Spring is here, and students are itching to get outside! Geared towards grades K-8, these activities encourage students to explore the outdoors and observe nature around them, whether it be around their school or in their backyards. The Nature Scavenger Hunt for grades K-3 includes two worksheets, one traditional list and one that asks students to find different colors outside. Outdoor Observations for grades 3-8 introduces students to natural history through the Pal Book, a diary written by Fort Recovery, Ohio, resident Opal Ashcroft in 1949-1950. Written for her birding friend Arlene, Opal documents the wildlife on her farm, as well as other places she visits, and includes feathers, dried flowers, photographs, and clippings. Students read two brief excerpts from her diary and answer follow-up questions, and use Opal’s diary to inspire their own diary entries as an outdoor activity.
Here are some other nature related web resources to keep students (and adults!) entertained, learning, and observing, during this school closure. Enjoy!
