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OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS NCEF's resource list of links, books, and journal articles on the design, construction, and maintenance of school grounds to support and enhance a school's educational objectives. 
Schoolyard Planning and Design in New Jersey Enhancing Outdoor Play and Learning.
http://www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/AbbottSchoolFacilities/FacilitiesPages/Resource s/SchoolyardPlanning_Design.pdf (New Jersey Institute of Technology, Center for Architecture and Building Science Research, New Jersey School OUtdoor Area Working Group , Aug 25, 2007)
Discusses the current state of New Jersey schoolyards and the importance of quality schoolyards for play, teaching, and community use. Five recommended strategies for creating more effective schoolyards are included, as is advice on the planning and design process, area and functional requirements, accessibility, parking, costs, and equipment. 25p.
DFES School Grounds of the Future: Final Evaluation Report.
http://www.ltl.org.uk/schools_and_settings/research/research-downloads.htm (Learning through Landscapes, London, United Kingdom , 2007)
Evaluates the United Kingdom Dept. for Education and Skills' three-year School Grounds of the Future program, which encouraged schools to improve their school grounds. Evidence of best practices, value added to funding, impact on the educational program, and six recommendations for the future are detailed. 54p.
How to Start a Garden in a Local School
http://nationalgardenmonth.org/index.php?page=storyline-school (National Gardening Association, South Burlington, VT, 2007)
This explains how to start with an indoor school garden, form a garden committee, make a plan, find a site, and develop community support.
School Greenhouse Guide
http://www.kidsgardening.org/greenhouseguide/1.asp (National Gardening Association, 2007)
This online guide to school greenhouses is a basic overview of key issues relevant to educators planning to run—or currently running—a school greenhouse program. It covers both operational and horticultural topics. Includes information on different styles of greenhouses, solar vs. supplemental heat, figuring costs, selecting a location, glazing, environmental controls, light, air/soil, cooling, venting, and heating.
The Growing Classroom. Garden-Based Science. [Revised edition]
Jaffe, Roberta; Appel, Gary (Life Lab Science Program, 2007)
Teacher's manual featuring step-by-step instructions and strategies for setting up outdoor classroom activities and a garden-based science program. Topics include working together in the garden, growing, nutrients, garden ecology, climate, nutrition, gardening tips, food choices, and gardening tips. 496p.
TO ORDER:
National Gardening Associationhttp://www.kidsgardeningstore.com/11-4017.html
How to Choose Plants Kids Will Love to Grow in Their Classroom Project.
http://www.howtodothings.com/home-garden Nicholson, Casey (HowToDoThings.com, Seattle, WA , 2007)
Advises on plant selection for school gardens, addressing herbs, flowers, leafy plants, fruits, and vegetables. 2p.
Designing Schoolyards and Building Community.
http://www.schoolyards.org/text/Schoolyard.pdf (Boston Schoolyard Initiative, MA , 2006)
Reviews the work of the Boston Schoolyard Initiative, which has worked to transform the city's typically paved and uninviting schoolyards into centers for learning and life. It accomplishes this through a public/private partnership that promotes sustainable development, experiential education, open space stewardship, and enlightened public policy. The Initiative creates recreational centers for the community and sets an example for schoolyard development that can be replicated elsewhere. 20p.
Green Schoolyard Resource Directory.
http://www.ecoschools.com/Assets/Documents/GreenSchoolyard_ResourceDirectory_2-13-06_small.pdf Cooper, Tamar; Danks, Sharon (San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance , 2006)
Offers a green schoolyard directory that blends traditional school garden resources with green building and ecological design principles, to create a single resource for all types of innovative school ground greening projects. The directory includes contacts for relevant local organizations, businesses and individuals on a variety of themes including places to find: plants, soil, and other garden-related materials, solar panels, water conservation systems, recycled materials, green schoolyard design expertise, environmental education curriculum resources, grant opportunities, and many other related topics. 52p.
Retrofitting the American High School Campus: Thinking Green at Corcoran.
http://web.archive.org/web/20060923032246 Gordon, Samuel (Master's Thesis, SUNY, Syracuse, NY , May 2005)
Explores the integration of the school curriculum with school grounds through the creation of a new environmental education center with associated outdoor learning areas within the Corcoran High School campus in Syracuse, New York. The project identifies specific precedents and programs and explores the application of these to the Corcoran site. The outcome of the project was the selection of a site for the new environmental education center, the development of program elements for the new center, initial site design explorations for the center, as well as a conceptual look at the future of the Corcoran campus. 70p.
Do School Grounds Have a Value as an Educational Resource in the Secondary Sector?
http://www.ltl.org.uk/schools_and_settings/research/research-downloads.htm Chillman, Barbara (Learning through Landscapes, London, UK , 2005)
Reviews research into the benefits of developing secondary school grounds into learning environments. The small amount of research evidence into the use of secondary school grounds suggests that the benefits to the formal curriculum are largely those which accrue from any outdoor learning: increased understanding through the use of real-life contexts; increased student interest and motivation, partly due to the novelty of getting out of the classroom; use of different learning styles; and more collaborative relationships between students and teachers. In addition, there is some evidence to suggest that the use of school grounds offers specific benefits, particularly to environmental and citizenship learning due to the sense of student ownership that can be engendered, and in facilitating integration between indoor and outdoor lessons to generate longer-lasting impacts on students learning. Includes 53 references. 43p.
Outdoor Learning Environments: Evaluating Need, Success and Sustainability.
Hodge, Stacey (Doctoral Dissertation, University of Texas, Arlington , Dec 2004)
Summarizes the needs for outdoor learning environments and the success in meeting those needs. Also provided is a list of critical elements, as determined by the participants, necessary to sustain successful outdoor learning environments. Since children spend an average of two thousand hours each year in at schoolyard which is commonly barren or paved, and seldom designed, the opportunity exists to give children, through outdoor learning environments, a place to establish attachments and daily contact with nature. Empowerment, a sense of ownership, experiential learning, community building, and lifelong learning are some of the positive effects that outdoor learning environments have on children, teachers, families, and communities. Participants in the research come from six different elementary and primary schools from Boston to San Francisco. The subjects consist of principals, teachers, students, and family and community members. The results of the research give insight into the design of outdoor learning environments with regard to needs, success in meeting the needs, and critical elements necessary for sustaining the outdoor learning environment. 133p.
