Estimate & Measure

Materials:

Nature journal, drawing utensils of choice, nature outing, ruler, measuring tape, rain catcher, thermometer, etc. (tools of measurement used by naturalists)

Activity:

Bring measurement tools with you on your nature study and teach the children how to estimate populations (how many sheep on the hill, or trees in the field), measure small items with rulers or calipers, larger items with measuring tapes and estimations. Record your data in your nature journals.

Younger:

Younger kids will LOVE learning to use new tools and need extra help learning how to read them.

Older:

Let the older kids figure out how to estimate the size of larger things on their own (like the approximate height of a tree) to stretch their problem-solving skills.

Take it Further:

Spend more time teaching them about tools of science. Magnifying glasses, thermometers, etc. And how tools help you collect better data and ask better questions. Encourage them to come up with 1-3 questions after using the tools or 1-3 questions that can be answered with the use of science tools.

For more nature journaling card activities click here