Educator Resources for Schoolyard Forests

This webpage in the national Schoolyard Forest System®’s Resource Library is a curated collection of standards-based lessons and activities for PreK-12 that is designed to support all phases of a schoolyard forest’s development. The initial sections are for schools just getting started and the later sections are for teachers interested in digging deeper into tree and forest ecosystem lessons.

Students can be involved in all aspects of a schoolyard forest—from the initial research, design, and planting, to long-term stewardship and investigation. Schoolyard forests present a special opportunity for engaging students’ minds, hearts, and bodies and provide rich academic experiences across the curriculum. They also provide students regular access to a natural laboratory for developing their environmental and climate literacy.

The collection showcases lessons that: are outdoor activities, are engaging, involve hands-on and kinesthetic learning, and can generally be taught in one to two class periods. The lessons are generally applicable to schoolyard forests with young saplings or larger, established trees. They were written by organizations and individuals who are established leaders in the field of outdoor education.