Spring Series Nature Study with Art and Music - Update to Composer

It was brought to my attention that the composer links for Schubert on page 20 of the ebook are no longer working.

Here are the updated links...you can print out this email and put it with your ebook so you will have the updates when you need them:

· Listen to the entire Piano Sonata in B flat Major D. 960 on YouTube.com.

      Movement 1: http://youtu.be/Ok9tofNmqNY

      Movement 2: http://youtu.be/G2AIMQ0-zWY

      Movement 3: http://youtu.be/zD12AOCty0Q

      Movement 4: http://youtu.be/p2YbCgudmc0

Outdoor Hour Challenge-More Nature Study Book 3 Spring 2012

Spring is upon us and now is the time to get outdoors with our families and really observe the wonders of nature all around our neighborhoods. Whether you make this series of challenges a part of your homeschooling week or you are a family who will complete these challenges on the weekends, the simple nature study ideas you find in this ebook will give you the tools to get started. We are going to have fun exploring our neighborhoods for flowering trees, press flowers for our nature journals, learn about a garden critter, and so much more together with this season of nature study.

The sample linked below lists the topics covered in this new series but  don't be discouraged if you look at the list and think you don't have that particular subject close at hand. There are suggested adaptations that will allow any family to complete this series of nature study activities in your own backyard or neighborhood.

The More Nature Study Book #3 challenges were written for families with children of all ages.You can keep it simple and enjoy your outdoor time with your little ones using the basic challenge. If you have older children or find your child is particularly interested in a certain topic, there are ways to increase the depth of each challenge by adding in additional notebook pages or further research using ideas and suggestions in the ebook.

I am really looking forward to getting started on 3/23/12 with the very first challenge from the ebook.  


Outdoor Hour Challenge: 
More Nature Study Ebook #3 Spring 2012
Spring Splendor

• Ten completely new challenges using the Handbook of Nature Study. See a list of topics and a Sample Challenge.
• 13 notebook pages and 11 coloring pages
• 17 additional Upper Level notebook pages for advanced or experienced students
• 10 Charlotte Mason style exam questions
• Complete list of supplies needed (nothing fancy or expensive)
• Detailed instructions for each challenge, including links (including YouTube videos) and printables
• Nature journal suggestions and examples
• All the challenges will coordinate with the March through May Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletters
• Alternate ideas to adapt the challenges to your local area
• 74 pages
• $8.95 and includes the Spring Art Prints download (extended) until 5/25/12.

•  Please note that I send the ebook personally so it may take up to 24 hours to receive your download link. Download links will be sent to the email address associated with the Paypal account.

Special Bonus Offer!
For the month of March 2012 (extended until 5/25/12), every purchase of my More Nature Study Book #3 Spring Splendor ebook will include a special Spring Art Prints download to use along with your nature study. This download includes nine spring themed art prints to view or print and enjoy with your family. This resource is perfect for Charlotte Mason homeschool families who wish to include picture study that goes along with the nature study topics (instructions included).

You can now purchase the new spring ebook as part of my Spring Bundle of ebooks.
You can read about each individual ebook on my Spring Nature Study tab.

Bundle Includes:

• More Nature Study Book #3 Spring Splendor (new 2012)
• Spring Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation 2010
• Garden Flowers and Plants Challenges Ebook
• Bonus! Spring Art Prints (described above)
• $28.80 value

Special Bundle Price is $19.95 

This is a huge library of thirty spring themed nature study ideas with fifty notebook pages! Also, there are spring themed art and music appreciation ideas to complement your nature study.  

See the Spring Nature Study tab on my blog for additional specifics for each ebook and a sample.


 

Pugin the Pattern Designer

Illustration: Front cover of Pugin the Pattern Designer.

