Posts

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Black Widow Nature Study

We are continuing our summer of “creepy things” nature study by studying the black widow spider. Use this lesson to learn in detail about the black widow spider. I’ve included information for both younger and more advanced students to capture your whole family’s attention with this nature study lesson.

An alternative nature study idea this week is to study spider webs.

Use these links to learn a little about the black widow:

I found this printable fact sheet for the Black Widow Spider to download. This link is perfect for younger students: Black Widow Spider. Here’s an additional link to information about the black widow: National Geographic.
This spider is venomous and will be painful if you handle it and get a bite! Watch this video to see a black widow up close and listen to the warnings and the advice given: Will It Bite?

See the Creepy Things ebook for more black widow nature study ideas and printables!

Print the Creepy Things ebook sample here: Creepy Things Ebook Sample

Please note that I will not be posting the complete challenge here on the blog, but you will find the detailed challenge in the Creepy Things ebook. It’s available both in the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level memberships. Sign into your account and download the ebook for the details, more links, and notebook pages.

If you don’t have a membership yet, click the graphic above and join today for immediate access to the 26 ebooks and so much more! Remember that all levels, even the Discovery level membership, include access to all of the archived newsletters!

Topics in this ebook include:

Banana slug
Tarantula
Black widow
Scorpion
Leech
Muskrat
Sphinx moth
Cicada
Millipede
Poison oak

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Tarantula Nature Study

This week’s brand new challenge is to learn more about the tarantula! It’s one mighty big spider that you may never encounter in person, but it is worth knowing a little about its features and habitat. There are plenty of complementary nature study ideas presented in the ebook challenge, so take a look at ways to include a few in your weekly nature study time.

Alternative nature study ideas include: spider webs, nighttime flashlight walk, field trip to a nature center, or researching the tarantula hawk.

Use these links to learn a little about the tarantula:

If you have an insect field guide, look up the tarantula to learn some facts for identifying this hairy spider. Use this link to learn more about the desert tarantula: Animal Diversity Web.
I love this YouTube video from Brave Wilderness that features the desert tarantula. He has such an appreciation for the beauty of this huge spider that I was able to watch the whole thing even though I have a little bit of arachnophobia. Giant Tarantula Shows Its Fangs.

See the Creepy things ebook for more tarantula nature study ideas and printables!

Please note that I will not be posting the complete challenge here on the blog, but you will find the detailed challenge in the Creepy Things ebook that’s available both in the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level memberships. Sign into your account and download the ebook for the details, more links, more videos, and notebook pages.

Would you like to see a sample challenge from the Creepy Things ebook? Here is a link to the complete banana slug nature study challenge for you to download: Creepy Things ebook sample-Banana Slugs.

If you don’t have a membership yet, you can click the graphic above and join today for immediate access to the 26 ebooks and so much more! Remember that all levels, even the Discovery level membership, include access to all of the archived newsletters!

Topics in this ebook include:

Banana slug
Tarantula
Black widow
Scorpion
Leech
Muskrat
Sphinx moth
Cicada
Millipede
Poison oak

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge Banana Slug Nature Study

Brand New Outdoor Hour Challenge – Banana Slug

Creepy Things series of challenges

This week we’re starting a new series of Outdoor Hour Challenges from the Creepy Things ebook! If you download the sample for this new ebook, it contains the Outdoor Hour Challenge for banana slugs!

Use this sample challenge to get you started with the new series:

Creepy Things ebook sample-Banana Slugs.

Our first creepy thing topic is the banana slug! We’ve encountered banana slugs on our hikes in the redwoods and at the California and Oregon coast. These creepy things are actually quite beautiful when you take a look at them up close. They move so slowly that you can avoid them if you want to, so they really aren’t to be feared as creatures. Learning how they play a vital role in keeping the forest floor clean and tidy is one way to show their value and necessity in the whole forest ecosystem.

Use these links to learn a little about the banana slug:

Do your research before you look for banana slugs. Here are some links to check out for information: Banana Slug-Creature Feature, Deep Look-Banana Slug and Animal Diversity Web-Banana Slugs.
Watch this informative video: Banana Slugs.

