How Outdoor settings and Group Projects Boost Engagement

Design for Outdoor

These activities are some of the most successful ones in my lessons. Students absolutely love them and ask for them all the time. Even in their end-of-year reflections, they often mention these as their favorite classroom experiences. The idea is simple: plan your lessons to take place in an outdoor setting.

For example, I created a basketball game called Knock Out. In this game, students must answer a question correctly in order to earn the chance to shoot. If they miss the answer, and the person behind them makes the shot and answers correctly, they are out of the game.

Another popular activity I use is a scavenger hunt. Students must find prompts hidden around a designated area and complete different tasks to review the content. Escape rooms also work really well. You define the areas and set the rules for how they can move from one to another. To progress, they must complete a task that shows their understanding of the topic.

You can also design projects that involve exploring the school to collect information or take photos. One of my recent lessons was about environmental issues. Students went around the school taking photos of situations that negatively impact the environment, and then proposed solutions in the target language to solve them.

The options are endless. These activities work so well because they change the setting, break the routine, and allow students to move and be active. It is well documented that the brain is more engaged when the body is in motion. And again, when students enjoy what they are doing, the relationship with you gets stronger.

Group projects

Humans are social beings, so interaction is essential. Students learn better when they cooperate and help each other. It makes sense: the more people working on the same problem, the more likely someone will find a solution. Once a student understands something well, they can help others, and one of the best ways to learn is by teaching.

Allowing students to work with friends and classmates not only improves connections between them, which creates a better learning environment, but it also helps you meet their needs and makes them feel comfortable and happy in the classroom.

Just like with games, we are not going to spend the entire year doing group projects, but they are a very powerful tool to include in your teaching kit.