Each moment of the year has its own beauty… a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again. (Emerson)
We often think that winter days are filled with muted colors, but if you are sensitive to your surroundings, colors are there for you to discover.
Go here to view this sweet story about a young girl who learns to appreciate the beauty of her surroundings. Use this as a model book when you teach descriptive language.
As you spend time outside on winter days, what colors do you see?
Another amazing raptor – the eagle! Two rescued eagles live at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, and I always stop by for a visit when I am at the center.
I walk in the woodlands with anticipation and what an unexpected surprise! As my daughter and I turned a corner on our winter walk, a peregrine falcon was perched in front of us. Read more about this amazing bird of prey here.
When walking recently, I encountered deer sleeping in the woodlands which led me to wondering about the sleep patterns of other animals. Make a list of questions your children (or you) have about how, when, and for how long animals sleep. Are there differences between mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and birds? And what about invertebrates, like snails, insects, and worms? Which animals are nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular?
Jabba, my lab frog, often slept under his heat lamp.
Myrtle, the lab turtle, brumated during winter months.
The ducklings we hatched in lab always cuddled together when they slept.
I’ve stated before that I enjoy walking with intention and in the winter forest, I’ve noticed an abundance of vines twirling around trees. How does a vine twist around a tree trunk (twining) and why? Notice how the vine is equally spaced as it moves up the tree. Math is everywhere! Do vines twist around a tree in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction or is it arbitrary? What else do you wonder?
A Moment of Science helps us answer those questions here.
When I visit the Nature Center, I always check to see if their Virginia opossum is awake, and fortunately on this visit, he was moving around the habitat searching for a snuggly place to go to sleep. I was grateful for a few minutes to observe him. He is blind in one eye and is therefore not releasable.
Opossums, North America’s only marsupial, are unique mammals. When threatened, they will outwit predators by appearing dead. The diet of these nocturnalomnivores and scavengers includes ticks and snakes! Their prehensile tail acts as an additional appendage to carry nesting material and grab onto tree limbs. Back feet have opposable thumbs, uncommon in the animal world.
Although opossums often have a bad reputation, having a opossum in your backyard is beneficial!
Learn additional information in Animal Fact Files. View full screen here.
Feature opossums during a study of nocturnal animals. Go here to view full screen.
Compare the story elements in Night Animals with Night Animals Need Sleep Too.
Check out this fun book about friendship. Meeting new animals makes this opossum anxious, so he unwittingly plays dead, but then he meets an armadillo that rolls into a ball!
Educators know that design thinking empowers children to generate solutions for authentic needs using creativity and problem-solving skills. Using literature as a springboard for a project is my favorite way to introduce a problem to young children.
But do bears really enjoy having their backs scratched? Watch this bear to discern the answer. Go here to view full screen.
Many of us enjoy having our backs scratched, especially during the winter months when the air is so dry. Task your children or students with designing a back scratcher. Use recycled materials and take this project through the design process. Encourage children to brainstorm ideas for their backscratchers and draw a picture of their ideas before they begin. Do they have the necessary prior knowledge and skills to complete the project successfully? For example, what are the various ways to attach two materials? Will one of your entrepreneurs think of a unique feature for his/her backscratcher?
Want to know more about the design process? Listen to this podcast by VivifySTEM.
The Enchanted Woodland Walk is open at the Chattahoochee Nature Center through February 29. The following is a sample of the buildings that are tucked away along the trail. My favorite structures are those built from natural materials. I can just imagine small woodland creatures exploring this community of buildings.
Such an engaging family project that teaches engineering concepts and skills, as well as fostering creativity and problem solving. Take this project through the Design Process – Identify the Problem, Research, Brainstorm (Imagine), Design, Build (Redesign), and Share. Building a fairy community would also be a fun project-based learning experience to enhance a fairy or folk tale unit.
Go here to see last year’s fairy buildings and for some literature connections.
Geese are migratory. Have you ever wondered how the geese determine who will be in the point of the V? Why do they fly in a V shape and how do they find their way?
I always look for owls on my walks in the woodlands. I’ve not seen one, but my neighbors spotted this beauty outside their window just a few days ago. What an unexpected gift! I hope he visits me next. (Photos by Gabrielle and Daphne.)
Learn more about the characteristics of owls in the videos below. Go here to view full screen. Vocabulary: nocturnal, predator, prey, talons, pellet, carnivore, and snag.
A wise old owl lived in an oak,
The more he saw, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard,
Now, wasn’t he a wise old bird?
(Author Unknown)
There are so many fun ways to make owls. Use small cupcake liners for eyes. Tearing paper is a great way to develop small muscles in young hands. Let children cut out the feet and beaks.
Photo from carrotsareorange.com
Owl Babies is always a favorite. Go here to watch full screen.
Gail Gibbons is one of my favorite non-fiction authors for children.
