Elementary Curriculum Connections for Learning Outside

| Kindergarten | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | Any Grade |

• Read outside – is it a nice day?  Why not go outside for reading time?

• Develop knowledge of letter names – walk around the school and look for different letters, upper vs. lowercase letters, and beginning and ending letters in words.

• Discuss meanings of words – looks for different words on signs on the school grounds and discuss their meaning.

• Written observations – write a list of observations made outside using the senses.

• Active listening – practice listening and responding to others and following directions by doing simple actions like flapping arms like a bird, hopping like a kangaroo, waving arm like an elephant’s trunk, etc.

• Identify and generate rhyming words – find objects outside and come up with rhyming words.  For example, what rhymes with leaf, tree, flag, or bird?

• Use words to show direction and location – describe the location of outdoor objects as on, off, in, out, between, etc.

• Listen to sounds outside and write them out phonetically.  This can be done in a journal specifically for regular nature observations through the seasons.

• Gather data by counting and tallying – Count out loud or tally objects such as trees, birds, insects, flowers, or clouds.

• Recognize one more/one less and two more/two less using objects outside.

• Compare and order objects by size – use leaves, twigs, or rocks to put objects in order by size.

• Find and identify different shapes outside.

• Sort and classify different items according to attributes such as shape, color, size, etc.

• Make picture graphs of types of animals and plants observed.

• See the FCPS Elementary Science Lessons to do Outdoors to see which lessons in the elementary science curriculum can easily be done outside.

• Follow rules

• Connections to big ideas: physical surroundings effect on a community, rules, change, location, climate, and season.

• Practice good citizenship – talk about being respectful to the planet.

• Identify symbols – what symbols are found outside and what do they mean?

• Make simple sticks to label plants in garden.

• Make artwork for outside showing the life cycle of a pumpkin and/or apple.

• Weather permitting, many different forms of physical activity can be conducted outside.

• Practice following school safety rules and being respectful.

• Read outside – is it a nice day?  Why not go outside for reading time?

• Ask and answer simple questions – pose simple questions about outside surroundings and have students answer.  Let students pose their own questions to peers as well.

• Discover unknown words outside and learn their meanings.

• Written observations – write labels or lists of observations made outside using the senses.

• Write a poem or story about nature, birds, or being outside.

• Write an informative or simple report about going outside that introduces the topic, states an opinion or some facts, and provides a concluding sentence.

• Create stories, poems, plays, skits, or songs that relate to nature or observations made outside.

• Use words of time and position to describe objects outside (e.g., first, second, on, under, beside, and over)

• Measure the length of different objects found outside.

• Identify models of circles, triangles, squares, and rectangles in the environment.

• Investigate data collection including counting or tallying objects found outside.  (Conduct a bird survey and create a bar graph of birds that visit certain feeders over a given period of time.)

• Create repeating and growing patterns using objects such as leaves, twigs, or pebbles.

• See the FCPS Elementary Science Lessons to do Outdoors to see which lessons in the elementary science curriculum can easily be done outside.

• Observe and discuss the state tree/flower – the dogwood (if you have one on your school grounds).

• Connections to big ideas: citizenship, climate, location, physical surroundings, rules, and volunteering.

• Observe and discuss climate and seasons.

• Discuss physical surroundings.

• Think of ways you could volunteer to help the planet.

• Construct and interpret a simple map of the school grounds.

• Compare and contrast objects found outside.

• Identify and use cardinal directions.

• Practice good citizenship by being good stewards of the environment.

• Bird songs – try to learn and identify bird calls of 3-5 common Virginia birds (cardinal, Canada goose, red shouldered or red-tailed hawk, mourning dove, etc.).  Can you sing like a bird?

• Create water sources for birds, monarchs, and other pollinators (shallow ceramic saucers that can be placed in butterfly garden.)

• Create a weather dance that shows the different types of weather present in Fairfax County.

• Weather permitting, many different forms of physical activity can be conducted outside.

• Exhibit respect for self, others, and the environment.

