Cave Unit: Day 2

 

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This is part one of a Caves Unit Study intended to be done before (or after) visiting Inner Space Caverns or another cave.   This study uses One Small Square - Cave, by Donald Silver as the main text, and various free resources and activities found online. 


DAY 2 READING:  Cave, by Donald Silver
The Twilight Zone:  Pg 8-9
Watch Your Step:  Pg 10 -11

Read the above sections, pages 8-11 (read sidebars only after discussing the main text).

Discussion Questions:

• What does "twilight" mean when you're not in a cave?  (Look it up in the dictionary if you need to).  Why do you think the author called this part of the cave the "twilight zone."
• Why do you think some animals like to live in, or visit a cave?
• What are some signs that you can look for that animals might have been in a cave?

ACTIVIES

1.  Sidebar:  Your Cave Notebook/Using Your Sense (Pg 9 of Cave)
In this activity you decorate a notebook.   You can buy a notebook or sketchbook for this, or make your own by stapling paper together into a book.        Your child will use this notebook  in some later activities, and also when visiting Inner Space Caverns.  

Print a copy this map of Inner Space Caverns to paste in the book (either in the front or the back).


Part 2:   Using Your Senses
You can have your children practice using their senses by sitting in a room or in the back yard and describing what they see, hear, smell, and touch.  You can have them write this down in their cave notebook or another paper, and later they can do the same thing with a cave, and then compare them on a Ven Diagram (which can be pasted into your cave notebook or drawn directly there). 


2.  Sidebar:  Open Wide - Pg 11
You'll have to wait until dark to do this activity.  It's quick and fun.  You could extend this by doing a short study of the eye.   This page has an explanation of the parts of the eye and a worksheet you could use, but doesn't tell what goes where.  This pdf has a worksheet too, with a cheat sheet.  It doesn't include info on each part so I included both.



AMIMAL VIDEOS
If your children want to find out more about any of the animals mentioned in this section, here are some good you-tube videos (most under 5 minutes, a few a little longer).

Salamanders
On later chapters I'll share some cave salamandar videos.  Right now I wanted to share what salamandars look like OUTSIDE of caves (the kind that might wander into the "twilight zone."  That way, when they see the cave salamanders they can really see the difference.

Cave Swiftlets

Barn Owls
(Questions to ask after watching:  Barn owls got their name because they often live in barns.  Where do you think they lived before people built barns?  How is a barn like a cave?)

Flatworms

Crayfish

Amphipods

Isopods (like pillbugs)

Wood Rats