Because You Do Not Need to Differentiate Nature.

Students with disabilities, especially those in self-contained classrooms, deserve nature too. Not as an extra activity. Not as a reward after the “real learning” is done. They deserve it because they are children first. When I taught in self-contained classrooms, some of our biggest adventures happened without ever leaving the building. I would take my students to Yellowstone National Park virtually and work with rangers ahead of time, asking for their help so the experience felt real and personal. My classroom became our campsite. We rolled out sleeping bags, created camp areas, and transformed the room into new places month after month.

Nature became part of how we learned. Sound mapping was always a favorite. We would sit quietly and listen, recording every sound we noticed. We journaled. We tracked animals. We explored habitats. We pretended to be scientists, rangers, explorers, and wildlife biologists. Some students who struggled to communicate in traditional ways came alive when they could observe, move, notice, and experience. Nature asked different questions of them.

I often wonder what the number one thing is that we want to teach our students. Yes, reading matters. Math matters. Communication matters. But I think what we really want is to help students learn how to live in this world. How to notice beauty. How to care for living things. How to find peace. How to experience awe. How to belong.

People sometimes ask me what resources on our website can be used with students in self-contained classrooms.
My answer is always the same.
Everything.
Because you do not need to differentiate nature.
You do not need to differentiate kindness.

We may change the way students access learning. We may provide supports, visuals, movement, sensory tools, choices, and different paths to success. But every student deserves the opportunity to learn about wildlife, sit by a campfire, listen to birds, track animals, create journals, and experience wonder.

Because the truth is that we are all humans. Each of us learns differently. Each of us sees the world differently. Each of us carries different strengths and challenges. But all of us deserve the same opportunities to feel connected to the world around us. Nature was never meant for just some students.
It was meant for all of them.