Family Science Learning Overview
What is the current season? How do you know? In this activity, you will take a walk to find evidence of the current season. You will find evidence by making observations using your five senses.
You can use the two-page template provided for this activity, or make your own template on blank sheets of paper, and use it to write and draw observations and questions.
Overview
As a family, decide where you want to go for a walk to look for evidence of the current season.
- Before you take your walk, make a prediction about what season you think it is.
- During your walk:
- Record observations that are evidence of the current season (what do you hear, smell, and see for example?).
- Record questions that you have. What do your observations make you wonder about?
What Can You Do To Support Learning?
- The goal of this activity is to think about what evidence your family uses to figure out what season it is. Everyone should offer as many ideas, observations, and questions as they can (instead of there being one “right” answer).
- If someone is having a hard time making observations, you may ask specific questions like, “What are three things you see that tell you it is [season], and why?” and “What do you hear that tells you it is [season], and why?”
- Your family can use the questions and wonderings you come up with to support other activities. For example, if your family has questions and wonderings about something you saw, heard, or smelled, you can use those questions as an opportunity to find and watch related videos or read a related book together.
Activity Sheet
Connecting with Other Families
Ask other family members and friends to engage in this activity too. Then you can share your predictions, records of the weather, observations, and questions. What is similar? What is different? Why might that be? You can share with each other by talking on the phone, and texting or emailing pictures or descriptions of your observations and questions to each other.
Connect to Other Activities
Learning in Places Frameworks to Consider
- Phenology
- Observation and Data Collection