Full Year 20-Lesson Forest School Bundle--Nature Ed for Elementary Students

Looking to help your students connect with nature? This full year lesson plan bundle contains 20 nature-based lesson plans following forest school and outdoor education models. It is inspired by Jon Young's Coyote Mentoring and the natural cycle of learning. These 20 lessons equip teachers and mentors to instill in their students strategies such as mapping, birding, mindfulness, awareness, animal tracking, journaling, and curiosity.

Lessons are intended to be taught once per week. Each lesson is designed to last 1-3 hours and follows the natural cycle routine. The plans also contain a comprehensive materials list to ensure that teachers will never be unprepared.

The lessons can be completed on a school yard, in a park, or in any green space you can find. No forests necessary!

These lessons can be adapted for any age, grade, and school-setting, including homeschooling!

Lesson 1: Introduction to Forest School

Lesson 2: Procedures and Routines

Lesson 3: Awareness Games & Hazards

Lesson 4: Nature Names & Sensory Exploration

Lesson 5: Nature Names Deep Dive

Lesson 6: Exploring Hearing & Fox-Walking

Lesson 7: Introduction to Hypotheses

Lesson 8: Animal Tracking 101

Lesson 9: Landscape Tracking

Lesson 10: Secondary Sign Tracking

Lesson 11: Four Directions and Wandering

Lesson 12: Native and Non-Native Plants

Lesson 13: Edible and Poisonous Plants

Lesson 14: Trees

Lesson 15: Bark and Leaf Rubbings

Lesson 16: Fort Building

Lesson 17: Bird Language

Lesson 18: Bird Watching

Lesson 19: Connecting to First People

Lesson 20: Inventory from the Ground Up

Nature Natalie is a first grade teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area who is inspired by the Forest School programs in Europe, which take the traditional classroom and turn it on its head by educating young children outside in nature. The results? Increased attention spans. Greater collaboration, creativity and problem solving. Improved social skills, language development, motivation and concentration, and physical skills. Higher academic performance.

Visit www.naturenatalie.com to learn more about the benefits of nature education.