Author: Barb

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Autumn Flower Study – Asters of All Kinds

White Daisy (aster)

“The asters, like the goldenrods, begin to bloom at the tip of the branches, the flower-heads nearest the central stem blooming last. All of the asters are very sensitive, and the flower-heads usually close as soon as they are gathered.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 507

I love a good flower study! Reading in the Handbook of Nature Study I learned that the aster has both a disc flower and a ray flower…like a sunflower. Aha! I can see it now that I have slowed down to really look at this pretty flower from the aster family, a Shasta Daisy or an Ox-Eye Daisy…not sure which

We happened to be at the beautiful summer garden found at Tallac Historic Site and I was excited to find a whole range of asters to observe.  We had been on a quest to find some goldenrod but settled for any flowers in the aster family we could find. (We did find some goldenrod…see last flower photo.)

Can you see the disc and ray flowers?

I think you can really see the disc flowers once the ray flowers wilt back. This daisy helps show the way the different kinds of flowers grow in this daisy flower head. Point that out to your kids the next time you see an aster.

Purple Coneflower

How about this flower in the aster family? The Purple Coneflower is one of my favorites and I grow it in my garden every year….well actually it just comes back to life in the spring so I don’t have to do too much to it.

So now come a bunch of images that show the variety that this flower family can produce. Starting with this really large yellow aster with the long ray flowers.

These were some of my favorites! I love the multi-colored flowers and the Black-eyed Susans all mixed together. I am going to make sure to plant an area of my garden with seeds like these so I can enjoy their beauty all summer long.

Drooping ray flowers really show this flower off at its best! I am going to put this one in my nature journal…watercolors or markers? Not sure yet.

Edit to add my journal—I ended up with colored pencils.

This aster was not in the garden at Tallac but was on the trail around over by Taylor Creek. There was a whole section of them blooming. I love the classic lavender and yellow color combination. This may need to go in my nature journal too.

Eureka! We finally saw some goldenrod in bloom. We had seen lots of dried up goldenrod during our hike but this was the first blooming plant we spied. The goldenrod completed our hunt for all kinds of flowers in the aster family.

NOTE: If you haven’t read the narrative section in the Handbook of Nature Study on the goldenrod plant, you are missing out. Make sure to read the Teacher’s Story for Lesson 132 before you study your goldenrod flowers.

Here we are…the intrepid aster hunters. My oldest and youngest went with me this time and it was great to have them along. They are both a lot of fun.

Mr. B took a break from flower hunting to stack some rocks and strike a pose. Like I said, always a lot of fun with these nature-loving kids.

Don’t miss out on the chance to do your own goldenrod, aster, or chrysanthemum study this month. Pop over to the challenge and print out the free Autumn Garden Nursery Mini-Book printable if you need to make this a quick and easy nature study week.

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Shrub #3 Chinquapin in Yosemite National Park

On our July visit to Yosemite National Park, we found an interesting bush along the Panorama Trail. I decided to take some images and then research it when we returned home. There were lots of unique characteristics to this shrub and to my delight it was not very hard to identify.

This is Chinquapin and is found on dry, rocky slopes. There is a famous intersection where Glacier Point Road and the road to Wawona intersect that is named for this prevalent shrub.
Castanopsis sempervirens

We observed growing in-mass along the Panorama Trail, below Glacier Point in elevation.

Here another view of a large patch of Chinquapin. This shrub is an evergreen and has flowers and then an amber colored burr that develops later in the summer and ripens in September and October.

Here is a close-up of the burr. The burr will turn into a golden brown chestnut like burr with thorny spikes. Eventually they will hold several round nuts.

This plant is in the beech family and forms long cream-colored fluffy catkins in the summer. I wish this image wasn’t so blurry but it is the best one I have.

So if you are following along in my progress, this is the third of five shrubs that I intend to observe and identify during 2013 as part of my nature study goals.

