Category: Autumn Series

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Seasonal Tree Study and Leaf Comparisons

I don’t usually enjoy the fall season…it is a melancholy time for me. I love the barefoot days of summer and the hot afternoons working in the garden or swimming in the pool.  I would much rather be hiking in the green, green hills with wildflowers blooming at my side in the springtime. The promise of spring and the activity of summer are much more likely to gain my vote for “favorite season”. Winter is the enduring time, the time for preparing for spring and summer.

Autumn days are soon filled with colored leaves, falling leaves, and raking leaves. It seems to creep up slowly but then you wake up one morning to find that the leaves are starting to turn colors…..oranges, reds, yellows, golds, purples.

Leaves on maple 10 10
Observing autumn trees and looking close though, you will see spring’s leaves preparing for the winter.

So here we are in the middle of our autumn challenges and making the best of what the season has to offer. We gathered a few leaves to compare and my son reminded me that we did an in-depth study of leaves and their parts as part of our biology study.

Botany notebook page 1
I went to the shelf and pulled out his biology notebook and his nature journal and we thumbed through to find our completed study.

So now what could we do to learn more about leaves?

Tree Study Leaves on copier
First of all, I shared with my son the idea that I gleaned from Amy at The Teachable Heart and her family’s study of autumn leaves. She actually color copied the leaves for their nature journals and they looked wonderful. I thought maybe we could do the same for our tree and other fall leaves that we were comparing just for a change in our journals.

We had already decided to choose another tree to study for a year-long tree study, the birch tree in our backyard. We gathered a few leaves and took a closer look at the tree while we were out there.

Tree Study Birch 10 10
Welcome to our new tree for the year! We are excited to see what we can learn by looking at and comparing this tree to our previous tree study subjects.

Tree Study Birch 10 10 leaves
These catkins are such interesting things to look at and we looked up some more information in our tree guide after our outdoor time.

Leaves with loupe
We brought some inside to look at with our loupes and to draw in detail in our nature journals.

Dandelion leaves 10 10
While we were out we looked at several other kinds of leaves….the dandelion growing in my pot is such an interesting shape in comparison to our tree leaves.

Broccoli leaves 10 10
How about these leaves on the broccoli? Amazing gray-green color.

Leaves on coleus 10 10
Our coleus is still giving us blazing amounts of color in the container garden on the deck. It makes me happy just to look at these leaves.

It had to go in my nature journal.

Coleus leaf in My Nature Journal
Watercolor pencils are fun to work with in your nature journals and we always have a set sitting on or near our work area table. It is easy to sketch quickly and then come back later to add water and details.

I will end my entry here since this journal is getting quite long. We are enjoying the connections between our biology study and our nature study using the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

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Apples-Autumn Series Challenge Day

Autumn came this past weekend to our world and we awoke to sprinkles of rain on the ground. It wasn’t much so we didn’t let it cancel our plans to head up early to the apple orchards to find some apples to sample and use as part of our apple challenge.

Apple Doughnuts
Our traditional autumn outing always starts off with apple cider doughnuts….there are plain, glazed, crumb, and cinnamon spice varieties to enjoy along with your big cup of steaming hot coffee. The crumb doughnuts were the first to be eaten. We were early enough to have a good spot to sit to eat and enjoy the mountain air.

Apples in Bins High Hill Ranch
Then the real business of the day was at hand, choosing a few new kinds of apples to try. We were disappointed that they did not have Honey Crisp to purchase since I had read on several blogs about their wonderful taste. In the end, we settled on Empire, Jonagold, and Mutsu.

Apple Varieties

Empire is a cross between Red delicious and McIntosh.
Jonagold is a cross between a Jonathan and a Golden Delicious.
Mutsu is also known as the Crispin.

Our official taste tests were interrupted when we decided to make the Mutsu apples into a pastry dessert. Mr. B had already created a wonderful dessert a few months ago with some apples and he repeated his recipe for us to enjoy again.

