This paper describes the experiences of a second-grade class as they participated in an indoor/outdoor program focusing on marine wildlife and coastal habitat. The program, offered by a science center near Mobile Bay in the Gulf of Mexico, conducts classroom labs and discovery trips to the bay with students from the surrounding area. The program emphasizes hands-on experiences in support of student learning about the local natural environment.
The “Down by the Bay” experience described in this paper involved five components: engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate. The “engage” phase consisted of unstructured discovery time in the nature center where students examined a variety of preserved and live marine organisms. During the “explore” phase, students examined three types of water (salt water, freshwater, and brackish water), first at the center and then at the Mobile Bay shoreline. The “explain” stage involved having the second graders observe additional organisms in the lab and giving detailed accounts of what they observed. The “extend” stage occurred back in the students' classrooms with some teacher-led activities and student projects, including developing illustrated reports about the field trip. These reports were compiled in a class book and shared with other classes. Evaluation occurred throughout the project and included class and small-group discussions, scientific investigation and documentation, and research presentations.
As this paper indicates, outdoor learning can occur without building a new school-based structure or developing a garden. Existing natural spaces can be used for creative and engaging experiences. In addition to discussing the value of outdoor learning to support student learning and engagement, the authors also present a chart illustrating how the instruction outlined in this article connects with Next Generation Science Standards.
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