Autumn Series Archives

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Step by Step Instructions for the Outdoor Hour Challenge as of September 2016

Here are some more detailed instructions for using the Outdoor Hour Challenge in your home for the up-coming school year. These are hopefully going to clear up any questions you have about how to proceed and what resources are needed and which ones are optional.

Specific Steps

Receive my monthly newsletter on the 1st of the month. The newsletter comes to email subscribers on the first of each month. You can subscribe HERE. When you subscribe in the middle of the month, you will receive the current newsletter link in your confirmation email.
In the newsletter, view the printable planner page for the four topics for the up-coming month. If the topic is from the archives, I provide the link to the challenge 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.
Print out any activities you wish to complete with your family. Keep these handy!
To go more in depth, members will be using two ebooks for the autumn and winter seasons: More Nature Study Autumn and More Nature Study Winter. These two ebooks are included in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Members 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.

You can use the free monthly newsletter along with the Handbook of Nature Study book for your nature study. Adding a membership gives you access to the Ultimate Naturalist Library’s ebooks and printables which provide members with even more in-depth studies each month.

Resources Needed:
1. Free Monthly Newsletter so you have the topic, the challenge ideas ahead of time, and the newsletter printables. Subscribe HERE.
2. Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock ISBN: 978-0801493843
3. Highly recommended: Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.
4. Highly recommended: Nature journal or nature notebook.

Those four things are going to allow you a lot of opportunities for relaxed nature study in your own backyard with simple follow up activities if desired.

Use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

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Posted on August 8, 2016 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge Plans for Autumn and Winter

I know many of you are starting your school year shortly and I thought it might be helpful to share my plans for the Outdoor Hour Challenge for the up-coming autumn and winter seasons. This is a period in my life when keeping things simple is my primary goal. In meditating on what to do for the autumn and winter seasons as far as nature study, I decided it would be interesting and fun to work back through some nature study topics found in the archives.

This will free my time up to pursue a new series of Outdoor Hour Challenges to be published next spring!

Newsletter

Just a note to those who have asked- I am going to continue the Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter again this year! I would love to have some help writing articles so if you haven’t already heard from me about contributing to the newsletter, please email me or leave me a comment here with your contact information and I will explain how to submit an article.

Autumn 2016 Plans

Use the More Nature Study – Autumn ebook from the archives. Work through all of the topics and share our experiences. You can access this ebook in the Ultimate Naturalist Library if you are a member. It is not absolutely necessary to have the ebook but it does have custom notebooking pages for both regular and advanced learners. Please click over and read the entry that lists all of the ebook’s contents.

Winter 2016 Plans

Use the More Nature Study – Winter Wonder ebook from the archives. This book is part of the Ultimate Naturalist Library for members. Again, it is not a requirement that you have the ebook but it is very convenient and helpful to have access to the challenges and the custom notebooking pages as we work through the series of nature study challenges.

Use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

Plus! I am reinstating the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival but instead of monthly it will be quarterly.

Here are the carnival dates:

November 1, 2016
February 1, 2017
May 1, 2017
August 1, 2017

All nature study type entries can be submitted, preferably entries that highlight the Outdoor Hour Challenge and Handbook of Nature Study newsletter activities. Deadline for entries for the first carnival will be 10/26/16. You can send in your entries to harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

You can grab one of the OHC Carnival buttons from this entry for your blog if you would like to share this event. A link back to this blog would be much appreciated. https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/

If you have any questions or comments about the plans, please feel free to email me or leave a comment here on the blog. harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Late Autumn Color – From My Window

Said the leaves upon the branches,

One sunny autumn day,

“We have finished all our work, and now

We can no longer stay;

So our gowns of red and yellow,

And our cloaks of sober brown

Must be worn before the frost comes,

And we go rustling down…”

-by Margaret E. Sangster

I have been attempting to take a photo of my front yard from my office window each month for comparing. This was an idea that came from Alex over at Life on a Canadian Island when she shared her photos each month with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. I looked back through my images and I found that I have been fairly successful in capturing an image each month. I thought today would be a great day to share a few of the pictures with you because they show the autumn colors we have finally experienced.

This is from March 2015 back when everything looked so neat a tidy. You can see the daffodils and the forsythia are the stars of the show.

This one is from August 2015. The butterfly bushes and the sage have taken over and are created shelter for the birds, bees, and butterflies.

