Oh Say, What Can You See? Author: Sharon Janulaw

Overview: Students take a walk outside and use their sense of sight to discover things in their world. They record their observations and compare their observations with those of their classmates.

Lesson Concepts:

• We learn about the natural world using our senses and extensions of our senses.

Grade Span: K–2

Materials:

• Clipboard with paper for each student
• Container with pencil and crayons for students

Advance Preparation:

— Put paper on clipboards.
— Prepare containers with pencils and crayons.
— Select the area in which you will take the sight walk.

Time: 30 minutes

Grouping: Whole class

Teacher Background:

We find out about the environment in which we live by using our senses. The senses gather information that is sent to the brain. Among other things, our senses warn us of danger and thus keep us safe.

Many people depend on the sense of sight more than their other senses for information about their environment. The sense of sight gives us so much information that it would be overwhelming if it were not for our ability to focus on one thing at a time. When the eye focuses on an object, other objects become less obvious.

Explore this link for additional information on the topics covered in this lesson:

• Nature of Science

Teaching Tips:

Make sure your students understand and agree to follow guidelines for expected behavior on the sight walk.

Vocabulary: sense

Procedure:

1. Talk about eyes. Ask students what they know about eyes. What do eyes help us do? Let’s use them in our classroom. Name one thing you can see.
2. Talk about rules. We are going to take a Sight Walk outside. You will have a clipboard to record what you notice. You can draw what you see with your eyes and write the name of the object on your clipboard. You can also write where you observed the object.
3. Give each student a clipboard with paper, and a container with pencil and crayons. Have each student draw a pair of eyes at the top of the paper and write the words, “I See...”
4. Take students outside. Tell them you will walk and stop a few times. Each time you stop, they will select one item that they see, draw it and write its name.
5. After they have had the opportunity to draw several objects that they observed, have them share by standing in a circle. They will all hold their clipboards up for others to look at.
6. Return to the classroom and make a list of items that were seen. Have students help you spell the names of objects as you record. Discuss duplicate objects, living and non-living things. Have them share what they discovered that they had not noticed before.

Extensions:

Go on Sight Walks in different areas and compare observations from each walk.