Introduction:
The following unit is intended to be used with a fifth grade class. However, modifications could be made by the teacher in order for it to be used with older or younger students. The purpose of the unit is to get students actively involved in observing nature. Though many students spend a great deal of time outside, the activities in this unit will bring the students to use all of their senses to focus on specific aspects of their natural environment with the intention of becoming more aware of what is around them at all times. The lessons direct students to perform various observations and data collection activities in an outdoor setting. These activities provide student groups with the opportunity to work individually and cooperatively to reach goals. Through a hands on approach, students will have the opportunity to learn more about the natural world around them.

The unit should be implemented in the spring shortly before the end of the school year or at the very beginning of the school year. It needs to take place in a park or some type of setting that contains many trees. The flexibility with where the activities can take place does require the teacher to do a significant amount of preparation prior to the day of the trip. The teacher needs to visit the site and make the necessary preparations as indicated in each lesson plan. Each of the five activities is intended to take 30 minutes. This time period could be modified as needed. The class should be split into five groups, each working on one of the activities at one time. The activities should be self directed and the teacher should play the role of circulating through the activities to observe, but should not answer questions for the students. They should come to their own conclusions as to how to complete their activities given the instructions.

The total time allotted for the unit is three hours (five 30 minute activities and 30 minute debriefing time). If chaperones are available, one could be assigned to each student group. The chaperone should be instructed not to intervene in the students' problem solving, but to only keep track of the children and monitor safety and station switches.

Rationale:
This unit was created in order to bring students closer to a natural environment. It is intentionally self directed so that students work cooperatively to make decisions. The idea behind the unit is to bring the academics outside and put the students in an element in which the are interested. The emphasis is not on the academic portion of the unit, but in the observation skills. My hope is that the students will enjoy the activities and have fun while learning to be more aware of what is around them.

Goals:
Students will work effectively in small groups by helping one another, sharing personal knowledge, and discussing information that they feel is important.
Students will attain data using all of their senses and record information in various ways (at times depending on their choices).
Students will gain an appreciation for hands on research as a learning tool.
Students will develop observation skills and learn how to appropriately investigate in this manner.
Students will gain a new appreciation for nature by observing it in ways that never previously occurred to them.

Assessment:
At the end of the day, students will fill out a self and peer assessment sheet in which they rate themselves and each group member one through five in each of the following areas for each of the activities: effort, cooperation, detail, and learning. In addition each student will give them self and each of their group members a one through five for the entire trip based on all of these areas and all activities collectively. Students should be informed of this assessment method prior to the trip and should fill out assessment sheets at the beginning of the debriefing period.
Students will also be asked to turn in each of their record sheets for each activity. Based on peer evaluation, self evaluation and the quality of work shown on the record sheets, the teacher should score each student with a one through five. Chaperones, if utilized, should also be consulted for assessment purposes.

Silent Sit
Lesson 1

Objectives:
Students will use their senses to make observations by intensely focusing on their surroundings. Students will differentiate between natural and human created items.

Materials:
Record sheet that is divided into four with natural on one side and human created on the other side. The top should be labeled sound and the bottom should be labeled sight. A second, blank record sheet is also required.

Teacher Preparation:
Prior to the day of the trip, teacher needs to locate the most secluded are of the site.

Procedures:
For this activity, it is the teacher monitors and remains close. For this activity only, students will work independently and therefore will not evaluate their peers. The students should have the following written directions:
1. There is no talking for the following activity. Find a place that is comfortable and sit down. For five minutes you will have your eyes closed. During this time, listen very closely to everything you hear. At the end of the five minutes, open your eyes and record the sounds that you heard in the appropriate space depending on whether the sound you heard was natural or human created.
2. Next, from the same spot, look in all directions. On your record sheet, record everything you see in the appropriate spot depending on whether it is natural or human created.
3. When you are finished, on the blank record sheet, write about as much of the following as you have time to do: What you learned from each of these observation techniques. Write about how you liked each experience. Describe in detail one item from each part of your list. Which part of your list has the most items? Why do you think this is so.
It would be a good idea for the teacher to start and stop the students for each of these observation activities. It is suggested that the teacher has an audible timer which goes off at the end of five minutes so that there is no need to be there at the exact time. They should be reminded of the no talking rule and it should be encouraged to follow their directions on their own after the timer goes off indicating the end of each observation time.

Evaluation:
Students should have complete lists of sounds and sight on their record sheets. The most valuable evaluation tool for this activity is their written reflection on the experience. The teacher should be able to tell if the observation techniques were an enlightening experience for the student based on these responses. The student should have learned something from this experience. One would hope that students learn how much noise there is even in "silence". Also, students should come up with some conclusions that even in a natural setting, there are a lot of human created elements.

Square Meter Habitat
Lesson 2

Materials:
a meter stick, a square record sheet and a regular blank record sheet

Teacher Preparation:
Prior to the trip, the teacher needs to locate an area for this activity that has not been trampled and is in a somewhat natural state. (It should not be just dirt or freshly cut grass).

Procedure:
This activity has the students working together as a whole group. Each student should record the data on their own sheet but should work on the observations as a whole group. Students should be encouraged to share their observations with their group members. The students should have the following written directions:

1. Locate a small stick and designate one group member to throw the stick a short distance away from the group.
   
2. Where the stick lands is your habitat. Measure a square meter and determine a way to mark its boundaries. After it is marked, group members should stay on the outside of the square.
   
