Our year long nature studies schedule

[helena]

ETA:

I've totally revamped this schedule. :D

I was able to fit our academic schedule into Mon-Thurs. (And I have to say, it's still not over done or stressful looking!! YAY!!) Friday is our artsy, nature day.

This is the schedule my kids have been asking for. I'm so excited!

 

Not included are the following:

Personal nature collection boxes (they'll add to it as they find what they like)

http://www.theprivateeyestore.com/servlet/the-17/do-it-yourself-collection/Detail

This nature frame (adding to it freely)

http://www.magiccabin.com/nature%2dcollage%2dart%2dframe_p2166.html

And, I'm buying a printer's drawer from a friend to try a new take on the nature corner. It looks like this

http://beebeegrace.blogspot.com/2012/03/printers-drawers.html

 

Like I've said before, this schedule is far from perfect. My head will definitely pop if I go over it again. It is what it is... this time.

 

Hope someone finds this useful:

-NATURE STUDIES WEEKLY PLANNER

 

WEEK 1

-Collect and press flowers from yard

-Include common and Latin name, where it was found and date

-Read

http://www.huh.harvard.edu/collections/whatis.html

 

-Using Gardening Wizardry For Kids (GWfK) by L. Patricia Kite

-read pages 2-16

 

WEEK 2

-Read John James Audubon, Wildlife Artist by Peter Anderson

*home library

-Watch

http://watch.thirteen.org/video/2053318819/

-Look through Audubon’s Birds of America

*home library

 

-GWfK read pages 17-35

 

WEEK 3

-Read pages 1-14 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden

-Go on a nature walk

-Complete one Private Eye worksheet

-Play Wildlife Bingo

 

-GWfK read pages 36-50

 

WEEK 4

-Read pages 14-28 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Watch

-Visit bird sanctuary

-Use field guide and checklist

 

-GWfK read pages 51-69

 

WEEK 5

-Read One Small Square, Cave (over week 5)

*home library

-Complete activities from book

 

-GWfK complete pages 70-77

-Record in garden journal

-Start garden calendar

 

WEEK 6

-Go to beach

-Record at least one entry into nature journal

-Watch Deep Sea

*Amazon Instant Video

 

-GWfK complete pages 78-83

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 7

-Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCEngXim6sg

-Remove flowers from press

-Add to herbarium along with ID

 

 

-GWfK complete pages 84-91

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 8

-Read pages 29-42 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Go on a nature walk

-Record at least one entry into nature journal

-Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waLiTmLr1nM

-dissect owl pellets

-Listen to owl calls on Identiflyer

 

-GWfK complete pages 92-99

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

 

WEEK 9

-Read One Small Square, Woods (over week 9)

*home library

-Complete activities from book

 

-GWfK complete pages 100-103

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 10

-Go to beach

-Complete one Private Eye worksheet

-Watch

 

-GWfK complete pages 104-105

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 11

-Read pages 43-56 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Visit bird sanctuary

-Use field guide and checklist

-Watch

 

-GWfK complete pages 106-107

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 12

-Watch

-Collect and press flowers from neighborhood

-Include ID

 

-GWfK complete pages 108-109

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

 

WEEK 13

-Read pages 57-70 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Go on a nature walk

-Complete one Private Eye worksheet

 

-GWfK complete pages 110-111

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 14

-Go to Beach

-Record at least one entry into nature journal

-Watch

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Goose_barnacle#p007zg89

 

-GWfK complete pages 112-113

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 15

-Read Gifford Pinchot, American Forester by Peter Anderson

*home library

-Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWwUur6uHzA

 

-GWfK complete pages 114-115

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 16

-Go to beach

-Complete one Private Eye worksheet

-Watch

 

-GWfK complete pages 116-117

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

 

WEEK 17

-Read One Small Square, Seashore (over week 17)

*home library

 

-GWfK complete pages 118-119

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 18

-Remove flowers from press

-Add to herbarium along with ID

-Read pages from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

 

