Activity 1 – Observing Nature

     Thomas Cole – Sketch of Catskill Mountains

Materials needed:       
 

1 journal, colored pencils, regular pencil

1 field guide (from the Library) to take with you to identify plants and animals that you observe.

Thomas Cole loved to walk in the forest and draw detailed pictures of what he saw.  For this lesson, like Cole, you will create your own naturalist journal combining drawings and explanations about what you hear and see.

First, find a quiet area near your home that you can return to often and pretend to be like Thomas Cole.  Start by sitting in your special area for at least 30 minutes for at least three different days to observe nature.  Answer one of the questions below each day for three days, and write about your own observations in your journal.  After you write each day, chose one thing and sketch it next to your writing.

• What animals do you see in your area? 

-        What are they doing?

-        Do you think that the animals will change as the seasons change?

-        Look carefully for the smallest of creatures. Are they food for larger animals? 

• Think about the different plants that you see.

-        What purposes do they serve? 

-        Do they provide food for the animals? 

-        Are they used as homes by the animals?  Detail one animal’s habitat -- maybe an insect.  How far from its home does it move?

-        Can you explain how the plants and animals depend on each other for survival? Can you show one food chain?

•  What effects do people have on your area? 

-        Do they make the area better or how do they disrupt the nature of the area?

-        What effect might a lawn mower have on your area?  In a small way, could it be the same as the effect of the railroad along the Hudson River in 1832?

Helpful websites:

http://www.audubon.org

http://www.ifdn.com