May. 28, 2008

Green Hour Challenge #15 - Drawing a Flower

In the last week, we have been on several wildflower walks!  Each time the rain would let up, we've been out there discovering new flowers.  And truly, everytime we go out there's a new one to identify.  It has been so much fun for us!   There really is so much more to knowing the names of things in nature.  Everytime we've discovered a new one since the beginning of spring I've taken a photo.  And just recently I put them all together in the slide show at the top of my blog.  It's an almost daily occurrence for the kid's to come running up to me shouting "I've found a new flower!"

 

Our newest one was just found today, the Deptford Pink.  Unfortunately Alex had grabbed and plucked the only bloom there was before I could stop him.  I was able to put it in a little container of water. 

 

 

Hannah and I both choose the Deptford Pink to illustrate.  It has such beautiful "hot pink" petals.

 

Hannah's Journal Entry

 

My Journal Entry

 

Alex chose the Ox-Eye Daisy to illustrate.

 

 

He drew this in about 20 seconds, and the next thing I knew he was headed out the door with the butterfly net!  It wasn't long before Hannah joined him, and they brought me this beautiful little butterfly.  We unfortunately weren't able to identify it.

 

 

We also wen't outside with my new tree identification field guide and were finally able to identify Hannah's tree that she chose to journal about through the seasons.

 

Pignut Hickory Tree

 

The leaves on the big tree were too far up, but a little walk in the woods produced a smaller Pignut Hickory that we could get a sampling of leaves from.  And, as a bonus we found a pignut right below the tree to observe.  Hannah did a leaf rubbing after we came inside to put in her journal.

 

 

It was so easy to identify with this new guide, Identifying Trees - An All-Season Guide to Eastern North America, we love it!  It has closeup pictures of the bark, leaves and nuts.  It was so easy to for me and the kids to use.

 

 

I wanted to share this beautiful photo.  This was taken from the spot in the woods where we found the tree.  Ahhhh, I could have sat there all day!

 

 

After coming back inside the nature fun wasn't over yet.  While sitting on the couch reading a book, Hannah jumped up and snapped this funny photo of an Fox Squirrel making his way up the pole for a bite of suet.

 

 

And then, just after we were sitting back down to read again, guess who showed up at our feeders?  An Indigo Bunting!  Hannah, with her heart beating fast, took a great photo!  You can click on the image for full-size.

 

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It's truly a rare treat to see them at the feeders because the guides say they only will come to them before insects become plentiful, and they are only in our area in Spring and Summer.  And just moments later the female came too!  How exciting!  She wouldn't stay still long enough for a photo though.

 

So much for finishing reading our book!  I'm going to have to turn that couch around so we can't see out the window!

 

If you'd like to participate in these wonderful Green Hour Challenges, visit Barb at Handbook of Nature Study.

 

 

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Comments

May. 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Keri
Wow...
what a great time that you had!
The slideshow is great!
The blue on that bird looks so beautiful.
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May. 29, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous
What an industrious squirrel! Your DD is great with the camera!

I'm so behind on the Green Hour Challenges - we are still doing nature study but we've kinda taken a detour.

Makita
4twinklingstars.blogspot.com
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May. 29, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by jenn4him
Oh, I really enjoyed your post. Great flower drawings and nature in action shots. Love those squirrels!
Jenn
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May. 29, 2008 - Great entry

Posted by HarmonyArtMom
I think your drawings were great and I loved all your little side adventures.

I really like the tree book too, I wish it were for the west and not the east. :)

Thanks for the link,
Barb
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May. 30, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Dawne
Great drawings and what a nice time in God's beautiful creation you all had! :)

Dawne
http://oneroomhomeschool.blogspot.com
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About Me

Welcome to our blog home! My name is Melissa and I am a homeschool mom of three beautiful blessings ages 11, 9, and 2; and blessed wife to my husband for 15 years. Our homeschooling style is eclectic, but we love Charlotte Mason's educational philosophies and learning the natural, everyday hands-on life way! We especially see daily opportunities to learn and grow closer to God through His amazing creation in nature!

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"Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young - a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God." ~Psalm 84:3-4


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Nature Notes


•11/21/08
The artic chill is on! Temps haven't been out of the 30's for days. Brrrr! The woods in back have been cracking as if moaning with pain from the cold. But already, the beauty of winter is emerging as well: birds have been overly plentiful at the feeders, the sky is so clear the stars are like shining beacons in the night, the morning dew is frozen into millions of crystals on the grass that reflect the rising sun, and now that we have a clear view into the woods again we are daily seeing wild turkeys and deer passing by.

Close encounters of the "chipmunk" kind! Hannah was out on the patio watching the birds at the feeders and in a split second a little chipmunk ran around the corner obviously unaware of her presence. That was until he came face to toes with her in a standoff! Then, cheeks puffed full of bird seed, he proceeded to zip like lightning right between her legs and dashed into safety. Hannah exclaimed, "Mom, I can't breathe, that was so cool!"

•11/17/08
Our first snowfall!! The kids and I couldn't wait to wrap up warm and get outside for nature time. The flakes were so big and wet AND yummy! We had such fun dancing and spinning around in our winter wonderland!