3. Make observations of everything in the habitat. You should record everything you find by drawing it on your record sheet and labeling it if necessary.
   
4. Look closely to make sure you find everything in your habitat. Help each other locate items in you habitat.
   
5. When you are finished, select another group member to throw the stick and mark another habitat as before.
   
6. Make observations and record them in the same way on the reverse side of your record sheet.
   
7. When you are finished with the observations of the habitats answer as many of the following questions as you can on your blank record sheet: What was alike and what was different with the two habitats? Were you surprised by anything you found? Was it helpful to have other group members making observations? Why or why not? How did you mark the habitat?
   

Evaluation:
Students should be evaluated using all forms of assessment for this activity. The hope is that students find a lot more than they anticipated could be found when they look very closely. The record sheet should be very detailed and all the group members should have pretty much the same items on their sheets. If they do not, it should be assumed that they did not work together effectively. The peer evaluation scores should be consulted if this is the case. Again, the written reflection portion of the observations will determine if the activity accomplished its goals. Students should find many items and will probably be surprised by how much is going on in such small area.

Tallest Tree
Lesson 3 Objective:
Students will use a technique to approximate the height of a tree. Students will work together to determine which is the tallest tree at the site. Students will gain an appreciation for trees.

Materials:
map of the park wit gridlines, meter stick, tree measuring device -This device is made of a protractor, a straw, piece of string, and a washer. The string is tied to the centering hole of the protractor and the washer to the other end of the string. The straw is taped to flat edge of the protractor. The student also needs a chart which translates angles into heights. In addition the student needs a record sheet.

Teacher Preparation:
Prior to the trip, the teacher needs to have the students assemble the devices and instruct them how to use them in conjunction with the chart. The teacher needs to prepare the chart based on trigonometric relationships in right triangles. The teacher should also have a grid map of the park.

Procedures:
for this activity, each student has a tree measuring device. The students should have the following written directions:
1. your group needs to find and document the tallest tree in the park. All group members should agree on the height. Mark on your map where this tree is located.
2. The students should proceed with the activity, already knowing how to use the measuring devices. They should measure out a given distance from the base of the tree (20 meters), then look through the straw on their device at the top of the tree. The angle that the string makes is recorded and then the angle is translated using the chart to a height.

Evaluation:
Students should be assessed on their ability to accurately locate the tallest tree in the area. The method is reliable if used consistently. Again with this activity, students should work together to the extent that they should come up with the same answer. It is interesting to note what methods they use and how many actual measurements are made. Each group should not necessarily come up with the same answer, but the tree they find should be one of the tallest in the area.

Illustration
Lesson 4 Objective:
Students will work cooperatively to illustrate their surroundings. Students will observe everything in their field of view and combine their observations with group members.

Materials:
blank sheet of paper and art supplies

Procedure:
For this activity, an area that is in the open should be selected. The open area should be surrounded by scenery. Students will be given the following directions:
1. Sit in a circle facing outward
2. Each of you are going to draw what you see directly in front of you.
3. The illustrations should match up so that it forms one large picture
Again, the students can approach this activity any way they wish. Creativity in their problem solving techniques is encouraged. The idea of this activity is that each student will make observations and sharing them with the other group members. The students should appreciate the beauty of the environment they are illustrating or if the environment has been tampered with to the point of destruction, the illustrations should reflect this.

Evaluation:
The students should have a completed product that demonstrates that they communicate and worked together so that their illustration formed one large picture. The peer evaluation is a valuable tool again in this instance. Effort should show in each members illustration even though artistic abilities vary greatly.

Treasure Hunt
Lesson 5 Objective:
Students will use written directions to follow a pre-made path. Students will develop map reading skills as well as the ability to use a compass. Students will learn some basic tree identification skills.

Materials:
grid map of the area, written directions (different for each group)

Teacher Preparation:
For this activity the teacher must create a grid map and a list of directions for student groups to follow in order to locate treasures that the teacher must hide. In order for this to work, the teacher must have very elaborate directions taking students from one spot to the next and ultimately to the treasure. The teacher should give the directions in distances, compass directions, and use landmarks. For the landmarks descriptions of trees can be used to introduce students to tree identification techniques (bark color or texture, leaf shape, etc.)

Procedure:
For this activity, students will be on their own to complete the task in any way that they can. They will be given the following directions:
1. There has been a treasure hidden that your group must find.
2. Follow my directions and locate the treasure.
3. Mark where you found it on your map.
4. If you are not able to find it, please write why you could not on the bottom of your map.
The students should take various roles in the hunt for the treasure and it is expected that they will stay together as a group to complete the activity.

Evaluation:
Students should work cooperatively and find the treasure. If they are not able to do so, it does not necessarily mean that they failed. The teacher should evaluate why they could not by reading their comments on the maps.

Debrief:
During the debriefing period, students should reflect on the experiences of the day. The teacher should act as a facilitator for this discussion. Emphasis should be placed on the observations the students made during the various activities and what they learned from the experience. They should also discuss what was difficult about the experience as well as their reactions to working in the groups. All record sheets should be collected and self and peer evaluations filled out.