nature journals

Our Nature this month provided a rich opportunity for children to work in their journals, using what they know about nonfiction books and writing to record their knowledge and ideas. I invited the children to show the kind of habitat a specific insect would use camouflage in. We defined the topic words needed for this experience.

Topic Words

Camouflage- Blending in with the environment.

Habitat- Where an animal lives, the home of an animal.

Children chose one insect; a moth, stick insect, or grasshopper. Using what they know about camouflage, the scientists drew and labeled an environment for the insect. This work in their nature journal connected to our informational writing work, our nature focus for this month, and our ongoing learning about animals and their habitats. 

Directions

1. Choose your insect!

2. Write your name and the topic word; camouflage. 

3. Draw, label, and color a habitat for your insect.

4. Cut and glue your insect to your journal entry.

 

 

 

 

 

Nature-

animals HIDE and surprise!

Our journal work provided an introduction to the puppet show and hands-on learning experiences Janice and Kirsten facilitated. The children were given paper insects and matched them to a larger piece of paper, talking about how insects and animals move their bodies in an environment to camouflage as well as possible. We then went outside for a scavenger hunt, looking for objects hidden in the woods.

Why were some objects easier to find than others?

What was challenging? 

How does this connect to how animals use camouflage?

We then searched for bits of string and graphed the children's findings. It was easiest to find brightly colored string instead of tan or brown string. 

Why? Because the tan colors blended in with the environment!