Nature Connection 1 (#3)

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How to Be a Naturalist

Learning how to find nature wherever you are.

Pack your outdoor adventure kit!
  • Notebook
  • Utensils to write, draw, color
  • Eraser
  • Binoculars 
  • Magnifying glass 
  • Knife/scissors 
  • Bag
Phenology is the study of the seasonal timing of life cycle events. 
-Your notes should include information on when, where, what, and why, along with questions, drawings, and collected objects from your observations. 

On Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 11 AM, I walked two miles from my early childhood practicum placement to my next class on the UMF campus. While I was walking I was able to pay more attention to the nature around me than I usually would have if I were in a car. Once I arrived to my classroom I wrote down a few things in my Nature Connection Outdoor Workbook about the nature I noticed during my brisk walk.

On an afternoon walk,
The air is cool and fresh,
The sky is blue, filled with white clouds,
A gray squirrel skitters by,
I see bare trees, dead plants,
I can hear the crunching of ice and snow beneath my feet,
Fallen leaves and pine needles buried in snow,
And unidentifiable tracks lead my way,
In the middle of winter.


On Wednesday, January 30, 2019 IT SNOWED! I think a fresh coat of snow is one of the worlds most beautiful natural thing. Every time it snows I like to go outside with my camera and take pictures of the weighed down trees and sparkling snowflakes. I took these pictures at about 4 PM that evening. 
 

After taking these two shots I thought about how fun it would be to try out some of the drawing activities in the Nature Connection Outdoor Workbook. I tried out three different types of drawing forms, the Quick Draw, Modified Contour, and Field Sketches. See below..

 Quick Draw:

Modified Contour:

Field Sketches:


   Leslie, C. W. (2010). The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms. Storey Publishing.

Activities for children that relate to nature and being a Naturalist:

  • The activities done above can easily be modified and incorporated into a classroom or family and used to encourage outdoor adventure and exploring science.
  • Go on a nature walk in your own back yard, at a park, or around the neighborhood, it doesn't matter just remember to pack your outdoor adventure kit!
  • Classroom hike.
  • Use magnify glasses outside during recess.
  • Keep an outdoor adventure kit and nature journals always available for student's.
  • Allow students to keep and take objects they find outside with them, as long as they are not living or gross. 
  • Write down students questions regarding nature and the things they find in nature. 

Children's books that relate to nature and being a Naturalist:


    







*Another interesting blog: https://my-little-poppies.com/exploring-nature/

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