Activity Instructions: Noticing nature

Step 1.

Explain to students that they are going to take a walk around the schoolyard to notice features of nature. Before they head outside though, it could be helpful to clarify what is meant by ‘nature’.

For example:

What is nature? (e.g. “Nature is all the animals, plants, and other things in the world that are not made by people, and all the events and processes that are not caused by people.” (Source)
What sorts of things are a part of nature? (e.g. trees, animals, creeks, rocks, grass)
What sorts of things are not a part of nature? (e.g. you might find buildings in the outdoors, but these haven’t been created by nature - some things are made by humans)

Step 2.

You can now take students for a walk around the yard.

Outdoor learning - Research has shown that spending time outdoors has many benefits for all of us, especially for young people. For example:

• Contact with nature is good for mental health - Researchers have found that contact with nature helps reduce stress and that a deeper, more active contact with nature can provide young people with calming and stabilising memories that they can draw on during stressful periods later in life.

• Contact with nature is good for the mind - Research has shown that contact with nature can provide a wealth of learning opportunities and improve academic achievement.

• Contact with nature is good for the body - Research has shown a link between body mass index (BMI) scores in children and their access to “green” areas and levels of outdoor play. BMI is often used by health authorities and researchers to indicate healthy weight ranges. In addition, natural environments improve balance and coordination and can have a positive impact on eyesight.

• Contact with nature is linked to happiness - Research has shown that spending time in nature increases feelings of joy and happiness.

Find out more here and here.

The teacher or students (taking turns) could lead the class to a feature of nature. For each feature that you see:

Make a record of what this feature is (e.g. tree or butterfly) and write this down, adding a tally mark next to this feature.
Invite students to describe this feature. If it’s safe to touch, they could describe how it feels and smells, or if it’s not safe to touch, they could describe its colour and appearance (if there are any patterns or other interesting elements). Keep a record of key observations (you could also take a photo).
Encourage students to ask questions about the feature you are observing. You could keep a record of any questions you are unable to answer and use these to guide further research later on.

Step 3.

Continue your walk until you have collected a range and number of features. Work with students to count the number of each feature that you found and the number of features you found altogether.

You could also ask students:

What was the best part of noticing nature?
What was new to you?
What did you want to spend more time with?
What would you like to see more of in the yard?

Use the descriptions (and photos if you took them) to discuss the details of the features you noticed.

Optional:

You could provide students with drawing materials and stay outside to draw their favourite features from this activity.
Work with students to conduct research into the questions that came up during the walk.

Meaningful Moments: Investigate the Schoolyard

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