Nature Activities - Focus Attention

Home
Flow Learning ™
Nature Activities
Programs
Calendar of Events
Sharing Nature Worldwide
Country Coordinators
Joseph Cornell
Books and Resources
Connections and More Information

Nature Activities

Awaken Enthusiasm

Focus Attention

Direct Experience

Share Inspiration

Sound Map

A. Focus Attention

B. Auditory awareness, calmness

C. Day and night/natural area

D. 1 or more

E. 5 years and up

F. Index card and pencil per player

The drumming of a woodpecker. Wind rushing and roaring through the tree tops. The flute-like call of a hermit thrush. The "buzz" from a nearby hummingbird. Water cascading and singing down a steep, rocky incline.

A thrilling chorus of natural sounds delights the players in the Sound Map Game. Children love this activity - they become completely absorbed and sit surprisingly still while making their sound maps.

To play, begin by showing the group a 4 X 6 index card with an X in the center. Tell the players the card is a map, and that the X shows where they're sitting. When they hear a sound, they should make a mark on the card that aptly describes the sound. The mark's location should indicate as accurately as possible the direction and distance of the sound. The marks should be interpretive, not literal; the players don't have to draw pictures of plants and animals, just a few lines indicating wind, or a musical note indicating a songbird. In other words, they should spend little time drawing and most of the time listening.

Tell the players to keep their eyes closed while they listen. Explain that cupping their hands behind their ears provides a reflective surface for catching sounds, creating a shape like the sensitive ears of a fax or kangaroo. To hear sounds behind them, they needn't turn their heads, but just cup their hands in front of their ears.

Select a site where the group is likely to hear a variety of sounds - meadows, streams, and forests are fine. It's important to have everyone find a special "listening place" quickly, so that some aren't walking around while others are already listening. I usually give the group one minute to find a spot and tell them to stay in the same spot until the end of the game. Giving the players enough time to disperse fairly widely will ensure a diversity of sound maps and greater interest in sharing.

How long you should play depends on the group's age, attention span, and how well-supplied the environment is with sounds. A good basic guideline is 10 minutes for adults, 5-10 minutes for children. I like to call the group back together by imitating a natural sound or blowing a crow or duck call. As the players assemble, ask them to share their maps with a partner.

It's sometime hard to find a site that's protected from the sounds of cars and machinery, but these noisy areas are ideal for teaching lessons about noise pollution. Have the children make two sound maps, the first one near a busy street and the second in a quiet, natural spot. After the game, ask them where they felt more comfortable. This is a fine way to build children's conscious appreciation of natural areas.

After the children have drawn their maps and shared them, you can ask questions such as:

How many different sounds did you hear?
Which sounds did you like best? Why?
Which sounds did you like least? Why?
Which sounds had you never heard before? Do you know what made the sounds?

* from Sharing Nature with Childern II, formerly Sharing the Joy of Nature, (c) 1989 by Joseph Cornell

Unnature Trail

A. Focus Attention

B. Camouflage, visual awareness

C. Day / forest, thicket

D. 1-30

E. 5-13 years

F. Man-made litter

This game is played to introduce the concepts of protective coloration and adaptation, as well as to enhance children's observational skills. A benefit of this increased visual awareness is that children become much more careful about littering outdoors.

Look for a trail going through an area where you can see the ground and where there isn't a lot of tall grass or thick shrubs. (A forest where there are both small and large trees, leaf litter, rotting logs, and some plants is ideal.) Choose a 65- to 100-foot section of the trail making sure that it is wide enough for two people to pass. Along the trail you'll place 16 to 24 man-made objects. Some of them should stand out, like brightly colored balloons or fluorescent pink cockroaches. Others should blend with their surroundings, and therefore be more difficult to pick out. Keep the number of objects you've planted secret.

The children walk over the section of trail one at a time, with intervals between them, trying to spot (but not pick up) as many of the objects as they can. When they reach the end of the trail, they whisper in your ear how many they saw. Tell each child the total number of objects, or, if you prefer, the fraction or per cent of the total that they've found. Encourage the children to walk the trail again, looking for any objects they've missed. If you want to make it easier for the players, place a marker (like a red bandanna) near the objects that are the hardest to find.

