National Science Teachers Association, Arlington.1998. Dr. Helen Russell has taught school from kindergarten to graduate school, in both urban and suburban settings. Her goal is to show that teachers can take many short trips on the school yard to observe nature, both at a given time and sequentially through the year. The advantages are that one doesn't have to schedule trips away from school by using buses and getting permission for off-grounds travel. Also trips can be taken on short notice to take advantage of good weather or sudden seasonal changes.
Trips can be short to view specific progress or for an overview of the environment.
Physical and earth sciences feature studies of heat, light, wind, rocks and minerals, and the solar system. There is a list of courses and workshops for use by the teacher, as well as a listing of science trade books and references. She has described projects that integrate plant growth, insects, or animals, and she itemizes lists of observations to be made. Ecology field trips can be used to illustrate environmental concerns. The experiments mentioned are feasible for classrooms and outdoors.