Here is a suggested supply list and sample lesson plan
Teacher Kit: To be brought outside by the art educator:
A cell phone or Walkie Talkie to communicate with building administrator or classroom teacher
A first-aid kit
A whistle
A box of pencils
A set of labeled digital cameras for students to check out
Several buckets with trowels and cups for collecting
A camera or video camera,for recording student explorations
Some string
A pair of scissors
A pencil sharpener
Some magnifying glasses
Some rubber gloves
Some small garbage bags for collecting trash
Some old towels for wiping off hands
If it is wet outside, students could bring oilcloth squares for sitting on.
Students carry a sketchbook, a bag of crayons, and a sealable bag for collecting objects.
A cell phone or Walkie Talkie to communicate with building administrator or classroom teacher
A first-aid kit
A whistle
A box of pencils
A set of labeled digital cameras for students to check out
Several buckets with trowels and cups for collecting
A camera or video camera,for recording student explorations
Some string
A pair of scissors
A pencil sharpener
Some magnifying glasses
Some rubber gloves
Some small garbage bags for collecting trash
Some old towels for wiping off hands
If it is wet outside, students could bring oilcloth squares for sitting on.
Students carry a sketchbook, a bag of crayons, and a sealable bag for collecting objects.
A Sample Lesson Plan
Rationale: Students at my school were not familiar with outdoor art explorations. This first lesson was designed to orient students to the area, explain the expectations for behavior and learning,and included a brief inquiry-based art lesson. Each grade level was given different, age appropriate prompts, followed by time to observe and explore the natural areas near our school building.
Objective: Artistic inquiry through outdoor exploration.
Step by Step:
1. Gather supplies.
2. Prior to leaving the building, explain the whistle signals for both listening to instruction and regrouping,
and discuss these two questions:
Why are insects and animals outside?
What should you do when you meet an insect or animal?
3. Lead the students outside, briefly touring the area to be explored, and then form a group circle for
instruction.
4. Have students sit and close their eyes in silence.
Ask them what they hear, and what they smell. Tell them to touch the ground next to them.
Ask them what they feel. Have them open their eyes and look up towards the sky and
ask what they see.
5. Explain the idea of exploring things in nature that attract our senses. Have the students run their fingers
through the grass again. Tell them when they find something they like to ask themselves:
Why do I like this or why don't I like this?
Which of my senses does it affect?
6. Ask the students which sense they shouldn't use when exploring.
Discuss why tasting natural objects is not allowed.
7. Explain and discuss the prompts.
Kindergarteners will explore the nature area in a sensory scavenger hunt.
PROMPTS:
What do you notice first?
Which natural objects in the nature area are you attracted to?
Which ones can you collect?
First Graders will explore the nature area and arboretum to discover and sketch the uniqueness of a
single a tree. Model drawing a tree from your mind's eye compared to drawing a specific tree from
observation. Have students practice making branch shapes with their arms by looking at a specific
tree.
PROMPTS:
What makes your tree special?
What question would you ask your tree?
How can you draw your tree so that others see what makes it special to you?
Second Graders will explore the nature area and arboretum looking for and documenting natural
patterns. Model finding and sketching a natural pattern.
PROMPTS:
What is a pattern?
On what natural objects do you find patterns?
How many different natural patterns can you sketch on your paper?
Third Graders will explore, observe and sketch the water in the creek area. Ask students to solve
this riddle: What do we need to survive that artists use but find challenging to draw and paint?
Then discuss the question: Why are artists fascinated by water? Explain that they are to observe the
stream carefully and try to draw what they see. Model drawing water from your mind's eye compared
to drawing from observation.
PROMPTS:
How can you draw the water in the creek?
What color is water?
Fourth graders will explore the nature area, arboretum, and creek to collect and experiment with dirt
in making artworks. (They will need some extra supplies including buckets, trowels, and old
paintbrushes.) Ask the students where clay comes from. What is clay? What do artists do with clay?
Are there other types of dirt? How do you think artists could use dirt?
PROMPT:
How can you use dirt in making an artwork?
Fifth graders will explore the nature area to plan and design improvements to the area. Discuss the
following questions: What makes this a nice place to be sitting? Could we improve it? Could we make
it worse?
PROMPT:
How can you improve this area in a way that will benefit the plants and animals that live here
AND make it more appealing to your senses?
8. Show the students the area boundaries.
9. Give the expectations:
Stay with your buddy.
Stay in the boundaries.
Be responsible for your supplies.
Be gentle with nature. Do not pick any plants or hurt any creatures.
Think about what you are exploring – what do you see? What do you hear? What do you touch?
