Grade 1 Winter Nature Walk: One-Page Summary

Grade 1 Winter Nature Walk: One-Page Summary This walk has different themes and activities, do in any order to avoid crowding among the groups. This is a one-page summary. See the walk guide for details. At various points, the walk guide talks about writing down the students ideas. This can be discussed but no need to write down while outside. Check out the snow...find a spot with snow. Let some snow melt in their hands just a bit so hands don't get soaked. What's snow made of? Talk about different kinds of snow and ice some is more slippery than others or heavier or prettier. Talk about non-living things: o Air it s colder o water it s frozen, o rocks, sand, dirt covered by snow o sun--there s less Less sunlight in winter means cooler temperatures, which means cool air, snow, ice, and frozen water in the brook. How do changes in the non-living things affect plants and animals in the school yard? On people? What happens to the animals in winter? Are there any in the school yard? How do we know? o Look for evidence of animals from scat, shelter, tracks, or sounds of birds o You may see deer tracks just along the water or in the meadow behind the playground. The deer have been eating buds on plants along the stream. o Rabbit tracks can often be seen along the edge of the meadow. o Use the tracking sheet to identify animal tracks. What do the animals need to survive? food, water, shelter, warmth, air, protection. Where do the birds find food? There are some bird feeders in the schoolyard. Also the birds find seeds on plants. Talk about where animals might find shelter: in trees, at the base of trees, between rocks, etc. What does it mean to hibernate? How many breaths do you take in a minute? Try it. A woodchuck breathes about 30 times a minute in spring. When animals hibernate, their bodies slow down, a hibernating woodchuck breathes once every 6 minutes. How long can you hold your breath? Talk about plants in winter. We can see plant remains in the meadows. What about trees? They are more like hibernating animals, they go dormant in the winter. Plants provide seeds for food, and shelter bedding for some meadow animals.

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Grade One { I r : r ; GRADE ONE NATURE WALKS Grade one Nature walks usually last 4s minutes and are based on: 1. Environmental Awareness Sensory exploration / Sense of wonder Discovery I Joy of learning Sharing the excitement Experiencing nature's rhythms and cycles 2. Developing attitudes of respect o w a rd The environment Animals living in Conant schoolyard Each other Themselves as learners 3. Exploration and discovery in conant schooryard ydd# Understanding differences between riving and non-riving t[rings ldentifying what all animals need to suivive Discovering the variety of animals living in their schoolyard Discovering how animafs cope with seasonal changes understanding how changes in non-living things affect animals Remember, first graders are still learning how to behave on a Nature walk, how to focus, observe, wonder, and thereby enjoy exproring, discovering, rearning, and sharing. But the excitement generated by making and sharing their own discoveries will lead. to the desirj to exptore, discover, and continue learning Grade one Nature walks usually last about 45 minutes, but return school to earlier if the group loses focus. communicate with the teaeher how the walk went, as well as exciting discoveries. The teacher needs to know so she can integrate outdoor experiences and excitement with classroom learning.

Grade One 17 ANIMAL WINTER WORKSHEET NAMES LIST TWO ANIMALS THAT FLY SOUTH FOR THE WINTER LIST TWO ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN THE SCHOOLYARD ALL WINTER LIST TWO ANIMALS THAT HIBERNATE ALL WINTER LIST TWO ANIMALS THAT DIE AND LEAVE EGGS BEHIND

18 Grade One DIET OF COMMON NATIVE ANTMALS MAMMALS FOOD Squirrels, chipmunks Rabbits Opossums Raccoons Woodchucks Mice Skunks Foxes, coyotes Deer Bats Nuts, seeds, fruits, pina-cones, mushrooms, tree buds, acorns Grasses, clover, twigs and buds, bark of young trees Insects, small mammals and birds, turtle and bird eggs, fruits, berries, vegetables, dead animals Irrsects, f rogs, crayfish, worms salamanders, bird and turtle eggs, acorns, fruits, berries, vegetables Grasses, weeds Seeds, grasses, fruits, berries, insects, bark of young trees Insect larva, bird and turtle eggs, earthworms, small animals, f ruits, berries Mice, small birds and animals, animals,eggs, fruits, berries Leaves, grasses, tree buds, bark of young trees Flying insects, fruit

Grade One 19 BIRDS FOOD Robins Swallows Hawks, owls Chickadees, blue jays, sparrows Woodpeckers C rows Red-winged black birds Ducks, Canada geese Hurnmingbirds Worms, caterpillars, f ruit, berries Flying insects Mice, small animals Seeds, fruits, insect larva Insect larva, ants, beetles, berries Insects, acorns, fruits, small birds, dead animals Insects, weed seeds Grasses, vegetation, aquatic plants and tiny animals N ectar MINI-CREATURES Grasshoppers, caterpillars, Japanese beetles, leafhoppers Butterflies, bees, moths Ladybugs, f ireflies, spiders, crickets, ants, centipedes Termites, carpenter ants Black flies, mosquitoes Fruit flies, house flies FOOD Leaves and other plant Nectar from flowers, honey Small animals Wood, trees and houses Blood from animals Liquid sucked from fruit, garbage

