Barb, Author at Homeschool Nature Study

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Barb — 9 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge-More Nature Study Book 3 Spring 2012

Spring is upon us and now is the time to get outdoors with our families and really observe the wonders of nature all around our neighborhoods. Whether you make this series of challenges a part of your homeschooling week or you are a family who will complete these challenges on the weekends, the simple nature study ideas you find in this ebook will give you the tools to get started. We are going to have fun exploring our neighborhoods for flowering trees, press flowers for our nature journals, learn about a garden critter, and so much more together with this season of nature study.

The sample linked below lists the topics covered in this new series but don’t be discouraged if you look at the list and think you don’t have that particular subject close at hand. There are suggested adaptations that will allow any family to complete this series of nature study activities in your own backyard or neighborhood.

The More Nature Study Book #3 challenges were written for families with children of all ages.You can keep it simple and enjoy your outdoor time with your little ones using the basic challenge. If you have older children or find your child is particularly interested in a certain topic, there are ways to increase the depth of each challenge by adding in additional notebook pages or further research using ideas and suggestions in the ebook.

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
More Nature Study Ebook #3 Spring 2012
Spring Splendor

Ten completely new challenges using the Handbook of Nature Study. See a list of topics and a sample challenge: More Nature Study Book 3 Spring Sample.
13 notebook pages and 11 coloring pages
17 additional Upper Level notebook pages for advanced or experienced students
10 Charlotte Mason style exam questions
Complete list of supplies needed (nothing fancy or expensive)
Detailed instructions for each challenge, including links (including YouTube videos) and printables
Nature journal suggestions and examples
All the challenges will coordinate with the March through May Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletters
Alternate ideas to adapt the challenges to your local area
74 pages

This is a huge library of thirty spring themed nature study ideas with fifty notebook pages! Also, there are spring themed art and music appreciation ideas to complement your nature study.

Topics include:
Spring Weather (2) , Spring Tree (buds, catkins, and blossoms), Robin, Buttercups and Poppies, Ferns, Dogwood, Goats, Vines (Sweet peas, dodder, hedge bindweed), Garden snails, Iris, Spring Bird, Dandelions, Cattails, Apple Tree, Cats, Snakes, Earthworm, Ants, Seeds, Flower Parts, Pressing Flowers, Drawing Flowers, Leaf Parts, Pollen, Weeds, Sunflowers.

See the Spring Nature Study tab on my blog for additional specifics for each ebook and a sample.

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Posted on March 3, 2012 by Barb — 5 Comments

Quartz Study – Rock Collecting Gone Crazy

Our quartz study has stretched on for weeks. We have had numerous rock collecting hikes and each time we come home we develop new questions to be answered. The supply of quartz in our area is seemingly endless. Once your eye starts to look for it…you see it everywhere.

Our family lives in the gold country of California. The gold rush started practically in our backyard. We drive by the American River every day…as the crow flies it is about 3 miles from our house. This area is full of old gold mines and many people still today make a living by mining and panning for gold (or using a sluice box). Where there is gold, there is quartz.

We collected milky quartz for the most part at the river, along with a variety of other “pretty” rocks. I have a special place for pretty rocks in my heart. It may be the hunting for them or the spotting of a particularly nice rock that keeps me coming back for more.

Mr. A shares my love of rocks and we enjoyed an afternoon this week at the river with the Kona dog. Kona likes sticks more than rocks so we occupied her with fetching sticks while we looked for something interesting along the rocky shore.

The sound of rushing water always seems to welcome a good thoughtful sit..even on an uncomfortable rock. This day we sat and enjoyed the warmth of the sun after a freezing morning. Our jackets were slipped off on the hike back to the car which was nice.

At home we started off with a magnifying lens, looking carefully at the surface of each rock. This can quite addictive once you get started and there really is a lot to see.

We noticed a colorful collection of sand on the surface of one rock and we had the bright idea to place it on a slide and look at it under the microscope.

We are still not sure if the shiny gold is actually gold or pyrite….probably pyrite flakes.

We placed a little sand on a microscope slide…our rocks all had small amounts clinging to the nooks and crannies.

Now this is where the study becomes even more interesting! We spent the next hour or so taking turns finding things on the slides to share with each other. It was like discovering a new dimension.

