More Nature Study Book #4 - Summer Weather Study

More Nature Study Book #4
Summer Sizzle
Weather Study

Inside Preparation Work:

• Brainstorm ways that summer weather is different from weather the rest of the year. Make a list of summer weather words to be recorded in your nature journal (or notebook page from the ebook). 

You may wish to include some of the ideas from the Summer2010 Weather Challenge.

*Sight: Observe where the sun rises and sets on the horizon

*Smell: Does the air have a certain smell when it is hot?

*Touch: Can you feel the hot sun on your skin? Make sure to cover up or put on sunblock when you are outdoors in the afternoon to protect your skin from the sun’s strong rays.

*Hearing: Observe the sounds of weather: wind or breeze, rain, thunder.

Outdoor Hour Time:

• There is so much to see outside during the summer. Birds, bees, butterflies, squirrels, and many other creatures are active during the daylight hours. There are plenty of trees, flowers, and summer views to be seen as well. Even though your weather may be hot, fit in some outdoor time for this challenge to observe what your summer world is like, paying attention to describing the season’s weather.  
• Ebook Users: There is a small scavenger hunt grid on your notebook page...have fun! Check the July 2012 Newsletter for another grid you can use as part of this challenge.

Follow-Up Activity:

• You may wish to keep a weather chart over the next few weeks or perhaps once a month for the next year. Here is a free printable Weather Chart from the Handbook of Nature Study.
• Advanced Study: Complete a nature journal recording your summer weather observations. Include temperature, cloud types, precipitation, humidity. Ebook Users: There is a custome summer weather observation notebook page for you to use with this challenge.
• Advanced Study-Optional Activity: Design a summer weather related project to complete during the next few weeks. Ask a question or make a prediction about your local weather. Write up your experiment in your nature journal, recording your results or your data gathered. You can make it simple or complex depending on your interest. Ebook Users: There is a notebook page in the ebook for you to use to record your weather related project.

Additional Links With Ideas for a Weather Related Project:

• Weather Wiz Kids—Read through some of the activities here to make up a question or to find an area that interests you.
• Weather Science Fair Projects—This list will get your juices flowing.
• Weather and Atmosphere Projects

All the summer challenges for 2012 are included in the new More Nature Study Book #4 Summer Sizzle ebook. The challenges in the ebook are the same challenges that will post every Friday here on my blog. If you want to follow along with notebook pages and coloring pages, click over and learn more about the ebook.

OHC More Nature Study Book #4: Turtles and Duckweed

More Nature Study Book #4 
Summer Pond Study: Turtles and Pondweed 

Inside Preparation Work:

• Read in the Handbook of Nature Study about Turtles on pages 204-209 (Lesson 52). Also read about Pondweed on pages 498-500 (Lesson 130).
• Ebook Users: Use the Pond Study Cross-section Notebook page as a way to generate interest for this challenge. You can complete the page during your outdoor time if you would like. Here is a link to something similar online: Pond Habitat.
• Advanced Study: Pond Life– Watch this YouTube on Wetlands/Ponds. View and read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 400-403 (Lesson 102). Use this information as you make your observations at your local pond. Here is another idea for the field: Guide to Pond Dipping.

Outdoor Hour Time:

• Look for opportunities to spend your outdoor hour time at a pond. Ponds are a center of many nature study opportunities. Let your child lead your pond time (with your careful supervision).
• Use the ideas from the lessons in the Handbook of Nature Study to observe closely any turtles or pondweed that you find. Make sure to keep an eye out for anything of interest that you can follow up with in the Handbook of Nature Study (see the box below for more ideas for your pond study).

Follow-Up Activity:

• Follow-up with any interest that you found during your pond study. Use the Handbook of Nature Study as a reference for any additional subjects that came up. Make a nature journal entry for your turtle or pondweed. Ebook Users: There are two coloring pages to use in your nature journal: Pond Turtle and Box Turtle.
• Advanced Study: You can research individual turtles for you nature journal. Use this website for more information: Turtles and Tortoises of the United States.
• Advanced Study: Use the information from the Wetlands/Ponds video and create your own pond life images. You can record any pond dwellers in your nature journal. Ebook Users: There is also an additional notebook page to use if you have more to record.

Additional links:

Western Pond Turtle Project on YouTube.com
Painted Turtle Digging a Hole to Lay Eggs on YouTube.com
Painted Turtles in a tank habitat on YouTube.com—Nice way to see the turtles eating...just like a field trip to a zoo.
My Pond Study page on Squidoo.com.

Free Printable Notebook Pages

Summer Pond Study and Pond Grid 

As a bonus for this challenge I am including the Summer Pond Study notebook page and the Pond Study Grid from the August 2011 Newsletter!



All the summer challenges for 2012 are included in the new More Nature Study Book #4 Summer Sizzle ebook. The challenges in the ebook are the same challenges that will post every Friday here on my blog. If you want to follow along with notebook pages and coloring pages, click over and learn more about the ebook.

Great American Backyard Campout - Nature Study Style

It's a whole different world...your backyard at night.

I encourage you to open up a new level of nature study, done at night under the stars in combination with the Great American Backyard Campout!



