The boys began last week wearing meteorologist badges and learning all about the weather which I wrote about on a previous post. That project involved being outside studying their home-made instruments and logging the results. We also lay on the grass and looked at the clouds to test their newly gained knowledge.
On Friday our nature studies focused on 'trees'. The boys read about trees before heading out into the woods carrying their nature kits. They always have magnifying glasses, pots to keep things in, butterfly nets, tape-measures, tweezers, chalk, wax crayons, paper, tracing paper, cutting tools, trowels and string with them when they head out so that they can always collect, log and create if they feel inspired.
They took wax rubbings of a tree stump, wax rubbings of the bark of various trees, measured the girth of their favourite trees and collected leaves and twigs from different trees. They also climbed as many trees as they could and as they did they told me which were branches and which were twigs.
We set up camp under a particularly splendid oak tree and discussed why trees are so important. They quickly told me about trees being the lungs of the planet and even Tristan was able to tell me that the leaves were green because of the chlorophyll but it didn't cross their minds that trees also provide shelter for animals and that they anchor the soil preventing it from sliding away. Tristan made the connection that we were sheltering from the sunshine by sitting under a tree and that cows do the same.
The boys looked at some twigs more closely by using their magnifying glasses. They looked at the girdle scars ( where the previous years leaves were formed) and we thought about how these could be used to tell the age of the tree. They also looked at the lenticels (tiny holes which allow the plant to 'breath') which they found fascinating.
Another hugely important part of being outside for us is appreciating nature, appreciating the science behind how things grow. What the plant or creature needs to sustain itself, the life cycles of things all around us and how delicately balanced everything is - these are very important scientific lessons to learn.
We also appreciate the aesthetic value of nature. My boys will sit quietly and contentedly enjoying the beauty all around them. Theo especially will articulate what he finds beautiful, the clouds, the colours, the shapes and forms of the landscape. Theo can see the beauty in an object because it just 'is' rather than for what purpose it may serve. Many people tend to be guided by other people's opinion of what constitutes beauty (think of high art and the conversations you may hear in a gallery) but it is important to encourage my children to think independently and to encourage their individuality even if it is in contrast to what I believe to be beautiful. My children look at the sky and see it as sublime - it is full of mystery as Kant suggested. Aesthetics and the study of it is pivotal to creativity in my opinion so time spent contemplating beauty is not without purpose. I will write a more detailed post about this soon as it requires much more detail.
Our studies in the field are cross curricular. They encompass maths as we measure and talk about scale, geography as we map our whereabouts and use compasses, science as we learn about plants, life cycles, minerals etc, art when we draw or paint our surrounding, history as we think about the age of trees and how the local area has changed and English although this often occurs back at home at the end of an outdoor adventure.
After this adventure we returned home and the boys made their very own tree model. They used clay for the trunk and then real twigs to create the branches. They have both been asked to spend the coming week finishing their model. They also preserved their leaves by dipping them in hot wax and went on to make a display using their waxed leaves.The other main tree task is to write a story about their tree which can be told from the perspective of the tree or has the tree as the main theme for the tale. I will also be reading the Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton to them at the end of the week which I hope to do whilst we are sat under the branches of a tree drinking ginger beer and eating scones - I hope the weather holds out.
My boys learn so much when they are outside plus they both sleep incredibly well and both have a lovely healthy glow.
Learning about nature in the great outdoors - what is your opinion?
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