We took some time to observe and learn about milkweed seeds as part of this challenge.
“The milkweed pod has been the admiration of nature students from the beginning, and surely there are few plants structures that so interest the child as this house in which the milkweed carries its seeds.”
Milkweed pods opening “No sooner is our treasure open to the air than the shining silk begins to separate into floss of fairy texture.” “…and altogether there are enough of the threads to float the seed, a balloon of the safest sort.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 493
The Handbook of Nature Study has a complete section of information and observation suggestions on pages 491-495.
We are going to plant some milkweed in our butterfly garden this year. I ordered the seeds from this website. We did not gather the milkweed seeds that are in the photos since we were at Yosemite National Park and it is against the law to gather seeds in a national park. 🙂
Updated information-see the edit below if you are interested in knowing the identification of this creature. Thanks to an anonymous commenter!
I was busy watering my lemon tree yesterday and I realized that there were lots of little cocoons on the bottoms of the leaves. I call them cocoons but my boys said they thought that they are a kind of chrysalis. I have never taken the time to learn the difference so it sounded like a good time to take out the Handbook of Nature Study.
“The pupa of a butterfly is called a chrysalis.”
“Many larvae, especially among the moths, weave about themselves a covering of silk which serves to protect them from their enemies and the weather during the helpless pupa period. This silken covering is called a cocoon.”
“After the larva has attained its full growth it changes its skin and its form, and becomes a pupa.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 296
So I am thinking now that the boys were right and this is a chrysallis of some sort of butterfly. I have no idea what kind but we are going to bring one in and watch its development.
Here is some more info I found online.
From WikiAnswers:
A cocoon is a covering made of silk that encloses a pupa, and a chrysalis is the pupa of a butterfly. The chrysalis is covered in a hard, chitnous shell.
Note the difference: A cocoon is a covering of a pupa, and a chrysalis is a particular kind of pupa, usually with no enclosing cocoon.
Inside a cocoon, you will often find a pupa of a moth or other insect with an inner chitinous shell, but it is not called a chrysalis unless it is the pupa of a butterfly. The pupae of some insects have visible external body structures, such as wings and legs, as they develop, while others (such as moths) have a smooth outer shell that encloses the developing structures.
I learned a lot this morning after taking just about five minutes to look up the information in the Handbook.
____________________________________________________________________ EDIT: Someone left me a comment and identified this creature. It is a cottony scale insect. If you follow the link you will indeed find out that this is a female in the immobile stage.
“Adult female scales are almost always immobile (aside from mealybugs) and permanently attached to the plant they have parasitized. They secrete a waxy coating for defense; this coating causes them to resemble reptilian scales or fish scales, hence the name.”
That clears that up and shows you just how much I know about insects in general. I am continually learning.
We are a perfect time of year to start our tree focus and the Handbook of Nature Study is full of information that will apply to a majority of people who participate regularly in the challenges. Remember that a tree may be something commonplace to you but to a child a tree can inspire imagination and awe. If we are enthusiastic about trees, it is sure to rub off on our children.
“Natural is our love for trees! A tree is a living being, with a life comparable to our own. In one way it differs from us greatly; it is stationary, and it has roots and trunk instead of legs and body; it is obliged to wait to have what it needs come to it, instead of being able to search the wide world over to satisfy its wants.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 618
Outdoor Hour Challenge #31 Trees-Introduction
1. This week read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 618-622. Highlight any information that you wish to share with your children during your outdoor time. Make note of the labels in the diagram on page 619 showing the names of the tree parts. Use these names during your outdoor time.
2. Spend 15 minutes outdoors this week with your children in your own yard or on your own street. Start to notice all the different types of trees you have close at hand. If you have been following along with the Outdoor Hour Challenges, you will already have picked a tree to study for a year. Do NOT complete your seasonal tree study this week because we will be working on an autumn tree study in a future challenge. Use your time this week to observe trees with all your senses. If you can remember, use the correct tree labels with your children so they will begin to learn the names of the tree parts.
