The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Wednesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ‘ammatka Cafe 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. View Additional Hours >
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Our services are designed to support you in using data to demonstrate the impact of your STEM learning experiences and make strategic programming decisions. We can partner with you to bring interactive, relevant, and accessible learning experiences to your audience.
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Outdoor and environmental education experiences are rich with opportunities for Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Almost any outdoor experience—such as a science investigation, moving across challenging terrain, a discussion about environmental issues, nature observation activities, or a habitat restoration project—involves social interactions and poses opportunities to develop SEL skills. This list of resources includes activities to support students’ social emotional learning during programs and field experiences, ideas about leveraging existing organizational structures to support SEL, connections between learner-centered instruction and trauma-informed teaching practices, and stories from field educators using this approach in their own programs.
We are pleased to share the Working Towards Racial Equity publication series, summarizing the work we’ve done, key findings, and lessons learned from the Working Towards Racial Equity project from 2020 through 2024.
Student journals should require original student thought and direct engagement with the environment. We recommend these pages be the bulk of a program’s journal.
Students explore the question What is in compost, and why is it there? by searching through trays of compost, using a key to identify what they find, and record their discoveries, and discuss interactions between parts of compost,
What body parts and behaviors help a worm survive? Students explore this question by observing and drawing worms and discussing observations with peers.
In this name game, students learn each other’s names through a chant about energy and matter, then dance in the spotlight when it’s their turn.
A guide to how student and nature-centered teaching approaches offer opportunities for the development of Social Emotional Learning competencies.
Students discuss questions in rotating pairs, establishing a learning community in which students value sharing and listening to one another’s ideas and observations.