Welcome to A Year of Nature Journaling!
This page goes along with the “Year of Nature Journaling Cards” found here.
Find the card you are using below and click the name of the activity for ideas on mini-lessons and extensions for your nature study.
Every card in this deck has a mini-lesson suggestion to go along with it as well as links to additional resources and materials to help you teach that topic.
The cards can be used as stand-alone nature study, once a week throughout the year and the kids will gain SO MUCH from just observing and recording their observations alone. You can even veer from the cards and just do what captures your attention and imagination once you get the swing of it. Personally, our nature study looks similar to this. Every Thursday we go out to learn and discover together. When a Topic captures their imagination or they need a little inspiration I add a mini-lesson on Wednesdays to spark their curiosity.
If you want a more complete nature study curriculum for the year I invite you to check out hatchingcuriosity.com/naturestudy where you will find links to all my podcast episodes, blog posts, and favorite resources to get you started on your nature study journey. You can then use the activity links (found below) to craft your nature study weekly schedule.
Here you’ll find an outline for a suggested weekly nature study including a weekly nature journal outing to help you with your planning.
Suggested Weekly Schedule for a full Nature Study Year:
Day#1 Do a mini-lesson on a biology or earth science subject suggested in the links below
Day #2 Read a picture (or living) book about the subject
Day #3 Observe an art piece depicting it and do an artist study on that work or practice your drawing skills
Day #4 Complete a nature journal entry looking for examples from your mini-lesson when you go out
Day #5 Research what you have discovered so you can label your drawings in your nature journal.
However, there are many ways to use the nature journal cards for prompts or customize your nature study to suit your family.
Make your own Nature Journal
The cards match perfectly with the nature journals found here. However, you don’t need this nature journal to do the activities. Most of the activities can be done with a plain notebook. Just remember to date your entries and make notes on your location and weather. The cards that mention special pages or sections in your nature journal can easily be made from a blank notebook and the instructions to make those pages are found here or on the individual blog posts below.
Adopt a tree Spring
Click the link above to enjoy a woodblock painting of cherry blossoms and check out a 2-minute video about the cherry blossom festival in Japan.
Observable Sky weather
Click the link above to see “A shipwreck in stormy seas” by French artist Claude Joseph Vernet.
Calendar of Firsts
A mini-lesson suggestion
First Signs of Spring
A few mini-lesson suggestions
Metamorphosis
I have a full blog post FULL of links for a butterfly unit study at the link above. You can take part of this unit study to create a mini-lesson or spend a little more time and do a full unit study on this topic.
Over/under
The link above takes you to fun books for the mini-lesson, a worm farm, and a thematic snack idea.
Local Birds
Links to biographies of naturalists and a good field guide for identifying songbirds.
Tracking Populations
See an example of what the journaling page you are looking for looks like and get mini-lesson inspiration
Sound Tracking
Play a bird song identification game and get a mini-lesson suggestion
Narration
A mini-lesson suggestion along with links to books that are excellent on this topic!
Estimate & Measure
Ideas for tools you can use in this activity as well as a mini-lesson suggestion
Pollination
A FREE Honey bee mini-unit for your mini-lesson
Phenology wheel
A picture of the page you are looking for and suggestions on how to use it
Adopt a tree Summer
Do mini-lesson on trees as an ecosystem. With a fun book recommendation.
Observable Sky Summer Constellation
Some of my favorite resources linked yet for your mini-lesson on constellations.
Lunar Phases
A FREE printable plus other links to moon unit studies to help with your lunar mini-lesson
First Signs of Summer
Continue Activity from the first signs of Spring Card and do a mini-lesson on how seasons gradually change.
Garden over time
Keep a garden to learn about plants and other biology principles!
Dissect a flower
Beautiful resources for a mini-lesson on the anatomy of a flower and plant germination
Flower pressing
Do a mini-lesson on local wildflowers and my suggestion for a local wildflower field guide.
Hues of flowers
Find Paintings by Monet and Bobbie Burgers and resources for lessons on color and color theory plus a FREE printable wildflower color scavenger hunt.
Tree shapes
SO many great resources for your tree study and links to different outlines of trees to look for during your nature card activity.
Leaf shapes
Printable resources for your tree study and a link to a fun tree matching game
Seed Dispersal
A mini-lesson on seed dispersal and a link to my FAVORITE nature study book.
Patterns in Nature
A FREE printable for learning about Fibanocci and other resources for mini-lessons on patterns in nature.
Sensory Walk
A fun 5 Senses activity with a Free worksheet and a link to my favorite berry field guide.
Adopt a tree Fall
A mini-lesson on the different ways trees go to seed with links to resources.
Observable Sky Clouds
A mini-lesson on clouds with links to books, resources, and a cloud viewer tool.
First Signs of Fall
A mini-lesson on the changing of the seasons and a book recommendation.
Dissect a fruit
A mini-lesson on fruits/vegetables and the principle of the harvest. With links to a book that made my kids giggle, apple unit resources, and a FREE apple tasting activity sheet.
Make a Map
A mini-lesson on map making with a link to a valuable book for teaching children mapmaking/spatial reasoning.
Different Angles
A mini-lesson on perspective with a link to an optical illusion video and books on how to teach drawing at home.
Autumn leaf rubbings
A mini-lesson on why leaves change color with a link to an excellent book on the topic and a FREE autumn leaf coloring sheet to capture the colors of fall.
Think like a Scientist
A mini-lesson on the scientific method with a video resource, a list of scientists to read a biography about, and a FREE color along with the scientific method worksheet for older kids.
Spore print
A mini-lesson on mushrooms with links to a video on how to make your owns spore print, printable resources, field guides, and a magic school bus episode recommendation.
Observe Ducks
A mini-lesson on ducks with links to a duck unit study, hands-on bird anatomy boards, and a FREE bird unit study.
Natural Landmark
A mini-lesson on erosion or landmarks.
Decomposition
A mini-lesson on decomposers and composting with video links.
Kids Choice
Family Activity suggestions
Adopt a tree Winter
What makes branches grow asymmetrically? Make your last Adopt a tree observation and investigate what shapes plant growth.
Tree Bark Rubbing
A mini-lesson on tree bark and tree rings. Watch videos on how to identify trees by their bark and what you can learn from their rings.
Winter Birds
A mini-lesson on bird adaptations for winter.
Observable Sky Winter Constellation
A mini-lesson on stars and winter constellations with a video link showing size comparisons of stars.
Snowflake Study
A mini-lesson on snowflakes with a video link on how they are formed and some book suggestions.
First Signs of Winter
A fun picture book suggestion and FREE adaptations activity.
Buds Over Time
A mini-lesson on the life cycle of a tree
Extreme Closeup
A mini-lesson on scientific illustration and the history of keeping a nature journal/ explorers notebook. Links to digital microscopes that hook right on your phone.
Tracks
A mini-lesson on tracking animals with FREE animal tracks poster.
Types of Snow
A mini-lesson o types of snow with snow types listed and graphed and a cute video to help you teach
Label Anatomy
A mini-lesson on animal anatomy and its environment and FREE anatomy of butterfly prints.
Evergreen Trees
A mini-lesson on evergreen and conifer trees with a recommended printable resource
Man’s Impact
Discuss your family values and enjoy a FREE coloring sheet on ways we can help our environment.
