Backyard Astronomy

The girls have really enjoyed looking through the telescope as their daddy teaches them about the night sky.

This is a picture that Andrew took of the moon last night.

Weather Journal

Arin started her weather journal today.  Each day, she will go outside, weather permitting, or just look out the window if need be.  Then, in her journal, she will write in the Day, Month, Date, Year, and Weather.  This will also serve as part of her copy work.  Since she does not know how to spell these words on her own yet, I write them on a dry erase board and she copies them into her journal (even though I wrote in upper and lowercase letters, Arin insisted on writing in all uppercase letters).  Then, she draws a picture relating to today's weather. 

Today, Arin observed windy weather.  Her picture is of a cloud "blowing" wind.

Trees

We recently read the poem:

        Trees

by Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth's hungry breast;

A tree that looks at God all day

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree!



After reading the poem, we went outside to look at the different types of trees in our yard.

Next, we worked on an art project of painting a picture of a tree.

Spotted Laurel

One of the things I want to do this year is a nature study, not only to get the girls outside, but to make them really aware of the nature around them.  The owners of the house that we live in planted several bushes, trees and flowers in our yard, so we will have no shortage of plants to study (although figuring out the names of the plants may be a difficult task!).  We will also be studying animals, bugs, weather, etc.

This morning, we started with what I think is a Spotted Laurel.  If I am wrong, and someone knows what the plant it actually called, please let me know.

First, we looked at the leaves while still on the plant. 

Then, we picked a few of the leaves.  We talked about the leaves' colors and shape.  We noted the veins running through the leaves.

Then, we documented what we saw.  The girls painted their impressions of the leaves.  They started first with green paint, then added the veins with a wooden skewer, and finished with the yellow spots.