20 Grade One GRADE ONE WINTER NATURE WALK I Schedule Nature Walk for early February., t O e O t t @ ' O b jectives: Before going out: Observe seasonal changes in non-living things Explore schoolyard for signs of animals, food sources, and shelter Develop understanding of how these animals survive winter's cold Encourage children to think about their fall walks. what did they discover? Look at the drawings they did of their school yard labeling non-living things. How have these things cnanged-? what do they expect to see now? Think about the animals which live in their schoolyard. Look at their list of animals living in their schoolyard in winter. certainly rabbits, squirrels (gray, red, and frying), fox, raccoon, opossum, deer, skunk, and mice. Then there's the birdsi the seed-eaters such as chickadees, sparrows, finches, blue jays, and cardinals as well as woodpeckers, hawks and owls. coflect pictures from magazines to post in the room, or have each child make a collage of Conant winter animals from pictures found at home. Alternatively have children make a mural of the schoolyard and draw pictures of the animals active in winter to place on the mural. (This option could be extended by the addition of robins, ants and other animals discovered on their spring walks.) Review with children what all animals need to survive and list on the board: Food Water Shelter Warmth Air Means of Protection consider the animals whose pictures they have in the room. How has the schoolyard changed? where will these animals find food, water, and shelter during the winter? on their winter walk they wiil rook not only for signs of animals, but for food sources and shelter.

Grade One 21 lf possible go out after a new snow when they might find tracks. Winter walks are always shorter thanspring and fall ones. Don't stay out longer than the comfort levelof the children. Be sure children are dressed appropriately. Materials: Trowel Clipboard, paper and pencil Watch that measures seconds 1. Walk to the meadow and stop there to look slowly around. What non-living things do they see? How have they changed from last f all? A i r still around but a lot colder Water frozen Rocks, Sand, and Dirt still there, coveredby snow Sun still in the sky but not very warm andfewer hours Use the trowel to dig into the snow; melt some on yourhand to validate it as frozen water. Try digging into the dirt; it too is f rozen. Which non-living things have changed the most? Cold temperature of the air and water(snow/ice) due to fewer hours of sunlight. How have these changes in the non-living world affected the plants and animals living in their schoolyard? Think about how these changes affect people. 2. Think about what all anirnals need in order to live and about where animals which live at Conant in winter might find these things, especially f ood, w ate r and shelter. Talk about the animals they think live here now such as rabbits, skunks, raccoons, opossums, squirrels (gray, red, and flying), foxes, deer, mice, and the many birds. What time of day do most of these animals (except birds and gray and red squirrels) come out of their shelter to hunt for food? At night, so we won't see them, but we'can look for the foods they eat and for their shelters. What kinds of food might they find? Where might they find shelter from winter's storms and cold?

22 Grade One 3. Explore the meadow, especially edges, looking for food sources, shelter, any animal signs incfuding scat and tracks. Don't forget to listen for birds and to look into tree tops for birds and perhaps a squirrel nest. You may find galls and insect cocoons or egg cases. Look for the skunk burrow and for meadow mouse tunnels under the snow., O - d 'g,*rt.ifu'uan! pt /rct CogosTarr-Rroorl ' D o ', o ftrf dorro orx a{ftr fix otlcn o a 0(4Y )qutr.kel - s. d ^ G A','Vhg aathalt,aicn lft n?ccs - e - r' us,ntlr utc frcd {cci, h7elfun 4' What do children think it means to hibernate? When animals are hibernating their body just slows down; they don't breath very often and their heart doesn't beat very often. Let's see how many times they breath in a minute. Ask them to breath as they always do but to count every time they take a breath. start when you say "go" and time them for a minute. Usually the count is 15 to 20, but accept whatever they come up with. Tell them that a woodchuck breaths normally about 30 times a minute, but when it is hibernating it breaths only once every 6 minutes! Let's see how long they can hold their breath. Again time them; 45 seconds is often the beit they can do. Does this help them to understand what hibernating means? How their body just slows down. How long is 6 minutes! It's fun to know that we share this land with all these interesting wild animals. 4. As a group record on the clipboard children's observations and discoveries. what animal signs did they find? How about shetter and food sources? What was the most interesting or exciting thing they found? lt's fun to know that we share this land with all these interesting wild animals. 5. As you head back to school, ask how plants cope with winter's cold and take a minute to look at the mountain ash which they draw in each season. Trees are more like the animals which hibernate than those which stay active. Scientists say trees become dormant, which is a little like hibernating. Remember, trees and other plants are living things. 6. Return to school.