Taking it outside

Taking It Outside

A recent outdoor addition opens a window of opportunity.

The Constitution

October 7^th, 2009

By DESIREE NGUYEN

T

his year, Madison High School has its first, and certainly not its last, outdoor classroom. The outdoor classroom is built for students to help them to learn in a comfortable environment. The naturally built structure was constructed by many volunteers; students, teachers, parents, and other members of the community. The building is already being used in efficient ways that will help the school. There are still many things left unfinished before the actual building is complete, but it is expected to survive quite a long time.

(Photo by Nate Barrett) The Outdoor Classroom, Madison

From the garden, where fruits and vegetables are being grown for the school cafeteria, Ms. House and Anna Gordon moved onto the outdoor classroom. “The Outdoor Classroom was something that we decided to build when we designed the garden. For students to be able to be protected from the sun or rain when we are out working outside,” says Ms. House.

The classroom offers many benefits, like being an eco-friendly building and serving educational purposes. The building is made with an eco-roof, which allows the rain to be collected on one side while the other allows the grass around the building to absorb the rest. But it can also be a great learning experience by having students learn about how the building was made. It even offers other physical uses; such as getting vitamin D from the sun, or resting and reading outside instead of being indoors. The outdoor classroom can provide so much for everyone who uses it.

Before beginning the delicate procedure of constructing the outdoor classroom, Anna Gordon consulted architects and engineers to begin planning. She then asked students in the art classes to draw some blueprint ideas for the structure. The architects produced three ideas, which Ms. House’s students all voted on. On June 5th, 2009, the construction of the outdoor classroom began.

The foundation was set by digging holes into the ground and placing the brackets into them. Large, heavy logs were used for the main frame, were required to be carried by 20 people and installed by hand. The eco-roof was then added, and finally, it came time for the cob wall. While it may have been the simplest task, it was also the most time-consuming. Finally, on June 20th, 2009, thanks to Gordon and everyone that had helped, the construction of Madison’s own garden and outdoor learning environment was one large step closer to completion.

The building, however, is not quite finished yet. “We still need to add the seating,” Ms. House explains. This seating will allow students to have a comfortable place to rest during a lesson. “We also need to add the awnings, which will extend out from the outside to kind of add a little extra cover space.” This will allow for more shade for the students. Lastly, “we need to put the white boards in the front part.” This would give the teachers something to write on while they are teaching their lessons.

These finishing touches are expected to be completed some time near the end of the 2010 school year.