We now have a larger collection of quartz and pretty rocks, a growing understanding of what “sand” is after looking at it under the microscope, and an appreciation that we don’t know everything about everything. 🙂

Amazing world down there…who would have thought?

It is not too late to do your own study of quartz using the Outdoor Hour Challenge. You may be as amazed as we were.

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Study – Review Your Fieldwork

After the children have spent fifteen or twenty minutes at work in the field, it may be well to gather them together there, ascertain what they have discovered…The general review of what they have learned can, however, be conducted much better in the schoolroom than out of doors…..Encourage them to tell all they can about what they have seen, with as few questions as possible…..After the oral review, what has been learned in the field lesson can be fixed by a blackboard reading lesson. The statements should be obtained from the children, and should embody the important facts or thoughts gained out of doors This will not only review and clinch what the children have learned out of doors, but will give them practice in expressing their ideas clearly and exactly, and in relating ideas, or putting their statements in sequence or order.
Nature Study and the Child by Charles B. Scott

Nature study does not need to take a lot of time and can be accomplished in a relaxed and natural way.
For young children, start off with just an oral review of their experiences out of doors.
As they get older, you can write some of their words on a white board for them to copy into their nature journal.
Eventually, after much practice, they will be able to complete all the review of their field work on their own.

Use the three steps to better nature study as outlined in my nature printable and your family will enjoy years of satisfying outdoor time.

Now a little blog business:
I forgot to announce the winner of the blog carnival/newsletter giveaway. All participants in the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival were entered to win a copy of my very new More Nature Study Book #3 ebook that will release next week. I used Random.org to generate a winner.

The winner is Diana from Homeschool Review and Crafting Too. I will confirm with you your email address and send your copy on March 5, 2012. Congratulations!

Thank you to all who participated in last month’s carnival!

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Barb — 3 Comments

OHC More Nature Study Book 2 – Moon and Moon Names

More Nature Study Book #2
Moon and Moon Names

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 855-859 (Lesson 232). Read for your own information only because this week we are just going to focus on enjoying the moon and learning some of the history of the full moon names.
Read this page on Full Moon Names and see what March’s moon name means.
If you have a blog or website, you can add a lunar phase widget to keep up to date.
YouTube video: Moon phases (kid friendly)

Outdoor Hour Time:

Spend part of your Outdoor Hour time in the evenings looking at the moon. (Full Moon March 8, 2012) Have your child use words to describe what they see in the winter sky. If you have binoculars, make sure to bring those out with you and take turns looking at the moon.
As an alternative, bundle up and go outdoors for this challenge in the evening when it is dark. Have a flashlight for each person as you walk to a safe, predetermined spot (even within your backyard). Turn off the flashlight and allow time for your eyes to adjust. Make some observations. This might be a great activity to do when there is a full moon and then again when there is a new moon.
Advanced Study: Keep a record of your moon observations. The Handbook of Nature Study suggests, “Have the pupils observe the moon as often as possible for a month, beginning with the full moon.”

Follow-Up Activities:

Talk about your experiences outdoors at night. Record your moon and nighttime observations. You can sketch the full moon with colored pencils or watercolors. View these moon nature journals as examples to get started: Just Before the Full Moon, Waning Sturgeon Moon, Full Worm Moon. These should give your child an idea of how to show the moon and a setting.
Ebook Users: After viewing the moon or looking at the Mood Words Images page included in the ebook, complete the Moon Words notebook page. Use your moon words and observations to make up a new full moon name. Be sure to record you name for this full moon on the notebook page or in your nature journal.
Advanced Study: Keep a moon journal for a complete lunar cycle (full moon to full moon). Make as many moon sketches as you can during this month to document the lunar cycle. Record your observations in your nature journal. Ebook users: Use the Moon Journal notebook page from the ebook.

Additional Links:

Oreo Cookie Phases of the Moon (Uses cookies to explain the different phases!) If you scroll to the bottom there is a link to a printable notebook page.
Moon phases: Simple illustrations and glossary of moon vocabulary.
Previous Winter Moon Challenge: Winter Sky and Stars.

You can see how our family completed this challenge here in this entry:
Magnets, Compass, and Moon Names.

