Barb, Author at Homeschool Nature Study

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Barb — 34 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge 2018-2019 Plans

Outdoor Hour Challenge

September 2018 through August 2019

Plans and Instructions

As we start another year of nature study together, I want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to see the year’s plans all in one place. This plan was made with Handbook of Nature Study members in mind but it will also be very accessible to non-members who would like to join us.

Outdoor Hour Challenge September 2018 – August 2019 for Members

Get the Year Plan in a PDF: Subscribe to the Ultimate Naturalist Library, Journey, or Discovery level membership: This membership will give you access to a detailed schedule for the entire year. You’ll have a printable plan that shows dates and specific topics that will be considered every Friday. This makes your planning super easy!

Winter Nature Study Series

Garden Flowers and Plants

Summer Nature Study Continues

Download the Ebooks: Ultimate Naturalist Members will have access to the three ebooks needed for the year’s nature study plans.

Click the covers below to go to more information for each ebook. Check your files to see if you own these ebooks already!

Note: There is no separate ebook for the autumn season. We’ll be using the free notebook page bundle from 2009 that is available to everyone under the Autumn tab on the blog.

Download the Notebook Page Bundle: In addition to receiving the year’s plan in a pdf to download, Ultimate and Journey level members will also have access to a new Notebook Page Bundle printable that includes EVERY notebooking page needed for the entire year’s plan. This 78 page bundle can be printed for each student in your family. The Parent’s edition of the Notebook Page Bundle includes an index of challenges AND chart that shows the nature topics and corresponding pages in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.

I’m super excited about this new Notebook Page Bundle! This has been a much requested item and I’m happy to make this a part of the Ultimate and Journey level memberships. Note: These are not new notebook pages, but for convenience they’re the pages from the ebooks gathered into one file for you to print and use with your family. This saves you time and energy as you plan and then complete your nature study!

Do You Want to Join Us?

Here’s what you need to do!

Purchase a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Remember that if you want access to all the ebooks and other resources you will need an Ultimate Naturalist Membership.
Download the ebooks.
Download the Notebook Page Bundle (both a student version and a parent’s version are available).
Download the September 2018 through August 2019 plan.
Subscribe to the Handbook of Nature Study blog for reminders each Friday.

This can be your best year ever for nature study!

Click Below to Get Started!

Use the discount code: Nature4U for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code Expires 8/18/18.

If you can’t purchase a membership at this time, you can still follow along by subscribing to the blog and each week’s Outdoor Hour Challenge will come right to your email inbox.

We’re so proud to have been chosen as a top Elementary Science curriculum by readers at Practical Homeschooling. I hope you’ll think about using our nature study ideas in your family with the confidence that families from around the world are happy with their results!

How would you like to enter a giveaway for an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership?

You can enter below! I will be giving away three memberships!

Giveaway ends on Friday, August 10, 2018 at 11 PM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge #6 – Start a Summer Collection

Outdoor Hour Challenge #6 – Start a Summer Collection

From the Archives and from the Getting Started Ebook

This week we are going to take a look at starting a nature collection. Perhaps your family has already started collecting natural objects during your outdoor time and now you are wondering what to do with all of those treasures.

Use the archive link above to be inspired to create a collection of things that interest your child.

You may wish to read this entry where I share five ways to display rocks (or other items):

5 Ways to Display Rock Collections

Summer Nature Study Tip-Keep a Seasonal Nature Collection

Create a summer collection of items from your outdoor time. Once the season ends, box up your favorites or return them to the habitat. Start a new collection for the autumn months.

If you have access to the Getting Started ebook, there’s a custom notebook page that you can use alongside Outdoor Hour Challenge #6 if you wish, or a number of blank pages you can print and use instead.

The Getting Started ebook is included in all levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study, including the Discover Level.

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Barb — 1 Comment

August Planning Page and Printables

August 2018 Nature Planning Page – Print Your Copy Here!

Download your copy here: August 2018 Nature Planning Page

In addition, I’ve created three new printables for you to use this month as well.

Seashore Observations: This is an exciting new printable activity that you can take with you to the beach. It helps your family through making some observations and then a scavenger hunt!

Rattlesnake Notebook Pages: This set of three notebooking pages will give you a spot in your nature journal to record what you learn and/or observe with rattlesnakes.

Eagle Notebook Page: Here’s another page in our on-going bird series for the eagle. We’ve seen so many eagles this summer that it just has to be featured on one of my nature journal pages. I invite you to do the research and then look for eagles soon!

