McKinney FALLS State Park Field Experience

Field Notes and Nature Sketching

Time: Depends on the number of sketches you assign

Source: Teacher Developed

Students will take field notes and sketch items along a hike down the Smith Rockshelter Trail.

Taking good field notes is a skill. It also helps students to be more aware of their natural surroundings. Consult this excellent online guide for more information on how to write field notes and how to make sketches.

A suggestion would be to identify a number of journal entries the students should include. Be sure to not ask them to do too many (no more than 10 or 12) so that they will practice looking for detail. A suggestion is to take along field guides or ask the McKinney Falls guides to help you with this so that students can identify trees, plants, and animals as they encounter them, or soon after.

TEKS: 8.2, 8.3, 8.4
TAKS Objectives: 1

Pre-Visit Suggestion

How Wet is Our Planet?
This activity will engage students in an inquiry to determine the amount and distribution of water on our home planet.

Learning About the Study Site and Water Pollution
After learning how limited our water resources actually are, students will apply their general knowledge to one of their own watersheds.

Are You Me?
This Project Wild Aquatic activity is an engaging way to give students practice identifying creek critters.

Post-Visit Suggestions

Water Quality Newscast
Students prepare and film (if possible) a "newscast" reporting the results of their water quality study.

McKinney Falls Travel Brochure
Students create a science-focused travel brochure.