See the Creepy things ebook for more banana slug nature study ideas and printables!

Please note that I won’t be posting the complete challenge here on the blog, but you will find the detailed challenge in the Creepy Things ebook that’s available both in the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level memberships. Sign into your account and download the ebook for the details, more links, and notebook pages.

Topics in this ebook include:

Banana slug
Tarantula
Black widow
Scorpion
Leech
Muskrat
Sphinx moth
Cicada
Millipede
Poison oak

Use the discount code NATURESTUDYFUN for $10 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Herbs in a Child’s Garden

My youngest son has always included herbs in his square foot garden. Along with his veggies, he would include herbs like oregano, thyme, chives, and cilantro. He enjoyed watching them grow and harvesting them for meals.

Herbs not only taste good but they provide for a full sensory experience with very little effort.

Texture: soft sage, feathery dill, chives.
Fragrance: rosemary, dill, oregano, lavender, thyme, mint.
Sight: shiny basil, pretty flowers.

Most herbs will re-seed themselves each year so they make a perfect long term garden project for your children. They can learn a plants life cycle using herbs too!

You don’t need much space to grow an abundance of herbs. Try using a flower pot, window box, or recycled container. Add some nice soil, seeds, and then teach your child how to water and care for the herbs.

Herb Links for you to Check Out

Helpful Website: Herb Info Site

Pollinator Partnership: Enter your zip code to find out which eco-region you live in and then read all about how you can attract various pollinators to your yard by planting specific flowers. https://www.pollinator.org/guides
Gardening Projects for Kids—my review of a wonderful resource for you to use with your family

You may be interested in using my new herb nature study lessons in the very first Herb Ebook available here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Herbs offered in the Herb Ebook:

Cilantro
Basil
Bee Balm
Oregano
Dill
Thyme
Sage
Mint

Use the discount code NATURESTUDYFUN for $10 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Barb — 3 Comments

Creepy Things Series of Nature Study

Creepy Thing Ebook Cover image — Ultimate and Journey Level members can click this graphic to go directly to the library to download a copy of this new ebook. Make sure you are logged in and if you’re having trouble with your password, please leave me a comment or send me a direct email to receive my assistance. Email: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

Are you ready to learn about some creepy things? This Friday we’ll be starting the new series of nature study ideas that feature some of the “creepy things” you may have in your yard or neighborhood. I’m hoping that if you learn about these fascinating creatures and plants, you will no longer view them as creepy things but more as amazing things.

It’s the perfect time to join us each week for a brand new nature study lesson using the new ebook. (Don’t miss the discount code at the end of this blog entry.)

Here are the specific topics included in this ebook:

Banana slug
Tarantula/Tarantula hawk
Black Widow
Scorpion
Leech
Muskrat
Sphinx moth
Cicada
Millipede
Poison oak

How do you get the new Creepy Things ebook?

Members of the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey levels have access to the new ebook in their library. You need to click the “Members Area” button at the top of the website, sign into your account, and the ebook is there to download and save for your family to use when desired.

If you don’t have a membership yet, I’m offering a $10 off discount code that will be good towards your Ultimate Naturalist membership.

Discount Code: NATURESTUDYFUN

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge- Bristlecone Pine Nature Study

The bristlecone pine is a truly unique and amazing tree for a variety of reasons. For this challenge you will more than likely be using links and images to glean the interesting facts about the bristlecone pine rather than observing it up close in person.

Our family was able to hike to the bristlecone pines in Great Basin National Park a few years ago (see my account in this entry: Great Basin National Park). It took some effort but it was one that left an impression on us, the sense of time and the history that the trees have lived through. It also taught us that even in the harshest of environments, life can survive. What a metaphor for us right now!

Use these these links to learn a little about the bristlecone pine:

Look in your tree field guide for the bristlecone pine. If you need to use an online resource, check out these websites: National Park Service-Bristlecone Pine or Bristlecone Pine PDF.
You will learn a lot about the bristlecone pine by watching this video: NPS Bristlecone Pine.

