Environmental Education outside school: effects of a half-day teaching programme

Abstract: The “Green Classroom ” in the Botanical Garden of the University of Ulm is a learning forum outdoor school that is used by about 2,500 school students annually. Its educational concept is based on experiential learning and is geared towards expanding students ’ biological knowledge and awareness of small animals such as invertebrates and insects. In the first study, 66 students (grade 4) were asked to draw a picture of a pond as a habitat. 33 of these students had previously visited the “Green Classroom ” (intervention group). Students of the intervention group drew more of the smaller types of animals in their pictures and furthermore a bigger variety of species of animals and plants than the control group. In the second study, the same students (66, grade 4) were given a list of animal species, and were asked to tick those which are typical to a pond. Students who had visited the “Green Classroom ” ticked more animals off correctly than their peers in the control group