Here are the other two shrubs:
Chamise
Western Redbud

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Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter – Nature Study Tips and Autumn Helps

September 2013 – Nature Study Tips

Contents of this edition of the newsletter include: 

  • 5 encouraging articles to help you in your nature study adventure
  • September Study Grid and Printables for your nature journals
  • Fall Field Trip – printable notebook page
  • Flower clipart for nature journal or coloring
  • Show and Tell from OHC Participants
  • Recommended study links

I have attached the newsletter download link to the bottom of my blog feed so if you are a subscriber you will receive the link to the latest newsletter at the bottom of every post for the month of September. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can still subscribe and receive the newsletter link in the next post that comes to your email box. You can subscribe to my blog by filling in your email address in the subscription box on my sidebar.

Note: You can download your newsletter from the link in two ways:

 

  • If your link is clickable, right click the link and then “save link as” to save the file on your computer.
  • If the link is not clickable, cut and paste the link to your browser, open, and then save your newsletter to your computer.

 

If you need instructions on how to get started with the Outdoor Hour Challenge, you can read this entry for on the “Getting Started” tab at the top of my blog:
How to Use the Outdoor Hour Challenge 2013-2014

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Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival – Night Sky Edition

OHC Blog Carnival

Make sure to scroll to the end of this entry for a fantastic giveaway opportunity for a new Nature Study for Toddlers and Preschoolers ebook plan from Maureen Spell from Spell Outloud!

Preschool Nature Study 300x250
Check out this new ebook from Maureen at Spell Outloud! Because I highly recommend this ebook I am using my affiliate link.

 

This marks the last of the year as far as rotating through the nature study topics here on the Outdoor Hour Challenge. The night sky has been a thought-provoking study here in our home and one that is always enjoyed by lounging out on the deck after dark and just gazing up to notice the things going on up there at night. We spotted lots of interesting things to talk about even with friends, learning new things and sharing the information.

Our family’s night sky entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one):
Stargazing- Study Grid and Perseid Meteor Shower

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Night Sky Grid Study
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island shares their Telescope Viewing, Sunset and Night Sky at the Beach entry with all of you to read and enjoy. She has included a link to an iPad link called Stellarium which looks great!

Carla from Inside Outside Michiana has contributed their Night Skies! entry to this edition of the carnival. She shares their experiences and some tips too!

Cristy from Cristy’s Nature Journal writes about their night sky/moon study in her entry to the carnival: Night Sky Challenge for the Outdoor Hour Challenge.  They even got to see the space station streak across the sky!

Jennifer from Royal Little Lambs submits her Antelope Island Camping entry which is jam packed with night sky study and lots of wildlife too! She captured a great night sky image for you to enjoy.

Nadene from Practical Pages has put together their South African entry for the carnival: Stars and Night Sky.  She shares their experiences and some additional resources with carnival readers.

Carla from Inside Outside Michiana shares their night sky entry: ETHOS:Science Sneak Peak Space. What a lot of great things going on this month related to the sky and night sky too!

Big Dipper Study
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island writes about their Summer Constellation Study for this edition of the carnival. She shares another great iPad app (Star Walk) along with screenshots that help you get more out of your night sky study.

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Photo Credit: Mountain Man from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie

Moon and Craters Study
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island shares her entry: The Full Moon – August Study with carnival readers.  She captured a beautiful image of the moon and its craters.

Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie has submitted their The Night Sky on the Prairie and Beyond entry for you to enjoy.

Last Days of Summer
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island shares their Night Sky and Last Days of Summer Study with the carnival.  Alex shares some of her night sky plans and their progress in the Last Days of Summer activity.

Photo Credit: Robin from Academia

Potpourri
Robin from Academia shares their 10 Days At The Pond entry with you to enjoy.  She records many of their pond finds in images and words…also some drawings too!

Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky has submitted their OHC Butterflies entry. She says,”There is just no way that we could not spend a little time learning about and appreciating these insects.” I totally agree! She shares some amazing images and then their journal entries. Be inspired!

Rebecca from Down a Rabbit Trail shares her first entry with the carnival: Tadpole Hunger Games. She says, “We just put in our own little backyard tadpole pond this past month and have been very surprised by all the life that’s finding it way there.” Enjoy.

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Photo Credit: Claire from Angelic Scalliwags

Claire from Angelic Scalliwags gives us an update on her One Year Pond Study: Week 23 had some new visitors to the pond and Week 25 is all about the Atmospheric Changes at the pond. These are some of the best nature study examples I have seen in awhile…each child experiencing the pond in their own way.

Eva Varga has submitted their South Slough Estuary entry to the carnival. She told me about this place years ago and I took my boys there to learn more about this interesting habitat. Read her entry for my information.  She also would love for you to read her entry: National Moth Week-Our First Experience where she tells about their try at participating in this Citizen Science project.

Eva shares on last entry to the carnival for this edition: Apples, Pears, and Bears, Oh My! With a title like that, don’t you just want to click over and read? Don’t miss her entry.

If you need help getting started with the Outdoor Hour Challenge, you can read this page and find everything you need to know.
How to Use the Outdoor Hour Challenge 2013-2014.

OHC Blog Carnival
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in September are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 9/29/13 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).

Nature Study Printables for Preschoolers and Toddlers

I am excited to share a brand new ebook from Maureen Spell – Nature Study for Toddlers and Preschoolers! This is an area that I have not addressed much here on the Outdoor Hour Challenge and I love that she has filled that need with this wonderful ebook with loads of printables and activity ideas for families that have younger children. Take a look at the ebook and then enter to win one of two copies I will be giving away. Enter now because the giveaway will end on Tuesday, September 4th, 2013 at Midnight. See the Rafflecopter gadget below (you may need to click over to the blog if you receive this entry in an email) for all the details. At $3.99 you can’t go wrong!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Mountain Chickadee – New Bird #3

Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli

Location: Lake Tahoe, evergreen forest habitat
Fieldmarks: white stripe over eyes
Song: chicka-dee-dee or tsick-adee-adee

This busy bird is always seen and heard along our favorite hiking and biking trails at Lake Tahoe, especially in the Fallen Leaf Lake and Tallac areas of the Tahoe Basin. I have grown to know the sweet little song of the chickadee and regularly hear it during each of the seasons, even winter during the snowy months.

I created a nature journal page and used the coloring book image from Cornell’s bird coloring book to make an accurate drawing of this bird. This is an easy way to cut and past a line drawing to use for your journal if you are not confident about your drawing skills.
Feeder Birds Coloring Book

Still working on my nature study goals for 2013…learning ten new birds and their calls during the year.

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Prickles, Patterns, and Vines in the Garden

This week I had fun gathering lots of interesting images from the garden to share with you. I have been trying to work my way through the Summer Nature Photo Challenge and one of the topics is “something prickly”. The cactus on the left I call Hairy and he lives on my deck…I inherited him from a relative and we think he is over thirty years old. The image on the right is one I actually took at Home Depot as I browsed in the nursery. I love the patterns of the prickles on this cactus!

I have a wide variety of sunflowers this year and they each have their own unique charm…ruffles, bendy petals, variations in color and leaf size…so much to enjoy about our sunflowers.

This is the time of year that I take a morning walk with my cup of coffee, exploring for new things in the garden. As you slow to really enjoy each flower, the patterns of color, petals, and seeds make an impression. Learning to share these things with your children and watching them grow in appreciation is something we all can do and it is easy if you have a cutting flower garden. Let your children cut a single flower, bring it inside and find a vase for it, and then set it on your kitchen table for closer observation and enjoyment.