See the High Desert ebook for more bristlecone pine nature study ideas and printables!

Please note that I will not be posting the complete challenge here on the blog but you will find the detailed challenge in the High Desert ebook that is available both in the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level memberships. Sign into your account and download the ebook for the details, more links, and notebook pages.

Topics in this ebook include:

Bitterbrush
Sagebrush
Greater sage-grouse
Succulents
Mountain Lion
Coyote
Pocket Gopher
Bristlecone Pine
Elk
Turkey Vulture
Juniper
Snowberry
Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel
River Otter

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Practical Homescholing Award for Science 2020

What an honor again to be in the top spot for the Practical Homeschooling Magazine Awards for 2020! I can’t tell you how much this means to me to receive this award for being a top elementary school science curriculum. I write about things I love and am passionate about. To know that the families who use my plans love them too keeps me motivated to go on creating the best homeschool nature study site on the web!

I’ve been writing the Outdoor Hour Challenge since 2008. The list of topics covered with the weekly nature study lessons and ideas has grown to be a complete library of resources for families to use no matter the weather and no matter the environment.

It makes my heart soar to know that homeschooling families feel my program has enriched their lives and given them a solid science curriculum to use as a means of learning about nature together.

Thank you to all of you who voted and those that have supported this worldwide community of nature-loving families throughout the past decade.

The 2020 Practical Homeschooling^® Reader Awards™ will be announced in the Summer 2020 issue of Practical Homeschooling magazine. The Reader Awards have been a regular feature in the magazine since 1998. Thousands of homeschoolers rank the curriculum they have used, and the products with the highest satisfaction ratings win.

As a BIG thank you, I’m going to be extending a discount code for you to use towards ANY level of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Discount code: 2020AWARD

Use this code at checkout and you will receive $10 off your purchase of a membership.

If you choose an Ultimate Naturalist Library Membership, this will give you all current 26 ebooks, including the Herb ebook!

PLUS, you’ll receive access to the printables library with dozens of notebooking pages and activities for you to print out. PLUS, it will include access to all 76 archived issues of the monthly newsletter.

Now is the time to join so you can start using the resources right away and then for the next year of your membership!

Thank you so much for your love and support of the Handbook of Nature Study!

2020-2021 Outdoor Hour Challenge Plans

Would you like to join us for the next school year using the Outdoor Hour Challenge as your science/nature study curriculum? Take a look at this entry to see what our topics will include over the next year. They will be based on the ebooks shown in the graphic above AND printables from the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Do you want to get started with nature study in your family? Why not give the Outdoor Hour Challenge a try in your family. I have never regretted the decision to make nature study a regular part of our homeschooling experience.

Don’t forget to use the discount code: 2020AWARD

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

New Ebook is Now Available-Herb Nature Study

Herb Nature Study ebook cover graphic — Ultimate and Journey Level members can click this graphic to go directly to the library to download a copy of this new ebook. Make sure you are logged in and if you’re having trouble with your password, please leave me a comment or send me a direct email to receive my assistance. Email: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

New Ebook is Now Available to Members!

The Herb ebook is now ready for you to download and use with your family. I’ve been creating the challenges for this ebook over the past year for your family to use while growing and enjoying some fragrant and delicious herbs in your garden.

We’ll be working through this ebook during the upcoming 2020-2021 school year but you can use the challenges this summer if you want to jump start some easy nature study right in your own yard.

2020 to 2021 plan graphic with ebook covers2 — I released the 2020-2021 plan for nature study last week. Please click over to the entry to see the complete plan.

In the new Herb ebook are eight brand new Outdoor Hour Challenges for you to complete as part of your nature study lessons with your children. These challenges are not based on information in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. You’ll be using internet links and field guides to glean information about each topic.

