Teaching Resources
Teaching in the Schoolyard or Outdoor Classroom is a learned skill. In our 10 years of working with BPS teachers, BSI has collected and developed a range of materials, strategies and tips for outdoor instruction which lead to meaningful student learning. In this section you will find resources for managing your classroom outdoors as well as resources for teaching science and writing in the schoolyard. These resources have been developed by the Boston Schoolyard Initiative in conjunction with Boston Public Schools (BPS) Science and Literacy Departments and BPS teachers. Science in the Schoolyard Guides to Teaching Outdoors are published by Delta Education and are available for download below.
Teaching Outdoors
- Boston Schoolyard Blog
- Outdoor Classroom Video
- Tips and Tricks for Outdoor Classroom Management
- Structuring an Outdoor Lesson
- Increasing the Biodiversity of your Schoolyard
Outdoor Writers Workshop
- About Outdoor Writers Workshop
- Video about Outdoor Writers Workshop
- Outdoor Writers Workshop Lessons
Informational/Explanatory Writing
Grade One
Grade Two
- 2.1 Generating a list of ideas for topics
- 2.2 Gathering information about a topic through observation
- 2.2A Gathering information about habitats through observation
- 2.3 Using questions to develop a topic
- 2.4 Using content-specific precise vocabulary
- 2.5 Using adjectives to describe the topic
- 2.6 Using illustrations and diagrams to clarify information
- 2.7 Labeling a picture or diagram
- 2.8 Revising the writing
Grade Three
Science in the Schoolyard™
- About Science in the Schoolyard
- Video of BPS teachers teaching science in the schoolyard
- BSI Guides to FOSS Curriculum: