Feathers are science treasures that catch my eye as I hike near the woodlands or stroll through my backyard. However, did you know that it is illegal (with a few exceptions) to collect feathers? Therefore, I capture their beauty in photos and leave them where I find them. Go here to read the law.

We think and communicate in words, so learning vocabulary is a critical component of any lesson when you teach young scientists. Use this opportunity to call attention to labels on a diagram. Note the downy feathers which keep the bird warm near the bottom of this contour feather. I purchased feathers for classroom use from Nasco.

For a previous post about how ducks waterproof their feathers, go here.

For a simple cutting activity that introduces symmetry, ask children to fold a piece of paper and draw half a feather from the top of the crease to the bottom. For my youngest scientists, I placed dots to indicate where to start and stop on the fold. After opening their feathers, students cut snips (barbs) along the feather edges.

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Because of the shape of their feathers, owls have silent flight. To learn more, go here.

Use these books during your study of feathers.

Look for similes as you read this story about the remarkable uses of feathers. Sidebars provide additional information.

Watch this humorous story full screen here. Young scientists will want to read along.

A fun story with a timeless lesson! Go here to view full screen. After reading, design and create fanciful crests to wear.

Hot temperatures and afternoon storms have brought amazing sunsets and watercolor skies. The colors and patterns change so quickly. No filters were necessary to enjoy God’s masterpiece!

Do you know why the colors appear in a sunrise and sunset? Go here for a previous post with the answer, videos, and a science experiment.

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After reading this story, encourage your children or students to paint or draw a picture when the sky isn’t blue. Go here to view full screen.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am intentionally capturing photos of summer colors.This post will highlight the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue and a sampling of my photographs follow. They are considered primary colors because they can’t be created by mixing other colors together. There are warm and cool variations of each color.

The primary colors mixed together create the secondary colors (orange, purple, and green), as well as the tertiary or intermediate colors. Four engaging investigations follow: Go here and here for a simple color mixing activity that introduces the concepts of hydrophilic and absorption.

Go here for a favorite color mixing exploration. Name the colors you create.

Go here and here for an investigation that creates a chemical reaction as you mix colors.

Go here for a fun experiment with milk, soap, and the primary colors that explores surface tension.

Go here to view full screen, Go here for a book extension.

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My youngest scientists always enjoyed this song. Click here to view full screen.

However, these colors are not the same as the primary colors used in printing and digital displays. Go here for an investigation with the primary colors of light.

Green is often the first color associated with summer. Don’t miss the variety of warm and cool hues. A warm green is closer to yellow, while a cool green approaches blue.

Give your child yellow and blue paint to mix and watch the science happen. Green is a secondary color because it is created from two primary colors. Add white to lighten (tint) the greens or a touch of black to darken them (shade). Red is across the color wheel from green and is therefore its complementary color. Mixed together they neutralize each other and create brown.

Go here to take a peek inside the book, Green, by Seeger.

The green pigment inside leaves is chlorophyll. Rub a leaf onto paper to see the pigment.

Test for the pigments inside leaves with chromatography.

Highlight green with a green day celebration! Have your children wear green and eat green food. Then go on a scavenger hunt to search for green living and nonliving things. How many different items can you find? Play I Spy with green items to develop vocabulary skills.

Celebrate summer! Using the following picture book as inspiration, search for natural items of each color that you identify with this season.

Capture photos and use them to create a book about color or a slideshow with or for children. Be sure to label the color and the object or include a repetitive sentence to build literary skills. Create a scavenger hunt and check off how many different items you find of each color.

I like walking with intention and purpose. I’ve made a goal this summer to hunt for examples of each color and first up is orange. Often a color associated with fall, I was surprised at the number of orange pops in the summer landscape just waiting to be discovered. Now it’s your turn, how many orange items can you find – maybe a bird, stone, sunset, or shell? I tried to snap a photo of a chipmunk, but it was too fast!

All ages will enjoy mixing yellow and red paint (primary colors) to create orange (a secondary color), as well as the tertiary or intermediate colors which fall between them. Then add black and white paint to create shades and tints of orange. Blue is across the color wheel from orange and is known as its complementary color. Many sports teams wear complementary colors. Why? What happens when you mix blue and orange together?

Scientists describe their observations using physical traits, one of which is color. Color is also used to classify both living and nonliving things.

Such a great story about creativity! Use it to jumpstart an engineering activity in which students design and build 3D facades of their dream houses. Go here to view full screen.

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