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Title: 2016 School Ground Activity Guides: Combined Table of Contents Editor: Green Schoolyards America Publisher: Green Schoolyards America and the International School Grounds Alliance
Publication date: May 2016
Green Schoolyards America and the International School Grounds Alliance greatly appreciate the collaboration of 123 author-organizations from the United States and 17 other countries. Please see the names of the collaborating authororganizations near the end of this document. We extend our sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed! Overall publication © 2016 Green Schoolyards America. Photographs and diagrams are copyrighted as noted in the text. Excerpts and images from this publication may not be repurposed and used in other contexts, except by the original authors/ photographers. Any other reuse of this content requires written permission from Green Schoolyards America and the individual authors/photographers. Publication editing, design and layout by Green Schoolyards America. Cover design, header and footer design by Katrina Ortiz. Introductory articles and chapter heading text © 2010-2016 Sharon Gamson Danks, adapted from materials previously published by this author. Citations are included in the Activity Guide’s text using the reference numbers below: 1. Danks, Sharon Gamson. Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation. Oakland: New Village Press, November 2010. 2. ---. “The Power and Potential of Green Schoolyards.” The New Nature Movement: Guest Columns, Children & Nature Network, February 7, 2014. 3. ---. “Living Schoolyards for California.” The New Nature Movement: Guest Columns, Children & Nature Network, August 20, 2014. Green Schoolyards America is fiscally sponsored by Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility, a 501(c)(3) corporation.
The INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL GROUNDS ALLIANCE (ISGA) is a global network of organizations and professionals working to enrich children’s learning and play by improving the way school grounds are designed and used. Each year in May, the ISGA hosts International School Grounds Month and invites schools around the world to celebrate their grounds. We also hold international conferences every year or two, and they are open to the public. To sign up for our mailing list, please visit our website:
www.internationalschoolgrounds.org
GREEN SCHOOLYARDS AMERICA is a national organization that expands and strengthens the green schoolyard movement and empowers Americans to become stewards of their school and neighborhood environments. We believe that school grounds are uniquely positioned to enrich the daily lives of children and their communities, occupying both the geographic and social heart of almost every city across the USA and around the world. We provide resources, training and support for pre-K-12 school districts and partner with nonprofits, businesses, government agencies and utilities to effect change across the country. We invite like-minded professionals and organizations to join us in this work and collaborate to nurture and grow the international movement to green school grounds. To sign up for our mailing list, please visit our website:
www.greenschoolyards.org
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International School Grounds Month and Living Schoolyard Month
M
ay is International School Grounds Month around the world and Living Schoolyard Month in California, USA. Each year, the International School Grounds Alliance and Green Schoolyards America encourage schools to take their students outside during the month of May to celebrate their grounds and use them to support learning across the curriculum, promote healthy lifestyles, and enrich play during students’ free time. School grounds are also wonderful places to foster empathy and social-emotional well-being. They are great venues for the creative arts, community celebrations, and for making connections to your neighborhood’s unique natural, geographic and cultural context. We believe school grounds are very important to children and youth, and shape their experience of the world around them. If you agree with us, we hope you will take some time during the month of May—and throughout the year—to celebrate your grounds by stepping outside with your students to engage in hands-on adventures of many types. There is no right or wrong way to participate in our May events. You could take academic lessons into your grounds, promote play outside, camp out in your schoolyard or invite parents to watch a play outdoors—whatever works best for your school. More information about our three Activity Guides is included on the next page. We hope you will be inspired by the ideas in this set of publications, and will use your school grounds to their fullest in May, and throughout the year.
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How to use this publication This document is an extended table of contents that combines the materials found in three companion publications related to school ground celebrations in May. We created this resource to help educators find the perfect activity for their class across the three Activity Guides. The Guides are each divided into chapters by topic. This Combined Table of Contents introduces each topic and explains how it directly benefits children and the environment. The activities fall within these categories, and are sometimes cross-listed. They are summarized below each title in order to provide information to help educators decide which activities best meet their needs. The “Activity Location” in the Combined Table of Contents indicates which of the three Guides contains the activity, and also lists the page number: ISGA = 2016 International School Grounds Month Activity Guide CA = 2016 Living Schoolyard Month Activity Guide California Edition MW = 2016 Living Schoolyard Month Activity Guide
Midwest Edition
For example, “Steal the Native Plant ... CA 17” is located in the 2016 Living Schoolyard Month Activity Guide - California Edition, on page 17.
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Download the Activity Guides!
We invite you to download a free copy of each of the three 2016 Activity Guides we produced as a set. They include school ground ideas from the USA and around the world. Their names reflect the locations of their authors, but all three Guides are intended for global use with children 3-18 years old. The 2016 International School Grounds Month Activity Guide includes 50 outdoor activity ideas, written by 37 organizations in 17 countries. It is published by the International School Grounds Alliance and was produced and edited by Green Schoolyards America in collaboration with the ISGA. Green Schoolyards America’s 2016 Living Schoolyard Activity Guide - California Edition includes 59 outdoor ideas, written by 55 organizations based in California, USA. The Midwest Edition includes 38 year-round outdoor activity ideas written by 33 organizations working in the central USA. We hope the variety of geographic and cultural contexts in this collection of Activity Guides will support your work anywhere in the world—during the month of May and year-round. green schoolyards america greenschoolyards.org SM
International School Grounds Alliance •
2016 International School Grounds Month Activity Guide — http://bit.ly/ISGAmay
Green Schoolyards America •
2016 Living Schoolyard Activity Guide California Edition — http://bit.ly/GSAguides
•
2016 Living Schoolyard Activity Guide Midwest Edition — http://bit.ly/GSAguides
Combined table of contents • •
2016 School Ground Activity Guides: Combined Table of Contents — http://bit.ly/ISGAmay Total of 147 activities from 123 organizations!
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Celebrate in May! W e hope you will be inspired by the ideas in our Activity Guides, and will use your school grounds to their fullest in May, and throughout the year. After you have participated in International School Grounds Month and Living Schoolyard Month, please share your adventures with us by registering on our website to tell us what you did! We are very interested in hearing from you. Reporting your activities will help us spread the word to other schools, governments and organizations who can help promote and support green schoolyards around the world in the future.
We update our Activity Guides every year. Please contact us if you would like to contribute an activity in the future.
Your celebration Please tell us about your schoolyard adventures in May by sending us the following information: • • •
• •
Name of your school School location: city, state, country A brief description of how you celebrated your school grounds in May (100-400 words) Photo(s) showing your activity in progress. (Please confirm you have permission to use these images and to share them with the public in print and online.) Contact name and email address Age range and number of participating students
•
School or project website (if you have one)
•
Email this to:
[email protected] or submit it via our website: http://bit.ly/GSAreg1 Following the event, we will share many of the activity reports we receive by posting them on our websites and social networks. We are looking forward to hearing about your work and hope you enjoy the celebration!
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© Ayesha Ercelawn
Art L
iving schoolyards provide settings and inspiration for creative projects ranging from writing assignments to drawing, painting, mosaic, nature art and sculpture.
