Description

Practice using your senses to explore the natural and human world around you.

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Task

Preparation:

• Prepare a piece of paper or journal to write down your observations. You could make a chart with a section for each sense for recording.
• Choose a location to walk/sit and use your senses to observe. You could spend more time walking or sitting to use your senses. This could be in a park, at a beach, in your backyard etc.

Instructions:

1. Follow the path you planned for your walk and/or create a spot to sit in nature. Think about spending 20+ minutes observing and recording what life you see, hear, smell, and touch around you.
2. Record your observations on nature around you on your paper or in your journal.
3. Continue to walk and/or sit in nature but this time use your senses to observe the influence of humans nearby.
4. Record your observations on the influence of humans around you on your paper or in your journal.

Reflections:

1. Review and reflect on your observations and identifications.
2. Express how you felt connected from nature and/or human influences you sensed.
3. Post your reflection as a thread post within the forum on the online classroom and explore other participants connections. (Please title your discussion post 'Name - Senses in Nature')

Optional Extensions:

• Make a table comparing and contrasting your observations of nature vs. human influences you sensed.
• Try identifying any animal sounds you hear!
• Write a poem, draw, paint or use another creative outlet to express your experience exploring this world through your senses.
• Spend some time practicing meditation and/or relaxing breathing in nature.

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Learning Objectives

• Practice listening and observation skills.
• Use your senses to observe the human impacts around you.
• Share/express personal connection/impacts on nature.

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Continue to 5a Nov 12 - Exploring Community Science »