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Your students can take a nature walk, just like Desiree did.
Take some time to sit quietly outside—in a park, on the playground, or wherever you might be able to see the animals that live in your neighborhood.
Have students watch for insects in the grass, birds in the trees, squirrels scurrying across their path. Make a list of the animals everyone sees.
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In this Read-Along lesson, Desiree notices all the holes in the trees around her house—and sets out to discover how they got there, and why they matter. The lesson includes a short exercise where students listen for animal sounds and pretend to be woodpeckers. You can extend the lesson with the optional activity, Nature Explorers, where students go for a nature walk and look for animals in their homes.
Preview optional activityThis activity does not require supplies.
As an optional activity, we suggest you go on a nature walk. It doesn't have to be far from your classroom or home. You can find animal homes in a playground, a grassy lawn, a city park, or a small yard. Look for ant hills, spiderwebs, birds in the trees, and insects in the grass. We suggest bringing a notebook so that you can make a list of the animals that everyone sees.
Student slideshow: English | Spanish
Teacher printout: English & Spanish
For a limited time, view archived reading extensions here.
If you have open space available, take a walk and (carefully!) watch for places that animals might make their homes, from nests and tree holes to spaces under logs and rocks. Be sure to stay safe and make sure students look—but don’t touch!—as they take their nature walk.
If you want more ideas for nature-based learning, this site offers fun activities for students exploring the natural environment.
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