A How-to Guide: Connecting Curriculum to Journaling in Nature

This month, our very own Susan was at the 2012 North American Association for Environmental Educators conference in Oakland, California, and met John Muir...

Yosemite National Park (wikipedia 2012)

Unfortunately,  it was not the John Muir of California, but another very important John Muir. John is a contemporary educator in Oakland who has written a compelling curriculum on how to use journaling and sketching as a learning tool, particularly in natural environments. A quote from John:

"Keeping a field journal develops and reinforces the most important science process skills; observation and documentation. All other parts of the process of science depend on these skills. We assume that we are naturally good observers, but learning to really see is a skill that must be learned and developed."

He describes how to help make this unique practice relevant to students, and also relevant for teachers' connections to curriculum.Visit John's website to read his blog, and download his guide to on how to can enhance your outdoor (or even indoor) curriculum.