based Education is the use of local resources and systems, manmade and natural, to educate students about their role in these ecosystems. It involves activities which give students an active role in the care and upkeep of their local communities, and acknowledges students as ‘producers, rather than consumers, of knowledge’ (McInerney, 2011). When asked how Place-based Education ties into her practice, fourth and fifth grade teacher Stella responded, ‘…in a sense they’re part of a system and they don’t even know it. Our job is to show them where they fit in that system.’ Many teachers commented on the importance for children to understand the natural landscape in their own community to conceptualize their impact on the environment.

Place-based Education is an antidote to those who are skeptical or anxious about incorporating environment education into the daily classroom schedule. ‘In recent years, environmental education evolved into issues and catastrophe education – learning about rainforest destruction, ozone depletion, toxic waste, and endangered species’ (Sobel, 2004). Though well-meaning environmental meaning, lessons that focus only on how ‘we’ are destroying the eEarth may cause children to feel alienated from nature. All the teachers we spoke to emphasized the need to be positive and develop hands-on connections with nature’s place in one’s own community Place-based Education makes the daunting task of ‘conservation’ accessible to students of any age. Children’s respect for the Earth can be supported by the opportunity to witness their own positive and personalized impact on their local landscape through hands-on service learning.

As the name implies, Place-based Education’s curriculum is reliant on the local outdoor environment and focused on a place’s community. The type of outdoor engagement differs based on the local resources. For example, Alburgh isone school which we worked with is in a a rural town which borders the Missiquoi Wildlife Refuge on Lake Champlain, making it an ideal site for hands-on, place-based learning. On a nature hike through the Refuge’s wetland students examined the abundant plant and animal life in the wetland, then proudly reported how the ecosystem was healthy because of a cleanup they had done in the area. By studying the ecology of plants and wildlife in their local watershed, students were discovering their own direct connection to the scientific and environmental health of their community. (See Figure 1)

In Charlotte Central Schoolanother rural K-8 school, the fourth graders each year participate in what is called the Pease Mountain program. As they engage in such activities as trail building or exploring the local Abenaki history of the mountain, students become stewards and advocates of the mountain and a resource for their community. They take their knowledge and teach other students in the school. Environmental change becomes a plausible reality for these students, as they care for and study the ecology of a familiar landscape. Christine described her students’ experiences as follows: ‘You’re a kid, and there’s a mountain, and the work and time that you gave made something that is much older than you and will be here much longer than you, more healthy and vibrant.’ This particular program exemplifies one key component of Place-based Education by giving students the role of caretakers of their local environment.

Marie, a first grade teacher who incorporates the environment into all aspects of her curriculum, stressed the importance of place-based education when studying both manmade and natural systems in her school’s neighborhood. Her class explored the neighborhood by noticing geographic features such as natural and human made parks and farmers markets. She noted that students were fulfilling one of her learning objectives by reading maps, orienting themselves, and learning about the places that make up their town. As Beames and Ross (2010) discovered, ‘Journeys in students’ neighbourhoods are attuned to the geo-physical and socio-cultural story of the land. Understanding this story and one’s place in it is, arguably, the essence of place-based education.’

The landscapes surrounding our schools are not the only places where children can experience place-based education activities. Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vermont, is a 1400-

acre working farm dedicated to educating youth about sustainability and cultivating children’s love for the Earth. Students from various Vermont schools have the opportunity to come to the farm and engage actively in Place-based education by harvesting wheat, foresting for mushrooms, making pizza from scratch, and working with cows in the dairy barn. In one of our observations we watched students from Swanton, Vermont be engrossed in a ‘ponding’ activity in which they were prompted to think of how farm activities might impact the animals that live in the pond. At the pond students made insightful comments, wondering if the noises from cars or waste from farm animals may affect the frogs and other creatures which they had caught and examined. Hands-on activities like this help students to understand how human activities are directly related to the wellbeing of the plants and animals. For teachers trying to implement Place-based activities into the classroom, identifying educational resources such as Shelburne Farms and taking trips to these sites can be an invaluable experience for students.