-GWfK complete pages 120-121

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 19

-Go to beach

-Complete one Private Eye worksheet

-Play Ocean Bingo

 

-GWfK complete pages 122-123

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 20

-Read pages 71-84 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Visit bird sanctuary

-Use field guide and checklist

-Watch

 

-GWfK complete pages 124-125

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 21

-Read pages 85-98 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Watch

-Go on a Nature walk

-Record at least one entry into nature journal

-Play Wildlife Bingo

 

-GWfK complete pages 126-127

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 22

-Collect and press flowers bought from florist

-Include ID

 

-GWfK complete pages 128-129

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 23

-Go to beach

-Record at least one entry into nature journal

-Watch

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/collections/p00j5jg4#p00h5dz4

 

-GWfK complete pages 130-131

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 24

-Read One Small Square, Pond (over week 24)

*home library

-Complete activities from book

 

-GWfK complete pages 132-133

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 25

-Read pages 99-112 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Visit 2 local creeks

-Compare and record in nature journal

 

-GWfK complete pages 134-135

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 26

-Read pages 113-126 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

 

-Watch

-Visit bird sanctuary

-Use field guide and checklist

 

-GWfK complete pages 136-137

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

 

WEEK 27

-Read pages 127-140 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Go on a nature walk

-Complete one Private Eye worksheet

 

-GWfK complete pages 138-143

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

 

WEEK 28

-Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ox-uT4mVzU

-Go to beach

-Press algae

 

-GWfK complete pages 138-143

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 29

-Read John Muir, Wilderness Prophet by Peter Anderson (over week 29)

*home library

-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CDzhIvugw8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpgx-LkvHGE&feature=channel&list=UL

 

-GWfK complete pages 144-146

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

 

 

WEEK 30

-Remove flowers from press

-Add to herbarium along with ID

-Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW2kX0Xz-CE

 

-GWfK complete pages 147-149

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 31

-Go to beach

-Record at least one entry into nature journal

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/collections/p00j5jg4#p009c52h

 

-GWfK complete pages 150-156

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

-WEEK 32

-Read One Small Square, Backyard (over week 32)

*home library

-Complete activities from book

 

-GWfK complete pages 157-163

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

 

 

WEEK 33

-Read pages 141-154 from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Go on a nature walk

-Record at least one entry into nature journal

-Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiJEIAxxTc0

 

-GWfK complete pages 164-167

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 34

-Finish reading The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-Visit bird sanctuary

-Use field guide and checklist

-Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKpbYvMYYok&feature=relmfu

-Play with Identiflyer

 

-GWfK complete pages 168-171

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

 

WEEK 35

-Go to beach

-Complete one Private Eye worksheet

-Play Ocean Bingo

 

-GWfK complete pages 172-177

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

WEEK 36

-Lay on the hammock and talk about nature studies, how it went, and what we want to do next year

 

-GWfK Complete pages 178-181

-Record/update in garden journal

-Check garden calendar

 

 

READING LIST

August

Insect Life by A. Buckley

 

September

Trees and Shrubs by A. Buckley

 

October

The Seven Secrets of Somewhere Lake by Sam Campbell

 

November

Birds of the Air by A. Buckley

 

December

Woods and Field by A. Buckley

 

January

Animal Family and Bat Poet by Randall Jarrell

 

February

Jack’s Insects by Edmund Selous

 

March

Pond and River by A. Buckley

 

April

Plant Life in Field and River by A. Buckley

 

May

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Edited August 5, 2012 by helena

[helena]

*forgot to add! We use the journals (for gardening) from A Child's Dream Come True: http://www.achildsdream.com/arts_crafts/drawing_writing.htm (scroll down a bit).

We're using the 6.5"x8.25" books. There's an layer of onion skin paper between each sheet. O la la!

 

*The garden calendar is how we keep track of plants, when to water, when to move, when to transplant and so on.

Edited July 31, 2012 by helena

[QuirkyKapers]

Nice! Thanks for sharing (again :) )

[shukriyya]

This looks great! Are the Private Eye worksheets in the book or something you've found elsewhere?