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge #5 Summer List

Outdoor Hour Challenge #5 – Making a Summer List

Revisited Summer 2018

From the Archives and from the Getting Started Ebook

In Outdoor Hour Challenge #4, you picked a focus area for your nature study by examining your child’s interests. This week in Challenge #5 you can create a list of potential topics to look for and investigate within your focus area. Click the archive link above for more information.

Your nature journal page this week can simply be a list of things you see during your outdoor time that fit your focus area. Or, see this entry: Once a Month Nature Journal Project: Make a List for additional ideas and inspiration.

Summer Nature Study Tip:

Use the summer months to focus on one area of nature study as a family. Be creative and think of as many ways as you can to learn more about your chosen topic. Brainstorm a list of ideas to put into your nature journal and then check them off as you accomplish them.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Time

If you have access to the Getting Started ebook, there’s a custom notebook page that you can use alongside Outdoor Hour Challenge #5 if you wish, or a number of blank pages you can print and use instead.

The Getting Started ebook is included in all levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study, including the Discover Level.

Posted on July 25, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Observer – July 2018

Nature Observer – Nature Journal Project

July 2018

We’re experiencing a glorious summer weather pattern where it’s hot in the afternoons and very cool at night. It gives us a window of time in the mornings to get out and enjoy a good hike, go for a bike ride, or get things done in the garden before it’s too hot to enjoy it. If it gets too hot, we drag the kayak down to the river and enjoy a good float in the cool river water.

Get outside each day to explore a little nature before the temperatures heat up!

Nature journaling is a perfect indoor activity during the summer months. Pull out the journals along with a few art supplies to record your summer nature study discoveries. Give it a try!

Here are my pages from the past few weeks.

We have two different kinds of hummingbirds visiting our feeders. They are very different and easy to spot. The rufous hummingbird has such a mechanical sound to its wings that you can hear them coming from far away. The calliope hummingbird is very tiny and not as aggressive as the rufous. My page captures both of these amazing creatures.

It’s been quite a summer for bird’s nests in our yard. We’ve been curious and eager to see who would inhabit our nesting boxes. Well, we had two boxes filled with swallows, one box had mountain bluebirds, another box had chickadees, and the most interesting nest was built in a crack in a pine tree by a pair of pygmy nuthatches. Of course, I wanted to document all of this in my nature journal.

I’ve started to carry a small sketch book with me along with a pen to capture the random moments that inspire me. This page was done while kayaking at Sparks Lake with my daughter as we paddled towards the South Sister Peak. Love it!

Do you want some more specific nature journal ideas? Click over to my nature journal page and scroll down for the Once a Month Nature Journal Project idea buttons. There’s a lot there to keep you busy!

Don’t forget that I’m sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal.

Posted on July 25, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

NotebookingPages.com Back To School Sale

NotebookingPages.com is having their last ever discount on Lifetime Memberships and later this fall you will no longer be able to purchase a Lifetime Membership.

Wow! That is BIG news!

So, my friends, this is the time to pull the trigger and if you have been thinking about purchasing a membership to this amazing resource, NOW is the time. For the next few days, the Lifetime Membership will be sold at a huge discount of $25. This means for $72 you will have a complete library of 100’s of notebooking pages right at your fingertips….FOREVER!

You can even make 3 easy payments to help fit this resource into your homeschooling budget!

I have had a Lifetime Membership for many years, both during and post homeschooling. My boys benefitted from having a membership both from the pre-printed pages and the Notebooking Web App program where they could custom make their own pages and actually type onto the page and then print them out for their notebooks.

Our Favorite Pages

History Timeline Book of Centuries Notebooking Pages

Notebooking Pages Back-to-School Membership Sale

This sale starts today and will end at midnight on July 27^th! You need to act fast to catch this soon to be gone membership to NotebookingPages.com.

In addition to receiving a Lifetime Membership during this sale, you will also receive a Lifetime Membership to MomsToolBelt.com. I have used my membership to MomsToolBelt to create my own custom calendars and planners for probably a decade. I love using the flexibility of this program to make my own planner that fit my household needs. You will too!

You can read my review of MomsToolBelt here: Moms Tool Belt Planning

Please note I am affiliate for NotebookingPages.com and have owned and used their products for a very long time in my family!

You can also read my page on how to create nature journals and notebooking pages on this page.

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge #4 – Summer Edition

Outdoor Hour Challenge #4

Revisited Summer 2018

From the Archives and from the Getting Started Ebook

Now that we’re rolling with our summer nature study, I’m sure you’ve started to see your child’s interest in particular aspects of nature. Perhaps they’re fascinated with insects or they enjoy spotting new birds in your yard. Build on their interest by focusing a little more closely on those specific topics as you follow the suggestions in this week’s Outdoor Hour Challenge.