The teachers interviewed confirmed how every community is home to unique learning opportunities for their students. As Stella stated earlier, students already have an understanding of the different systems in their town, but it is her role, that of the teacher to “connect the dots” to help students understand their role as stewards of the land and active members of their community. Place-based education links effectively adopts with a service-learning approach by allowing students to support the health of their community’s ecosystems while learning about the ecosystems themselves. Ideally, students will recall the connections they made to their local landscape as children and apply the same sustainable mindset to their environment as adults.

Place-based Education in Vermont nourishes the next generation of young environmentalists. If educators can give students the power to make a positive change on their local environment, then perhaps one day these very same students will have the confidence to tackle large-scale environmental issues. Not surprising, the more personal an environmental education activity is, the more important and sustaining it is to young learners. Every student is unique; while place-based education is relevant to all students and the community the most meaningful experiences for students outdoors are the ones that they freely choose in which to participate.

‘Have at It’: Student Choice and Exploration

‘You have to start with the students and ask them what they want.’

Christine, Fourth Grade Teacher

As Christine implies, effective place-based education becomes meaningful when beginning and ending with the values of each individual student. When students guide their own education based upon those values, they draw upon an intrinsic motivation to learn (Erwin, 2004). In environmental education, exploration and student-led experiences with nature prevail as they allow students to discover on their own why the Earth is important. As Karen, a second grade teacher from rural Vermont, conveys,

We can preach all day, and some might listen and take it in, but if they feel like they’re having an active role in it or coming up with the ideas it’s going to be so much more valuable to them.

Teachers we interviewed connect Place-based Education to student interests by identifying a local ecosystem and guiding students to investigate the components of the environment through exploration, curiosity, and play.

Elementary school students’ abilities, interests, and attitudes are vastly different. As Terry, an afterschool programs coordinator who observes his students in a free play setting, commented, ‘When children ask questions when they’re curious and because they started to observe something that they wanted to know more about, they remember it more.’ Kindergarten teacher Jerry remarked that his students are most engaged when they can ‘get up close… whether it’s taking things apart, a rotten log, using tools and looking at things in magnifying glasses…’ Teaching strategies that include variation and choice engage a community of diverse learners. Allison believes that when her students have the opportunity to explore and touch things they will ‘naturally bring some kind of scientific connection’. Providing students with the ability to get physically involved in an unstructured environment is the first step to fostering scientific inquiry. (See Figure 2)

Offering choice stimulates children’s development as well as promotes positive behavior. On a field trip Stella gave her fourth and fifth grade students little instruction asking students to choose between a variety of activities such as fishing, hiking, swimming, or playing in the woods. She stated, ‘…there wasn’t any behavior problems besides some minor reminders… and kids just played.’ The opportunity to “just play” lends itself to positive behavior as students are by nature engaged in what they are doing. Many of the teachers noted that offering choice when outdoors students work on team building and social skills while participating in cooperative play. Choice time can also give students the opportunity to be independent if they choose to do so (See Figure 3). Jerry described,

They choose whether to socialize or simply explore I think it’s a really valuable time socially for them working with each other…taking turns or building things together, or even if they want to do something independently… it’s really important for kids to develop that skill of an awareness of what their own needs are.

In place-based education the types of comments, instructions, and questions influence how students will engage with the outdoors. ‘…so often teachers feel like they have to structure every activity, and I think a lot of teachers, myself included, we just need to back off sometimes, and so much of that learning happens naturally’ (Jerry). The teachers I observed posed open-ended questions as well as encouraged students to pose their own questions. ‘What do you notice?’, ‘What did you find?’, or ‘I wonder what animal could have made these tracks?’ invited students to become scientists, historians, authors, and artist, taking ownership on their discoveries.

