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Asphalt to Ecosystems is a compelling color guidebook for designing and building natural schoolyard environments that enhance childhood learning and play experiences while providing connection with the natural world.
With this book, Danks broadens our notion of what a well-designed schoolyard should be, taking readers on a journey from traditional, ordinary grassy fields and asphalt, to explore the vibrant and growing movement to "green" school grounds in the United States and around the world. This book documents exciting green schoolyard examples from almost 150 schools in 11 countries, illustrating that a great many things are possible on school grounds when they are envisioned as outdoor classrooms for hands-on learning and play. The book's 500 vivid, color photographs showcase some of the world's most innovative green schoolyards including: edible gardens with fruit trees, vegetables, chickens, honey bees, and outdoor cooking facilities; wildlife habitats with prairie grasses and ponds, or forest and desert ecosystems; schoolyard watershed models, rainwater catchment systems and waste-water treatment wetlands; renewable energy systems that power landscape features, or the whole school; waste-as-a-resource projects that give new life to old materials in beautiful ways; K-12 curriculum connections for a wide range of disciplines from science and math to art and social studies; creative play opportunities that diversify school ground recreational options and encourage children to run, hop, skip, jump, balance, slide, and twirl, as well as explore the natural world first hand. The book grounds these examples in a practical framework that illustrates simple landscape design choices that all schools can use to make their schoolyards more comfortable, enjoyable and beautiful, and describes a participatory design process that schools can use to engage their school communities in transforming their own asphalt into ecosystems.
Sharon Gamson Danks, Environmental Planner and founding partner of Bay Tree Design, in Berkeley, California, has visited and documented over 175 green schoolyards in North America, Europe and Japan, and has shaped and facilitated the master planning process for dozens of ecological schoolyards.
Visit the website Asphalt2Ecosystems.org!
Details
Summary
Forward by Cam Collyer, Evergreen
Preface
SECTION I: GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE
Introduction
A. A New Schoolyard Paradigm
B. Ecological Demonstration Projects vs. Larger Scale Environmental Repair
C. Re-Invigorating Schoolyard Play, Curriculum, and Community
D. Building Community through Participatory Schoolyard Design
E. The Growing Ecological Schoolyard Movement
F. About this Book
Chapter 1: Why Transform Traditional Schoolyards?
A. Natural Systems are Often Invisible in Today's World
B. Schoolyards are Uniquely Positioned
C. Ecological Schoolyards Address the Shortcomings of Traditional Design Patterns
D. Well-Designed Ecological Schoolyards are Valuable Assets that Inspire Children
Chapter 2: Project Launch: Designing your Dream Schoolyard and Building the School Community to Make it Happen
A. How Do Ecological Schoolyards Come About?
B. Successful, Long-Lasting, Ecological Schoolyards Start with Community Building and a Master Plan
C. Who Should be Included?
D. Participatory Schoolyard Design
E. Trying a Schoolyard Design Process without Professional Help
Sidebar: Rules of Thumb for Starting and Sustaining Green Schoolyards
Sidebar:The Schoolyard Design Process as an Educational Tool
Chapter 3: Design Guidelines for Ecological Schoolyards
A. Site Design Principles
B. Ecological Principles for Green Schoolyard Design
C. Play Principles
SECTION II: ECOLOGICAL TEACHING TOOLS IN THE SCHOOLYARD
Introduction
Connections to Place-Based Learning
Benefits of Hands-On Outdoor Curricula
Chapter 4 Schoolyard Wildlife Sanctuaries
A. Reflections of Local Context
B. Small-Scale Schoolyard Wildlife Sanctuaries
C. Native Plant Gardens-Educational Microcosms of Surrounding Native Landscapes
D. Habitat Restoration Projects – Large-Scale Efforts
E. Schoolyard Elements that Enhance Wildlife Viewing
F. Habitat-Themed Installations that Enhance Educational or Play Value
G. Wild Schoolyards
Chapter 5 Schoolyard Water Systems
A. Water Stewardship as a Teaching Resource
B. Watershed Education
C. Teaching Water System Ecology through the Design of the Schoolyard Landscape
D. Comprehensive Model
Sidebar:What is a Watershed?