This was from the beginning of November 2015. The dogwood tree, the redbud, and the butterfly bushes are all starting to take on their autumn colors.

This is the view out the other window in my office…looking out into the Chinese pistache trees. I love having these trees in our yard because there are many birds that are attracted to them at this time of the year. I get to see flickers, robins, starlings, and bluebirds as they hover and perch around the nutlets that are crimson red on this tree.

Now this week we have had hail twice and it has changed the look of the view out my living room window. I spend lots of time observing the birdfeeders from this particular window and since we trimmed a few of the butterfly bushes and the lavender and the yarrow I have a clearer view of who is visiting.

If you would like to read more about starting a window study or any year long nature study, members can look at the July 2014 edition of the Handbook of Nature Study newsletter. There are quite a few ideas and suggestions in that issue. Or, you can start a year-long tree study by using the ideas in this entry: Four Seasons Tree Study Photo Project.

You might also like these nature color ideas:

Color Cards – These printable cards are perfect for younger students.

Signs of Autumn – Printable notebook page.

November World – November in your own backyard activities and printable.

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Posted on November 13, 2014 by Barb — 14 Comments

Fall Seed Walk – From Our World

On an absolutely beautiful autumn day, we hiked out to the river to enjoy the sunshine and fall colors. We were on the lookout for some fall seeds and we discovered a new flower!

I have no idea what this plant is but it was about four feet tall and was swaying in the breeze…waving us over to take a closer look. Aren’t these the prettiest little flowers?

Each branch ended with these delicate flowers and the stem of the plant was purplish red.

We also discovered a patch of evening primrose dispersed among the big boulders lining the river’s edge.

We also spied this massive mullein plant with its soft rosettes of leaves.

We were so distracted by the plants and flowers that we didn’t collect any seeds for our nature journal entry. I am thinking that it will take a change in the weather before I am inspired to collect seeds and sit down long enough to make a page for our fall seeds. Can you blame me?

Have you collected any seeds yet?

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Witch Hazel Tree Study

Inside Preparation Work:

Read the section in the Handbook of Nature Study on Witch Hazel found on pages 686-689(Lesson 190).
Find out if you have Witch Hazel as a native plant in your area by viewing this map: USDA Witch Hazel
Here is a video to help you identify a Witch Hazel in autumn Youtube video: Fall Blooming Witch Hazel
Here is an image of the seeds of a Witch Hazel. This blog entry has some amazing images of the Witch Hazel.
Advanced Study: Read these online articles for more in-depth information about the Witch Hazel: Witch Hazel and Witch Hazel.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Use your outdoor time this week to look at fall trees, looking in particular for the yellow strap-like flowers and nuts of the Witch Hazel. It might be fun to also include a Fall Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt using this printable from Hearts and Trees.
Take along your nature journals to sketch the Witch Hazel flower into your nature journal.
Advanced students: Make sure to look for the Witch Hazel nuts and find the seeds if possible. If possible, collect a few of the nuts to take home to discover just how far the seeds will fly once the nut opens up.

Follow-Up Activity:

Create a nature journal entry all about the Witch Hazel. Here are some things to include (or you can use the notebook page in the ebook:

Color and texture of the bark
Leaves, if any are present, noting the color.
Flower (see page 688 in the Handbook of Nature Study for a nice diagram of the flower)
Date of your observations and the location
Draw the Witch Hazel nut. Write how you think the seeds are thrown so far from the tree.

Advanced Study: Complete the notebooking page in the ebook using a field guide or the internet resources above.

Join us for this series of challenges every week here on the Handbook of Nature Study. If you want to purchase the Autumn Nature Study Continues ebook so you can follow along with all the notebooking pages, coloring pages, and subject images, you can join the Ultimate or Journey Membership Levels. See the Join Us page for complete information. Also, you can view the Autumn Nature Study Continues content list on the announcement page.