Studio Space Students of all ages benefit from art studio spaces that allow creativity to blossom—and that are easy to clean, comfortable, inviting and spacious. Enriched school grounds can include formal or informal outdoor art studios that increase teaching space and accommodate messier art forms that are more difficult to practice inside. Creative EXPRESSION Schools can diversify the recreational offerings they provide to students of all ages during their outdoor free time by including an array of inexpensive outdoor art materials among their supplies. Unstructured “art time” allows students to get their hands dirty and express themselves creatively in ways that are not always possible during the rest of the school day. Outdoor Exhibits Outdoor art installations turn ordinary school grounds into beautiful, memorable places that delight the eye and speak to the heart, while also showing students the school community cares about their environment. Temporary and permanent schoolyard artwork can reflect local culture, highlight regional ecosystems and instill school spirit.2
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Art Activity title activity location Outdoor ART studio space
Make a Create-With-Nature Zone Provide natural materials for students to dream up their own artwork — Zach Pine Nature Sculpture and University of California Blake Garden, Kensington, California, USA
CA 7
DRAWING AND Painting
Make Your Own Vine Charcoal Create drawing tools using traditional methods — Naturskolan i Lund, Lund, Sweden
ISGA 7
The Fine Art of Flower Pounding Use fresh flowers to create flower prints — Life Lab, Santa Cruz, California, USA
ISGA 8
Creative Painting with “Garden Paintbrushes” Use natural materials as paintbrushes — Explore Ecology, Santa Barbara, California, USA
CA 8
Painting the Seasons Follow a plant through seasonal changes — Green Schoolyards America, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 9
Nature’s Watercolors Use natural pigments to create paintings — La Scuola Italian Int’l School, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 10
Schoolyard Nature Lotería Create board game with hand-drawn, nature-inspired cards — Latino Outdoors, Capitola, California, USA
CA 14
The Tree is Like Me! Imagine what it’s like to be a tree and express this with art — TreePeople, Beverly Hills, California, USA
CA 27
Make a Solar Etching Use the sun’s energy to etch designs — Rahus Institute - Solar Schoolhouse, Sebastopol, California, USA
CA 66
Tree Wonder Use scale and geometry to observe and draw trees — Project Central, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
MW 23
Adopt-A-Tree Record seasonal changes with drawings — Prairie Crossing Charter School, Grayslake, Illinois, USA
MW 27
Act Like Leopold Create sketches to record seasonal changes — Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona, Wisconsin, USA
MW 28
Textiles, sculpture and Carpentry
Weaving with Plant Materials Use natural materials to learn weaving techniques — Ayesha Ercelawn, San Francisco, California, USA
ISGA 6
Sculpting Soil Balls (Entho-Entho) Learn about soil’s physical properties — Sekolah Alam Nurul Islam, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
ISGA 55
Bird House Building Build a bird house for local species — Waldorf School of the Peninsula, Los Altos, California, USA
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CA 12
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Art Activity title activity location Temporary arrangements of natural materials
Mosaic Pictures with Natural Materials Create temporary mosaics in the schoolyard — Green Schoolyards America, Berkeley, California, USA
ISGA 5
Gaga for Greens Explore traits of fresh vegetables — Horace Mann Elementary School, Washington, DC, USA
ISGA 23
The Secret Picture Communicate with a partner to duplicate a design — Naturskolan i Lund, Lund, Sweden
ISGA 27
Have Seeds Will Travel Use natural materials to make bracelets and bookmarks — Project Learning Tree, Grawn, Michigan, USA
MW 9
Mandala Suncatchers Make patterns with natural materials — Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois, USA
MW 10
Shades of Green Explore color variations in nature — Herb Broda, Ashland, Ohio, USA
MW 11
Place-based Art Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy Artfully arrange natural materials and write about it — Lake View Elem. School, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
MW 12
Creative expression / writing
Artist’s View of the School Ground Use the ground as an inspiration for abstract art and poetry — Evergreen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISGA 9
Bubble Poetry Blow bubbles and write poetry — Evergreen Elementary School, Rohnert Park, California, USA
CA 11
Using iPads to Tell Student-Created Stories Study seasonal changes and write stories — OAK Learning Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
MW 13
Nature Passport Create a booklet for students to record nature adventures — Nature Net, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
MW 26
Poetry in the Garden Use garden observations to inspire poetry — Openlands, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MW 29
Outdoor ART exhibits
Create and Fly Carp Streamers on Your Grounds Create fabric wind socks to enliven the schoolyard — Environment Design Institute, Tokyo, Japan
ISGA 10
In a Box Use a box for site-specific art installations — Play Learning Life, Winchester, Hampshire, England, UK
ISGA 11
Art on the Fence Paint on plywood to enhance a standard fence — Herb Broda, Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio, USA
ISGA 12
Frozen Schoolyard Art Gallery Create ornaments using ice — Green Schoolyards America, Berkeley, California, USA
MW 14
Winterberry Wreath Create wreaths using local materials — Kids Gardening, Vermont, USA
MW 15
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Recreation E
nriched school grounds encourage exploration, imagination, relaxation and free choice among a variety of recreational options, from ball games and climbing equipment to informal play in bushes, trees and flowers. They include space for traditional sports and games with rules created by adults, as well as places for children to dream up their own games without adult involvement. Rich, interesting, well-designed green schoolyard spaces invite children to climb and run and swing and balance, to dig and pretend and create. They lend themselves well to creative play with art materials, musical instruments and performing arts. Their planted areas invite kids to engage in open-ended “nature play,” find the little creatures that live in the soil, and unwind and explore “far away lands” with their best friend from the comfort of a cozy corner of the schoolyard. School grounds can also become shared community resources after hours, providing multi-use, public open space within walking distance of every neighborhood. They are often the sites of annual school and community festivals and can be used creatively outside of school hours and on the weekends.1
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Recreation Activity title activity location Imaginative play
Using Loose Materials for Play Provide natural materials for open-ended play — Grounds for Learning, Sterling, Scotland, UK
ISGA 14
Pop-Up Adventure Playground Use recycled materials for open-ended play — Pop-Up Adventure Playground, Manchester, England, UK
ISGA 15
Trading Post Barter using handicrafts and natural materials — The Carey School, San Mateo, California, USA
ISGA 18
Create a Bean Teepee Playhouse Build a teepee for bean vines and imaginative play — Bay Tree Design, Berkeley, California, USA
ISGA 48
The Nature Swap Provide natural materials for imaginative play — Nature Kids Institute, Orangevale, California, USA
CA 68
Skill-building games
The Secret Picture Communicate with a partner to duplicate a design — Naturskolan i Lund, Lund, Sweden
ISGA 27
The Magpie Game Build a nest using strategy to find scarce resources — Naturskolan i Lund, Lund, Sweden
ISGA 45
Schoolyard Nature Lotería Create a board game with hand-drawn, nature-inspired cards — Latino Outdoors, Capitola, California, USA
CA 14
Lighthouse Navigate a maze with guidance from a partner — Life Lab, Santa Cruz, California, USA
CA 29
You “Can” Cast Learn to fish using cans — Project F.I.S.H., East Lansing, Michigan, USA
MW 18
Active play
Steal the Flag Compete in teams to gather flags — Hoang Thi Ha, Hong Duc University, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
ISGA 16
Kpokoro: An Outdoor Nigerian Game Follow the leader by mirroring her claps and jumps — Elizabeth Babalola, Nigeria
ISGA 17
Juggling in a Group Cooperate with the group to keep balls in the air — Fundación Patio Vivo, Santiago, Chile
ISGA 29
“Everybody’s It” Tag Tag as many players as possible — Playworks, Oakland, California, USA
CA 15
Jump the River Practice jumping and coordination — Playworks, Oakland, California, USA
CA 16
Steal the Native Plant Compete in teams to correctly identify plants — Center for Land-Based Learning, Winters, California, USA
CA 17
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Recreation Activity title activity location
Photosynthesis Tag Demonstrate how plants create energy — Los Angeles Unified School District, Office of Outdoor and Environmental Education, Los Angeles, California, USA
CA 18
Modular Obstacle Course Provide large natural materials for self-directed building — Golestan Colab, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 20
Jump Rope Activities Try new jump rope patterns — American Heart Association, Los Angeles, California, USA
CA 24
Plant Part Relay Race Learn and categorize plant anatomy — Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, California, USA
CA 25
Food Web Tag Demonstrate ecosystem interconnectivity — Greening of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, USA
MW 17
Outdoor Sensory Activities MW 21 Build skills through physical play — Van Hise Elementary School Outdoor Classroom, Madison, Wisconsin, USA Team Building: The Amazing Winter Race! Collaborate in team relay races — Wisconsin Green Schools Network, Columbus, Wisconsin, USA
MW 24
Birds and Worms: Camouflage Relay Use a relay race to demonstrate camouflage — Project Learning Tree, Grawn, Michigan, USA
MW 33
Least Wanted: The Invasive Sea Lamprey Demonstrate invasive species issues using tag — Michigan Dept. of Nat. Resources, Lansing, Michigan, USA
MW 39
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Health E
nhanced school grounds foster children’s mental and physical health and well-being by providing settings for curiosity, imagination, exploration, wonder and adventure. Improved well-being Studies have shown that many types of green spaces have therapeutic properties that lower blood pressure, help people relax and provide other benefits that improve the mental health and well-being of children, teachers, school administrators and visitors.
