DANFORTH, Maine — On a cold winter afternoon, Elisha Farley and her pre-K class prepare to go outside. The snow and the brisk air are no deterrent. Farley makes sure that each student is properly dressed for the elements.
Students in Elisha Farley’s pre-K class recently enjoyed an outdoor classroom experience.
(Courtesy of Elisha Farley)
Single file, they waddle in their snowsuits down the stairs and into East Grand’s outdoor classroom. Earlier in the day, Farley read them a book called “Nana in the City.” Their goal for the afternoon is to explore the idea of cities by building one in the snow. One student builds a road, while others work on schools, restaurants, and apartment buildings.
Experiences like this are part of East Grand School’s strategy for incorporating outdoor experiential learning opportunities into every student’s schedule.
Though East Grand already offers Outdoor Heritage and Outdoor Education at the high school level, the faculty is committed to expanding outdoor learning opportunities to students of all ages.
Danforth’s rich natural resources make it an ideal setting for experiential learning, and East Grand School continues to expand these opportunities through community involvement.
While technology-based learning provides a great deal of flexibility and depth, prolonged screen time can feel isolating and tends to be a sedentary pursuit. In contrast, outdoor experiences connect students with the world around them in a tangible way, engaging all the senses and promoting healthy levels of physical activity.
Working with volunteers connects the students to the community at large, allowing them to interact with a variety of people in a safe, constructive way. While technology can bring the world to the student, experiential learning requires the student to see the world itself as a classroom.
A few days before Farley’s city adventure, Outdoor Ed instructors Dave Conley and Tammi Matula led a group of middle school students in a much more ambitious building project.
Ice fisherman Dan White instructs East Grand students on the use of traps while ice fishing on Deering Lake during a recent outdoor classroom session.
(Courtesy of Michael LaReux)
In the course of a single day, they built a full-sized traditional igloo, cutting blocks of snow out of the playground’s extensive snowpack. The excavation site resembled a quarry, complete with cutting tools and sleds to move the completed slabs to the rapidly rising structure in the center.
The igloo builders learned about the architectural strength of the igloo’s dome structure. In the process, they discovered the value of teamwork, delegation of duties, and the reward of completing a daunting task.
The igloo became more than just a collection of blocks. For the students, it was an example of community effort that they could see and touch. In their minds, the igloo was no longer a mere concept, it was a direct experience that transcended the photos captured on cell phones and digital cameras. It was living proof of the power of collaboration.
This sense of community is present in every outdoor learning experience. High school students and staff got a chance to take part in a cherished Maine ritual when they spent the day on Deering Lake learning about ice fishing.
Ice fishermen Dan White and Alan Curtis taught the students how to use the auger, how to set up the traps, and about the use of a depth finder to monitor the fish beneath the ice. Curtis spent the previous day plowing the deep snow off a section of the lake so that students would have access to open ice.
They then brought his ice shack out to give the students shelter from the cold. The students enjoyed their time on the ice and when it was over, Curtis treated each of them to a candy bar. The students had a chance to enjoy a day on the lake, but more importantly, they gained an appreciation for a community willing to take an active role in their education.
The melting snow and the approach of spring brings new opportunities for students to put down the laptops and immerse themselves in the real world. It won’t be long before East Grand students trade in their ski poles for canoe paddles, and opportunities for hiking, gardening, and mountain biking will arrive with the spring warmth.
Dan White shows East Grand freshman Kollin Osnoe how to drill a hole in the ice with an auger during a recent outdoor education session.
(Courtesy of Michael LaReux)