3. After your outdoor time, spend a few minutes discussing any trees you saw during your outdoor time. Were there some interesting cones, leaves, needles, or other parts to any trees you observed? Take a closer look at any objects you brought home with you. Parents: Look in the table of contents of the Handbook of Nature Study for any trees you have growing in your yard or on your street. Highlight trees you think you might encounter over the next six weeks. Read the information about one tree you think you might observe later this week or even in next week’s challenge.
4. Make sure to give time and the opportunity for a nature journal entry. Let your child decide what part of the tree they would like to draw and label. If your child wants to draw the complete tree, this is a great opportunity to label each part using page 619 as a guide. If you have younger children, a leaf or needle rubbing is a great alternative and easy to complete. You could also think about keeping a collection of pressed leaves. You can use your flower press as a leaf press for this focus area. Use the free notebooking page linked below if want a quick and easy journal entry.
5. If you identified a tree this week, start a list of trees in the front or back of your nature journal. You can also use this Running List notebooking pageto keep a record of your trees observed.
You can purchase all of the first ten challenges in a convenient ebook along with custom notebook pages.
I don’t know about you but my garden has lots of weeds right now. It is going to take some serious effort to clean it up since I guess I have neglected it lately. This brought to mind a great idea for a challenge this week. Hopefully, you have some weed in your yard….or am I the only one?
I had already decided to introduce the idea of seed saving and then with all the weeds, I came up with a sort of combination challenge.
1. Weed study using the Handbook of Nature Study 2. Observing and collecting seeds. As the flowers start to fade and dry, I try to gather a few of the heads to collect the seeds from. There are some flowers that are easier to get the seeds from and some that seem to not make it through the winter. I have saved a few seeds in the past by collecting the seeds and then pouring them all into a paper bag to sow in the spring. We will consider this a challenge-wide experiment to see what we can collect, save, and then what eventually grows. Marigolds are an easy first flower to save the seeds from and I collect lots of the seeds and put them into an envelope for sprouting next spring. This pile is about six marigold blooms. They actually need to be a bit drier before I collect them but you get the idea how many seeds there are potentially in a small number of flower heads from the size of this pile. Hollyhocks work well too but you have to remember they don’t bloom their first year so they are a long term plant in your garden. I have never tried Morning glories but I am going to give it a shot this year and see how it goes.
If you want more information on saving seeds, there is a link below in the challenge that you can read.
Outdoor Hour Challenge #30 Weeds and Seeds
1. This week we are going to have a two-part assignment. Part 1: Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 512-513 on beginning a weed study. This is a terrific section to read aloud before your outdoor time this week. [Note: If it offends your family to say that “nature is the great farmer”, please feel free to insert God’s name in place of the word nature.] Skim down the table of contents in the weed section and see if you recognize any weeds from your area and read at least the introduction material to yourself before your outdoor time.
“A weed is a plant growing where we wish something else to grow, and a plant may, therefore, be a weed in some locations and not in others.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 512
Part 2: Spend your 15-20 minutes of outdoor time with your children in your own yard or on your own street. Pay attention to two opportunities this week. First, look for some weeds growing in your own garden, yard, or along your street. Remind your children of the definition of a weed and see if they can apply it to your local plants. Secondly, see if you can find any seeds to collect and to observe and possibly save to grow next year.
Here is a website for more information on collecting and saving seeds from your garden. Saving Seeds
Possible seeds to look for that are easy to find and grow:
Sunflowers
Dandelions
Marigolds
Cosmos
Zinnias
Optional Activity: If you want to really find some seeds and you have access to a little open ground like a pasture, meadow, or field, try this activity.
Sock Seeds They say this activity works best in late summer or early fall.
