Note: Excerpted fromAppendix G of “No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to your Schoolyard”, Jane Kirkland, to appear in first printing of 2010.

When putting together a list of items for your school nature studies, consider a whiteboard. When it becomes your “sightings board” it can be a key player in motivating students to observe nature.

A “sightings board” is my last topic of discussion when I visit a school. Typically my school day is comprised of two assembly programs; one for lower grades one for upper. Beyond that, the balance of the day differs from school to school, depending on their needs. When a school books me they have me for the entire day. So they might plan Q&A sessions in grade-groups or classrooms. They might want a student writing workshop or a nature walk in the schoolyard. They might want a teacher workshop at the end of the day or a parents program in the evening. From school to school each day is different. The only consistencies are the assembly programs and my end-of-day 10 minute wrap-up with the Principal (as per my request).

During the Principal wrap-up, I thank him/her for the opportunity to visit with the students, give a gift and ask for a gift. My gift is our CD which contains our theme song “Take a minute to be in it”. That slogan is one the students had heard many times throughout the day and I want to perpetuate the message. I leave kids with the challenge to “Take a minute”. Nature isn’t the only recipient of good things when people observe their environment. Kids benefit, too. Children that are keenly aware of their surroundings are more astute, better students and listeners, safer kids. I give the CD to the principal to encourage him/her to play all or part of during the morning announcements—starting the next day and continuing throughout the school year.

Then I ask for my gift—a white board. A large white board hung near the front door of the school where students, staff, faculty, student families, and visitors enter and exit on school days. The board will be their “Sightings Board”.

Each day, when students come and go into the building, they will have an opportunity to list something they saw in nature- either in the schoolyard, at home, while on the bus, or in the neighborhood. I warn the principal that in the beginning, some kids might list impossible sightings (dinosaurs) but that over time the listings will become more serious. How? The Faculty and staff will ignore (or even erase with no fanfare) the “silly” sightings and award the serious sightings by including them in the morning announcements or mentioning them in class. Should they run out of space on the board, they can limit the sightings to the schoolyard only.

Kids get excited when given the opportunity to write on the board and excited when they can contribute to such a project. Every day kids will be listing sightings or trying to see the birds, animals, and plants listed on the board when they are outside. A sense of place and community can build from something as small as a sightings board.

As much as I would like to believe that every principal will hang a white board the very next day, I know better. The biggest hurdle is money. If I had the resources, I’d bring one with me to every school. But I can’t.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to suggest/request that the principal procure a whiteboard. And teachers, please consider a sightings board at your school—with or without a visit from me. I promise you will all enjoy and benefit from your nature observations.

P.S. If anyone out there knows of a white board manufacturer or supplier that would be interested in working a sightings program with us by donating a board for every school we visit, we’d be happy to return their kindness with free advertising at our website and mentions in our teacher’s book.