Hunter Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 We are studying parts of a flower this week, with a focus on stamens and pollen. I really want to focus on nature study this spring, but want to cover topics OTHER than identification. Next week we will do bees as pollinators. What are YOU doing? Post pictures if you have any and know how. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 If you don't have a topic of your own, join me for my topic and we can share links and ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Sounds like fun. We have a Phoebe's nest under the eve of the front porch we are watching. The bird (insect eater--doggone booger eats my bees!) actually chose to build her nest right next to a paper wasp nest. We have our theories on why she picked that spot. I think it was to enlist the wasps as protection against predators. The boys are wondering if she plans to use the nest as a source of food for her brood. I don't know if she will sit long enough to hatch out her eggs. She built close to the front door, and she gets all upset the moment any human goes out the door. We are trying to use the back door for everything, but sometimes we forget. This afternoon may be weather watching. Got some storms forecast and to top that off, as soon as tea is over we all have to suit up for ticks and head out into the lower field to bring down a tree that is leaning badly. The DH opted to cut the root, the tree won't go over and now we have to cut it. It's unstable; this could get very interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 We just went back to our favorite spot at the lake. It's closed Dec-mid April. My oldest went searching for things from last year. Is the little dam still in the same place? Are the turtles at the same spots? etc... He took over an hour just assessing what might have changed. 10yo painted the landscape overlooking the water. 8yo found feathers. Lots of feathers. He's going to look up birds online and see if he can id them. 2yo was just thrilled to find pinecones & wildflowers. I sketched some wildflowers for her. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Oh, great thread idea! My little one just pulled me outside to watch a spider spinning and egg sack. We've been reading One Small Square - Backyard and she has officially adopted our backyard for nature study. I've been trying to draw flowers in our yard - I did a nice calendula and alstromeria last week. Up this week, we're going to finish One Small Square and start the book Backyard Biology, maybe try and do a project or two out of there. We're also going to read about spring wildflowers and squirrels in Wildlife in Wood and Field by Buckley, and go to a nature preserve and draw some spring wildflowers before they are all gone. And next Saturday I'm taking the Brownies on a nature hike. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Following. How fun! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 This sounds so great! I really want to do nature study, and yet, it never happens. My lovely copy of Handbook of Nature Study sits on a shelf, unloved. I'm just not sure how to fit one more thing into my already so full day. Hmmmm, must think on this. . . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 We did parts of a flower a few weeks ago. Then we did pond macroinvertebrates and last week we started into tree identification. It's been tough because the trees haven't leafed out here yet. Wildflowers would be a good topic to do right now, or even early spring edibles. This is the time for ramps (wild leeks), spring beauty, some wild garlic, and morels. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 oh, and the birds are nesting right now so we are watching nests. One of my students has been watching a robin nest and there are now four eggs. =) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 We're off on our seasonal nature study tours of the state this weekend. We haven't been for the last two seasons because of fire danger. When the place is *not* on fire, we visit the same sites in the major terrain types and have been doing so for a couple of years now. I blogged our first year of nature journal keeping. Most of it is in the link in my sig. This year we're going to start taking some of our field guides. I might start blogging her nature journal again next year, after a year of drawing lessons. :) We're also going to have to take a trip over to the lake where Marek's tree is planted to look for fungi. There was a great spread last year! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 This sounds so great! I really want to do nature study, and yet, it never happens. My lovely copy of Handbook of Nature Study sits on a shelf, unloved. I'm just not sure how to fit one more thing into my already so full day. Hmmmm, must think on this. . . I've stopped teaching art and music at the same time of year I focus on nature study, and vice versa. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 This sounds so great! I really want to do nature study, and yet, it never happens. My lovely copy of Handbook of Nature Study sits on a shelf, unloved. I'm just not sure how to fit one more thing into my already so full day. Hmmmm, must think on this. . . Grab the kids, a backpack (with Comstock in it), some water and some snacks. Let the kids run free while you read Comstock for pleasure (eating strawberries and the chocolate you hid at the bottom of the cooler). Do that once or twice a week and Nature Study (with capital letters and all) will happen...naturally. Not that I hide chocolate from the kids while they are spying for nature-finds.... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 My kids are young, so it is very basic. We will feed some ducks/geese. I will read to them a chapter on cherry trees from the book titled Outdoor Secrets. Then see where I can show them one. Shouldn't be too hard. Last weekend we hiked at a mountain and saw some mushrooms growing on a dead tree. Saw another dead tree and we looked under the roots to see what was living or growing in/on it. Of course, I would never had suggested it if my dh wasn't there. Ick. I don't like insects. Just found out about Herb Fairies. Missed their registration, but they may be open again soon. I would like to focus on nature too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Does turning on Planet Earth while I feed the newborn count? Just kidding... Sort of... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Cloud study this week. They can be viewed from the drive or the road, thus eliminating the need for identifying the multiple species of ticks crawling up your legs. :glare: ( I'm only half joking. We are getting pretty good at tick identification.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 We finished our nature study tours and spent a lot of time talking about whether or not we thought we could draw the clouds we were seeing. Which reminds me, we wanted to have a go at drawing a cloud that sat at the base of a hill... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 DH took the kids outside to work in the garden. They helped make some wooden frames for garden beds. We also watched a millipede that was in our garage. It was fitting since we'd just covered insects in our science lessons! We reviewed the difference between centipedes and millipedes. I'm tryin to "study up" on next year's nature topics. We're going to focus on trees, birds, and the nightime sky. I want to be somewhat prepared when they start asking questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5wolfcubs Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 We did birds awhile back and created a downloadable printable set that can be found here. Since then we've just been out every day -- no study, just wildtime. We did a little research on cedar apple rust (scary looking stuff!) and then collected tadpoles. We let the last of the tadpoles go back to their friends yesterday and I haven't thought of something new. Maybe flowers is the way too go -- the full moon the other day was the Flower Moon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 We finished our nature study tours and spent a lot of time talking about whether or not we thought we could draw the clouds we were seeing. Which reminds me, we wanted to have a go at drawing a cloud that sat at the base of a hill... We got to it today. We have our drawing lesson tomorrow, so feed back will be nice. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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