Just to let you all know that another ebook title has just rolled off the press. Pugin the Pattern Designer takes a look at A W N Pugin the pattern designer, rather than as is usual, the architect. Pugin was a consummate decorative artist with an intrinsic understanding of both colour and line. The book concentrates on two of Pugin's most popular and decoratively stunning titles, The Glossary of Ecclesiastical Ornament and Costume published in 1844, and Floriated Ornament which was published in 1849. Both titles give strong evidence as to the skill that Pugin directed towards his own personal textile, ceramic and wallpaper output, but also gives an indication as to how popular and influential his decorative work proved to be on the decorative arts during an after his lifetime.

Illustration: Sample pages from Pugin the Pattern Designer.

Pugin was an excellent draughtsman and understood pattern, decoration and ornament on such a fundamental level that it sometimes seems surprising that he is not as widely known as some of his contemporary Victorians. Rich colours and strident lines showed in much of his work and it was this confidence in decoration that perhaps made him so influential at least amongst succeeding generations of designers. C F A Voysey in particular held Pugin up as one of his main influences as far as pattern work was concerned. 

Illustration: Sample pages from Pugin the Pattern Designer.

Pugin was also a reformer and understood that the vocabulary of pattern and decoration needed certain rules in order to suit the needs of the discipline it found itself in. he was a firm believer that surface pattern should be as flat and graphically motivated as possible and therefore much of his decorative work shows this belief. 

I hope this book proves useful to anyone interested in the history of pattern work. The title can be bought by going to the Ebook page on the blog, or just clicking on the cover of the book as seen on the right hand side of the blog.

 

Illustration: Sample page from Pugin the Pattern Designer.

A New Ebook - Nature and Surface Pattern

Illustration: Front cover of Nature and Surface Pattern.

Just to let you know that a new ebook has been added to The Textile Blogs expanding information format. This new book examines British textile and wallpaper design during the mid-nineteenth century and particularly the representation of nature through surface pattern. This period saw a reform movement within pattern work gain momentum within pattern work, a reform movement that wanted to emphasise the practical necessities of both the study and observation of the natural environment and its representation in a surface pattern format.

Illustration: Sample pages from Nature and Surface Pattern.

The book looks at some of the lectures by Richard Redgrave, a prominent reformer, his ideas concerning the role of shadow in pattern work, as well as the role that he thought the modern designer should play within the process of pattern in textile and wallpaper design. it also looks at the important role that Indian surface pattern played in the development of pattern reform in Britain during this period.

The book is in pdf format, has 46 pages and 23 illustrations, most of which are in full colour and costs £3.99. It can be bought by proceeding to the Ebook page from the tabs at the top of the blog. The next title should follow shortly.

Illustration: Sample pages from Nature and Surface Pattern.

Morning Circle Time - Nature Study

October's Party
October gave a party; the leaves by hundreds came,
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, and leaves of every name.
The Chestnuts came in yellow, the Oaks in crimson dressed,
The lovely Misses Maple, in scarlet looked their best.
-Unknown Author

Many families already implement the idea of a morning circle time. Even in our family with high school age children (and above) we meet together each morning for our version of "circle time" because it has been our established routine for many, many years. Circle time is a great time to include some nature study themes and activities. Here are some ideas to get you started and that will tie into your Outdoor Hour Challenge time.

Image from PreKinders

• The morning is the perfect time to share daily weather and changes in the trees or plants outdoors. Each day your child can go outside briefly or look out the window to give the morning "nature report". Younger children can share with their words or use pre-made pictorial cards, then progress to keeping a daily weather/nature journal, and finally older students can record temperatures, wind direction, cloud types, and changes in plants, animals, and birds.  (PreKinders has weather themed printables for your circle time activities.)
• Memorize a seasonal poem or a stanza from a poem like the one quoted at the top of this blog entry.
• If you already include a "color of the week", why not ask what things in nature are that particular color? Try to get them to dig deeper than the ordinary by building on your outdoor time. You can give them hints to get started by reminding them of subjects you observed outdoors. What did we see yesterday in the garden that was yellow? Can you remember the name of a yellow bird? What yellow object did you sketch in your nature journal last week?
• If you have a "number of the week", ask them to list objects they have learned about as part of their nature study? Can you name four birds? What are five garden flowers? Can you think of six mammals?
• You can use this time to work on your verbal skills by having an object from your nature table to pass to each child. They take turns describing the object using as many adjectives as they can. 

