4 - learning grounds newsletters, winter 1999

8/9/2019 4 - Learning Grounds Newsletters, Winter 1999

1/16

Dear Friends,The view from h ere is exciting. Well over 1000 schoo l commu nitiesfrom across Canada are in th e pr ocess of transform ing theirgroun ds. We are en couraged by stories from commu nities that havecome together in ways that are meaningful and satisfying, fromindividuals who are en ergized an d in spired, and from students who

have gained motivation an d in terest thro ugh involvemen t. This, tous, is at the hear t of what mo tivates the Learn ing Grou nds Program.In th is issue o fThe Outdoor Classro o m, we want to h ighlight

some of the p rojects that are taking p lace on schoo l groun ds acrossCanada. Perhaps the most notable po int in th is issue, from o urperspective, is the en ormo us nu mber o f stories that are n o t told on

continued on page 2

Chers amis,La rpon se not re projet est excit ant e. Plus de 1000 coles la grandeur

du Canada sont en tr ain de t ransfo rmer leur t errain. Nous entendons tous

les jou rs, des tm oignages sati sfai sant s et lo quent s, venant d e comm u-

nauts et dindi vidus qui sont inspirs et im pliqu s, et d tudi ants qui

ont gagn de la mot ivation et de lint rt dans cet te impli cation. Cest,

pour nous, le poi nt primo rdial t ouch par le programme Dcours-vert es.Dans cett e diti on de La Classe en Plein-air , nous voulons partager

quelques uns des pro jet s qui ont dj p ris place dans les cour s dcole

tr avers le Canada. Peut-tre le poi nt le plus signifi cat if pour nous, dans

cett e dit ion, cest la quant it incroyable de concepts et d expriences

mises sur pied suite notre projet. Ce qui est le plus important pour nous,

suit e page 2

Purple coneflower (echinacea

angustifolia) is a popular addition

to butterfly gardens and is known

for its medicinal qualities.

Outdoor mural, right, at cole

l m e n t a i re le Trillium in Va n i e r,

Ontar io (see story on page 4).

Echinacea angustif ol ia est

souvent ut ili se dans les jardins de

papillons et est aussi connue pour

ses qual it s mdicinales. Murale x t r ieure, droite, lcole

l ment a i re le Trill ium, Vanier

en Ontario (histoire page 4).

Case Studies 3 6 & 10 13C u rriculum Integration 7Mod el Sch ools Progr am O ntar io 8 9R e s e a rch Whats New? 14

The Tool Sh ed 15

t u d e s 3 6 & 10 13Intgration du curri c u l u m 7M odles de programmes Ontario 8 9Les re c herches Les nouveauts 1 4

La remise out ils 15

The Outdoor ClassroomThe Learning Groun ds Newsletter on School Groun d Tr a n s f o rm a t i o n

La Classe en Plein-airLe bul leti n Dcours-vertes sur la t ransformati on d es terr ains dcoles To ronto Va n c o u v e r


2/16

continued from page 1

the following pages. Of those that are, on e of the common themesthat emerges is the importance of the communitys involvement inthe school an d, likewise, the schools involvement in the commun ity.

The sheer variety of initiatives and approaches is remarkable.We h ave h eard abou t and seen man y incredible changes to schoolgrou nd s, of which the following are just a few examp les: but ter flyand bird gardens, raised vegetable gardens, rock piles, May poles,outd oor mur als, restored cranberry bogs, asphalt paintings, amphi-

theatres, stone sculptures, pon ds and restored streams. Oth ers are:archways, interactive human sundials, insect habitats, benches andsocial areas for studen ts, shade structures, small nurseries for nativet r ees and plants , berm sand swales, and woven bas-kets aroun d youn g tre e s .The energy exer ted andc rea tivity disp layed is atonce astonishing, inspiringand refreshing.

While the actual physi-cal chan ges that many pro-jects achieve are impressive,

m o re of ten than not theth ings unse e n a r e m os tp o w e rfu l. When a gro u pof dedicated individualswork together, they create amodel for positive changetha t c a n be a pp l i e d t oman y d iff e ren t situation s.Working together to un der-stand needs and establisha vision, to collaborate o n aplan an d d esign, and to set priorities and solve pro blems offers bene-fits that extend well beyond the b oun daries of the school gro un ds.

The Learn ing Ground s Program continues to evolve and growin tand em with the expand ing nu mber o f schoo l ground initiatives.We see our ro le, quite simply, as supportin g the work of scho olstransformin g their outdo or en vironm ents, and as attempting tomaximize the imp act of what is being lear ne d alon g the way.

It is time to m ark the coming of age of our collective realizationof the impo rtant role that school groun ds play in our schoo ls,our commun ities, our culture. The Learning Groun ds Programpays tribute to all who ha ve part icipated and shown initiative,cour age and vision. Bravo!

Cam CollyerNational Manager, Learn ing Groun ds Pro g r a m

suit e de la page 1

cest la mult it ude di des et d e thmes qui mergent d es communauts

imp liques avec les coles, et d e ce fait , avec aussi l i mpor tance pour

limplication des coles dans la communaut.

Une d es choses les plus remarquables cest la varit des initiatives et

des approches. Nous en avons entend u par ler, et n ous avons vu d incroy-

ables changements dans les terr ains dcole; en voi ci des exemples: un

jardin pour les papillons et les oiseaux, de vritables potagers; des

rocailles; des murales extrieures; la restauration dtang canneberges;

des dessins sur l asphalt e; des amphit hatres naturels; des sculptures depierres; la cration dtangs et la restoration de petits ruisseaux; des

a rches; des habi tats d in sectes; des parcs pour l es tudi ants; des espaces

ombrags; des petites

p pinieres pour les arbres et

les plant es; et des paniers

tresss autour de jeunes arbres.

Lnergie et la crativit

dployes sont tonnantes,

rafraichissantes, et inspirent .

Le plus impression nant ,

cest peut-tre ces choses

quon ne voit pas et qu i sont

si importantes nos yeux.Quand un groupe dindividus

dvous tr availlent ensemble,

ils crent un modle de

changement positif qui peut

t re appliqu diffrentes

situat ions. Travailler ensem-

ble pou r tabl ir d es besoins

et des prior it s, pour colla-

borer u n pl an, un d essin, et

rsoudre ensemble des prob-

lmes apport ent un e satisfacti on qui va bien au-del du terrain dcole.

Le programme Dcours-vertes continue apprendre et grandir

avec un nombre toujours plus croissant dinitiatives dcoles. Nous

voyons notre rle, trs simplement, comme un support vis--vis les insti-

tuti ons qui t ransformerons leur environnement et n ous voulons maxi-

miser l impact de la leon tir er de cet engagement.

Le temps est venu de marquer limportance des ralisations collec-

ti ves avec les coles, la comm unaut , et l a cult ure. Nou s encou rageons

et flicitons tous ceux qui ont particip et dmontr de linitiative, du

courage et une vision f ut ure. Bravo!

Cam Col lyer

D i recteur nati onal, Programme Dcours-vert e s

Digging in at the London Wa l d o rfSchool in London, Ontario.

En tr ain de pllet er lcole

Wa l d o rf London en Ontario.