This 49 page digital ebook has 8 challenges and supplemental activities that will help you learn about some popular and common herbs you can easily grow in your garden.
There are multiple custom notebooking pages for each of the topics. You can choose from simple notebook pages or more advanced notebooking pages.
There are 6 coloring pages.
Sample: Print an ebook sample here: Cilantro Nature Study

Here are the specific topics included in this ebook:

Cilantro
Basil
Bee Balm
Oregano
Dill
Thyme
Sage
Mint

How do you get the new Herb ebook?

If you don’t have a membership yet, I am offering a $5 off discount code that will be good towards your Ultimate Naturalist membership.

Discount Code: HERBS4U

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge- Juniper Tree Nature Study

I love the juniper tree habitat found here in Central Oregon. It’s the quintessential landscape of the western United States with its rough and rugged tree bark and gnarly limbs. The juniper tree plays an important role in the habitat as shelter and food for the local animals and birds. Take some time to learn about this tree with blue berries as part of your nature study lessons this week.

I’ve included a few ideas below to help you get started. Then turn to the challenge in the High Desert ebook available in the Ultimate or Journey level memberships for more ideas to use with your family.

Common Species Found in the Western United States

¨ Western Juniper or Juniperus occidentalis

¨ Rocky Mountain Juniper or Juniperus scopulorum

¨ Utah Juniper or Juniperus osteosperma

Use these ideas to get you started with your juniper tree study:

Look in your tree field guide for juniper trees or use the links above for detailed information, including range maps.
You may wish to view this helpful video: Rocky Mountain Juniper.

See the High Desert ebook for more juniper nature study ideas!

Please note that I will not be posting the complete challenge here on the blog. You’ll find the detailed challenge in the High Desert ebook that’s available both in the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level memberships. Sign into your account and download the ebook for the details, more links, and notebook pages.

If you don’t have a membership yet, you can click the graphic above and join today for immediate access to the 25 ebooks and so much more! Remember that all levels, even the Discovery level membership, include access to all of the archived newsletters!

Topics in this ebook include:

Bitterbrush
Sagebrush
Greater sage-grouse
Succulents
Mountain Lion
Coyote
Pocket Gopher
Bristlecone Pine
Elk
Turkey Vulture
Juniper
Snowberry
Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel
River Otter

Use the discount code NATURESTUDYFUN for $10 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Summer Seasonal Observations Reminders

Right now, in this moment, I think all of us could use something to focus on that is positive and encouraging. In our family, that means spending some time outside and being refreshed by the constancy of nature.

There’s no better way to take your appreciation for nature to the next level like starting or continuing a year-long study of a particular nature topic. Over the years we have completed many of the ideas listed below and learned many valuable lessons from carefully observing a tree, a plant, or the weather over the course of a complete year.

It’s now time to start thinking about a summer season observation for your topics of choice. Make it a firm plan by scheduling a day to make your summer observations.

Summer Seasonal Observations

Pick one and get started by clicking the link to the archived entry that will give you lots of ideas for completing your own year-long nature study.

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 Tree Study – with printable activities and a free notebook page
Year-Long Thistle Study
Summer Weather and Summer Weather
Year-Long Willow Study – with free tree printable notebook page

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 summer observations.

Some of the links above will take you to ebooks that are in the Ultimate Naturalist Library. You’ll need to have a membership in order to get the full benefit of the nature study ideas (printable notebook pages, coloring pages, additional images and links).

Join us now for a complete year’s access to the Library. Use the discount code NATURESTUDYFUN to receive $10 off an Ultimate Library membership.

You also may wish to check out the summer nature study ebooks available here on the Handbook of Nature Study. You can click the graphic above to see the topics included in each of the ebooks available.

Use this sample challenge to get you started with the new series:

Use the discount code NATURESTUDYFUN for $10 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

Discount code: 2020AWARD

2020-2021 Outdoor Hour Challenge Plans

Don’t forget to use the discount code: 2020AWARD

Discount Code: HERBS4U

Use the discount code NATURESTUDYFUN for $10 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Join us now for a complete year’s access to the Library. Use the discount code NATURESTUDYFUN to receive $10 off an Ultimate Library membership.

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!