January 2022: Nature Center

During their trip to Johnson Nature Center, students learned about the predators and prey of the forest and what it takes for animals to survive.

Hawks vs Mice

The perfect way to understand the predator/prey relationship between hawks and mice is to experience it through play! At the start of this game, two students were chosen to be hungry hawks. The remaining students were mice and were challenged to make it across the playing field without getting capture and eaten by the hawks. As mice were captured, they became hawks for the next round: altering the predator to prey ratio. As a class, we reflected on the process: How did it feel to be a mouse? What made surviving challenging? What could have helped you to survive?

C is for Camouflage

What is one way that animals protect themselves from predators? Camouflage! Camouflage is a defense or tactic that organisms use to disguise their appearance, usually to blend in with their surroundings. Students searched for spots they felt they would camouflage based on the colors they were wearing.

Hiding in Plain Sight

Owl Hour

Students were able to visit our Great Horned Owl and observe her while she was being fed.

Owl Pellet Dissection

Students were given a challenge to put their knowledge of camouflage to the test. Each student was given a bright orange tube that would represent their animal; their challenge was to collect natural materials around them and use it to camouflage their animal. Once completed, they had to hide their animal in plain sight by placing it somewhere they think it would blend in.

After all of the students hid their animals, Ms. Leigh walked along the trail as if she were a predator peering through the woods for her prey. Everyone had successfully camouflaged their animals! The class walked together to each hidden animal and assessed their appearance as well as the area they were blending in with. Students were very thoughtful in their hiding process; for example, those who covered their animal with sticks and bark hid their animal with fallen branches.

Students worked as detectives to dissect owl pellets and figure out which animals owls hunt for. Using a bone identification chart, students were able to match the bones they found to the animal they came from. The class found a large assortment of bones from bird skulls, to rodent legs and teeth!