In setting up, I've found it's helpful to use rope to mark the side of the trail where the objects are hidden. Then place the objects no further than four feet beyond the rope (make sure to tell the players this). You can, however, hide the objects at different heights, and in places where they can be seen only if you turn and look backwards. This helps the children break out of the habit of looking only straight ahead. If you have a large group, be sure to make the trail long enough so that everyone can be on the trail at once. It's also helpful to ask half the group to begin along the middle of the trail, and then come back and finish the first half. This way no one has to wait in line too long.

To challenge older children, and keep them interested, it's important to have some objects that are placed in plain view, but are still difficult to find. One of my favorites is a 3 X 4 inch camping mirror. When its top edge is tilted toward you, the mirror reflects only the forest litter, making it blend in perfectly with its surroundings. (Lay a small branch over the top of the mirror to cover its edge and to hold it upright.) Often I've had as many as fifteen people kneeling and standing right in front of the mirror, gazing intently, but not seeing it, until I've touched the mirror. Objects like rusty chains, nails, rubber bands, and clothes pegs work well, too.

To allow everyone to see where the objects were hidden, go to the beginning of the trail, and start walking along the rope, and have the players (who are standing further back) point out the objects as you go by each one. As you pick up the objects, have a designated player collect them, and another player to count out the number of objects found as you go along.

End the game with a discussion of the ways camouflage coloration helps animals. Then go on a search for small camouflaged animals (insects, spiders, etc.).

* from Sharing Nature with Children, (c) 1998 by Joseph Cornell

| Flow Learning™ | Nature Activities | Programs | Calendar of Events |
| Sharing Nature Worldwide | Country Coordinators | Joseph Cornell |
| Books and Resources | Connections and More Information | Mailing List |

Sharing Nature Foundation
14618 Tyler Foote Rd.
Nevada City, CA 95959
530-478-7650
e-mail: info@sharingnature.com

			Home Flow Learning ™ Nature Activities Programs Calendar of Events Sharing Nature Worldwide Country Coordinators Joseph Cornell Books and Resources Connections and More Information

	Nature Activities
	Awaken Enthusiasm Focus Attention Direct Experience Share Inspiration

	Sound Map A. Focus Attention B. Auditory awareness, calmness C. Day and night/natural area D. 1 or more E. 5 years and up F. Index card and pencil per player

			The drumming of a woodpecker. Wind rushing and roaring through the tree tops. The flute-like call of a hermit thrush. The "buzz" from a nearby hummingbird. Water cascading and singing down a steep, rocky incline.
	A thrilling chorus of natural sounds delights the players in the Sound Map Game. Children love this activity - they become completely absorbed and sit surprisingly still while making their sound maps. To play, begin by showing the group a 4 X 6 index card with an X in the center. Tell the players the card is a map, and that the X shows where they're sitting. When they hear a sound, they should make a mark on the card that aptly describes the sound. The mark's location should indicate as accurately as possible the direction and distance of the sound. The marks should be interpretive, not literal; the players don't have to draw pictures of plants and animals, just a few lines indicating wind, or a musical note indicating a songbird. In other words, they should spend little time drawing and most of the time listening. Tell the players to keep their eyes closed while they listen. Explain that cupping their hands behind their ears provides a reflective surface for catching sounds, creating a shape like the sensitive ears of a fax or kangaroo. To hear sounds behind them, they needn't turn their heads, but just cup their hands in front of their ears. Select a site where the group is likely to hear a variety of sounds - meadows, streams, and forests are fine. It's important to have everyone find a special "listening place" quickly, so that some aren't walking around while others are already listening. I usually give the group one minute to find a spot and tell them to stay in the same spot until the end of the game. Giving the players enough time to disperse fairly widely will ensure a diversity of sound maps and greater interest in sharing. How long you should play depends on the group's age, attention span, and how well-supplied the environment is with sounds. A good basic guideline is 10 minutes for adults, 5-10 minutes for children. I like to call the group back together by imitating a natural sound or blowing a crow or duck call. As the players assemble, ask them to share their maps with a partner. It's sometime hard to find a site that's protected from the sounds of cars and machinery, but these noisy areas are ideal for teaching lessons about noise pollution. Have the children make two sound maps, the first one near a busy street and the second in a quiet, natural spot. After the game, ask them where they felt more comfortable. This is a fine way to build children's conscious appreciation of natural areas.
	After the children have drawn their maps and shared them, you can ask questions such as: How many different sounds did you hear? Which sounds did you like best? Why? Which sounds did you like least? Why? Which sounds had you never heard before? Do you know what made the sounds? * from Sharing Nature with Childern II, formerly Sharing the Joy of Nature, (c) 1989 by Joseph Cornell