Published by The Everg reen Foundation

To ro n t o355 Adelaide Stree t West, Suite 5A, To ron to, O N M5V 1S2te l: 416. 596. 1495 fax: 416. 596. 1443e-mail: < i n fo@e v ergre en .ca>

Va n c o u v e r#106 163 West Ha stings Street, Va n c ouv e r, BC V6B 1H 5te l : 604. 689. 0766 fax: 604. 689. 0768e-m ai l : < i n f oB C @ e v e rg r e e n . c a >

web site:

Editor: Randee HolmesProject Manager: Cam CollyerTranslators: Cline Leco urs, Valerie Laflam meDesign: Douglas Counter Unlimited

Evergreens L e a rn ing Grou nds Pro g r a m is dedicated to transformingCanadian school grounds into n atural learning environm ents.

Le p rogramme Dcours-vert e s de la Fondation Evergreen semploie

transformer les terrains dcole canadiens en environnements dapprentis-

sage naturels.

No portion of The Outdoor Classro om / La Classe en Plein-air may be reproduced, stored or trans-

ferred , electronically or oth er wise, without the exp ress written perm ission of The Evergreen Foundation

Contents 1999 The Evergreen Foundation.


3/16

Lessons Learned

Jackie Best

Blueridge Elementary, North Va n c o u v e r, British Columbia

At Blueridge Elemen tar y in Nor th Vancouver, British Columbia,

staff, paren ts and studen ts have been working together to extend

the learn ing environ ment b eyond the school building. Along the

front en trance to the school, we h ave created a mini-collection of

native plants and shrubs which we call the Blueridge Botanical

Garden. Close by, the Blueridge Edu cational Gard en is a more for-

mal garden area containing raised p lanter bed s for fl owers, herbs

and vegetables, and providing a space for children to learn abou t

plant life cycles, composting and the many wonders of gardening.

The two are as, with th eir similarities and differences, offer valuab le

learning experiences for both the children and th e adults of our

community.As with an y new under taking, ou r ou tdoor classroom pro ject

has, from time to time, been overwhe lming. It has also, however,

been a great learning expe rience for ever yone involved an d h as

created a wond erful sense of commun ity at our schoo l. Here are a

few of the lessons we have learned in creating the gardens:

If peop le are to be en couraged to share in th e responsibility

of developing a pr oject such as ours, then it becomes

very importan t to include th em in the decision-making pr ocess.

It is crucial to have th e suppor t of the school pr incipal and

the district maintenance staff.

When a rep resentative group is making decisions that

require broad-based support, it is that groups responsibility

to keep the larger school commu nity well inform ed.

Recognizing peoples efforts and expressing appreciation

for their work is very important.

Fondation Everg reen Found ation 3

Students from Greenland School

in To ronto, Ontario, manoeuvre a

young tree to its new home.

At Blueridge Elementary

the Botan ical Garden

and nearby Educational

G arden provide space

for children to learn abo

the wonders of plants

an d gard e n i n g .

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of al l our exploring

Will be to a rrive where we sta rted

And know t he place for the first t ime.

T.S. Eliot, from Little Gidding

TD Bank Finan cial GroupHas a Green Thumb

TD Bank Financial Group h as generously contributed to th e develop-

men t of The Evergreen Foundation s Model Schools Program.

This past fall, local TD staff at the North & West Vancouver

Commercial Banking Centre joined with Blueridge Elementary in

a community planting event. Similar events took place at four

other model schools across the countr y. The b ank is also one o fthe major sponsors of this issue ofThe Ou tdoor Classro o m.

T D s support of the Learning Grou nd s Program is part o f their

commitment to b uilding relationships with local commu nities.

Case Studies tudes


4/16

Fondation Everg reen Foundation

A Chan ge in Strategy

M a rtha Davis, Pau line Public School, To ronto, Onta rio

Were just a bunch of kids from Pa uline Public School

And we have a playground that isnt very cool

We wa nt a school t hats just like t he others

With a pla yground we can pla y in

With our sisters and our brothers

The making of The Pauline Playground Rap video was the first of

wh at would tur n out to be a h ost of integral creative pro jects. The se

included creating a master design, making a classroom newspaper,

and organizing a p ublic petition. Th e studen ts sent copies of each

of these to local school board, municipal and provincial officials in

the interest of eliciting their support. All letters of response stated

ther e were n o fund s available to impro ve th e playgroun d.

So we chan ged o ur strategy. Instead o f seeking fun ds to

pur chase playgroun d equ ipment, we concentrated o n n aturalizingthe area. We submitted our pro posal, including a bud get of

$13,000, to Canada Tr usts Friends of the Environment Foun dation.

Shortly thereafter, we received an invitation to make an oral

presentation to th eir advisor y board .

The en tire class helped four stude nts (cho sen by democratic

nomination) to prepare and polish a formal presentation. I felt that

the experien ce (totally unpred icted at th e start of the u nit) would be

worthwhile sharpen ing written and oral commun ication skills no

matter th e eventual ou tcome. In May, we delivered our presentation.

Taking turn s speaking, the children o utlined th e history of the

school yard green ing project to date and highlighted th e projects

educational and environ mental value. The students emph asizedtheir points with visuals and incorporated excerpts from letters

of support we had received from two community leaders. At the

end of the p resentation, on e of the studen ts hand ed ou t class-made

button s, bearing d rawings of trees and shr ubs, as a token of the

whole class appreciation. The board called the following aftern oon,

saying that th ey had decided to don ate $9,974. When I told the

class the good news, they screamed aloud for one whole minute.

The outcomes of this multidisciplinary project were rich

and diverse for the students. It was meaningful to them, because

it was in the service of something they cared deeply about. They

learned that th eir advocacy can work an d th at, if they tr y hard,

their efforts do really make a difference.

A longer version of this article appears in the

J a n u a ry 1999 issue ofTe a c h m a g a z i n e .

The students of Pauline Public School, above and right,

w e re thril led to receive a gran t of almost $1 0,000 to

put t o w a rd their school groun d na turalization pro j e c t .

Une approche crative

Domini que Tass, Associe de Everg re e n ,

cole lment aire le Tril lium , Vanier en Ont ario

Lcole lmentaire le Trillium est une in st itut ion publiq ue f ranaise

sit ue au cur de Vanier, Ontario. La plupart des 350 tu diants ont

peu do pport unit s de connatre des expriences de la nat ure leur

permett ant d aimer et de respecter leur environ nement. Le ter rain de

lcole ne le favorisait p as du t out . Au dbut , la cours dcole tait

une mer dasphalt e, avec deux carrs de sable et quelq ues balanoires

pour les plus jeunes.

Le comit de naturalisati on a pro pos un pro jet po ur encourager

les enfants devenir pro pritaires de l espace, en met tan t laccent sur

la cration d un environnement diversifi , de faon les encourager

des actions positives. Avec ce programme, un grand nombre dart istes

dexpriences varies en mat ire d environnement o nt t in tgrs au

projet et on t apport une exprience signifi c at ive.

A la suite de la plantation, chaque classe a adopt un arbre qui

elle a donn un n om et imagin une courte h istoi re. Ces textes ont t

affi chs sur les babil lards dans l cole. Un musicien a t invit lcole,durant la priode des cours, et il a suggr aux enfants, dans des

atel iers, de composer d es chansons sur lenvi ro nnement .

Peut -tre laction art isti que la plus notoire est venue dun peint re

local qui a encourag les enfants raliser une grande murale sur un

des murs de lcole. Chaque classe avait lopportunit de choisir un

thme sur lenvironnement. Lart iste a recueil li t ous les dessins, et il l es

a runis dans une grande image collective quil a transfr sur le mur.

Chaque tudi ant a eu la possibil it de complter son propre dessin sur le

mur. videmment, les enfants ont ador cela. En fait, ce projet a t un

tel succs, quon envisage de la rpter lintrieur de lcole.

