The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms
by Clare Walker Leslie Author
(From Amazon): Ever since Richard Louv diagnosed nature-deficit disorder in his classic book Last Child in the Woods, parents and teachers have been looking for more ways to connect children with the outdoors. Nationally recognized naturalist and artist Clare Walker Leslie has been igniting kids curiosity about nature for more than 30 years. Her unique approach combines directed observational activities with journaling and field-note prompts that are designed to nurture the next generation of nature lovers and environmentalists. The Nature Connection is an interactive workbook chockfull of creative exercises for kids ages 8 to 13. Leslie begins simply by encouraging children to look out the window and record what they observe: What color is the sky? What shapes are the clouds? Are there any birds? What kind? Are there signs of what season it is? Once outdoors, kids are prompted to record the sounds they hear, the ground plants they see, the direction of the wind, the shape and direction of their own shadows, and how each of these change from day to day, season to season. The Nature Connection offers dozens of fun things to do during every season: write a poem; make a sketch; tell a story; record the daily sunrise and sunset times for the next month; draw a local map and mark the spots where trees, rocks, animals, and other nature sights reside (and identify each one); keep a moon journal; learn the constellations; or collect leaves and bring them home to sketch and identify. Sure to engage the whole family in outdoor fun and year-round nature activities, The Nature Connection will also stand as a permanent record of a child's unique sightings and experience with nature.
Additional Details
- Resource Type
- Book
- ISBN
- 978-1-60342-531
- Print Status
- In Print
- Activities
- 131
- Pages
- 304
- Suggested Grades
- Early Years - 8th
- Publisher
- Storey Publishing, LLC
- Copyright
- 2010
Activities
- 1 How to Be a Naturalist: Pack Your Outdoor Adventure
- 1.2 Observing and Recording
- 1.3 Who Lives Beside You?
- 1.4 Watch Nature for a Week
- 1.5 Nature is Full of Surprises!
- 1.6 Enjoying Nature Surprises
- 1.7 Play the Nature Game
- 1.8 Find a Favorite Spot
- 1.9 Make a Nature Arrangement
- 1.10 Write a Nature Poem
- 1.11 Tell a Story About Nature
- 1.12 The Colors of the Season
- 1.13 Take a Closer Look
- 1.14 A Quick Drawing Lesson: Blind Contour
- 1.15 Modified Contour
- 1.16 Quick Sketch
- 1.17 Field Sketches
- 1.18 Finished Drawings
- 1.19 Go On a Field Trip
- 1.20 An Outdoor Field Expedition
- 1.21 Your Outdoor Field Expedition
- 2 Learning the Sky
- 2.2 Sky Samples
- 2.3 Look! Up in the Sky
- 2.4 Learn to Read Clouds
- 2.5 The Sky and the Weather: The Big Picture
- 2.6 Make a Weather Map of Where You Live
- 2.7 Why is the Sky Blue?
- 2.8 How Does the Sun Move Through the Sky?
- 2.9 Sunrise, Sunset
- 2.10 Honoring the Sun
- 2.11 Shadow Fun
- 2.12 Do You Like the Night?
- 2.13 Animals at Night
- 2.14 Why Does the Moon Change It's Shape?
- 2.15 Keep a Moon Journal
- 2.16 Naming the Moons
- 2.17 Eclipses: What is Going on?
- 2.18 High Tide, Low Tide
- 2.19 Star Gazing
- 2.20 Learn the Constellations
- 2.21 Write a Sky Poem
- 3 Exploring Nature
- 4 January: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 4.2 Warm Blooded Winter Survival
- 4.3 Cold Blooded Winter Survival
- 4.4 January Activities
- 4.5 Drawing What You See: Mammals
- 4.6 Snowflake Study
- 4.7 Nature's Little Houseguests
- 5 February: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 5.2 The Groundhog and It's Shadow
- 5.3 Spotting Animal Tracks
- 5.4 February Activities
- 5.5 Looking at Trees
- 5.6 A Winter Tree Home
- 5.7 Mysterious Shadow
- 6 March: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 6.2 Welcoming the Equinox
- 6.3 March Activities
- 6.4 Drawing What You See: Birds
- 6.5 Nature at the End of a Leash
- 6.6 Signs of Spring: Green Things Growing
- 7 April: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 7.2 What's a Reptile? What's an Amphibian?
- 7.3 Celebrating Earth Day
- 7.4 What's the Deal with Fossil Fuel?
- 7.5 April Activities
- 7.6 Spring Blossoms
- 7.7 Wondering About the Weather
- 7.8 Mapping Where You Live
- 8 May: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 8.2 May Activities
- 8.3 An Incredible Journey
- 8.4 Learning Your Local Birds
- 8.5 Spring Fever (and Hay Fever)
- 8.6 Quit Bugging Me
- 8.7 Make a Nature Treasure Map
- 9 June: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 9.2 The Summer Solstice
- 9.3 June Activities
- 9.4 Trees:Nature's Air Filter
- 9.5 Bugs Are a Big Deal
- 9.6 June Drawings You Can Do
- 9.7 Feathering Their Nests
- 10 July: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 10.2 July Activities
- 10.3 Drawing Your Landscape
- 10.4 What's a Butterfly? What's a Moth?
- 10.5 How Does Your Garden Grow?
- 10.6 More Fun in the Garden
- 10.7 What About Weeds?
- 10.8 Life Underneath
- 11 August: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 11.2 Water, Water, Everywhere
- 11.3 August Activities
- 11.4 Wondering About Water Creatures
- 11.5 Search for Water
- 11.6 How Do You Use Water?
- 11.7 Ocean Edges Are Important
- 11.8 Keep a Vacation Journal
- 11.9 Sleeping Under the Stars
- 12 September: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 12.2 Grass--So Much More than a Lawn
- 12.3 September Activities
- 12.4 Going to Seed
- 12.5 Getting Ready for Winter
- 12.6 An Animal Activity
- 12.7 Take a Night Walk
- 12.8 Welcoming the Autumnal Equinox
- 13 October: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 13.2 Why Do Leaves Turn Color?
- 13.3 Drawing Leaves
- 13.4 October Activities
- 13.5 My Favorite Tree
- 13.6 What is Moss? What are Fungi?
- 13.7 Storing Food for Winter
- 13.8 Harvest Festival Time
- 14 November: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 14.2 Looking at Geology Around You
- 14.3 November Activities
- 14.4 Birds in Your Backyard (and Beyond)
- 14.5 How Many Birds?
- 14.6 How Do You Feel about Hunting?
- 14.7 Have an Outdoor Adventure
- 15 December: Notes, Quest, Picture
- 15.2 It's Holiday Time
- 15.3 December Activities
- 15.4 The Winter Solstice
- 15.5 December Landscapes
- 16 Appendix
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