Report NO: 1425131TO ORDER: Proquest, 300 North Zeeb Road, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106-1346; Tel: 734-761-4700, Toll Free: 800-521-0600, email: info@il.proquest.com http://wwwlib.umi.com/dxweb
Young Children's Relationship with Nature: Its Importance to Children's Development and the Earth's Future.
http://www.whitehutchinson.com/children/articles/childrennature.shtml White, Randy (White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO , 2004)
Cites the decline of involvement with nature in children's lives, documentation of the benefits of experiences in nature to mental and physical well-being, and the role that nature schoolyards can play in transforming education and child well-being. The nature schoolyard is also advocated as a means to instill environmental awareness in children. Includes 76 references. 10p.
Neighborhood Journeys, Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: A Teacher's Guide to Using the Built Environment at Key Stage 2.
http://www.cabe-education.org.uk/AssetLibrary/3043.pdf Williamson, Catherine; Hart, Anna (CABE Education, London, United Kingdom , 2004)
Presents ideas for four school neighborhood journeys with activities that use the local built environment as a context for learning. Each journey has a different destination, addressing historical and topical issues and providing opportunities for exploration of familiar surroundings in a cross-curriculum program. 54p.
Prototype: Enhanced Modular Childcare Facility.
http://www.designchildcare.com/pdfs/TITLE_P_WI_COPYRIGHT.pdf Davis, John; Nelsson, Anne; Philiposian, Diane; Anderson, Gretchen (The Design Institute, Louisville, KY , 2003)
Presents a prototype modular early childhood facility, featuring the rotation of one modular of a 3-modular unit to break up the repetitive, boxlike nature typical of modulars. The turning of one unit creates new habitable spaces that can used for outdoor learning and as transitional entrance areas. 12p.
Where Do Our Children Play? The Importance and Design of Schoolyards.
Iltus, Selim; Steinhagen, Renee (New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center, Newark, NJ , 2003)
The construction of new school facilities throughout New Jersey creates an enormous opportunity to address the need for outdoor facilities in New Jersey's poorest districts. This document summarizes some of the most relevant research on the need for outdoor educational facilities. It provides design guidelines for outdoor spaces for both preschool and elementary schools, and basic principles for design of outdoor facilities for athletics and environmental education for middle and high school students. 74p.
ISBN: 0974802808 TO ORDER: New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center, 744 Broad Street, Suite 1600, Newark, NJ 07102. Tel: 973-735-0523.
Chicago School Garden Initiative. A Collaborative Model for Developing School Gardens That Work.
Johnson, Katherine A.; Bjornson, Marti Ross (National Gardening Association, South Burlington,VT, 2003)
This best practices manual tells the story of Chicago's successful School Garden Initiative (SGI), which worked on a districtwide basis to create and use school gardens as a setting for active discovery. The manual explains how this model can be applied to other localities nationwide. 71p.
TO ORDER:
National Gardening Association, 1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403; tel: 800-538-7476 http://www.kidsgardeningstore.com/11-4311.html
Empowering Learning Through Natural, Human, and Building Ecologies.
http://www.designshare.com/Research/Kobet/learning_ecology.htm Kobet, Robert J. (Design Share, Minneapolis, MN. , Jan 2003)
This article asserts that it is critical to understand the connections between human ecology and building ecology to create humane environments that show inspiration and creativity and that also serve diverse needs. It calls for efforts to: (1) construct an environmental education approach that fuses the three ecologies (natural, human, and building); (2) recognize trends toward physical learning environments that are not located in traditional schools; (3) include all stakeholders in the exploration of the physical environment as an extension of the curriculum; (4) expand the number and diversity of subjects benefiting from a comprehensive built environmental education curriculum; and (5) continue to seek ways to make visible how buildings function and how they are connected to the greater community and environment at large. 5p.
Shade Planning for America's Schools.
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/pdf/shade_planning.pdf (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA , 2002)
Assists schools in creating and maintaining a physical environment that supports sun safety by ensuring that school grounds have adequate shade. Information on planning and designing solid roof and fabric shade structures, as well as creating natural shade on school grounds is included. The effect of excessive sun exposure, the formation of the school shade design team, a shade audit, and funding are also described. 70p.
Science Facilities Standards K-12 (Texas Version)
http://www.utdanacenter.org/sciencetoolkit/safety/facilities.php Collins, James W. (Charles A. Dana Center, University of Texas, Austin , 2002)
This provides Texas educators with state guidelines for the planning, construction, and maintenance of indoor science facilities and outdoor learning areas for Texas schools. It includes examples of floor plans for classrooms, laboratories, and storage rooms. Chapters include: 1) Laws, Rules, and Regulations; 2) Safety Equipment; 3) Furniture, Fixtures, and Accessories; 4) Room Design Standards; and 5) Outdoor Learning Environments. 232p.
TO ORDER:
The University of Texas at Austinhttp://utdirect.utexas.edu/txshop/item_details.
Schoolyard Mosaics: Designing Gardens and Habitats
Pranis, Eve and Gifford, Amy (National Gardening Association, South Burlington, VT, 2002)
The book offers advice on involving students in the planning and design process, building community support, and integrating the project with curriculum and learning goals. Includes 11 garden plans — from butterfly oases to history gardens — with companion stories on each project, suggestions for implementing a variety of thematic gardens, and an extensive resource section. 56p.
TO ORDER:
National Gardening Association, 1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403; Tel: 800-538-7476. http://www.kidsgardeningstore.com/11-4508.html
Schoolyard Habitats: A How-to Guide for K-12 School Communities.
(National Wildlife Federation, Reston, VA, 2001)
Three-ring binder that provides clear directions for those seeking to establish schoolyard habitats in new or renovated schools. Brief background and lists of further resources are provided on gardening for wildlife, teaching with schoolyard habitat sites, gathering information, assembling the elements and monitoring and maintaining projects once established. Includes a glossary, application for membership into the National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) Schoolyard Habitat program and NWF contact information. 217p.
TO ORDER:
National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive
Reston, VA 20190-5362; Toll free: 800 899 3455
http://www.nwf.org/schoolyard/getstarted.cfm
Your School Grounds Handbook.
http://www.schoolscapes.co.uk/acatalog/Grounds_Handbook.html (Schoolscapes, Farnham, Surrey, England , 2001)
This handbook discusses the process of planning school grounds. It presents ideas for creating good educational landscapes and provides step-by-step procedures to achieve this goal. The steps include ground surveying and analysis, establishing community and school needs and wants, planning changes and preparing the design process, publicizing and consulting to get feedback on the proposals, selecting and establishing fundraising sources, implementing the plan and building its momentum, and incorporating maintenance and sustainability features in the planning. A checklist is offered to help planners assess whether the project addresses sustainability principles. Appendices focus on planning play areas. Topics discussed include play equipment, safety, surfacing, topography, and plants. Organizations are listed for addition information and support. 28p.
