Magnets, Compass, and Moon Nature Study in our Neighborhood

I am going to combine two of the Outdoor Hour Challenge nature studies from the More Nature Study Book 2 series since we have been working on them over the last few weeks a little at a time. The topics have provided plenty to talk about during our walks and rambles around the neighborhood.

Moon Names and  Magnets and Compass

The compass directions were easy to determine in our yard after years of observation of sunrises and sunsets. We decided to test our sense of direction as we walked our regular trails and found a map of our local area to use as a starting point.

I will readily admit that I have a terrible sense of direction and live in a family of men who seem to never lose their way. This was a good exercise for me in particular. We would walk to a certain point and then try to determine north and south. We had the small map of the area in our pocket and we would check the actual direction after we made our guesses. I am happy to report that I have gained some skill in determining direction. :)


The moon has also been a subject of discussion and observation since it has been visible in the afternoons as well as in the evenings. Tonight it is HUGE in the twilight sky and we even saw Jupiter and Venus while we out there looking (opposite parts of the sky). You can read about them here: This Week's Sky at a Glance.

Mr. B and I decided on our choice of names for the March full moon (instead of the official Full Worm Moon).

• Radiant Moon (Mr. B's choice)
• Manzanita Moon (my choice)

The manzanita trees are bursting out in bloom over the last week so I picked that as the full moon name. The blossoms are so delicate and pick and almost look like ornaments that someone has strung on the branches.



Here is a photo from a previous year with a close-up of the delicate pink blossoms.

Do you want to know something? Even though it pains me sometimes to have a challenge to complete each week....keeping myself accountable on the blog.....I realize that if we didn't have a focus of some sort we would miss out on some really wonderful and insightful discussions and time outdoors together. Even when we just complete the preparation and then the outdoor time with no real follow-up we are gaining something extra from our Outdoor Hour. If nothing else, it gives me an activity to enjoy alongside my teenage son.

We have one more challenge to go in the More Nature Study Book 2 series - Pansies! I am really looking forward to this last study of the season and I am planning on a watercolor project for me and hopefully Mr. B will join me.

I almost forgot to mention that we acquired some rare earth magnets for a project my husband is working on in the shop. We highly recommend these for advanced magnet work and for some awesome fun too. The men are trying to make a magnetic motor...a motor that runs continuously on magnetic power. It keeps them out of trouble. :)

OHC More Nature Study Book 2 - Moon and Moon Names

 
More Nature Study Book #2 
Moon and Moon Names  

Inside Preparation Work:

1. Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 855-859 (Lesson 232). Read for your own information only because this week we are just going to focus on enjoying the moon and learning some of the history of the full moon names. 
2. Read this page on Full Moon Names and see what March’s moon name means. 
3. If you have a blog or website, you can add a lunar phase widget to keep up to date. 
4. YouTube video: Moon phases (kid friendly) 

Outdoor Hour Time:

1. Spend part of your Outdoor Hour time in the evenings looking at the moon. (Full Moon March 8, 2012) Have your child use words to describe what they see in the winter sky. If you have binoculars, make sure to bring those out with you and take turns looking at the moon. 
2. As an alternative, bundle up and go outdoors for this challenge in the evening when it is dark. Have a flashlight for each person as you walk to a safe, predetermined spot (even within your backyard). Turn off the flashlight and allow time for your eyes to adjust. Make some observations. This might be a great activity to do when there is a full moon and then again when there is a new moon. 
3. Advanced Study: Keep a record of your moon observations. The Handbook of Nature Study suggests, “Have the pupils observe the moon as often as possible for a month, beginning with the full moon.” 

Follow-Up Activities:

1. Talk about your experiences outdoors at night. Record your moon and nighttime observations. You can sketch the full moon with colored pencils or watercolors. View these moon nature journals as examples to get started: Just Before the Full Moon, Waning Sturgeon Moon, Full Worm Moon. These should give your child an idea of how to show the moon and a setting. 
2.  Ebook Users: After viewing the moon or looking at the Mood Words Images page included in the ebook, complete the Moon Words notebook page. Use your moon words and observations to make up a new full moon name. Be sure to record you name for this full moon on the notebook page or in your nature journal. 
3. Advanced Study: Keep a moon journal for a complete lunar cycle (full moon to full moon). Make as many moon sketches as you can during this month to document the lunar cycle. Record your observations in your nature journal. Ebook users: Use the Moon Journal notebook page from the ebook.