Sensory experiences Living schoolyards stimulate the five senses and provide opportunities to engage the whole body to develop children’s sense of balance and coordination. Physical activity Enriched school grounds offer child-
driven, play-based solutions to obesity problems. They also provide places for students to be physically active during physical education classes and while participating in sports and other organized fitness games. Living schoolyards can promote healthier lifestyles through nutrition-oriented gardening and cooking programs. They are also places to learn new skills that foster lifelong health, from water safety to tool use.2 Healthier
lifestyles
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Health Activity title activity location Improved well-being
Expressing Your Feelings Create poems to describe places and emotions — Play Learning Life, Winchester, Hampshire, England, UK
ISGA 20
Sensory experiences
Sensory Exploration Use non-visual senses to understand surroundings — Greenstone Design, Auckland, New Zealand
ISGA 21
Leaf Identification Challenge Practice memory, observation and non-visual sensing — Arty Plantz, Bangalore, India
ISGA 22
Modular Obstacle Course Provide large natural materials for self-directed building — Golestan Colab, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 20
Multisensory Garden Tour CA 21 Use senses to understand the environment — Chino Basin Water Conservation Dist., Montclair, California, USA Herb Bundles Create herb bundles to explore senses — San Francisco Botanical Garden, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 22
“Sense-sational” Tree Tour Observe the environment with five senses — Canopy, Palo Alto, California, USA
CA 34
Senses And Sorting Nature Exploration Explore nature using senses — Lake Erie Nature and Science Center, Bay Village, Ohio, USA
MW 20
Outdoor Sensory Activities MW 21 Build skills through physical play — Van Hise Elementary School Outdoor Classroom, Madison, Wisconsin, USA Physical activity
Steal the Flag Compete in teams to gather flags — Hoang Thi Ha, Hong Duc University, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
ISGA 16
“Everybody’s It” Tag Tag as many players as possible — Playworks, Oakland, California, USA
CA 15
Jump Rope Activities Try new jump rope patterns — American Heart Association, Los Angeles, California, USA
CA 24
Plant Part Relay Race Learn and categorize plant anatomy — Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, California, USA
CA 25
Sierra Nevada Animal Olympics Compete with Yosemite’s animals — Yosemite National Park, Yosemite, California, USA
CA 45
California Desert Animal Olympics Compete with Mojave Desert’s animals — Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, California, USA
CA 46
Food Web Tag Demonstrate ecosystem interconnectivity — Greening of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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MW 17
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Health Activity title activity location
Team Building: The Amazing Winter Race! Collaborate in team relay races — Wisconsin Green Schools Network, Columbus, Wisconsin, USA
MW 24
Healthier lifestyles / nutrition
Gaga for Greens Explore traits of fresh vegetables — Horace Mann Elementary School, Washington, DC, USA
ISGA 23
Why Eat Colorful Rainbow Food? Discuss nutrition and eat fresh fruits and vegetables — Trinity Gardens, Santa Barbara, California, USA
CA 23
Science Comes to Tea Use tea to study science — Ayesha Ercelawn, La Scuola Italian Int’l. School, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 61
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Social and Emotional Well-being E nriched school grounds are ideal places to foster positive, healthy relationships among children, between children and adults, and between people and the environment. Research tells us that nature has a therapeutic influence on our mental and physical health, so an environment filled with trees, shrubs, flowers and wildlife is a helpful starting point to set the stage for social and emotional learning that build empathy and collaboration. Empathy Living schoolyards help schools foster an atmosphere that emphasizes care for one another, care for all living things, and care for the Earth. They provide settings that teachers can use for lessons that range from understanding one anothers’ feelings to valuing the great diversity of life that shares our world. Collaboration Nurturing an enriched school ground
environment—and our community—is best accomplished through collaboration, built on strong, positive relationships. Living schoolyard environments provide opportunities to practice and hone communication, teamwork and stewardship skills, while providing balance for other aspects of school life that are more competitive.2
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Social and Emotional Well-being Activity title activity location Empathy
Acorn Guided Movement Imagine what it’s like to be an acorn — David Sobel, Antioch University New England, USA
ISGA 25
Animal Perspectives: Mapping the Schoolyard Explore your school grounds from another creature’s perspective — Evergreen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISGA 26
Bury It! Observe the decomposition process and care for the Earth — Enviroschools, Hamilton, New Zealand
ISGA 57
The Tree is Like Me! Imagine what it’s like to be a tree — TreePeople, Beverly Hills, California, USA
CA 27
Finding Your Place in the World Visit an outdoor site regularly for field observations — The Presidio Trust, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 31
Using iPads to Tell Student-Created Stories Build empathy for the natural world — OAK Learning Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
MW 13
Tree Wonder Use scale and geometry to observe and draw trees — Project Central, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
MW 23
Collaboration
Pop-Up Adventure Playground Use recycled materials for open-ended play — Pop-Up Adventure Playground, Manchester, England, UK
ISGA 15
The Secret Picture Communicate with a partner to duplicate a design — Naturskolan i Lund, Lund, Sweden
ISGA 27
Robert’s Little Finger Collaborate to create a scale model using sticks — Naturskolan i Lund, Lund, Sweden
ISGA 28
Juggling in a Group Cooperate with the group to keep balls in the air — Fundación Patio Vivo, Santiago, Chile
ISGA 29
Modular Obstacle Course Provide large natural materials for self-directed building — Golestan Colab, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 20
Exploring Our Relationship to Place Use a map to explore origins — Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Occidental, California, USA
CA 28
Lighthouse Navigate a maze with guidance from a partner — Life Lab, Santa Cruz, California, USA
CA 29
Team Building: The Amazing Winter Race! Collaborate in team relay races — Wisconsin Green Schools Network, Columbus, Wisconsin, USA
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Place-based Understanding L
iving schoolyards, built with local, natural materials and native plants, are each unique, reflecting the geography, ecology and culture of their community, and building a sense of place for children and adults who spend time in them. Natural context Green schoolyards can showcase local ecosystems in their region, helping children to connect on a daily basis to the living systems that surround them.
