Introduce the film by telling students they will be watching a film about a group of young children and their outdoor classroom in a nursery in Scotland. The Secret Garden Outdoor Nursery, designed for children ages 3-5, supports young learners as they interact freely with nature and each other.

Ask students to make a list of the pros/cons of being indoors and the pros/cons of being outdoors. Write their responses on the board. What are their favorite outdoor activities that made the list? Ask students to explain why.

Direct students to watch the film and take notes. Ask students to pay attention to the activities of the children in the film: What are the children doing? How do they interact with the forest? How do they relate to each other?

Ask students to think about nature as a teacher. What might the children in the film learn from their time in nature?

After viewing the film, lead a discussion with such questions as:

• What are the main activities of the children captured in the film? Make a list of the specific scenarios.
• How are the adults portrayed in the film? What does this say about their roles at the nursery?
• The Secret Garden Outdoor Nursery does not provide toys to the children. Do you think this is an effective policy? Why or why not? Ask students to support their answers with evidence in the film.
• The nursery, according to The Educate Scotland review group, is described as having strengths that encourage and support "motivated children who are confident, resilient and playful learners" and "children as leaders of their own learning through play." What are some examples in the film that support these statements?
• A common theme running through Ewert's films is resilience. For example, another one of Ewert's films documents a single mother living in poverty in Brazil. Resilience can be defined, according to the Oxford dictionary, as the ability to recover or adapt quickly from difficult conditions. Synonyms include adaptability, flexibility, or spirited. What does resilience mean to you? In what ways does this film convey the theme of resilience? Do you think this film would be a good story to share with parents and teachers of young learners? Why or why not?
• Do you think spending more time in nature can influence your decision to protect it? If so, why?

Give students one of the following reflective writing prompts to demonstrate their understanding of the story. (Note for teachers: Just as quotes for a book or text are used to prove an analytical thought, students use the film to justify their reasoning.)

1. In the book, Last Child In the Woods, by Richard Louv, a fourth grader is quoted as saying, "I like to play indoors better 'cause that's where all the electrical outlets are." If you were to write a letter to persuade this child to play outdoors, what would you write? In a paragraph, describe your own experiences, based on your relationship to technology and nature, to make your point. Include some of the benefits of nature that you have experienced as well as some of the negative impacts of technology and electronics. How does technology influence your daily decisions? (CCSS.ELA.W.9-10.2 and W.11-12.2)
2. Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of our time, said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution." Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? At the preschool age, do you think imagination is more important than knowledge? Why or why not?
3. According to a story in The New York Times, a mother, whose child attends Fiddleheads Forest School, said, "In indoor spaces, teachers have planned everything. Here, you never know what you're going to see." What could be the value of this way of learning? Write a paragraph using examples from the film to back up your statement. (C3.D2.Psy.2.9-12)
4. "Every Kid In a Park" is a program created by the Obama administration to support fourth graders, and their families, to interact with nature. Each student can receive a pass with free access to all national parks, lands, and waters. The program contains an activity around the principles for environmental stewardship, or the way in which land and waters can be protected. Some of the seven principles include: dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, and respect wildlife. Think of a place in nature—either on land or near water—near your home or school. Select one of the three principles listed and write a paragraph describing an innovative solution to encourage your community to protect the environment near your home.