Nature Journaling: 4 Ink and Paint Lessons to Observe Like a Scientist.
Teacher Amanda Bestor
Average rating:4.9Number of reviews:(44)
In this four-lesson course, students will set up a nature journaling practice and try four different journaling lessons. We will do some seasonal observations in ink and watercolor paint in each lesson.
Class experience
US Grade 4 - 7
Beginner - Intermediate Level
I love nature journaling and will teach students four lessons they can use to enhance their nature journaling practice. We will use the natural world as our inspiration for this series. The class will begin with a little introduction to myself, watercolor painting and field journaling skills, and a discussion about journaling outside. I will ask students to share their outdoor experiences with the class in the classroom through weekly comments and posts of their work as we move through the...
4 lessons//4 Weeks
Week 1Lesson 1About your journal and 'Zoom in, Zoom Out'This lesson focuses on observing things from a distance and then observing the same object from a close range and making new observations.Week 2Lesson 2'The Naming of Names'This lesson focuses on the naming of plants and animals. Learning about plant families and using a field guide, and generating our own names for things.Week 3Lesson 3'Gesture sketching moving animals'This lesson focuses on drawing living things that might be moving and how one can go about doing that. Also, what animal movement suggests about behavior.Week 4Lesson 4'Visual collections'This lesson asks students to focus on one theme, like 'New growth,' or 'Things that are blue'...etc. Students will choose a topic and then spend time looking for these things and making notes in their journals.
Students will learn: - Why I love nature journaling and find it to be a relaxing and enjoyable hobby. - How to set up your journal and how to add to your journal with notes and sketches. - How to care for plants and nature while you journal. - Ways to identify native plants. - Why do living things have common and scientific names? - How to draw animals that are moving. - Four ways to journal when you aren't sure how to start an entry. The goal is to leave with the beginnings or continuation of nature journaling practice.
I am an experienced classroom, afterschool program, and summer camp teacher. I have a degree in Environmental education and experience nature journaling with students in K-8th Grade.
This class is designed to give ideas of how a student could modify a class to add their own creativity and showcase their own interest and direction.
2 files available upon enrollment- Watercolor paint, pens, or watercolor pencils. - A water brush or a paintbrush and a little Tupperware container of water to take into the woods. - Watercolor paper, a moleskin journal, or thick painting paper - A pencil and a fine point sharpie, archival, or micron pen. -A field guide for plants in your area. (Digital or from the library works too!)
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Students will be asked to draw and journal in a natural space. If you live in a city then your student can draw from a city or in your local park. They could even complete this while looking out a window if going somewhere outside is not possible. Students will have access to a class Padlet where they can see images of and like the work of others. All posts need to be approved by me, so only appropriate posts will go up. The Padlet works like a giant bulletin board where students can see their peer's work and get more ideas about what to try on their own. They can also ask questions in the classroom and share techniques that worked. I will also use Google slides to show reference images to look at. When parents enroll in the class they will get a QR code and a video on how to post on Padlet. Padlet is free to join. I just log in with my Google account.
Average rating:4.9Number of reviews:(44)
Note: Please ❤️ and follow my profile so you are notified when I post new classes. :) As an educator, I think I have one of the greatest jobs in the world! I love the Outschool platform and how I can teach students all over the world. My classes...
Self-Paced Class
$19
weekly or $74 for all content4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks of teacher feedback
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 2 learners
Ages: 9-15
