Monday, June 9, 2008

The Outdoor Hour

Green hour

I've been watching a blog devoted to The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock and now that I have my own copy, I've decided we'll join in each week. Funny I only learned recently of the book from another local homeschooler I met briefly while speaking to a group of MOPS ladies about homeschooling and since then it has been all over the place. Click the button above and you'll get a chance to see what each week's challenge is along with a lot of other cool Handbook information and observations.

Today we collected a few leaves and drew them in our journals. I did one too! We talked about the parts of the leaf and what they do. We took some time to sit quietly and think of what we heard, saw, and smelled. All this while J2 was playing at his water table and at one point had turned on the hose... after we ate lunch we went downstairs to color the pictures and make a list of birds we'd seen or heard.

Nature journals come and go at our house, but the kids are excited to do these challenges and it provides some structure for our summer days. I don't understand when summer vacation became so dreadful?!!

I-6 collected a lilac leaf and a box elder leaf.

R8 added a tulip poplar tree leaf to her collection.

E9 did a nice job with the labeling later on.

5 comments:

Miss Lou said...

I'm a school teacher for 30 crazy 5th graders and I love this blog.

What a fabulous home school teacher your kiddies are blessed with...if only other schools get to play/learn more in nature.

sigh.

Our site is not half as fancy as yours, but we try.

http://myschoolrocks.blogspot.com

Lynn Hasty said...

Heather, way to go, girl! Looks like so much fun! I have seen Comstock's book before. We used it quite a few years back when I first read Pocketful of Pinecones and Charlotte Mason Companion. I love Karen Andreola's work.

We were the same, with nature journals coming and going, but the children did enjoy making an effort to record nature.

Lynn

Amber said...

Comstock's book has been collecting dust on my shelf! I am glad I have a reason to use it! Awesome post, Heather!!

Holly said...

Heather I just requested this book from the library and I can't wait to get my hands on it! I really need help in this area! Great Job!

Heather said...

Thanks for the kinds words everyone.

Miss Lou- I'm flattered that you enjoy our blog. Thanks for reading!!