Monthly Challenge
February
Water, Water, Everywhere!
Introduction:
The majority of the Earth is covered in water, about 70% in fact! Some water is salty
and some is fresh. Some bodies of water are really large like an ocean, and some are
small like a stream or puddle. Some bodies of water move like rivers, and some are still
like lakes. Lots of natural life makes its home either in the water or around it. You’ll
be able to see different kinds of plants and animals that thrive near the water that you
wouldn’t normally see around dry land.
Challenge:
Take a trip with your grown up to your nearest
natural or man-made body of water and record
your nature observations. Use your senses of
sight, smell, hearing and touch to investigate your
environment. Which body of water are you visiting
and what natural life or elements can you find near
the water? Do you see plants, rocks, pebbles, sand
or animals than you don’t see elsewhere? Listen for
different kinds of noises near the water. Does the
water, or do the animals make any noise? What about
movement? Does your body of water move at all, such as waves
in the ocean or a flowing stream? Does it stand still like a lake or is it
frozen over? Use the Observation Sheet to draw the natural life you
see near the water as well as the water’s movement.
Don’t live near a body of water? Explore puddles of water after a rainfall!
Look for natural elements that fall into puddles like leaves and seeds. Do you
see any animals that might be attracted to puddles like worms, bugs or birds?
Extensions:
1. Many areas contain more than one kind of body of water. Visit another body of water
and compare and contrast your findings. Which body of water do you like best?
2. Gather some natural materials such as sticks, leaves, and rocks, lying on the ground.
Only collect items that have fallen to the ground and never pull anything off a tree or
plant. Fill a large container at home with water and conduct experiments on whether
the natural items sink or float. Place one item in the water at a time and see if it floats
on top of the water or sinks to the bottom. What do you notice about items that sink
and items that float?
Observation Sheet
I observed a _________________ today.
(body of water)
Draw the body of water you visited.
Draw the plant life near your body of water.
Draw any animals you see near your body of water.