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Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter – Fall Flowers Edition

HNS Newsletter Sept 2014 Fall Flowers Button

September 2014 – Fall Flowers

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.

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  • 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 September so be sure to download it before 9/30/14.

Remember! All of the archived and current newsletters are available as part of the Ultimate Naturalist Library…every level!

Contents of this edition of the newsletter include:

  • 3 fall flower related articles with loads of practical ideas
  • Nature Table ideas from a veteran Outdoor Hour Challenge participant
  • Spotlight Family – The Vels
  • Newsletter Contest – Mystery Photo
  • The next month’s selections for Preschool Nature Table
  • BRAND NEW! Mom’s Planning Page: Use this printable page to plan your month’s nature study. There is a place to create notes to remind you of ideas you want to implement and then reminders for year-long study projects, extra topics that come up during the month, and then to send in your entries for the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. See below!

Moms Planning Page September 2014

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.

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Summer Cattail Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge Summer Cattail Study @handbookofnaturestudy

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

This week we are going to use our senses and do a little cattail observation! Make sure to click over to the original challenge to see the list in the Train Your Senses section to get some ideas for your family to try. Also in the challenge, make sure to read the lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study. If you already started a year-long cattail study, revisit your spring spot and note the changes.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Summer Series: Cattail Observations

Special Activity: Pond Study Grid and Bookmark Printable

As a bonus for this challenge I am including the Summer Pond Study notebook page and the Pond Study Grid from the August 2011 Newsletter!

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #3.  This week you should take a trip to your cattail patch and make some drawings. You can use a blank page in your nature journal or use the notebook page included in the ebook.

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Summer Frog Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge Summer Frog Study @handbookofnaturestudy

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

This week we are going to do a summer frog study using the Outdoor Hour Challenge. Here is a link to the original challenge for you to use for ideas and suggestions for your family’s frog study:

Summer Amphibian Study: Frogs

Use the activities in Lesson 47 in the Handbook of Nature Study to learn more about frogs.

Printable Activity: Seasonal Pond Study Notebook Page


Use this notebook page to record your spring pond study observations and then revisist your pond in each season to compare plants, insects, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
Printable Seasonal Pond Study Notebook Page

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #10. Take a picnic lunch to a near-by pond and combine your frog study and a little pond study after you have a little something to eat. Food always tastes better when you eat it outdoors! Use the notebooking page in the ebook as a follow up to your outdoor time if you wish.

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Snake Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

This may be a challenging study for many of you but from my experience I can tell you that you may be surprised when an opportunity to view a snake up close comes along. In any account, you can use this snake nature study to prepare for a future snake sighting.

  • Spring Snake Study using the Outdoor Hour Challenge: Use the ideas in this challenge to learn more about your local snake population. In my area we only have a few kinds of snakes so we listed them in our nature journals as a reference. This may give you a way to complete this study without actually seeing a snake.
  • April 2013 Newsletter – If you have access to this newsletter, there are some ideas and printables for you to use in your snake nature study, including a Reptiles and Amphibians nature study grid.

Special Activity: Field Trip-Amphibians and Reptiles

Use this free printable activity while on a field trip to a place in your local area that has reptiles and/or amphibians. This could be a zoo, pet store, nature center, or local park. Instructions are included on the bottom to create a mini-book to complete and then to attach in your nature journal.
Free Printable Amphibian and Reptile Field Trip Mini-Book

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #2. Make sure to take your 10-15 minute outdoor excursion to spend some time outdoors this week. After you walk, help your child with finding words to describe their experience, whether they observed a snake or not. Use the accompanying notebook page to record your outdoor time.

Note: You can find the Getting Started ebook in all levels of membership here at the Handbook of Nature Study.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Cat Nature Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

We are going to have some fun with cats this week! Make sure to read the section in the Handbook of Nature Study for loads of ideas to try with your family cat or a neighborhood cat.

  • Spring Mammal Study – Cats: Make sure to use the free mammal notebook page linked in this entry and also check out the free cat unit on Homeschool Share.
  • You will also find a Nature Journal Topper prompt in the May 2014 Newsletter that will give you an idea for studying cats.
  • If you have access to the November 2012 Newsletter, you will find additional ideas for a mammal study, including the printable mammal study grid.

Printable Notebook Pages

Printable Notebook Pages

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #8. Use a magnifying lens to example your cat. Look at the various parts suggested in the Handbook of Nature Study and then record your observations in your nature journal or on the accompanying notebook page.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

Note: You can find the Getting Started ebook in all levels of membership here at the Handbook of Nature Study.

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Wildflowers/Dandelions

Outdoor Hour Challenge Spring Dandelion Study @handbookofnaturestudy

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

This week we are going to get started with a spring wildflower or dandelion nature study challenge! This is always a favorite study and I look forward to seeing how your family completes some of the ideas in the following challenges. As always, if you don’t have any wildflowers or dandelions, take a walk anyway and see what you can find or talk about the up-coming wildflower season to create some enthusiasm. See the ideas below for a dandelion hunt.

