STREAMS Outdoor Learning
By:  Amy VanAllsburg

Project at a Glance :

The goal of this project is for 4th graders to help design a learning blueprint for the new Outdoor STEM class planned for the 2025 - 2026 school year.  The project will focus on how outdoor learning can be beneficial for everyone.


Driving Question:

How can we create an awesome OUTDOOR STEM class for West Ottawa?    

​Team / Culture Building:

• Inner Heroes

• Bug List
• Hopes, Fears, & Norms​​
  

Stakeholders:

• ​West Ottawa students, staff & community members​

Empathy Building:

• Empathy Maps​

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Conduct Interviews - with the Outdoor Discovery staff and students from every grade level to gain insights.

Incubation:

• Rule of Thirds
• 100 Ideas
• Brainwriting

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Solution Building:

• Name Your Idea
• SWOT Analysis
• Storyboarding
• Dot Voting

Authentic Audience:

• West Coast Leadership Conference attendees

Final Presentation:

• Students discovered a list of books teachers may want to use while teaching the Outdoor STEM class.

• A group of students from our class were able to share our PBL project at the West Coast Leadership Conference with local business people and superintendents.

Reflection and Feedback:

Students presenting at the West Coast Leadership Conference

Click here for the teacher's PBL journey.

Meet the Educator:

Amy VanAllsburg teaches 4th grade at Lakewood Elementary, West Ottawa Public Schools.

     "We are grateful for all of the people who helped support us with our PBL project this year. West Ottawa will have a new outdoor focus at three elementary schools next year and an outdoor special at all elementaries. This project was a memorable experience for all of us."