Chapter 6 School Energy Systems
A. Key Organizations
B. Energy Conservation on School Grounds
C. Renewable Energy Production on School Grounds D. Bringing Energy Issues Home
Sidebar: Tracking the Sun: The Power of Sundials, Solar calendars, and Shadow Studies
Chapter 7 Schoolyard Agriculture
A. Why Garden at School?
B. Growing Food: Edible Crops and Agricultural Systems on School Grounds
C. Cooking on School Grounds
D. Food Preparation/Clean-Up Areas and Outdoor Seating
Sidebar: Rooftop Gardens
Chapters 8 Ecologically-Sensitive Materials for Schoolyard Landscapes
A. Material Choices Matter
B. Natural Building Materials on School Grounds
C. Material Reuse in Schoolyard Contexts
Sidebar:Selecting Green Materials
Sidebar:Materials to Avoid
Chapter 9 Lessons from the Landscape: Weaving Teaching Resources into Schoolyard Design
A. Language and Literature Studies B. History and Social Studies
C. Geography
D. Curricula Related to the Passage of Time
E. Numbers and Mathematics
F. Science
G. Outdoor Arts Instruction
SECTION III: CREATING A DIVERSIFIED PLAY ENVIRONMENT IN AN ECOLOGICAL SCHOOLYARD
Introduction:
A Paradigm Shift for Schoolyard Play Environments
Chapter 10 "Active Play" in an Ecological Schoolyard
A. Community Designed Custom-Built Playgrounds
B. Research-Based Based Playground Design C. Climbing features
D. Man-made Mounds for Active Schoolyard Play
E. Hillside Slides
F. Tunnels to Crawl Through: Concrete Water Pipes Re-Imagined
G. Mazes and Labyrinths
H. Unusual Swings
I. Balancing Activities and Linear Play Structures
J. Ball Courts
K. Winter Play Activities on School Grounds
L. Diverse Schoolyards are Active Schoolyards
Sidebar: Reusing Tires to Promote Active Play
Chapter 11 Creative Play on School Grounds
A. Natural Materials Encourage Active and Imaginative Play
B. Fantasy and Dramatic Play
C. Moveable Play Elements Construction-Oriented Play and Board Games
Chapter 12 Outdoor Art & Music Play in an Ecological Schoolyard
A. Outdoor "Art Play"
B. Outdoor Play with Music and Sound
SECTION IV: SHAPING SCHOOLYARD INFRASTRUCTURE TO CREATE COMFORTABLE, EFFECTIVE AND MEMORABLE PLACES
Introduction
Chapter 13 Comfortable Schoolyards: Seating, Microclimates and Protection from the Elements
A. Outdoor Classroom Seating
B. Outdoor Seating Areas that Promote Rest, Relaxation, and Remembrance During the School Day
C. Shelters for Outdoor Classrooms and Playground Spaces
D. Comfort is Key for Long-Term Enjoyment
Chapter 14 Form and Function: Key Design Considerations for Well-Organized Green Schoolyards
A. Defining Spaces and Separating Zones
B. Using Signs to Enhance Schoolyard Communication
C. Storage and Maintenance Facilities
Chapter 15 Artful Schoolyards: Creating a Unique Sense of Place through Art
A. Ephemeral Artwork on School Grounds
B. Enlivening Schoolyard Walls, Fences and Playground Surfaces
C. Three-Dimensional Sculptural Pieces on School Grounds
SECTION V PUTTING IDEAS INTO ACTION
Chapter 16 Sustaining Ecological Schoolyards
A. Schoolyard Stewardship
B. Finding Funding
C. Networking and Communication
Chapter 17 Ecological Schoolyards: From Grey to Green A. Where Will Ecological Schoolyards Take Us?
SIdebar: Schoolyard Transformations
Chapter 18 Resources to Help Transform Your "Asphalt into Ecosystems"
A. List of related organizations around the world B. Useful Books and Articles for Developing Ecological Schoolyards
ENDNOTES
APPENDICES
Referenced Works
Acknowledgments
INDEX
ABOUT NEW VILLAGE PRESS
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