[Selena]

Thanks for the inspiration! How old are your kids?:)

[helena]

This looks great! Are the Private Eye worksheets in the book or something you've found elsewhere?

 

Private Eye sells the worksheets in a K-2nd set and a 3rd-adult set. You can see the pages here: http://www.theprivateeyestore.com/servlet/the-template/activitysheets/Page

 

The finished drawings are beautiful. It's nice at the end of the year, to go back and admire them as a collection.

[Ecclecticmum]

Looks wonderful!

 

We'll be doing Nature Studies from next year onwards. This year, I'm just going to be using "Fifteen Minutes Outside" to get used to the daily walkarounds, and hopefully get them to be more understanding about when I say to come back inside :tongue_smilie:

[helena]

Thanks for the inspiration! How old are your kids?:)

 

They're soon to be 11 and 13.

I don't know if you saw the other thread I started about our art schedule for the year? Basically my kids have requested making Fridays creative and artsy. They love these specific activities and that's why I have them repeating so much. :tongue_smilie:

I know the books are too easy, and I could have added a ton more stuff. I guess I just wanted to try and give them what they asked for (a low stress, creative and nature-y school year). They say their also excited about taking care of business Monday through Thursay (we shall see ;)).

[helena]

Looks wonderful!

 

We'll be doing Nature Studies from next year onwards. This year, I'm just going to be using "Fifteen Minutes Outside" to get used to the daily walkarounds, and hopefully get them to be more understanding about when I say to come back inside :tongue_smilie:

 

That book looks like an awesome way to start out.

My kids still don't want to come inside. :D

It drove me nuts when they were little, but now, it makes me happy.

[helena]

Bumping this because I added lots of stuff and changed it around a bit.

[besroma]

Nice! Thanks!

[FlyingMOm]

You've done another wonderful job- thank you for sharing!

[helena]

I can't do much driving anymore so I wasn't sure if I could fill a whole year with interesting nature destinations.

Once I started a list and looking around city websites, everything started to make sense. There are actually tons of neat places to study. It doesn't matter if it's a big lake or a puddle.

 

On my personal schedule I've filled in specific creeks, nature preserves, trails, etc.

That's when the list came alive.

 

I know this schedule is hodge podge, and that we probably won't get everything done. All that matters is that we're officially making art, music and nature the heart of the school year. :001_smile:

[stripe]

Wow, Helena, this is fantastic!

 

I have The Private Eye but haven't used it. It took me forever to find loupes, and then I just sort of drifted away, but this is a great reminder to get going on that!

 

I got an idea from Mater Amabilis to (deliberately) revisit the same places throughout the seasons, to see changes. I must say, it was an excellent idea. I have, like you, observed that my kids do learn a lot from the rather mundane. It doesn't have to be splashy and dramatic. I think maybe this is what I've learned the most from my kids, actually: the lessons of the familiar and the small.

 

I also just sprang for the Yesterday's Classics downloads, so...Arabella Buckley, here we come! ;) Time to use what's on the shelf.

[sweetstitches]

This is amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Thanks for posting this! Lots of great ideas--inspiring!

[Free]

:hurray: This is great!! Thanks so much for this!

[helena]

Wow, Helena, this is fantastic!

 

I have The Private Eye but haven't used it. It took me forever to find loupes, and then I just sort of drifted away, but this is a great reminder to get going on that!

 

I got an idea from Mater Amabilis to (deliberately) revisit the same places throughout the seasons, to see changes. I must say, it was an excellent idea. I have, like you, observed that my kids do learn a lot from the rather mundane. It doesn't have to be splashy and dramatic. I think maybe this is what I've learned the most from my kids, actually: the lessons of the familiar and the small.

 

I also just sprang for the Yesterday's Classics downloads, so...Arabella Buckley, here we come! ;) Time to use what's on the shelf.

