Let's create continuous conversations about climate change education: Spreading the Sediment of Science!

Neighborhood Nature Scavenger Hunt

Provided by: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation |Published on: May 8, 2024

Lesson Plans Grades k-2, 3-5

Synopsis

This activity explores plants and animals that live in New York state and how they interact with their surroundings.
Students will complete an outdoor activity where they observe nature and a post-activity discussion where they reflect on what they observed.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Science

Authors: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation

Region: North America, USA - Northeast, United States, New York

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

The activity is a hands-on method for cultivating environmental awareness in students.
It gets students outside and encourages an appreciation for the environment.

Additional Prerequisites

Before administering the lesson, teachers should find a safe place where students can observe a diverse range of wildlife.
It may be helpful if students are already familiar with many of the animals on the Nature Search page.

Differentiation

This activity can be completed using different images of plants and animals that are in your local area instead.
This activity can fit within a larger unit on different types of ecosystems and their ecological importance.
Consider using this outdoor activity anytime your students head outside to give them practice looking for wildlife and noticing their surroundings.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

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Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation

The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 with the mission to make Education for Sustainability (EfS) an integral part of every child's K-12 learning experience. CELF engages educators, students and community leaders through award-winning programs that are designed to succeed in a wide range of education settings, including multi-day Summer Institutes, school professional development workshops, custom curriculum and instruction consulting, green career speaker series, and outdoor learning experiences. CELF's programs aim to help cultivate a society of global citizens with deep understanding of the dynamic interdependencies among human systems nested within natural systems, and the critical role education plays in cultivating healthy, equitable communities in a changing climate.