You can also submit any Outdoor Hour Challenge blog entry from October to the next edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival by sending the link directly to me by 10/29/14. Harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

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Posted on October 3, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Ash Tree Nature Study

Inside Preparation Work:

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 658-661 (Lesson #181). The lesson suggests starting an ash tree study in the fall and continuing it in the spring. Choose a few activities from the lesson to complete when you identify your ash tree.
Learn about tree bark: Parts of a Tree.
How to Identify an Ash: http://youtu.be/2CE3zvSuZqE

Outdoor Hour Time:

Use your outdoor time this week to take a closer look at tree bark. If you have an ash tree in your yard or local area, make sure to notice the particular look of the bark.
You can also look at the ash tree’s seeds using the suggested observations from the lesson (#3).
Take a rubbing of a tree’s bark or sketch it in your nature journal.
Advanced study: Compare the bark of three trees. Use your senses: sight, touch, smell.

Follow-Up Activity:

Discuss the role of the tree’s bark as a means of protection. Afterwards, create a journal entry for one of the trees you observed during your outdoor time. You can use either one of the notebook pages in the ebook if you wish. Younger children can use the Mountain ash coloring page or the White ash coloring page (included in the ebook).
Advanced study: Research the Emerald Ash Borer to learn how this insect is killing ash trees in the U.S. and Canada. Here are a few links to information on this invasive species: Woodpeckers Feeding an Emerald Ash Borers, Emerald Ash Borer, and a video Emerald Ash Borer.
There is also an advanced notebook page for older students to use (in the ebook).

Note this is an affiliate link to a product I love.

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Barb — 3 Comments

Handbook of Nature Study – October 2014 Newsletter

October 2014 – Fall Trees

Please read the following explanation outlining how to get this month’s newsletter.

The newsletter link is not in this email but will come separately.

If you don’t receive the separate email with the download link, you probably aren’t subscribed to the blog yet. This will take less than a minute to do if you follow the steps below.

If you are a subscriber and you haven’t received your newsletter email yet, check your SPAM inbox. Some subscribers have found the email buried in SPAM inbox.

If you need to subscribe:

You will need to go to the Handbook of Nature Study, look to the top right corner for the box to type in your preferred email address, and then confirm the email that comes to your email inbox.
Once you subscribe, you will receive a thank you email from me with the download link.

This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of October so be sure to download it before 10/31/14.

Remember! All of the archived and current newsletters are available as part of the Ultimate Naturalist Library…every level! You may wish to download and use the October 2012 newsletter with additional autumn tree ideas and printables for your family.

Contents of this edition of the newsletter include:

3 fall tree related articles with loads of practical ideas
Tree book review
Nature journal idea tutorial
Nature Study Grid and Nature Journal Topper printable ideas
Coloring pages!
Spotlight Family – The Kordishes
Preschool nature table ideas and printables
Mom’s Planning Page: Use this printable page to plan your month’s nature study.

Please note that Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level members have access to members only printables each month in addition to the newsletter printables. You will need to log into your account and then go to the “Other Releases” section.

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Year-Long Study Reminders – Autumn Season

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

Year-Long Big Dipper Study – with free printable
Seasonal Cattail Study – with free printable
Seasonal Milkweed Study – with free printable notebook page
Year-Long Pond Study – with a free printable notebook page
Year-Long Queen Anne’s Lace Study and a free printable notebook page
Seasonal Autumn Tree Study – with free activity and notebook page
Year-Long Thistle Study
Teasel Study – start a year-long teasel study
Autumn Weather Study- free printable notebook page

You may wish to start a new year-long study this autumn using some of the ideas above. If you have a continuing year-long nature study project, don’t forget to put it on your calendar or you may forget to make your autumn observations. If you are using the new planning page from the newsletter, there is a box on each page to note the seasonal observations you wish to make during the month…we all need reminders!

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Teasel Weed Study

Make sure to have your outdoor time this week even if you don’t have any teasel to study. We don’t have any in our local area so we will be looking back on photos from past trips and also looking for local weeds and wildflowers to view.

Inside Preparation Work:

Read pages 539-542 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson 147). There is a lot to learn about this plant so read the narrative carefully for facts about the stem, leaves, and flowers that you can share when you observe your teasel.
Here is an interesting YouTube video on teasel: http://youtu.be/3-aEQYk3hs0 It is a little long and includes quite a bit about the medicinal properties of teasel so preview and share as much as you find helpful. This is another more academic video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/gCWDkkCJBnY
You can follow this link to see what kind of teasel you have in your state: USDA Teasel.
Ebook Users: Make sure to view the images in the ebook together with your child so you can will know what to look for.

