Inquiry Question: How can we integrate outdoor learning into the teaching curriculum?
PEAKS
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PEAKS Outdoor Campus was an incredible facility and resource that we were able to utilize throughout my internship at Horace Allen School in Coleman, Alberta. These trips focused on Indigenous studies, local history, outdoor skills as well as topics that directly relate to the Alberta Program of Studies like "Hearing & Sound." While at PEAKS, students recognized and learned about the Indigenous cultures of our territory and the various interactions that occurred between the Blackfoot (Alberta) and the Ktunaxa (British Columbia) people.
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While at PEAKS, students participated in Indigenous games like, "scream and run," "mount your horse," and "line tag."
Scream & Run:
Line Tag:
Scream & Run:
- Have students line up beside each other across a large open field or space - make sure they spread out so there are no casualties.
- On the count of three, have students scream and run at the same time. When they run out of air and can no longer scream, they have to stop and stay in that spot. Who ever can run and scream for the farthest distance, wins.
- This game was used to prepare Indigenous individuals to go to war and scare off their enemy..
Line Tag:
- Have students line up in a single file line and join hands.
- Students remain holding hands and work together to try and keep the person at the very back of the line from getting tagged by the front.
- This game teaches student about team work and the importance of communication.
SCIENCE |
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My Reflections:
- I definitely noticed that students were more engaged with the various concepts being taught while visiting the PEAKS Campus. Although the outdoor lessons being taught in our regular school yard were not ineffective, student attention was definitely more focused at the alternative campus. I think this is a result of a few different factors. The new environment, presence of parent volunteers, and different instructors all affect the interactions between students and the learning environment.
- Outdoor learning is not always the most practical, nor is it the most effective way to teach specific concepts. In my experience, taking the outcomes from Hearing & Sound and applying them in an outdoor setting was more beneficial to the learning experience rather than taking a subject like math (telling time) outside. By taking the Hearing & Sound unit outside, students were able to create noise and amplify various sounds without having to consider their volume and the effects it would have on the neighbouring classrooms.
- At Horace Allen, there is a BEAUTIFUL outdoor classroom complete with tables, chairs (all made out of natural materials), fire places, a dry creek, and other loose parts for students to use and be creative with. Because I was completing my internship during the winter months, this was a less available resource.. However, during the summer months, having an outdoor setting with these materials makes taking subjects like math and reading, outdoors much easier. On calm days when the wind, rain, and other natural distractions are less prominent, the change of scenery and fresh air would have similar benefits that I witnessed while taking science classes outdoors this past winter.
- Something interesting that I noticed during our field trip for hearing and sound at PEAKS was the increased cooperation from students between instructions given by a teacher, but also between students during group work activities. Students were more willing to work together and problem solve in a setting outside of the classroom. I noticed a HUGE shift in the interactions between students when learning in an outdoor environment. I wonder if part of this comes from fewer individuals in a given area? This leading to less stimulation through sound, crowded rooms, etc.