The Association of Nature The Association of Nature Schools in SwedenSchools in Sweden

www.naturskola.se

Facts about the Facts about the Nature SchoolsNature Schools

85 schools85 schools Run by the local Run by the local

communitycommunity Staff = main Staff = main

resourceresource A way of working A way of working

more than a more than a bulding/placebulding/place

Falun Nature Falun Nature School, 1993School, 1993

Farm in a World Farm in a World HeritageHeritage

Traditional farming Traditional farming and animalsand animals

Pre-school, 4th, Pre-school, 4th, 7th, 8th grades7th, 8th grades

Teacher trainingTeacher training

Soul Soul of the of the Nature SchoolsNature Schools Experiences:Experiences: Using all the senses to create awarenessUsing all the senses to create awareness

Security leads to a sense of belongingSecurity leads to a sense of belonging

Learning by doingLearning by doing

DiscoveriesDiscoveries New discoveries leads to new questionsNew discoveries leads to new questions

UnderstandingUnderstanding Discoveries leads to understandingDiscoveries leads to understanding

AwarenessAwareness

Understanding leads to awareness of the influence Understanding leads to awareness of the influence and the depending part man hasand the depending part man has

Why outdoor Why outdoor education?education?

Using the body and sensesUsing the body and senses Different ways to learn Different ways to learn Physical activityPhysical activity Cooperate and shared Cooperate and shared

experienceexperience Biologically illiterateBiologically illiterate Integrate subjectsIntegrate subjects Local nature awarenessLocal nature awareness Using the outdoors/schoolyard as Using the outdoors/schoolyard as

a pedagogic resourcea pedagogic resource

Books for teachersBooks for teachers (www.teknikverkstan.com(www.teknikverkstan.com))

Why Mathematics?Why Mathematics? Linking school subjects with outdoor Linking school subjects with outdoor

learning learning Move from abstract to concreteMove from abstract to concrete More maths and less countingMore maths and less counting Problem solving in realistic situations – Problem solving in realistic situations –

practical usepractical use A complement to books and classroom A complement to books and classroom

teachingteaching Statistics and the futureStatistics and the future Maths is fun!Maths is fun!

Maths as a LanguageMaths as a Language -- communicate maths in relevant and communicate maths in relevant and

meaningful situationsmeaningful situations

Bags of Secrets Bags of Secrets – interact and fetch– interact and fetch Encircling trees Encircling trees – estimate and calculate– estimate and calculate Heights of trees Heights of trees – using uniform triangles– using uniform triangles Secret Picture Secret Picture – communicate and cooperate– communicate and cooperate Fetching Poems Fetching Poems One meter rope – different possibilitiesOne meter rope – different possibilities Running NumbersRunning Numbers Sorting ExerciseSorting Exercise