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Exploring Nature: A Living Classroom Across Grade Levels

9/28/2023

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Author: Dacia Jones 

Nature, with its myriad landscapes and ecosystems, is a timeless and living classroom available to everyone, from curious kindergarteners to diligent high school seniors. The vast wealth of knowledge held within the bounds of national parks and local green spaces offers enriching and enlightening experiences, surpassing the confines of traditional classroom learning. William Wordsworth once said,: "Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher."

In kindergarten, the focus is on a world of discovery where children's developmental stage aligns with curiosity and the drive to explore. Visiting green spaces allows young learners to develop their sensory and observational skills, exploring a treasure trove of shapes, colors, textures, and sounds. They can observe plant and animal life cycles, count and sort natural objects, and draw and color elements found in nature, like those in the Everglades National Park or Great Smoky Mountains.

Elementary students delve deeper into understanding the world, with trips to national parks allowing them to observe ecological interactions and engage in environmental education programs, enhancing their knowledge in science, social studies, and language arts. For instance, learning about geothermal features at Yellowstone National Park or examining historical artifacts at Independence National Historical Park makes the learning process interactive and enjoyable.

As students navigate through middle school, trips to green spaces stimulate scientific inquiry and reasoning skills, enabling them to undertake projects involving data collection and analysis. It allows them to conduct experiments to learn about conservation and the environment, like investigating marine life at Channel Islands National Park or studying ancient civilizations at Mesa Verde National Park, applying concepts from science, mathematics, and history.

High school students, with advanced coursework and extracurricular activities in nature, refine their knowledge and skills. National parks serve as resources for learning adaptation and evolution in diverse ecosystems, researching sustainable practices and ecological balance, and drawing inspiration from nature for creative writing projects. For example, students can research endemic species at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park or analyze geological formations at Grand Canyon National Park.

Beyond textbooks and structured curriculum, exploring nature teaches holistic lessons, fostering love for learning, encouraging curiosity, and promoting respect for all living things. It makes students realize the importance of conservation, sustainability, and the delicate balance of ecosystems, aiding the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical applications, creating a wholesome learning experience.

In these living laboratories, students can directly observe the impacts of human actions on the environment, instilling in them the principles of biodiversity, conservation, and sustainable living. These experiences nurture environmentally responsible citizens who are mindful of their ecological footprint and the interconnectedness of life on our planet.

In conclusion, nature, from the spectacular realms of national parks to the tranquil corners of local green spaces, stands as a dynamic and diverse classroom. Integrating nature-based learning experiences across all grade levels can cultivate a generation of individuals who are curious, knowledgeable, and profoundly connected to the world around them. Whether it’s a kindergartner discovering the world through shapes and colors or a high school senior delving into ecological research, the lessons from nature are boundless, fostering a journey of lifelong learning and discovery. 

In the wise words of Henry David Thoreau: "I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees."

​The images below show educators from around the country taking part in STEAM in the PARK, a program that focuses on teaching through nature experiences to change the world.