Gently work into your circle time some references to your nature study and it will make some important connections as your children get in the routine of observing and learning about their very own backyard.

If you haven't had a chance to read about circle time on Kendra's Preschoolers and Peace blog, I highly recommend you pop over and take a look.

Circle Time- Plan The Best Part of Your Day: Kendra has an ebook outlining ideas for circle time and she has generously offered to share a copy with one of my readers. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here on this entry (one comment per person please). Each comment will have a chance in the random drawing of names on Friday, October 14, 2011 8 AM (EST).
Thanks Kendra.

More Nature Study With The Outdoor Hour Challenge - Autumn 2011 Ebook

Nature Study Using the Handbook of Nature Study- Autumn 2011 Series

The ten challenges included in this new ebook are written in the format of the Outdoor Hour Challenges that can be found on the blog. Each weekly challenge can be completed as you have the opportunity and you can complete as much or as little of each challenge as you have time and interest.

Each challenge has three parts: inside preparation work, outdoor time, and then a follow-up activity. Each challenge is written so you can adapt it to your own backyard or local area. Use the challenge ideas to get started with simple weekly nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study.

This ebook is written for families with children of all ages. In addition to the regular challenge, new to this ebook is the addition of suggested nature study activities and follow-up for more advanced students. I included "advanced follow-up" ideas and created "upper level" notebook pages to give each challenge a deeper study if you have children who are ready for additional learning opportunities.

Also, a new feature for Charlotte Mason style homeschoolers is the addition of suggested Charlotte Mason style exam questions to be used at the end of the term. The questions are meant to help your child recall and then share in some way his nature study experience. Since this is the first time I have included exam questions, I would love to hear your feedback after using them with your children. I am planning on using them with my high school age son.

Included in the More Nature Study With The Outdoor Hour Challenge - Autumn 2011 Ebook:

• Ten challenges centered on the Handbook of Nature Study
• Eleven notebook pages and eight coloring pages
• Thirteen Upper Level notebook pages
• Ten Charlotte Mason style exam questions
• Complete instructions for each challenge included additional links and resources
• Nature journal suggestions
• Complete list of supplies needed
• Sample to view HERE
• Coordinates with the monthly Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter ideas
• 52 pages

Current Price $8.95

Download links will be sent to the email address associated with the Paypal account. Links send within 24 hours of purchase.

If you pre-ordered this book, I will be sending the download links out later today. I wanted to say thank you to all of the positive comments and email about this new nature study ebook. Another big thank you to my daughter Amanda (from Hearts and Trees) for designing all the notebook pages in this ebook. I think they are gorgeous!

I am really looking forward to getting started on 9/9/11 with the very first challenge in the ebook - Milkweed!  I have received some email asking me what to do if you don't have a particular subject in your local area.

Here are some alternate ideas that are suggested in the ebook along with ideas for study:

• Milkweed - any other autumn wildflower or weed
• Leaf Miners - examine leaves with a hand lens
• Pears - year long tree study
• Cobwebs of all kinds
• Fall Color - leaf gathering
• Chipmunk - squirrel
• House sparrow - any other bird
• Leaf Close Up
• Thistles - any other fall composite flower
• Maple seeds - any tree that has seeds of any type

As always, please email me with any questions or comments. harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

Ebooks on The Textile Blog

Illustration: Front page of Islamic Decoration and Ornament as seen by Owen Jones.

Today sees the release of The Textile Blogs first ebook. This is the start of an ongoing project to produce larger scale themes on the subjects covered by the blog. The blog itself can only ever be a guide and introduction to the generalised subject of the history of design, decoration and craft. It is hoped therefore, that the introduction of more detailed ebooks will help to broaden both the appeal and the scope of both The Textile Blog and that of the subjects that it covers.

Illustration: Sample pages from Islamic Decoration and Ornament as seen by Owen Jones.

