Ever wonder how bats find their prey in the dark using echolocation? Well, they shout! The sound bounces off flying insects, as well as trees, walls, and other things the bat needs to avoid. Here's a fun game to play at school. It's kind of like tag. You'll need about 15-20 people to play, and a blindfold made from a towel or bandana.

1. Choose one person to be the "bat" and two people to be the "beetles."
2. Have the other people hold hands and form a large circle.
3. The "bat" should stand in the center of the circle and put on the blindfold.
4. Next, have the "beetles" enter the circle. The beetles then run around the circle while the others count to ten slowly.
5. At the count of ten, the beetles must freeze.
6. The bat should turn around slowly, shouting "BAT" from time to time. If the bat is facing a member of the circle when it shouts, that person yells back, "TREE." If the bat is facing a beetle, the beetle must yell back, "BEETLE."
7. The bat tries to tag a beetle, locating it by sound.

To find out more about bats,

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Sometimes people use wildlife as a symbol, to represent an idea or an image. For example, if someone calls you a rat, you know exactly what they mean, and it isn't a compliment! A lion is a good example of how an animal can mean different things to different people and cultures. When we see a lion, we often think of regal qualities—courage, nobility, strength, and power. We even say that the lion is 'King of the Jungle."

The Great Horned Owl has appeared in legends and folktales for centuries. One widespread superstition is that an owl's hoot warns of danger. Other people believe that an owl symbolizes wisdom. What do you think of when you see an owl?

1. Get a piece of paper and a pen or pencil.
2. Write down what you think of when you see an owl or a picture of an owl.
3. Pretend you are a newspaper reporter. Interview your family and friends about what they think of when they see an owl.
4. Did most people have the same answer? Different answers? What was the most popular answer?

Do you think that owl's really have the qualities that you have listed on your paper?

To find out more about Great Horned Owls,

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An opossum will eat just about anything, but many of the foods we eat would be hard for an animal to find in the forest. If you were a 'possum, could you find food in the woods?

1, Ask for permission to use scissors and cut pictures out of a magazine.

2. Cut out pictures of things to eat.

Make two piles of pictures, one with foods an opossum might find, and one with foods only people eat.

Who has the best picnic?

Forests have trees, prairies have grass. At first, it may seem like the prairie grass, or the grass in your backyard or school playground, is all the same. But if you look closely you'll see that there are lots of different kinds of grass. Black-tailed Prairie Dogs find many different kinds of grass to eat—grama grass, bluegrass, bromegrass, purro grass, and purple needlegrass to name a few. How many kinds of grass can you find?

1. Find a grassy area. It could be in your backyard or at a park. Bring along a magnifying glass if you have one, but it isn't necessary.
2. Sit or lay down and look closely at the plants.
3. Do they look alike or different from one another?
4. What do the leaves look like? Are they long and slender, short, thick, or round?
5. How many different shades of green do you see?
6. Do any of the plants have flowers?
7. What about seeds?
8. Are there any signs that animals have eaten these plants?
9.How are these plants different from the plants you eat (such as lettuce, celery, and carrots)?

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