OBJECTIVE
Students will observe, classify, and illustrate plants and animals of the boreal forest and tundra.

TEACHING STRATEGY
Through a field trip, students observe a boreal forest or tundra ecosystem.

MATERIALS
Blindfolds - 1 for 2 students
Blind Walk student worksheet - 1 each
Don't Tear Me Apart or Crush My Home

PROCEDURE
1. Before visiting the boreal forest or tundra review the "Don't Pull Me Apart or Crush My Home!" handout. Talk to the students about preserving natural areas and why these areas should be left as undisturbed as possible.

2. Explain that the students will be divided into partners.
Each person will have the chance to be blindfolded, using only the sense of touch and smell to observe his/her surroundings. Discuss the responsibility that each student has for his partner's safety.  The leader should gently guide his blindfolded partner being very careful to watch for logs, low branches, uneven ground, prickers, etc.

3. Take students to your designated area and have them follow the directions on their Blind Walk worksheets.

4. After returning the classroom, discuss their observations as well as their notebook pages.  Ask the following questions:

a. What was the most interesting thing you observed?
b. Where your observations different without the use of your eyes? If so, how and why?
c. Where you able to find a specific plant previously observed once the blindfold were removed? Was it hard or easy? Why?

EVALUATION
Use the worksheets as an evaluation tool.

REFERENCES
Adapted with permission from Alaska Wildlife Week Unit 5 Alaska’s Forests… More Than Just Trees, by Susan Quinlan, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1987 and Alaska Wildlife Week Unit 6:  Alaska’s Living Tundra, by Susan Quinlan, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1988.