E.C.O.: Becoming White-tailed Deer

On Thursday, we participated in an E.C.O. lesson that focused on white-tailed deer.  Since it was the first full day of spring, we shared signs of spring that we have already noticed or that we are hoping to see or hear soon.  We played a Coyote Deer, a freeze tag game, in which we increased the number of predators each time to see the impact on the deer population. 

After that, we took a moment for a mindfulness activity called 5 Things in which we each pay close attention to 5 things we see, 4 things we hear, 3 things we feel (temperature, wind, etc.), 2 things we smell, and 1 thing we taste.  This is a great activity to try anytime, indoors or outdoors to help students be present in the moment and aware of their surroundings.

Next, we went into the ECO woods for snack and a story.  I read aloud the Sioux tale, How Fawn Got Its Spots. Students helped me act out the story with different hand motions for each animal.

For our main lesson, we played a deer adaptations game.  For each round, we chose a few students to be coyotes and the rest of the class were deer.  Students took turns using a white "tail" (a piece of fuzzy, white fabric) to signal danger to the other deer.  The deer started off by pretending to eat in the woods with their herd. When they spotted the coyotes approaching, the deer with "tails" signaled to others and the deer had to race back to the "home base".

Afterwards, we discussed the many different adaptations that help deer survive in their habitat, such as white tails, camouflage, speed, hooves, and the location of their eyes on the sides of their heads.  We also talked about how being a part of a herd can help deer survive.

Next, students worked together to complete a Signs of Deer scavenger hunt.  They noticed lots of deer scat and several footprints in the snow. They also found some evidence of deer nibbling on branches.

After the main lesson, we enjoyed some Forest Choice time, building forts, using the slackline, and enjoying the outdoor ECO “kitchen”.  The weather was beautiful!

 

During literacy time, we created a new entry in our ECO journals. Students drew detailed illustrations of white-tailed deer and wrote about the adaptations that help deer survive.