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Sound Mapping

Activity

Listening Closely

Map the sounds of a location. If you are with a group, find a spot where you can spread out a little. Mark an X on your page for where you are sitting. Close your eyes or use a blindfold and sit still and listen. Then draw the area based on what you hear. Is there a bird high up (there’s probably a tree)? Is there traffic nearby (there is probably a road)? Do you hear the babbling of water? Compare your maps with others. You can also use bump dots, wikki stix, gem stickers, small sticky back glow in the dark stars or other materials to make your map.
a smiling girl cupping her hand behind her ear
two children sitting on a log looking out onto nature

Science Seed

Sound mapping helps us slow down and tune in to our sense of hearing to notice the world around us. Noticing the different noises you hear, like birds chirping, traffic sounds, or water flowing can tell you where physical features of the landscape are located. Each sound comes from a specific source—birds frequently call from trees, traffic noises come from roads, and water trickling might come from a creek. By drawing or marking where you think these sounds come from on a map, you are creating an artistic representation based on auditory clues. You can use words or symbols to describe the noises you hear, helping you understand and record the environment around you. Comparing your sound maps with others can show how different people process the same sounds in different ways!
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 the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Ecologist School Pocket Guide: TSBVI edition is a collaboration between Families in Nature and the Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired as an effort to help our community learn more about the TSBVI campus, while getting outside into nature together! This booklet has 80 lessons across 16 different branches of science to help you play, learn, and volunteer on campus!

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.
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