Large painted or three dimensional maps of many types can be added to schoolyards to illustrate the school’s location in the world, the country, the state, the city, the neighborhood or even their watershed. Geographic
context
Cultural context Many school communities have
incredibly rich cultural diversity which can be celebrated in their schoolyards with art, events and activities that reflect the school’s population and context. Every school site and surrounding neighborhood has its own history, whether it is newly built or has stood for hundreds of years. Curricula about local history can be connected to the unique patch of ground managed by your school, and the results may be displayed creatively outdoors, for everyone to enjoy.2 Historical
context
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Place-based Understanding Activity title activity location Natural context
Animal Perspectives: Mapping the Schoolyard Explore your school grounds from another creature’s perspective — Evergreen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISGA 26
Water Detectives Observe how water moves through the school grounds — Evergreen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISGA 31
The Walkabout Field Guide Observe and identify trees on the school grounds — The Trust for Public Land, NYC Playgrounds Program, New York, New York, USA
ISGA 32
Baggage Tags for Learning Identify and describe plant characteristics — Evergreen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISGA 33
The ABC Mat Use natural materials to develop language skills — Naturskolan i Lund, Lund, Sweden
ISGA 34
Painting the Seasons Follow a plant through seasonal changes — Green Schoolyards America, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 9
Finding Your Place in the World Visit an outdoor site regularly for field observations — The Presidio Trust, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 31
Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other Observe and classify natural materials — Life Lab, Santa Cruz, California, USA
CA 33
“Sense-sational” Tree Tour Observe the environment with five senses — Canopy, Palo Alto, California, USA
CA 34
Reflection Writing in Your Green Schoolyard Write about the school environment — Nature’s Voices, Green Schools Initiative, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 35
Documenting Biodiversity in Your Schoolyard Conduct ecological investigations — California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 39
Frozen Schoolyard Art Gallery Create decorative winter ornaments using ice — Green Schoolyards America, Berkeley, California, USA
MW 14
Tree Wonder Use scale and geometry to observe and draw trees — Project Central, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
MW 23
Nature Passport Create a booklet for students to record nature adventures — Nature Net, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
MW 26
Adopt-A-Tree Record seasonal changes — Prairie Crossing Charter School, Grayslake, Illinois, USA
MW 27
Act Like Leopold Observe and sketch seasonal changes — Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona, Wisconsin, USA
MW 28
Poetry in the Garden Observe the garden and write poetry about it — Openlands, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MW 29
Mean, Median, Mode—Oh my! Measure trees for math — LEAF - Wisconsin’s K-12 Forestry Educ. Prog., Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA
MW 30
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Place-based Understanding Activity title activity location
Pour a Pond: Wetland Insect Exploration Collect and observe macroinvertebrates — Project F.I.S.H., East Lansing, Michigan, USA
MW 37
Follow the Drop Introduce stormwater management — Wisconsin Arboretum, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
MW 44
Geographic context
Geocaching in Your School Grounds Use GPS coordinates for outdoor problem solving — Evergreen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISGA 35
Traveling Fruit and Vegetables Map the grounds in a team scavenger hunt — Play Learning Life, Winchester, Hampshire, England, UK
ISGA 36
Schoolyard Investigations Using Tools Conduct field research on school grounds — Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California, USA
CA 32
Create a Schoolyard Site Survey Map Record characteristics of the schoolyard — U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Sacramento, California, USA
CA 36
Decoding Midwestern Minerals and Rocks Test and identify local rocks — Avon Outdoor Learning Center, Avon, Indiana, USA
MW 31
Cultural context
Create and Fly Carp Streamers on Your Grounds Create fabric wind socks to enliven the schoolyard — Environment Design Institute, Tokyo, Japan
ISGA 10
Schoolyard Nature Lotería Create a board game with hand-drawn, nature-inspired cards — Latino Outdoors, Capitola, California, USA
CA 14
Exploring Our Relationship to Place Use a map to explore origins — Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Occidental, California, USA
CA 28
Historical context
Trading Post Barter using handicrafts and natural materials — The Carey School, San Mateo, California, USA
ISGA 18
May Day Celebration Build a Maypole to celebrate spring — Children in Nature Collaborative, California, USA
ISGA 60
Civilizations of the Americas: Aztec Alegría Recipe Make alegría like the Aztecs — The Edible Schoolyard, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 60
Processing Acorns Prepare an acorn-based meal like Native Californians — Living Classroom, Los Altos, California, USA
CA 62
Traditional Uses of California Native Plants Demonstrate uses for a variety of plants — Living Classroom, Los Altos, California, USA
CA 70
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Wildlife and Habitat S choolyard wildlife and native habitat zones are important and engaging places that help students of all ages connect to the natural world. They illustrate that “the environment” is not just a far away place—it is something that surrounds us all in our local neighborhoods. Wildlife sanctuaries and schoolyard ecosystems, large or small, enrich school curricula while providing refuge for a variety of species. They allow students to see that wildlife can exist in urban and suburban areas and even thrive with a little help. Wildlife areas and native plantings can be connected to the curriculum in countless ways, including nature observation in science classes, sketching practice in art classes, and population estimates/counts for math classes. The strongest projects provide well-rounded habitats that fulfill the basic needs of local wildlife—consistent food sources, clean water, shelter and areas where they can rear their offspring. Successful schoolyard wildlife sanctuaries also provide places for students to observe birds, animals and insects while leaving the creatures relatively undisturbed. They are peaceful havens for quiet reflection where flora and fauna are nurtured, changes happen slowly following ecological cycles and planting schemes highlight seasonal change and mimic natural patterns.1
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Wildlife and Habitat Activity title activity location Ecosystem interconnectivity
Web of Life Demonstrate ecosystem interconnectivity — Green-Schools Ireland, Dublin, Ireland and The Foundation for Environmental Education, Copenhagen, Denmark Garden-Based Learning Lesson: Interdependence Explore habitats — Berkeley Public School Gardening & Cooking Program, Berkeley, California, USA Food Web Tag Demonstrate ecosystem interconnectivity — Greening of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, USA
ISGA 38
CA 40 MW 17
Analyze and improve schoolyard ecology
Growing Places for Ecological Learning Support local wildlife habitat — Keitaro Ito Lab, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, Japan
ISGA 39
Schoolyard Habitat Survey Investigate and improve schoolyard ecology — CalRecycle, Sacramento, California, USA
CA 38
Documenting Biodiversity in Your Schoolyard Conduct ecological investigations — California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 39
Plant a Native Hedgerow Support local ecology — Collaborative for High Performance Schools, Sacramento, California, USA
CA 43
Sheet Mulching: Turn Lawns into Native Gardens Replace lawn with mulch to conserve water — StopWaste, Alameda County, California, USA
CA 51
Building a Wildflower Hugel Mound Create a drought tolerant raised garden — New Horizons School, Pasadena, California, USA
CA 75
Throw and Grow MW 38 Plant native prairie grasses — Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Passive Quadrat Sampling Collect and analyze biodiversity data — Eisenhower High School, Goddard, Kansas, USA
MW 40
Plants
Leaf Identification Challenge Practice memory, observation and non-visual sensing — Arty Plantz, Bangalore, India
ISGA 22
Baggage Tags for Learning Identify and describe plant characteristics — Evergreen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISGA 33
Botany Bouquet Observe plants and learn scientific names — Earth Partnership for Schools, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
ISGA 40
Steal the Native Plant Compete in teams to correctly identify plants — Center for Land-Based Learning, Winters, California, USA
CA 17
Photosynthesis Tag Demonstrate how plants create energy — Los Angeles Unified School District, Office of Outdoor and Environmental Education, Los Angeles, California, USA
CA 18
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Wildlife and Habitat Activity title activity location
Object Match Challenge Use focused attention to study plants — California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, California, USA Engineer a Seed Getaway Study and test seed dispersal methods — Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, Michigan, USA
CA 41 MW 48
Insects
Butterfly Breeding Program Observe and support local butterfly populations — Pelangi School, Bali, Indonesia Butterfly Habitat Hunt Observe local ecology — National Wildlife Federation, Schoolyard Habitats®, Midpines, California, USA
ISGA 42 CA 42
Insect Biodiversity in the Prairie Collect and observe insects — Prairie Crossing Charter School, Grayslake, Illinois, USA
MW 34
Insects: Good, Bad or Both? Collect and observe insects — Kansas Assoc. for Conservation and Env. Education, Perry, Kansas, USA
MW 35
Pour a Pond: Wetland Insect Exploration Collect and observe macroinvertebrates — Project F.I.S.H., East Lansing, Michigan, USA
MW 37
Create an Insect Hotel Build habitat for beneficial insects — Butler University Lab School, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
MW 54
Worms
Worm Life Cycle Observe and diagram the worm life cycle — Education Outside, San Francisco, California, USA
ISGA 41
Birds
