Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Part I: Foundations of outdoor education -- Chapter 1: defining outdoor education -- Why the outdoors? -- Model of outdoor education -- Environmental education interpretation -- Adventure education -- Experiential education -- Education structure -- Development of outdoor education -- Rationale for teaching outdoors -- Summary -- Chapter 2: describing the outdoor educator -- Professionalism -- Professional responsibilities -- Summary -- Chapter 3: learning theories in outdoor education -- Theories in outdoor education -- Experiential education -- Constructivism -- Scaffolding -- Brain based learning -- Developmental stages of environmental learning -- Environmental Learning -- Learning theory guiding outdoor education -- Playful learning theory -- Summary -- Part II: preparation for teaching outdoors -- Chapter 4: understanding participants -- Audience assessment -- Stereotyping -- Gender -- Age and cognitive development -- Medical conditions -- Experience -- Group familiarity -- Abilities -- Culture and ethnicity -- Strategies for teaching diverse audiences -- Summary -- Chapter 5: creating the learning environment -- Foundations of the learning environment -- Components of successful learning environments -- Summary -- Chapter 6: outdoor education settings -- Site selection -- Learning barriers -- Equipment logistics -- Record keeping -- Special settings: lessons in the night -- Summary -- Chapter 7: designing lessons -- Advantages of lesson plans -- Format -- Structure -- Assessment -- Summary -- Part III: methods and delivery of outdoor education -- Chapter 8: physical methods -- Physical skills development -- Physical manipulation -- Activities, games, and competitions -- Theatrics -- Initiatives and ropes courses -- Summary -- Chapter 9: cognitive methods -- Lecture and discussion -- Inquiry -- Videography -- Service learning -- Supporting materials -- Peer teaching -- Summary -- Chapter 10: affective methods -- Guided discovery -- Visual imagery -- Storytelling -- Scenarios and case studies -- Summary -- Chapter 11: sample lessons -- Night hike -- Navigation -- Maple sugar bush -- Weather -- Fishing ethics -- Basic techniques for sea kayaking -- Personal growth -- Lighting a camp stove -- Nature awareness -- Summary -- Chapter 12: your future in outdoor education -- Issues and trends impacting outdoor education -- Working with mainstream education -- Standards and high-stakes testing -- Professional certification -- Education or advocacy? Emotional needs of participants -- Strategic planning for professional growth -- Summary -- Appendix A -- Professional organizations in the United States -- Appendix B -- Sample forms

"This book helps educators who use the outdoors as a learning setting. It presents teaching methods for people who teach in schools, nature centers, adventure centers, camps, environmental learning centers, government agencies, and universities. These methods apply to many subject areas such as physical education, science education, environmental studies, and recreation"--