The first book is entitled Islamic Decoration and Ornament as seen by Owen Jones. The book is an examination of Islamic decoration as seen within the context of Owen Jones 1856 publication The Grammar of Ornament. The book therefore deals with part of the story of British nineteenth century decoration and that of the English decorative arts in particular. The exploration of Islamic decoration is seen very much through the eyes of a mid-nineteenth century Englishman; this in turn helps us to understand, at least in part, the ideas and ideals behind the Victorian understanding of Islamic decoration, rather than that of our own.

it will hopefully be appreciated that while all the other resources that are part of The Textile Blog are and will remain free, the ebook element takes a lot of invested time and effort to produce, therefore a small charge for the book seems realistic and it will also help to maintain The Textile Blog as an educational resource.

Illustration: Sample pages from Islamic Decoration and Ornament as seen by Owen Jones.

An ebook page has been created for the blog and can be found by using the tabs above this message. Islamic Decoration and Ornament and all future titles will be featured on this page and all will be available for purchase.

I hope the book will prove both useful and informative. I also hope that it will help to foster any further personal study. Please do not hesitate to email me, or leave comments if there are any questions that I can help you with.

Outdoor Hour Challenges - Getting Started With Nature Study

Price $8.95.

Getting Started Challenges 1-10 - also available in a convenient ebook with custom notebook pages.
#1 Let's Get Started
#2 Using Your Words
#3 Now Is The Time To Draw
#4 It Is Coming Into Focus
#5 Keeping a List
#6 Collections
#7 Your Own Field Guide
#8 Magnifying Lens
#9 One Small Square
#10 Picnic

For more information, click the Getting Started tab at the top of the blog.

Autumn 2010 Ebook- Delivery Problems

I have received quite a few emails from readers today asking if their ebooks have been sent. I have managed to keep my 24 hour promise since the very beginning. This means if you have not received your ebook in your inbox in 24 hours, please email me so I can make sure you get your ebook in a timely fashion.

A few readers have said that the ebook has gone to their SPAM box for some reason. Check your SPAM box if you haven't received your book yet and if it is not there either, please send me a quick email and I will get your book to you (and the free gift if you ordered before the deadline).

The free gift offer ended yesterday, September 7th.

Thank you so much for your patience and your support.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Free Gift With Purchase of Autumn 2010 Nature Study Ebook!

I was so anxious to get my new Autumn 2010 Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges Ebook published that I forgot to announce that there is a free gift with your purchase.

Notebooking Pages.com has generously offered a complete set of their Nature Study Notebooking Pages as a free gift to anyone who purchases my new Autumn 2010 Nature Study ebook.

Here is what you will get:

Pages and general topics include (over 300 pages):

• 7 Days of Creation
  
• All About Animals
  
• Habitats
  
• Nature Log & Journaling Pages
  
• Plants, Flowers, & Trees,
  
• Rocks & Minerals
  
• Seasons
  
• Weather
  
• "Suggested Ideas" pages for these notebooking pages.
  
• Cover pages also included for each major section.
• $10.95 value.
  

I will be updating the entry that announces the sale of the ebooks and if you already ordered your Autumn 2010 Nature Study ebook (or the combo), I will be emailing you today with the link to receive your free set of nature study notebooking pages.

If you have any questions, please email me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.

I will offering this special gift with any purchase until next Tuesday, September 7th, 2010. There has never been a better deal than this to get you started with your nature study! I am sending a huge thank you to Debra at NotebookingPages.com for her generous gift to my readers.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Autumn 2010 Ebooks Now Available!

Autumn 2010 Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenges

The new Autumn Nature Study ebook includes:

• 10 Outdoor Hour Challenges-7 new challenges and 3 continuing studies (Seasonal Tree, Weather, and Queen Anne's Lace). All the Outdoor Hour Challenges in this ebook are based on the Handbook of Nature Study and include page numbers and suggested learning observations. The three on-going studies are totally revamped with an autumn focus and they will inspire you to continue in your year-long studies that you started in previous seasons.
  