• Mimic how different birds and other animals move (walk and fly).

• Read outside – is it a nice day?  Why not go outside for reading time?

• Use a dictionary to discover the meaning of new words.

• Ask and answer simple questions – pose simple questions about outside surroundings and have students answer.  Let students pose their own questions to peers as well.

• Written observations – use a writer’s notebook to record observations made outside using the senses.

• Write an informative or simple report about going outside that introduces the topic, uses facts or opinions, and provides a concluding sentence.

• Use synonyms and antonyms to describe objects found outside.

• Use objects found outside to determine if a number is odd or even.

• Create and solve one-step and two-step addition and subtraction problems using data collected outside.

• Estimate and measure the length of objects found outside to nearest inch and centimeter.

• Identify objects found outside whose lengths are greater than or less than a foot and a yard.

• Identify objects outside with at least one line of symmetry.

• Organize data to construct and analyze picture graphs, pictographs, or bar graphs of items found outside.

• Identify, create, and extend repeating and growing patterns using objects found outside.

• See the FCPS Elementary Science Lessons to do Outdoors to see which lessons in the elementary science curriculum can easily be done outside.

• Discuss natural resources.

• Connections to big ideas: communication, community, environment, good citizenship, and responsibilities.

• Discuss the environment and how we can be good environmental stewards. Practice good citizenship and stewardship.

• Construct and explain graphs and simple charts of objects found outside.

• Create artwork for outside showing life cycle of the Monarch butterfly.

• Create water sources for birds, monarchs, and other pollinators (shallow ceramic saucers that can be placed in butterfly garden.)

• Weather permitting, many different forms of physical activity can be conducted outside.

• Read outside – is it a nice day?  Why not go outside for reading time?

• Practice active listening while participating in group discussions about environment or outdoor topics by asking and responding to questions, expressing ideas, disagreeing in a constructive way, and asking for others’ ideas and opinions.

• Written observations – use a writer’s notebook to record observations made outside using the senses. Include facts, details, examples, and concluding statements.

• Write a folktale or fairytale story that incorporates items found outside or is based in nature.

• Write a friendly letter about an experience outside.

• Write directions to a specific object outside (a specific tree, door, etc.)

• Use parts of speech such as adjectives, nouns, or pronouns to identify or describe objects found outside.

• Determine whether an estimate or an exact answer is appropriate when counting things outside (number of clouds in the sky, trees on school grounds, blades of grass, etc.).

• Find the area and perimeter of something outside (a section of sidewalk or playground, bench, etc.).

• Construct, read, analyze, and interpret line plots, picture graphs, bar graphs, charts, and tables made from data collected outside.

• Identify the degree of likelihood of an outcome related to nature using the terms: impossible, unlikely, as likely as, equally likely, likely, or certain. (For example, how likely is it that the sun won’t rise tomorrow?  How likely is it that a tree’s leaves will fall in autumn?)

• See the FCPS Elementary Science Lessons to do Outdoors to see which lessons in the elementary science curriculum can easily be done outside.

• Discuss natural resources.

• Connections to big ideas: architecture, community service, relationship between environment and culture, rules, and volunteering.

• Practice good citizenship and environmental stewardship.

• Create artwork for outside showing life cycle of a ladybug.

• Create artwork depicting the phases of the moon.

• Weather permitting, many different forms of physical activity can be conducted outside.

• Read outside – is it a nice day?  Why not go outside for reading time?

• Identify and use sensory words to describe outside experiences.

• Written observations – use a writer’s notebook to record observations made outside using the senses. Include facts, details, examples, and concluding statements.

• Write an informative or persuasive piece on an environmental topic such as:

  • One of the regions of Virginia (geography/topography, environment, flora/fauna, population, land use, etc.)

  • Virginia regional, state, or national park

  • Career in science that is related to the environment in some way (Environmental Science, Green Chemistry, Climatology, Zoology, Botany, Pharmacology, Materials Science, Entomology, etc.)