Beware! The teasel plant has extremely sharp spines both on the flower head and on the stem. Take along a pair of heavy work gloves if you intend to touch the plant, cut it for your nature table, or bring it home to examine more closely.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Use your outdoor time this week to go on a teasel hunt.
If you find a teasel that is blooming, examine the pattern of blossoms. This is what makes this plant so interesting. The blossoms will begin at the middle!
Look for water in the little cups made at the base of the teasel leaves.
Allow time for an outdoor sketch of the teasel.
You may wish to record the location of your teasel plants so you can return to observe them during the winter to note the changes.
NOTE: If you don’t have teasel to observe, pick a different weed or wildflower to view during your outdoor time.

Follow-Up Activity:

Create a nature journal entry after discussing all of the teasel’s unique features. Ebook Users: You can use the notebook pages in the ebook for your entry. Younger children can use the coloring page.
Advanced Activity: Start a seasonal study of the teasel plant by starting a nature journal entry with a sketch and detailed description of your autumn teasel. Make a note to return to your teasel plant sometime in the winter to make a comparison and add to your nature journal entry.
Advanced Study: Take a look into this topic:Teasel. You might also like to read and view the images on this site: Teasel. For information on medicinal uses, you can view this page: Teasel Root. Add any information you find interesting to your nature journal page. If you are using the notebook page in the ebook, you can continue making notes on the back if you run out of room.

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Posted on September 5, 2014 by Barb — 1 Comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Salvia Flower Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Salvia Nature Study
Autumn Nature Study Continues Ebook

We are starting off our new Autumn Nature Study Continues series with the study of a beautiful bee-loving plant, salvia. This is a great garden plant or one you can actually grow nicely in a pot on a patio or deck.

Please note that if you don’t have any salvia to study this week….pick another garden flower and create an “autumn flower” nature journal page instead. See the ideas listed below for some ideas on how to accomplish a simple and fun flower study with your family.

Inside Preparation Work:

Read pages 579-581 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson 161). Make sure to read the Leading Thought to get the focus of your study in mind. Pick any of the suggested activities to learn more about the salvia flower.
Make sure to go to the images for Salvia at the end of the ebook. You will see a bee on a salvia flower gathering his nectar. Here is an additional short YouTube video: http://youtu.be/XSAYCKvaM8g
There are many varieties of salvia. Look at your local nursery for salvia for your garden or make plans to purchase some next spring. You can also look up your state’s native salvia plants by Googling “state name native plant salvia”. (I just purchased some salvia at my local Home Depot.)

Outdoor Hour Time:

Spend fifteen minutes this week exploring your early autumn garden. If you have some salvia (or really any flower) you can view in person, sit quietly and watch for any bees that might come to visit the flower.
Make sure to look at any flower you have access to this week, looking carefully at the structure of the flower. Note the bracts and calyx of each flower. (Other garden challenges and printables are found on the Garden Tab at the top of the website.)

Follow-Up Activity:

Pull out the Handbook of Nature Study and find the diagram on page 580 showing the blossom of the sage with the parts labeled. You will also see how the bee gets into the blossom to get the nectar.
Create a nature journal entry with a sketch of salvia and a caption.
Ebook Users: You can use the notebook page included. Younger children can use the coloring page. The advanced study notebook page will help you dig a little deeper into your study of salvia. There is also a bonus Autumn Flower Study notebook page to use with any flower your find during this challenge.
Advanced activity: Dissect a salvia flower, creating a journal page showing the flower parts labeled. Make sure to explain how a bee gathers its nectar from the salvia.
Additional Activity: Make it a fun flower study activity for your creative child! Put some garden flowers in a vase on a table along with sheets of paper, colored pencils, and magnifying lenses. Invite your child to make a sketch for their nature journal or to put on your nature table.

Note these are affiliate links to products I love!

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Category: Autumn Series

Outdoor Hour Challenge Plans for Autumn and Winter

Use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

Late Autumn Color – From My Window

Fall Seed Walk – From Our World

Have you collected any seeds yet?

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Witch Hazel Tree Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Ash Tree Nature Study

Year-Long Study Reminders – Autumn Season

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Teasel Weed Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Salvia Flower Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Salvia Nature Study
Autumn Nature Study Continues Ebook

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!

Have you collected any seeds yet?

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Salvia Nature Study Autumn Nature Study Continues Ebook

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Salvia Nature Study
Autumn Nature Study Continues Ebook