Full Description
Harness the power of nature to nurture minds and hearts
Youth spend anywhere between four and nine hours on screens every single day. Meanwhile, a growing body of research shows how detrimental excessive screen time is on physical and mental health. The antidote? Green time.
Written by bestselling author and science educator Emily Morgan, Balance Screen Time With Green Time gives teachers and school leaders practical, evidence-based strategies that seamlessly incorporate the restorative power of nature into the school day. Transform learning experiences and improve student and educator well-being with:
Research-based strategies that improve attention, engagement, pro-environmental behaviors, and mental and physical health while reducing stress
Dozens of easy-to-implement "green breaks"—short, invigorating experiences with nature—that help students and teachers renew and refocus throughout the school day
Stories of innovative educators who connect students with nature and offer meaningful ways to integrate green time while enhancing learning
A curated collection of resources to support educators of all grade levels, content areas, and school environments—urban, suburban, and rural
With green time, we have an opportunity to create a generation of students who are not only more connected to the natural world, but are also the environmental stewards our future so desperately needs. Balancing screen time with green time is an investment in student well-being, our collective future, and a healthier planet.
Contents
Section I: Green Time
Chapter 1: Benefits of Green Time
The Research
Balance Screen Time with Green Time
Green Time for All
Section II: Green Breaks
Chapter 2: What is a Green Break?
Attention Restoration Theory
Getting Ready for Green Breaks
Nature Journals
Know You Are Making a Difference
Chapter 3: Green Breaks (and Green Connections)
1. Befriend a Tree
2. Get to Know the Land You're On
3. Meet Your Birds
4. Write Your Name with Nature
5. The Name Game
6. Write a Syntu
7. Hula Hoop Observations
8. Spiderweb Walk
9. Nature Sketches
10. Nature Scavenger Hunt
11. Shades of Green
12. Cloud Watch
13. Shadow Play
14. Rock Balancing
15. Catching Snowflakes
16. Leaf Rubbing
17. Symmetry Search
18. Looking for Shapes
19. Plant Something and Watch it Grow
20. Watching the Wind
21. Kaleidoscopes
22. Poem in Your Pocket
23. Nature Walks
24. Nature Stretches
25. Bring the Outdoors In
Choose Your Own Green Breaks
Section III: Green Educators
Chapter 4: Green Teaching
Green Projects
Cultivating Green Space at Your School
Helping Schools Connect with Nature
Incorporating Nature in Urban Schools
Chapter 5: Green Time for You
Green Time at School
Green Time at Home
