Guidelines for K–12 Outdoor Education curriculum Outdoor Education Australia advocates that every child has a right to access quality Outdoor Education as part of a balanced curriculum from pre-school to Year 12. In order to maximise the effectiveness of this curriculum the Outdoor Education program should be sequential and with clearly aligned themes and specific learning outcomes. Note: Outdoor Education Australia acknowledges the unique role that a well-designed and implemented Therapeutic Adventure program has in contributing to the growth and development of specific populations, such as youth at risk, emerging adolescents, youth with disabilities or mental health issues, but is not within the scope of these guidelines The information below represents a guideline for Pre-schools and Schools, but is not intended to be prescriptive. It is hoped that it might stimulate thinking within the school for an articulated, sequential, whole school approach to Outdoor Education either integrated with other learning areas (particularly Health and Physical Education, but not exclusively) or as a stand-alone strand that delivers a number of aspects of other learning areas.
Exploration
Early Years (3-5 yrs) – Exploration Foundation (5-6 yrs) – Exploration Yr 1-2 (6 – 8 yrs) – Exploration through guided journeys Yr 3-4 (8-10 yrs) – Exploration through guided journeys with increasing independence Yr 5-6 (10-12 yrs) – Exploration through outdoor activities Yr 7-8 (12-14 yrs) – Exploration skills Yr 9-10 (14-16 yrs) – Developing independent exploration skills Yr 11-12 (16-18 yrs) – Independent Outdoor Journeys
Outdoor living knowledge and skills
Early Years (3-5 yrs) – Introduction to self reliance and minimal impact Foundation (5-6 yrs) – Introduction to self reliance and minimal impact Yr 1-2 (6 – 8 yrs) – Introduction to self reliance and minimal impact Yr 3-4 (8-10 yrs) – Introduction to self reliance and minimal impact Yr 5-6 (10-12 yrs) – Self reliance and minimal impact for lightweight camping Yr 7-8 (12-14 yrs) – Introduction to independent living skills and knowledge Yr 9-10 (14-16 yrs) – Development of independent living skills and knowledge Yr 11-12 (16-18 yrs) – Self reliant living skills
Group Dynamics Skills and Leadership
Early Years (3-5 yrs) – Introduction to care for others during outdoor activities Foundation (5-6 yrs) – Introduction to care for others during outdoor activities Yr 1-2 (6 – 8 yrs) – Introduction to personal responsibility during outdoor activities Yr 3-4 (8-10 yrs) – Introduction to natural consequences. Introduction to group roles and responsibilities Yr 5-6 (10-12 yrs) – Introduction to leadership Yr 7-8 (12-14 yrs) – Introduction to skills and knowledge for effective group functioning Yr 9-10 (14-16 yrs) – Analysis of group dynamics on an outdoor expedition Yr 11-12 (16-18 yrs) – Leadership styles during outdoor journeys
Outdoor activity knowledge and skills
Early Years (3-5 yrs) – Introduction to comfort in the outdoors Foundation (5-6 yrs) – Introduction to comfort in the outdoors Yr 1-2 (6 – 8 yrs) – Introduction to comfort in the outdoors Yr 3-4 (8-10 yrs) – Introduction to comfort away from home Yr 5-6 (10-12 yrs) – Introduction to self reliance for comfort in the outdoors Yr 7-8 (12-14 yrs) – Introduction to self reliance and resilience during outdoor journeys Yr 9-10 (14-16 yrs) – Conducting independent journeys with support and high level supervision Yr 11-12 (16-18 yrs) – Conducting independent journeys with guidance and low level supervision
Safety and well being outdoors
Early Years (3-5 yrs) – Introduction to safe immersion in outdoor environments Foundation (5-6 yrs) – Introduction to safe immersion in outdoor environments Yr 1-2 (6 – 8 yrs) – Introduction to safe immersion in outdoor environments Yr 3-4 (8-10 yrs) – Introduction to safe decision making and exploration in outdoor environments Yr 5-6 (10-12 yrs) – Introduction to assessment of hazards, and knowledge of benefits of time in outdoor environments Yr 7-8 (12-14 yrs) – Developing skills for assessing and managing risks Yr 9-10 (14-16 yrs) – Developing decision making for safe outdoor journeys Yr 11-12 (16-18 yrs) – Decision making for safe outdoor journeys
Environmental awareness
