Place based education "promotes learning that is rooted in what is local—the unique history, environment, culture, economy, literature, and art of a particular place." In other words, students study curriculum that includes lessons about their town, city, or community.
I think it's very important we have elements of place based education included in our normal curriculum. I think it would be bettter, however, if there were more schools that used place based education and focused on environmental education. It is important for students to understand the world around them and the importance of also protecting it. Classrooms should focus on activities and lessons for students that encourage experimentation, discovery, independence, an increase in good social skills, and also emotional development.
I attended preschool in a natural science center and we focused on place based education and environmental education. We were able to learn in a classroom setting, but we spent most of our time outside. We took walks through the woods behind the school and learned about things we found on the nature trails. Long field trips were visits to the lake or meadow across the street where we were allowed some free time to play with friends and some time to learn too. The school included multi-sensory arts, crafts, and cooking activities as an added bonus. We created nature related projects to accompany what we were learning outside the classroom..
The science center itself was also home to many plants and animals that we could observe during and after school. I remember watching barn owls, turtles, snakes, frogs, chickens, geckos, etc. The school had an iguana named Bob that we would visit every day and a rabbit in our classroom for us to take care of. The science center was also home to a greenhouse that hosted a variety of plants, including a venus fly trap, which I was amazed by. I think if I still attended a school like this today I'd enjoy learning a lot more. It definitely began my life long love for all types of animals.
The school is apparently now also partnered with the YMCA, so the kids get swimming lessons too. http://southshorenaturalsciencecenter.org/preschool/
http://www.ourcurriculummatters.com/What-is-place-based-education.php
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