This lesson plan and activity has students walk outdoors and use their sense of hearing to observe and think about their surroundings.
After the nature walk, included discussion questions and extensions connect student learning to learning objectives.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This plan is ready to use and engaging; students will love being in nature and using their senses.
This resource is easily differentiated and extended for various student levels and abilities.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be able to walk outside their school safely; weather should be considered.
An alternate idea is just to sit and listen outside.
Differentiation
Cross-curricular connections can be made in health and social studies classes by discussing the positive health impacts of outdoor walks and keeping natural spaces in urban areas.
A fun extension for this activity would be to bring small whiteboards and dry erase markers for students to write or illustrate what animals they hear or observe.
Explore a guide of native plants and animals with students prior to going outside so that they can be on the lookout for them as well.
Scientist Notes
This activity lets students to explore ecological habitat, identify changes and patterns, then use their sense of hearing to build their observational skills and detect sounds attributed to species living in the habitat. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
2-LS4-1 Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
3-LS4-3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
