Survival Hunt
Lesson Overview:
Students will search the school grounds/designated area for pieces of yarn (insects). The yarn will be brown, dark green, light green, and red or another bright, flashy color. Students will observe after their bug hunt which color bugs were found most frequently and discuss why they think that happened.
Subject Area Focus: Science and Math
Objectives:
- Define camouflage
- List benefits of camouflage
- Make a graph/data collection
- Sharpen observation skills
Materials:
- Yarn – dark green, light green, brown, yellow
- Scissors
- Chart paper graph (number found = y-axis, colored “insects”= x-axis)
- Hula hoops optional
Procedure:
- Place 1-2 inch sized yarn pieces of all different colors in either an open grassy space at your school or within specific areas in that grassy space marked by hula-hoops. Both environments will produce results, but the non-hula hoop layout may produce a more true to nature outcome.
*cut more green bugs that tend to blend with the environment than other colors and keep a count of how many “insects” of each color you lay out for the hunt.
*try different sizes of yarn - Students will go on a bug hunt trying to find the “insects”.
- Have students bring their catch back to the classroom and mark their find on a class graph.
- Look at the results of the graph and decide which “insects” were easier to find. Why?
- Integrate a discussion of camouflage and its benefits to an animal species.