Backyard Sensory Map

Objectives

• List common organisms found in local neighbourhoods and describe how we can use our senses to observe these organisms.

Materials

• Per Student or Group:
  pencils
  journals or scrap paper

Key Questions

• How else could you look for living things?
• How many signs of living things did you find?
• What types of wildlife are in our community and how do we notice them?

What To Do

Part 1: Discussion

As a class, brainstorm a list from the following questions:

• What kinds of plants do you have in your neighbourhood? (Answers may be general like grass, tree and moss.)
• What kinds of animals can you see in your backyard? (Answers may include coyotes, raccoons, sparrows, robins, insects, worms, etc.)

Part 2: Outdoors

Teacher Tip: Avoid locations near busy streets, as the noises will make it difficult to do the sensory mapping activity.

1. Go outdoors. Sit in a circle.
2. As a group, take 30 seconds to sit completely silent with your eyes closed. Listen for sounds around you. Try to think of what might be making those sounds.
3. Have students draw/write out what sounds they heard and where they were coming from. Try to write down if the sounds came from a human or not.
4. Next, as a group, take 30 seconds to quietly move around within the circle. Sniff for smells. Try to think of what might be making those smells.
5. Have students draw/write out what smells they smelled and where they were coming from. Try to write down if the smells came from a human or not.
6. Then, have students sit down. Take 30 seconds to look for interesting living things.
7. Have students draw/write out what they saw and where the items were found.
8. Have students use cameras, sketchbooks, or notebooks to record the living things they observe in the schoolyard.

Extensions

• Listen for bird calls. Imitate what you heard and point to where you heard it.
• See if others heard the same sound and ask them what it sounded like to them.
• Research your favourite backyard animal.
• Go to a different location and compare and contrast your sensory map.