1. Take a walk outside your own school or center, or visit a nearby school. Write down academic activities that could incorporate the use of this environment. Make notes of inquiry-based learning...

1. Take a walk outside your own school or center, or visit a nearby school. Write down academic activities that could incorporate the use of this environment. Make notes of inquiry-based learning topics that might be investigated in this out-of-doors environment.

2. From the suggested criteria for good environments discussed in this chapter, make your own checklist of those you believe are most important for an effective environment. Observe one or two early childhood settings and note incorporation of environmental criteria using your checklist as a guide. Be alert for positive environmental

qualities your observations provide that may not have been mentioned in this chapter. Make one checklist for the physical environment and one checklist for the social-emotional environment.