• New to this series of challenges is the focus on learning to compare and contrast using a Venn Diagram. Full instructions and a notebook page are included.
  
• 16 Outdoor Hour Challenge notebook pages and nature journal suggestions.
• 4 optional coloring pages.
  
• Ideas for field trips other than your normal Outdoor Hour Challenge backyard adventures.
• Links for further enrichment for many of the challenges.
  
• Complete list of resources and instructions to get started with this ebook.
• 43 pages.
  

You will have a complete plan at your fingertips for your autumn nature study when the opportunities arise. The ebook gives you links and resources to find most of the information online, including the Handbook of Nature Study.


Autumn Nature Study plans sample:
Autumn 2010 Nature Study eBook Sample
Autumn Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenges
Contains all the challenges, custom notebook pages, resource links, and coloring pages for nature study.
43 pages for $8.95.

Note: There might be a delay in you receiving the ebook in your inbox. I am emailing each book out myself and the delay can be up to 24 hours. I usually can send them a lot quicker than that. Also, I will be emailing the ebook to the email address on your Paypal.com account.

Edit to add 1/11/11: I would like to announce that you can now purchase all four seasonal ebooks for the Outdoor Hour Challenge in a bundle for a discounted price of $29.99. Click the button to order your bundle now. You will receive all four of the current seasonal ebooks.

If you have any questions, please email me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Autumn 2010 Ebooks-Update

I have had numerous emails asking me how to purchase the new ebooks. For some reason when you get my blog entries in an email or in a Google Reader, the Paypal buttons do not show up. This means you will need to pop over to the blog to find the buttons.

Handbook Of Nature Study

Sorry for the extra step.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Spring Nature Study With Art and Music Appreciation

The new Spring Series Nature Study Ebook includes:

• 10 Outdoor Hour Challenges-6 completely new challenges and 4 continuing studies (Seasonal Tree, Weather, Cattail, and Bird). All the Outdoor Hour Challenges in this ebook are based on the Handbook of Nature Study and include page numbers and suggested learning observations.
• 10 Outdoor Hour Challenge notebook pages and nature journal suggestions.
  
• 3 months' worth of art and music appreciation- 3 composers and 3 artists with links, prints to view, coordinating projects, a coloring page, and notebook pages. Also included in two of the months are additional ideas for studying several instruments in the orchestra along with your listening time.
• Ideas for field trips other than your normal Outdoor Hour Challenge backyard adventures.
• Links for further enrichment for each Outdoor Hour Challenge, artist study, and composer study.
• Complete list of resources and instructions to get started with this ebook.
• View a sample HERE.
• 50 pages
  

You will have a complete plan at your fingertips for your spring nature study, art appreciation, and music study. You will need to have the Handbook of Nature Study in order to complete the nature study challenges. All of the art prints are included in the ebook and there are links to viewing them online as well. This time the three featured composers and their music are offered on one CD: Classical Music Start-Up Kit Volume Two. You can choose to purchase this CD for convenience or use the online links to listen to the music suggested in the music appreciation plans. I have aimed to keep these challenges and studies as simple as possible with very few additional resources needed.

Spring Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation Ebook:
Contains all the challenges, custom notebook pages for nature study as well as art and music appreciation, and three months' worth of art and music appreciation.
50 pages for $8.95.

You can now purchase all four seasonal ebooks for the Outdoor Hour Challenge in a bundle for a discounted price of $29.99. Click the button to order your bundle now.

You will receive:
Spring Series 2010
Summer Series 2010
Autumn Series 2010
Winter Series 2010


Note: There might be a delay in you receiving the ebook in your inbox. I am emailing each book out myself and the delay can be up to 24 hours. Also, I will be emailing the book to the email address on your Paypal.com account.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Plans for the Spring

As the last few challenges in the Winter Series are posted over the next few weeks, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that we made it through the worst of the winter with our heads held high and lots of nature study under our belts. (Although it did actually SNOW here today!)

So what now?

