An ecological approach to lesson planning takes into account the interconnectedness of the learner’s environment, abilities, and needs. It focuses on the context of learning, ensuring that the individual learner and their surrounding environment are considered. Place-based curriculum design (PB) and ecological mindedness are two primary elements of ecological lesson planning.
Place-based curriculum (PB) design starts with exploring your physical location and local community. Lesson activities focus on local investigations, ecological mindfulness, interconnectedness, and integrity, which are “characteristics of the experience as well as sensibilities or habits of mind, developed by those engaged in the experience.” (McConnell Moroye & Ingman, 2018, p. 1128). Local investigations span geography, science, social studies, mathematics, language arts, literature, and the arts.
The PB component of an ecological approach engages students as “researchers, meaning-makers, and problem-solvers.” (Demarest, 2015, p. 1) It develops “skills and attitudes necessary to understand and appreciate the inter-relatedness among man, his culture, and his biophysical surroundings.” (Palmer, 1998, p. 2) It prioritizes exploration and connection to place.
Local investigations allow students to deepen their relationships with human and other-than-human communities. The community becomes a framework for learning about self toward the aim of caring for self and others.
Ecological mindfulness (eco-mindedness) describes a set of research-based characteristics and habits of mind that may be incorporated into any curriculum regardless of subject matter or grade level. It involves care, interconnectedness, and integrity. Students explore what they care about and how their own local places are connected to other systems and societies.
Ecological lesson place are written in two different ways:
- Place-based lesson plans begin with an exploration of where you are – your local community.
- Eco-mindedness lessons begin with asking how we are or might become, connected to the content to be learned, including where the concepts in the lesson can be localized and discussed.
Lesson objectives focus on the student experience, which is flexible and adaptable to different experiences while being responsive to the concepts and skills required by the content.
Ecological Lesson Plan Objective
- Focus on the experience rather than the outcome. During the evaluation and assessment, students will have an experience that enriches their understanding of the ideas.
- What concepts and skills will be explored?
- How will we design the experience to explore them?
- Involve students in creating the objective. This aspect relates to the personal, cultural, and social contexts of the lesson.
- Who will support students in their learning?
- Where and when will students engage with the content?
- Describe and elicit from students the reasons for studying the concept.
- Why is this important?
- How does it connect to students’ lives and promote future learning?
- What other content areas, learning experiences, and skill sets will engage as significant after this lesson?
- How will students demonstrate their understanding and developing beliefs? This should promote multiple outcomes.
Eco-Minded Lesson Plan Elements
- Describe it. (Experience-Based Objectives)
- Locate it.
- Learn it.
- Live it.
Here are key components to implementing an ecological approach in lesson planning:
Individual Strengths and Needs: The lesson should be designed around the learner’s cognitive, emotional, and physical abilities. For instance, when homeschooling children with ADHD, SPD, or language disorders, you would adapt lessons to their specific learning styles and sensory needs.
Cultural and Social Context: Understanding the student’s cultural background, family life, and social interactions will help create meaningful and relevant lessons.
Developmental Appropriateness: Lessons should align with the student’s developmental level and be flexible enough to accommodate changes over time.
Physical Space: The learning environment, whether at home or in another setting, should be arranged to support focus, sensory regulation, and engagement. This might include minimizing distractions or incorporating movement breaks for children with ADHD or SPD.
Social Environment: Interactions with peers, siblings, or educators affect learning. Group activities, discussions, or collaborative projects should consider the student’s comfort in social settings, particularly if they struggle with communication or social interactions (e.g., a child with APD or expressive language disorder).
Community Resources: To expand learning beyond the home or classroom, consider integrating community resources like museums, parks, or local experts.
Content and Curriculum Adaptation
Flexible Curriculum: An ecological approach emphasizes flexibility in how the content is delivered. Lessons should allow for multiple pathways to learning and demonstrating understanding. For example, students with visual processing difficulties might benefit from more tactile or auditory learning methods.
Multisensory Instruction: For students with sensory processing or learning disabilities, incorporating multisensory elements—visual aids, hands-on activities, movement, and sound—can enhance comprehension and retention.
Differentiated Instruction: This approach also requires tailoring instruction to meet diverse learning needs. For a child with receptive-expressive language disorder, using simplified language, visual supports, or technology for communication could be beneficial.
Goal Setting and Assessment
Holistic Assessment: Instead of relying solely on standard tests, the ecological approach values a broader assessment of a student’s abilities, progress, and challenges. Assessment might include observational data, project-based learning, or self-assessment to measure understanding in a more rounded way.
Functional and Realistic Goals: Goals should be academic and related to life skills, social-emotional development, and functional abilities. For a child with dyspraxia, for instance, a goal might include improvements in motor planning alongside academic objectives.
Collaboration and Communication
Family Involvement: Families play a key role in supporting learning at home. In a homeschooling context, involving parents in setting goals and strategies is essential.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Working with professionals, such as speech therapists for a child with dysphasia or occupational therapists for a child with dyspraxia, helps ensure the lessons are appropriately adapted to the child’s needs.
Feedback Loops: Continuous feedback between the student, parents, and teachers ensures that lessons remain relevant and adaptive to the learner’s evolving needs.
Example of an Ecological Lesson Plan for a Homeschooling Context
Subject: Science – Life Cycles
Focus: Exploring plant life cycles through a hands-on garden project
- Learner-Centered Adjustments: For a child with ADHD, the lesson is broken into small, manageable steps with clear instructions. Frequent movement breaks are built in to keep focus.
- Environmental Setup: Create a sensory-friendly outdoor learning environment by selecting a quiet, low-stimulation area in the garden. Use tools that engage multiple senses, such as tactile soil activities and visual plant diagrams.
- Multisensory Instruction: The child can plant seeds (tactile) and water plants (movement) and observe the growth stages through diagrams or videos (visual). The lesson also integrates labeling or verbal discussions for a child with receptive-expressive language difficulties.
- Assessment: Instead of a traditional test, assessment involves having the child draw or verbally explain the plant’s life cycle or demonstrate understanding by helping care for the plants over time.
The ecological approach promotes more effective and meaningful learning experiences by considering the learner’s abilities, the environment, and holistic goals.