Have children pause in their walking from time to time in order to hear the sounds more clearly. On returning to the classroom, have students describe the sounds they heard. They may simply name what they heard such as a bird or a car. Accept all responses. Provide new vocabulary or elaborate on ideas as appropriate without drawing out the discussion unduly.
Variations Vary the walks to locations that offer different possibilities for sounds.
Outdoor walks could be to the school playground with each child standing or sitting in a designated area. Have students close their eyes for better concentration. Establish a signal such as two loud claps for when the listening time begins and ends. The two model units in the Kindergarten curriculum, Children First , include sound walks as part of their suggested activities. A sound walk could follow the reading of books about animal sounds, city sounds, etc.