Student slideshow: English | Spanish

Teacher printout: English & Spanish

Can a Shark Live Near a Volcano?

In this reading, students learn about the story of how scientists discovered sharks living next to an underwater volcano.

You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.

• Why do owls say “hoo”? In this mini-lesson, students listen to the variety of sounds that owls make.

If you are in an NGSS state, this mini-lesson supports the DCI LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

Become a citizen scientist! Learning frog calls is fun—and it’s also a scientific tool. Scientists can tell how healthy a lake or pond is by finding out which frogs live there. And they often do this with the help of “citizen scientists”…like you!

• Watch this video to find out about citizen scientists.
• Read about a citizen science project in this article. (Grade 2 reading level)
• Would you like to help? Use this website to find a project near you, and you can become a citizen scientist, too.
  

Sound Maps

This activity comes from Project Learning Tree (PLT), an environmental education program of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. Discussion questions are suggested.

Listen carefully. What do you hear around you? Create a Sound Map using this activity, or think about how animals hear.

“Sounds Around” is written with open spaces in mind, but you can make a Sound Map for wherever you live.

Decorate your room with frogs that have a lot to say!

• Print out these frog coloring pages.
• Fill in the word balloon with a real or made-up word to help you remember each frog’s call.
• Get out your crayons or colored pencils—and create some frogtastic art!

Nature Sound Map

Spin an Earth globe or look on a map to pick any spot on the planet where animals live. Then use the Nature Sound Map to hear the sounds of nature there.

Talk about what you hear:

• What do you think is making the sound? Many animals or one?
• Do nearby areas sound the same? If not, how are they different?
• Listen to the sounds around you. Do you hear those kinds of nature sounds where you live?