The Magpie Game Build a nest using strategy and collaboration — Naturskolan i Lund, Lund, Sweden
ISGA 45
Connecting Urban Birds and Climate Record and study local precipitation and bird data — Elizabeth Babalola, Nairobi, Kenya
ISGA 46
Bird House Building Build a bird house for local species — Waldorf School of the Peninsula, Los Altos, California, USA
CA 12
What Makes a Bird a Bird? Explore birds’ unique characteristics — Central Valley Joint Venture, Sacramento, California, USA
CA 44
Birds and Worms: Camouflage Relay Use a relay race to demonstrate camouflage — Project Learning Tree, Grawn, Michigan, USA
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Wildlife and Habitat Activity title activity location Amphibians
Tadpole Inspiration Observe and document tadpoles — Sekolah Alam Nurul Islam, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
ISGA 43
Hold an Amphibian! Catch, observe and document local frogs — Friends of Nature (FON) Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
ISGA 44
Fish and Mammals
Sierra Nevada Animal Olympics Compete with Yosemite’s animals — Yosemite National Park, Yosemite, California, USA
CA 45
California Desert Animal Olympics Compete with Mojave Desert’s animals — Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, California, USA
CA 46
Blue Whale: An Animal of Unusual Size Compare tree height to a whale’s length — California Coastal Commission, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 47
Citizen Science: Contributing Data to Project Squirrel Observe and record squirrel behavior — Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MW 36
Least Wanted: The Invasive Sea Lamprey Demonstrate invasive species using tag — Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, Lansing, Michigan, USA
MW 39
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Watershed Stewardship C
lean, fresh water is a precious resource. It comes to our schools and communities in the form of rainfall and through municipal plumbing systems and natural waterways. It leaves school grounds through man-made storm drains and sewer networks, and by flowing over the landscape, percolating into the soil, and running through local creeks. In most cases, water from these sources is relatively clean when it arrives on school grounds and dirtier when it leaves. School communities have the power to improve their local water systems and to use them as educational resources at the same time by incorporating water planning into the design and use of school grounds.1 Stormwater management Schoolyards designed to manage stormwater can be beautiful and educational while holding and utilizing rainwater, and purifying urban runoff.
Water conservation Living schoolyards can conserve water by finding and fixing leaks, incorporating drought tolerant plant species, building gardens with efficient irrigation systems, and deeply mulching planted areas. Greywater reuse Schools can capture lightly used water from the building, purify it and then use it to water trees onsite, reducing the amount of fresh water they need from the municipal system.
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Watershed Stewardship Activity title activity location Watershed understanding
Water Detectives Observe how water moves through the school grounds — Evergreen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ISGA 31
Create a Schoolyard Site Survey Map Record characteristics of a schoolyard — U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Sacramento, California, USA
CA 36
Follow the Water: Make a Stormwater Map Map stormwater flows on campus — The Trust for Public Land, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 49
Know Your Snow Observe snow and the water cycle — Green and Healthy Schools Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
MW 42
Stormwater management
Calculating Rainwater Runoff Measure the school’s water catchment potential — Education Outside and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 50
Watch the Water: Pervious or Impervious? Demonstrate permeability using a water race — Next.CC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
MW 43
Follow the Drop Introduce stormwater management — Wisconsin Arboretum, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
MW 44
Water conservation
Sheet Mulching: Turn Lawns into Native Gardens Replace lawn with native gardens to conserve water — StopWaste, Alameda County, California, USA
CA 51
School Outdoor Water Use Audit Assess your schoolyard’s water efficiency — Project Green, Sacramento, California, USA
CA 52
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Schoolyard Agriculture and Food I n our increasingly urban society, people of all ages have become disconnected from the natural and agricultural environments that sustain us. Starting a school garden is one way to reconnect students and school communities with local agricultural and ecological systems and to create new, vibrant, hands-on learning environments at the same time.
Horticultural skills Culinary gardens are costeffective, hands-on learning spaces for studying natural science, botany and horticultural techniques. Gardens are commonly used to teach lessons on topics such as soil, weather, plant growth, insect life cycles and decomposition. Curriculum connections School gardens can also be springboards for topics in many disciplines. They help bring social studies and history lessons to life, and provide engaging settings for teaching arithmetic and geometry, health and nutrition, art and music, reading and foreign languages. Sharing food Edible gardens give students of all ages insight into where their food comes from, what it takes to produce it and the art of bringing it to the table in an enjoyable manner. Preparing and sharing food in the schoolyard is easier to do if schools build informal outdoor kitchen spaces with ovens or barbeques, sinks and picnic tables.1
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Schoolyard Agriculture and Food Activity title activity location Horticultural skills
Create a Bean Teepee Playhouse Build a teepee for bean vines and imaginative play— Bay Tree Design, Berkeley, California, USA
ISGA 48
Plant, Grow and Harvest a “Nibbling Garden” Grow local edible plants for children to pick themselves — Bay Tree Design, Berkeley, California, USA
ISGA 49
Guerrilla Sunflower Gardening Day Plant sunflowers in unexpected places — Crops in Pots, Karachi, Sindhi, Pakistan
ISGA 52
Seed-Raising with Paper Pots Use recycled materials to start seeds — greenED, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
ISGA 58
Seed Saving with Children Practice seed propagation — Grow Your Lunch, LLC, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 57
Growing Heirloom Wheat: Seed to Feed Plant and process wheat — Trinity Gardens, Santa Barbara and Center for Regen. Ag., Ojai, California, USA
CA 58
Compost Gourmet Introduce decomposition via composting — TreePeople, Beverly Hills, California, USA
CA 69
More Veggies for Me... Less for the Pests! Practice organic pest control — Kansas Assoc. for Conservation and Env. Education, Perry, Kansas, USA
MW 46
Growing Healthy Plants and Learners Sketch plants to understand anatomy — Openlands with Hearst Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MW 47
Building a Hoop House Extend your growing season — The Organic Gardener, Highland Park, Illinois, USA
MW 55
Curriculum connections
Underground Stems Tell Their Stories Research a vegetable and write a story — Abruzzi School Garden, Siankhore, Baltistan, Pakistan
ISGA 50
Inspiring Speaking and Writing in Your School Garden Observe, sketch and collect data on garden changes — CitySprouts, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
ISGA 51
The Science of Soil Testing Conduct experiments — Huntington Library, Art Collections and Gardens, San Marino, California, USA
CA 54
Roots and Shoots Observe root structures — Full Option Science System (FOSS) Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 55
Plant Root Explorations Create root viewing planters — Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills, California, USA
CA 56
How Many Honey Bees? Demonstrate how bees make honey — Slide Ranch, Muir Beach, California, USA
CA 59
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Schoolyard Agriculture and Food Activity title activity location
Traditional Uses of California Native Plants Demonstrate uses for a variety of plants — Living Classroom, Los Altos, California, USA
CA 70
Engineer a Seed Getaway Study and test seed dispersal methods — Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, Michigan, USA
MW 48
Pumpkin Math Practice estimation and math — Hammerschmidt Elem., Learn + Play Gardens, Lombard, Illinois, USA
MW 49
Create an Insect Hotel Build habitat for beneficial insects — Butler University Lab School, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
MW 54
Sharing food
Gaga for Greens Explore traits of fresh vegetables — Horace Mann Elementary School, Washington, DC, USA
ISGA 23
Why Eat Colorful Rainbow Food? Discuss nutrition and eat fresh fruits and vegetables — Trinity Gardens, Santa Barbara, California, USA
CA 23
Civilizations of the Americas: Aztec Alegría Recipe Make alegría like the Aztecs — The Edible Schoolyard, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 60
Science Comes to Tea Use tea to study science — Ayesha Ercelawn, La Scuola Italian Int’l. School, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 61
Processing Acorns Prepare an acorn meal like Native Californians — Living Classroom, Los Altos, California, USA
CA 62
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Energy and Climate S
chool facilities use a substantial amount of energy for heat, light and power, and many school community members use fossil fuels to commute to school. Schools can engage students in reducing their facility’s energy footprint (and saving money), while teaching real-world lessons about where energy comes from and what it takes to produce and transmit power. Students can also be encouraged to walk and bike to school to reduce fossil fuel use.1
Renewable energy School grounds can host renewable energy demonstration systems that power decorative fountains—or the entire school—teaching children and their communities about clean and sustainable sources of energy. Climate IMPROVEMENT School ground design can address climate change and make the site more comfortable by removing pavement, which heats up in the sun, and by planting trees and shrubs to provide shade for students and school buildings.2 Curriculum connections Living schoolyards with energy and climate features that are accessible to students provide hands-on learning resources for science and other curricula. Art activities can also be tied to an understanding of the sun’s power to provide heat and light.
