Building a pond in a schoolyard is a rewarding way to help boost local populations of amphibians, to increase the natural value of school grounds, and to serve as a locale for observing the life cycles of plants, invertebrates, and amphibians. This article outlines important considerations in designing and building a pond from siting through…

A case study reviewing the process of establishing Penn State Great Valley (the first permanent campus facility erected in a corporate park in the United States) is presented. This is a tangible symbol of the degree to which American universities are reaching beyond traditional boundaries to serve adult learners who are place bound and often well…

This report contains the following seven parts: (1) Brief History of Santa Monica College (SMC), which summarizes SMC's vision and mission; (2) Development Concepts, which includes the purpose and process of the master plan, design and development principles, preferred concepts, and constituency meetings issues; (3) Final Proposed Master Plan,…

Describes a wildlife garden developed on school grounds which converted a large, derelict quadrangle into an outdoor classroom used by staff across the curriculum. The area was divided into various habitats including ponds, mini-woodlands, herb garden, hedgerows, wildflower meadow, and bird borders. Preparatory work and projects generated are…

Describes the creation of a glacial park on a university campus. Suggests that the park is a useful instructional resource that helps students relate classroom material to outdoor phenomena by visualizing and identifying glacial landforms, recognizing their spatial relationships, and understanding how glacial features originated. Offers advice for…

Details the post occupancy evaluation (POE) process for public buildings. POEs are used to improve design and optimize educational building and equipment use. The evaluation participants, the method used, the results and recommendations, model schools, and classroom alterations using POE are described. (9 references.) (RE)

The RAFT technique (Santa 1988) is a writing strategy that helps students understand their "Role" as a writer, the "Audience" they will address, various "Formats" for writing, and the expected "Topic" or content. This article discusses the RAFT writing strategy used by the students to address land development issues. The authors facilitated…

A staff member of the Outdoor Adventures Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln relates his experience in supervising the construction of the first low ropes course in Yucatan, Mexico. During 1994, two staff members visited Yucatan to explore trip possibilities for the program and to inquire about a future conference location. While leading…

The new Riverheights School, constructed by the Brandon (Manitoba) School Board for kindergarten through ninth grade students, was built as a "low-profile" school with an "earthberm" in order to save on heating, vandalism, and insurance costs and to integrate the building into a neighborhood park setting.…

Describes a long-term scheme to develop a pond, nature trail, and tree-planting project (in Cornwall, England). The project was designed by teams of students. Plans included a large pond, meadow area, sequential cuttings of school fields to encourage insects, butterfly garden, extensive tree plantings (including a dwindling native species), and a…

Focusing on the development of the United States Army's National Training Center (NTC) from conceptualization and initial implementation in 1981 to the end of the first phase of development in 1984, this monograph provides a documented historical analysis of how and why the landmark event in army training was launched and examines attendant policy…

Design and the built environment are subjects of concern to Maine communities. State mandated town planning, new school construction, and the Department of Transportation plans to rebuild roads and bridges elicit public discussion. The study of design encourages elementary students to enter this public forum as informed citizens. The study of…

This publication was developed to suggest approaches to solving some of the basic problems faced by those planning new facilities and renovations or alterations of existing buildings. It is not intended as a total resource reference for school construction. The chapters in the book are presented in the same sequence as their subjects would…