The good old walk outside

by Dan Moriarty
(Cayuga Community College)

Take students outside and have them look, listen, touch, taste, and smell around for fifteen minutes.

Ground rules:

No talking to one another
No cell phones/texting
No paper or anything to write with/on

Return to classroom and have students make lists of 12 things they noticed with their senses. At least one for every sense.

Have them choose two from their lists.

Write those two on the board, or whatever visual medium you use, for each student.

Now have them arrange the list in any order they wish and share their revised list with the class.

Debrief the process: Paying attention, recording sensations, choosing, working with words, sharing (inspiring others).