Ease back into the school year with an observational activity that teaches kids to not only observe plants but also teaches them to focus on details, record useful observations, and put their knowledge to practice.
Each child will need a pencil, sketchbook, and ruler.
Split the kids into groups of 2. Then tell them that they will be going off by themselves, finding a specific plant, do a quick sketch of the plant and use words, pictures, and numbers to describe the plant. They should not write the name of the plant on the page.
Some things they can record are the number of petals on flowers, the number of leaves, and any unique features including colors, insect or other damage, and shapes.
The goal is for them to exchange sketchbooks with their partner and their partner has to find the plant based on the information they are given.
For this exercise, they don’t need to focus on a beautiful drawing, only on providing accurate information that is helpful to identify the exact plant they observed (as opposed to a cluster of the same plant).
They should include clues on their sketch. They can even include a basic map in a corner to show general location.
Set a time limit such as 15 minutes to do their observation notes then call time and have them switch notebooks and seek out the plants one at a time.
If their partner has difficulty finding the plant, the person who created the observation can move them to the general location.
After they have had time to locate their partner’s plants have everyone come back together and ask if they were able to find their partner’s plant, what were some of the details given that helped them find it, and what were details you wished you had added when your partner was trying to find your plant. Other questions would be where there any interesting ideas your partner used that you wished you had used on your page and what might you add in the future if you did this again that you omitted in this round?
This exercise is a great way to teach observation and communication and can be used as a tool for referring back to when you want to record plants you find in your yard, local park, or local conservation area to revisit throughout the seasons or years.