Focusing on observing a category often leaders to a deeper understanding of it. A collector of sea glass may grow to learn that green and white varieties are rather common, whereas a rare blue or red feels like a rare jewel. Similarly, students can harness that type of focus by taking inspiration from field guides. Any topic will gradually encourage students to explore a world that they might otherwise overlook, deepening their understanding of their local ecosystems. For example, studying what birds are most commonly seen at this beach? At this pond? At this marsh?

If a student studies a gathering of birds, they begin to notice the birds wherever they go; even if they do not recall the proper names for them. If students look for textures in their environment, they will begin to see objects, relationships and patterns between ‘squidgy’ things and ‘rough’ things. Exploring with a narrow focus leads to curiousity: what are the similarities and differences between the animals and/or objects? This paves the way for deeper learning about scientific concepts. It is the noticing that is most important.

With younger students, field guides or ID sheets work to pose a fun challenge: ‘Can you see….?’ or ‘can you find…?’. We describe the features of that bird aloud and tick them off as we find them. Yes, a Moorhen! We can play with trying to emulate the sounds of the birds too.

Older students can begin to make their own field guides to birds, plants, or other features of the landscape — making a collection of identifiable species is a great way to explore the environment and record our own findings and observations. How many other people noticed this bird, at this time, on this day? It is a reminder that our voice, our observations, count.