On Thursday we talked over camouflage and natural selection from the perspective of both predator and prey. For the first exercise, everyone got a paper bag and stuffed it with leaves, then we threw them in a pile and sorted
Nature Study: Rivers
Today we dove into rivers! We opened with an activity drawn from here, adapted for the younger crowd… We joined hands and made ourselves into a simple, winding river. We talked about the ways in which rivers move (and some silly
Nature Study: Trees of Thatcher Woods
This week we got into the trees of Thatcher Woods. We talked about forest surveys, and how we can analyze trees and forests from a few different perspectives. While we waited for everyone to arrive, we philosophized: if I have
Nature Studies: Clouds
This week, we discussed clouds. We talked about the 4 main types of clouds and what information they can give us about the weather. We did an experiment making a cloud in a ball jar using hot water, food coloring,
Nature Studies: Nature Journaling
This year we are exploring nature journaling. My plan is to weekly have a different element that we learn and focus on for that week. However, our overarching theme is being nature scientists and taking advantage of our beautiful Thatcher
Nature Study: Why Seasons?
In our first lesson of the year, we tried to answer the tricky question of why there are seasons. We started by modeling the solar system using this nifty NASA activity. I showed them the Sun and asked them to guess how big the Earth
Nature Study: Alphabet Scavenger Hunt
The neutrons worked together on a fun Alphabet Scavenger hunt during our nature walk today. It’s always a fun time to see nature through their eyes, from Dogs to Grass to Leaves to Pool noodles to Shadows to Yellow flowers
Nature Study: Pond Journey
Waaay back in January, Kyle had the wonderful idea to spend both morning sessions over at the pond. And today, that’s exactly what we did! I first read Kate Messner’s Over and Under the Pond, while the group folded simple 8-page books (below)
Nature Study: Thesaurus Walk
This may have been my favorite day of the year, word nerd that I am. Today I brought an armful of thesauri for the Neutrons thinking it might be a fun way to guide our walk. I was pleasantly surprised
Nature Study: Seed Comparison
Last week we started by sorting a mix of five different types of seeds. On a blackboard positioned under each plate, we brainstormed words that described each seed type. Then I pulled out the five seed packets, and the group