School Gardens: Raising Environmental Awareness in Children.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Brynjegard, Shira 2001
This paper explores the reasons for gardens and natural spaces on school
campuses and the effects that such exposure to the natural world has on the students. Blending
case studies, observational data, and personal experience, the paper discusses the impacts a
garden has on the students who participate in it. During the evolution from rough landscape
drawing to fully functioning educational environment, the balance of administrative, teacher,
parent, and student involvement is used to determine the lasting effects the garden has on student
attitudes toward environmental concerns. Elements of what makes a garden particularly effective
at bridging the gap between the children and nature is highlighted and evidence of increased
environmental awareness in the students is discussed. (Contains 17 references.) 30p.
ERIC NO: ED452085 ;
Child's Play: An Empirical Study of the Relationship between the Physical Form of Schoolyards and Children's Behavior.
http://www.yale.edu/hixon/research/pdf/LFisman_Playgrounds.pdf Fisman, Lianne (Yale University, New Haven, CT , 2001)
Reviews existing literature on the importance of nature experiences in child development. Also described is an exploratory study performed with two Connecticut third grade classes to assess the way children utilize the playgrounds, whether or not there is a difference in the behaviors of pupils with differing "popularity," the types of playground spaces and amenities different groups of children desire, and to lay a foundation for studies of the efficacy of playground designs in promoting social integration. Includes 45 references. 44p.
Landscapes for Learners: School Ground Guidelines.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ George, Linda (Greening Schoolgrounds Program, Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada , 2001)
School grounds can and should support curriculum, protect children from health risks, and provide high-quality space in the community for educational and recreation. School community-based initiatives to green school grounds provide these benefits at comparatively little cost to school boards. These guidelines establish the educational rationale for creating landscapes for learners. The guidelines are primarily directed at school community groups (parents, teachers, students, and community members) who choose to design, establish, and maintain landscapes for learners on school grounds. Recommendations outline a pathway to change including the removal of barriers for school community-based initiatives on school grounds. The guidelines link the value of educational landscapes to the mandated British Columbia school curriculum. 18p.
ERIC NO: ED468620;
Greening School Grounds: Creating Habitats for Learning.
Grant, Tim; Littlejohn, Gail, Ed. (New Society Publishers, British Columbia, Canada , 2001)
Schoolyard greening is an excellent way to promote hands-on, interdisciplinary
learning about the environment through projects that benefit schools and increase green space and
biodiversity in communities. This book features step-by-step instructions for numerous
schoolyard projects from tree nurseries to school composting to native plant gardens, along with
ideas for enhancing learning by addressing diverse student needs. The guide includes detailed
articles on rooftop gardens, multicultural gardens, far north gardens, desert gardens, butterfly
gardens, ponds, and prairie restorations as well as more than a dozen schoolyard habitat options.
For project planners there are practical tips on minimizing vandalism, maximizing participation,
and raising funds. For teachers there are dozens of outdoor classroom activities and curriculum
links, a bibliography of learning resources, and an up-to-date listing of funders and training
organizations. 136p.
ERIC NO: ED451049 ; TO ORDER: Green Teacher, P.O. Box 1431, Lewiston, NY 14092; Tel: 416-960-1244. http://www.greenteacher.com/gsg.html
Schoolyard Learning: The Impact of School Grounds.
http://www.edc.org/GLG/schoolyard.pdf (Education Development Center, Global Learning Group, Newton, MA , Nov 2000)
This white paper utilizes a literature review and survey as the basis for comments about the influence of schoolyards on academic learning and child development. The researchers find that school grounds form an important albeit under-utilized part of the built environment. School grounds have a positive impact on social development, academic achievement, and on safety and physical well- being. The study also suggests characteristics that constitute outstanding schoolyards. It assesses the state of research on school grounds and presents a critique of existing knowledge. Appendices contain a partial bibliography, the survey on the impact of schoolyard learning programs, survey data, and a survey research summary table. 38p.
U.S. Access Board, Play Area Guidelines.
http://www.access-board.gov/play/finalrule.pdf (U.S. Access Board, Washington, DC , Oct 18, 2000)
The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board has issued guidelines to serve as the basis for enforceable standards to be adopted by the Department of Justice for new construction and alterations of play areas covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The guidelines include scoping and technical provisions for ground level and elevated play components, accessible routes, ramps and transfer systems, ground surfaces, and soft contained play structures. Included is an amendment, dated November 20, 2000, which clarifies a potential "double-counting" problem involving the minimum number of ground and elevated level play components that must be located on an accessible route. Also included are tables of equipment and ground surface costs, typical maintenance frequencies and costs, and the number of small entities affected by the guidelines. 33p.
Final Accessibility Guidelines for Play Areas: Economic Assessment.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED450547 (U.S. Access Board, Washington, DC , Oct 2000)
Discusses and quantifies costs and benefits of the final accessibility guidelines for play areas issued by the Access Board. The guidelines are intended to provide minimum accessibility requirements for play areas designed for children ages two and over. The guidelines will affect children with disabilities, their parents, and owners and operators of play areas. The guidelines apply only to newly designed and newly constructed play areas and existing play areas that are altered. All newly designed, constructed and altered play areas must comply with the guidelines. 54p.
ERIC NO: ED450547;
Environment-based Education: Creating High Performance Schools and Students
http://www.neefusa.org/pdf/NEETF8400.pdf (The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation, Washington, DC, Sep 2000)
The report consists of a collection of case studies of schools in Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Florida that are using the environment to motivate students to learn and bring new life and meaning into their school experience. These studies document current evidence supporting the premise that, compared to traditional educational approaches, environment-based education provides academic performance across the curriculum. Findings show improvement in students' academic achievement, declining classroom discipline problems and increased ability to transfer knowledge to different academic situations. Use of school grounds for environmental education is described. Research on environmental education is included in an appendix. 47p.
Developing an Earth-bound Culture Through Design of Childhood Habitats.
http://web.archive.org/web/20060312193215 Moore, Robin; Cosco, Nilda G. (Paper presented at Conference on People, Land, and Sustainability: A Global View of Community Gardening, University of Nottingham, UK. , Sep 2000)
A small but growing body of research indicates that daily experience of nature, spending time outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight, in touch with plants and animals, has a measurable impact on healthy child development. Nature must be seen as an essential component of the experiential world of childhood, designed into every childhood habitat, providing daily immersion in nature, putting children in close touch with the biosphere. Landscape designers should intervene in children's environments, involve children in the process, and create the necessary diversity of experience of the natural world to empower children as individuals to create a new, biologically wise society.
Magnuson Community Garden.
http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/magnusongarden/ (Barker Landscape Architects, Seattle, WA, Aug 2000)
Documents the community involvement process undertaken to establish designs for a community garden adjacent to a school and community center in Seattle. Design alternatives are provided, as well as a project budget.