For those that have been emailing me and asking if I plan on putting together a new series for the spring in the format of the winter series, my answer is YES! I have been busy working on a new set of nature study challenges, art appreciation, and music appreciation plans for us all to work through this spring.

The Spring Series Nature Study Ebook will be ready in a few weeks for you to purchase and start using with your family. I will be posting all of the challenges here on the blog as well starting on Friday, April 2nd and ending on Friday, June 4th.

The new Spring Series Nature Study Ebook includes:

• 10 Outdoor Hour Challenges-6 completely new challenges and 4 continuing studies (Seasonal Tree, Weather, Cattail, and Bird). All the Outdoor Hour Challenges in this ebook are based on the Handbook of Nature Study and include page numbers and suggested learning observations. The four on-going studies are totally revamped with a new spring focus and they will inspire you to continue in your year-long studies that you started in Autumn or Winter.
• 10 Outdoor Hour Challenge notebook pages and nature journal suggestions.
  
• 3 months' worth of art and music appreciation- 3 composers and 3 artists with links, prints to view, coordinating projects, a coloring pages, and notebook pages. Also included in two of the months are additional ideas for studying several instruments in the orchestra along with your listening time.
• Ideas for field trips other than your normal Outdoor Hour Challenge backyard adventures.
• Links for further enrichment for each Outdoor Hour Challenge, artist study, and composer study.
• Complete list of resources and instructions to get started with this ebook.
  

I also would like to remind my readers that there are many spring related challenges already on the right sidebar of my blog if you would like to use them instead of the new Ebook and Spring Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges.

Suggested Challenges For Spring Already Posted on My Sidebar
#10 Picnic
#12-#19 Garden Flowers (This series of challenges is available as an ebook with notebook pages from Lulu.com)
Bird Challenges-22 birds listed on my sidebar in 8 different challenges.
Crop Plants-7 challenges listed on my sidebar. (Notebook pages available as a download from Lulu.com.)

As always, I want to emphasize that my focus for any nature study plan is to encourage families to take a few minutes each week to go outdoors with their children and enjoy their own backyard and neighborhood. I write each challenge on this blog in such a way that the focus should be on just that few minutes a week you can spare to learn about the world right outside your own back door. The simple suggestions in the Handbook of Nature Study are used as a guide and a way to give your family some new things to observe and think about in nature.

I will be posting as soon as I have the new Spring Series Nature Study Ebook ready for you to download!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at any time.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Winter Nature Study Ebook-Update

If you have ordered my new Winter Nature Study ebook and you have not received it yet, please email me immediately. I have sent out all the ebooks that I have orders for as of this very minute.

I have had several that have had their books go off into cyberspace and they did not receive them. It makes me a little nervous that there may be others out there waiting.

Please send me a short email to let me know if you are one who has not received your ebook yet.

harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Winter Nature Study Ebook Giveaway Winners

First of all, I want to give my sincere thanks to everyone who has emailed me and commented about the Winter Nature Study ebook and notebooking pages. I am overwhelmed with the kind words and best wishes from everyone for the success of this project.

I always receive back way more than I give and in this instance, I am humbled.


With that said, I will announce the winners of the giveaways!

Winter Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation ebook=
Diane

Winter Nature Study Notebooking Pages=
1. Dear Abbi

2. Audrey (mommy2bear)

3. Molly

4. Elizabeth Kay P.

5. Goddess in the Groove

I will email you your ebooks and notebook pages right now.

For all of you, I look forward to hearing about your winter nature study experiences. Please feel free to share any of your outdoor experiences on Mr. Linky each Friday. It is very encouraging to everyone who reads to see how many of us are making nature study a priority in our lives.

Also, don't forget to include your art and music appreciation each month. This is something that brings great joy to our family along with the nature study.

Thanks for all your support.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Winter Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges-Ebook Now Available!

I am really excited to announce that I have finished writing a completely new ebook for the Winter Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges. This ebook is a unique product that includes not only ten nature study challenges but three months' worth of art and music appreciation with a winter theme! This is the first time I have combined all three elements into a full length ebook and I am anxious to share it with all of my readers and their families.