4


5/16

Dominique Tass, Everg reen Associate for

lcole lmentaire le Tri llium, Va n i e r, Ontario

Lcole lmentaire le Trillium is a francophone public school

located in th e u rban hear t of Vanier, Ontario. Many of the schoo ls

350 studen ts have little op por tun ity to experien ce natur e first-

han d and to develop a love and r espect for the en vironmen t. Theschoo l groun ds did n othing to coun ter th is. Initially, the schoo l-

yard was a sea of asph alt, with o nly two sand boxes an d play str uc-

tures for th e younger studen ts.

The n aturalization committee formu lated a project designed to

encour age the ownership of the space by the children and focused

on creating a diversified e nvironm ent that would be condu cive to

learning and would en courage positive interaction. Throu ghou t

the project, a variety of artistic experiences centred around envi-

ron mental them es were integrated into the process and served to

significantly enrich the experience.

Following their initial planting activities on the grounds, each

class in the school adop ted a tree. They named th e tree and createda short stor y to de scribe it. The se stories were th en d isplayed on

posters and hu ng by each tree . Anoth er time a m usician was invited

to the school and workshop s held during which the studen ts

composed songs about th e environm ent.

Perhaps the most impressive artistic endeavour, though,

involved the he lp of a local artist who was enlisted to work with th e

children to create a large and very colourful mural on one of the

school walls (see front cover). Each class had the opportunity to

draw about an e nvironmen tal theme. Th e artist took these drawings

and comb ined th em into a collective image and transferred th e

image onto the wall. Each student th en h ad a tur n at completing

his or her own d rawing in paint on th e mural. The childrenabsolutely loved it. In fact, the activity was such a success that a

similar project was completed inside the school.

We are Growing an d Growing!

Paul Blackwood

MacDonald Drive Junior High, St. Johns, Newfoundland

At MacDonald Drive Jun ior H igh in St. Joh ns, Newfoun dland, we

have a lot of pro perty (appr oximately 10 acres). We n eeded anoverall vision an d p lan to m aximize our re sources, so we h ired a

landscape architect to help us. We constantly make reference to

this plan when discussing new projects and ideas.

With th e plan com pleted, our committee was ready to take on a

project that would not only involve the students in its inception,

but also become an integral part o f the curr iculum. We decided on

an outdo or classroom, and specifically a science garden . The area

would include live plant specimens to be studied, a comp ost bin to

demonstrate the life cycle, soil and water that could be sampled,

and p lants to demo nstrate har vesting.

As we b egan excavation, man y people stopped to comm ent.

Neighbo urs made don ations of planting material and leaves forcompost and mu lch; some even volun teered to ado pt a spot in the

garden to water and weed. Many local businesses and nurseries

offered discounts and d onation s.

By the end of the summer, the H uber t Hillier Science Garden

had taken shape. ( Hub ert H illier retired last year after almost 26

years as principal of the schoo l.) A footbridge h ad been construct-

ed over the mud dy ditch, a wooden structure accentu ated the

heath ers, a small herb gard en was completed, an d th e strawberr y

bed an d several berr y shrubs were in the grou nd .

Thou gh th e garden just op ened this fall, we h avent lost any

time in getting started o n p lans for ou r next m ajor project

an ou tdoor p erforman ce theatre with a h eritage theme. It will

include a stage, bench es for th e audien ce, and planters containing

heritage plant material.

All of our plans are designed to give the students a sense of

pride and ownership, as well as provide them with a rich environ-

mentally based learnin g resource. As an add itional ben efit, schoo l

morale has been given an incredible boost!

Fondation Everg reen Foundation 5

A footbridge leads

to MacDonald Drive

Junior Highs Hu bertHillier Science Garden,

right, which graces a

once barren site, above.

Each class at Lcole

l m e n t a i re le Tr i l l i u m ,

in Va n i e r, Onta rio,

adopted a tree, named it

and wrote a short story

to describe it.

Chaque classe de lcole

l m e n t a i re le Trill ium

a adopt et nomm un

a r b re, et a crit une

petit e histoire pour le

d c r i re .

A Creative Approach


6/16

A Comm un ity Project

JoAnn Murphy

cole Beaufort, Halifax, Nova Scotia

cole Beaufort is an elemen tary french immer sion schoo l located

in th e south end of Halifax, Nova Scotia. From the beginning o f

our natur alization p roject, our goal h as been to involve th e whole

community. We invited students, their families, neighbours and othercommun ity members to sit on o ur comm ittee. We pr ovided th em

with a blank plan of the area, and asked them to design th eir ideal

school groun d. The response was terrific. Wild and wonderful plans

were returned some possible and oth-

ers just dr eams, but all of them welcome.

We were particularly pleased with

the enthusiastic response of the neigh-

bours. One of these was a landscape

a rtist who se art istic vision , com bin ed

with expertise and commitment, has

been invaluable to th e pr oject. Based o n

the inpu t from the surv e y, h e d rew upour five-year plan. The most commonly

requested design elements were: garden

a re a s , a pond area , outdoor sea t ing,

trees and shrubber y, a composting area,

raised planters, and a greenhouse. With

t h e e x c ep t i o n o f t h e p o n d a n d t h e

g reen hou se, we have exe cuted all the

requests and we still have two years

remaining!

Teachers and parents have been

working in partnership to make all of

th is a re a l i t y. The classroo m plan terswhich hold climbing vines, annuals, and

bulbs are a result of many parents work-

ing with small groups of children. The

l a rge commu nity garde n ha s re c e i v e d

contr ibution s of black-eyed susans, hosta,

Jerusalem artich oke, lilies and so on from man y families and

neighbou rs. Small spr uce trees have appeared in our ind igenous

wildflower gard en . As I looked out my classroom wind ow recently,

I saw a neighbour planting a forsythia tree. Often nothing is said;

the y just appear and we no w have a wild and won der ful, totally

spontaneous community garden.

The work p arties we have or ganized h ave bee n m ajor successes.

The re ar e always willing weeders and caretaker s. But it is per hap s

the en thu siasm of the children th at is the most rewarding of all.

Th ey love being active in th is way. Th is is no t work, its play. What a

wonderful introduction to a life-long pastime.

Un projet communautaire

JoAnn M urphy

cole Beaufort, Halifax, Nouvelle-cosse

Lcole Beaufort est une cole lmentaire dimmersion franaise situe

au sud de Halifax, Nouvelle-cosse. Depuis linception de notre projet de

naturalisation, notre objectif tait dimpliquer tout e la communaut.

Nous avons compos une lettre pour nos tudiants, leurs parents, les

voisins et les membres qui les entourent, et nous les avons invit faire

partie de comits. Nous leur avons fourni un plan de lespace reverd i r

en leur d emandant d e nous suggrer la form ule idale. La rponse a

t extraordinai re. Tou tes sort es dides ont

t mises quelq uesunes f acilement

ralisables, dautres un peu plus originales,

mais toutes ont t bienvenues.

Nous avons t par t icul irement

heureux de l a rpon se des voisins, dont

deux ont spontanment accept de siger

sur not re comit. Un de ceux-ci tait un

paysagiste, et sa vision comm e son expert isedans le domaine ont t fort prcieux pour le

proj et. Il a p rsent un plan dexcut ion

pour les cinq annes venir, en tenant

comp te des sugg est ions les plus popu laires:

des jardin s, un tang art ifi ciel, des bancs de

pa rc, des arbres et des haies, un coin de

comp ost , des plant s vivaces et un e serre. A

lexcepti on de l tang et de la serre, nous

avons ralis tous les dsirs et il nous reste

enco re deux ans pour compl ter le pr o jet .

