12/4/2024 1:02:53 AM	CHLD 185.2 Course Outline as of Fall 2014	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  CHLD 185.2	Title:  CREATIVE OUTDOOR ENVIRON
Full Title:  Creative Outdoor Environments for Young Children
Last Reviewed:1/28/2019

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	1.00	Lecture Scheduled	1.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	17.50
Minimum	1.00	Lab Scheduled	0		2 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	1.00			Contact Total	17.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  35.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 52.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  CHLD 85.2

Catalog Description:

This course offers an overview of appropriate creative outdoor learning environments for young children, infants through school-age. Planning and assessment methods for designing center and Family Child Care environments will be explored and applied. Environmental factors that enhance learning and prosocial behaviors will be a focus.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

This course offers an overview of appropriate and creative outdoor learning environments for young children, infants through pre-school. Planning and assessment methods for designing center and home environments will be explored and applied. Environmental factors that enhance learning and prosocial behaviors will be a focus.  

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Certificate Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

Upon successful completion, students will:

1. Describe appropriate outdoor play spaces/environments for young children from infancy through school-age.

2. Plan and evaluate children's outdoor learning environments using current design and safety standards.

3. Identify ways to meet the developmental needs of different age groups (infants, through school-age) and      individual children  through environmental design in both center and family childcare programs.

4. Understand current playground safety standards.

Topics and Scope

I.   Importance of Outdoor Play

      a.   Children's developmental needs and abilities

      b.   Children's health and exercise

      c.   Connections with the  natural world

            i. Nature Deficit Disorder

            ii. Environmentalism

      d.   Social skills and risk taking

 

II.   Design of Outdoor Play Spaces

      a.   Current playground safety standards

      b.   Age appropriate environment design

            i.  Environments for infants

            ii. Environemnts for Toddlers and Twos

            iii. Environments for Preschool

            iv. Envirnoments for School-Age Children

      c.   Playground elements  for inclusion of children with special needs

      d.   Use of space that supports development and creative play

      e.   Appropriate and innovative equipment and materials, both commercial and natural

      f.    Supportive environments for caregivers/teachers

      g.   Incorporating gardens and other natural elements

            i.  Aesthetics

            ii. Safety

            iii. Maintenance

 

III.    Planning for Environment Changes

      a.  Methods and criteria to assess outdoor learning environments

      b.  Laying out space and cretaing activity zones

      c.  Steps in planning for large scale playground building; including stakeholders' input

Assignments:

1. Reading and discussion of assigned text and handouts (approximately 75 pages total).

2. Revise and document changes to the design of an outdoor environment.

3. Outdoor environment design project.

4. Written assessment of an environment for young children (3-5 pages).

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 15 - 30%
Written homework, assessment/evaluation of learning environments
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 50 - 65%
Planning and drawing designs of children's outdoor environments
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 0 - 0%
None
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 20 - 35%
Classroom discussion; environment design project

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Designs for Living and Learning-Transforming Early Childhood Environments, Deb Curtis and Margie Carter, Redleaf Press, St. Paul, MN 2003 (classic)

Instructor prepared materials

Print PDF