Designing Schools Based on Brain Research.[Audiotape]
Chermayeff, Peter; Townsend, Ted (Presentation at the Learning and the Brain Conference, Washington, DC , May 03, 2000)
An audiotape explains an Iowa rainforest project that promotes experiential learning for children, and explores the effects of the physical environment on the brain. The project is a one-of-a-kind private/public partnership that has created a fully integrated, seamless educational facility that combines a public school (prekindergarten through fifth grade), teacher development/training center, rain forest (five acres), aquarium and mixed-media, and a large screen theater. It is suggested that the school's great drawing power and the profit it generates will allow the combination rain forest/public school facility to be self-supporting without an ongoing tax subsidy. 0p.
ERIC NO: ED451684 ; TO ORDER: Fleetwood On-Site, 31 Munroe St., Lynn, MA 01901; Tel: 781-599- 2400, Toll Free: 800-353-1830 http://www.fltwood.com/onsite/brain
Planning School Grounds for Outdoor Learning
http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/outdoor.pdf Wagner, Cheryl (National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, Washington, DC , May 2000)
This publication covers the planning and design of school grounds for outdoor learning in new and existing K-12 facilities. It discusses the different types of outdoor learning environments that can be considered, the value of flexible spaces for outdoor learning, and resources for those interested in outdoor learning environments. Also explored are environmental education's physical impact on school grounds, considerations during school site development when outdoor education is to be included, and existing school site redesign for outdoor education. 7p.
TO ORDER:
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilitieshttp://nibs.org/pubsncef.html
Design for Learning: Values, Qualities and Processes of Enriching School Landscapes
http://www.asla.org/latis1/LATIS-cover.htm Johnson, Julie M. (American Society of Landscape Architects, Washington, DC , 2000)
This paper presents learning values of school landscapes, as well as design qualities and processes that may enrich these landscapes for children and community. Concepts and issues are introduced with references and examples. These concepts are used as a lens to view three Seattle, Washington, case studies that illustrate varied contexts of school landscapes. Conclusions focus on conditons that are needed to make enriched school landscapes an integral part of childrens' learning and community life. 83p.
The Need for Outdoor Recreational Space in Constructed and Natural Environments to Ensure Cognitive and Physical Well-Being.
http://www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/AbbottSchoolFacilities/ Johnson, Liz; Steinhagen, Renee (Education Law Center, Newark, NJ , 2000)
In response to the ruling by the New Jersey Supreme Court on school buildings in the Abbott District, the Public Interest Law Center of New Jersey and the John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy are
providing urban school superintendents with the social science research and other support
needed to guarantee the inclusion of outdoor educational and recreational space in their 5-year facilities
plans. This is the preliminary research on the importance of outdoor play areas and athletic facilities for the cognitive, academic, social, and physical
development of children. 11p.
Playing in Place: Why the Physical Environment is Important in Playwork.
http://web.archive.org/web/20060220144406 Cosco, Nilda; Moore, Robin (14th Playeducation Annual Play and Human Development Meeting: Theoretical Playwork. Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK , Jan 26, 1999)
The aim of this paper is to set down some of the theoretical dimensions of the physical environment to encourage playworkers to consider space and its content as a versatile, valuable support in playwork practice. An inviting sense of place allows children to express themselves, to interact and unfold their curiosity for the external world, including relations with the people around them. Place-enhancing processes, activated through play, help elaborate the place beyond the confines of everyday life, providing children with a sense of belonging, identity, and ownership–the culture of the place. The body (our personal, most private space) has a very dynamic relationship to external space that is so commonplace we often gloss over it. As we discover the body-in-space, the body-in-time appears as the companion, helping to complete the totality of body skills. The richer and more diverse the world is, the greater likelihood that places acquire anima locii. Regarding the potential play value of a diverse, changeable physical environment, one could say that a play program can only be as good as its physical environment and the playworkers’ skill in managing it to maximize the programming potential with the children. [Authors' abstract]
Conserving and Enhancing the Natural Environment. A Guide for Planning, Design, Construction, and Maintenance on New & Existing School Sites. [Maryland]
Bice, Barbara; And Others (Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore , 1999)
Natural environments on school sites provide considerable multi-disciplinary educational opportunities, many of which are "hands-on" experiences that stimulate learning. This document presents guidelines on conserving and enhancing the natural environment on school sites. It provides guidance for developing the site requirements in education specifications and designs for new building construction and major renovation and/or addition projects for existing schools. Appendices address funding sources available to Maryland educators to support school site habitat projects; and Maryland organizations that can offer assistance such as the forestry service, soil conservation district offices; and a list of data about Maryland native plants. (Contains 55 references.) 80p.
ERIC NO: ED460589; TO ORDER: Maryland Department of Education, 200 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201; Tel: 410-767-0098
The Outdoor Classroom: Educational Use, Landscape Design, and Management of School Grounds. Second Edition. Building Bulletin 71.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Billmore, Brian; Brooke, John; Booth, Rupert; Funnell, Keith (Department for Education and Employment, Architects and Building Branch, London, England , 1999)
Bulletin on school grounds development, highlighting the potential of these grounds as a valuable resource that can support and enrich the whole curriculum and the education of all pupils. Appendices include a landscape survey checklist, a list possible site features, a landscape brief for a new school, and a management policy statement of objectives. 75p.
ERIC NO: ED432893 ; ISBN-0-11-2710611
Play for All
Moore, Robin C.; Goltsman, Susan M. (MIG Communications, Berkeley, CA , 1999)
A CD-ROM provides a tour of some of the world's greatest play environments, presenting 94 photographic images that illustrate the key concepts and recommendations from Play For All guidelines. It is organized into 10 categories covering a range of play area settings, including play equipment, sand settings, water settings, play props, and animal habitats.
ERIC NO: ED430386; ISBN-0-944661-29-7 TO ORDER: MIG Communications, 1802 Fifth St., Berkeley, CA 94710; Tel: 510-845-0953
Learning Through Landscapes School Grounds Toolkit and Activity Pack
Russell, Liz (Learning through Landscapes Trust, Winchester, England , 1999)
This packet provides guidelines to help schools make the most of their school grounds and contains: a handbook; a loose leaf activity pack; video; and poster. The handbook provides information on each stage of the school ground development/change process, offers the rationale for improving school grounds, and lists the various resources and organizations available for assistance. The activity pack provides basic activities to support each stage in the change process. 102p.
ERIC NO: ED440521 ; ISBN-1-872865-29-1 TO ORDER: The Green Brick Road, 429 Danforth Ave., Ste. #408, Toronto, ON, Canada M4K 1P1; Tel: 800-473-3638 or 416-421-9816.