  • A species of plant or insect

  • A current environmental issue

• Estimate and measure length to the nearest eighth inch and to the nearest millimeter using objects found outside.

• Identify situations outside that represent parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines.

• Collect, organize, display, and interpret data collected outside on bar graphs, line graphs, and line plots.

• See the FCPS Elementary Science Lessons to do Outdoors to see which lessons in the elementary science curriculum can easily be done outside.

• Connections to Virginia’s regions (Coastal Plain/Tidewater, Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau).

• Research how the ecosystems in different regions of Virginia have changed since colonial times.

• Create Most Wanted posters of invasive species at school, neighborhood, or local parks.

• Create art depicting types of habitats and ecosystems found in Virginia.

• Weather permitting, many different forms of physical activity can be conducted outside.

• Read outside – is it a nice day?  Why not go outside for reading time?

• Create age-appropriate media messages related to nature or environment.

• Written observations – use a writer’s notebook to write a description or explanation of observations made outside using the senses.

• Write an informative piece on any special outdoor features on the school grounds (a garden, specific plant, etc.)

• Write a persuasive piece convincing someone why they should care about the planet or spend more time outside.

• Estimate and find the perimeter of polygons and the area of squares, rectangles, and right triangles found outside.

• Classify and measure right, acute, obtuse, and straight angles found outside.

• Classify triangles spotted outside as right, acute, obtuse, equilateral, scalene, or isosceles.

• Collect, organize, display, and interpret data outside on charts, tables, stem-and-leaf plots, and line graphs.

• Describe and find the mean, median, mode, and range of a group of numbers collected outside (for example, from a group of fallen leaves).

• See the FCPS Elementary Science Lessons to do Outdoors to see which lessons in the elementary science curriculum can easily be done outside.

• Discuss natural resources and identify resources on school grounds.

• Connections to big ideas: climate, interdependence, interrelationships, global awareness.

• Identify the rights and responsibilities of being a global and environmentally responsible citizen.

• Use different art materials and tools to create art based on outside experiences.

• Weather permitting, many different forms of physical activity can be conducted outside.

• Read outside – is it a nice day?  Why not go outside for reading time?

• Present a convincing argument on a nature or environment-related topic.

• Written observations – use a writer’s notebook to write a description or explanation of observations made outside using the senses.

• Write a poem (haiku, limerick, ballad, free verse, etc.) inspired by being outside.

• Write a narrative or friendly letter using imagery and figurative language to describe the world around you.

• Estimate measurements between objects outside using benchmarks.

• Collect, organize, compare, contrast, and display data outside in circle graphs.

• See the FCPS Elementary Science Lessons to do Outdoors to see which lessons in the elementary science curriculum can easily be done outside.

• Connections to big ideas: exploration; human-environment interaction; and natural, human, and capital resources.

• Calculate the amount of water one would need to carry and complete a one-mile water walk relay in groups to better appreciate having indoor plumbing and water on-demand.

• Use different art materials and tools to create art based on outside experiences.

• Weather permitting, many different forms of physical activity can be conducted outside.

• Read outside – is it a nice day?  Why not go outside for reading time?

• Written observations – write labels or lists of observations made outside using the senses.

• Keep a journal of activities completed or experiences in outdoor spaces.

• Graph data collected outside (number of different bird species at feeder, number of tree species in a given area, total number of pollinators spotted at pollinator garden, daily weather conditions over a given time period, etc.).

• See the FCPS Elementary Science Lessons to do Outdoors to see which lessons in the elementary science curriculum can easily be done outside.

• Citizen Science – check out the Citizen Science page to find other ways you can connect learning to the outdoors.

• Practice good citizenship and environmental stewardship – have a school cleanup day (with your class or the whole school).  Determine what is and is not considered litter.

• Use different art materials and tools to create art based on outside experiences.

• Reuse or recycle materials to create a piece of eco-art.

• Create a song or dance about a plant, animal, or other nature-related topic of your choice.

• Weather permitting, many different forms of physical activity can be conducted outside.