Apples in Bins at High Hill
We compared the sizes, colors, shapes, and tastes of the apples, noting the seed patterns, the skin textures, and the skin thicknesses as we cut and peeled the apples for the pastry and some applesauce.

Granny Smiths in Bins
Some of the apples were so large that they would be a complete meal all by themselves! My dear husband announced that although he enjoyed the new varieties that we picked out, he still loves the Granny Smith for eating the best. Go figure.

This was a delicious challenge for our family and we learned a little more about the different local varieties of apples available for eating and baking.

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We are on the Edge of Autumn

Busy Squirrel

Caught in the act of climbing up to the birdfeeder…this squirrel is a permanent resident in our backyard. He and a friend have totally stripped the walnut tree of any nuts.

Walnut Shells

Here is what my sidewalk looks like under the walnut tree…nothing but shells and casings. What a mess! This is the second year in a row that the squirrels have eaten all the nuts.

10 3 10 walking trail Fall Color

There is finally a little color along our regular walking trail and those are clouds in the sky but there was no rain. My daughter Amanda had to take a trip over the Sierra this week and she said that the trees up on the pass are just starting to turn colors…mostly aspens. We may need to take a drive up their next weekend.

10 3 10 walking trail Wild grapes

We saw lots of these wild grapes far up over the walking trail. They look so good and we wondered if they would be sweet or tart. There was no way to reach them since they were far up in the trees where they reach the sunlight. So I will be satisfied with recreating this photo in my nature journal this week since I love the colors of the leaves and grapes and the shape of the leaves is awesome.

Hummingbird at the feeder

One last photo that really isn’t a sign of autumn but I thought it was fun to catch this hummingbird stopping by to sip at our feeder. We have had a bunch of hummingbirds this summer and I even hung another feeder because there was always a fight happening at the two we already had.

Yesterday we worked in the garden and completed the initial fall clean up. There is still some life out there and a few tomatoes and peppers to ripen up. I composted a bit in one box and I will be planting some peas, spinach, and lettuce later today and hopefully we will have another crop before the winter weather hits.

I think we will take a trip to the apple orchard this week if all my boys are recovered from their cold/flu from last week. Nothing like the thoughts of a little apple pie to perk up a sick boy! Of course we will be tasting different varieties of apples as part of the apple challenge….research of course. 🙂

Have a great weekend.

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Our Family OHC #2 Geese and Ducks

We had quite a few false starts on this particular challenge. A couple times we planned to go out after dinner but it is getting dark so early these days that we decided it was too late to go once the dishes were done. Then one of the boys was sick and wasn’t up to going.

Thursday was the day! We went in the afternoon before dinner and we were able to see some geese and ducks.Usually there are more ducks than geese but this particular time there seemed to be more geese.

Geese and Ducks 9 30 10 (9)

No Canada Geese this week but we did find these white geese at our local duck pond.There were a few mallard ducks hanging out with the geese as you can see in the background of this photo.

Geese and Ducks 9 30 10 (15)

Their necks are so very long that they can do amazing maneuvers like this!

Geese and Ducks 9 30 10 (10)

There were a few gray geese like this one as well. They would flap their wings and you could glimpse at how long they were. I love the way when he stood still his feet were on top of each other…really big feet! This guy is definitely going into my nature journal.

Geese and Ducks 9 30 10 (16)

The goose in the background shows how they stand on the dry land and poke around in the edges of the pond to find something to eat.

Geese and Ducks 9 30 10 (1)
The ducks floated out onto the water and did the bottoms up technique instead.

We were able to make quite a few observations on this trip because there were not too many people around to distract the birds from doing their own thing. We just stood on the bridge and watched the geese and fairly soon they totally ignored us and went about their business of preening, eating, and honking.

We are heading out to the river today to do some kayaking so maybe we will see some Canadian geese there…I will update if we do.

If you are interested in more bird challenges, you can look on the right sidebar of my blog and see a whole series of bird challenges listed there for you to choose from. Enjoy!

