Incorporating the schoolyard into your classroom is an essential strategy for justice-centered and engaging science learning. Using real-world, local scientific phenomena helps connect Next Generation Science Standards to students’ existing knowledge, reflects students’ interests and identities, and affirms all students as scientists. Taking learning outdoors is also a great strategy for reducing COVID-19 risk!

In this virtual course, IslandWood educators will share tools and a ready-to-use curriculum to support community-centered science learning in your schoolyard. Following an introductory asynchronous session, participants will join IslandWood educators and fellow teachers for a synchronous session to try out a few lessons and brainstorm ways to implement an NGSS-aligned storyline that builds student understanding of the changing seasons. The storyline will integrate science standards, ELA read-alouds, and culturally sustaining activities that engage families and communities. During two online follow-up sessions, participants will engage with a small group of other teachers as a professional learning community, reflecting on their process and generating new ideas. Both course cohorts will then come together for a final session to discuss how to carry forward course lessons into future instruction.