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Barb — 3 Comments

OHC Blog Carnival – February Newsletter Edition

The carnival reminds me that we are still officially in the winter season but many of us are starting to see some signs of spring. Perhaps we are just hopeful that spring is around the corner. Either way, this carnival is packed with lots of nature study goodness for you to enjoy and to be inspired by as your read the entries. I know that it can be a challenge to read all the entries but I encourage you to visit a few favorites and perhaps a new family as well, leaving a comment behind as a way of connecting with your fellow Outdoor Hour Challenge participants.

I always come away from my reading with a great sense of joy.

Winter Weeds/Mullein/Twigs

Julie writes about their weed study in Starting February With Weeds. They decided on a close-up study of dandelions and she shares their thoughts and journal page with carnival readers.
Diana from Homeschool Review and Crafting Too wrote a very real and honest account of their Twigs Nature Study. I love that we can feel successful getting outdoors with our children even if things don’t go as planned. Their family also completed their Mullein Study and Diana shares their adventure looking for some winter mullein…success! I am enjoying the glimpse into their family’s growing confidence in nature study.
Angie from Petra School would love for you to read her entry Twig Studies. Angie and her boys are doing such a great job with this series of challenges and you will be encouraged by their advanced study examples.
Barbara from Schoolhouse on the Prairie shares their wonderful Twig Study and a Book Review. They decided there was much to learn from their backyard twigs. Don’t miss her book review and see if you can find this OOP book at your library.
Rebecca from Mom’s Mustard Seeds joins the carnival for this edition with her Adventures with Chickadees and Twigs entry. Their family is just getting started with the Outdoor Hour Challenge and she shares her struggles and their success in this wonderful entry.

Galls and Gall Dwelling Insects

Makita from Academia Celestia shares there Galls: Nature Study entry with carnival readers. She has collected quite a few galls and shares their study and your images for your inspiration
Julie from the Homeschool Balancing Act asks Galls? What is a Gall? as part of their entry for this challenge. They did some discovering and now they will be on the lookout for more potential galls.
Western Galls and Squalls, but No Gulls with Gals. How is that for a blog entry title? Angie from Petra School has a humorous and informative entry to share with carnival readers.
Zonnah from Zonnah’s Addictions has submitted Galls for carnival readers to view. She includes two beautiful clear images of different kinds of galls. Thanks so much for the reference. She is also sharing their Twig Update…absolutely gorgeous!

What a display at Petra School! Thanks Angie for sharing.

Quartz

Zonnah from Zonnah’s Addictions submits their Quartz nature study entry for your to read and view. She has a collection of quartz that they observed and then they made rock candy! Excellent idea for follow-up for families.
Angie from Petra School is going to inspire you to get outside and collect some quartz of your own. Her entry for the Quartz Challenge shows just how creative and personalized you can make each challenge. Awesome job! My boys and I are going to make our own quartz collections!
Rebecca from Mom’s Mustard Seeds also writes about their Learning about Rocks, Sheep/Wool, and a Detour to Marshes and Ponds for this edition of the carnival. I love seeing how they make so many connections to their other studies, their values, and beliefs while learning through nature study. Excellent.

Magnets and Compass

Zonnah shares their Compass entry with carnival readers which includes an easy adaptation to one of the suggested activities. I think we are going to use images for our notebook page as well.

Lacey and her family (So Every Day) have created a wonderful nature collection on their mantel.