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Autumn 2010 OHC #2: Birds-Geese and Ducks


Autumn Series #2
Bird Study: The Goose

“And there is not a more interesting sight anywhere in the autumn landscape than the wedge-shaped flock of these long-necked birds with their leader at the front apex.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 133

Inside Preparation Work:
1. Read pages 130-135 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson 34). Take special note of the fact that the northern migration of wild geese takes place in April and May, and the southern journey is from October to December. (Check this website for a map of where Canada Geese live in North America.)

2. Listen to the sound of Canada Geese and Snow Geese. Many times we will hear a goose before we see it flying overhead. Use your sense of hearing to help you identify a goose when the opportunity arises.

Comparison Ideas:

Compare a Goose to a Duck
  • What do ducks eat and what do geese eat? (Hint: Where do they look for food?)
  • Compare the duck’s and the goose’s beak, the length of their legs, and the shape of their necks.
  • Compare the color of their feathers, beak, eyes, and feet.
  • Do they both swim in the same way? How about flying?
  • Are there some feathers on the ground to observe and compare?
  • What does each bird sound like?
  • Are they friendly, shy, or aggressive?

Outdoor Hour Time:
Take the opportunity during this challenge to find a local duck pond and check to see if there are any geese visiting at this time. You also might try a local farm that may have geese and ducks for you to observe. Use your Outdoor Hour time to observe geese and/or ducks with the suggestions from the Handbook of Nature Study as well as those suggested above. Help your child to find words to compare the goose to some other bird they already know as far as shape, size, and habits.

If you do not have any geese or ducks to observe, you can observe any of your backyard birds and make some comparisons. This activity is one that can be done with any bird at any time. Work on your observation skills a little each week to sharpen your child’s awareness of their own surroundings.

Follow-Up Activity:
Take a few minutes to talk briefly about what you saw during your Outdoor Hour time. If you observed geese and/or ducks, use the gentle reminder questions in the list above to stimulate a little conversation. Your child can also record their observations in their own blank nature journal or use the notebook page from the ebook for convenience. You may wish to pull up the website listed in the preparation work to view more photos of geese to make sketching a little easier. In the Autumn 2010 ebook, there is a printable notebook page for a goose and another more general page for an autumn bird study of any bird.

If you did not observe a goose or duck, you can still complete a nature journal page or notebook page for any bird you did observe. Use your field guide or AllAboutBirds.org to glean more information if desired.

 

Note: This nature study challenge can be found in the Autumn 2010 ebook.

If you would like to own this ebook, it is part of the Ultimate Naturalist Library for members. You can find more details on how to get your own membership here: Join Us!

Autumn 2010 Cover ImageUltimate Ebook Library @handbookofnaturestudy

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OHC Autumn Series #1: September 21, 2010 Afternoon

Yellow and Orange mosaic

OHC Autumn Series #1: Nature Journals

We took advantage of a perfect sunny warm afternoon to spend some time enjoying our backyard. I decided to focus on the colors of yellow and orange for my nature study time. I used my camera to record the many shades of yellow and orange that are visible in our garden. These colors are really starting to pop and it was an easy assignment.

Mr. A wandered around the yard with his dog Kona, trying to find something to be interested in. He observed some sort of beetle on the concrete before it escaped under the pincushion plant. He found a spot in the yard where we think the squirrels are making a stash of walnuts…it is either the squirrels or the Scrub jays. We looked at the leaves on the sweet gum trees. He picked some strawberries and I picked some tomatoes.

It was just a nice few minutes outdoors…since this is his last official year of homeschooling I try to savor all the moments we spend together. I asked if he would like to sketch something for his journal and he sort of gave me one of those unenthusiastic teenage looks but then I noticed he had his journal and was outside for a little while longer.

Trumpet vine nature journal (1)

Sitting on the lawn he sketched a trumpet vine blossom for his journal. The words of the Handbook of Nature Study echoed in my head and I didn’t push him to make it fancy or add to the entry in any way. The nature journal is his record and not mine.