2. After your outdoor time, spend a few minutes discussing anything you found of interest. Topics might include the weeds you observed, the beginnings of the change in the plants and trees in your neighborhood for the autumn season, or the change in weather if you have any. If you are completing the Sock Seed project, spend some time examining your socks before you plant them in the soil. Use a magnifying lens to get a closer look.
This challenge is part of my Garden Flowers ebook. This ebook has ten garden-related challenges that will walk you through a study of garden flowers using the Handbook of Nature Study. In addition to the challenges already written, there will be more photos, nature journal examples, book lists, and totally new notebook pages designed to go with each of the Garden Flower Challenges.
Now we were ready to go through Anna Comstock’s directions for a more intensified study of the sunflower. If you take the time to go through this study, you are going to learn many fascinating and amazing things about the ordinary sunflower. The design of the Creator is all over this flower…I think we could go through this study again next year and still find loads of things to be amazed by.
“…while at the center lie the buds, arranged in an exquisite pattern of circling radii, cut by radii circling in the opposite direction; and at the very center the buds are covered with the green spear-points of their bracts.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 576
“All this flower has to do is to hold its banner aloft as a sign to the world, especially the insect world, that here is to be found pollen in plenty, and nectar for the probing.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 575
“But the stems are very solid and firm, and the bend is as stiff as the elbow of a stovepipe, and after examining it, we are sure that this bend is made with the connivance of the stem, rather than despite it.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 576
“They finally become loosened, and as the great stem is assaulted by the winds of autumn, the bended heads shake out their seed and scatter them far afield.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 576
We followed the book’s directions and found examples of each of the kinds of florets as described on page 577 in the Observations section. We learned so much just by trying to find each of the different kinds and then really examining them. If you need more help, there is a diagram on page 575. We learned about the “community”of flowers that make up the sunflower heads.
Here is one of my nature journal entries that features my sunflowers. This summer has been filled with lots of sunflower times and I enjoy going back through my journal and seeing their progress.
It is a sad time when the sunflowers are finishing up their life cycle. I am going to be gathering a few handfuls of seeds to save for next year’s garden. The flower heads will be left out in the garden for the birds to feast on and then later this fall, we will do our garden clean up and pull out the remains. This is the first year that we have had finches all summer eating the leaves of our sunflowers. It is amazing that those tiny birds can sit on the leaves and the leaves don’t bend over. The finches must be truly lightweight to accomplish this.
I hope everyone else is enjoying their sunflower study this week. If you didn’t get a chance to do it this year, there is always next year! Plan ahead!
There is nothing more refreshing than soaking your toes in the crystal clear water of mountain lake. It is one of my favorite things to do on a hot summer day. We started out at our house with the temperatures at around 97 degrees and by the time we drove the one hour trek up and over the mountain it was around 82 degrees and breezy at the lake. As the afternoon wore on, it cooled to a perfect 78 degrees.
We had some beach time, a long walk, and then we grilled up some dinner.
Someone had piled the rocks up at the lake’s edge and it captured my attention as I waded along the edge. A lone duck swam by and decided to get in the photo for all of us to enjoy.
The pinecones are littering the forest floor and you can see how dry this area is in the summer. Not much rain falls here in this season except for the occasional late afternoon thundershower. Many of the forest animals use the pinecones for food. This forest is mostly Jeffrey Pines and Lodge Pole pines.
We had a late afternoon bbq/picnic that was yummy. The best part of our bbq according to the boys was the marshmallow roast. Afterwards, the skewers were used for a little sword fighting…of course.
I am still working on drawing trees in my nature journal. Each time they look a little different but not quite right yet. 🙂 I will not let it stop me from trying though since I still love the memory attached to each imperfect tree I draw.
We saw many Brewer’s blackbirds with their “distinctive yellow eye”. The other bird that we observed in an unusually large number was the American robin. The robins were actually being chased by the Golden mantled ground squirrels that were running around gathering seeds. As we were eating our dinner, three white headed woodpeckers were climbing up and around a tree just across the path.
