Reading the Outdoors: Animal Signs
by Kelly Koller for Outdoor Education Collective
Create excitement for what a broader definition of the word “Read” can mean to students as they learn with an Explorer Mindset.
In this activity (full lesson plan here) students explore around them and look for animal signs. After recording their observations, students chose between crafting an informational explanation or an imaginative story based on what they saw. As described in the lesson plan, this activity can be done in person, in a hybrid model or at home.
In February of 2021 I did this activity with my 3rd/4th grade full remote students on a “Friday Field Studies” day where we met at a local nature center. I created the video for those who could not make it in person so they could do it at home or at a place of choice. Students who completed it remotely sent in photos so we could all share in our observations.
Reflecting on the activity afterwards, what I loved about it was the range of choice. Students could wander and explore within safe boundaries, either established by their parents at home or me at the nature center. They could choose what was important to them to make a note of in their field notebook. They had time to take in the area around them and choose what they created from what they saw: a scientific explanation or an imaginative story. I also love that it is an activity that can be done over and over, with different results each time.
One of the best things about using the outdoors as a classroom is that it’s dynamic, always changing.
When we did this activity, it was only a few degrees above zero, but we had lots of new snow that makes for great tracking. Signs we looked for were nests, rubbings, broken off twigs (from chewing or movement), scat and tracks. Modifications in areas without snow are to focus on the other animal signs. Rivers or ponds that have banks with mud or sand are other great places to look for tracks.
Helpful Resources:
— To find what animal signs to look for in your area, you can do a simple search on the internet, or purchase a field guide. Organizations like the US Fish and Wildlife service also publish free online guides.
— This Outdoor Education Collective guide can be used to help build this into an inquiry framework
— Extensions to explorers in the field:
Nat Geo Video: Snow DNA
Nat Geo Video: Tracking Wildcats