Les pro fesseurs et les parents ont tr availl

main dans la main pour mener bien cett eent reprise. Des parents, formant quipes

avec des enfants ont pris la respon sabilit

des vignes grimpantes, des bulbes saison-

nires et des annuelles. Des citoyens

du voisinage ont fou rni des pois noirs, des

hostas, des artichauts de Jrusalem, des lys et autres semences. Des

pet it es pinet tes sont apparues dans le jard in d e fleurs sauvages.

Comme je regardais par la fentre de ma classe rcemment, jai vu un

aut re voisin p lanter un f orsythi a. Plus souvent q uautr ement, il s arrivent

sans sannoncer et viennent appo rter leur collaborat ion la r ussit e

de notre jardin.

La corve de t ravail qu e nous avons organise a t un g rand succs.

Mais, au-dessus de tout, cest peut-tre lenthousiasme des enfants qui

est le plus marqu ant . Ils aiment beaucoup pre ndre soin de l eur espace

vert. Ce nest pas du travail, ils le considrent comme un jeu. Quelle

belle init iation pour un passe-temps qui pou rra durer t out e une vie.

Fondation Everg reen Foundation6

The cobblestone path

at cole Beaufort in

Ha lifax, Nova Scotia

Les pavs ronds de

lcole Beauf ort Halifax

en Nouvelle cosse.


7/16

Rita DAntonio, Outdoor Environmental Education Te a c h e r

St. Monicas School, Barr ie, Ontario

General Lesson Structure

I present each lesson as a single concept, integrating th e compon ents

of habitat, interd epen den ce of living things and the h uman impact

upo n th e planet. Th ere are five basic parts to each on e-hou r class.

Circle Up (10 minutes)

Linking arms, students form a circle, creating feelings of connec-

tion an d r elaxation with o ne anoth er, as I share a reflective read ing

with the group. Following the r eading of poems, quotes and o ther

writings from ear th-inspire d individuals, stud ent s are invited to

share Outdoor News. This may include re porting on a wildlife

sightin g or a special natu ral space they have visited; older studen ts

are encouraged to comment on current events concern ing thestate of the p lanet. The d ays temperature and wind speed and

direction is announced.

Active Cooperative Ga me (5 minutes)

To pu t the gr oup more at ease and to release built-up en ergy, the

studen ts play a quick coop erative fast-moving game. Whenever possible,

the game will relate to the con cept to be explored in that lesson.

Core Lesson (10 minutes)

This segment p rovides background in formation about th e concept

and intro du ces the form at for the days activity.

Activity (30 minutes)

The largest portion of the class time consists of a hands-on learn-

ing opp ortun ity for the studen ts to explore con cept-related topics.

Clean Up a nd Dismissal (5 minutes)

Tips for Teachers Planningan O utdoor Classroom

Begin with student input. Allow the students to direct the process,

including a survey of what they would like to see and do for a natu-

ralization project. Inventory physical features and student uses of

the school grounds. Get as many adults as possible to support yourefforts, including teachers, parents, school board officials, and

members of the community. Allocate responsibilities to each indi-

vidual. Include the studen ts at every stage of planning an d en sure

that th ey are at the centre of all decisions made. Keep th e pro ject

small, at least initially. Through the students, inform other classes

about th e pr oject. Create a bulletin boar d or cen tral information

area to keep students motivated. Have studen ts keep personal

scrapbooks th rough out the process, including reflections, surveys,

student plans, and newspaper clippings. Encour age students to

name the project and erect a sign. Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!

Outdoor Classroom Teacher Full-Time!

Five years after th e schoo ls Ecological Garden had first been

planted, Principal Mary Lynn Barker offered me th e opp ortun ity

to fill the p osition of Ou tdoor Environmen tal Education Teacher.

This position serves to provide other teachers with allotted prepa-

ration time as outlined in the teachin g contract. Given that th is

time is already calculated into the staffing formula, n o add itional

costs are incurred in creating this position.

With th e per mission of the Superinten den t, it is the schools

principal who decides to what p rograms preparation time is

assigned. Ou r school boar d strongly supp orts the novel approach

we have taken and hop es to see the Outd oor Environ men tal

Education Program begin in oth er schoo ls. One schoo l within ou r

schoo l board is plann ing to implement a similar p rogram withinthe ne xt two years.

For me, teaching full-time in an outdo or classroom h as been a

most rewarding an d gratifying experience. Excitement and enth u-

siasm amon g studen ts abounds. Continual exposure to a natural

setting gives them a sense of peace and con ne ctedn ess, as well as a

feeling of pride about and responsibility for th eir schoo l yard. Th e

sounds of their laughter and the sparkle of joy in their eyes speaks

louder th an words of their sincere and genu ine caring for the Earth.

ResourcesCity Kids and City Critters!, by Janet Wier Roberts andCarole H uelbig

Cooperative Games for People Who Love to Play, by Alan Davies*

Earth Child, by Kathr yn Sheeh an*

Global Teacher, Global Lear ne r, by Graham Pike and David Selby*

Keepers of the Earth, by Michael J. Caduto

Lesson Plans for Using the Outdoors in Teaching, by Mary Houts

Natur e With Ch ildren of All Ages, by Edith Sisson

Sharing the Joy of Nature, by Joseph Cornell

The Earth Speaks, by Steve Van Matre

This Planet Is Mine, by Dianna Dee Damkoehler

* These titles may be order ed from The Green Brick Roadby callin g 1 - 8 0 0 - G R E E N - 3 8 .

Rita DAntonio is a full-time Outdoor Environmental Education

Teacher at St. Monicas School in Bar rie, Ontario. She is happy

to speak with others who are working on similar projects and

is willing to offer guidance and expertise. Rita can be reached by

e-mail at: .


Curriculum Integration Intgrat ion du curriculum


8/16

The Evergreen Found ations first Model Schools Program h as

come to a close. From 1996 to 1998, our or ganization, in partn er-ship with Environ ment Canadas Commun ity Funding Program

Action 21, assisted 34 On tario schoo ls in successfully completing

the p lanning pro cess of their school groun d p rojects.

For the two years of the program, Evergreen provided schools

with t he services of a local expe rt o r associate free -of-charge

to consult with th e school committee, guide the comm ittee

throu gh th e plann ing process, and ad vise on the creation of a site

plan and funding proposal.

In ord er to be selected to par ticipate in the On tario Model

Schoo ls Program, schoo ls were requ ired to h ave the suppor t of the

principal, an active steering committee and a solid commitment to:

involve studen ts in th e p lanning pro cess; conduct student-led site inventories;

ph otograph the evolution of the site;

develop a long-term p lan for the managemen t and u se of

the site; and ,

act as a men tor to o ther schools in the ir commun ity.

Participating On tario Model Schools

The Model SchoolsProgram Ontario

Modles deprogrammes Ontario


Ontario Model Schools AssociatesTED CHESKEY CLEM FA R M E R SUSAN LANG DOM INIQUE TA SS

C ATH Y DU ECK KA REN HAW L E Y DEBBY M ORT O N

1 Students created colourful woven baskets around

the trees at Woodland Park Public, in Cambridge.

2 The landscaped area at Sawmill Creek

E l e m e n t a ry, in Gloucester, provides seating for

outdoor classes.

3 The wilderness area at Twentieth Street, in

To ronto, offers a quiet spot to observe nature .

The 100 Squa res game on the play area at

S t - M a rtin de Porres, in Kanata .

Students at Huron Heights Public, in

K i n c a rdine, excava ted the site for their pond.