Educational Landscapes: Developing School Grounds as Learning Places
Takahashi, Nancy (University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson Center for Educational Design, Charlottesville, VA , 1999)
In response to today's concern for the environment and growing curricular demands to teach about the natural world, educators are discovering the power of a school's surrounding outdoors area as a teaching tool. This book presents an overview of educational landscapes and examines the pervasive attitudes and practices that have led to the undervaluing of the schoolyard environment, identifies specific steps to create successful educational landscapes, provides insights for integrating the schoolyard more fully into the school culture and pedagogy, and discusses how to sustain educational landscape programs over time. Examples of built educational landscapes from the United States and Britain are provided to illustrate the range of possibilities for school grounds. 63p.
ERIC NO: ED428530 ; TO ORDER: University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson Center for Educational Design, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Learning through Landscapes: Grounds for Examination. [Video]
Young, Jane (Learning through Landscape Trust; Hampshire County Council, Winchester, England , 1999)
A 25-minute video describes the current condition of many of England's secondary school grounds and shows what can be done to improve them. Empowering students to help in redesigning the surrounding school grounds into a conservation area is described. Examples are provided showing how grounds influence student social relations; positively impact behavior; provide opportunities for specific nature clubs; and offer opportunities for physical activities, including those that consider students with physical and educational disabilities. Further, it explains the usefulness of school grounds for delivering the curriculum in environmental education as well as cross-curricular projects.
ERIC NO: ED436925 ;
The School Site Planner. Land for Learning. Site Selection, Site Planning, Playgrounds, Recreation, and Athletic Fields.
http://www.schoolclearinghouse.org/pubs/schsite.pdf (Public Schools of North Carolina, State Board of Education, Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh , Jun 1998)
The report examines not only the site selection and planning processes, but also playground planning, recreation and athletic fields planning, and the North Carolina agencies and statutes that are involved. Specific considerations include analyses of the surrounding community or territory; of building access and security; of the surrounding natural environment and available support services; of landscaping, utilities, and vehicular traffic; and of playground equipment and safety. Final sections provide athletic field layouts for track and field events; football, soccer, and baseball fields; and basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts. 75p.
ERIC NO: ED428504 ;
Digging Deeper: Integrating Youth Gardens Into Schools and Communities.
Kiefer, Joseph; Kemple, Martin; Manaugh, Melanie (Food Works, 1998)
This book provides educators with practical, clear information on how to develop youth gardens in schools and communities. It shows how school gardening is an ideal vehicle to meet high educational standards and achieve learning results. 144p.
ISBN-188443004X
The Boston Schoolyard Initiative: An American City's Approach to Sustainable Schoolyard Development.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Meyer, Kirk (Paper presented at the Learning through Landscapes: Grounds for Celebration Conference , Sep 21, 1997)
This presentation describes the development process behind the Boston Schoolyard Initiative: a 5-year, inner city, community-driven initiative to transform neglected and unwelcome schoolyards into active centers of school and community use. Each phase of the initiative is discussed from community organizing through design, construction, and ongoing maintenance. The initiative shows sustainable schoolyard programs need total involvement from all potential users in the design and development phases, a focus on the multi-use approach, the integration of the school grounds into the life of the school, and inclusion of the school yard in future budgeting allocations. 8p.
ERIC NO: ED443266 ;
School Grounds: A Guide to Good Practice.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Funnell, Keith; Alford, Valerie; Denegri, Don; Johns, Sally; Young, Bob (Department for Education and Employment, Architects and Building Branch, London, England , 1997)
Limited financial resources and increasing pressures of competing claims on school outdoor grounds have created the need for greater quality enhancement of these areas to ensure they are used efficiently. This document addresses the issues and principles affecting school grounds, provides an analysis of the benefits of using and developing these areas, and outlines the processes necessary for successful school ground management as advocated by Learning through Landscapes. Chapters examine why ground surveying is important; how the National Curriculum provides a framework for the need to teach in the outdoor classroom; and why schools should develop a clear justification for their management of breaks and lunch times, as well as the special nature of this experience and its connection with student behavior. Additionally explored are recent research on the hidden curriculum and how school ground design influences behavior, different options and their contractual arrangements for school ground maintenance, and resources for planning grounds changes. It discusses the importance of the process of developing school grounds and of student involvement. 140p.
ERIC NO: ED431294 ; ISBN-0-11-270990-7 TO ORDER: The Publications Centre, P.O. Box 276, London, SW8 5DT; Tel: 0171-873-9090; Fax: 0171-873-8200
Smaller Places for Special People?
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Firlik, Russell 1997)
As school enrollments increase, schools will need to expand their facilities and playgrounds. School
construction and expansion is a part of the "hidden curriculum" of schools and affects children's learning processes. When school expansion is combined with the move from half day to full day kindergarten and increasing the time children spend at school, outdoor space for free play is reduced. Results of a British research study called "Special Places: Special People--The Hidden Curriculum of School Grounds" showed the importance of external environments for shaping children's learning and values. Findings included children's preference for natural environments over built environments and manufactured equipment, and the discrepancy between children's and adults' attitudes toward the value of external
environments. American educators and administrators would do well to consider the extent to which children have freedom of access to external environments and to control this "hidden curriculum" for the benefit of the students. 11p.
ERIC NO: ED422091;
Natural Learning: The Life of an Environmental Schoolyard. Creating Environments for Rediscovering Nature's Way of Teaching
Moore, Robin C.; Wong, Herb H. (MIG Communications, Berkeley, CA , 1997)
The "Environment Yard" project is a 10-year effort to transform an ordinary asphalt schoolyard into a lush, naturalized environment. This book describes the project from which a natural extension of the classroom was created, reducing student boredom and antisocial behavior as they became engaged in the landscape. It instructs on how to naturalize a schoolyard into an outdoor classroom, provides innovative ways of teaching the basics in outdoor settings, and offers ideas on creating engaging play areas that foster positive behavior. 280p.
ERIC NO: ED432122; ISBN-0-944661-24-6 TO ORDER: MIG Communications, 800 Hearst Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710; Tel: 510-845-0953
Designing Landscapes for Learning: Transforming School Grounds Into "Special Places".
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Stine, Sharon (American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting Proceedings, Washington, DC , 1997)
Research on playground design in Japan and England offers challenges to the logic behind how playgrounds in
the United States are designed. This paper presents observations of outdoor environments for children and youth in Japan and
England where the space is not only useful and safe but also contributes to learning and play that reflects the regional and
cultural elements of the surrounding community. It describes the educational, aesthetic, and environmental values embodied in
these playgrounds and discusses the implications for school-ground design in the United States. Observations from both
countries reveal a close connection between the inside and outside areas in playground design, but also show a very different
attitude towards child privacy and socialization needs. 7p.
