"TCOBOR is a list of experiences from which every child in Tennessee would benefit.
Studies document that children who engage in these activities are healthier, perform better in school, have better social skills and self-image, and lead more fulfilled lives."
The Tennessee Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights states that Tennessee every child, before entering high school, should have the opportunity to:
Walk in the woods
Play outside
Explore nature
Watch wildlife
Grow a garden
Splash in the water
Camp under the stars
Learn to swim
Climb a tree
Go fishing
Fly a kite
Visit a farm
These rights are very important to everyone and parents and children alike would benefit from pursuing them. I can't think of a better way to get outdoors and it even gives you a chance to keep your eyes open and add to your own Science Notebook.
I couldn't agree more. Last Friday I attended a session on the wonders of the iPad for education, and the first app profiled was Pocket Pond, a virtual pond where you could stir up the water, disturb fish and frogs, etc. My first and enduring reaction was "TAKE THE STUDENTS OUTSIDE TO A REAL POND!" Some experiences may be better/safer in a virtual world, but give me reality almost every time!
ReplyDeleteIt is so much better to have the experience of being in real water and interacting with real animals. What worries me the most about a child who doesn't have those memories is that when that child becomes an adult he will not value that resource as much as a child who took the plunge. Because of that lack of value it becomes easier for the developer he becomes as an adult to drain and bulldoze those same wetlands.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that! I think we need to put the "field" back into field trips and get the kids out into nature. It seems like all the trips now involve costly museums or other activities and need a fast food lunch stop - how about a free trip to a waterfall with a bag lunch picnic? I'm not sure if public schools even have field trips anymore - do they?
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