I have worked hard to produce an exciting ebook to help you with simple winter nature study and give you some help and direction in providing art and music appreciation.

Here is an overview!

• 10 Winter Series Outdoor Hour Challenges
• 13 custom notebook pages to complement those challenges
• 3 different artists to study-one per month (Caspar David Friedrich, Gilbert Stuart, and Claude Monet)
  
• 3 different composers to study-one per month (Vivaldi, Waldteufel, and Dvorak)
  
• 11 custom notebook pages to use in following up your art and music study
• 3 paintings included for you to print or view
  
• Ideas for art projects to complete your art appreciation with common art supplies you probably have on hand
• Resource list
• Clickable links 
• View a sample HERE.

In total, this new Winter Nature Study ebook is 56 pages long. You will have a complete plan at your fingertips for your winter nature study, art appreciation, and music study. All of the art prints are included in the ebook and there are links to viewing them online as well. All of the music planned is available to listen to online. You will need to have the Handbook of Nature Study in order to complete the nature study challenges. I have aimed to keep these challenges and studies as simple as possible with very few additional resources needed.

Please realize that the challenges are listed on the winter tab at the top of my blog but the ebook gathers the challenges all into one easy to use resource along with the custom notebook pages. If you purchase the book now, you will have the complete ten week plan all at one time for you to use as you find time. The notebook pages will *not* be offered on the blog for free this time.

To recap how this all works-

Winter Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation Ebook: Contains all the challenges, custom notebook pages for nature study as well as art and music appreciation, and three months' worth of art and music appreciation. 56 pages for $8.95.
(This is the complete project and includes all the items listed above in one ebook.)
Note: There might be a delay in you receiving the ebook in your inbox. I am emailing each book out myself and the delay can be up to 24 hours. Also, I will be emailing the book to the email address on your Paypal.com account.

Edit to add 1/11/11:
I would like to announce that you can now purchase all four seasonal ebooks for the Outdoor Hour Challenge in a bundle for a discounted price of $29.99. Click the button above to order the Four Seasons Bundle.

You will receive all four of the current seasonal ebooks.
If you have any questions, please email me or leave a comment.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Glorious Fall Day and a new Fish Study

We had a glorious day trip yesterday. Our annual fall color drive took us through some of the most picture postcard perfect landscapes in the world. I thought you might like to see a little of our day. I could fill a whole blog with the photos, but I will restrain myself.


I told you....it was a postcard perfect day. You can click the photo to make it larger.


The aspens were like explosions of fire and it was as if everywhere you looked there was a photo to be framed.


A little family shadow portrait on the bridge over the salmon creek....just me and the men on this day.


The salmon were still busy spawning and dying. What a sad ending to a fish story! My boys and I sat on the bench watching the salmon activity and talking over their life cycle. Their glorious ending of life, in blazing reds and greens, in such a beautiful place , made us a little reflective about our lives.


Here is another view of the creek on this autumn day. Can't you just hear the water babbling?

Our discussion of the salmon life cycle reminded me that I have been holding onto something that I can now offer here on my blog. Originally, these plans were a part of NotebookingPages.com's Back to School event. I am now pleased to offer it here on my Handbook of Nature Study blog for my readers.

Looking for something a little different? I know not everyone has salmon close-by to observe but many of you may have a goldfish in a bowl in your home. These new plans combine an Outdoor Hour Challenge featuring a study of your goldfish (or really any other aquarium fish you may have) with art and music study....my favorite combination.

These sampler plans include instructions for completing a nature study unit using the Handbook of Nature Study focusing on the goldfish along with complete instructions for following up with an art activity featuring a Henri Matisse painting and listening to a classical music selection by Claude Debussy. Three notebook pages are also included to round our your unit. This is a complete study and will take at least four days to finish.

Goldfish Nature Study on Lulu.com
Plans available as an immediate download from Lulu.com.