A LISON PARK PUBLIC, CAM BRIDGE

BRIDLEWOOD COMMUNITY

E L E M E N TA RY, KA NATA

CHURCHILL ALT E R N ATIVE, OTTAWA

COLE LMEN TAIRE LE TRILLIU M ,

VANIER

COLE ST. JOSEPH/ ST. GA BRIEL

CENTER, SUDBURY

GLENFOREST SECONDA RY,

M I SSI SSA U G A

H AVELOCK-BELMONT PUBLIC,

H AV E L O C K

HURON HEIGHTS PUBLIC, KINCARDINE

JOHN YOUNG ELEMENTA RY, KANATA

LAM BTON PARK COMMU NITY,

TORONTO

LAM IRA DOW BILLINGS PUBLIC,

G L O U C E ST E R

LANSDOWNE PUBLIC, SUDBURY

LONDO N WA L D O R F, LONDO N

MA URICE CODY PUBLIC, TORONTO

MEADOW LANDS PUBLIC, NEPEAN

M OTHER TERESA, M ISSISSAUG A

N O RTH SHO RE ELEM ENTA RY, K EENE

PRINCE OF WALES ELEMENTA RY,

P E T E R B O R O U G H

ROLAND M ICHENER PUBLIC, KA NATA

ST. CATHERINE CATHO LIC, M ETCA LFE

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC,

ORLEANS

ST. PA U LS SEPA R ATE, PETERBORO UGH

ST. PHILIP, RICHMOND

ST. TERESAS ELEM ENTA RY,

P E T E R B O R O U G H

ST- M A RTIN DE PORRES, K AN ATA

SAWM ILL CREEK ELEMENTA RY,

GLOUCESTER

SUNNIN GDALE PUBLIC, OA KVILLE

TWENTI ETH STREET, TORONTO

W.E. THOM PSON PUBLIC, KINCARDINE

WATERLOO-OXFORD DISTRICT

SE C O N D A RY, BADEN

WELLESLEY PUBLIC, WELLESLEY

VILLAGE

WESTM OUN T ELEM ENTA RY,

PETERBOROUGH

WILSON AVENUE PUBLIC, KITCHENER

WOODLAND PARK PUBLIC, CAMBRIDGE

1

2 3

1

2 3

A Dynamic Relation ship


9/16

Nan Sidler

N o rth Shore Public School, Keene, On tario

O ur p laygroun d, once a lush wetland with a d iversity of aqua tic life,

had become a large drained field with little in the way of grasses

and trees. Staff sup er visors of the stud ent Ecology Club suggested

creating a natural garden of some kind. Cathy Dueck, who later

became our local contact person representing Th e Evergreen

Foundation, provided valuable advice on how to proceed. Follow-

ing a sur vey of what stud en ts would like to see in the garde n, we

applied to various organizations for fund ing.

By the spring o f 1996 we h ad en ough funds to begin Phase I.

Our goals were to: build a cedar rail fence to set off the garden

from the rest of the playground; line the seasonal stream withstones; establish four flower beds; mark out and mulch th e path -

ways; plan t native tree s, shr ubs, vines and flowers to attr act birds

and insects; and, make a rock pile for small mammals and reptiles.

By June 1997, Ph ase II was und er way. To the garden we added :

signs painted by grade seven and eight art studen ts; a birdh ouse

built by a students grandfather; two cedar benches built by local high

school studen ts; two cedar foot br idges; and , a sund ial for which flat

rocks were hand picked at a local quarry by two energetic mothers.

Now in our third year, we hope to continue adding features that

will increase th e diversity of plant an d an imal life in th e garden .

Our curren t plans include bu ilding a small holding pool to create

a temp orar y water gar den or wetland in the spring. We will also

develop a han dbook for teachers to help them conn ect cur riculum

expectations with outdo or learning opp ortu nities in the garden .

Building the Ecology Garden h as been a tremendo us unde rtaking,

but certainly well worth the effort. This process provided teachers,

staff, students, parents, and community members with a wonderful

opp ortun ity to work together in partn ership to create an outdoor

classroom. We are proud of our efforts to create a place where

children can go to find peace and renewal in the wonders of nature.

ALL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE COURTESY OF NORTH SHORE PUBLIC.


1 N o rth Shore sta rted their

p roject on a grassy area.

2 Phase I of the Ecology

G a rden included

establishing four flower

beds separa ted from the

pl a y g roun d by a cedar

rail fence, a nd plan ting

na tive trees, shru bs,

vines and flowers.

3 Signs painted by grade 7

and 8 a rt students were

p a rt of Phase I I.

Students have great

fun using the human

sundial, right, which

they built using flat

stones collected at a

local quarry.

Site signage, right,

helps visitors findtheir way around the

Ecology Gard e n .

N o rth Shore students

place a tree marker ontheir school gro u n d .

1

3

The Evergreen Foundat ion tha nks all pa rticipants for

their hard w ork, and our associat es for their commitment

and dedicat ion. Congrat ulat ions!1

3

Evolution of a Habitat


10/16

Just Ask the Studen ts

Ted McLachlan

Windsor School, Winnipeg, Manitoba

At Windsor Schoo l in Winn ipeg, Manitoba, we conceived o ur

naturalization p roject from the start as a mean s of empowering th e

students and teachers to take charge of the project, bringing in

community resources where needed. We chose a curriculum-based

approach, something th at has proven to be invaluable in the

pro jects developm ent. Ever y step of th e way studen ts have been

consulted for ideas and han ds-on participation as part of the cur -

riculum. Given the chance to expr ess their desires, the o ver whelm-

ing response of students was that they wanted to get rid of asphalt

and get some wild creatur es and green into th eir play areas.

An on-site workshop was held and studen ts were asked to p lace

a series of plante r-sized bed sheets wher e th ey would like ther e tobe p lants. Working with p lans of the school grou nd s, studen ts

completed drawing exercises and the results were passed on to

a landscape architect to draw up the final plan. Two family con-

struction nights were o rganized to build n ine raised p lanters in

asphalted areas of the school grounds. With each class responsible

for one planter, the students have grown trees, native plants, and

vegetables for the Winnipeg Harvest Food Bank.

Starting with a single small project has been a good strategy

for us. Success was easy to see when on the first day of school th e

planters were in full bloom (sunfl owers were u sed rather than

the u sual ann uals, providing seed for the bird s and th e grade one

gerbil) and the vegetables were ready for harvest. From there

the school hasnt looked back. Each spring and fall we take on

anoth er man ageable project and plans for the future are forever

expand ing. Studen ts, teachers and th e commu nity have proven

to themselves what can be achieved when direct action for a

common goal is taken.

Integrating Curr iculum

Ted McLachlan

Windsor School, Winnipeg, Manitoba

When it came to filling the planters, we could have simply ordered

the soil and h ad it dep osited d irectly into th e planters but we

didnt. To reinforce curriculum integration, a class was requested

to measure th e planters, calculate the volume and estimate the

soil required. When the soil arrived it was dumped on the

adjacent asphalt. To instill in the students a sense of ownership

of the p roject, a Dirt Day was held. All kinder garten to grad e

three children brought in

ice-cream pails and formed a

brigade to fill the p lanters.

Consequently, not a speck of

soil has been removed fromthe planters since.


To t ake 700 kids and put them on a

piece of ground wit hout a tree on it, and

then to expect t hem to behave the wa y

you wa nt, is contradictory.

