Learning – Page 3 – Wineberry Woods

10Jul 2024 by catbird

Solstice Shadow Drawings

Craft Project, Learning, Nature Art, Play, Summer, Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and the sun is it it's highest position in relation to the Earth. This means that the shadows are the shortest than they will be all year. (Think about how in summer the sun feels directly overhead, that's because it is!) In fact areas close to the equator will actual be able to observe zero shadow days on the solstices at solar noon. Ancient astronomers measured the length of shadows to make mathematical calculations, like Eratosthenes, who in approximately 200 BCE calculated the circumference of the Earth be making detailed measurements of how shadows lengthen and shorten throughout the year. In addition to the shadow drawing project described below, you could also draw or record the shadow of a fixed…

21Jun 2024 by catbird

What is Summer Solstice?

Folklore, Learning, Summer, Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. It’s the day that the earth is tilted the closest to the sun and consequently has more hours of sunlight and less hours of dark then any other day of the year. The sun is at its highest point in the sky on the Summer Solstice and shadows are the shortest they will be all year. The word solstice comes from the Latin, sol means sun and stitium means still. The sun on the Solstices seems to pause, leading our ancestors to surmise that it was standing still for a time. Humans have observed the Summer Solstice since the Stone Age. Stonehenge was built at least in part to track the Solstices. On the Summer Solstice the rising sun is framed…

24May 2024 by catbird

“The Accidental Apprentice”

Craft Project, Folklore, Foraging, Free Printable, Learning, Middle Grade Book Buds, Recipes, STEAM

I began Picture Book Buds with the intention of exclusively featuring picture books. But then I read The Accidental Apprentice (Wilderlore Series). I was so inspired that I knew I needed to start doing middle grade book buds! I have been reading a ton of middle grade books lately, but would love to hear your suggestions for more book buds! Middle grade books are substantially longer, so I have broken the middle grade book buds into a lesson (called lore in honor of Wilderlore here), a craft or two, and a snack. All are driven by the themes and ideas in the respective book. These could be the jumping off point for a more in depth academic book study, or just a fun project to further immerse yourself in the worlds…

16May 2024 by catbird

“Mother Holle”

Craft Project, Folklore, Learning, Midwinter, Picture Book Buds, Recipes, Winter

Picture Book Buds are a fun and easy way to incorporate literacy into nature study. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related activity and snack suggestions! Mother Holle Written by: The Grimm Brothers & Illustrated by: John Stewig Mother Holle is a classic Grimm’s fairytale in which a mistreated step sister falls down a magical well to a fairy realm where she is rewarded for being kind to Mother Holle with gold. (There is of course also a “bad” sister who does everything wrong and is punished in proper Grimm fashion.) The moral of the story is that “industrious children are rewarded and lazy children are punished” although I like to view it in a more modern sense- that kindness is rewarded. Mother Holle…

01May 2024 by catbird

What is May Day?

Folklore, Learning, May Day

May Day is a celebration halfway between the Spring Equinox (the official start of spring) and the Summer Solstice (the official start of summer). It is always observed on May 1st, although the technical astronomical midpoint varies slightly. It is what is known as a “cross quarter” day on the Wheel of the Year. These days are seasonal midpoints in between the “quarters” or solstices/ equinoxes. This day is rich in history and folklore, and as with many ancient holidays, was rooted in agriculture. Wildflowers are starting to bloom, asparagus is beginning to peek out of the ground, and the earth is warming up. History & Traditions The May Day celebration is known by many names in many different places: Beltane is a Gaelic word that means “Day of Fire.”…

21Mar 2024 by catbird

“Thunder Cake”

Craft Project, Learning, Nature Art, Nature Journaling, Picture Book Buds, Play, Recipes, STEAM

Picture Book Buds are a fun and easy way to incorporate literacy into nature study. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related activity and snack suggestions! Thunder Cake Written & Illustrated by: Patricia Polacco This is a beautiful book about a young child and her grandma baking a cake during a thunderstorm to distract her from being scared. So many kids can relate to this feeling and you can take it further and learn about storms. I like to think that learnig about the science of storms makes them less scary and it has definitely helped my kids. Also cake. "It's Raining" by Gail Gibbons is a great nonfiction starting point. And "Mushroom Rain" written by by Laura K. Zimmermann and illustrated by Jamie Green…

21Mar 2024 by catbird

“Wake Up, Woods”

Foraging, Hike Ideas, Learning, Picture Book Hikes, Spring

Picture Book Hikes are a fun and easy way to bring learning outside. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related hike, activity and snack suggestions! Wake Up, Woods Written by: Michael Homoya & Shane Gibson, illustrated by:Gillian Harris This book is absolutely packed with information about spring ephemerals-- delicate North American native flowers that grow in the forest the early spring before the tree canopy leafs out. This is less of a story book and more of a nonfiction information book, its almost a feild guide but with beautiful illustrations. If you are looking for more of a story, or working with younger friends, try the Possum and the Peeper by Anne Hunter. It doesn't specifically mention spring ephemerals, but depicts them in the illustrations. The…

21Mar 2024 by catbird

“Fungi Grow”

Autumn, Craft Project, Hike Ideas, Learning, Picture Book Hikes, Play, Recipes, STEAM

Picture Book Hikes are a fun and easy way to bring learning outside. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related hike, activity and snack suggestions! Fungi Grow Written by: Maria Gianferrari & Illustrated by: Diana Sudyka Maria Gianferrari is one of my favorite nonfiction authors and Diana Sudyka is one of my favorite illustrators so I I had high hopes for this book. It didn't disappoint-- it has simple kind friendly explanations of how mushrooms and mycelium grow and live. It is of course a perfect excuse to take a mushroom hike! I usually think of this as a fall activity because so many edible mushrooms fruit in late summer/ early fall, but there are mushrooms fruiting nearly year round. I love crafting and cooking…

09Mar 2024 by catbird

“When the World is Dreaming”

Craft Project, Free Printable, Learning, Picture Book Buds, Recipes

I love picture books. Like crazy, unofficial librarian in my own mind, love picture books. You may have noticed I often recommend books to go with various projects and recipes, I have a whole section devoted to books I love by topic, and include extensive reading lists in all of my books. I also love writing lessons and curriculum and am constantly have discussions with other authors about how I'd love to write a lesson for their book. So I decided to stop talking about it and start doing it! Introducing Picture Book Buds, where I will share some of my favorite picture books and pair them with a craft or lesson and an easy snack. (Check out Picture Book Hikes too which was a an offshoot of Picture Books…

22Jan 2024 by catbird

Bird Watching Hike

Hike Ideas, Learning, Nature Journaling, Valentine's Day, Winter

February is the perfect time to go bird watching! It's much easier to spot birds before the trees have all leafed out, and many birds are super active this time of year. There is long held folkloric belief that February is when birds begin to pair up and make nests, which likely plays into the modern themes of Valentine's Day. They do begin to make nests this time of year as many types of birds time the hatch of their young for early spring when insects start emerging. February is also the month of the Great Backyard Bird Count– a great opportunity to participate in a citizen science project and have fun outdoors. Log the bird friends you spot to help scientists track bird’s patterns and migration. Recording bird sightings in…

Category: Learning