Green Hour Challenge: Week Two

Week Two's challenge was as follows:

1. Read page 15 in the Handbook of Nature Study. (The Field Excursion) Read page 23-24 in the Handbook of Nature Study. (How to Use This Book) Make note of any points you want to remember.

I found the following points most compelling:

"It is a mistake to think that a half day is necessary for a field lesson, since a very efficient field trip may be made during the ten or fifteen minutes at recess, if it is well planned."

"Make the lesson an investigation and make the pupils feel that they are investigators."

2. Challenge yourself to take another 10-15 minute "excursion" outdoors in your own yard again this week. Before setting out on your walk, sit with your children and explain to them that when you remain quiet during your nature time, you are more likely to hear interesting things.

This made me very nervous. My children are pathologically loud. It worries me because my mother is also insanely loud. What are the odds that it skipped a generation? Exactly.

But, the talk was had and we headed into the tiny backyard to listen, look and touch. Here are some of the things we saw:










The branch in the tree is some flotsam from a recent series of storms. It broke off of a tall redwood tree in the corner of our yard. Apparently someone's dryer duct also found its way there. Hopefully not ours. But probably ours.

3. After your walk, challenge your children to come up with words to describe the following things:
One word to describe something they heard. (For example: rustling, snapping, crunching or chirping)
Two words for something they saw. (For example: tall trees, frozen water, red birds)
Three words for something they felt. (For example: freezing cold wind, rough sticky pinecone)

We came back inside and talked about it over a snack to keep it very casual. Here are their answers:

Eleanor heard "Cawing" - saw "Redwood branch" - felt "Smooth, hard sap".

Henry heard "Ruffling"* - saw "purple flower" - felt "Hard, spiky pod"

Sadie heard "Tweety" - saw lots of things and didn't touch anything.

Henry had to be urged on a bit with his descriptors. No problem. Barb's point is that with continued exercises of this nature they will learn to come up with their own words to describe their environment.

*Ruffling is the sound of me pulling the redwood branch out of the bushes.

We did not do the optional journal entry this week. Everyone had great fun and we are looking forward to next week's challenge as well as to getting out on our own.