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Energy and Climate Activity title activity location Energy
Introduction to Renewable Energy Model renewable energy sources — Education Outside, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 64
Make a Solar Etching Use the sun’s energy to etch designs — Rahus Institute - Solar Schoolhouse, Sebastopol, California, USA
CA 66
Diminishing Returns Demonstrate laws of thermodynamics and energy loss — KEEP - Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA
MW 51
Climate improvement
How Cool is Your Schoolyard? Measure temperature onsite for analysis — Green Schoolyards America, Berkeley, California, USA
CA 65
Curriculum connections
Connecting Urban Birds and Climate Record and study local precipitation and bird data — Elizabeth Babalola, Nairobi, Kenya
ISGA 46
Outdoor Survival Build a fire and shelter — Wisconsin Green Schools Network, Columbus, Wisconsin, USA
MW 52
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Thoughtful Use of Materials E verything a school chooses to include in its environment says something about its values. Over the last few decades, as the green building movement has grown, many schools have started to question conventional playground materials—asphalt, concrete, stainless steal, plastic and rubber—that are widely used. Schoolyard landscape features designed using sustainable, natural and recycled building materials demonstrate green building practices to the school community and can reduce the school district’s costs and impact on landfills and other urban infrastructure.3
Natural materials Living plants, wood, bamboo, straw, stone, sand, clay, adobe, snow and other natural materials are teaching tools for lessons about environmental stewardship and time-tested building techniques that are still relevant today. They lend themselves well to artistic expression and cultural connections, and to community participation in schoolyard construction and stewardship. Reclaimed and recycled materials Using salvaged materials on school grounds diverts bulky waste from landfills and recaptures the remaining value of the materials for further use. It reduces the need to mine, harvest, process and transport new materials, which in turn, saves additional energy and effort, and preserves environments at the extraction source.2
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Thoughtful Use of Materials Activity title activity location Natural materials
Robert’s Little Finger Collaborate to create a scale model using sticks — Naturskolan i Lund, Lund, Sweden
ISGA 28
Using Sand Areas to Bring Ideas to Life Use a sand pit for scientific inquiry — The Anak Atelier Preschool and Kindergarten, Bali, Indonesia
ISGA 54
Sculpting Soil Balls (Entho-Entho) Learn about soil’s physical properties — Sekolah Alam Nurul Islam, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
ISGA 55
Make a Create-With-Nature Zone Provide natural materials for students to dream up their own artwork — Zach Pine Nature Sculpture and University of California Blake Garden, Kensington, California, USA
CA 7
Nature’s Watercolors Use natural pigments to create paintings — La Scuola Italian Int’l School, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 10
Sheet Mulching: Turn Lawns into Native Gardens Replace lawn with native gardens to conserve water — StopWaste, Alameda County, California, USA
CA 51
The Nature Swap Provide natural materials for imaginative play — Nature Kids Institute, Orangevale, California, USA
CA 68
Traditional Uses of California Native Plants Demonstrate uses for a variety of plants — Living Classroom, Los Altos, California, USA
CA 70
Nature Elements in the Landscape Improve your grounds using natural elements — Bay Tree Design, inc., Berkeley, California, USA
CA 74
Decomposition
Composting with Worms Find the best worm composting “recipe” — Ramona Winkelbauer, Washington, DC, USA
ISGA 56
Bury It! Observe the decomposition process — Enviroschools, Hamilton, New Zealand
ISGA 57
Compost Gourmet Introduce decomposition via composting — TreePeople, Beverly Hills, California, USA
CA 69
Reclaimed and recycled materials
Pop-Up Adventure Playground Use recycled materials for open-ended play — Pop-Up Adventure Playground, Manchester, England, UK
ISGA 15
Seed-Raising with Paper Pots Use recycled materials to start seeds — greenED, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
ISGA 58
Think Before You Throw: 4Rs Recycling Race Sorting relay race — Green Schools Initiative, Berkeley, California, USA
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Community Engagement S
chool grounds are unique public spaces. They are community resources that are fully occupied during the school day—but may also be used when school is not in session to enhance the well-being of residents in the local neighborhood and the surrounding community. Festivals and SPECIAL events School grounds can
be venues for school-related public events that draw parents and family members further into their child’s education and invite the community to participate in life at school. Joint Use Some school grounds become part of their city’s public park system after hours, providing access to green space and recreation for students and other members of the local community when school is not in session. Community stewardship The process of building and sustaining green schoolyards connects communities to place, and helps to engage students, teachers, staff, parents, neighbors, businesses, nonprofits, public agencies and others in collaborations to care for and improve their school grounds. This cooperation reinforces interdependence and local self-reliance, and builds a “sense of community” while creating useful, beautiful school environments at affordable prices.3
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Community Engagement Activity title activity location Festivals and special events
Guerrilla Sunflower Gardening Day Plant sunflowers in unexpected places — Crops in Pots, Karachi, Sindhi, Pakistan
ISGA 52
May Day Celebration Build a Maypole to celebrate spring — Children in Nature Collaborative, California, USA
ISGA 60
The Big School Grounds Festival: The Comedy Stage Organize outdoor performances — Learning through Landscapes, Winchester, England
ISGA 61
School Ground Celebration Song Write a song about your school grounds — Learning through Landscapes, Winchester, England
ISGA 62
Pop-Up Adventure Playground Use recycled materials for open-ended play — Pop-Up Adventure Playground, Manchester, England, UK
ISGA 15
Family Camp Out in the Schoolyard Organize a camping “trip” at school — Outdoors Empowered Network, San Francisco, California, USA
CA 73
Community stewardship PROJECTS
Growing Places for Ecological Learning Support local habitat — Keitaro Ito Lab, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, Japan
ISGA 39
Plant a Native Hedgerow Support local ecology — Collaborative for High Performance Schools, Sacramento, California, USA
CA 43
Sheet Mulching: Turn Lawns into Native Gardens Replace lawn with mulch to conserve water — StopWaste, Alameda County, California, USA
CA 51
Nature Elements in the Landscape Improve your grounds using natural elements — Bay Tree Design, inc., Berkeley, California, USA
CA 74
Building a Wildflower Hugel Mound Create a drought tolerant garden mound — New Horizons School, Pasadena, California, USA
CA 75
Create an Insect Hotel Build insect habitat — Butler University Lab School, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
MW 54
Building a Hoop House Extend your growing season — The Organic Gardener, Highland Park, Illinois, USA
MW 55
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International Contributors The International School Grounds Month Activity Guide is the result of a fruitful collaboration between the International School Grounds Alliance and 37 organizations around the world, who each contributed a school ground activity that reflects their own organization’s mission and programs. The diversity of ideas they shared will now enrich school ground programs in many countries. We greatly appreciate everyone’s participation and extend our sincere and heartfelt thanks. Abruzzi School Garden Program Siankhore, Baltistan, Pakistan www.abruzzischoolgarden.com
Crops in Pots Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan www.facebook.com/cropsinpot
The Anak Atelier Preschool and Kindergarten Ungasan, Bali, Indonesia www.theanakatelier.com
Earth Partnership for Schools Madison, Wisconsin, USA www.uwarboretum.org/eps Education Outside San Francisco, California, USA www.educationoutside.org
ArtyPlantz: Karthikeyan V, Ramya Priya S, Surya Suresh Bangalore, India www.artyplantz.org Elizabeth Babalola Lagos, Nigeria
Ayesha Ercelawn La Scuola International School San Francisco, California, USA www.lascuolasf.org
Bay Tree Design, inc. Berkeley, California, USA www.baytreedesign.com