Additional Links: 

• Oreo Cookie Phases of the Moon (Uses cookies to explain the different phases!) If you scroll to the bottom there is a link to a printable notebook page. 
• Moon phases: Simple illustrations and glossary of moon vocabulary. 
• Previous Winter Moon Challenge: Winter Sky and Stars. 

You can see how our family completed this challenge here in this entry:
 Magnets, Compass, and Moon Names.

Books for your shelf!

Our Winter Sky Studies

Beautiful Pink and Lavender Sunset

We have been out a few nights in the past week to gaze at stars even if it was for just a minute or two. The moon was very bright and we even saw it early in the morning a couple of times, peeking out from between the pines on the horizon. I think the moon impressed us more than the stars. We have been focusing on stars all this school year so I just went with what the boys were interested in learning about.  The next full moon is on February 18, 2011 and is know as the Full Snow Moon.



I ordered a new book for them because of their interest in learning more about the Apollo landings on the moon and the Apollo program in general. I know it doesn't look like a very deep book but it gets builds their interest and helps them to know what they can research more on their own. It is another one of those books that I will keep on the coffee table for a few months and let them browse it at their leisure.

The other interesting subject that came our way was a bat! We were out at sunset and here was a bat flying and swooping around our backyard. We were surprised to see him but it was fun to watch as he flew around and around putting on an acrobatic show.

Purple Sunrise...Looking West

My son pointed out this purple sunrise sky...this is facing west so the sunrise is behind us. It is the same spot that the very top photo was taken at sunset. I had a hard time getting the color right and had to take about twenty images on different settings to get it to come out. It was really this purple.



If you are looking for a journal to use over long periods of time for star gazing (or moon gazing), we found a perfect one that my son has been using all year.


It is called Stargazing Journal and it has pre-printed pages for you to record each night time session you have. There is even a place on the page for a sketch of your observations. I like that it is hardbound and has an elastic closure.

I have really enjoyed reading other family's star entries and I encourage you all to give it a try. It doesn't even need to be a long session but just calling attention to the winter sky's beauty is even enough if that is all you can fit in. Do a sunset or a sunrise study if you can manage that for this challenge. I guarantee if you put in the effort, you will be rewarded.

Have a great week and I will post up the next challenge tomorrow.

Don't forget to submit your January Outdoor Hour Challenge and Winter Wednesday entries to the OHC Blog Carnival. The deadline is this coming Monday, January 31st.

Entry Form for the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

2011 Winter Series Outdoor Hour Challenge #3 and Winter Wednesday #3 Winter Sky

"After the polar constellations are learned, we are then ready for further study in the still earlier evenings of winter, when the clear atmosphere makes the stars seem more alive, more sparkling, and more beautiful than at any other period of the year."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 823

We have been enjoying the full moon and the brilliant stars just about every night this week. We also were observing the moon this morning when it was still up over the tree tops first thing....amazing. We tried to capture our moon with the camera but it is pretty tricky. This is the perfect winter study for our family and I hope you get to give it a try too.

Here are the links to this week's challenges:

Winter Series #3 Winter Sky (stars and moon)
Winter Wednesday #3 Winter Sky (constellations)

Please feel free to complete one or both of the challenges as you have the opportunity. We would all enjoy seeing your entries and even if it is at a later date, please come back to this entry and add your link. I am listing all the entries in this series on the sidebar of my blog for you to add to as you have time. You are never "late" and you can add links whenever you have the chance.

Don't forget to check in with the additional webpages for these sets of challenges:

Winter Wednesday

Winter Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges 

Winter Nature Walks 

Full Moon Names for 2010

This is just for fun...we are watching the night sky over the summer and in doing research found this list on Space.com.

Full Moon Names for 2010

Full moon tonight....check it out.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Moon Gazing and A Few More Winter Sky Moments

We finally were able to view the moon and it was worth the wait! Mr. A and I spent quite a bit of time gazing, watching, and then photographing the moon.

It is very hard to get a good photo of the moon when it is super full and bright.

Here is our best attempt.


I took this photo of Mr. A up on the roof with the tripod where he was trying to capture a good shot of the moon. He decided all of his photos looked like UFOs. Too funny.


Now two last winter sky photos from the last week or so.

This one was about 4:45 in the afternoon when I was out in the garden. The sun was darkened by the clouds passing in front and it was very dramatic.


This was a different day at sunset...about 5:15 PM. Pink...pink sky.


I find myself watching the sky more and my boys are too. It is wonderful to have them notice a cloud formation or the moon before I do. I love sharing "moments" with them.

Wellcome in Space

Over the last few weeks, there have been many commemorations in the media of the 40th anniversary of the first manned mission to land on the moon. We thought we would add to this by flagging up an item from our collections. So – what’s the connection between the Wellcome and this lunar scene?

Shown here is the packaging for the Wellcome drug company’s product, ‘Marzine’, which was used as a precaution against travel sickness. Ships from the Apollo Space programme carried the product, and – as illustrated - the company later utilised this fact in the design of its packaging.

'Marzine' wasn’t the only Wellcome product used in the US space missions: 'Actifed' - for the relief of nasal congestion - was also widely used, as was 'Neosporin' (to clear up bacterial infections of the eye). Indeed, on one mission in the 1970s, Skylab carried a medical kit which included seven products provided by Burroughs Wellcome Co (USA).

It’s rather fitting that the exploration of space in the mid twentieth century utilised Wellcome products, given in the late nineteenth century, Burroughs Wellcome & Co medicine kits were essential components of many expeditions to the farthest flung corners of the Earth - Stanley, Scott and Shackleton all set forth with the company's products.

(The 'Marzine' packaging is a small part of the Wellcome Foundation Archive, which consists of material relating to the Wellcome drug business. As a result of flotations and mergers, the Wellcome drug business itself is no longer in existence. A summary of this is available).

Star Gazing....Moon Gazing Too

We took advantage of a few clear nights last week to view the moon and stars. It is a good thing too because this week we have had cloudy skies every night along with a really good soaking rain which we desperately needed.

I have one son that has taken an intense desire to know more about the subject of astronomy since we started these night time session.


Several trips to the library and then a really good deal on a clearance book at Borders has feed his need to know more about the universe we live in.

We are working on learning some of the constellations visible during the winter months and in addition to the Discover Nature in Winter book, we have found the Handbook of Nature Study to be very helpful. There is a section starting on page 823 on the Winter Stars. I have heard talk around nature blogs lately that many view the Handbook of Nature Study as "old fashioned" and they prefer to use more "modern" books for reference. I do not find it to be outdated in the least. The clear explanations of the constellations in the Handbook of Nature Study make it an excellent first resource for families. For example: the lessons on page 820 explaining the North Star and the Big Dipper are clearly put down for anyone to follow and are timeless. The language used in the Handbook of Nature Study makes it enjoyable to read.

"After the polar constellations are learned, we are then ready for further study in the still earlier evenings of winter, when the clear atmostphere makes the stars seem more alive, more sparkling, and more beautiful than at any other period of the year."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 823

"Orion is one of the most beautiful constellations in the heavens. It is especially marked by the three stars which form Orion's belt, and the line of stars below the belt which form the sword."
Handbook of Nature Study page 825

Doesn't that capture your interest? We are looking forward to a few more nights of stargazing this winter.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Moss Walk

This entry more or less shows you what I subject my children to on a nature walk. They are always telling me that I get excited about the funniest things. Well here you go, proof that they are right.

This trail is the one we take all the time and is about three miles from my front door. I view it as my own little nature study laboratory. We have started taking our pup on this hike with us and she is happy that we love nature study since it gives her time to explore a little out in the woods.

This is the view at this time of year with no leaves on the deciduous trees. You can hike all the way down to the bottom of the canyon and be at the American River if you have a couple hours to spare. We have done it before and it is a great hike....just about straight up all the way back though.

We stayed a little later than normal on this particular hike and once again we saw the moon on the horizon as we hiked back up to the car. The cold brisk air in the canyon reminded us that it really is December even though everything is very dry. The mushrooms that we had seen last week on this part of the trail had been rooted out by some animal. Now I want to know who eats that particular mushroom....research to do.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom