Texture Hunt Walk

Overview

This is Lesson 4 of 5 in the unit "Nature Explorers: Material Discovery" designed for Year 1 pupils. In this 30-minute lesson, students will embark on a supervised nature walk to explore and collect natural materials (leaves, stones, twigs). The focus is on observing and describing the textures and properties of these materials, building their scientific vocabulary and observational skills. This lesson closely follows the Early Years and Year 1 Science National Curriculum (England) requirements.

---

National Curriculum Links

• Science Programme of Study: Year 1 – Materials and Seasonal Changes
  Pupils should:

  • "Distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made."
  • "Name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock."
  • "Describe simple physical properties" such as texture, hardness, and roughness.
  • "Observe changes across the four seasons" through natural exploration.

• Working Scientifically:

  • "Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions."
  • "Gather and record data to help in answering questions."
  • "Use simple scientific language and communicate ideas."

---

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Explore natural materials by going on a nature walk.
• Observe and describe the texture and properties of natural objects.
• Record findings to use in our final Nature Explorers project.

---

Success Criteria

• I can safely collect natural items from the school grounds.
• I can use words like rough, smooth, soft, hard, bumpy, and shiny to describe textures.
• I can talk about the different materials I find and their properties.
• I can contribute to a group discussion about natural objects we found.

---

Resources

• Small collection bags or baskets for each child
• Clipboards with laminated 'Texture Word Cards' featuring tactile and visual cues (dyslexia-friendly fonts, clear images)
• Pencils and large writing sheets with visual prompts
• Soft touch samples (e.g., fabric swatches) for comparison indoors
• Handwashing facilities or wipes

---

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Recap previous lessons on materials and introduce today’s focus: textures found in nature.
• Show real examples (leaf, stone, twig) and model describing their textures using texture word cards (e.g., "This leaf is smooth and soft," "This stone is rough and hard").
• Discuss safety rules for walking and collecting (no picking from neighbours’ gardens, be gentle, and only collect fallen items).

2. Texture Hunt Nature Walk (15 minutes)

• Take the class outside to a defined safe area (school garden, playground with natural patches).
• Each child collects 3 or 4 natural objects (leaves, twigs, stones, bark).
• Encourage children to feel the textures carefully, using their hands; ask guiding questions:
  • Is it rough or smooth?
  • Is it soft or hard?
  • Does it feel dry or wet?
• Children record one or two texture words next to each collected item on their worksheet with teacher or TA support. Use visual prompts on worksheets to support writing for dyslexic learners (simple icons for texture words).

3. Group Discussion and Reflection (7 minutes)

• Gather children and share discoveries. Use a large visual texture word bank poster to co-construct sentences describing the objects collected — modelling scientific vocabulary orally and visually.
• Ask children to hold up their favourite item and say one texture word about it.
• Make connections to how different textures come from natural materials and why that might be (e.g., rough bark protects the tree).

4. Conclusion and Next Steps (3 minutes)

• Remind children these materials will be used in the final project (collage or nature texture board in Lesson 5).
• Praise careful observation and polite sharing.
• Quick hygiene routine: handwashing/wipes.

---

Differentiation Strategies

• Support: Provide texture word cards with icons and tactile samples; 1:1 adult support for recording words.
• Universal Design (Dyslexia-Friendly): Use large print, dyslexia-friendly fonts, simple sentences, and pictorial prompts on worksheets. Give verbal options for responses if writing is difficult.
• Extension: For advanced learners, challenge them to find unusual textures and suggest why those textures might be useful in nature (e.g., why is a pine cone spiky?).

---

Assessment Opportunities

• Observe children using texture vocabulary accurately during the walk and discussion.
• Review children’s recordings on worksheets for correct use of texture words and observations.
• Use oral questioning to assess understanding of why materials have different textures.

---

WOW Factor Ideas for Teachers

• Use a ‘texture detective’ theme: give children magnifying glasses and explorer hats.
• Incorporate a simple "Texture Sound Game" where children guess objects blindfolded by touch only.
• Create a tactile ‘feely box’ with natural materials for indoor exploration for sensory engagement – great for sensory integration and dyslexic learners.

---

This lesson combines outdoor experiential learning with curriculum-aligned scientific observation skills, supporting diverse learners while fostering curiosity and environmental awareness.