18 Experiential Learning Resources for Fall

Every season is prime time for experiential learning, but fall is one of my favorites. Fall is unique in so many ways. The weather begins to change, wildlife prepares for winter, many farmers harvest their crops, seasonal illnesses begin to creep in (not my favorite), kids gear up for winter sports, fall flavors make a brief appearance, and the holiday season comes on strong.

There is so much to learn and an unlimited amount of questions to ask. Experiential learners are self-directed. That is one characteristic of experiential learning that sets it apart from other approaches to learning. They direct the experience by asking their own questions, they choose how and where to gather information, they get involved in learning by organizing authentic experiences, they choose an innovative way to demonstrate learning, and they reflect on the experience.

Although I would prefer to have all learning experiences outdoors, that isn't always an option. For some, it's never an option. As I've said before, experiential learning doesn't have to be "teambuilding" or "outdoor education", two common misconceptions. Experiential education is learning through experience, indoors or outdoors. It is inquiry-based, hands-on, child-led, and reflective. As wonderful as it would be to grab your kids and head out into the community to shadow climate scientists, study the animal behaviors associated with the changing seasons firsthand, and visit farms to participate in fall harvest (I think you should do all of these things if you can, by the way), there are other options for those that have less flexibility. 

Check out some indoor and outdoor experiential learning resources below from Experiential Learning Depot that are perfect for fall. You can either take the ideas and roll with them or head to the links provided for a ready-to-go resource. 

Head to earlier posts on experiential learning for more details about the method.

Fall Experiential Learning Resources for Secondary Students

• Inquiry Bingo: Fall Theme - This is a brand new resource line that promotes the development of skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and research skills. Students are given questions that cannot be answered in a single Google Search. The questions in this resource are all related to autumn in some way.
• Maker Project Tool Kit - This tool kit provides all of the materials needed to conduct student-led maker projects. Students identify a problem and make something to solve the problem. There are plenty of problems associated with fall, such as squirrels snatching decorative pumpkins off of my porch! Check out this post from a couple of weeks ago that offers several fall maker project ideas along with tips on design thinking.
• Project-Based Learning: Winter Adaptations - Project-based learning starts with a driving question and is experiential when designed and led by the student. This particular resource is on winter adaptations. Many winter adaptations are behaviors that take place in the fall in preparation for the upcoming winter climate, such as gathering and storing food in the fall to be consumed throughout the winter. 
• Project-Based Learning: Species Migration - This is another animal behavior project largely related to fall. Students look at the migration behaviors of a species of their choice. Many epic migrations begin in the fall. 
• Climate Science: Energy Budget Bundle - Studying the energy budget is a great place to begin to understand seasons, weather, and climate. Why does it get really cold in Minnesota in November but it doesn't in southern Florida? Why do the days get shorter in the fall? This bundle will help answer a lot of those fall questions about solar energy.
• Scientific-Inquiry Tool Kit - This resource includes all of the materials needed to guide students in self-led scientific inquiry experiments. I love this one for fall because you can simply take students out into your school yard or backyard at home to study and experiment with questions related to autumn. Fall scientific inquiry can be done inside as well, such as experimenting with changing leaf colors, pumpkin decomposition, seed germination conditions, and more. 

• Project-Based Learning: Hometown Tour - Fall is the starting-off point to a string of holidays, which often means out-of-towners come to visit. Have students create a special hometown tour for their holiday visitors using the principles of PBL.
• Maker PBL Challenge: Upcycled Lounge Area - Coming up in just a few days is America Recycles Day. Although November should not be the only day to pay attention to our global waste problem, it presents a reminder. Have students design and create a lounge area using trash. Recycle, upcycle, or restore household items that would otherwise end up in a landfill. 
• College and Career Readiness PBL Bundle - Fall is the time to start thinking about post high school. 
• Maker PBL Challenge: Interactive Greeting Card - Again, the holidays are on the horizon. Combine learning with giving this holiday season.
• Community Action Projects - Fall is rich with reminders of peace, kindness, and giving. Although teaching gratitude is always important, Thanksgiving and the upcoming "gifting" holidays are nice reminders. Community Action Projects require that students learn about a community issue that is important to them and give back to that cause by getting involved. 
• College Exploration Activity - Fall is also a great time to start thinking about college for those interested in that track. Check out this free resource to get the ball rolling. 
• Mini-PBL Travel Brochure - Again with the holidays! Along with holidays often comes travel. This resource is great resource for those traveling this fall. Combine learning with travel! This resource is free as are most of my travel resources. Head to my store home page for more free travel resources. 
• Project-Based Learning: Learn a New Skill - I don't know about where you live, but it gets pretty chilly in the fall around here. It's a great time of year to pick up new hobbies to survive the impending winter with grace. Encourage students to learn to knit, bake, identify migrating birds or local tree species, ski, write poetry, or even build a fire! All in the name of keeping busy during the cooler, darker months of fall and winter.

• Project-Based Learning: Diseases - Like I said in the intro, fall seems to be the starting off point to the cold and flu season. I feel like my kids and I are sick from September all the way through the New Year. Have students study their choice of illness and learn how to protect themselves this fall and winter. 
• Project-Based Learning: Heritage Project - I always do this project with my students in the fall, and I do that for a couple of reasons. One, it's the beginning of the school year, and this project, more than any other, really helps me learn about my students and who they are as individuals. It's an important relationship builder. I also like to do it around Thanksgiving because it reminds students of their own family traditions, which they are proud to showcase in their project exhibits. 
• Zoo Field Trip Bingo - If you can take kids on field trips, do it! Fall is a great time for it. Bring this free bingo game along with you to the zoo as a way for students to learn animal diversity vocabulary by connecting them with a real-world experience. 
• Ecology Scavenger Hunt - This free outdoor ecology vocab scavenger hunt mini-project gets learners experiencing nature, even in their own backyard, and even in the cold. It's easy to get outside in the warm, summer months. This is an excuse to get your kids out there in the fall and winter months as well, to not only see that there is still action in the fall, but that action look much different in the fall than it did three months ago.

Enjoy the last of the fall colors and mildish temperatures with these projects. Again, if you're not able to purchase the resources, head to my store to check out the freebies, and/or use the basic ideas and run with them. Experiential learning is child-led, so the resources help you facilitate those experiences. Happy autumn!

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