Outdoor Education Creates High Performance Students

It is a reality that regular outdoor time for children has become just minutes a day and is verging on being a thing of the past. KIDS ON the LAND is helping to break that cycle by bringing the classroom outside. Dr. Paul Martin, a noted Entomologist, leads students in a lesson on insect collection – or as one student summed it up “what’s the best way to catch a bunch of bugs”. He teaches that scientists collect insects to study them and to study the biodiversity of an area, helping determine the health of the land.

The students use different methods of collection, utilizing sweep nets, alcohol, containing an area inside of a hulu hoop and peanut butter cups (great for catching ants)!

They then use math skills to determine the biodiversity of the area they are studying.

In the study “Back to School: Back Outside! How Outdoor Education and Outdoor School Time Create High Performance Students” Kevin J. Coyle, National Wildlife Federation reports that research reveals that along with many other benefits, outdoor education:

Usefully employs all of a child’s native intelligences, ranging from math and science smarts to interpersonal communication

Measurably improves classroom performance in math, science, reading and social studies.