Paul Blackwood, parent, MacDonald Drive Junior High

Enbr idge Consumers GasSupports Evergreen

For the second consecutive year, Enbridge Consumers Gas is spon-

soring Evergreen s Learn ing Groun ds Program to en courage the

transformation of schoo l groun ds within its southwestern O ntario

franchise area. As part of its commitment to red ucing the environ -

mental impacts of its operations, Enbridge is pleased to support the

planting of trees and shru bs on school groun ds to offset the effects

of global climate ch ange. Th is issue ofThe Outdoor Classro o m

features the following schools that received funding made possible by

Enbridge Consumer s Gas: Glenforest Secondar y, Pauline Public and

St. Mon icas. For m ore details abou t this years Learn ing Gro un ds

grant ap plication, please refer to The Tool Shed on p age 15.

The students at Windsor School turned a bleak school yard into an

outdoor learning area with the addition of 9 raised planters. Each class

is responsible for one planter students have grown trees, native

plants and vegetables.

More Case Studies Aut res tudes

ALL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE COURTESY OF WINDSOR SCHOOL.


11/16

Putting the Forest Backin Glenforest

If science teacher Don Morto n and co-chair Johann e Christensen

have anything to do with it, Glenforest Second ary Schoo l will grow

into its name. Th anks to th eir leade rship, it is well on its way.

The work at this suburban high school in Mississauga, Ontario

got off to a great start in th e spring o f 1995 whe n the Natu ralization

Club planted 100 native trees around th e groun ds and created ano-cut area at th e back of the school. In th e fall, club mem bers

planted an other 50 trees and began to fill the n o-cut area with 200

wildflowers native to the region . In spr ing 1996, two 300-square

foot flower garde ns were created in front of the schoo l, and four

long-forgotten gardens were brought back to life with plantings of

80 native wildflowers and other p lants donat ed by studen ts and staff.

Things really took off in 1997 when almost 1800 students

signed up to participate in th e years events. In th e spring, the first

wood lot was created by addin g 20 native trees to an existing stand

of five trees on a large grassed area at the front of the school.

Much of the grass was removed an d tran splanted to ber ms in a

swale at the back of the school to create a pond area. Students laid

down woodchips, created walkways, decided on the placement

of log benches, and planted 500 native wildflowers. One of the

pro jects objectives is to join togeth er separ ate ar eas of vegetation ,

providing cor ridor s of hab itat and allowing wildlife to m ove free ly

from one area to the next.

The school pr operty is now used for teachin g classes in science,

art, English and geograph y, and as an area for qu iet activities such

as talking with friend s or read ing. Don says, It is my ho pe that

students will learn to take responsibility for their immediate

environment and realize that they can make a difference. Based

on what students and teachers are saying, its already happening.

G l e n f o rest Secondary School was a par ticipant in the Learn i n g

G ro u n d s Model Schools Program in Ontario over the past two years.


I find it is w ay easier to learn st uff when you are on

the job and able to see things up close and personal.

I believe tha t the whole natura lizat ion process tha t the

class ha s been exposed to has made each of us more

aw are of how difficult and how rewa rding it is to

organize and help the environment .

Chad, student, Glenforest Secondary School

This gave students a chance to be part of the

community to see tha t t hey have a part to pla y

in making their community a bett er place to live.

Even the reluctant students w ant ed to do more

aft er their first experience.

John, teacher, Glenforest Seconda ry School

What we as a collective group ha ve done is very

significant , because not only did we change the

physical aspects of Glenforest, but a lso the a tt itudes

of many people tow ards the environment. This,

in my opinion, was our great est a ccomplishment.

David, student, Glenforest Secondary School

The barren front yard

of the school, right,

was transformed with

the addition of flower

beds plan ted with na tivew i l d flowers, above.

Much of the sod removed by students was transplanted to berms in a

swale at the back of the school to create a pond are a .


12/16

The Environ men t:A Year-Round Focus

Nicole Parent-Gingras, Principal

cole de la Source, Montral, Qubec

At cole de la Source, an urban elementar y school in Montral,

a vital compon ent of our natur alization pr oject has been our

Green Committee. The committee is responsible for every stageof selecting, plann ing and evaluating th e pr ojects related to ou r

naturalization efforts.

The actual execution of our various projects, however, includes

the involvement of every student at the school. We want to ensure

the p articipation of the studen ts, invite them to h ave an impact on

the world, and offer them valuable learning experien ces. To this

end, we involve th e student s in school-wide activities each mon th

that have an environm ental theme.

Activities we h ave o ffere d includ e: in Septemb er, a recycling

campaign; in October, preparing th e school groun ds for winter; in

November, offering prizes for en viron men tal pro jects; in

Decembe r, collecting second -han d goo ds for a reuse sale; in

Januar y, organizing an art p roject with an environ men tal theme;

in Febr uar y, designing recycling p ro jects; in March and April,

building and installing bird hou ses for the school grou nd s; in

May, planting wildflowers, annuals and trees; and in June, holding

an end-of-year sho w to h ighlight th e successes of the p ast year.

We are ver y excited th at our en tire school is working towards a

better en vironmen t. Through our e nviron mental efforts, we are

actualizing our values of protection, education, and responsibility

in our school to create and protect a better way of life!

Lenvironnement,

un projet pour t oute lanne

Nicole Parent -Gingras, Dir e ct r ic e

cole de la Source, M ont ral, Qubec

A lcole de la Source, une insti tut ion lmentaire de la ville de

Mont ral, un lment important de notre projet de naturalisation a t

limplication de notre Comit Vert. Le comit est responsable de toute

tape de slecti on, de planifi cat ion et dvaluation d es proj ets relatif s

nos efforts de naturalisati on.

La ralisati on de nos dif frents projets, cependant, exige limplication

de chaque tudiant de lcole. Nous voulons nous assurer de la part icipa-

ti on d e chacun deux, en les invit ant avoir une in fl uence sur le mo nde,

et en leur offrant de solides expriences desquelles ils tireront profi t.

A cette fi n, nous impliq uons les tudiant s dans une activit, chaque

mois, sur un t hme qui se rapport e l Environnement, et qui sadresse

toute lcole.

Les act ivit s que nous off rons sont : en septembre, une campagne de

recyclage; en octob re, la prparation du t errain de lcole pour l hiver;

en novembre, une invit ation soumett re des ides pour des pro jets

environnement aux; en dcembre, l e ramassage de marchandises usages

pour une vente de seconde m ain; en j anvier, lorg anisation dun proj et

art istiq ue sur l e th me enviro nnemental; en f vrier, un pro jet de dessins;

en mars et avril, la constru ction et l installation de maisons doiseaux

pour le t errain d e lcole; en mai, la plantation de fl eurs sauvages,

dannuelles et darbres; et en juin, la prsentati on d un spectacle de fi n

danne qui met en relief, le succs de lanne qui se term ine.

Nous sommes t rs ent housiasms de la rponse posit ive de t out e

lcole, qui collabore ainsi un m eilleur environnement . A tr avers nos

ef fort s pour amliorer not re mil ieu, nous rvaluons nos valeurs de

p rotect ion, d ducatio n et la responsabilit de l cole dans la cratio n

de mesures pour nous assurer dune meilleure condition de vie.


The naturalized site

at Westvale in Wa t e r l o o ,

Ontario, left, is apleasant spot for a walk.

The school garden

at Salem Elementar y

in Sackville, New

B runswick, r ight, is

for the bird s .


13/16

Maggie Linton

Sunningdale Public School, Oakville, Ontario

On one of her very first visits to Sunningdale Public School, Debby

Morton stood with me at the back of the school and looked out

over the barren expanse of the schoolyard. Debby pon dere d for a

mom ent an d matter-of-factly said, Ten years. This is at least a ten -year pr oject. The most dedicated supp orters of this project took

he r wor ds to heart. We kne w that we were in it for the long h aul.

