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Smartboard Users

This slide deck features interactive activities for you and your students. To enable interactive features (sliders, word matching, etc.), please make a copy of this deck to your personal or school Google account.

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A Nature-Rich Future

Activity

05.

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Nature Prescriptions Defined

Nature Prescription is a positive intervention on spending time in natural environments to boost positive emotions, improve mood and self-esteem, and enhance overall wellbeing.

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Student Activity: Print and handout the My Nature Prescription worksheet. Instruct students to create their own Nature Prescription just for themselves.What kind of positive emotion do they want to feel when they’re outside – what kind of nature activities makes them feel this emotion?

Then, students create a weekly plan for spending time outside in nature – with the goal of hitting at least 120 minutes each week! This might be one big hike, a 25 minute nature walk everyday after school, or several small nature breaks throughout the day (teachers – you can help make this happen by getting your students outside whenever you can!)

At the end of the week, students reflect on if they hit their goal, which activities led to the biggest boost in positive emotions, and which activities they're most excited about for next week.

Make Nature Prescriptions a Habit!

Consider having students complete their Nature Prescription on a weekly basis, at the beginning of each week. With the change of seasons, weather, and schedules, it can be helpful to create a new nature prescription each week to ensure everyone is able to hit their optimal amount of time outside. As a class, consider where you might be able to schedule in nature experiences during the school day, too!

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Student Activity: Print and handout the Thank You Postcard to Nature as well as colored pencils, crayons, and/or markers.

Instruct students to think about a special place in nature they’re grateful for and why. Reflect on the sounds, smells, sights and memories this place has given them. Imagine nature could receive a thank-you card. What would you say? What would you draw to show you care?
Write a postcard to nature, letting your special place know how deeply you appreciate it. There are a few options to do this:
Write a thank-you message to a tree, the ocean, the sun, etc.
Print and glue a favorite photos of nature onto the postcard, or a picture helping the environment (e.g., planting, picking up trash, protecting animals).
Write a "promise" of one way you’ll take care of nature
Decorate the card by coloring in the nature images.
Option to display the postcards on a bulletin board, share aloud with the class, etc.