The leaves on this aspen looking like jewels fluttering in the breeze. The leaves have the slightest hint of yellow, letting us know that fall is coming quickly.
I am really surprised to see that the aspen tree is not included in the Handbook of Nature Study. I found a great additional resource for California residents to use as a supplement to the Handbook. It is called, California Forests and Woolands: A Natural History by Verna R. Johnston. I love to read the narrative style of this author and the sections are the perfect length to read out loud to the family after a nature walk. I highly recommend it to California residents.
In this additional resource, it has a wonderful description of the aspen tree starting on page 140.
“The most widespread tree in North America, Quaking Aspen in California occupies a narrow zone through the high elevations at 6,000 to 9,000 feet, from San Bernardino Mountains of southern California to the Oregon border. It’s airy, sun-dappled groves enfold white trunks supporting leaves that shimmer in the slightest wind on their slender, flattened leaf stalks.”
The end of another great afternoon was spent watching the creek from the bridge. We were observing the crayfish (crawdads) in the creek and some small little fish. In a few weeks, this creek will be filled with spawning Kokanee salmon that swim upstream. Can you see our reflection in the water in the photo above?
I just hate to see the days getting shorter and shorter. We spent some time outside last evening on our back deck just taking in the sounds and sights of the darkness of the late summer twilight. We heard an owl screeching in a tree in our yard and we saw two shooting stars. The air was warm and we were feeling a little melancholy about the changing of the seasons. My husband and I are both very much summer people so when the change to fall hits we feel it acutely.
We are busy squeezing as much summer into our days as possible.
“ Probably most people, the world over, believe that sunflowers twist their stems so that their blossoms face the sun all day. This belief shows the utter contentment of most people with a pretty theory.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 576
I completely enjoyed reading this section of then Handbook. I actually learned many things that are now firmly implanted in my memory thanks to Anna Comstock and our own investigation of our garden sunflowers.
This week I hoped the challenge would be a follow up to our early summer’s planting of sunflowers. I know many of you have sunflowers happily growing in your yards so this challenge is for you.
If you didn’t plant sunflowers or they didn’t grow for some reason, check you local florist for a sunflower you can purchase and then observe in your kitchen and then dissect as the week goes by. I saw loads of sunflowers being sold at our local farmers market so be creative and see if you can find an actual sunflower to observe this week or next week.
“The sunflower is not a single flower, but is a large number of flowers living together; and each little flower, or floret, as it is called, has its own work to do.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 576
Outdoor Hour Challenge #29 Sunflower Study
1. This week we will complete a study sunflowers. Read in the Handbook of Nature Study about sunflowers on page 574-578. I can’t think of a better way to study sunflowers than to follow Anna Comstock’s suggestions in this section of her book. Read the narrative and then go over the observations suggestions and decide how your family will complete this challenge.
2. Make sure to spend 15-20 minutes of outdoor time this week with your children. If you planted sunflowers at the beginning of the summer, check on their progress. Observe your sunflowers in the garden. Afterwards, follow the directions from the Handbook of Nature Study for a study of sunflowers. Anna Comstock suggests bringing one sunflower inside for closer observation. If you do not have sunflowers in your garden, check your local florist, farmers market, or with your neighbors who may have a sunflower to share.
3. Give the opportunity for a nature journal entry. Your sunflower can supply the inspiration for this week’s journal entry. You may also wish to check out some of Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings for further inspiration.
Here is a link: http://www.vggallery.com/misc/sunflowers.htm
This challenge is part of my Garden Flowers ebook. This ebook has ten garden related challenges that will walk you through a study of garden flowers using the Handbook of Nature Study. In addition to the challenges already written, there will be more photos, nature journal examples, book lists, and totally new notebook pages designed to go with each of the Garden Flower Challenges.
Just a word about nature study with older students.
Honestly, as my children are getting older, they are having to dig deeper to find something they are interested in learning about but the desire is still there. I am feeling the need to spend even more time with them outdoors as they reach their teen and teen+ years, stepping up the observations and learning.