Watch an introductory video!
June 23, 2012 - The National Wildlife Federation is sponsoring the Great American Backyard Campout and you are invited. From their website,"Spend the night under the stars with National Wildlife Federation and take your family’s first step into a lifetime filled with healthy, outdoor fun."



If you have been reluctant to try camping, this is an easy way to test it out with your family closer to home. You may just end up liking it! Who knows where you will take your tent next?

My boys put their tent on the back deck during the summer.

I know that sleeping outdoors can seem scary and unfamiliar but overcoming the fear of being outside at night is worth the effort. You will realize there are some amazing things going on between sunset and sunrise right in your own backyard!

Combine nature study with an overnight backyard campout 

and you will build family memories that last a lifetime.

Prepare with some nature study ideas from the Outdoor Hour Challenge!

• #2 Using Your Words (Getting Started ebook)
• #23 Moths  and Summer 2010
• #24 Crickets and Summer 2010
• #49 Bats and Summer 2010
• Fireflies (Summer 2010 ebook)
• Stars and Moon (winter study you can adapt - Winter 2010 ebook)
• Sounds (Summer 2010 ebook)
• Night Blooming Flowers (Summer 2010 ebook)

Pick a challenge, read the pages in the Handbook of Nature Study, and then look for an opportunity to apply what you learned. Keep it fun and always, always, always follow your child's lead if they find something they are interested in. You can follow up with a library book or a Google search in the morning.

Bring a few art supplies outdoors and your nature journal so you are prepared if you find something of interest. If you have a nature related storybook or a favorite outdoor adventure book, bring it out for some after dark reading with a flashlight.

More than anything else, be aware of your surroundings and use all your senses, when you can't rely on your vision...listen, feel, and smell the nighttime in your backyard. Try to spend a few minutes just sitting quietly in the dark if your children are able and see what you notice. Even a few seconds of quiet is good for younger children.

If you are new to nature study, you may wish to download and print out my free nature study guide:

Nature Study-Three Steps to a Better Nature Experience.

How about a free printable notebook page?

My Backyard at Night.

As part of this great event, I am teaming up with five other bloggers to promote getting outside and having fun with your children. All of us have put together some exciting, informative, and easy ideas to get you started planning your own Great American Backyard Campout for this coming weekend.

The tips in these posts will apply to any camping you do with your children so make sure to bookmark, Pin, and promote these links! We even started a Camping With Kids Pinterest board for you to follow and glean even more ideas as the summer goes by. I know for my regular readers the list below includes a few new faces and I encourage you to click over and visit these awesome bloggers who take getting outdoors with their children seriously. Leave them a comment and let them know you popped over from the Handbook of Nature Study.

1. Adventure Tykes – Melissa
2. Go Explore Nature - Debi
3. Hodgepodge – Tricia
4. Spell Outloud – Maureen
5. Tales of a Mountain Mama – Amelia

Updated Free Nature Notebooking Pages

When I released the very first Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook, there was also a set of free notebook pages that was offered by my friend Tina Joyce. Since then the files were somehow deleted from Lulu.com and it was not until this week that I was able to get them uploaded to my file share site.

Thanks so much Tina.


You should now be able to download each page for free.

Blank Nature Journal for the Outdoor Hour Challenge
Blank Nature Journal Page #2
Blank Nature Walk Journal Page
Blank Nature Journal Page for Older Children
Running List of Thinks Observed (I use this one all the time!)
Record of Things Collected
Mammal Outdoor Hour Challenge Notebook Page

You will find more free pages here: Handbook of Nature Study Free Downloads.

To subscribe to updates to the Handbook of Nature Study blog and the monthly Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter (including free printables), you can enter your email in the box below and you will receive each blog entry in your email inbox.

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Handbook of Nature Study - Free Downloads

To subscribe to updates to the Handbook of Nature Study blog and the monthly Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter (including free printables), you can enter your email in the box below and you will receive each blog entry in your email inbox.

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Autumn 2009 Free Notebook Pages
Cattail Seasonal Notebook Page
Seasonal Tree Study Notebook Page
Spring Maple Tree Notebook Page
Signs of Spring Notebook Page
Queen Anne's Lace Spring Notebook Page
Queen Anne's Lace Winter Notebook Page
December World Notebook Page
Autumn World Notebook Page
First Day of Summer Notebook Page
Tree Challenges 31-35 and 37-38 in one PDF
Insect Challenges 22-28 in one PDF
Flowerless Plants Challenges 41-43 in one PDF
Seasonal Tree and Seasonal Weather all in one PDF
Last Days of Summer Notebook Page
Signs of Autumn Notebook Page
 

Here are some more that my friend Tina Joyce created and would like to share with the Outdoor Hour Challenge participants. Thanks Tina!

Blank Nature Journal for the Outdoor Hour Challenge
Blank Nature Journal Page #2
Blank Nature Walk Journal Page
Blank Nature Journal Page for Older Children
Running List of Thinks Observed (I use this one all the time!)
Record of Things Collected
Mammal Outdoor Hour Challenge Notebook Page


This free mini-ebook explains how to get more out of your nature study experience by showing you three easy steps to use as your family grows in confidence. I invite you to download your copy today. 

More Freebies on my Squidoo Lens: Harmony Art Mom - Freebies