What lessons from the crisp, fall days of your high school years do you remember most?  What comes to mind for you?   Most adults remember experiences rather than lessons.  At Ivy Academy, an outdoor charter public high school in Hamilton County, teachers strive to make each lesson experiential.  In other words, the lesson becomes something that they do, rather than something that is explained to them inside a classroom.

Autumn days in Southeast Tennessee are a treasure to encounter.  As teachers seek to create adventures in which their learners will become participants, they utilize the resource so abundant in our region, the beauty and marvel of nature.

In the woods of the North Chickamauga Creek gorge, geometry students carry tree field guides and pick up fallen leaves as they identify them and group them in their species.  They use a protractor to measure the angle formed at each tip of the particular leaves chosen, sum the measure of all angles, log the data and then sit on a different kind of log to finish the lesson!

From there, classmates are guided by their teacher checking to see if their measurements are correct and making predictions about the sum of the measures of angle tips of the leaves of each type of species.  Compare this to sitting in the classroom, listening to a board lesson, and doing a worksheet about how to use a protractor!

Which would you remember the most?  Not only have the students learned how to use and apply the protractor, they’ve also learned the names of native trees, how to identify them, have reasoned about how to make predictions, exercised physically,  and worked with their classmates in a group.

Art students are studying texture.  In the classroom, they discuss terms to describe different textures and then they travel outdoors to the fields and woods.  Searching for real life examples of each texture term, they photograph their finds.  Collages of the photos form lovely environmental art.  Students compose a poem describing their piece while including the texture terms they chose.

Isn’t this better than passing the fuzzy, smooth or bumpy example around the classroom?  Again, learners have exercised body and mind.  They’ve stayed together as a group, been patient with one another and shared equipment such as cameras and computers to get the job done.

The way we educate students is morphing.  Education is moving from being dominated by book, paper, pen & laptop, out to the real world where experience brings relevance to lessons.  The vibrance of the nature in our backyard makes the dynamic lessons relevant and the education enjoyable.

Grab a protractor and a picnic and find some science, math and fun with your family!