They are becoming more confident in skills like using binoculars, using a field guide, knowing what plants grow in what environments, knowing what berries are edible, identifying birds by their flight patterns, making connections.
Last week we took our regular trip to the pond. Normally they get right to the business of scooping up water and critters and talking in excited voices about what they are finding. But this time I noticed a different atmosphere, a feeling of “we’ve been here and done that” sort of attitude. I had to quickly remind myself that this is their normal reaction anymore to just about everything. I think they are not interested in something because they don’t appear to be too excited on the outside. But later on in the day when they are talking to their dad, they relate a the whole experience in a different light. Apparently the outside of a teenager doesn’t accurately reflect the inside at all times.
So if you have older children and they appear to not be interested at first, don’t give up. It may be that they just aren’t showing it outwardly but inside the experiences are deeply affecting them. Don’t give up. I am not going to stop offering time outdoors with my boys.
Not all of our time will be nature study but just time to spend exploring together and sharing experiences. Our two favorite outdoor activities right now are bike riding and hiking. It sort of evens out the field in my opinion. They can lead me along and find things to show me and I can follow along and see what their eyes see. It is a great way to get to know your teens better.
The carnival has rolled around to my neck of the woods again and I am excited to share some great entries for this edition’s theme: Habit Training.
I thought I would start off the carnival with a few of my favorite quotes from Charlotte Mason on habit training. Enjoy the quotes and then enjoy the rest of the carnival!
“Whether habits are planned and created conscientiously, or allowed to be haphazardly filled in by chance, they are habits all the same. Habit rules ninety-nine percent of everything we do.”
volume one, page 110 “Habits of mind become physical reality on brain tissue and that’s why habit is so powerful. It isn’t all in the mind, it’s physical, too.”
volume one, page 114 “It takes a few weeks of work to build a new habit. Once the habit is in place, it must be guarded diligently to prevent a reversion to the old ways, but keeping watch is not stressful or difficult once the new habit is secure.”
volume one, page 121 “One last word about habit–the point of training children to have good habits is so that they’ll do things without being nagged or scolded. Then the mother isn’t constantly chasing them down with a barrage of commands and reminders. She can leave them alone to thrive in their own way once habit has secured a boundary for them to grow in.”
volume 1, page 134
What is a Habit? How do you get started?Princess Momma shares some great beginning ideas for habit training. If you are just starting out with the idea of habit training in your family, you will be interested in reading her entry. She even includes some ideas for habits that toddlers can work on. Charlotte Mason on Habits Dawn shares with everyone her entry onHabitry(read her entry to see what she means) I enjoyed reading her thoughts on how focusing on one habit also encompasses others at the same time. Cheerfulness, respectfulness, and kindness seem to all go together. Read about her new habit of early rising too.
The Habit of Habits. Isn’t that a great title? Andrea shares her thoughts on getting in the habit of working on habits. Love it. The Great Habit of Completing Chores
Erin writes in her entry about the practical ways to work on the habit of instilling good habits. She says, “While chores are the physical outworking of the habit, the underlying fruit is unmistakable. Obedience, responsibility, cheerfulness, diligence, attention, just to name a few.”You will want to be sure to read her entry, Smooth and Easy Days.
Keri has some great advice and some practical examples showing how she involves her whole family in habit training. Her entry will explain their system for chores (and a little incentive): Charlotte Mason Habit Training.
This is the third entry that should inspire some great ideas in the habit of completing chores. Shanna shares her flip cards and a chart for all of us to see. Kid’s Chore Chart
Working on Habits as a Family
Rachael share on her blog how her husband has helped her lay the foundation for the habit of reading aloud together as a family. She shares a list of books they have been able to read because they have stuck with this habit for five years. Don’t miss the last photo in this entry, it will warm your heart. The Habit of Reading Aloud
Rachael also shares a very nice poem about habits that you might like to use for copywork or to just share out loud with your children. Who Am I?
