JEWISH OUTSIDE
Bringing Nature-Based Jewish Learning to Your School
INTRO TO JEWISH OUTSIDE DESIGN
​
​
Gain an understanding of nature pedagogy and developmentally appropriate practice outdoors, as well as how you can integrate Jewish learning into outdoors and nature-based experiences.
JEWISH NATURE CONNECTION CYCLE 2:
WATER AND SEEDS
​​​
Explore the world of plants and gardening, and how different plants are related to Jewish holidays and stories. Learn about how you can grow food for Jewish rituals, and embody the Jewish practice of "tzedakah" and "peah" (leaving the corner of your field for public harvest) by offering what you grow to the many food insecure folks in our community. We'll develop a crop plan, learn strategies for gardening with young children, and explore the many learning possibilities inherent in planting, harvesting, processing, eating, and sharing!
JEWISH NATURE CONNECTION CYCLE 4:
AIR AND EPHEMERAL ARTS
​
Creating with nature has been around for thousands of years. Forget about rinsing paint off brushes, all those markers missing their caps, or wondering if a child's art project will ever go beyond the recycling bin! In this workshop, we explore ephemeral arts with natural items, a way for children to create that is earth-friendly, cultivates mindfulness and observational skills, and is spiritually nourishing. ​You'll understand how to introduce this modality effectively, use it for storytelling, sensory integration, literacy, and other learning domains.
JEWISH NATURE CONNECTION CYCLE 1: EARTH ELEMENT
​
​Why is the word for "human" (Adam) so similar to the word for "earth" (Adamah)? According to the Jewish story tradition, humans were made from the earth. Learn different skills for making and building with earth, including earth pigments, cob structures, natural shelters, mud kitchens, and fairy/fantasy creature homes. Explore the ideas of home and earth, and the incredible properties of mud with a Jewish lens.
JEWISH NATURE CONNECTION CYCLE 3:
FIRE, COOKING, AND STORIES
​
Imagine making a mud stove, building a fire, and cooking on it with your students? Whether for real, or pretend, cooking is a process of experimentation, transformation, and sharing with others. Roll up your sleeves as we explore the many ways cooking with young children can engage their senses, their problem-solving skills, and the value of sharing and inclusion. In this session, we also explore how to tell nature-connected stories around the fire or while you enjoy a group meal.
​
​
_edited.jpg)
DESIGN WORKSHOP: TINKERING WITH YOUR SITE
​
​In this site-based workshop, you'll learn about different outdoors installations that cultivate more creative learning, followed by a hands-on opportunity to redesign a particular area of your outdoors classroom. In the past, teachers have designed new areas for building with loose parts, gardening, climbing, ephemeral arts, nature exploration, music walls, mud kitchens, and more.