	Unnature Trail A. Focus Attention B. Camouflage, visual awareness C. Day / forest, thicket D. 1-30 E. 5-13 years F. Man-made litter
	This game is played to introduce the concepts of protective coloration and adaptation, as well as to enhance children's observational skills. A benefit of this increased visual awareness is that children become much more careful about littering outdoors. Look for a trail going through an area where you can see the ground and where there isn't a lot of tall grass or thick shrubs. (A forest where there are both small and large trees, leaf litter, rotting logs, and some plants is ideal.) Choose a 65- to 100-foot section of the trail making sure that it is wide enough for two people to pass. Along the trail you'll place 16 to 24 man-made objects. Some of them should stand out, like brightly colored balloons or fluorescent pink cockroaches. Others should blend with their surroundings, and therefore be more difficult to pick out. Keep the number of objects you've planted secret. The children walk over the section of trail one at a time, with intervals between them, trying to spot (but not pick up) as many of the objects as they can. When they reach the end of the trail, they whisper in your ear how many they saw. Tell each child the total number of objects, or, if you prefer, the fraction or per cent of the total that they've found. Encourage the children to walk the trail again, looking for any objects they've missed. If you want to make it easier for the players, place a marker (like a red bandanna) near the objects that are the hardest to find. In setting up, I've found it's helpful to use rope to mark the side of the trail where the objects are hidden. Then place the objects no further than four feet beyond the rope (make sure to tell the players this). You can, however, hide the objects at different heights, and in places where they can be seen only if you turn and look backwards. This helps the children break out of the habit of looking only straight ahead. If you have a large group, be sure to make the trail long enough so that everyone can be on the trail at once. It's also helpful to ask half the group to begin along the middle of the trail, and then come back and finish the first half. This way no one has to wait in line too long. To challenge older children, and keep them interested, it's important to have some objects that are placed in plain view, but are still difficult to find. One of my favorites is a 3 X 4 inch camping mirror. When its top edge is tilted toward you, the mirror reflects only the forest litter, making it blend in perfectly with its surroundings. (Lay a small branch over the top of the mirror to cover its edge and to hold it upright.) Often I've had as many as fifteen people kneeling and standing right in front of the mirror, gazing intently, but not seeing it, until I've touched the mirror. Objects like rusty chains, nails, rubber bands, and clothes pegs work well, too. To allow everyone to see where the objects were hidden, go to the beginning of the trail, and start walking along the rope, and have the players (who are standing further back) point out the objects as you go by each one. As you pick up the objects, have a designated player collect them, and another player to count out the number of objects found as you go along. End the game with a discussion of the ways camouflage coloration helps animals. Then go on a search for small camouflaged animals (insects, spiders, etc.). * from Sharing Nature with Children, (c) 1998 by Joseph Cornell
	\| Flow Learning™ \| Nature Activities \| Programs \| Calendar of Events \| \| Sharing Nature Worldwide \| Country Coordinators \| Joseph Cornell \| \| Books and Resources \| Connections and More Information \| Mailing List \| Sharing Nature Foundation 14618 Tyler Foote Rd. Nevada City, CA 95959 530-478-7650 e-mail: info@sharingnature.com