We were aware that the pr oject had to h ave de pth as well as

bread th an d th at, to achieve this, we would have to find a way to

tap into the d reams, hop es and hearts of the Sunn ingdale stu-

dents, staff and community. We wanted to create what one of the

students would later call, the best playground in the world.

We intr odu ced th e pr oject at an assembly. With m usic, film

and story, we challenged th e students to be gin dr eaming, let their

imagination s ru n wild, and as individuals, classes and families,

find a way to exp ress these dream s so th at we could begin to collect

the ideas together.The visionin g process was slow and the dre ams trickled in.

They came in the form of drawings, paintings, prose and anecdotal

comments. One full school year later, a committee of parents and

teachers pored over the work which h ad been spread out on tables

in the school library. They made note of every idea, created tallies

for those mentioned mo re than on ce, and d rew out thirteen of themost common ly occurring the mes. Using magazine cutout s of

actual images, the committee created collages representing various

inter pre tations of each the me. Th e collages were viewed by each

class, whe rein e ach stud en t and teache r was given thr ee stickers to

attach to their three favourite collages. To avoid biases, the polling

sheets were re moved and rep laced with fresh on es after each viewing.

From this exercise, the top four design elements were selected.

Marius deBruyn, commun ity member, landscape architect and key

committee member, drew up a con cept plan to incorp orate each

of the original thirteen elements, but giving priority to the chosen

four. The th eme collages were scann ed, mou nted o n foam core

board and displayed with the master plan. Dreamacres was nowon p aper and the planting could begin.


A m y, a student at Sunningdale, created this plan for the Dre a m a c res school ground pro j e c t .

Dreamacres


14/16

Outdoor Classrooms =Smarter Students

On the h orizon o f education, the re is a rumb le of excitementbuilding in th e Un ited States. That excitement h as to do with anew framework for education which uses the E n v i ro n m e n t asan Integrating Context for learn ing. Known as EIC, it is describedas a for mat for lear nin g that is inter disciplinar y, collaborative,student-centred, han ds-on an d engaged.

The principles of EIC are to combine th ese approaches ina way that: breaks down traditional boundaries between disciplines; provides han ds-on learning experiences, often through

pr oblem -solving and pro ject-based activities; relies on team-teaching; adapts to ind ividual students, and their u nique skills and

abilities; and , develops knowledge, und erstanding, and appr eciation

for the en vironm ent both the social commun ity andnatural surroundings.

EIC-based learning is not focused p rimarily on learnin g about theenviron ment, n or is it limited to developing environ men tal aware-ness. It is about using a schools immediate surr oun dings and thatof the commu nity the local environ men t as essen tially anoutdoo r classroom. EIC-based p rogram s typically emp loy theenviron ment as a compreh ensive focus and framework for learn -ing in all areas: general and disciplinary knowledge; thinking andproblem-solving skills; and basic life skills, such as cooperation

and interp ersonal commu nications.

In 92% of the cases st udied, st udents in

EIC programs academically outperformed their

peers in t raditiona l programs.

This type of approach also seems to enrich their overall schoolexperience and leads to impr ovemen ts in cooperation and enth u-siasm, no t just for studen ts but for teachers too. Oth er rep ortedbenefits of EIC-based pro grams include redu ced d iscipline an dclassroom m anagemen t prob lems, and greater pride and owner -ship in accomplishme nts.

Based on th e findin gs of this U.S. nation wide stud y, it seemsthat bu ilding ou tdoor classrooms may be of even m ore benefitthan we might have thought. And while it may be just the tip of theiceberg in term s of the p otential of this kind of program, its agreat place to start. Wheth er you are contemp lating p lans to begina natur alization p rogram at your school, or deciding on next stepsfor a project already underway, dont be afraid to dream BIG!

For more in formation, and a copy of the r epor t, Closing theAchievement Gap: Using the Environment as an IntegratingContext for Learn ing, visit the web site of the State Education andEnviron men t Roun dtab le at: .

Les classes vertes =

des tudiants plus int resss

Dans lhor izon de lducation, il y a une ide qui prdom ine actuelle-

ment et qui fait sensation aux tats-Unis. Cest une nouvelle faon de

prsenter lducation en utilisant lenvironnement comme un contexte

dint gration lapprentissage. Connu sous le nom de lducation

par lEnvironnement il est dcrit comme une manire dapprendre

interd iscip linai re, cooprati ve et cent re sur l tudi ant, son implicatio n,

et son engagement.

Les pr in cipes de EPE associent ces app roches comme sui t :

en br isant la rout ine q ui sinst alle dans les diverses discipl ines;

en donnant une exprience de base, souvent en t rouvant des

solutions ou en projetant des activits;

en uni ssant davantage les prof esseurs et les tudiants;

en sadaptant individuell ement aux tud iants, dans lob tent ion

de leurs objectifs;

en dveloppant le savoir, la comprhension et l apprciati on

pour l environnement, autant pour l a communaut que dans la

vie de chacun.

Les principes fondament aux de EPE ne visent pas uniquement se docu-

menter sur lenvironnement, ni limiter ses connaissances aux inqui-

tudes du dveloppement environnemental. Il sagit plutt dutiliser le

milieu scolaire imm diat et lenviron nement local, pour bt ir un e classe

verte. EPE base sa thorie sur lemploie de lenvironnement comme un

but prcis et u n mod le pour app re ndre apprcier la nature,

r flchir et rsoudre des problmes, comme aussi lutiliser comme

moyen de cooprati on et de commun icat ion in terpersonnelle.

Dans 92% des cas tudis, les tudi ants qui

avaient le programme EPE ont dpass les performances

des tudiants rguliers.

Cette sorte dapproche semble aussi enrichir lexprience des dirigeants

de lcole et amliore la coopration et lent housiasme, non seulement

pour les tudiants mais aussi pour les professeurs. Dautres ont rappel

certains bnfices du programme bas sur lEPE, dont une rduction de

prob lmes de discipl ine et une pl us grande fi ert dans laccomplissement.

Bas sur une re cherche dans leur tude, il semble que favoriser

des classes de plein air app ort e plus de bnfice quon aurait pu penser

au dpart. Il semble qu e ce ne soit que la poi nte de l iceberg, en t erme

de potent iel pour ce genre de programme, et lcole est u ne bonne

place pour cette initiation. Que vous soyiez prvoir des plans pour un

progr amme de naturalisation votre cole, ou que vous dcidiez dans

un avenir pro chain de vou s y mett re, nhsit ez pas, pensez GROS!

Pour de plus amples, et u ne copie du r apport , visit ez le sit e web

suivant: La Table Ronde sur lEducation et lEnvironnement :

.


Research Les recherches Whats New? Les nouveaut s


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developmen t pr ograms, you can be linked to a schoo l in Britainwhich is also transforming its school grounds. For more informa-tion, con tact: Mary Jackson, Learning Th rough Landscapes, TheForest Centre, Thames Chase, Broadfields Farm, Pike Lane,Upm inster, England, RM14 3NS. Fax: 01708 640581.

Funding Opport unities

Since 1993, the Evergreen Foundation has provided funding, inthe form of grants, to over 630 schools across Canada. There are

curren tly thr ee grant p rograms under way: Enbridge Consumers Gas and the Regional Municipality ofHamilton-Wentworth are each funding grants in their respectiveareas of south ern On tario;

B.C. Hydro is fun ding a grant in all of British Columbia.Call 416. 596. 1495 ext. 55 to receive an application for any ofthese fun ding opp ortun ities, or look for more details on o urweb site: .

