By Chris Spruyt
Over the last couple of years, I like many others have looked for different ways to do things. I have explored “Walking Curriculums”, “Place Based Education”, “Outdoor Classrooms” and “Land Based Learning” as alternatives to the regular classroom. I had been teaching grade 6 when the pandemic hit. I had always tried to get my students outside, but at this time getting my students outdoors seemed just that little bit more important. Then a year of on-line teaching made me think about how do I get students outdoors and how do I create community when everything I’m doing is through a computer screen? At the end of that year, I was seeking a change and I was willing to take on new challenges so I transferred to a school working with students who had suffered major trauma in their lives.
During the interview for this new school I discovered there was an emphasis on Land-based Learning. “Perfect,” I thought, “I’ve done that”. I get my students outside all the time! I write haiku’s with them, I get them to measure the circumference of a tree. But had I?
In truth Land Based Learning is very different than teaching outdoors. Perhaps the biggest difference is how we approach the curriculum.
Outdoor Classroom
Here is an example of using the outdoors as a classroom:
When I taught grade 6 through the lens of getting students outdoors one of my favorite lessons was in our trees and forests unit. I called this lesson The Value of Trees, it took a bit of pre-teaching but was a great multi-disciplinary lesson. We started off by learning to identify the trees on and near our campus. We had already learned that trees were an important part of the global carbon cycle and they help filter water before it travels into the local watershed. But is it possible to calculate how much carbon each tree contributes to the local ecosystem? For this we used some basic math estimation and measurement skills. This can be quite involved and even depends on the species of tree. Given my students were in grade 6, I needed to find a simple carbon calculator. I used this table available through InsideEducation:
This process involved teaching students to estimate the heights of trees using their own height and then measuring the circumference. We practiced using trees in our school campus. Then we trekked to a local stormwater pond with an artificial wetland which is within walking distance. There we put to work our new knowledge in species identification, height estimation, circumference measuring and even some observation skills in how this wetland is used by aquatic animals, terrestrial animals, birds and humans. We talked about how the wetland filters the water before it continues to the river just south of us. Upon returning to school we brought all our observations and fieldnotes together to make some statements on the value of trees. Then I posed a question to the students. If someone wanted to buy this stand of trees, is it more valuable as a resource to use for lumber or is it more valuable for the environment? The students then had to complete a persuasive writing piece to support their opinion.
This is my use of the outdoors as a classroom. In this example I’m using the outdoors to compliment our provincial ELA, science and math curriculums. This is probably a common scenario for many of us. We take our students outside to write Haiku, we take them to wetlands to experience ecosystems or chemistry in action.
Land Based Learning
With Land Based Learning (LBL) the land becomes the curriculum. Within LBL the land becomes the teacher. Instead of trying to use the land to explain certain topics or use the land to explain certain scientific concepts, LBL is about connecting physically and spiritually with the land. Essential to LBL are incorporating stories, walk-alongs, sit spots and circle time.
Stories
Many indigenous cultures have a strong history of oral storytelling. Stories weren’t just for entertainment, these were stories that explained the world around them, how to get the resources they needed, when to hunt and how to interact with others. When selecting which stories to share, think about how the story will complement topics of discussion or activities for the day.
When we tell stories we are having a major impact on the development of a student’s oral skills. Oral stories are important – there is so much more emotion that comes out when a story is oral vs written. This emotion in your voice helps us understand what is significant and what isn’t.
A brief warning though, when incorporating stories it is important to consider the source of these stories. In many indigenous cultures certain stories must be passed along by knowledge keepers or elders. Even stories that are in published in book format should be questioned – did the author have permission to share these stories? I believe on our journey to reconciliation we must at least consider these ideas in our educational context.
It is also important to share stories of your own experiences in nature; whether that story involves a sense of wonder or nervousness over new experiences. That will help normalize some of the feelings of wonder and nervousness that students feel.
Walk alongs
Walk alongs are exactly as it sounds… walking and observing. We often pose a question to think about as we walk. This could be something simple such as “notice signs of spring” or something more complicated such as observing bird or plant relatives and relationships. But the simple act of walking also builds physical and spiritual connections. I work with students who have suffered multiple traumas throughout their childhood. The simple act of walking helps them regulate their emotions, bringing them to an emotional state where they are open and ready to learn. We often walk before attempting any kind of lesson and I have been amazed at the conversations I have with students while walking. You learn about the lives of students in a way that you never would while seated in desks.
The walk alongs sometimes create some unique learning opportunities and observations. One time we found an owl pellet and then spent time dissecting it to see what the owl had been feeding on. Recently there was a squirrel throwing parts of pinecones and seeds at us… there was lots of laughter as we moved around trying to catch them before they hit the ground (sadly we never did, I’m not sure what that says about our athletic ability).