Environment Design Institute Tokyo, Japan www.ms-edi.co.jp/youho/htdocs
Herb Broda Ashland University Ashland, Ohio, USA www.movingtheclassroomoutdoors.com
Enviroschools Hamilton, New Zealand www.enviroschools.org.nz
The Carey School San Mateo, California, USA www.careyschool.org Children in Nature Collaborative San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA www.cincbayarea.org
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Copenhagen, Denmark www.fee.global, www.ecoschools.global
CitySprouts Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA www.citysprouts.org
Friends of Nature (FON) Nepal Kathmandu, Nepal www.fonnepal.org
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Evergreen Toronto, Ontario, Canada www.evergreen.ca
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Fundación Patio Vivo Santiago, Chile www.patiovivo.cl
Life Lab Santa Cruz, California, USA www.lifelab.org
Green-Schools Ireland Dublin, Ireland www.greenschoolsireland.org
Naturskolan i Lund Lund, Sweden www.lund.se
Green Schoolyards America Berkeley, California, USA www.greenschoolyards.org
Pelangi School Ubud, Bali, Indonesia www.pelangischoolbali.com
greenED Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia www.greenED.com.au
Play Learning Life Winchester, England, UK www.playlearninglife.org.uk
Greenstone Design Auckland, New Zealand www.greenstonedesign.co.nz
Pop-Up Adventure Play Manchester, England, UK www.popupadventureplay.org
Grounds for Learning Stirling, Scotland, UK www.ltl.org.uk/scotland
Sekolah Alam Nurul Islam Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia www.sekolahalamjogja.com
Hoang Thi Ha Hong Duc University Thanh Hóa Province, Vietnam www.hdu.edu.vn/en-us
David Sobel Antioch University New England Keene, New Hampshire, USA www.antiochne.edu
Horace Mann Elementary School Washington, DC, USA www.horacemanndc.org
The Trust for Public Land NYC Playgrounds Program New York, New York, USA www.tpl.org
Keitaro ITO Lab Kyushu Institute of Technology Fukuoka, Japan www.keitaroito-lab-kit.com
Ramona Winkelbauer Washington, DC, USA
Learning through Landscapes Winchester, England, UK www.ltl.org.uk
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California Contributors The Living Schoolyard Activity Guide - California Edition is the result of a fruitful collaboration between Green Schoolyards America and 54 other organizations across the state of California in the United States. Each author contributed a schoolyard activity that reflects their own organization’s mission and programs. The diversity of ideas they shared will now enrich school ground programs across California and beyond. We greatly appreciate everyone’s participation and extend our sincere and heartfelt thanks. Sarah Amador Evergreen Elementary School Rohnert Park, California, USA crpusd.schoolwires.net/evergreen
Center for Land-Based Learning Winters, California, USA www.LandBasedLearning.org Center for Regenerative Agriculture Ojai, California, USA www.ojaicra.org
American Heart Association Los Angeles, California, USA www.heart.org
Central Valley Joint Venture Sacramento, California, USA www.centralvalleyjointventure.org
Bay Tree Design, inc. Berkeley, California, USA www.baytreedesign.com
Chino Basin Water Conservation District Montclair, California, USA www.cbwcd.org
Berkeley Public School Gardening & Cooking Program Berkeley, California, USA www.berkeleyschools.net/gcp
Collaborative for High Performance Schools Sacramento, California, USA www.chps.net
CalRecycle Sacramento, California, USA www.CaliforniaEEI.org California Academy of Sciences San Francisco, California, USA www.calacademy.org/educators
Community Alliance with Family Farmers Davis, California, USA www.caff.org
California Coastal Commission San Francisco, California, USA www.coastforyou.org
Death Valley National Park Death Valley, California, USA www.nps.gov/deva
California Native Plant Society Sacramento, California, USA www.cnps.org
The Edible Schoolyard Berkeley, California, USA www.edibleschoolyard.org
Canopy Palo Alto, California, USA www.canopy.org
Education Outside San Francisco, California, USA www.educationoutside.org
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Explore Ecology Santa Barbara, California, USA www.exploreecology.org
Living Classroom Los Altos, California, USA www.living-classroom.org
Full Option Science System (FOSS) Berkeley, California, USA www.fossweb.com
Los Angeles Unified School District Office of Outdoor and Env. Education Los Angeles, California, USA www.outdooreducation.org
Green Schools Initiative Berkeley, California, USA www.greenschools.net
Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey, California, USA www.montereybayaquarium.org
Green Schoolyards America Berkeley, California, USA www.greenschoolyards.org
National Wildlife Federation, Schoolyard Habitats® Midpines, California, USA www.nwfcalifornia.org
Grow Your Lunch, LLC San Francisco, California, USA www.growyourlunch.com
Nature Kids Institute Orangevale, California, USA www.naturekidsinstitute.org
Hidden Villa Los Altos Hills, California, USA www.hiddenvilla.org The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens San Marino, California, USA www.huntington.org La Scuola International School San Francisco, California, USA www.lascuolasf.org
Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley Berkeley, California, USA www.outdoorbiology.com Life Lab Santa Cruz, California, USA www.lifelab.org
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New Horizon School Pasadena, California, USA www.newhorizonschool.org Occidental Arts and Ecology Center Occidental, California, USA www.oaec.org
Latino Outdoors Capitola, California, USA www.latinooutdoors.org
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Nature’s Voices Berkeley, California, USA www.naturesvoices.org
Outdoors Empowered Network San Francisco, California, USA www.outdoorsempowered.org Playworks Oakland, California, USA www.playworks.org The Presidio Trust San Francisco, California, USA www.presidio.gov
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Rahus Institute - Solar Schoolhouse Sebastopol, California, USA www.solarschoolhouse.org
Trinity Gardens Santa Barbara, California, USA www.trinitygardenssb.org
Sacramento City Unified School District Sacramento, California, USA www.scusd.edu/project-green-programs
The Trust for Public Land San Francisco, California, USA www.TPL.org
San Francisco Botanical Garden San Francisco, California, USA www.sanfranciscobotanicalgarden.org
BLAKE GARDEN
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission San Francisco, California, USA www.sfwater.org
University of California Blake Garden Kensington, California, USA www.laep.ced.berkeley.edu/blakegarden U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Sacramento, California, USA fws.gov/cno/conservation/schoolyard.cfm
San Francisco Unified School District San Francisco, California, USA sfusdscience.org/environmental-science-center Slide Ranch Muir Beach, California, USA www.slideranch.org
Waldorf School of the Peninsula Los Altos, California, USA www.waldorfpeninsula.org Yosemite National Park Education Office Wawona, California, USA www.nps.gov/yose/learn/education Zach Pine Nature Sculpture Kensington, California, USA www.naturesculpture.com
StopWaste Alameda County, California, USA www.stopwaste.org TreePeople Beverly Hills, California, USA www.treepeople.org
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Midwest Contributors The Living Schoolyard Activity Guide - Midwest Edition is the result of a fruitful collaboration between Green Schoolyards America and 32 organizations working in the Midwestern part of the United States. Each author contributed a schoolyard activity that reflects their organization’s mission and programs. The diversity of ideas they shared will now enrich school ground programs across the Midwest and beyond. We greatly appreciate everyone’s participation and extend our sincere and heartfelt thanks. Aldo Leopold Nature Center Monona, Wisconsin, USA www.aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org
Green Schoolyards America Berkeley, California, USA www.greenschoolyards.org
Avon Outdoor Learning Center Avon, Indiana, USA www.avon-schools.org
Susan Hobart, Lake View Elementary School Madison, Wisconsin, USA www.lakeview.madison.k12.wi.us
Herb Broda, Ashland University Ashland, Ohio, USA www.movingtheclassroomoutdoors.com
IPS School 60 / Butler University Lab School Indianapolis, Indiana, USA www.myips.org/Domain/27
The Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Chicago, Illinois, USA www.naturemuseum.org/education
Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) Perry, Kansas, USA www.kacee.org
Chicago Botanic Garden Lake Forest, Illinois, USA www.chicagobotanic.org
KidsGardening.org Burlington, Vermont, USA www.kidsgardening.org