Les re s s o u rces pour les projet s scolairessur lenviro n n e m e n t

Rencont re dinf ormations pour le programme

Dcours-vertes

La trousse dapp rent issage de ressources environn ementa les est une

collection de ressources conti nuellement mise jour et contenant des

info rmat ions sur l a plani fi cation , des ides scolaires, des illustrat ions, des

renseignements sur les plantes sauvages et les graines de semence, et

qui r pond l a plupart des questi ons habit uellement poses, et m me

davantage. Des rfrences numrot es pour du matriel additi onnel

sont aussi in cluses. Disponi ble di rectement du bureau de Toronto,

pour 5$ plus GST; lensemble pour la communaut de la ColombieBritanniqu e est disponible au bureau de Va ncouver, pour le mme prix.

Pour une rhabilit ation de la nature

Guide de naturalisat ion des cours dcole

Un guide pratique pour le milieu scolaire concernant la plantation darbres

et les projets venir, et sur ce que nous devons anticiper en matire

denvironnement , incluant quant it de dtails uti les, pour les procha nes

annes. Nous avons aussi une documentation de rfrence, disponible

aux bur eaux de Toronto et Vancou ver, au pri x de 10$ plu s GST.

Opportunit s de subvention

Depuis 1993, la Fondati on Evergreen a distr ibu des subvent ions, sousformes de rcompenses, plus de 630 coles travers le Canada. Il y a

act uellement tr ois programmes en cours:

Endridg e Consumers Gas et la municipalit rgion ale de Hamilton -

Wentworth distribuent des bourses dans leur milieu respectif, au

sud de lOntar io.

La Compagnie B.C. Hydro subvent ionne des pro jets part out en

Colom bie Britanniqu e.

Tlphonez 416. 596. 1495, ext. 55 pour recevoir les informations

concernant une ou l autre de ces oppor tun it s, ou allez voir sur not re

site dint ernet : .

R e s o u rces for School Grou nd Pro j e c t s

Learn ing Grounds Resource Pa ckage

The Learning Ground s Resource Package is our regularly upd ated

introdu ctory resource that includes information on plann ing,curriculum integration, fun ding sources, design, n ative plant andseed sources, answers to commonly asked questions, and more.Numerou s references to additional materials are also included .It is available from our Toronto o ffice for $5 + GST; a packagefocused on British Columb ia is available from th e Vancouver officefor th e same price. You can also find it free-of-char ge on our website, at .

Welcoming Back t he Wilderness

A Guide to School Ground Nat uralizat ion

This is a practical guide to naturalizing a school ground, withinstructions about how to plant trees and p lan your d esign, guide-

lines as to what to expect in the first few years, and other helpfuldetails. Ther e is also a good re ference section . This book is avail-able from both the Toron to an d Vancouver offices for $10 + GST.

Grounds for Change Video

This inspirational and informative video is designed to prom otethe idea and benefits of transformin g schoo l ground s. This is agood pr omotional tool for parent group s, administrators andoth ers. App roximate ly 15 minu tes in length , it is available fromboth the Toron to an d Vancou ver offices for $15 + GST.

The Learning Grounds Online Discussion Group

This listser v facilitates discussion, via e-mail, abo ut all aspe cts of

transformin g schoo l ground s. It is an open forum to ask questions,share experiences, and pass on advice to others. Issues addressedin d iscussion s includ e hab itat restoration , safety, compo sting,teaching in the ou tdoor classroom, summ er maintenan ce, fun d-raising, anti-vandalism initiatives and much more. To become partof the d iscussion grou p, simply subscribe by send ing an e-mail to. Leave the subject line blank and in thebody type subscribe learn ing_ground s (without quotation m arks).

The Model Schools P rogram

The Model Schoo ls Program sup ports schools by pro viding th emwith an experienced advisor with whom to work for approximatelya two-year period . In retu rn , the schools documen t their p rogress

and commit to working towards the impr ovemen t of their schoolgrounds. Currently, there is an ongoing Model Schools initiative inBritish Colu mbia, which began in 1998 and will end in 2000. Formor e infor mation , call Denise Philippe at 604. 689. 0766, or e-mail.

Cross-Atla ntic Connections

Turn your school grou nd naturalization pro ject into a lesson inintern ational relations. With the assistance of Learn ing Thr oughLandscapes, a British organization working on school ground


The Tool Shed

La remise out ils


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AcknowledgementsThe Evergreen Foun dation th anks the sponsors of this issue of

The Outdoor Classroom :

Evergre en also extends than ks to the following for their gene rou s

support of the Learning Groun ds Program :

The Everg reen Foundation

355 Adelaide Street West, Suite 5A

Toronto, Ontario M5V 1S2

CANADIA N IM PERIAL BANK OF COMM ERCE

CANA DA TRUST FRIENDS OF THE ENVI RONMENT FOUNDA T I O N

CAPERS THE CHA W KERS FOUN DAT I O N

ECOLO GY ACTIO N CENTRE

SIR JOSEPH FLAVELL FOUN DAT I O N

THE ALICE AN D M URRAY M AI TLAND FOUNDA T I O N

THE J. W. M CCONNELL FA M I LY

THE T.R. M EIGHEN FOUN DAT I O N

THE ROBERT SCHAD FOUN DAT I O N

THE R. HOW ARD WEBSTER FOUNDA T I O N

Many thanks to everyone who contributed material, ideas,

and en ergy to The Outdoor Classroom Issue 4, and to its editor,

Randee Holmes, and its designer, Douglas Counter.

Printe d b y C.J. Graphics Inc . on Sandp iper Text, Lily of the Va lley,

c h lo r ine- f re e, m ade with 100% p ost-consum er waste.

0 2 8 6 5 5 1 3 - 9 9

Call for Submissions

The n ext issue ofThe Outdoor Classro o m will highlight innovative

design ide as uniqu e ways of using a variety of comp on en ts such

as nature, built structures, and art in th e outd oor classroom.

We invite submissions from schools that have incorporated interest-

ing d esign featur es to address such issues as safety, vandalism, local

geography, high traffic areas, learning o ppo rtun ities, habitat cre-

ation, social need s, overall school aesthetics, and other per tinentissues. At the completion of the two-year cycle, we are also inviting

submissions from participants in the Model Schools Program in

Qubec and Nova Scotia.

The deadline for submissions for the next issue o fThe Outdoor

C l a s s ro o m is May 31, 1999. Submissions should be 300 400 words

in length, may be written by anyone in the school community

(a teacher, principal, parent, or committee memb er), and should

be accompanied by photograph s (high quality prints or slides

which p referably show students engaged in the outdo or learn ing

environm ent) , studen t artwork, or both.

Learning Ground s ProgramHighlights

1 9 9 7

The Evergreen Founda tion m ade a presentation abou t the Learning

Groun ds Program at the first I n t e rnational Conference on

School Gro u n d s in Londo n, England, h osted by the O rganisation

for Economic Cooperation an d Developmen t (O ECD).

1 9 9 8

The Evergreen Foundation received th e E n v i ronment Aw a rd

from the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects.

Evergreen received ru nn er-up distinction for th e Canadian

Centre for Philanthro pys Comm unity Spirit Aw a rd .

Citizens Bank of Canada members and VISA card holders

voted Evergreen one of four recipients of the ban ks 1997

S h a red Inter est Fund.

4 - learning grounds newsletters, winter 1999

Documents