by Ashley Kolpak
For some across the country, “winter” can mean sunshine and 70 degree weather. For most of us, winter brings freezing temperatures and the need for a little inspiration.
So, what to do with your students when the weather outside is less than ideal? Use this time to shake things up with your kids.
Getting Outside this Winter Will:
Inspire Critical Thinking
A recent report from Scientific American suggests that critical thinking thrives outside the traditional classroom. A trip outside the everyday classroom environment not only strengthens students’ connection to real-life situations, but it also taps into their ability to prepare for future learning. What does this mean? It means that getting outside the classroom allows students an opportunity to formulate questions and forge a new educational path ahead based on hands-on discovery.
Turn Your Backyard into an Adventure
Learn lessons from the outdoors while teaching outdoor safety. It’s important to learn how to bundle up to stay healthy. If the weather permits, use the trees, plants and other life around your home as your guide.
For your younger students, it can be as simple as a lesson on “why snow melts”, make bird feeders for the local “wildlife”; there are so many ways to connect with what’s happening out in the world…and what’s right outside your doorstep! If you are looking to take an excursion somewhere close by, take advantage of extra learning time by making the transition a learning moment.
Engage Dynamic Project-Based Learning
One of the latest “buzz words” in education is Project-Based Learning. But the idea is more than just buzz. Project-based learning places emphasis on learning by doing, and it works. Enhance your PBL efforts with a trip or activity that takes emphasis off what’s happening in their workbooks in to what’s happening in the world and how, in the future, they will become a part of it.
Offer a New Perspective
As a homeschooler, you are the center of your students’ attention all day, every day (right? ). A field trip or another activity outside the learning environment is potentially a chance to hand the reins over…even if just for a little while! If your home classroom is suffering from that stir-crazy feeling due to woeful winter weather, a hands-on trip is a great way to shake things up in a productive and educational manner.
This is another chance to help reinforce lessons of good behavior, attentiveness, and more in a real-world setting. Letting a new person (guest speaker, tour leader, etc) share their perspective with your students is another reason to change up the routine this winter.
Ashley Kolpak is a Chicago native with a passion for experiential learning. As the Copywriter and Social Media Manager for Field Trip Factory, she enjoys engaging with educators and working to create a community focused on the benefits of field trips and hands-on learning. She invites you to explore FieldTripFactory.com for a list of inspiring, fun and educational field trips offered across the United States and Canada.
For some across the country, “winter” can mean sunshine and 70 degree weather. For most of us, winter brings freezing temperatures and the need for a little inspiration.
So, what to do with your students when the weather outside is less than ideal? Use this time to shake things up with your kids.
Getting Outside this Winter Will:
Inspire Critical Thinking
A recent report from Scientific American suggests that critical thinking thrives outside the traditional classroom. A trip outside the everyday classroom environment not only strengthens students’ connection to real-life situations, but it also taps into their ability to prepare for future learning. What does this mean? It means that getting outside the classroom allows students an opportunity to formulate questions and forge a new educational path ahead based on hands-on discovery.
Turn Your Backyard into an Adventure
Learn lessons from the outdoors while teaching outdoor safety. It’s important to learn how to bundle up to stay healthy. If the weather permits, use the trees, plants and other life around your home as your guide.
For your younger students, it can be as simple as a lesson on “why snow melts”, make bird feeders for the local “wildlife”; there are so many ways to connect with what’s happening out in the world…and what’s right outside your doorstep! If you are looking to take an excursion somewhere close by, take advantage of extra learning time by making the transition a learning moment.
Engage Dynamic Project-Based Learning
One of the latest “buzz words” in education is Project-Based Learning. But the idea is more than just buzz. Project-based learning places emphasis on learning by doing, and it works. Enhance your PBL efforts with a trip or activity that takes emphasis off what’s happening in their workbooks in to what’s happening in the world and how, in the future, they will become a part of it.
Offer a New Perspective
As a homeschooler, you are the center of your students’ attention all day, every day (right? ). A field trip or another activity outside the learning environment is potentially a chance to hand the reins over…even if just for a little while! If your home classroom is suffering from that stir-crazy feeling due to woeful winter weather, a hands-on trip is a great way to shake things up in a productive and educational manner.
This is another chance to help reinforce lessons of good behavior, attentiveness, and more in a real-world setting. Letting a new person (guest speaker, tour leader, etc) share their perspective with your students is another reason to change up the routine this winter.
Ashley Kolpak is a Chicago native with a passion for experiential learning. As the Copywriter and Social Media Manager for Field Trip Factory, she enjoys engaging with educators and working to create a community focused on the benefits of field trips and hands-on learning. She invites you to explore FieldTripFactory.com for a list of inspiring, fun and educational field trips offered across the United States and Canada.