Use the Handbook of Nature Study website to enhance your nature study after you choose a focus. Look for the topic tabs at the top of the page for the corresponding nature topic. On each of the tabbed pages you will find listed all of the Outdoor Hour Challenges and other activities related to that topic. This will make it easier for you to find information on the website to use in your focus area. For instance, if your child wants to focus on a study of birds, click the bird tab, and scroll down to view the topics to choose from. There are also listed book suggestions, available free printables, archived newsletters, and additional activity ideas.

Note: Archived newsletters, ebooks, and some of the printables are available to members of the Handbook of Nature Study. See the Join Us page for more information.

Summer Nature Study Tip: In addition to your nature time, take advantage of a hot afternoon to visit your (air conditioned) local public library to explore their shelves for books on your focus area. The information they glean from a well presented book on their field of interest will feed their enthusiasm for learning about nature.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Time

If you have access to the Getting Started ebook, there’s a custom notebook page that you can use alongside Outdoor Hour Challenge #4 if you wish, or a number of blank pages you can print and use instead. Click the cover above to view a sample of this ebook.

The Getting Started ebook is included in all levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study, including the Discover Level.

Posted on July 13, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge #3 – Summer Edition

Outdoor Hour Challenge #3

Revisited Summer 2018

From the Archives and from the Getting Started Ebook

If this is your third week following along with the Getting Started series this summer, you’ve already accomplished some important steps in your nature study journey. OHC #1 helped you get outside with your children. OHC #2 showed you how easy it is to follow up with a discussion and words. Now, it’s time to take a few minutes after your outdoor time to put something on paper.

I’ve written at length here on my blog about nature journals. If you click over to my nature journal tab, you’ll find lots of information to inspire and encourage you and your children in your efforts to record the fascinating things you discover during your Outdoor Hour time.

It may make it more fun if you start a nature journal alongside your children, leading by example, writing your words down on a page. Don’t worry about sketching if you’re intimidated by the thought of drawing in your nature journal. (You can read my journey with my nature journal here: Drawing and Your Nature Journal.)

Summer Nature Study Tip: Use the hot afternoon hours to pull out the nature journaling supplies and work together to create a page or two using items you collected on a nature walk or you can work from photos you took during your Outdoor Hour.

It’s okay if they don’t want to create a nature journal every time you have your

Outdoor Hour Challenge time.

If you have access to the Getting Started ebook, there’s a custom notebook page that you can use alongside Outdoor Hour Challenge #3 if you wish, or a number of blank pages you can print and use instead.

The Getting Started ebook is included in all levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study, including the Discover Level.

Overwhelmed with the thought of getting started with nature study? You may wish to read my entry: Nature Study the Gentle Way. In this entry, I share a simple idea that you could try in your family.

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Mom and Goal Update July 2018

Outdoor Mom – July 2018

And an Update of My Nature Study Goals 2018 for the Second Quarter

We’re finally doing a summertime dance as the temperatures climb and the skies are clear. It’s been a struggle for me personally because my husband and I made a commitment to each other to get the yard done during June and July. Making it a priority has meant we have to pass on some recreational opportunities.

We still try to fit in our daily river walks and a few short kayak excursions when we can.

Plus, we did take a week and go camping on the northern coast of Oregon. The beaches there are either rugged or sand dunes. The weather was pretty good and we found a couple of places to kayak, including Lake Coffinbury, where we saw bald eagles!

We took advantage of the negative tide and did some tide pooling. I spotted a purple sea star, the most colorful one I’ve ever seen. There were loads of anemones and barnacles.

We’ve had an abundance of wildlife right in our backyard. My son saw this coyote pup strolling through the back fence and I was able to capture an image or too.

We have 5 birds nesting in our yard- 2 tree swallows, a chickadee, a Pygmy nuthatch, and a mountain bluebird! What a fantastic thing for this bird loving girl! My husband built the nesting boxes last year, a little too late in the season so we weren’t sure what to expect this year. Happy surprises!

The nuthatch nest is in this crack in the pine tree, believe it or not. Amazing!

The cattle are back in the pasture behind our house and we’ve so enjoyed seeing all the newborn calves. They sure are curious little things!

Here is my June list of birds seen from our back window. I love keeping track and now my friends come over and check the board every time they visit to see what new birds have been added.

Life is good here in my little part of the world.

