OUTSIDE TEACHING PLANS (OTP’s) 
Written by Maine Teachers
The final project for our Teaching Outside Workshops is for teachers to create an Outside Teaching Plan (OTP) for use with their class. We ask the teachers to take their students outside and implement their OTP before the second session of our workshop. During the second session, each teacher presents his/her OTP, and relates both the challenges and “ah-ha” moments that came from teaching outside.
Teachers are strongly encouraged to teach a class or unit already in their repertoire, finding ways to do parts of the lesson or unit OUTSIDE. Early forays into teaching outside may consist of several 15 minute outdoor lessons, to begin laying the groundwork for successful learning experiences out of the classroom.
We’ve posted links to some of the Outside Teaching Plans created during our Teaching Outside Workshops here. We hope these plans will inspire more teachers to get outside with their students for valuable learning experiences!
Samples of the Outside Teaching Plans
Garden related plans:
- Garden Study
- Planning & Planting our Classroom Garden
- Planting Sunflower Seeds
- Presumpscot Learning Garden
- Starting a Garden Club
Animal & insect related plans:
- Arctic Friend Treasure Hunt
- Composting with Worms
- From Trees to Trout
- Worms
- Search for Signs of Animals in Winter
Trail related plans:
- Mapping a Micro Nature Trail
- Naturally Fit—Creating a Mini Nature Trail
- Creating an Outdoor Discovery Hiking Trail
Math related Plans:
Art related plans:
- Color Scheme Painting: Patterns from Nature
- Discovering Spring’s Palette
- Drawing en plein air from observation
Nature related Plans
- A Closer Look at Leaves
- Alphabet A-Z at Lunt School
- How Can I Save the Earth?
- Persona Poems: Urban and Rural
- Shadows
Plans for Middle School teachers:
DESIGN. PLAY. LEARN. 