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Echo Exploration

Activity

Use Echolocation to "See" the World

Pair up with a friend to practice your echolocation! One person will make sharp clicking or clapping sounds, while the other listens. Try making the sound near an open door and a closed door to see how the sound bounces differently. Move around and experiment with the angles of the sound to “echolocate” like a dolphin. Can the listener track you better based on the echoes from different positions?
Ocean 1
Ocean 1 (3)
Ocean 1 (2)

Science Seed

Echolocation is a way animals like dolphins, bats, and some whales “see” using sound. When they make a sound—usually a sharp click or whistle—it travels through the air or water until it hits an object, like a fish or a rock, and then bounces back to them. The time it takes for the sound to return, and how it changes, tells the animal important details about what’s in their environment. In the ocean, sound travels faster than light, so dolphins can use it to “see” things far away, even in murky or dark waters. The sound waves can bounce in different ways depending on what they hit; smooth surfaces, like fish scales, return clear echoes, while rough or irregular surfaces, like rocks or seaweed, create distorted sounds. Dolphins also adjust their clicks to be more sensitive to different objects—they can change the frequency or pitch of their calls depending on whether they’re looking for food, avoiding predators, or navigating.
botany jar illustration

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore Sanchez Elementary

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

Sánchez Elementary School is close to downtown on Austin’s east side. Built in 1976, the campus boasts murals by Raul Valdez depicting the school’s Hispanic history and heritage. Sánchez was one of the district’s first to introduce two-way dual language education- fitting because the school’s namesake, George Sánchez, was a pioneer in bilingual education. This project was made possible by HEB.

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