May is Outdoor Science Learning Month!

The New Hampshire Environmental Educators in collaboration with Jan McLaughlin, New Hampshire Science Education Consultant, are declaring May as “Outdoor Science Learning Month”. Educators across NH are challenging you to open your windows and doors and spend twenty minutes each day experiencing science outdoors!

The 20 minute challenge

Spend at least 20 minutes every day for 1 week outside exploring and learning science in our state’s wonderful natural environments.

Not sure what to do while you are outside? Here are some suggestions. Also check our calendar for special events or link to our many member sites to for ideas. See you outside!

Monday	Pick a shape and find things in nature with that shape. How many different items with that shape can you find?
Tuesday	Sit quietly in a favorite spot and listen. What do you hear?
Wednesday	Find things in nature with different textures: rough, smooth, soft, fuzzy, prickly, sharp, soft, hard.
Thursday	Find natural things smaller than your hand and sketch them. What do you notice?
Friday	Study the night sky. Do you see patterns in the stars and planets?
Saturday	Visit a park, forest or nature center and explore.
Sunday	Choose a color and see how many things you can find in nature that are that same color.

Things you may want to have with you:

Camera
Binoculars
Sketch pad or paper
Pencil or crayons
Magnifying glass

Why is it important to learn science outside?

As seen in a Boston Globe article entitled “Nature nurtures learning” by Peter Dizikes on December 31, 2007:

Walking in the woods, smelling the roses, and digging in the dirt are good for mental health, learning, and brain development. Being close to nature may foster people's ability to concentrate, improves the behavior of children with attention disorders, and boosts science test scores, research shows.

Entire article can be found here.

How does getting your child outside support science learning?

Outdoor experiences provide ample opportunities for children to naturally engage in inquiry, which is an important component of learning science and of the new science frameworks and assessment. Children are naturally curious and ask questions when given the opportunity to explore and discover their own backyard.