Ann at As They Rise Up shares her thoughts on habits. She realizes that good and bad habits start with her. I admire a woman who is honest in her thinking. Here is her entry on habits, Habits Begin at Home.
Working on habits together must be a common thread in homeschooling families, especially with moms. Elisabeth shares her entry, Forming Habits in Ourselves, on her blog, Treasuring the Moments.
Cindy shares her family’s attempts to make occupying yourself a habit. She shares some great ideas and ways to get started if you are interested in developing this habit in your family too.Habit Training-Occupying Yourself
Amanda from Hearts and Trees share her thoughts on the habit of imagining…yes, imagining. I was interested to read what Charlotte Mason had to say about this unusual habit. Here is Amanda’s entry: The Habit of Imagining Reaping the Rewards of Good Habits
Sonya from Simply Charlotte Mason, shares an entry titled, Discipline Brings Freedom. I can’t think of a better way to keep motivated in our endeavors to create good habits than the experiences she shares in this entry. She shows how putting down a new “habit rail” brings more freedom to your life.
I have a little different situation since my children are older and therefore have spent a lot more time working on good habits. My post, A Season of Reaping, shares my thoughts as I contemplate what sorts of habits older children need to refine. We will be discussing and making goals together as a family.
Shannon’s children are quite a bit younger than mine and she is already seeing the fruits of habit training. Here is her entry, Habit Training, on her blog Song of My Heart. Also in her entry are her family’s current habit training goals.
What a fantastic carnival and we even had a theme! Please leave a comment and let us know how you liked this carnival and if you would like to continue having a specific theme for each carnival in the future.
This is the last Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival that I will be presiding over. I am passing the torch of responsibility over to Jamie at Rose Cottage. She has graciously offered to take the lead in keeping this carnival going for all of us. I have become stretched too thin over the last months and felt the need to take something off my plate. As much as I love leading this carnival, it was something that I could easily pass on to someone without too much trouble. I want to publicly thank Jamie for her excitement and enthusiasm at handling the carnivals in the future.
We hope that it is a smooth transition but if there are any problems, please feel free to email me anytime if you have a question or concern. harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com
Thank you to everyone who made this edition of the carnival a success. I hope everyone has gained something from reading the entries. I know that I have been inspired to try some new things with my family.
I know this week we were supposed to be looking for bees but I have a favor to ask.
I decided that I have far too many unidentified insects and I might as well just post the photos here and let anyone who has any idea what they are, please let me know the names or at least a direction.
I am *so happy* that we are finishing up our focus on insects because I get very frustrated with not knowing particular names. I know I should be happy to have had the experience with observing them and also the time to browse through my insect field guide and on the internet. My boys are content with just spotting and observing. I am not content.
Here are the photos:
This one is a shiny blue and there seems to be lots of them crawling in the garden. I find them mostly under the leaves of my green beans and strawberries.
This guy is fairly good size and has a beautiful red splotch on his back.
I know I see these all the time but I don’t have any idea what they are called. They are the biggest of the bunch. EDIT: Bordered Plant Bug or Largus succinctus (Thanks to Dana!)
This one is sort of like the blue one but still different.
This one has a round body and is really black and blue iridescent.
This one I thought at first was a spider but it only has six legs. The legs and the antennae are striped and he was carrying that black thing as he climbed around on the butterfly bush. He was very fast. (You may need to click the photo to enlarge it.) EDIT: Some sort of Assassin Bug (Thanks to Dana!)
Okay, that is my collection of photos that I have yet to identify. As you can tell, I see a lot of insects when I am out watering in the garden.
We didn’t see a single bee today when we went outside but the boys knew where to go look so I know they have been observing them in the garden. One son says that he always sees bees in the lavender and the other said he thinks they are always on the butterfly bush. I think just knowing where to look for the bees is valuable. I am not worried….the bees will be back later I am sure.