ERIC NO: ED432879 ;
Landscapes for Learning: Creating Outdoor Environments for Children and Youth
Stine, Sharon (John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York, NY , 1997)
The purpose of this book is to help designers and teachers think about the quality of outside school
environments as learning places. The first chapter defines the players' roles as: (1) the designer, a maker of school form; (2)
the teacher, the maintainer of the environment; and (3) the child, who is a major force in the use of the space. These
players, their roles, and their interactions are described, along with the forces that shape the players' interactions. Chapter 2
places the players in a setting and, by describing the dimensions of this setting, explores a common vocabulary. The nine
pairs of contrasting elements essential in any play environment are also introduced. Chapter 3 describes the process of
development of outside space in two schools over an 80-year time span, and Chapter 4 presents an analysis of the process
of finding a fit or congruence between a physical setting and the users of the setting. Chapter 5 describes four design
elements and summarizes their implications via case studies. Chapter 6 focuses on adults and research into the variety of
educational settings and adult responses to them. The final chapter focuses on the potential of outside spaces to be safe
settings for learning. 244p.
ERIC NO: ED407087 ; ISBN: 0-471-16222-1 TO ORDER: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., One Wiley Drive, Somerset, NJ 08875; Tel: 908-469-4400
Understanding the Design Process for Outdoor Play & Learning Environments
http://www.whitehutchinson.com/children/articles/ Stoecklin, Vicki L. (White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, 1997)
This piece provides guidance to those who will be working with design professionals to create outdoor learning environments. The components of a design proposal are listed and explained and recommendations for the composition of a design team are provided. Information is intended to help site owners become better clients. 3p.
Children's Outdoor Play & Learning Environments: Returning to Nature
http://www.whitehutchinson.com/children/articles/outdoor.shtml White, Randy; Stoecklin, Vicki L. (White Hutchinson Leisure and Learning Group, Kansas City, MO , 1997)
Why typical playgrounds are designed the way they are by adults is discussed, including what the ideal outdoor play/learning environment for children is and how the outdoor space should be considered as an extension of the classroom. The paper emphasizes the importance of nature to children, discusses the criteria playground designers should possess, and explains why it is essential for the design process to include input from children, teachers, parents, and maintenance staff. 7p.
Grounds for Learning: A Celebration of School Site Developments in Scotland.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Kenny, Kate (Learning Through Landscape Trust, Winchester, England , 1996)
This manual contains ideas and descriptions of some of the best ways Scottish schools can use and develop their grounds. Chapters examine the process of change from getting started, planning, and making the changes necessary. Specific topics include setting up the management structure, surveying the school grounds, identifying needs and solution planning, implementing and adjusting the plans, dealing with multicultural issues, linking ground development with the curriculum, and addressing special needs issues. Case studies are included. 94p.
ERIC NO: ED439584; ISBN-1-87286-517-8
A Legacy of Us: Maintaining and Managing Your School Grounds.
Layzell, Julie; Rogers, Nicola; Flatt, Graham (Learning through Landscape Trust, Winchester, England; Hampshire County Council Schools Landscape Project, England , 1996)
This manual and videotape provides guidance on establishing effective school ground maintenance and management practices that link the grounds development phases with appropriate management. The video provides an overview of the key issues by showing approaches adopted by five different schools, and the manual explores these issues in greater detail offering additional outline information on the practice of maintenance and management of school grounds as well as a resource directory of organizations and contacts who can give support to schools. 35p.
ERIC NO: ED445481 ; ISBN-1-85975-099-0 TO ORDER: The Green Brick Road, 429 Danforth Ave., Ste. 408, Toronto, ON, Canada M4K 1P1; Tel: 800-473-3638.
The Challenge of the Urban School Site
Martin, Deborah, Ed.; Lucas, Bill, Ed.; Titman, Wendy, Ed.; Hayward, Siobhan, Ed. (Learning Through Landscape Trust, Winchester, England , 1996)
This guidebook provides information on improving urban school grounds to enhance children's lives. Chapters provide the experiences from other schools on the topics of greening the urban school grounds; the multi-cultural aspects of developing urban school grounds; organization of limited space; issues involving seating, shelter, and raised structures; and playground art. The unique difficulties involved in secondary school ground development are addressed in the areas of curriculum linkage, social needs, and the management and organization of change. Additionally discussed are areas of special consideration in urban school grounds development, such as vandalism prevention, school security, tarmac removal, and new surface installation. Resource information is provided along with a list of schools and their locations which have created winning grounds development schemes. 110p.
ERIC NO: ED439582 ; ISBN-1-872865-16-X TO ORDER: The Green Brick Road, 429 Danforth Ave., Ste. 408, Toronto, ON, Canada M4K 1P1; Tel: 800-473-3638. http://www.gbr.org/
Thinking about Seating in Your School Grounds.
Russell, Liz (Learning Through Landscapes Trust, Winchester, England , 1996)
The Learning Through Landscape Trust's CD-ROM explores the issues connected with choosing, developing, locating, and using seating in school grounds. Designed to be used by teachers with pupils of all ages, the computer program includes sections on resources, maintenance, history, and pupil activities.
ERIC NO: ED430385; ISBN-1-872865-26-7 TO ORDER: The Green Brick Road, 429 Danforth Ave., Ste. #408, Toronto, ON, Canada M4K 1P1; Tel: 800-473-3638 or 416-421-9816.
Twenty/Twenty: Projects and Activities for Wild School Sites. An Ohio Project Wild Action Guide.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Schiff, Paul D. (Ohio Division of Wildlife, Education Section, Columbus, OH , 1996)
This book presents 20 projects and 20 activities designed to encourage students and teachers to use the school
site as part of an environmental education program with the focus on creating a place for wildlife. The projects and activities
coincide with other materials from Project WILD and are easily adaptable by teachers at any grade level. The objectives of
each project and activity focus on learner outcomes and hands-on application. They also provide opportunities for
multi-disciplinary resources. 117p.
ERIC NO: ED411144 ;
Grounds for Sharing: A Guide To Developing Special School Sites.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Stoneham, Jane (Learning Through Landscape Trust, Winchester, England , 1996)
The Learning through Landscape Trust conducted research on the design and management of school grounds for children with special needs and has produced this guidebook detailing what research shows about ensuring that the school grounds benefit these students. It provides advice and information on developing school grounds that are long-term and sustainable, that help maximize and encourage abilities and overcome children's particular challenges, and involve children with diverse needs with their adult carers wherever possible. The outline of the research and its findings are provided followed by information on the school ground planning process; accessibility design of school grounds; landscaping design; animals that can be included, horticultural issues; and planning issues for enhancing social use, sensory experience, and physical activities. Concluding sections present nine case studies and resources for guidance in fundraising; and information on special needs, outdoor design, use and management, and help for construction and management work. 88p.
