Nature Spies

Science/Language Arts

Children will record and discuss their observations in nature.

What You Need

• Chart paper
• Marker
• Magnifying glasses (optional)

What To Do

1. Tell children that you are going to teach them how to be Nature Spies. Explain to them that the first thing a good Nature Spy must learn to do is to observe carefully. The next thing a Nature Spy must do is remember what he or she saw.
2. Take children on a nature walk. Have children work with a partner or in small groups.
3. Each time you take children on a nature walk, have them focus on one particular thing in nature, such as flowers, trees, or insects.
4. Have each group of children choose something to observe. They are to remember three things about what they observed, such as its color, its size, whether or not it made a noise, where they saw it, and so on. You may want to allow children to use a magnifying glass to observe the object more closely.
5. When you return to the classroom, have children take turns discussing their observations while you record them on chart paper.