As Christine noted, ‘Your role, constantly, is to present the world to them, not to influence them.’ Choice activities allow students to discern for themselves the aspects of the environment which should be cared for and protected. Terry stated, ‘I think it’s important to engender a respect for nature, an appreciation of animals and plants and trees and everything that’s outside, and have a lot of fun doing it, and I think those experiences are formative.’ When students appreciate the outdoors as a place where they cultivate their own learning, they

associate positive feelings with nature and begin to respect plants and animals. As Maynard & Waters suggest, ‘environmental free-choice learning experiences, such as visiting a nature area or doing fieldwork, can help students bridge the gap between theoretical and real-world examples and enable them to become pro-environmental change agents in their homes and communities’ (2010). Hands-on connection with the environment inspires students to act as stewards in the future.

Student choice can be implemented into the classroom in many ways, and to whatever extent a teacher may feel comfortable with. Stella commented, ‘I find that as a teacher you kind of steer them and within that steering try to keep some things open with choice.’ She went on to explain a sustainable business unit in which students were able to select what type of business they wanted to invent. Teachers sometimes will outline parameters that respond to student interest. . Marie’s engineering unit based around bug catchers was sparked by noticing her class’ fascination with insects. Nerina’s fifth graders wrote opinion letters to local legislators where they chose any topic they found interesting. Several students chose environmental topics such as why there should not be any zoos for the sake of animals.

Students react positively and take an interest in the environment without even being instructed to do so. When they are able to become the providers rather than the receivers of information, students experience ownership of the land and invested in place. Hands-on discovery allows students to choose what they find to be special in the environment, then understand how that aspect of the environment must be treated to be sustained.

Adventuring s Outside

Taking students outside pose many challenges that include discipline, safety, logistics, overcocmingovercoming the fear of wildlife and apprehension to try something new. Regardless of age, local environment, or class size teachers need to be thoughtful when designing an outdoor learning environment that assures safety for students as well as for the natural resources. Teachers in Vermont all acknowledged that cooperation, exploration, and respect are the foundation for outdoor learning experience. . In addition, adventuring outside requires a leap into the unknown.

A less structured and more organic environment is ideal for hands-on learning (Maynard & Waters 2010). Although zoos, aquariums, and parks provide unique opportunities for learning they do not provide the type of stimulation that a rich, untamed ecosystem offers. Bringing students outdoors into a natural setting with a wide variety of plants and wildlife fosters inquiry and encourages student investigation (Maynard & Waters, 2010). Wild forests, ponds, and other ecosystems are home to so many different components, such as trees, rocks, soils, bugs, and other features which may capture students’ attention. Organic materials and natural play spaces stimulate imaginative play for young children. RefelctingReflecting on her students’ play Terry noted, ‘Outside in a field or forest there are just so many things… sticks and rocks and pine needles and whatever …All of those things become money, or walking sticks, or medicine…’ Most children’s toys purchased in stores today are themed in some way, or prompt students to act out a certain situation. Whether inventing a ‘mud kitchen,’ where leaves, mushrooms and dirt become ‘ingredients’ or constructing intricate fairy houses, outdoor activity promotes creativity

and imagination. Imaginative play builds upon social skills and cooperation with peers. Bodrova & Leong (2012) conclude that make-believe develops a child’s ‘social skills, emerging mathematical ability, mastery of early literacy concepts, and self-regulation’ (pp.1-2).

All teachers interviewed had many strategies for managing behavior and embraced the importance of setting guidelines. As Christine explained, ‘We’re constrained by being a public facility in terms of protecting a child’s safety, which means there are rules at school you would never have at home.’ The guidelines in school may contrast those at home. None of the teachers mentioned any major discipline issues. Some implied that behavior was better outdoors than inside. As Jerry stated,

There’s a lot more opportunity for movement {outdoors}. In the classroom we have to use inside voices I feel like a lot of those things that I might have to clamp down on them for inside I don’t have to deal with as much.

