Nature Connections

Our newest outdoor school option offers a virtual /distance-learning format for elementary and middle school students who attend school online.

Nature Connections is a series of 6 science-based units that are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and highlight Oregon ecosystems, natural resources, history, Indigenous peoples, and immigrant cultures. Instruction and learning materials can be provided in English and/or Spanish. Each unit includes learning activities that highlight an NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea.

To access a free sample activity, watch the “We Eat Sunshine!” video below, then click the link to download the learning journal for this module.

1. “We Eat Sunshine!” PS3 Energy (Learning Journal)

Below is a list of the other five modules included in Nature Connections:

2. “Wildflower Walkabout” LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

3. “Fantastic Food Webs” LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

4. “What On Earth?!” ESS2 Earth's Systems

5. “Jammin’ Salmon” ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

6. “Ammonites & Adaptations” MS-LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

For each unit, a one-hour synchronous (live) classroom visit with our naturalist-educators is followed by 2-4 engaging asynchronous “field study” activities that can be completed by the students independently and/or led by the classroom teacher.

Each module includes the following:

• Learning Journal - Directions, diagrams, photos, and other student resources to complete a learning activity that highlights the Core Idea

• Educational Videos - Engaging multimedia representations of each Core Idea

• Naturalist Kit - Includes a Straub Outdoors field bag, colored pencils, magnifying lens, and all other materials needed for each activity. These supplies are included in the cost per student (see below).

Note: All Nature Connections field studies can be completed in any setting (in the classroom, at a neighborhood park, in a backyard, or by observing nature out a window at home).

Classroom visits can take place via Zoom or on any online meeting platform currently used by the school or district. Visits can be scheduled once each week for six weeks, twice each week for three weeks, or on six consecutive school days. The schedule can be adjusted to fit school schedules and classroom needs.

Measure 99 state funding is currently available for this outdoor school option as an alternative to in-person outdoor school sessions canceled or otherwise impacted by COVID-19.

Please contact your district outdoor school coordinator or email the OSU Outdoor School staff at outdoorschool@oregonstate.edu if you have questions about state funding.

Total educational hours: 18

To learn more about our three outdoor school options, download our 2023-24 Outdoor School Guide and visit the Oregon State University Outdoor School website FAQ page for updated outdoor school funding baseline amounts for 2022-23 (see the baseline funding amounts for 2021-22).

For more information or to schedule an outdoor school consultation, e-mail Catherine Alexander at ExecutiveDirector@strauboutdoors.org or call 503-779-5227.