Environmentalists push for students learning outdoors

INDIANAPOLIS -- Les Caudill's students used to study weather by lying in the grass and watching the clouds.\n"It's hard to do that now," said Caudill, a 19-year veteran who teaches seventh grade in Pendleton, Ind. "I have to justify that it fits in with state standards."\nSome Indiana teachers say state education standards leave too little time for students to study the shapes of leaves or take samples of water from creeks.\nNow, environmentalists and others are trying to build support for getting children out of the classroom and back to nature, with some claiming that being outdoors can help reduce children's attention-deficit and behavior problems.\n"The parents of 5-year-olds are saying, 'when Timmy's in the backyard, the ADHD symptoms are better,'" said Frances Kuo, a University of Illinois researcher who surveyed parents of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.\nSome studies suggest more exposure to a natural environment translates to better concentration and grades at school, The Indianapolis Star reported Saturday.\nThe idea comes as many schools have cut recess and field trips to save money, and children are increasingly occupied with video games, iPods, computers and other electronic activities.\nThe Hoosier Environmental Council has paid out about $60,000 in grant money to help schools expose children to nature. Members acknowledge they hope to cultivate a love of the outdoors in children so they'll grow up to be supportive of environmental issues.\n"If kids can learn about what the consequences are and how related these things are to survival and our quality of life, maybe they'll take a more active role," said attorney Michael Sutherlin, council president.\nState education officials, however, are wary of adding exposure to the outdoors to school standards.\n"In the end, we want good science, not necessarily an agenda," said Dorothy Winchester, who heads the state Department of Education's office of program \ndevelopment.