Schoolyard habitats are living educational and recreational spaces that are optimal space for interdisciplinary hands-on learning, they promote biodiversity by improving habitat for local and migratory wildlife while integrating stormwater management and if student managed, they can provide a powerful example of ecological stewardship.
Schoolyard habitats can promote physical activity, as well as an understanding and appreciation for nature while bringing the community together. When schoolyard habitats are incorporated into school culture, they bring the natural world to every student, every day and can inspire students to be environmental stewards.
DC offers resources for outdoor classroom projects that reduce runoff to our rivers, as well as school gardens and edible food forests, all of which can be living laboratories for experiential ecological education. The Sustainable DC goal is to have 10 hours of garden-based education for every DC student by 2032, whether that is in a garden on campus or off.
Lesson Plans: Consider utilizing one or more of the following curricula resources to teach schoolyard habitat.
Multiple Grades
- Bay BackPack
- School Garden Curriculum (Grades K-8)
Elementary School
- Exploring Soil (Grades K-1)
- Worm Exploration Lesson Plan
- Pollination Module and Lessons
- Backyard Bird Identification and ideas to make bird feeders
- Feathered Friends: Monthly Activities
- Garden Planning Lesson
- Exploring Your Watershed (Grades K-3)
- Exploring Your Watershed with EnviroAtlas (Grades K-6)
Middle and High School
- I-Tree Design: a platform that estimates the benefits and ecosystem services provided trees on school grounds/neighborhood
- Urban Schoolyard Habitat Curriculum
- Mapping School Grounds exercise (see section 2, page 3)
- What’s in your Soil? (Grades 6-8)
- Take Your Pick: Gardening Lessons
- Carbon and Hoofprints: Cows and Climate Change (Grades 9-12)
- Biodiversity Mini-Project (Grades 9-12)
Student Audits and Actions: Consider utilizing one or more of the following resources to encourage student action to conserve energy at your school
- Eco-Schools Schoolyard Habitats audits (follow link to Conduct an Environmental Audit for Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-9, and 9-12)
- Project Learning Tree School Site Investigation (register for free download for Early Childhood and All Grades)
- Chesapeake Bay School Yard Report Card (Grades 6-12)
Celebratory Events: Consider bringing awareness to your School Yard Habitat initiatives by celebrating these national/international awareness days at your school.
- Great Backyard Bird Count: February
- World Wildlife Day: March
- City Nature Challenge: April
- BioBlitz: May
- Growing Healthy School Month: October
Teacher Resources: Consider taking advantage of the following resources to enhance schoolyard habitat.
- Use Your School Grounds to Teach
- Bay BackPack
- School Grounds for Learning project ideas
- Schoolyard Habitat: How-to Guide
- Casey Trees tree planting program
- Field trips to the Washington Youth Garden, US National Arboretum, US Botanical Garden, Aquatic Resource Education Center, Anacostia River Explorers
- OSSE School Garden Funding
- DOEE RiverSmart Schools application (due at the end of October)
- Chesapeake Bay Trust mini grants (rolling deadlines)
Contacts: Consider reaching out to the following contacts regarding environmental education and your schoolyard habitat.
- OSSE’s Environmental Literacy and School Garden Programs
- Department of Energy and Environment Environmental Education Programs
Capital LEAF Links: