OHC - More Nature Study #3 Pear Study

Things are really rolling now with the new series of Outdoor Hour Challenges. I have been receiving some *wonderful* entries for the milkweed and leaf-roller challenges with fantastic images and nature journal pages. You are really going to love this edition of the blog carnival! You can post your blog entries at any time and then send me the link for the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival entry that will post on the last day of the month.




More Nature Study #3
Pears/Fall Tree Study

Inside Preparation Work:

• For the pear challenge there is no lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study. You can read about pears online: Pear Varieties and Pear Fact Printable (http://www.cfaitc.org/factsheets/pdf/Pears.pdf)
• As an alternate or supplemental activity, you can read the section, “How to Begin Tree Study” in the Handbook of Nature Study on pages 622-624. Pay attention to Lesson 72—Autumn Work (#1-#5). Take note of some observations you can make during autumn.

Outdoor Hour Time:

• If you have access to a pear tree in your yard, neighborhood, or near-by orchard, spend your Outdoor Hour time observing the tree: tree shape, arrangement of the branches, trunk, leaves, fruit/seeds.
• If you don’t have access to a pear tree, use the information from the Autumn tree work section in the Handbook of Nature Study to observe any tree you have in your yard or neighborhood. You can use this tree as the subject of a year-long tree study if you wish. You may wish to read the information from the Autumn Tree Observation Challenge 2009.

Follow-Up Activity:

• Have on hand a pear and an apple for each child to observe up-close. Use the suggestions on the notebook page (ebook users only) to compare these two fruits.
• For Pear Study: Give the opportunity to make a nature journal entry recording any observations made about pears. Suggestions for discussion: shape of the pear, size, color, smell, markings on the skin, and the stem. Cut the pear in half and draw the inside of the pear in your nature journal.
• For Autumn Tree Study: You can use the Autumn Tree Study notebook page linked above. You may use it for any tree you observed during your nature study.
• Advanced follow-up: Complete the Dissection Lab notebook page with a pear (ebook users only).
• Advanced follow-up: Make a dry brush watercolor of the pear and either its vertical or cross section.

If you do the dry brush project, please send me an image for the newsletter. I would love to see any of your art projects that you do in connection with the Outdoor Hour Challenge.  Don't forget my Autumn Squidoo Lens for additional ideas across the curriculum.