Learning in the Garden: Learning from Nature

This course is rooted in a philosophy of learning through contact with nature and the outdoors, and explores practical strategies for taking teaching and learning beyond the classroom. Children’s familiarity with the natural world brings benefits on many levels, from education to physical and emotional well-being. We know that learning through experience, and the enthusiasm it inspires, helps consolidate knowledge, while awakening the senses and stimulating curiosity can foster psychological, social, interpersonal and aesthetic development. Using selected curriculum topics from the first and second cycles of basic education as a starting point, participants bring mathematics, Portuguese and science together with art through direct exploration outdoors. Nature and its elements thus become both a tool and a laboratory for acquiring knowledge in a playful, creative and experimental way. The course is aimed at teachers of the first and second cycles of basic education and other education professionals. A large part of the course takes place in the Garden, regardless of weather conditions. Participants should bring suitable clothing and footwear.