Outdoor Education and Land-Based Learning

squirrel eating in tree

As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, everyone starts itching to get outside and enjoy the fresh spring days. Many teachers find it challenging to keep students still and focused at this time of year. In fact, some teachers may even be experiencing the same wistful longing to be outside as their students!

Why not embrace students’ desire to be outside? Outdoor education has many positive benefits for students, from reducing stress to increasing engagement in the classroom after learning outdoors.

What’s the Difference Between Outdoor Education and Indigenous Land-Based Learning?

“Outdoor education” and “land-based learning” are umbrella terms encompassing many ways to engage students outside. From teaching a class outside to having students identify leaves in various stages of decomposition to using natural materials for an art project, there are many ways to bring outdoor learning into your classroom.

Outdoor education is at one end of the spectrum, focusing on doing activities outside. Activity-focused outdoor learning is incredibly beneficial for students. Studies have shown that outdoor teaching increases students’ interest in a subject and intrinsic motivation to learn. It also improves students’ ability to pay attention and helps them retain information for longer.

While Indigenous land-based learning programs look similar to outdoor education programs, they are much more than taking a class outdoors. Dr. Amy Parent from Nisga’a Nation states, “Indigenous land-based education is a process that centres respect, reciprocity, reverence, humility and responsibility as values connected to the land through Indigenous knowledges.” While many outdoor education programs recognize the deep connection to land that is part of Indigenous cultures, each program is unique, and some might not focus on Indigenous knowledge.

Outdoor education and land-based learning are similar in their experiential nature, their ability to foster respect for the environment, their capacity for skill development, and the benefits they offer to health and well-being.

Indigenous Land-Based Learning

Since Indigenous land-based learning is rooted in specific languages, cultures, and geographies, each program will be as unique and different as the Nation or education group offering it. Though each program will reflect different types of Indigenous knowledge, they are all typically rooted in the values of responsibility, respect, relationality, and reciprocity, also known as the Four Rs. This framework was articulated by renowned Indigenous scholars Verna J. Kirkness and Ray Barnhardt to help educators understand how to decolonize their teaching.

Indigenous land-based learning “brings together layered concepts like the importance of language and the geography of stories, cosmologies and world views, land protections and rights, relationality and accountability, and a connection to reconciliation.” Another significant characteristic of these programs is that they bring Elders and youth together so Elders can pass on their specific cultural knowledge.

Indigenous land-based learning is uniquely positioned to be transformational for all Canadians. Learning about the land from Indigenous perspectives allows us to move from a Eurocentric “land as resource” mentality to one that encourages people to develop a relationship with the land that centres the Four Rs of responsibility, respect, relationality, and reciprocity.

Incorporating Outdoor Education & Land-Based Learning

There are meaningful differences between outdoor education and land-based learning. It’s beneficial for educators and students to understand these differences and participate in both types of programs depending on the resources available to them.

Educators often feel the need to balance curriculum expectations with fun activities, but a nature walk can do both without compromising. Read the activity below and see how many curriculum connections and opportunities you can create!

Nature Walk

Prepare for the nature walk by having students brainstorm what they will need. Have your students consider the weather conditions and decide what clothing they will need, like rain gear, warm socks, and additional layers in case the weather changes suddenly. 

Once you’re outside, have your students explore! As they walk, encourage them to search for animal tracks or homes. Are there new plants sprouting from the ground? Are there mushrooms growing on any stumps or logs? Have them draw pictures and record their observations. 

Before returning to the classroom, stop to rest in a safe spot and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.

Journaling

Encourage students to record their experiences outside and journal about their observations, experiences, or feelings. What has the land done for them? How has the land changed over time? How has their relationship with the land changed? Give students choice in how they record their thoughts. For example, students could write in a journal, record a video, or draw pictures.

Reflection

When you return to the classroom, continue your outdoor learning by having students reflect on their experience. Ask them how they felt during the nature walk and invite them to share their observations and reflections. Find news articles or stories about nature, and have students consider why nature is important, why we should respect the land, and how we can take care of it.

Nature in the Classroom

While the nature walk might be a highlight for educators and students alike, it’s not always possible to bring students outside. Instead, you can try bringing nature inside. For example, you could have students grow plants from seeds and chart the stages of growth or have students draw or sketch natural objects.

Storytelling

Land-based learning involves a deep connection with the land and all living things. Indigenous cultures often connect and teach these lessons through stories. If possible, invite Knowledge Keepers into the classroom to share stories about their understanding of nature and their relationship to the land.

Connecting land-based learning with stories by Indigenous authors is a great way to bring the learning outdoors back inside the classroom and vice versa. The First Nations Education Steering Committee has an annotated list of resources for students in grades K–12. Novel studies, short stories, poetry, and informational texts can all become bridges between the classroom and the outdoors.

Get Creative!

These are only a few ideas for incorporating outdoor or land-based learning into your classroom. Scale or adapt these ideas based on your own experience and the resources available to you.

Do you have other ideas for incorporating outdoor learning? We’d love to hear from you! Please email us and share your experiences.

Sources

Kirkness, V. J., R. Barnhardt (2001). First Nations and higher education: The four R’s – Respect, relevance, reciprocity, responsibility. In R. Hayoe and J. Pan (Eds.), Knowledge across cultures: A contribution to dialogue among civilizations. Comparative Education Research Centre, University of Hong Kong. https://www.uaf.edu/ankn/publications/collective-works-of-ray-b/Four-Rs-2nd-Ed.pdf

Ideas for Outdoor Learning Throughout the Winter

Dog in the snow at sunset

Want ideas for outdoor learning throughout the winter? While it can be tempting to stay indoors, bundling up and heading out onto the land may be the best remedy for the winter blues. The benefits of land-based and outdoor education are numerous, ranging from increased engagement and well-being to decreased risk of transmission of Covid-19. Regardless of where you are on your journey towards indigenizing education and outdoor learning, this quick guide can help you and your learners make the most of the winter months!

Land-Based Learning and Outdoor Education

You may have heard the terms land-based learning and outdoor or environmental education, but how can we define them? A gross oversimplification would be to say land-based learning is based on Indigenous worldviews, culture and ways of knowing and being. However, there is no simple definition. Educators often think of outdoor or environmental education as taking classes outside. Like land-based learning, it too is multifaceted. The common strengths of land-based and outdoor learning are their experiential nature, respect for the environment, capacity for skill development, and health and well-being benefits. 

Preparing for Outdoor Learning

Respect the Elements

Planning ahead of time will make your outdoor excursions more enjoyable and educational. Educators can continue most warm-weather outdoor activities with learners during the winter if they dress appropriately. You may need to coordinate with guardians to ensure your learners have the correct equipment to head outdoors, especially if you teach a younger age group.

Collaborate

Both land-based and outdoor education can increase our connectedness to the land. They are also an excellent way to encourage interpersonal connections. Extend an invitation to other staff, parents and community members to join your outdoor activities. The power of a team can take winter learning activities to the next level.

Land-based learning is one of the many steps we can take towards reconciliation and raising cultural awareness. Introducing this practice to learners also introduces them to Indigenous worldviews, knowledge and ways of being in the world. If you are interested in land-based learning, consider inviting an Elder or Knowledge Keeper to your class. Involving the local Indigenous community in land-based education is a respectful action that you and your learners can learn tremendously from. An Indigenous community member or your local Friendship Centre may be able to connect you with the right person and help you follow the cultural protocol for contacting an Elder or Knowledge Keeper. 

Outdoor Learning Curriculum Connections

As educators, we often feel we have to balance curriculum expectations and fun activities for our learners. Taking our learners outside allows us to achieve both without compromising. A single outdoor activity can meet many curriculum targets and become a launching point for future learning both inside and outside the classroom. 

How many curriculum connections can you make in the activity described below?

Nature Walk

Prepare your learners for a nature walk by discussing what supplies they will need for this winter excursion. Ask learners to prepare a set of instructions for anyone absent that day or another group who may join you. When the day arrives for your nature walk, you and your learners venture outdoors. Challenge your learners to build the highest or strongest snow structure. If the snow is too dry, are there animal tracks they can observe? What can these tracks tell us about the number of animals or the speed they were travelling at? Can we imagine what a day in this animal’s life may be like? Before returning to the classroom, stop to rest in a safe spot outdoors, taking in the sights and sounds of nature.

Writing

The winter season lends itself to many activities that support learning targets within the language curriculum. Simply preparing for an outdoor excursion can become a procedural writing activity in the winter months! Learners can also engage in creative writing by imagining a day in the life of any wildlife they observe during the activity. Of course, there are many more options to connect language with land-based learning.

Storytelling

Land-based learning involves a deep connection with the land and all living things. Indigenous cultures often connect and teach these lessons through stories. Connecting land-based learning with stories by Indigenous authors is a great way to bring the learning outdoors back inside the classroom and vice versa. The First Nations Education Steering Committee has an annotated list of K through 12 resources. Novel studies, short stories, poetry, informational texts can all become a bridge between the classroom and the outdoors.

Practical Math and Physical Science

A simple nature walk can also become an opportunity to track animals and calculate the speed they are travelling at. When outdoors, you can observe the weather. Learn about its patterns and the different conditions that produce things like clouds and precipitation. Building snow structures also relates to geometry, forces, and other math and physical science topics. Learners may even examine organisms collected during a nature walk under a portable paper microscope in a biology unit. 

Human Impact

Educators looking to connect to social studies might prompt learners to consider humans’ effects on the animals they observed. Taking a nature walk can also become a starting point for discussing who lives in the area today and who has lived there in the past. Even in an urban landscape, we can observe nature and discuss the effects of more permanent structures humans have created there. 

Get Creative!

These are only a few possibilities for learning outside during the winter months. Land-based or outdoor education can come in many forms. Educators can scale it to their level of understanding and comfort. 

Has something here inspired you try outdoor learning this winter? Do you already have some experience teaching outdoors in the winter? We would love to hear from you! Please email us and share your experiences.