Students work together on portfolios to solve problems in stories read aloud by teachers. Students then work on computers to create and analyze graphs that they've generated in their portfolios. Teachers can find additional resources by searching the clearinghouse's computerized catalog of curriculum resources according to cost of resources, appropriate grade level, subject matter, author, or other characteristics. The everyday environment is a resource-rich classroom for students. Even a trip to the local shopping center can be educational.
Students can practice their skills in estimating how fast people walk.
They can learn about human behavior and psychology by observing where people prefer to sit, how long they sit, and what they do while they're sitting. Or they can examine how a shopping center functions, investigating to what extent store displays influence shoppers' purchases. In a book published by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, outdoor educator Clifford E. Knapp describes 12 experiential learning projects on themes such as community planning, pollution, and fast-food fact finding. The projects offer creative approaches to reinforce skills students learn in the classroom in subjects that range from mathematics and science to psychology and social studies. Knapp notes that experiential learning is compatible with excellent teaching strategies.