Report NO: 141ERIC NO: ED439581; ISBN-1-87865-23-2
Weaving a Tapestry of Resistance: The Places, Power, and Poetry of a Sustainable Society.
Sutton, Sharon E.; Giroux, Henry A., Ed.; Freire, Paulo, Ed. (Bergin and Garvey; 88 Post Road West; Westport, CT 06881 , 1996)
This book examines the educational, social, and physical environment of two elementary schools that are located in contrasting socioeconomic settings, revealing the importance of "place" in human lives and learning. It draws from systematic observations conducted over a three-year period, presenting the schools and their inhabitants through a fictionalized narrative intended to help readers better understand how the material conditions of poverty and wealth impact children's world view without compromising the identity of the participants. The book concludes with the author's vision of education in a sustainable society, which is presented through three case studies of innovations in New York City. 236p.
ISBN-0-89789-278-X TO ORDER: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 88 Post Road West, Westport CT 06881; Tel: 203-226-3571 http://www.greenwood.com
Creating Environments for Young Children
Sanoff, Henry (North Carolina State Univ., School of Design, Raleigh , 1995)
The planning and design of child care centers has been undertaken without sufficient knowledge of children's spatial behavior, resulting in centers not providing appropriate physical conditions for young children's developmental needs. This workbook contains exercises and other learning materials for young students that follow principles of good design in the following units: (1) "Goal Setting"; (2) "What Is a Learning Environment," including components of a learning center, along with how to create and rate learning centers; (3) "Playroom Design Principles," focusing on light and color, planning, and modeling the playroom; (4) "Building Image"; (5) "Planning the Facility"; and (6) "Planning Outdoor Play," including play zones, planning outdoor play (POP), playground safety, playground document scale, and mapping children's behavior. 124p.
TO ORDER:
North Carolina State University, College of Design. http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/s/sanoff/www/schooldesign/young.html
Exploring School Nature Areas [Video]
(Project WILD, Gaithersburg, MD, 1994)
This 13-minute video was produced in cooperation with St. Olaf College's "School Nature Area Project." It is designed to inspire students and educators to take positive action for the environment, and it provides examples of outdoor classrooms around the country. It also shows how science, social studies, math, art, and other subject areas are reinforced in school nature areas.
TO ORDER:
Project WILD, 707 Conservation Lane, Suite 305; Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878; Tel: 301-527-8900.
Special Places; Special People: The Hidden Curriculum of School Grounds.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery Titman, Wendy (World Wide Fund for Nature, Surrey, England; Learning through Landscape Trust, Winchester, England , 1994)
The research project, Special Places; Special People, is designed to provide insight and advice in the management of schools and their grounds for the benefit of children. This document describes the project's research methodology and findings, explores some of the wider implications arising from the study, and suggests ways in which schools might embark upon effecting change. Research findings are discussed on how children read the external environment and school grounds. Issues arising from these findings examine the importance of school grounds to children in a modern society, the messages school grounds convey about the ethos of schools, and children's attitudes and behavior that are determined by the school grounds and the way they are managed. 140p.
ERIC NO: ED430384 ; ISBN-0-947613-48-X
WILD School Sites: A Guide to Preparing for Habitat Improvement Projects on School Grounds
(Project WILD, Gaithersburg, MD, 1993)
This guide helps students and teachers learn about the importance of biodiversity, understand the basic steps of creating a wildlife habitat, develop a plan for action, and gain community support. The goal of this guide is to assist educators and their students in using school grounds to take responsible action to improve their communities for people and wildlife. 64p.
TO ORDER:
Project WILD, 707 Conservation Lane, Suite 305, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, Tel:301-527-8900.
Plants for Play: A Plant Selection Guide for Children's Outdoor Environments.
Moore, Robin C. (MIG Communications, Berkeley, CA , 1993)
This book presents guidelines in the design and management of children's landscapes and reveals the importance of plants as a resource for play and child development. It identifies plants by function, i.e. their sensory values, play values, food production, seasonal interest, shade quality, screens against natural barriers, wildlife enhancement, erosion control, and drought tolerance. Poisonous plants and pesticides are addressed as is information on plant hardiness by geographic location. An index of plant names is included. 121p.
ERIC NO: ED445480; ISBN-0-944661-18-1 TO ORDER: MIG Communications, 800 Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94710; Tel: 510-845-7549 http://www.migcom.com/pages/products
Wildlife and the School Environment.
(Learning through Landscapes Trust, Winchester, England , 1992)
This booklet explores various ways that environmental learning opportunities can be created at elementary schools by utilizing school facilities and surrounding school grounds. The first two chapters include advice that educators can use to develop proposals for improving the school grounds' environmental condition and some basic principles to consider when using school grounds for environmental teaching. Subsequent chapters explain how to create environmental learning opportunities using not only the school building, but hard-surfaced areas, ponds, grasslands, wildflowers, insect gardens, and woodlands. Five case studies are included along with a list of additional resources for further information. 35p.
ERIC NO: ED456622; ISBN-0-903138-51-4
Play for All Guidelines: Planning, Design, and Management of Outdoor Play Settings for All Children. Second Edition.
Moore, Robin C., Ed.; Goltsman, Susan M., Ed.; Iacofano, Daniel S., Ed. (MIG Communications, Berkeley, CA. , 1992)
These guidelines assist professional designers, park and recreation managers, and community groups when making decisions about the planning, design, and ongoing management of children s public play environments. The guidelines are updated to meet or exceed the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act Guidelines (July 26, 1991) and the revised Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines (1991). The first two of four parts cover site planning and design, and setting design and management. Part 3 examines the Play For All guidelines being used to help rebuild a public playground with emphasis on improving accessibility and providing amenities for all people. Finally, Part 4 provides an overview of play programming and management for integration of all children. 300p.
ERIC NO: ED447685 ; ISBN-0-944661-17-3 TO ORDER: MIG Communications, 800 Hearst Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710; Tel: 800-790-8444
Playground Design and Mainstreaming Issues: Beyond Ramps.
Esbensen, Steen B. (Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Denver, CO , 1991)
This paper identifies issues confronting early childhood educators who
want to integrate children with special needs with others, and the
implications of such integration for the design of outdoor play settings.