Guess what? We have never completed a study of our goldfish. What a great idea for a cold day's nature study! The next time we have a day where we can't go outside during our Outdoor Hour time I will be starting this unit with my boys.

Let me know if you like these mini unit studies that include art, classical music, and nature study. I know they are a little different from the normal Outdoor Hour Challenges, but sometimes my love of art and music creeps into our nature study.

Enjoy the photos in this entry and hopefully you can use the Goldfish Study plans with your family soon.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

New Outdoor Hour Challenge Ebook! Garden Flowers

This ebook contains the Garden Flower Challenges as well as the Sunflower Challenges for a total of ten challenges! (Challenges 12-19 and 29-30)

Here is an excerpt from the introduction to the Garden Flower and Plant Challenges ebook:

"The Outdoor Hour Challenges are different from any other nature study program. These challenges are written for the parent, encouraging them to involve the whole family in nature study.

All ages will benefit from working through these garden challenges. Gardening, especially with flowers, introduces children to a whole world to explore. Within the garden realm lies not only beauty in shapes and colors but also a complex web of life. From seed back to seed again, the flower’s growing cycle will continue and our children will begin to understand the role of seeds, flowers, and plants in nature. This truly is nature study that can be done right outside your own back door. "



What is Included in the Outdoor Hour Challenge Garden Flower and Plant Ebook

• Ten Garden Flower and Plant Challenges
• One suggested field trip
• Two art projects
• Four garden projects
• Ten custom notebook pages
• Lots of photos and examples from our nature journals
• Additional materials and resources
• Links to various types of nature study information that will help you complete the challenges
• Tips and ideas from the Handbook of Nature Study blog
• Links to my YouTube videos
• Larger photos and nature journal examples
• Sample HERE.
  

This fifty page full color ebook is available for the price of $6.95.

I will be sending this ebooks personally to the email that is attached to your Paypal account. Please allow 24 hours for delivery although it is usually much quicker than that. I listened to the families that reviewed the first Outdoor Hour Challenge eBook and included even more photos...larger than before. I have kept the same simple format with lots of suggestions and examples. I have made even more connections between the challenges and the notebook pages and I hope these pages help you get started with your nature journals in a painless way.

This ebook is appropriate for families with children of all ages and you can adapt any of the challenges to your particular locality. You can complete the challenges in any order and they are written so that you can have the flexibility to have a focus on garden flowers but still enjoy and learn about whatever kind of nature captures your child's interest.

This is a book that will appeal to families that are just starting out with gardening as well as veteran gardeners. I am hoping that this ebook will arouse a passion for nature by observing the plants and flowers right in your backyard or neighborhood.

Review
Would you like to read a review from an Outdoor Hour Challenge family that used this Garden Flowers Ebook?
Rhonda and her children share their experiences at Preparation Education.

You can use this book at any time of the year with any flowers you have in your local area. You do not have to plant the flowers from seeds, but you can visit your local nursery and purchase a flower in a pot if you prefer. You can also use flowers in your local park or neighborhood to observe and study using the Handbook of Nature Study.

If you have already completed the Outdoor Hour Challenge-Getting Started ebook, you can now move on to the Garden Flower and Plant Challenges ebook.

My sincere hope is that this new Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook will be an inspiration and a guide to many families in the coming months. Please email me at any time if you have any questions about how to get started with the Outdoor Hour Challenges. harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Garden Nature Study - Crop Plants Notebook Pages

Crop Plants Notebook Pages - Companion to the Crop Plants Challenges


Custom made notebook pages for each crop plant challenge. I have designed simple to use pages that will complement each challenge and will be an easy way to start a nature journal. Each of the eight notebook pages is in full color, but they are just as great in black and white. These notebook pages can be purchased for $2.50. View a SAMPLE

List of Crop Plant Challenge in the Ebook:
Crop Plants - Clover
Crop Plants - Beans
Crop Plants - Corn
Crop Plants - Cotton
Crop Plants - Strawberries
Crop Plants - Pumpkins
Crop Plants - Tomatoes