Potpourri

Jenny Anne from Royal Little Lambs has submitted their Sheep Study for carnival readers. It sounds like they thoroughly enjoyed this challenge.
Barb at Give Us This Oklahoma Day has just started with her first Outdoor Hour Challenge. I loved seeing the muddy hands and the smiling faces. Please pop over and give her some encouragement.
Leslie from Two Cowgirls shares their first Outdoor Hour Challenge and they saw some signs of rabbits! I think they did a great job of finding something interesting even in the city.
Lacey from So Every Day has been sharing their Getting Started nature study entries. For OHC #8 (magnifying glass), she writes about how she initially needed the push to get outdoors but felt the rewards of doing so with her children. Great example. For OHC #5 and #6 (list and collection), she shares their awesome new collection that is beautiful and contained on their mantel. Please pop over and let her know you stopped by. She is longing to “catch up” to us and be a part of our community.
Crafty Cristy has submitted S is for Science which documents their beginning on the Handbook of Nature Study trail. It is always wonderful to get to meet new families.
Makita has another entry from their blog: First Fridays which details their latest Roots and Shoots nature group outing. You must click over and see their ginormous list of birds observed.
Diana from Homeschool Review and Crafting Too has submitted their Chickadee Study Part 2 for the carnival. Here is another family that completed the pastel chickadee project!
Kristin from Broom and Crown has put together a wonderful entry for you to read: Our First Sonoran Desert Nature Walk. This is one of my top ten nature study destinations in the world. I love everything about the Sonora Desert. Thanks Kristin for the visual trip.
Martha from Sunrise to Sunset captured some fantastic images for you to see. Click over and read: My Backyard Excitement!
Amy from By His Design shares their Signs of Spring entry for this edition of the carnival. Don’t miss the image of the grubs…and the beautiful spring photos as well. 🙂

It is almost time for a new set of challenges!

Publish Date – March 5, 2012

I am polishing up the More Nature Study Book #3 – Spring Splendor volume of Outdoor Hour Challenges. This is the most thorough and exciting book so far. I can’t tell you how much I have learned as I put this book together and I look forward to sharing the ideas with you as we work through each one this spring.

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Barb — 5 Comments

Updated Free Nature Notebooking Pages

When I released the very first Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook, there was also a set of free notebook pages that was offered by my friend Tina Joyce. Since then the files were somehow deleted from Lulu.com and it was not until this week that I was able to get them uploaded to my file share site.

Thanks so much Tina.

You should now be able to download each page for free.

Blank Nature Journal Page #2
Blank Nature Walk Journal Page
Blank Nature Journal Page for Older Children
Running List of Thinks Observed (I use this one all the time!)
Record of Things Collected
Mammal Outdoor Hour Challenge Notebook Page

You will find more free pages here: Handbook of Nature Study Free Downloads.

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Barb — 2 Comments

OHC More Nature Study – Magnets and Compass

More Nature Study Book #2
Magnets and Compass

“The first ideas to learn are that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Just by knowing this he’ll be able to tell in which direction nearby streets and buildings are from his house or town….Have him stand so that east is towards his right where the sun rises and west is towards his left, where the sun sets. Everything straight in front of him is north, everything behind him is south.” Charlotte Mason, volume 1 page 75

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 776-779 (Lesson 219 on the magnet). Use a highlighter or underline sections that you would like to share with your children. Suggested magnet activities: #1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7.
As a supplement to the lesson on the magnet, introduce your child to a compass. Start by teaching your child the four cardinal directions: North, East, South, and West. Show them that the compass will always point to magnetic north. Now explain that south will be in the opposite direction, east to the right, and west to the left. Suggested activities from Lesson 219: #12 and #13.
Watch these videos: How to Hold a Compass and Bill Nye on the Earth’s Magnetism.
Advanced suggestion: Make your own compass.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Spend your Outdoor Hour time in your own backyard or neighborhood. Take your magnet and compass outside with you. Let your child use the magnet to find things that are magnetic in your yard. (Make sure to keep magnets away from electronics.)
Take your compass outdoors and have your child find the four cardinal directions. Find landmarks for each direction. For example: north is the pine tree across the road from your house, south is the telephone pole on the next street, east is the neighbor’s flag pole, west is the mailbox.
Advanced suggestion: Observe the sunset to see the exact direction it sets during the winter. Make observations over the next month, record the results, and see how the direction changes over time. Use a compass to record the exact direction in degrees. Ebook users: Use the Sunset Observation notebook page to record your results and conclusions.

Follow-Up Activity:

Take a few minutes to ask your child what they learned about magnets and compasses. They may be satisfied with this challenge at this point and the best way to follow up is to use the skills you learned in the days to come. Use the vocabulary you learned (magnetic, north, south, east, west) as you complete future nature study or outdoor activities.
Your child may like to complete a notebook page recording their magnet and compass observations on notebook page or they could record their results in a nature journal. Optional: Use this Points of a Compass (Homeschool Share) activity for younger students if you wish.
Advanced follow-up: Use your compass skills to determine the orientation of your house. Make a map of your neighborhood and include a compass rose. (You can learn more about a compass rose HERE.) Use this information in the future by recognizing wind direction as you observe the weather. Wind is named for the direction it is coming from and not where it is blowing to. (Example: North winds are blowing from the north.)
Advanced follow-up: Map and Compass Basics-Azimuth and Navigation with a Compass.
Advanced follow-up: Have you read about Letterboxing or Geocaching? Both of these family activities can be fun ways to get outdoors and use your compass and map reading skills.