Climbing vines are a big part of my summer garden. After studying vines with the Outdoor Hour Challenge, I have learned to notice how the vines twine and which direction they twine around the stakes. Each plant is uniform in its twisting direction. I also have a passion flower vine and it doesn’t twine but it uses tendrils to grab onto the stakes.

One last image for you to see….this one is my thistle plant that is blooming and is super pokey! The birds (finches) love the seeds from this plant and I hated to pull it out but I had to. My husband does not always share my love of all things that grow in the yard. He is right that it had already spread enough seed to ensure that there will be more next year without letting the whole area get filled in with thistles. I am a reasonable person so we pulled it all up.

I encourage you all to take a look with fresh eyes at your yard or neighborhood…find some prickles, patterns, and vines to point out to your children. Let them make some oral observations and perhaps gather a pretty flower or two for you kitchen table.

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Beautiful Cattails – Continuing a Cattail Nature Study

Following a year-long study of cattails is another way to learn more about your local habitat. As you find and then observe your patch of cattails you learn just what a cattail needs to thrive. We have had two year-long studies of cattails in the past, each in a different part of town. One patch was within walking distance of our home and alongside a busy road in the ditch. The second patch was growing just to the edge of our local walking trail and we watched it every week noting the changes.

Cattail Close Up @handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com

This year I spied a new patch that is thriving next to a road I travel just about everyday in the car. There is a pullout nearby so I stopped and took a few photos and I recorded a quick sketch in my nature journal.

The great thing about a cattail study is that there are so many other topics that can come up as you slow down and observe your cattail patch.

  • Summer – Insects, frogs, algae, duckweed, birds (red-wing blackbirds), pollen
  • Autumn- Seeds
  • Winter- pond water, mud, cattail roots and stalks
  • Spring- cattail leaves, more spring ideas here: Cattail Study

This is the perfect study to go along with a year-long pond study if you want to combine the two together.
Seasonal Pond Study with printable notebook page


Whatever you do, keep your eyes out for your own cattails to get to know over the next year.
Seasonal Cattail Nature Study – free printable notebook page included

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Seasonal Milkweed: Summer Observations

We started a Year Long Milkweed study back in the spring while on our trip to Yosemite.

Original Challenge: Year Long Milkweed Study plus free printable notebook page
Our Spring Entry: Milkweed Nature Study 

We returned to our milkweed observation spot at Yosemite Valley….and it was full of maturing milkweed! I have included lots of photos below so enjoy our summertime observations, complete with Monarch butterflies!

Depending on where the milkweed was, it would have blossoms or pods and blossoms. Above you can see the growing seed pods with a few old flower blossoms.

Here is some Showy Milkweed in blossom. I can even see some buds still waiting to bloom near the top.

We saw many Monarchs over the few days we were there but this one was willing to pose for us right on the milkweed. What fun to watch these beautiful insects doing there thing!

This plant had the leaf broken off and you can see the milky sap dripping down the plant. You can also see if you look closely a Cobalt Milkweed Beetle, a shiny blue metallic insect that is common on the milkweed.

We found this sign out in the meadow where our milkweed is growing which shows the complete life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. What a great sign…hope more people stop and read it and learn how fascinating the life of a Monarch is and what part the milkweed plays even there at Yosemite Valley.

We will be updating our study in the autumn and of course I will share.

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Omnibus Ebook Bundle Sale – Fantastic Deal


Gigantic Ebook Bundle – 
Includes
My More Nature Study Autumn Outdoor Hour Challenge Ebook!
(Also includes 3 of my Harmony Fine Arts Mini-Units.)

This is a fantastic deal for all parents who want an ebook library of resources for all kinds of learning and fun. This ebook Omnibus bundle includes over $590 worth of ebooks for just $25. Act fast because this Omnibus is only going to be available until August 25, 2013…that is next Sunday.

Don’t miss the other nature study related ebooks included in this ebook bundle!

Here are all the ebooks you get with this bundle for $25!