The paper focuses on the ambiguity involved when developmentally
appropriate practice in early childhood education meets trends in
playground design. It is emphasized that playground equipment needs to
provide opportunities and challenges appropriate to the age and
development of children. It is important to create an outdoor play setting
abundant in: (1) aspects of nature; (2) furniture and shade that allow for
creative and social experiences; (3) a variety of surface textures,
materials, and loose parts for children to touch and manipulate; and (4)
space that allows children to move around, interact with nature,
socialize, and challenge their physical dexterity. 6p.
ERIC NO: ED339524 ;
Learning Through Landscapes: Using School Grounds as an Educational Resource.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/ Young, Kirsty (Learning Through Landscape Trust, Winchester, England , 1990)
All schools need a variety of size, shape, type, and texture in their grounds to provide an opportunity for play, study, and shelter. This booklet provides 13 case studies of English sites illustrating some of the most imaginative work taking place in school grounds, and outlines action plans for changing grounds. Photographs and design drawings of grounds accompany each entry. Also provided are a pull-out chart outlining the grounds design action plan and information about the Learning Through Landscape Trust. 22p.
ERIC NO: ED430383 ; ISBN-1-872865-04-6
Planning Outdoor Play: A Manual Organized To Provide Design Assistance to Community Groups.
Sanoff, Henry (Humanics Limited, Atlanta, GA , 1982)
This manual, based on the collective experience of various community groups, explores the steps for planning community playgrounds from the original inspiration to the final workday. It covers the planning approach, including community meeting management, committee development, safety issues, equipment options, funding, site selection, and communication topics. Also addressed is publicity and putting the entire plan into action. Appendices present a playground design game, handmade equipment layout planning, and a case study of the design process. 97p.
ERIC NO: ED447668; ISBN-0-89334-034-0 TO ORDER: Humanics Limited, P.O. Box 7447, Atlanta, GA 30309
School Zone: Learning Environments for Children
Taylor, Anne P.; Vlastos, George (School Zone Publishing Company, New York, NY , 1975)
Architectural solutions to some educational problems are explored and a systematic
method is presented for designing schools as learning environments for children.
The book demonstrates a way of using
curriculum as a design determinant and offers design ideas based on experimental
research. Based on the assumption that physical setting does contribute to learning, it
suggests ways to modify indoor and outdoor educational spaces so that they are an
integral part of the learning process. 144p.
ERIC NO: ED145528 ; ISBN-0-913947-00-8
Places for Environmental Education. A Report.
http://archone.tamu.edu/CRS/engine/archive_files/EFL/6000.0225.pdf (Educational Facilities Laboratories, New York, NY , Jul 1971)
Compiles conference discussions on the implications of various types of facilities on environmental education programs. The conference participants included architects, landscape architects, planners, government leaders and educators. The consensus of these 26 participants can be summarized as follows: 1) environmental education is not just a passing fad; 2) facilities facilitate learning; 3) the methodology of environmental education is best centered around an interdisciplinary approach; 4) major capital expenditures are not necessary for schools to mount effective programs in environmental education. 19p.
Grounds for Health: The Intersection of Green School Grounds and Health-Promoting Schools.
Bell, Anne C.; Dyment, Janet E. Environmental Education Research; v14 n1 , p77-90 ; Feb 2008
Despite the growing body of research on green school grounds, relatively little has been written about their relationship with health promotion, particularly from a holistic health perspective. This paper explores the power and potential of green school grounds to promote health and well-being and to be an integral element of multifaceted, school-based health promotion strategies. Specifically,it brings together recent research to examine green school grounds as places where the interests of educators and children's health advocates can meet, inform and support one another. Highlights the growing body of evidence that green school grounds, as a school setting, can contribute to children's physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being.
TO ORDER:
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a790536911~db=all~order=page
Building Blueprints: Connect with Courtyards.
Lentz, Michael; Monberg, Gregory School Planning and Management; v46 n12 , p44,45 ; Dec 2007
Reviews benefits of thoughtfully designed school courtyards, and typical uses such as dining, outdoor learning, and special events. Suggestions for design, security, technology integration, and maintenance are included.
Landscape to Educate.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1622.shtm Jacobson, John School Planning and Management; v46 n10 , p20,22,24,25,27 ; Oct 2007
Reviews opportunities for community use and outdoor learning through thoughtful design of the school facility landscape. Examples of how three Maine schools provide outdoor learning and community access to athletic fields are included.
Your Outdoor Spaces.
http://www.childcareexchange.com/resources/view_article.php?article_id=5017706 Exchange: The Early Childhood Leaders' Magazine ; n177 , p76-81 ; Sep-Oct 2007
This article presents a sampling of great design ideas, using photographs and brief descriptions, of creative elements incorporated into outdoor environments. The design ideas were sent by readers of "ExchangeEveryDay" e-newsbrief from their early childhood programs and include the following: (1) pathway, garden, sound, or texture features; (2) elements that invite exploration, physical challenge; (3) special places for social interaction; (4) solutions to a challenging problem; and (5) ideas for inclusion.
The Feel of a Watershed.
Viani, Lisa Landscape Architecture; v97 n8 , p24,26-28,30-32,34-39 ; Aug 2007
Profiles the Cedar River Watershed Education Center, which teaches Seattle area students about their water supply, the watershed they live in, the water cycle, and conservation. Building and landscape features, as well as portions of the educational program are discussed.
Variety Is the Spice of Education! (Part 1)
http://www.cms.schooldesigner.com/newsletter/2007/07_07newsletter.html Schooldesigner Newsletter; n11 ; Jul 2007
Addresses design of outdoor learning spaces, citing several exmplary American learning landscapes. Design basics, landscaping, and connection to their respective adjacent indoor spaces are discussed.
A New Urbanist Model of Learning.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1398.shtm VanderVoort, Mark School Planning and Management; v46 n6 , p74-77 ; Jun 2007
Profiles the Walker Creek Elementary School in North Richland Hills, Texas. The new school in a new residential development is conceived as a community center, and features outdoor learning areas, team teaching studios, informal gathering spaces, and commons areas instead of corridors.
Going "Green" for Sustainability's Sake.
http://www.learningbydesign.biz Learning By Design; n16 , p182 ; 2007
Narrates the experience of the Whitmore Lake, Michigan, community in building a LEED-certified high school that included preservation and moving of an historic farmhouse on the site and construction of a pond onsite that serves as a stormwater retention basin, outdoor classroom, and a component of a geothermal HVAC system.
How to Get Started with a School Garden Project.
http://www.howtodothings.com/home-garden Nicholson, Casey (HowToDoThings.com, Seattle, WA, 2007)
Advises on organizing a school gardening project, including choosing the location, obtaining the supplies, plant selection, and land preparation. 2p.
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