Earth Partnership, University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum Madison, Wisconsin, USA www.arboretum.wisc.edu/learn/eps
Lake Erie Nature and Science Center Bay Village, Ohio, USA www.LENSC.org
Eisenhower High School Goddard, Kansas, USA www.ehs.goddardusd.com
LEAF - Wisconsin’s K-12 Forestry Education Program Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA www.leafprogram.org
LEAF - Wisconsin’s K-12 Forestry Education Program
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Greening of Detroit Detroit, Michigan, USA www.greeningofdetroit.com
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Green and Healthy Schools Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin, USA www.ghswisconsin.org
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Lombard School District 44, Hammerschmidt Elementary, Learn + Play Gardens Chicago, Illinois, USA www.whslearnandplaygardens.org
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Mary Michaud, Van Hise Elementary School Outdoor Classroom Madison, Wisconsin, USA www.vhgarden.wordpress.com
Openlands Chicago, Illinois, USA www.openlands.org The Organic Gardener Ltd. Highland Park, Illinois, USA www.theorganicgardener.net
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Lansing, Michigan, USA www.michigan.gov/nature programs
Phoebe A. Hearst Fine Arts Magnet School Chicago, Illinois, USA www.hearst.cps.edu
Michigan Project Learning Tree Traverse City, Michigan, USA www.michiganplt.org
Prairie Crossing Charter School Grayslake, Illinois, USA www.prairiecrossingcharterschool.org
Joan Chadde, Michigan Tech CSEO and Susan Trull, Ottawa National Forest Houghton, Michigan, USA www.wupcenter.mtu.edu
Project Central Kansas City, Kansas, USA www.projcentral.co
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area St. Paul, Minnesota, USA www.nps.gov/miss
Project F.I.S.H. East Lansing, Michigan, USA www.projectfish.org
Nature Net Monona, Wisconsin, USA www.naturenet.com
Wisconsin Green Schools Network Columbus, Wisconsin, USA www.wisconsingreenschoolsnetwork.org
Next.CC Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA www.NEXT.cc
y Ba uar nct yB each Wildlife Sa Green Bay, WI
OAK Learning Center at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA www.baybeachwildlife.com/kindergarten
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Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA www.KEEPprogram.org
LEAF - Wisconsin’s K-12 Forestry Education Program
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© Sharon danks
International School Grounds Alliance T he International School Grounds Alliance (ISGA) is a global network of organizations working to enrich children’s learning and play by improving the way school grounds are designed and used.
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Become a member of ISGA and receive our newsletter: http://bit.ly/ISGAjoin
The isga believes school grounds should:
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Attend our upcoming conferences: http://bit.ly/ISGAconf
Join the conversation
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Provide powerful opportunities for hands-on learning
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Nurture students’ physical, social and emotional
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Reflect and embrace their local ecological, social and cultural context
Participate in our LinkedIn Group to find the most up to date research that supports this field: http://bit.ly/ISGALI
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Like our Facebook page: http://bit.ly/ISGAFBk
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Embrace risk-taking as an essential component of learning and child development
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Be open public spaces, accessible to their communities
development and well-being
The isga does this by:
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Focusing on the way school grounds are used, designed and managed
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Facilitating a dialogue about innovative research, design, education and policy
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Fostering partnerships between professionals and organizations across the globe
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Organizing international conferences and programs
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Advocating for student and school community participation in the design, construction and stewardship of school grounds
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Promoting the value of enriched school grounds as uniquely positioned, engaging environments for children
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The international school grounds movement is growing rapidly and flourishing in many places. Schools in dozens of countries are leading the way, finding innovative approaches that weave learning into their landscapes, diversify their recreational offerings, enhance their local ecology, and reflect their unique location and cultural context. The ISGA is a membership organization, bringing together leaders in the fields of school ground use, design and management. Membership is free. We invite you to join the ISGA to declare your commitment to creating and caring for these special environments that support children and young people’s learning, play and well-being. Join us today by visiting http://bit.ly/ISGAjoin
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© Sharon danks
Green Schoolyards America Our Mission is to inspire and enable communities across
the United States to enrich their school grounds and use them to improve children’s well-being, learning and play while contributing to the ecological health and resilience of cities.
Green Schoolyards America is a national organization that expands and strengthens the green schoolyard movement and empowers Americans to become stewards of their school and neighborhood environments. We believe that school grounds are uniquely positioned to enrich the daily lives of children and their communities, occupying both the geographic and social heart of almost every city across the USA and around the world.
We facilitate public dialogue about innovative research,
design, education and policy and foster partnerships between professionals and organizations across the USA and around the globe. Our programs promote the green schoolyard movement, build relationships that help it succeed and work to embed this paradigm shift in our existing institutions and national policy and regulatory frameworks.
Green your schoolyard
We value the uniqueness of each school and celebrate
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Visit our website’s resource page for helpful articles to support your efforts: http://bit.ly/GSAresources
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Subscribe to our newsletter: http://bit.ly/GSAnews
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Read Asphalt to Ecosystems, written by our CEO, Sharon Danks, to learn what’s happening in schoolyards around the world. Available from your local library or our nonprofit publisher, New Village Press: http://bit.ly/DanksA2E
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Visit our Facebook page (http://bit.ly/GSAFBk1) and LinkedIn page (http://bit.ly/GSALI) to keep up with current research and events in this field.
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Encourage your city government and school district to adopt a Living Schoolyard resolution: http://bit.ly/CaACR128
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Please contact us at
[email protected] if you’d like to bring living schoolyards to your school district or region. We also welcome new contributors to next year’s schoolyard Activity Guides.
local sense of place while promoting learning, environmental sustainability, lifelong health, recreation and community engagement. We believe strongly in the value of student and community participation in schoolyard design, construction and stewardship. We provide resources, training and support for school districts and partner with nonprofits, businesses, public agencies and utilities to effect change across the USA. We collaborate with educational institutions to develop comprehensive, district-wide green schoolyard programs with strong connections to local sustainable-city planning efforts, regional ecosystems, educational standards and health. We invite like-minded professionals and organizations
to collaborate to nurture and grow the movement to green school grounds. Green Schoolyards America is fiscally sponsored by Architects/ Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility, a 501(c)(3) corporation. green schoolyards america greenschoolyards.org SM
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