This can also be an example of flexibility. Let the outdoor environment be your guide and when you see something interesting, put the agenda/schedule to the side as much as you can and let that new discovery guide what you are doing.
Sit Spots
If LBL emphasizes observing the land, Sit Spots are one of the most important tools in this endeavour. If you have taught outdoors you are probably no stranger to the concept of Sit Spots – participants sit and observe. While participants are sitting they are letting the calming patterns of nature influence them. Often there is a prompt we give but there doesn’t have to be. Sometimes we ask students to record, but again, they don’t have to. The length of time they are involved in this sit-spot is entirely up to the facilitator/teacher. I would also start short and work to extend the time. I was surprised this winter when I had students do a 3 minute sit-spot and they even chose to spread eagle into a snowbank! This summer we have been able to increase this time to 10 minutes (which might not seem long but is important when you work with students with attention issues).
If you choose to use a prompt while completing a Sit Spot, it is important that it be open ended. Something each student can interpret in their own way to enhance their experience, not control it. In terms of comfort; we often, but not always, give students cut-up pieces of yoga mats to sit on for comfort. While this insulates some of the connection with the land, sometimes the comfort allows students to connect in other ways and for longer.
Sit Spots will sometimes also be called a “solo” as it is meant to be a time when the individual is alone and can contemplate their surroundings. I take a different stance to this. I allow staff to connect and sit with students, especially when there is a prompt and the staff can act as a scribe. When writing is a barrier for students, if it can be removed than the whole experience is more successful.
Circle Time
This is probably something many of us do already. Getting together with our young people, sitting in a circle showing that everyone is equal and has a voice. We used this time to share ideas, tell stories, discuss upcoming plans… or even tell jokes. This circle time isn’t just for students, we often have staff meetings and give staff opportunities to share while in a circle.
Conclusion
I’m lucky that I work in a school that commits 6 weeks to Land Based Learning in the fall and then another 6 weeks in the spring. We have permission to be creative with our approach to the curriculum. But you don’t have to do this, you could commit to an afternoon or day a week or month. Just make it regular – make it a habit like you would reading time or writer’s workshop.
When engaging in Land Based Learning you really need to make the conscious decision to interpret your provincial or state curriculum in a loose manner and allow students to simply connect with the land. That doesn’t mean they won’t learn anything – perhaps they will learn more and have more relevant and meaningful experiences. It doesn’t mean all you do is wander around a park and suntan either. When going through the process I clearly saw students learning about the interactions between animals. Observations were made about how humans have manipulated the land around them. Statements were made about the role of government in protecting natural spaces to protect the mental health of citizens. We were lucky enough to pair with an indigenous knowledge keeper who facilitated our building of a tipi. That tipi was then used as a classroom and used for lessons in circle geometry. So it is possible to connect LBL to more western curriculums.
Some of my most successful moments in LBL has been when I set aside the worksheets, to-do lists and the “plan” and really let the student’s interest guide what we are doing. One day we sat in the trees and told a legend about the roots of a lily and how they are more valuable than the beautiful flower. While I told the legend a student was digging in the ground and found remnants of a historical forest fire. He also went on to find an owl pellet which we dissected to look for what the owl had been eating (we found jaw bones of a mouse or vole). My students, many of whom have survived significant trauma in their lives, went on to say that the story and the subsequent explorations was somewhat like them and their lives – we each have a story within our past that helps to explain what the outside of us looks like. We can’t judge what is on the outside and need to dig underneath to truly understand where the value in the person is.
While Outdoor School and Land Based Learning are similar on the surface, there are some distinct differences that are important to understand. Once we take some of the pressure of the to do list or curriculum off and focus on the learning than there are some pretty impactful lessons that can be achieved!
Chris Spruyt has been teaching since the early 2000s and now teaches middle school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His career of working with young people has gone from summer camps and outdoor centers to now working in schools. He believes strongly in the power of the outdoors to teach valuable lessons about the world, about ourselves, and often about the link between the two. His current teaching assignment involves working with students with trauma backgrounds and he directly sees the positive impact of the outdoors in regulating young people and helping them explore the world around them.
References
https://www.insideeducation.ca/learning-resources/our-forest-48/
Carbon Calculators:
https://www.insideeducation.ca/uploads/source/learning/its-our-forest/ItsOurForest_TeachersGuide_2015.pdf
https://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/tool/cufr-tree-carbon-calculator-ctcc
https://treeplantation.com/tree-carbon-calculator.html
https://cdn.naturalresources.wales/media/687190/eng-worksheet-carbon-storage-calculator.pdf
https://www.unm.edu/~jbrink/365/Documents/Calculating_tree_carbon.pdf