As a grown-up, I’ve been learning “nature journaling,” which is fascinating and endless in terms of learning. And when it comes to practicing science together, my own practice as a co-learner with my children is super important to me. This book was recommended to me at a workshop:
It’s a beautiful book. The ceiling is high. Here are a couple of my first creations:
I enjoy the use of dollar store watercolor paints, but the vinyl paintbrushes make me want to scream. I buy actual watercolor brushes even for children to use with watercolors because the brush needs to absorb water.
The brush in the middle is the one that comes with the cheaper watercolor set. It’s flat and plastic and not workable. The Faber Castell watercolor set (black one on the right) comes with an actual watercolor brush, which needs to be pointed at the tip and water-absorbent. But, I digress…
When I teach science classes, I insist upon a dignified “lab notebook,” because keeping records has always been an integral component of the practice of science. Audubon, Darwin, Rosalind Franklin… these people’s science is inextricably linked to their notebooks. I was flattered to find out that the lab notebooks I left in my PostDoc lab (scientists leave their notes in the labs they made them in because the notebooks/data belong to that lab) were used for training purposes after I was gone. Long story short, keeping a written record of observations (complete with drawings and diagrams and measurements) is a scientific practice. I like a blank page, a page with dot grids, or graph paper. But, also, notebooks they make for pre-K with blank space at the top and lines underneath are excellent.
Convincing 5th-graders that drawing things is actually a requirement is difficult.
I love that the nature camp my kids attend has a notebook, but I never saw anything drawn in it by my children:
My child and I did the Blossom and Root curriculum when he was in kindergarten, and I love that the fundamental science education involves a journal in that curriculum. It’s a whole entire piece of practicing science and it embraces all kinds of learning styles and challenges some of the more celebrated learners. In conclusion, let’s do it. Early and often. Science and nature journals. Yay.