I have received quite a few emails asking me what kind of journal I prefer to work in to record our entries. I have used several different kinds but my favorite is a small spiral-bound book with sketch paper.

nature journal (2)
I have to admit that I do use it for watercolors so the pages bend up a little when they dry. I think it adds to the charm of the finished product. If a painting makes the page curl up too much, I just don’t sketch on the back of it and leave it blank. (Yes, that is a feather sticking out of the side of the journal…what can I say?)

Here is a link to what we are using now:
Strathmore Sketch 400 Series 5.5″ x 8.5″, 100
sheets

I also have a three ring binder that I add to when I use notebooking pages or I want to save large items like bigger pressed flowers. The binder is my catch-all for things that don’t get recorded in my sketch journal.

Maybe tomorrow I can ask Mr. B to go outside with me and we can have another adventure in our backyard.

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Signs of Autumn Challenge and Notebook Page

Outdoor Hour Challenge Signs of Autumn with printable @handbookofnaturestudy

Updated 2017: This challenge was originally written for the first day of autumn 2010 but it can easily be done on any day and in any year. I hope you enjoy learning more about your early autumn world using the ideas and the printable in this challenge.

It is really hard to believe that it is already time for the fall color and fall weather. We have had an unusual summer as far as weather and growing seasons so it should be interesting to see how the autumn months unfold.

As a way to get us thinking about the change of the seasons with our children, here is a bonus challenge you can complete on the first day of Autumn, September 22nd, 2010.


Some signs to look for:

  • Dry grass and weeds
  • Seeds
  • Wildflowers-thistles, goldenrod
  • Birds eating at feeders or flying overhead to migrate
  • Chilly morning temperatures or dew on the grass
  • Fruit ripe on trees
  • Insects or webs
  • Nuts, acorns, or berries
  • Clouds and wind

Signs of Autumn Notebook Page

You can use the Signs of Autumn notebook page  to record your signs of autumn or you can use your own nature journal. I put together a Squidoo Lens from last year’s autumn nature/art study where you might glean some more information and inspiration this season.

 

Yhttps://naturestudyhomeschool.com/2012/07/for-love-of-trees-year-long-tree-study.html/

Here are some ideas from year-long nature study topics we have done in the past:

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Autumn 2010 OHC #1: Nature Journals

Outdoor Hour Challenge - Nature Journal Getting Started
Welcome to the New Series of Challenges!

Autumn Series #1
Nature Journal-How To Get Started

“A field notebook may be made a joy to the pupil and a help to the teacher.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 13

Inside Preparation Work:

  • Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 13-15 (The Field Notebook). In this section Anna Botsford Comstock helps us with a detailed description of her idea of a field notebook or nature journal. She also states that if done properly “they represent what cannot be bought or sold, personal experience in the happy world of out-of-doors”. Make note of any suggestions you want to implement with your children.
  • Read page 17 in the Handbook of Nature Study (The Correlation of Nature Study and Drawing). Highlight the points that will help you with your nature journals. “Too much have we emphasized drawing as an art; it may be an art, if the one who draws is an artist; but if he is not an artist, he still has a right to draw if it pleases him to do so.”
  • Decide what kind of nature journal or nature notebook you will be keeping for this series of challenges. Some families prefer a blank journal to record sketches, words, and images. With this series of challenges there are notebook pages provided for each challenge and these can be inserted into a three ring binder. Some families combine blank pages with notebook pages to give variety to their nature journals and keep it in three ring binder as well. If you would like more ideas about nature journals, examples of pages, and links to more resources, you can visit my Hubpage for more information: Nature Journals-Tips for Simple Journals.

Outdoor Hour Time:
For this challenge you are going to spend 15 minutes outdoors with your children in your own yard. Take a walk around your yard or down your own street. Enjoy being outdoors. Look up at the sky, look under rocks, listen carefully for sounds, touch some leaves, sit in the grass, stand under a tree, smell a flower, collect some acorns, and just see what happens. Remember you are building your child’s powers of observation and trying to stir up some interest. Keep your words and attitude positive. If you have younger children you may need start off with just 5 minutes of outdoor time for nature study but you can gradually build up to 15 minutes or more.

