Nature Journal: Random Acts of Nature Study

It’s so easy to incorporate nature study into your homeschool schedule, and many times, it just happens spontaneously. Our nature studies take many forms, from drawing in our nature journals to simply observing.

How to make the most of spontaneous nature study:

• Ask your child questions about what he sees.
• Look closer and observe the details. What patterns, colors, textures, and actions do you see?
• Be patient and spend a little time watching. You might see things you didn’t notice at first.
• Learn more about what you discover by checking a field guide or the internet for more information. This is a good way to incorporate research skills.
• Draw or take a photograph to record what you see. Take note of the month or season, place, and label it based on your research findings.
• Write a paragraph, poem, or descriptive essay about your discovery.

Anas platyrhynchos

1. What kind of animal is this?
2. What color is it?
3. Does it have feathers or fur?
4. What does it feel like?
5. What sound is it making?

Cornus florida

1. How many petals does this flower have?
2. What is unique about it?
3. What does the center look like?
4. Does it have a scent?
5. Is it growing on a single stem or on a tree?
6. What kind of flower is it?

Felis catus

1. What colors do you see in the eyes?
2. Do the eyes change?
3. Does the nose have fur on it?
4. How many whiskers do you see?
5. What are whiskers for?

Bombus

1. What is the bee doing?
2. What colors and textures do you see?
3. Do you hear a sound?

Polistes dominula

1. Is this a bee or a wasp?
2. What are their similarities and differences?
3. What is it building?
4. What is this structure used for?

Latrodectus mactans

1. Careful! How many legs does the spider have?
2. How many eyes?
3. What colors do you see?

Odocoileus virginianus

1. What animal left this skeleton?
2. What might have injured it?
3. Do you see a clue?