Learning in the Outdoor Classroom - a Swedish Anthology of Activities

This book aims to show how teachers can build enthusiasm andinterest in their pupils by complementing their daily learning withoutdoor activities. We, the authors of this book, are teachers atNature Schools in Sweden. Every day, our teaching includes timespent outdoors. We have noticed that outdoor education readilycaptures the interest of pupils. Further, visits from former studentsmake it more than apparent to us that the memories ofsuch learning experiences remain with them long after they haveleft the classroom. It is this that we want to share with you herein this book.

It gives us great pleasure to be able to share with you our experiences andmethods related to outdoor, place-based and environmental education in varioussubject areas. This book aims to provide teachers around the globe withmaterial that can build enthusiasm and interest in the environment and theoutdoors by complementing daily learning with outdoor curriculum-basedactivities, thus making language, maths, science, technology, and environmentalissues understandable and real. Furthermore we want to highlighteducation for sustainable development, as teachers need to develop reflectivelearners in this world of change where a shifting mindset is crucial for a positivefuture.In the school of tomorrow, we hope that “high-touch” as well as high-techlearning will be the natural way of learning so that children gain long-lastingand useful knowledge about the world, others, and themselves.This book offers great ideas for you to begin teaching in your own outdoorsetting – for example, in the schoolyard, the playground, the park or in anurban environment just as well as in a forest. Naturally, the outdoors offers awonderful place for interaction, communication, and creativity as well as formemorable and fun times.