Old Greenwich students get close with nature

Tuesday, 10 November 2009 15:46

Fifth grade students at Old Greenwich School recently had the opportunity to participate in an unusual educational and team-building program. Nature’s Classroom, in Becket, Mass., is a three-night, four-day experiential education program that provides students with an outdoor education. Students spend four days living, working, eating, sharing and learning together through a variety of unique activities and experiences.

A typical day at Nature’s Classroom consists of a morning field group experience, two afternoon special interest class periods, and an evening activity.

Special interest classes are a chance for the students to choose classes aligned with the Greenwich Public Schools’ curriculum that are of interest to them. The classes are taught by Nature’s Classroom teachers specializing in biology, environmental science and physics through a hands-on, experiential approach, where the students are actively engaged in their learning.

Each child participates in a field group for the week with a Nature’s Classroom teacher. They focus on concepts and themes and their connection to the total life support system as they explore the natural environment. For example, the field group might examine producer, consumer and decomposer concepts, predator-prey relationships, or life cycles.

Mealtimes at Nature’s Classroom also provide a chance for the students to interact and to share experiences with each other. Meal times allow for conversation and sharing stories between the students and adults. To be of service to the community, students also take on the responsibility of helping as waiters.

Having spent four days at Nature’s Classroom, living and learning together, students develop a sense of community, a confidence in themselves, and an appreciation for others that carries over to the school community. The strengthened peer cooperation and expanded student-teacher relationships have an influence on the overall and cognitive growth of the students throughout the school year and together they return to the classroom united through this shared experience.