Early Years (3-5 yrs) – Promoting curiosity, identifying fears of nature and outside environments, and promoting discussion about nature Foundation (5-6 yrs) – Promoting curiosity, identifying fears of nature and outside environments, and promoting discussion about nature Yr 1-2 (6 – 8 yrs) – Reflection on experiences out of doors. Emotions and responses to nature and outdoor play. Yr 3-4 (8-10 yrs) – The outdoors at night—strategies, responses, real and perceived hazards Yr 5-6 (10-12 yrs) – Reading the weather for personal comfort and enjoyment outdoors Yr 7-8 (12-14 yrs) – Identifying non-human entities and users of natural spaces Yr 9-10 (14-16 yrs) – Identifying and developing knowledge of the environment required for safe and effective outdoor activity involvement Yr 11-12 (16-18 yrs) – Community involvement in environmental awareness
Environmental management, conservation and culture
Early Years (3-5 yrs) – Minimal impact on a walking excursion Foundation (5-6 yrs) – Minimal impact on a walking excursion Yr 1-2 (6 – 8 yrs) – Minimal impact on a walking excursion, and improving local environments Yr 3-4 (8-10 yrs) – Minimal impact on camp. Recognising impact on and care for, other species in a bush setting Yr 5-6 (10-12 yrs) – Impact of non-native species on natural environments Yr 7-8 (12-14 yrs) – Conservation and management codes of conduct for outdoor recreation activities Yr 9-10 (14-16 yrs) – Aboriginal ways of conserving and caring for nature for long term survival Yr 11-12 (16-18 yrs) – Political and community action for environmental management
Ecological literacy key themes
Early Years (3-5 yrs) – Nature as friend Foundation (5-6 yrs) – Nature as friend Yr 1-2 (6 – 8 yrs) – Nature as friend Yr 3-4 (8-10 yrs) – Humans as part of nature Yr 5-6 (10-12 yrs) – Humans and natural history Yr 7-8 (12-14 yrs) – Interpreting nature Yr 9-10 (14-16 yrs) – Concepts of nature. Ways of knowing nature, affordances Yr 11-12 (16-18 yrs) – Interpreting the environment
Health and the Outdoor
Early Years (3-5 yrs) – The importance of fresh air and open space for play Foundation (5-6 yrs) – The importance of fresh air and open space for play Yr 1-2 (6 – 8 yrs) – Identifying open space play options Yr 3-4 (8-10 yrs) – Engaging in outdoor recreation in open space Yr 5-6 (10-12 yrs) – Finding out about outdoor recreation resources Yr 7-8 (12-14 yrs) – Benefits of outdoor activities for health and wellness Yr 9-10 (14-16 yrs) – How to access clubs and resources. Differing recreation options in parks and reserves Yr 11-12 (16-18 yrs) – Introducing healthy outdoor activities to others
3 - 5 years
Practical – Exploration Outdoor living knowledge and skills – Introduction to self reliance and minimal impact Group Dynamics Skills and Leadership – Introduction to care for others during outdoor activities Outdoor activity knowledge and skills – Introduction to comfort in the outdoors Safety and well being outdoors – Introduction to safe immersion in outdoor environments Environmental awareness – Promoting curiosity, identifying fears of nature and outside environments, and promoting discussion about nature Environmental management, conservation and culture – Minimal impact on a walking excursion Ecological literacy key themes – Nature as friend Health and the Outdoors – The importance of fresh air and open space for play
5 - 6 years
Practical – Exploration Outdoor living knowledge and skills – Introduction to self reliance and minimal impact Group Dynamics Skills and Leadership – Introduction to care for others during outdoor activities Outdoor activity knowledge and skills – Introduction to comfort in the outdoors Safety and well being outdoors – Introduction to safe immersion in outdoor environments Environmental awareness – Promoting curiosity, identifying fears of nature and outside environments, and promoting discussion about nature Environmental management, conservation and culture – Minimal impact on a walking excursion Ecological literacy key themes – Nature as friend Health and the Outdoors – The importance of fresh air and open space for play
6 - 8 years
Practical – Exploration through guided journeys Outdoor living knowledge and skills – Introduction to self reliance and minimal impact Group Dynamics Skills and Leadership – Introduction to personal responsibility during outdoor activities Outdoor activity knowledge and skills – Introduction to comfort in the outdoors Safety and well being outdoors – Introduction to safe immersion in outdoor environments Environmental awareness – Reflection on experiences out of doors. Emotions and responses to nature and outdoor play. Environmental management, conservation and culture – Minimal impact on a walking excursion, and improving local environments Ecological literacy key themes – Nature as friend Health and the Outdoors – Identifying open space play options
