Tuesday, March 31 - Nature Break

Good morning, Vikings and Friends!

Have you ever thought about how much easier it is to hear nature than to see it? Think of it this way- you can see in one direction at a time, but you can hear in all directions at once. So it can be helpful to learn about sounds in nature.

Today I’d like you to go outside, find a spot to sit, close your eyes, and listen to the sounds around you. Draw an X in the middle of your journal page to represent you. Then write the sounds down relative to where you heard them (if it’s in front of you, write it above the X, if it’s to your left, write it on the left side of the X, etc.). If you know the sound, that’s great (ie- lawnmower, car, airplane). If you don’t, write down what the sound, well, sounds like. (who-who-whooo, or chip chip chip).

If you’re curious about what birds you hear, there’s lots of ways to identify bird calls by online searching. I really enjoyed this Texas Parks and Wildlife article, but you’ll have to scroll through the first birds to find ones common to us in North Texas. I’m a little grumpy with the author for leaving “Northern Cardinal” off the list. That’s one of my absolute favorite birds. Perhaps I’ve been listening to my kids’ video games too much, but I think cardinals sound like little kids imitating video game noises.

I hope you hear some wonderful new sounds today!

-Mrs. Breclaw