Students release more energy outdoors through loud voices and movement. The observations took place in the spring so teachers had many months to create a cooperative and well- behaved community. Speaking of his fifth graders Paul stressed, ‘When they’re engaged, whether it’s through the arts or sailing or gardening, they’re less likely to be frustrated because they’re doing something that’s enjoyable.’ Model outdoor behavior was the result of a long process of scaffolding on the part of the teacher and a gradual transfer of trust and responsibility.

All the teachers interviewed stressed the importance of promoting stewardship and empathy. The teachers indicated the importance of explaining that the space where they are learning is a natural ecosystem and can only thrive if students treat it well. ‘Creating an environment, which takes a lot of consciousness from the teacher, of encouraging curiosity and respect’ for Terry is the key to ensure that groups minimize the impact on flora and fauna. A few teachers began with student-generated ideas about appropriate outside behavior. Asking students for ideas about outside rules promotes students to consider their actions and their potential impact on wildlife. Fifth grade students at Shelburne Farms’ responded to self-imposed guidelines to handlie nature with care. ‘Be gentle with the animals’, or ‘let’s be quiet’ in a pond or forest setting is a first step to thoughtful stewardship. Ideally, when students treat plants and animals with respect at school and assume environmental responsibility they will absorb these as habits in their life outside the classroom. To form a culture of respect and responsibility in the outdoors, teachers can encourage student curiosity through choice activities as well as providing outlets for play and creativity. Activities which provide opportunities for students to take on an ownership or a wetland, a garden, or pine tree grove enrich students’ capacity to care for nature and foster values of stewardship.

Conclusion

Authors Saylan and Blumstein state in their work The Failure of Environmental Education, ‘What is needed is a modern, practical redefinition of environmental education. One that encompasses multidisciplinary teaching approaches. One that seeks to cultivate scientific and civic literacy. One that stimulates community engagement…’ (2011, pg. 4). The teachers we interviewed in Vermont public schools are “re-defining” environmental education with strategies

which are both innovative and simple, and can be implemented into other classrooms. Building holistic curriculum, embracing and personalizing place-based education, exploring student choice, and adventuring outside provide students with a complex understanding of human-environment dynamics both in the world and their own community. As children choose their own way to interact with and be stewards of nature, they develop the skills and values which will help them make positive environmental impacts in whatever field they pursue as adults. Although teachers can instill these values students may not act upon them right away. As Stella stated, ‘It might not be immediate, I might not really see them fully get it… and I’m okay with that as long as I’m planting the seeds.’ If teachers can provide students with meaningful and personal experiences outdoors, they can shape a generation that both loves the environment and has the confidence and know-how to save it.

Implications for Further Research

By nature of this study, the children being observed and taught were not able to demonstrate the results of their environmental education over time. A longitudinal study tracing the habits of young adults and adults who received this type of environmental experience as children. Additionally, even the most urban schools in the greater Burlington area are adjacent to Lake Champlain, public parks, and other environments suited for exploration. The adaptability of these environmental education techniques to urban schools is something that could be examined further. Within this study, it was evident that teachers’ strategies influenced their school environment and community. Teachers’ influence on institutional change and the creation of standards in the field of environment education was not a topic addressed in this localized case study. Finally, the use of technology in environmental education is a relevant topic with the passage of the Next Generation Science Standards. While this paper generally discussed time spent on technology and time spent outdoors as mutually exclusive, further research could be done examining the potential for technology to enhance and support environmental curriculum.

Author Biographies:

Nicole Corneau is an undergraduate student at Saint Michael’s College studying Environmental Studies and Elementary Education.

Jonathan Silverman is the chair of the Education Department at Saint Michael’s College. His areas of interest and expertise include aesthetic education, interdisciplinary learning, and place-based learning.

Figure Captions

Figure 1 – Students in Alburg rural Vermont participate in an observatory nature walk through Missiquoi Wildlife Refuge.

Figure 2 – A student at catches and examines a salamander during a hands-on forest activity.

Figure 3 – A student at Shelburne Farms searches for aquatic animals during a free choice ponding activity.

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