Summary
This educator resource is designed to help teachers use nature journaling as a tool to strengthen students’ observation skills, reflection, and connection to the environment. Grounded in research showing that outdoor learning enhances engagement, collaboration, and well-being (Mann et al., 2022), the resource follows a clear, three-part structure: an introduction, nature journaling, and reflection and connection. In the "Introduction" portion, teachers choose a nature journaling prompt aligned with their learning goals. The "Nature Journaling" section invites students to venture outdoors to observe, sketch, and write about their experiences. Finally, the "Reflection and Connection" section guides students to process their observations, express their feelings about the experience, and link their insights to science content or broader learning themes.
Essential Questions
How does nature journaling deepen observation, curiosity, and scientific thinking?
Learning Objectives
Apply nature journaling techniques to record observations with words, sketches, and symbols.
Develop questions from observations to support curiosity and scientific thinking.
Connect the nature journaling activity to classroom learning.
Snapshot
Introduction
Students learn about the purpose and benefits of nature journaling.
Nature Journaling
Students participate in a nature journaling activity by responding to a prompt.
Reflection and Connection
Students reflect on the nature journaling process and form connections to classroom content.
Materials List
Activity Slides (attached)
Nature Journaling Prompts handout (attached; optional; one copy per seven students)
3-2-1 handout (attached; one half sheet per student)
Journal or paper
Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
Introduction
5 Minute(s)
Use the attached Activity Slides to guide the activity. Use slide 2 to introduce the lesson. Move through slides 3–4 and go over the essential question and learning objectives.
Transition to slide 5 and share the definition of nature journaling. Explain to students that they should use the nature journal to develop their observation and thinking skills. Share that their drawings don’t need to be perfect, but their drawings should be understandable.
Nature Journaling
35 Minute(s)
Display slide 6 and share how students should respond to the given prompt(s) in their nature journal. Then, display the corresponding slides for the prompts assigned to students to offer directions and examples. The journaling prompts are as follows:
Zoom In, Zoom Out: slides 7–8
Mapping: slides 9–10
Soundscapes: slides 11–12
Questioning Questions: slides 13–14
Hidden Numbers: slides 15–16
Timeline: slides 17–18
Animal Encounters: slides 19–20
Reflection and Connection
5 Minute(s)
Transition to slide 21 and give each student one of the 3-2-1 handouts. Introduce the 3-2-1 instructional strategy to students. Have students reflect on their nature journaling session by recording three interesting observations, two questions, and one connection to classroom content on their handouts. Invite students to share what they wrote with the class.
Research Rationale
Nature journaling can enrich students’ learning by promoting observation, curiosity, and reflection through outdoor experiences. Incorporating nature journaling into classroom practice helps students meaningfully engage with their environment while supporting well-being and academic growth. Research shows that learning in natural settings enhances engagement, collaboration, and self-concept and can even yield academic benefits (Mann et al., 2022).
Mann et al. (2022) also found that time spent in nature is increasingly limited for children, despite evidence that outdoor learning provides measurable socio-emotional and cognitive advantages. They recommend that educators intentionally integrate nature-based experiences into the curriculum to nurture holistic development and environmental connection.
Grounded in these findings, this resource encourages teachers to guide students in closely observing and recording their surroundings through writing, sketching, and reflection. By moving learning beyond classroom walls, educators can create opportunities for students to develop ownership of their learning, deepen their appreciation of nature, and strengthen their sense of curiosity and well-being (Mann et al., 2022).
Resources
K20 Center. (n.d.). 3-2-1. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/117
Mann, J., Gray, T., Truong, S., Brymer, E., Passy, R., Ho, S., Sahlberg, P., Ward, K., Bentsen, P., Curry, C., & Cowper, R. (2022). Getting out of the classroom and into nature: A systematic review of nature-specific outdoor learning on school Children’s Learning and Development. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.877058
Muir Laws, J. (n.d.). Nature journaling curriculum. John Muir Laws. https://johnmuirlaws.com/journaling-curriculum/