Outdoor education has been a viable part of American education for the past 40 years. This book traces the development of outdoor education and is intended to address a variety of factors relating to the outdoor education programs that exist today. Chapter one, "Why Teach Outside the Classroom," contains sections which provide a rationale for the inclusion of outdoor education in the regular school curriculum. Chapter two, "Techniques of Teaching in the Outdoors," addresses the importance of the use of direct experiences and inquiry in outdoor laboratory settings, and includes several examples of teaching techniques. "Extending the School Curriculum to the Outdoors," chapter three, includes examples of learning activities in various subject areas that can be correlated with the objectives of the school curriculum. Chapter four, "Learning Experiences for Outdoor Laboratories," stresses that outdoor education can occur on the school site, and outlines several activities developed for that type of learning laboratory. Chapter five, "Resident Outdoor Education Programs," focuses on considerations related to programs involving overnight camping and the use of special resident facilities. Chapter six, "Evaluation Procedures in Outdoor Education," summarizes some ways to evaluate a program's effectiveness. The final chapter examines what research says about outdoor education. (TW)