An outdoor classroom site provides a fun, exciting environment for a wide variety of
hands-on activities addres
sing cross-curricular disciplines including reading, writing,
math, science, social studies, technology, art, physical education, and more. Below is a list of activity resources that many Alabama schools use in conjunction with their outdoor classrooms.
Click on the links below to sample some example conservation education activities that you can use in conjunction with your outdoor classroom site:
AWF's Nature's Classroom Activities:
The Alabama Wildlife Federation's "Nature's Classroom" activities were developed to coordinate with different outdoor classroom learning stations including song bird sanctuaries, butterfly gardens, aquatic studies areas, and forest exploration areas. Click on the activity topic that you would like to teach to view the list of Nature's Classroom activities that have already been developed:
Birds I Butterflies I Aquatics I Forests
Click on the Activity Name below to download a PDF of the activity.
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Watch the Birdie (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-2
Students make pretend binoculars and take a bird watching walk in your outdoor classroom site.
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Birds are Everywhere (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-5
Students explore your outdoor classroom’s wild bird habitat for evidence of birds and other wildlife.
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Fill the Bill (3 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-8
Students participate in activity stations that demonstrate how different types of beaks help birds eat specific types of food, and then they observe birds and the different types of beaks in your outdoor classroom’s wild bird habitat.
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Adapt a Bird (2 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-8
Students observe birds’ beaks and feet in your outdoor classroom site, and they they will create a new bird species using adaptations of birds.
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Birding Lane (3 page pdf) | Grade Level: 6-8
Students test their skills at observing and identifying birds in wild bird habitats as they take a stroll along “Birding Lane” in your outdoor classroom.
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Songbird Survey (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: 9-12
Students use bird-counting techniques to conduct an inventory of bird populations as they explore your outdoor classroom site. |
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Butterfly Activities
Click on the Activity Name below to download a PDF of the activity.
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Pasta Butterfly (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-2
Students listen to a story abou tthe life cycle of the butterfly, act out the life cycle stages, look for the life cycle stages in your outdoor classroom, and create the life cycle stages on paper plates using pasta and markers.
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Butterfly Book (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-5
Students create a butterfly book where they will keep a journal of their observations in the butterfly garden in your outdoor classroom site.
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How Many Butterflies (4 page pdf) | Grade Level: 3-5
Students become "butterflies" as they look for one or more components of butterfly habitat in your outdoor classroom site during this physically-involved activity.
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Butterflies without Borders (3 page pdf) | Grade Level: 6-8
Students observe butterflies in your outdoor classroom site while searching for monarch butterflies, track the migration path of the monarch, and send a "Symbolic Monarch Butterfly" and letter to students in Mexico.
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Bloomin Butterflies (7 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-12
Students collect butterfly eggs or caterpillars in your outdoor classroom, rear them indoors, and then release the adult butterflies in the outdoor classroom site.
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Butterfly Gardening (5 page pdf) | Grade Level: K-12
Students will design and build a butterfly garden for your outdoor classroom site. |
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