Nature Journaling: Finding Your Own Way

Earlier this year, when attending a homeschool conference, I had a
conversation with a mother about nature studies and nature journaling. She
had decided that her students would do nature journals and had started off
with a vengeance to see that aim achieved.

She admitted that she had taken her kids to the zoo with their journal
books in hand and when they weren't completely enthusiastic, she had told
them they were not going house till they had sketched and written in their
journals. She was looking at me expectantly, and I replied, "Nicely, that
would definitely be 1 way to do it."

"Not the greatest?" Then she smiled. I cautiously began to outline what I
believed may be a much better way to elicit genuine excitement from her
students.

When it comes to nature journaling, have any of you ever faced this? It
seems to me that when you teach nature subjects in school and even when
you engage in specific field trips for outdoor discovery, it is a wonderful
idea to give assignments with specific parameters, such as "write a
paragraph about . . . ," "write five fascinating facts about . . . ,"
"draw a diagram or sketch of the topic . . . ," "research the
classification name of a specimen, . . ." and so on. These assignments, when
completed, can be kept in a science notebook and would be considered portion
of routine schoolwork.

Nevertheless, there could possibly be a far more creative and useful way to method the
somewhat unique subject of nature journaling.

If you read the post titled "The Really like and Lure of Nature Walking" in
the Summer 2008 problem of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, then you were
introduced to various of the critical factors to lead your young children out into
nature—to observe and learn to appreciate the globe the Lord designed. You
can assist your children begin to make discoveries that can assist them far better
fully grasp the globe in which they live. When you have been on various
walks, you and your students may uncover yourselves wishing for special ways
to "capture" in a even more permanent way what you've noticed and what you have
identified. Nature journaling seems to satisfy this longing.

Having said that, it is at this point that each and every person's observations will likely
be rather distinctive. Each kid has distinctive methods that he would be
happiest chronicling his adventures and the specimens he finds along the
way. Some will want to draw or sketch in their nature journal, although
others will want to use watercolors, colored pencils, or take photographs
of what they discover. A choice to incorporate quotes, Bible verses, poems, or
nature writings by other nature lovers is a selection that will delight one
kid, yet that selection may not be the least bit fascinating to one other
child.

In the very same way, 1 child could make a decision to make entries in his journal
every single day, even though a different falls into very a fruitful routine of recording
his or her entries when a week or as soon as a month. The final effort
(remember—the young start out modest) is the telling element. What a kid
loves, he will be glad to do. Is he starting to "see and really feel" and
express himself in creative techniques?

Considering that our goal is to assist our kids get outstanding joy in exploring nature,
then we will need to attentively observe each child and discern how ideal to
inspire him to grow to love what has been made. As far as nature
journaling goes, this may possibly not be the previously mentioned scenario of
threatening to remain at the zoo till the journal entries are complete.
Rather, encourage every single one to explore and locate his own way to record his
discoveries.

Sure, a few young children will will need even more inspiration than others to get them
journaling. For 1 who has stronger interests elsewhere, a decent general
hands-on know-how of the outdoors is nevertheless vital, and though this
sort of student may perhaps not have a nature journal that is very as creative or
filled to the brim as those of other individuals, that is okay.