Why this approach is important

Your role as a teacher is to enable students to learn about science, and the local environment provides you with many contexts and opportunities in which to do so. Science is a practical subject that is relevant to all our lives, so using the outdoor environment can help to link science to your students’ everyday lives. Using the local community and its resources will help your students to make connections between the science concepts and ideas you teach them and how to solve everyday problems or how to live their lives more effectively.

This unit focuses on using the outdoors as an extension to your classroom to enhance your teaching. It also explores how you can make use of the local environment as a resource for your teaching.