Be aware of what is around you.
Regroup at the meeting spot when you hear the whistle.
10. Give the consequences of not following the expectations.
Students not following the expectations will be given a tree stop. They must put one hand on a tree
chosen by the teacher and remain there until the teacher instructs them to return to their exploration.
Students that continue to not follow the expectations after a tree stop will be sent inside to sit in the
office.
11. Restate the prompt.
12. Students explore the area based on the prompt or other creative or artistic experience.
13. Regroup at the whistle signal.
14. If time, share favorite objects, sketches or experiences.
Discuss how they can apply what they learned to creating art.
15. Return to the classroom and put away the materials and supplies.
Rationale: Students at my school were not familiar with outdoor art explorations. This first lesson was designed to orient students to the area, explain the expectations for behavior and learning,and included a brief inquiry-based art lesson. Each grade level was given different, age appropriate prompts, followed by time to observe and explore the natural areas near our school building.
Objective: Artistic inquiry through outdoor exploration.
Step by Step:
1. Gather supplies.
2. Prior to leaving the building, explain the whistle signals for both listening to instruction and regrouping,
and discuss these two questions:
Why are insects and animals outside?
What should you do when you meet an insect or animal?
3. Lead the students outside, briefly touring the area to be explored, and then form a group circle for
instruction.
4. Have students sit and close their eyes in silence.
Ask them what they hear, and what they smell. Tell them to touch the ground next to them.
Ask them what they feel. Have them open their eyes and look up towards the sky and
ask what they see.
5. Explain the idea of exploring things in nature that attract our senses. Have the students run their fingers
through the grass again. Tell them when they find something they like to ask themselves:
Why do I like this or why don't I like this?
Which of my senses does it affect?
6. Ask the students which sense they shouldn't use when exploring.
Discuss why tasting natural objects is not allowed.
7. Explain and discuss the prompts.
Kindergarteners will explore the nature area in a sensory scavenger hunt.
PROMPTS:
What do you notice first?
Which natural objects in the nature area are you attracted to?
Which ones can you collect?
First Graders will explore the nature area and arboretum to discover and sketch the uniqueness of a
single a tree. Model drawing a tree from your mind's eye compared to drawing a specific tree from
observation. Have students practice making branch shapes with their arms by looking at a specific
tree.
PROMPTS:
What makes your tree special?
What question would you ask your tree?
How can you draw your tree so that others see what makes it special to you?
Second Graders will explore the nature area and arboretum looking for and documenting natural
patterns. Model finding and sketching a natural pattern.
PROMPTS:
What is a pattern?
On what natural objects do you find patterns?
How many different natural patterns can you sketch on your paper?
Third Graders will explore, observe and sketch the water in the creek area. Ask students to solve
this riddle: What do we need to survive that artists use but find challenging to draw and paint?
Then discuss the question: Why are artists fascinated by water? Explain that they are to observe the
stream carefully and try to draw what they see. Model drawing water from your mind's eye compared
to drawing from observation.
PROMPTS:
How can you draw the water in the creek?
What color is water?
Fourth graders will explore the nature area, arboretum, and creek to collect and experiment with dirt
in making artworks. (They will need some extra supplies including buckets, trowels, and old
paintbrushes.) Ask the students where clay comes from. What is clay? What do artists do with clay?
Are there other types of dirt? How do you think artists could use dirt?
PROMPT:
How can you use dirt in making an artwork?
Fifth graders will explore the nature area to plan and design improvements to the area. Discuss the
following questions: What makes this a nice place to be sitting? Could we improve it? Could we make
it worse?
PROMPT:
How can you improve this area in a way that will benefit the plants and animals that live here
AND make it more appealing to your senses?
8. Show the students the area boundaries.
9. Give the expectations:
Stay with your buddy.
Stay in the boundaries.
Be responsible for your supplies.
Be gentle with nature. Do not pick any plants or hurt any creatures.
Think about what you are exploring – what do you see? What do you hear? What do you touch?
Be aware of what is around you.
Regroup at the meeting spot when you hear the whistle.
10. Give the consequences of not following the expectations.
Students not following the expectations will be given a tree stop. They must put one hand on a tree
chosen by the teacher and remain there until the teacher instructs them to return to their exploration.
Students that continue to not follow the expectations after a tree stop will be sent inside to sit in the
office.
11. Restate the prompt.
12. Students explore the area based on the prompt or other creative or artistic experience.
13. Regroup at the whistle signal.
14. If time, share favorite objects, sketches or experiences.
Discuss how they can apply what they learned to creating art.
15. Return to the classroom and put away the materials and supplies.