Printable Wildflower Photo Hunt Activity

Special Activity: Dandelion Hunt

This month’s newsletter includes a page of Nature Journal Toppers. One of the suggested activities outlines some ideas for observing a dandelion that you may find during your outdoor time and then creating a nature journal page with all your measurements and comparisons.

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #6. You can work on your nature table collection or pressed flower collection this week as part of your follow-up time. See the ideas in this challenge from the Getting Started ebook for more ideas and a custom notebooking page.

Note: You can find the Getting Started ebook in all levels of membership here at the Handbook of Nature Study.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Bird Observations

Outdoor Hour Challenge Spring Bird Observations @handbookofnaturestudy

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

This week we can start a spring season of bird watching, recording our observations in our nature journals. Keep it simple and light by taking some time to go outdoors and observing the birds in your neighborhood.

Here is the link to the challenge from the archives:

Spring Birds Observations: This entry includes a wonderful link to All About Birds which will show you four keys to identifying birds. I think you will find it helpful.

You might like to also have this awesome link: Feeder Birds Coloring Book-Make sure to download and save the PDF so you will have it when you need it!

Special Activity: Life List Printable

Bird Life List Printable
Here is a simple printable to use in your nature journal to keep an on-going list of birds you observe and identify.

Blog Logo 1Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #4. If you own the ebook, you can use the printable to record your bird focus.

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Weather Observations

 

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
This week use the ideas in the challenges listed to make some simple Spring Weather Observations. 

 Spring Weather (2010) –Suggested Observations
  • Have your children describe any clouds they see in the sky.
  • Notice how hard the wind is blowing by how things are moving: leaves rustling, trees bending, etc.
  • Notice the wind’s direction. Where is it coming from?
  • Describe the temperature of the air and/or look it up on a thermometer.
  • Notice any precipitation that you may have this week: sprinkles, rain, mist, sleet, snow, fog, hail.

Printable Notebook Page: 
During your seasonal weather observations, take a photo of something that shows your current weather conditions. Better yet, let your children take the images and then print them out for a personalized nature journal entry. This can be done in each season and recorded in your nature journal’s seasonal section.

Printable Notebook Page:My Seasonal Weather.

Nature in Verse by Mary Lovejoy is a whole year’s worth of poetry organized by seasons. You can click the link and scroll to the table of contents. Look for any poems that relate to spring. Read some aloud to your children and perhaps pick a line or two to copy onto a nature journal page.

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #3.  Make sure to read the pages in the Handbook of Nature Study for this challenge. We all need reminders about how to encourage our children in their nature journals. Along with a sketch, your child can add a verse or two of spring poetry to their nature journal. Keep it simple and light…

 


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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Tree Observations

 

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
Apple Trees in Spring –See some of the ideas below or click over to the original Outdoor Hour Challenge for more in-depth ideas for a study of an apple tree.

Suggested Observations for the Handbook of Nature Study, page 664 and 666
How tall is your tree?
How thick is its trunk?
What color is the bark?
Does the trunk divide into large branches or does it extend up through the center of the head?
Study the bud of the apple blossom.
Sketch an open apple blossom. How many petals? What is the shape of the flower?

Spring (Spring 2010 Ebook)  You can use the ideas in this challenge to start or continue a year-long tree study of your choice.

You may also like to read this entry for additional simple ideas to get you started:
For the Love of Trees

Special Activity:

Four Seasons Tree Photo Project:
To accompany this challenge, print these notebook page for your nature journal and attach a photo of your tree in each season.

Four Seasons Tree Photo Project Notebook Page: One page for each season’s observations and a photo or sketch.

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #10. I hope everyone is starting to see some signs of spring this week. Perhaps a simple picnic during the day during your tree study time might be nice. Use the accompanying notebook page to record your picnic time observations. 
  

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First Day of Spring Activities

March 20, 2014

Can you believe we are almost to the first day of spring for 2014? Our winter here in California was so warm and dry and it will be interesting to see how the spring season goes. Will it be warm? Will it rain at all? We will have to wait and see!

Take a few minutes on the first day of spring to record some weather related observations. You can use the printable notebook page below or you can record your observations right into your nature journal on its own page.
First Day of Spring 2012 notebook page

Have you had an unusual weather year so far?
Weather Record Chart
I was thinking our family may start a daily record of the weather just to observe the statistics over time. We have done this in the past and it always proves to be a great way to focus some attention on weather as part of our nature study. This page can then go into a nature journal once completed for future reference. (See this entry: Dry December Leading Into a Dry January.)

Perhaps you are not seeing the start of spring just yet. I know many around the country have had record amounts of snow and long, long days of cold temperatures (like my son in New York).You can use the notebook page below to record any signs of spring.

I invite you to complete one of the ideas above and share your experiences with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Make sure to send in your entries before 3/30/14.