The good news is that I’ve got grass and trees on my school grounds. The bad news is the entire area is very manicured. There is one large grassy area that is mowed like a lawn surrounded by a wall, a sidewalk, and some trees—not the ideal environment for nature discovery and exploration.

I’m sure that many of you face this same situation or worse, but I encourage you not to give up on incorporating nature experiences into your classroom. Many weeks I’ve felt sorry for myself because of my limited natural setting. However, I’ve always been able to find something to do outside that engages my students and connects them to nature. And in the process I’ve been stretched out of my comfort zone.

Good resources are essential in any classroom, and the nature classroom is no exception. Last week I used a resource that I’m very excited  to share with you because it’s adaptable for so many classroom and school ground situations—Audubon Adventures. Read below to find out how to use Audubon Adventures both inside and outside.

Inside: Audubon Adventures Magazine

Audubon Adventures consists of class sets (32 of each) of 4 separate magazines especially for grades 3-5. They’re high-quality magazines filled with vibrant photos and lively illustrations. Each magazine comes with a stand-alone Teacher Guide, which includes lesson plans, vocabulary words, and review questions and activities. The nonfiction information, written by National Audubon Society experts, captures students’ interest and is correlated to Common Core Standards. One of magazines I’ve recently used was entitled The Power of Plants. It introduced words like herbivores, carnivores, photosynthesis. The kids had fun reading about very unusual Plant Record Setters like the Titan Arum, the plant with the biggest flower—9 feet tall and 3 feet across. These magazines can be used with whole class, individually, or in small groups. And they make a great kick-off for individual  research projects!

You can order Audubon Adventures for an entire class for for a homeschooling situation.

Outside: Treasure Hunt

The supplementary teaching materials include descriptions for various hands-on projects, some more in-depth than others. Last week was one of those weeks when I wanted something quick and easy, so I used one their reproducible handouts called Treasure Hunt. The objective of the activity was to help students notice the natural surroundings and practice sketching.

You can replicate the Treasure Hunt sheet using plain white paper. Fold it into thirds vertically and horizontally creating 9 squares. At the bottom of each square write a “treasure” that can found on school campus. Here are some suggestions from the Audubon Adventures handout: something yellow, something that flies, something this is older or younger than you are, something pointed, and something at your feet.

• I gave my students about 15 minutes to make their sketches. I added an additional element of challenge by telling them that filling the 9 squares with sketches was  like playing Tic-Tac-Toe, and they were to try to get at least one line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. (Most of them got a “black out” by filling every square.)
• Then they chose one of their sketches to re-draw, adding more specific detail. I instructed them to draw their item so that someone else would be able to recognize it. I was truly amazed by the details they added! And more importantly, they experienced the difference between making a quick sketch and drawing for details. Now they’re ready for the nature journal project we’ll begin next week.

More Facts and Fun with Nature

When you can’t get outside, bring the outside in with some of these Audubon Adventures Tips For Bringing Nature Into the Classroom.

• Maybe you’d like to take your students outside, but don’t feel confident in your skills as a “outdoor educator.” Never fear. Read Audubon’s Tips for Teaching Outside.
• Try one of these 15 suggestions from Audubon to make nature part of family time!