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  • Home
    • About Expeditions
    • Our Staff
    • Our Board
    • Our Sponsors
    • Events Calendar
    • For The Parks
    • In the News
    • Support Us
    • Contact Us
    • Impact Stories
  • Our Services
  • Educators
    • Our Books >
      • Adventures of Marvin & Huck:
      • Lila & Toby: Into the Wild
      • Educational & Meaningful
      • Book Connections
    • Our Kits >
      • Family Outdoor Discovery Box
      • ParkQuest Engineering Kits
    • Expeditions in Education BLOG
    • Experience the Parks >
      • Experience Pullman >
        • Experience Pullman Blog
    • Great Lakes Odyssey >
      • Getting Started with GLO
      • Great Lakes Odyssey Travel Blog
      • Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial
      • Indiana Dunes National Park
      • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
      • Keweenaw National Historical Park
      • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
      • Voyageurs National Park
    • Math in Nature
    • Nature Pages
    • Preserve the Parks PBL >
      • Addressing Environmental Resilience in Puerto Rico
      • Protecting the Puerto Rican Harlequin Butterfly
      • Creating Sustainable Communities Inspired by Pullman
      • Combating the Green Crab Invasion in Acadia National Park
      • Enhancing Sustainable Trails at Big Cypress National Preserve​
      • Exploring the Green River's Impact on Water Purity and Cave Preservation
      • Protecting Crater Lake's Endemic Newts
      • Restoring Native Trees at the Lincoln Boyhood Home
      • Restoring the Elwha River
    • Backpack the Parks!
    • Park Pioneers
    • Ready to Go Lessons
  • National Parks Expedition Challenge
    • Expedition Challenge Full List
    • Acadia to Bryce >
      • Acadia National Park
      • Alcatraz Island
      • Amache National Historic Site
      • Amistad National Recreation Area
      • Arches National Park
      • Assateague Island National Seashore
      • Badlands National Park
      • ​Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
      • Big Bend National Park
      • Big Cypress National Preserve
      • Biscayne National Park
      • Black Canyon of the Gunnison
      • Bryce Canyon National Park
    • Cabrillo to Dry Tortugas >
      • Cabrillo National Monument
      • Cape Cod (ONE) National Seashore
      • Cape Cod (TWO) National Seashore
      • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
      • Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
      • César E. Chávez National Monument
      • Chaco Culture National Historical Park
      • Channel Islands National Park
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Cumberland Island National Seashore
      • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
      • Dayton Aviation National Heritage Historical Park
      • Death Valley National Park
      • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
      • Denali National Park
      • Dry Tortugas National Park
    • Eleanor to Fort Pulaski >
      • El Malpais National Monument
      • El Morro National Monument
      • Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
      • Everglades National Park
      • FDR Memorial
      • First State National Historical Park
      • Flight 93 Memorial Park
      • Ford's Theatre
      • Fort Laramie National Historic Site
      • Fort Monroe National Monument
      • Fort Pulaski National Monument
    • Gateway to Hot Springs >
      • Gateway Arch National Park
      • Gettysburg National Military Park
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Grand Teton National Park
      • Great Smoky Mountains National Park
      • Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
      • Haleakala National Park
      • Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
      • Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
      • Homestead National Historical Park
      • Home of Franklin Roosevelt National Historic Site
      • Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
      • Hot Springs National Park
    • Indiana to Lincoln Memorial >
      • Indiana Dunes National Park
      • Isle Royale National Park
      • Jewel Cave National Monument
      • Jimmy Carter National Historical Park
      • Joshua Tree National Park
      • Kenai Fjords and Alaska Coastal Parks
      • Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
      • Keweenaw National Historical Park
      • Lava Beds National Monument
      • Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
      • Lincoln Home National Historic Site
      • Lincoln Memorial
    • Maggie to Pullman >
      • Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
      • Mammoth Cave National Park
      • Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
      • Mesa Verde National Park
      • Natchez Trace Parkway
      • New River Gorge and Preserve National Park
      • Niobrara National Scenic River
      • Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
      • Olympic National Park
      • Palo Alto Battlefield
      • Pearl Harbor National Memorial
      • Petroglyph National Monument
      • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
      • Pinnacles National Park
      • Pipestone National Monument
      • Pullman National Monument
    • Redwood to Zion >
      • Redwood National and State Parks
      • Rocky Mountain National Park
      • Saguaro National Park
      • San Antonio Missions NHP
      • San Juan National Historic Site
      • Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
      • Shenadoah National Park
      • Tidal Basin-NAMA
      • Tumacácori National Historical Park
      • Vanderbilt Mansion National Historical Site
      • Vicksburg National Military Park
      • Voyageurs National Park
      • Waco Mammoth National Monument
      • Wright Brothers Memorial
      • Yosemite National Park
      • Zion National Park
  • STEAM in the PARK
  • Crossing America