“She should say frankly, ‘I do not know; let us see if we cannot together find out this mysterious thing.’ She thus conveys the right impression, that only a little about the intricate life of plants and animals is yet know; and at the same time she makes her pupils feel the thrill and zest of investigation. Nor will she lose their respect if she does it in the right spirit.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 4

Follow-Up Activity:
After you come inside, take a few minutes to follow up on any interest your child has from his observations outdoors. Listen and take note of any future nature study subjects you can cultivate from their comments. Offer to help them sketch something they observed into their nature journal and help them find a few words to describe their outdoor time. Start small and as time passes your child will have more and more to record in their journals. You can use the general notebook page provided in the Autumn 2010 ebook or your own blank nature journal to record your outdoor time.

If you would like, pull out your Handbook of Nature Study and see if the item your child is interested in is listed in the index. If it is, look up the information for yourself and then relate interesting facts to the children sometime during the next week. You can also look up information at the public library and share some books on their topic of interest. Remember it is okay to say that you don’t know the answer to a question they have but you can model how to find the answer as you gain confidence in your own nature study knowledge.

 

Note: This nature study challenge can be found in the Autumn 2010 ebook. 

If you would like to own this ebook, it is part of the Ultimate Naturalist Library for members. You can find more details on how to get your own membership here: Join Us!

Autumn 2010 Cover ImageUltimate Ebook Library @handbookofnaturestudy

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Autumn Nature Study Ebook (2010 Version)

Autumn Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour ChallengesAutumn 2010 Nature Study cover

The Autumn Nature Study ebook includes:

  • 10 Outdoor Hour Challenges-7 new challenges and 3 continuing studies (Seasonal Tree, Weather, and Queen Anne’s Lace). All the Outdoor Hour Challenges in this ebook are based on the Handbook of Nature Study and include page numbers and suggested learning observations. The three on-going studies are totally revamped with an autumn focus and they will inspire you to continue in your year-long studies that you started in previous seasons.
  • New to this series of challenges is the focus on learning to compare and contrast using a Venn Diagram. Full instructions and a notebook page are included.
  • 16 Outdoor Hour Challenge notebook pages and nature journal suggestions.
  • 4 optional coloring pages.
  • Ideas for field trips other than your normal Outdoor Hour Challenge backyard adventures.
  • Links for further enrichment for many of the challenges.
  • Complete list of resources and instructions to get started with this ebook.
  • Download and view a sample:Autumn 2010 Nature Study Ebook Sample.
  • 43 pages.
  • Topics include: Geese, Horses, Apple, Seasonal Tree/Leaves, Queen Anne’s Lace, Trout and Salmon, Seasonal Weather Comparison, Pine Cones, November World

You will have a complete plan at your fingertips for your autumn nature study when the opportunities arise. The ebook gives you links and resources to find most of the information online, including the Handbook of Nature Study.

Autumn Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenges
Contains all the challenges, custom notebook pages, resource links, and coloring pages for nature study.

If you have any questions, please email me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.

 

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Field Notebook List -Last of the Autumn Series of Challenges

We have quite a list of subjects from out Field Notebook List to study over the next month or so. The last Autumn Series Challenge was a great way to wind up our autumn nature study and the reading reminded me of some important thoughts from Anna Botsford Comstock.

Here is our narrowed down list:

Geese
1. Wild geese – We have never studied the Canadian Geese that fly overhead and make their home in the pond and lake near-by. (section in the Handbook of Nature Study)

2. Sequoia tree – We have a sequoia tree in our yard and we have never done a complete study of it and it is high time we do so. (not in the Handbook of Nature Study)

3. Ferns -we know of at least two different ferns on our walking trail and we would like to identify and then sketch them into our nature journals. (included in the HNS)

Mullein 2

4. Mullein – We allowed our mullein to grow in the flower bed this summer and it is very, very tall. In fact, it is still blooming in November! It will be interesting to use the Handbook of Nature Study to learn more about this plant that grows naturally in our backyard.

I think that should give us ample material to fill in on those days we cannot go outdoors for our nature study.

Have you made your list?

Barb-Harmony Art Mom