NOLA’s 12-week Fall Curriculum, Outdoor Discovery, contains 160+ pages of standards-aligned lessons and activities that harmonize well with North America’s autumnal season, but can be facilitated any time of the year.
Curriculum Description
Rooted in the 5E Model of Instruction (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), the curriculum provides an evidence-based approach to the facilitation of high-quality educational experiences for children ages 3 and up.
Each lesson within the curriculum includes:
Background information for instructors
Lesson objectives and associated ELG/NGSS
Materials list
Step-by-step guide for all activities, which may include experiments, games, art projects, and more!
Literature recommendations
Discussion prompts
As an outdoor-based curriculum, materials are intentionally kept at a minimum, with natural found objects and the environment prioritized for conceptualizing concepts.
Since the fall season is the traditional start of the "school year," this curriculum begins with subjects and activities associated with forming community, understanding group dynamics, and team work, all through the lens of nature. The curriculum scaffolds from there, blossoming into subjects and activities that support children's understanding of their local nature neighborhoods, Earth systems, and seasonal traditions.
