Environmental Education

One teacher shares how her rural elementary school safely and effectively took their classrooms outdoors.

When we are faced with challenges, our brains are activated to learn new things—so long as a foundation of safety, belonging, and trust is there as well.

When students step out of the classroom and explore the concepts they’ve learned about, they deepen their understanding of science, themselves, and the world.

There are plenty of logistics to consider, but educators say outdoor classes keep kids and teachers safer—and provide much-needed fresh air.

Resources from around the web for incorporating Earth Day into your class.

Don’t throw that banana peel in the trash! Use a school compost bin to foster project-based learning across subjects and grade levels.

A garden for bees and butterflies helps local endangered species while providing opportunities for standards-based science lessons.

An outdoor education program builds community and culture, raises expectations and standards, increases connection between students, and develops positive associations around school and the outdoors.

Mobile greenhouses, art studios, and makerspaces are traveling to underserved kids across the nation—salvaging vulnerable school programs and leveling the playing field to access.

Exploring nature with elementary students can be memorable and fun with a little advance planning and preparation.

Teachers in diverse disciplines—such as environmental science, language arts, and social studies—are covering climate change.

Five online tools that encourage students to get hands-on experience with nature.

Read about a social justice-based school that addresses larger issues as a learning community, builds curriculum around service learning, and regularly involves families.

School and community gardens can be used for academic enrichment, where students can learn about nutrition, food security, and ecological sustainability.

By helping students connect with the outdoors, nature journaling fosters scientific inquiry, literacy, and environmental stewardship.