Most beings leave some type of sign that we can recognize and use to identify who has traveled through the area. As children begin to recognize animal signs and correlate them with different animals, they become more aware of how interdependent we are on one another. The children should be able to recognize feathers, tracks, etc. and deduce where the sign came from. Explain to the children that different animals leave different signs when they travel through an area. Talk about the tracks that they leave in the snow or sand, the crumbs that fall to the floor when they eat, the sounds they make on the playground.
Animals leave similar signs when they move around.
In this activity, pair the children and give them one area to examine. They should locate as many signs as possible, taking notes on the sign and the animal that they think left the sign. When the group gets back together, have a large map of the area in which they were making their observations. Have each team identify the signs and animals that they found. Record these findings and the approximate location on the map.