You can see how our family completed this challenge here in this entry:
Magnets, Compass, and Moon Names.

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Posted on February 23, 2012 by Barb — 76 Comments

Birdcage Press Wild Cards- Review

Birdcage Press Wild Cards – Cards, Activities, and Instructional Booklet

Wild Cards – Backyard Birds is a great learning tool for nature study loving families! They are beautiful to look at and full of information that has helped us get to know our backyard birds a little better. The quality of the cards, the images, and the informational booklet has impressed me!

Wild Cards – Backyard Birds
For a bird-loving family like ours, this set of cards and accompanying book is a perfect fit! We have had more fun quizzing each other with these colorful and informative cards.

This set of 36 cards with clear and beautiful images introduces six types of birds: Tricksters, Songbirds, Woodpeckers, Hummers, Little Chirpers, and Waterbirds.
The 32 page booklet not only gives more details for each bird in the set but it actually teaches you how to identify birds by looking at different attributes.
The combination of cards and booklet will give beginning birders as well as experts a fun way to learn more by using them to play games with your family (instructions included).
The booklet also gives additional ideas for online learning with your cards.

Big thumbs up from our family for Birdcage Press Wild Cards!
We are going to purchase more of these sets to have on our nature shelf, in our nature pack, and with our card game collection. Fun and learning go hand in hand with this product from Birdcage Press. The Backyard Birds set is only one of thirteen sets available on Birdcage Press. You can click over and see more for yourself: Birdcage Press Wildlife and Nature Products.

Giveaway and Free Shipping Offer

If you would like to order from the Birdcage Press website, you can use the free shipping code until 3/31/12. Shipping code is good for purchase of ANY item on their website.
Free Shipping Code: IN12

More Reviews and Giveaway Opportunities for Birdcage Press Products:
Spell Outloud — Choice of Egyptian Art Cards or Battle Cards-Military Jets
Finding Joy — Choice of Wild Cards – North American Birds or Art Ditto Game.
Jimmie’s Collage –Choice of Impressionist or Renaissance Art Game
Mama’s Learning Corner — Renaissance Art Game
Harmony Art Mom — Choice of Go Fish for Art or Art Close-Up Cards
The Curriculum Choice — Art Ditto Memory Game
Hodgepodge — Go Fish for Wildlife – Sea Creatures
The Traveling Praters — Choice of Go Fish for Van Gogh and Friends or 52 Amazing Places-National Parks
Get Along Home — Choice of Wild Cards, Backyard Birds or Renaissance Art Game

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Barb — 7 Comments

Forcing Spring Buds – Leaves and Blooms Update

Have you tried forcing twigs to blossom? It is the perfect easy late winter nature study project for any family.

This is an activity that we enjoy every year. In February, we cut and bring in forsythia twigs to force the buds to bloom indoors. This year we added some additional twigs and buds to our collection and they are starting to unfold. The project is so easy and it is not too late to try your hand at some twigs from your yard.

This birch leaf is from our Twig Study earlier this winter. It has little spring green leaves opening…love the texture and the shape.

We also collected twigs from one of our hiking trails and even though they all looked a little different at the beginning, we realized now that they are opening that they are all from buckeye trees.

It is such a simple project with some fascinating results. We cut the twig, placed it in a jar of water, and then set it in the window sill. After that, you just need to be patient.

We have had such amazing results that we are going to cut some more twigs today. I think the plum tree would be a great candidate for this project. I will post our results when we see some blossoms. 🙂

So did you start a tabletop garden of your own? We have been watching our carrot first grow roots and now it is putting lots of energy into making leaves. This is another simple and fun project that your family can try at any time.

You can find instructions and a notebook page on my daughter’s blog: Hearts and Trees Tabletop Garden.
Instructions for forcing forsythia
Twig Study in More Nature Study Ebook #2

Author: Barb