Meet our friends from School Outdoor Learning – the UK's Leading Outdoor Learning Company.
Just like us, they are passionate about promoting outdoor learning. They offer help for your school to create environments, resources and skills that support each child's developmental needs through learning with our head, heart and hands outside the classroom.
Why is learning outside the classroom a great idea? – we asked SOuL. The answer is simple. “It increases movement, development, health, well-being and improves learning.” Read on for two exciting outdoor learning lesson plans SOuL has shared with us and, if you’d like to learn more about their fantastic resources, visit their
website.
- “Ice Art” - how to make the most of the freezing weather (KS 1)
The objective of this class is to learn about and understand the changing of the seasons and understand that water freezes in very cold temperatures.
Instructions
- Collect a large selection of natural and recycled materials from the outdoors (pebbles, leaves, twigs, bark, shells etc.)
- Place a large shallow tray or dish on the ground or a low table where pupils can develop their art installation. Have the pupils arrange the materials on the tray or in the dish.
- Fill the container with water and leave outside overnight on a night when it’s likely to freeze. Before you leave it place the plastic tube in one corner (at least 7 cm from each edge). Once the water has frozen this will create a hole in the ice sheet from which to hang the ‘sculpture’.
- Return to the container the next day, allow pupils to touch their ‘sculptures’ and describe what it feels like and what the frozen objects inside look like.
Click here to access the full lesson plan.
- Here comes the sun(dial) (KS 2)
The objective of this activity is to create a simple sundial
Instructions
- -You will need a large stake or post, mallet, spirit level, rope/twine and pegs, card or laminated sheets for marking the parts of the sundial.
- - Children will work in small groups. To begin, ask them to place a large stick or stake into the ground where they want their sundial to be positioned.
- Then, children shall use a magnetic compass to determine the directions west, north and east.
- From the base of the stake draw or mark with string a straight line from due west to due east. Then do the same with a line going from the base of the stake due north. Place a number 6 at each end of the east-west line and a number 12 at the end of the north line.
- Mark a line that approximately divides the left (west) side of the sundial and position a number 8 at the tip of that line. Repeat the process on the right (east) side and position a number 4.
- Keep repeating this process until you can halve and halve again the radiating lines and create the number sequence as shown in the picture.
In the end, ask your pupils about the most difficult elements of the activity and compare times recorded.
Click here to access the full lesson plan.
