Doing Science Outdoors

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Doing Science Outdoors

This is a collection of resources we have used in some of our professional development workshops. You can use them as a jumping off place when planning to get your students outside to do science.

Great places to do science outdoors:

  • School Garden
  • Playground - great for doing force and motion activities, tracking shadows, water studies
  • Local park
  • East Bay Regional Parks


California “Education and the Environment Initiative”
The K-12 EEI curriculum contains units by grade level, integrating environmental education and science. Teachers can download the units for free (registration required), and online training is available. Teachers who view an online webinar can receive 2 units of printed material for free.

Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies, OBIS 
(older site that uses http instead of https, but checks as safe by Norton)
Free online curriculum materials developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science, for elementary outdoor science explorations on schoolyards, nearby parks and creeks, and school gardens. Units were developed prior to NGSS, so alignment is not articulated in the units, but they are phonemon-centric and engage students in observation of, and critical thinking about, the outdoor environment - these activities can be “gateways” into deeper scientific units. Easy to lead, requires little additional materials.

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Living and Non-living

K-2 Resources


Grades 3-6 Resources

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Plants

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Insects

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Habitats & Streams

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Owl Pellet Resources

Rangers-Outdoor-Diorama_500x500
Field Day

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Fungi & Decomposers

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Ocean & Pond
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Soil

Community Resources for Science
1611 San Pablo Avenue, Suite 10 B
Berkeley, CA 94702

 

Phone: (510) 527-5212
Fax: (510) 527-5216
Email: community@crscience.org
EIN: 94-3262587

 

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The mission of CRS is to empower teachers and STEM professionals serving schools in historically marginalized communities to activate TK-8 students’ curiosity about the world, foster critical thinking, and inspire children to imagine future career pathways. We envision a community of educators, scientists, families and partners working together to build school cultures that equip all children to explore the world around them and build the skills needed to become innovators, problem solvers, environmental stewards, life-long learners and leaders. CRS leads a dynamic network, fostering relationships and collaborations that leverage expertise and resources to transform science teaching and learning toward greater equity, opportunity, and success for all students.

 

Our goal is simple: help teachers give students more opportunities to “do science” – to ask questions, test ideas, get their hands on real science activities. We need to inspire the next generation of thinkers, makers, problem solvers, and leaders!