8 - 10 years
Practical – Exploration through guided journeys with increasing independence Outdoor living knowledge and skills – Introduction to self reliance and minimal impact Group Dynamics Skills and Leadership – Introduction to natural consequences. Introduction to group roles and responsibilities Outdoor activity knowledge and skills – Introduction to comfort away from home Safety and well being outdoors – Introduction to safe decision making and exploration in outdoor environments Environmental awareness – The outdoors at night—strategies, responses, real and perceived hazards Environmental management, conservation and culture – Minimal impact on camp. Recognising impact on and care for, other species in a bush setting Ecological literacy key themes – Humans as part of nature Health and the Outdoors – Engaging in outdoor recreation in open space
10 - 12 years
Practical – Exploration through outdoor activities Outdoor living knowledge and skills – Self reliance and minimal impact for lightweight camping Group Dynamics Skills and Leadership – Introduction to leadership Outdoor activity knowledge and skills – Introduction to self reliance for comfort in the outdoors Safety and well being outdoors – Introduction to assessment of hazards, and knowledge of benefits of time in outdoor environments Environmental awareness – Reading the weather for personal comfort and enjoyment outdoors Environmental management, conservation and culture – Impact of non-native species on natural environments Ecological literacy key themes – Humans and natural history Health and the Outdoors – Finding out about outdoor recreation resources
12 - 14 years
Practical – Exploration skills Outdoor living knowledge and skills – Introduction to independent living skills and knowledge Group Dynamics Skills and Leadership – Introduction to skills and knowledge for effective group functioning Outdoor activity knowledge and skills – Introduction to self reliance and resilience during outdoor journeys Safety and well being outdoors – Developing skills for assessing and managing risks Environmental awareness – Identifying non-human entities and users of natural spaces Environmental management, conservation and culture – Conservation and management codes of conduct for outdoor recreation activities Ecological literacy key themes – Interpreting nature Health and the Outdoors – Benefits of outdoor activities for health and wellness
14 - 16 years
Practical – Developing independent exploration skills Outdoor living knowledge and skills – Development of independent living skills and knowledge Group Dynamics Skills and Leadership – Analysis of group dynamics on an outdoor expedition Outdoor activity knowledge and skills – Conducting independent journeys with support and high level supervision Safety and well being outdoors – Developing decision making for safe outdoor journeys Environmental awareness – Identifying and developing knowledge of the environment required for safe and effective outdoor activity involvement Environmental management, conservation and culture – Aboriginal ways of conserving and caring for nature for long term survival Ecological literacy key themes – Concepts of nature. Ways of knowing nature, affordances Health and the Outdoors – How to access clubs and resources. Differing recreation options in parks and reserves
16 - 18 years
Practical – Independent Outdoor Journeys Outdoor living knowledge and skills – Self reliant living skills Group Dynamics Skills and Leadership – Leadership styles during outdoor journeys Outdoor activity knowledge and skills – Conducting independent journeys with guidance and low level supervision Safety and well being outdoors – Decision making for safe outdoor journeys Environmental awareness – Community involvement in environmental awareness Environmental management, conservation and culture – Political and community action for environmental management Ecological literacy key themes – Interpreting the environment Health and the Outdoors – Introducing healthy outdoor activities to others |