10 miles, any direction

a place-based, project oriented curriculum for 3rd-5th grade students using Next GENERATION science standards

As Richard Louv points out in Last Child in the Woods, our nation is losing their connection with nature at an accelerated rate. He calls this phenomenon Nature Deficit Disorder.

At the same time, testing in public schools is becoming more and more controversial. Teachers feel like they have to "teach for the test" instead of teaching students real world skills.

10 Miles, Any Direction is a curriculum designed to solve both of these problems through a place-based, project-oriented approach. Working in groups students will be provided tools that encourage exploration of their immediate surroundings through temporal, geological, biological, and cultural lenses in order to foster connections, engage in project based learning, and cultivate group skills and community engagement.

This eight lesson curriculum was designed while I was at Western Washington University's Master's of Outdoor Environmental Education residency program at the North Cascades Institute. I am always looking to improve it, so please don't hesitate to contact me with any suggestions.