Beastly Behaviour

Source:

Adapted from The Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve, local schools pack;  The Grampian National Nature Reserves, teaching activities.

Time

20 minutes 

Did you know?

When visiting a site with a ranger or warden, they will very often be able to show or describe to the class interesting aspects of animal behaviour. For example you may learn about why hares box or why squirrels bury nuts or that geese eat grass. 

Before the Activity

Think up a selection of about 10 animals of which the class is familiar.  Ideally stick to Scottish species that are relevant to the site you are visiting.  Nursery children may be familiar with hedgehogs, worms, frogs, cuckoos, eagles, cats, rabbits etc. For older children you could include: salmon, hares, wrens, woodpeckers, herons, foxes, deer, various mini-beasts etc.

The activity

Ask for volunteers to act out an animal and hand out pieces of paper on which the animal names are written down. With nursery children you can just whisper the name to each child in turn. Some children might like to work in pairs on their given animal, and some may not want to take part in the acting - just the guessing!

Ask the children to think about how their animal behaves, how does it move, what does it eat, how does it find its food, how does it interact with people, does it make a noise?  Give them 5 minutes to think about their animal and then get each volunteer, or group, to act out their animal in turn
Ask them to :

• First hold a pose for 10 seconds which sums up the animal
• Then move around being the animal
• Finally make a noise like the animal - if possible

Ask the audience not to shout out suggestions as to what the animal is, but to put up their hand, as soon as they think they know.
An alternative way of playing is to put two cards for each animal into a bag and to get each child to pick out a card . The children then get 5 minutes to think about their animal and then act it out. They move around meeting the other 'animals' and try to pair up.

Suggested Follow up

• Play the sparrows and sparrowhawks game
• See the Animal Detectives activity

Additional Information

• Information sheets on British mammals on the Mammal Society web site
• See the activity Birds, Bills & Behavioursin the Sea, Shore and Sand section
• The RSPB website has a guide to all the bird species the children are likely to see - includes photos, information and sound recordings
• The Education and Teachers Resources series has All About.......Factsheets  see SNH Publications

Curriculum Links

• Expressive arts - main
• Science - linked
  

Age Range

1, 2