Additional Resources: Codes and Links Provided After Purchase

  • From Fortuigence: Get kids ready for writing! Grab access to a short online course that supports you in setting a powerful setting for your kids to become strong writers. A $79 value — yours free!
  • From A Plan in Place: 10% off entire order.
  • From Heritage History: download one free book of your choice, worth $1.99.
  • From WriteShop: 15% off storewide.
  • From A+ TutorSoft: 20% off your entire order.
  • Also from A+ TutorSoft: download a free ($21.99 value) math supplement that helps to build a strong foundation and close learning gaps for struggling students.
  • From Bright Ideas Press: Free media shipping with an order of $30 or more.
  • From Real Life Press: 15% off entire purchase in the store.
  • From Shining Dawn Books: Get 30% off ANY order through the end of August, 2013.
  • From Kirsten Joy Awake: Download a free copy of Bible Writer: Volume 1, an all in one Bible Memory and Copywork curriculum.

Buy Now
Deal ends Sunday, August 25, 2013.
$590 value for only $25!

Buy Now
Deal ends Sunday, August 25, 2013.
$590 value for only $25! 

This blog promotion includes my affiliate links for the Omnibus. 

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How To Use The Outdoor Hour Challenge 2013-14

Outdoor Hour button
Step By Step Instructions for the Outdoor Hour Challenge
Starting September 1, 2013
  • Receive the monthly newsletter on the 1st of the month (subscribers to the Handbook of Nature Study blog).
  • In the newsletter, view the printable Challenge Grid for the four topics for the up-coming month. If the topic is from the archives, I provide the link to the challenge on my blog and the link to the ebook it is from if applicable.This way you can prepare for the challenges ahead of time if you wish.
  • If you own the applicable ebooks, you can open those and print the coordinating notebook pages to use during the month. This is not required but would supplement the current month’s work.
  • Print and cut out the newsletter Study Grid or other printable for use during the month.
  • Complete the challenges at your own pace and create your blog entries as you have time.
  • Submit your blog entries to the Outdoor Hour Challenge blog carnival. Become part of the global community of nature study families that participates in the monthly carnival of entries sharing how you spent time outdoors with your family.
Big Picture for the Outdoor Hour Challenge

Seasonal Studies: Each month from September 2013 to August 2014 – I am going to be recycling challenges from the archives, pulling them from older nature study series and ebooks. Each month will not be topical but have a variety of nature study ideas that fit the season (Northern Hemisphere). I will also give you ideas from the Getting Started Ebook if you already own that and would like to use it instead or in addition to the seasonal ebooks.

Note that the Getting Started ebook is available in every level of access: Ultimate, Journey, and Discovery.

Blog Logo 1

 
Resources Needed for 2013 – 2014:

  1. Monthly Newsletter so you have the topic, the challenge ideas ahead of time, and the newsletter printables. The newsletter is free to all who subscribe to my Handbook of Nature Study blog.
  2. Handbook of Nature Study book by Anna Botsford Comstock – I recommend the edition linked on the sidebar of my blog.
  3. Optional but recommended: The seasonal series or ebook that coordinates with the season we are currently experiencing (see schedule below).  All of the challenges are available for free here on the blog (see the seasonal tabs at the top of the blog) but each ebook gathers the challenges and includes coordinating printable notebook pages.
  4. Optional: A copy of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Getting Started ebook. Of course, the challenges in the ebook are available on the Handbook of Nature Study blog for free but if you want the notebook pages you will need to purchase the ebook.
  5. Highly recommend: Nature journal or nature notebook.

Schedule of Ebooks to Be Used Sept. 2013 – Aug. 2014

NOTE: This bundle is still available until 8/1/14. You can purchase it here: Select Membership Level.

Nature Study Bundle Button
Special Offer: 
Purchase all three ebooks for this year’s nature study for $16.95 (regular price $24.85)
2013-2014 Ebook Bundle