Now here’s an update on my nature study goals as a way of keeping me accountable.

Nature Study Goals 2018 – 2nd Quarter Update

1. Nature Observer journal – I’ve continued to journal my observations almost every day. I find if I don’t take a minute to note what happened during the day that I forget the little things; the things that when I look back mean the most.

There are very few prompts I haven’t filled in from the many nature-related page ideas. I adapt the ones that really don’t fit my style. I’m trying not to make excuses and just do my best to keep the journal full of thoughts and observations that show the picture of what it’s like living here in Central Oregon.

I’m still highly recommending this journal!

Edit to add an affiliate link: Nature Observer.

2. Keep a record of the wildflowers that grow in my local habitat. I narrowed this goal to include my yard and the grassland between my house and the river. I keep my list in my Nature Observer journal.

3. Visit the High Desert Museum each month. I have failed at this! They have a new exhibit featuring rocks and the history of rock climbing that I really want to see, so I’ve now put it on the plan. Plus, I want to go see the raptors again.

4. Visit Sunriver Nature Center and see the garden. We ended up going to the Sunriver Observatory instead with some friends. It was awe inspiring as always, to look up at the stars and the planets Venus and Jupiter.

5. Take 3 new hikes. Twin Lake hike, Smith Rock – not new.

6. Get the kayaks out in a new local spot. My oldest son bought a canoe and my middle son bought a kayak so we’re all able to get on the water and explore the local area. So far, we’ve kept to our familiar stretches of river but we have plans next week to go exploring.

Additional Goal Related Items

We purchased our National Parks pass and visited Lewis & Clark National Park, which is really a group of places centered around Astoria, Oregon. Visiting these places and then kayaking on the Lewis & Clark River were a highlight of our camping trip last month.

Our backyard landscape is coming together. We’ve discovered that we can transplant many grasses and wildflowers and even an aspen tree to fill in our garden spaces. It’s a very big learning process and we need to keep reminding ourselves that it will take many years to accomplish what we want to in this space.

Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. If you would like me to take a look at one of your images on Instagram, use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge.

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.

During our outdoor time this month we went…
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
I added nature journal pages about…
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
One last image…

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge #2 – Summer Edition

Outdoor Hour Challenge #2 – Using Your Words

Revisited Summer 2018

Don’t forget to read the suggested pages in the Handbook of Nature Study as noted in the original challenge!

From the Archives and from the Getting Started Ebook

This week we’re going to be getting back to basics. Keep it simple by taking your 15 minute outdoor time, looking for something of interest with your child, and then follow up with a short discussion of what you experienced. Use the prompts in the original challenge to inspire your child’s thinking about what they experienced during their time outside. Share what you enjoyed or didn’t enjoy about your nature time with your children.

Quote:

“In nature-study the work begins with any plant or creature which chances to interest the pupil.”

–Handbook of Nature Study

For now, be content to just talk about what you saw while outside. Aim to keep your nature study time a pleasurable adventure, building a lifelong habit of getting outside and being refreshed by noting the amazing things happening right outside your own door or in your very own neighborhood.

Was it too hot? Be creative about when you go outside for your nature time. Mid-afternoon might not be the best time. We always enjoyed getting out early during the summer to beat the heat. Your family may enjoy going out in the evenings. Pick a time when you are most relaxed and can enjoy getting outside with your children.

Here’s the link to the challenge for this week: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Getting Started #2 Using Your Words.

If you have access to the Getting Started ebook, there’s a custom notebook page that you can use if you wish or a number of blank pages you can print and use instead.

The Getting Started ebook is included in all levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study, including the Discover Level.

Author: Barb

Outdoor Hour Challenge 2018-2019 Plans

This can be your best year ever for nature study!

How would you like to enter a giveaway for an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership?

Outdoor Hour Challenge #6 – Start a Summer Collection

Summer Nature Study Tip-Keep a Seasonal Nature Collection

August Planning Page and Printables

Download your copy here: August 2018 Nature Planning Page

In addition, I’ve created three new printables for you to use this month as well.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #5 Summer List

Nature Observer – July 2018

NotebookingPages.com Back To School Sale

NotebookingPages.com is having their last ever discount on Lifetime Memberships and later this fall you will no longer be able to purchase a Lifetime Membership.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #4 – Summer Edition

Outdoor Hour Challenge #3 – Summer Edition

Outdoor Mom and Goal Update July 2018

Outdoor Hour Challenge #2 – Summer Edition

Outdoor Hour Challenge #2 – Using Your Words

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!