IOWA 4-9 SCIENCE PROJECT

TEACHER GUIDE for: Listen to Nature Gloria Baker
Edited by Reta Lemon
ECOLOGY.46C Grades 4-6

CONCEPT OBJECTIVE:
Through this activity the students will develop their sensory skills by actively listening to the sounds around them in a given environment.

SKILLS OBJECTIVE:
The students will develop their listening, observing and recording skills.

BACKGROUND HINTS:
This is the first of six cycles giving students sensory experiences in their natural environment. Listen to Nature I, Texture Walks II, The Nose Knows III, I Spy IV, Down Under V and Trust Walk VI.

The Listen to Nature activity could be done several times during the year either returning to the same environment and comparing early fall, late fall, winter and spring or going to several different environments, woodland, creek bank, open meadow, playground during the same period of time and comparing the sounds to be heard.

Be sure to check the area you will visit for harmful plants such as poison ivy, insects or snakes.

MATERIALS:
Each student
1 pencil
1 clipboard or hard surface to write on
2 or 3 sheets of typing paper

EXPLORATION:
Direct the students to stand quietly and listen to the sounds in a given place. Record what sounds they hear and try to determine what made the sound. Example: creaking, scratching sound, two trees limbs rubbing together. After standing and listening and recording for a short period of time, move to another location at the top of a hill, behind a stand of pine trees, out in the open area, have them stand, listen, and record.

As you move along your walk have the students lay with their ear to the ground then listen, record and determine what made the sound. In another place have them listen to the sounds with their ear against a tree or fallen log.

Direct students to lay on their back, close their eyes and listen, record and determine what made the sounds.

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT:
Bring the class together and create a list of all the sounds that they recorded hearing on their walk. Create a second list of those things which make the sounds. Discuss what they really saw making the sounds and what they thought was making the sound. Discuss further those sounds which are pleasant and not so pleasing, and why they are or are not.

Discuss further how sounds differed depending upon the interaction of the person, standing, sitting, lying down etc.

APPLICATION:
Create a large class mural of a given environment (woodland) and have each student draw a life sized picture of a critter that would live in this environment with the sound that the critter would contribute. A student could choose to show tree limbs rubbing, or wind whistling or grass whispering.

An alternative application would be to have each student create and play a musical instrument that would make one of the sounds they heard.

Another alternative would be to divide the students into groups of two or three, investigate the ways critters communicate, then present their findings as a talk show "The Good Word Is."

EVALUATION:
Teacher observations from the concept development and application activities are valid ways of evaluating the student. Individual observation and recording sheets and application activity results are also valid instruments for student evaluations.