 

(coming back to this a bit late :blush:)

I so totally agree with the bolded! (I also love splashy and dramatic :D)

I wanted to post some Private Eye, garden journal and nature journal pics to show how we do it. I've posted these before, but I figured it might be fun or encouraging for someone who's considering any of these things. They're old photos, and every year these things look a little different, but this is more or less how we work.

 

RATS! I put a microscope drawing instead of Private Eye!

Edited August 9, 2012 by helena

[MiniBlondes]

This is awesome! Thank you for sharing!

[serendipitous journey]

... just stumbled on this, and your arts thread: thank you so much.

:grouphug:

[redgal]

Just checked out both threads - thanks so much for sharing - it looks so much fun!

[woolybear]

This blog is devoted to using A Private Eye. It hasn't been updated in awhile, but has lots of useful info. The link I'm posting goes to the section on getting started. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, it takes you from the beginning. She also has her own private eye pages for free.

 

http://aprivateeyenature.blogspot.com/search/label/Getting%20Started

[helena]

... just stumbled on this, and your arts thread: thank you so much.

:grouphug:

 

It's funny because I woke up this morning in a "panic" :001_smile: about the fact that I didn't include enough artist/fine art study.

 

I think this year we're going to focus on hitting all the local museums in L.A.

Somehow we've managed to neglect a lot of local stuff, but made it a major part of traveling out of town.

 

We'll probably check out installations online, make note of pieces we want to find, and do some background reading before we visit. It's worked well on vacation... and it's never oppressively time consuming.

I can't let myself go back and change the art schedule!!:willy_nilly:

[helena]

This blog is devoted to using A Private Eye. It hasn't been updated in awhile, but has lots of useful info. The link I'm posting goes to the section on getting started. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, it takes you from the beginning. She also has her own private eye pages for free.

 

http://aprivateeyenature.blogspot.com/search/label/Getting%20Started

 

Thanks! I'm going to put on my pjs and read her blog. :D

[kb44]

Thanks for sharing!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Thank you for recommending Private Eye. I just ordered the book and some loupes and the worksheets for a science coop class I am teaching. This program looks just AMAZING!

[helena]

Thank you for recommending Private Eye. I just ordered the book and some loupes and the worksheets for a science coop class I am teaching. This program looks just AMAZING!

 

I hope you like it! I just pulled out my Private Eye guide, I've got it here with my Starbucks coffee:tongue_smilie:.

 

Time to refresh my memory... I can't believe we're starting school on Monday...

[freeindeed]

Wow, that looks great! Thank you for sharing.

[clarkacademy]

These are very good ideas Thanks for sharing Good work!

[crazyforlatin]

Helena, thank you for an inspiring thread.

 

Does anyone have a flower press machine/kit to recommend?

 

ETA: I don't have a microwave, so this flower presser won't work for me.

Edited August 17, 2012 by crazyforlatin

[helena]

Helena, thank you for an inspiring thread.

 

Does anyone have a flower press machine/kit to recommend?

 

ETA: I don't have a microwave, so this flower presser won't work for me.

 

We have this 12"x18" press: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/plant-press-12-x-18/p/BE-PRE1218/

It's easy to use and the size is perfect for bigger cuttings.

We also have a little one with screws instead of straps. That one is good to bring along on a nature walk.

 

When I was looking for some video tutorials on flower pressing I was surprised to see microwave techniques. We don't own one, so we couldn't use that method even if we wanted to...

I think waiting is part of the thrill anyways. :001_smile:

[crazyforlatin]

We have this 12"x18" press: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/plant-press-12-x-18/p/BE-PRE1218/

It's easy to use and the size is perfect for bigger cuttings.

We also have a little one with screws instead of straps. That one is good to bring along on a nature walk.

 

When I was looking for some video tutorials on flower pressing I was surprised to see microwave techniques. We don't own one, so we couldn't use that method even if we wanted to...

I think waiting is part of the thrill anyways. :001_smile:

 

That looks good. I was thinking of Alex's Flower Press Kit, but I'm thinking that DD will pick up leaves/flowers that won't fit in the frame.