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"The earth has music for those who will listen."
~ William Shakespeare


"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in."
~ George Washington Carver


"Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God."
~ George Washington Carver


"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty."
~John Ruskin


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Scripture Notes


For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. ~ Romans 1:20

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? ~ Job 12:7-9

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General Links

• Home
• View my profile
• Archives
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• Crosswalk Homeschool Site
• My Daughter's Blog

Downloadable Files to Share


General Files

• Weekly Chore Checklist-Updated 3/08 (Word)
•
Weekly Dinner Menu Planner-Updated 3/08 (Excel)
•
Daily Schedule-Updated 4/08 (Word)
•
Kid's Chore Cards-Updated 3/08 (Word)
•
Food Journal (Excel)
•
Education Journal - Blank (Excel)


Nature Study Files

•
Taking Note of Birds List (Excel)
•
Birds Notebook Page - UPDATED(Word)
•
Northern Cardinal Study Guide (Word)
•
Plant Journal (Excel)
•
Science Journal (Excel)
•
Cloud Identification Sheet (Excel)
•
Fire! The Renewal of a Forest - Unit Study (Word)


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Nature Links

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology ~ Bird Guide
•
What Bird? ~ Bird Guide
•
ENature
•
National Geographic - Creature Features
•
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Migration Map
•
Great Backyard Bird Count - Feb. 2009
•
Great American Backyard Campout - June 28, 2008

Nature Identification Posts

•
Nature Identification How-To's
•
Wildflower Walks, Identification, and Notebooking
•
Take a Wildflower Walk


Kentucky Nature Identification Websites

•
Common Mammals of Kentucky
•
Wildflowers of Kentucky
•
Trees of Kentucky
•
Common Butterflies of Kentucky
•
Birds of Kentucky
•
Insects and Spiders of Kentucky-under KY Critter Files
•
Snakes of Kentucky
•
Reptiles of Kentucky
•
Frogs and Toads of Kentucky
•
Amphibians of Kentucky
•
Kentucky's Flora and Fauna

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Nature Projects We've Done

• Homemade Hummingbird Nectar
•
Homemade Suet
•
Bagel Bird Feeders
•
Nature Walk: 3-D Nature Scenes
•
Nature Prints in Clay
•
Nesting Materials Bag
•
Nature Walk: Poster Collage
•
Rock Painting
•
Our Nature Table
•
Mushroom Spore Prints
•
Woodland Fairy House
•
Nature Art ~ Blueberry Painting
•
Nature Craft ~ Wind Wands
•
Nature Art ~ Leaf Bursts

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Nature Studies

• Clouds Unit Study
•
Dandy Dandelions Study
•
Mushroom Study
•
From Eggs, to Tadpoles, to Toads
•
Forest Fires Unit Study
•
Wind Study
•
A Full Moon Walk

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Simple Backyard Nature Ideas

• We Love Mud
•
Turn it Over
•
Animal Habitats
•
Let It Grow
•
Can You Hear It?
•
Imagination Play

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Art and Music

• Picture Study - Creative Writing Activity
•
Nature Walk, 5 Elements of Shape, Vivaldi
•
Monet Impressionism ~ Vivaldi
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Watercolor Project ~ Vivaldi
•
Mary Cassatt ~ Tempera Monoprint
•
Nature's Paintbox: Autumn Tempera Paints
~ Poetry and Vivaldi

•
Nature's Paintbox: Summer Watercolors
~ O'Keeffe and Vivaldi

•
Nature's Painbox: Spring Pastels ~ Stravinsky

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Our Educational Philosophy

"Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life."
~ Charlotte Mason


• Who Was Charlotte Mason?
•
Summaries of "The Original Homeschooling Series"
•
Why Homeschoolers are Turning to a Charlotte Mason Education
•
Simply Charlotte Mason

Nature Study is Education!

•
Precious Moments in God's Creation
•
Can Nature Teach?
•
Carving Out Time for Nature Study

Quotable
"Years hence, when the children are old enough to understand that science itself is in a sense sacred and demands some sacrifices, all the 'common information' they have been gathering until then, and the habits of observation they have acquired, will form a capital groundwork for a scientific education. In the mean- time, let them consider the lilies of the field and the fowls of the air." --Charlotte Mason, Vol.1, p. 63


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Textbook Curriculum We Currently Use

• Teaching Textbooks Math
•
Primary Language Lessons"
•
Intermediate Language Lessons
•
The Write Stuff Adventure
•
Mystery of History

How Else Are We Loving Learning?

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Arts and Music
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Outdoor Hour Challenges
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Hands On Learning
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Natural Learning
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Nature Study
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Science Experiments
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Dictation
•
Clouds Unit Study
•
Dandy Dandelions Study
•
Gardening
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Mushroom Study
•
Teaching with Nature ~ Math
•
From Eggs, to Tadpoles, to Toads
•
Forest Fires Unit Study
•
Wind Study

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Categories

• Amphibian Study
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Art and Music
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Awards
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Bible
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Birding
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Butterflies and Moths
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Charlotte Mason
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Cloud Study
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Dictation
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Events
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Family
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Field Trips
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Gardening
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Hands On Learning
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Healthy Living
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History
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Holidays
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Home
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Household and School Planning
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Just For Fun
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Language Arts
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Math
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My Blog
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Natural Learning
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Nature in Autumn
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Nature in Spring
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Nature in Summer
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Nature in Winter
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Nature Crafts
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Nature Journaling
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Nature Study
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Organization
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Our Homeschool
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Outdoor Hour Challenges
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Poetry
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Recipes
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School Group
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Science
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Seasons
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Simple Backyard Nature
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Unit Studies
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Wildflowers
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Wind Study

Nature Books We Enjoy


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Handbook of Nature Study
by Anna Botsford Comstock

*free download

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Pocketful of Pinecones
by Karen Andreola


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The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
by Edith Holden


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Nature in a Nutshell for Kids
by Jean Potter


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Girls Who Looked Under Rocks
by Jeannine Atkins


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i love dirt!
by Jennifer Ward


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Nature's Playground
by Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield


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The Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thorton W. Burgess


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