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Through the Year with the Almanac

Join me for this ongoing weekly club where we will explore information published in yearly almanacs. These periodicals explain and predict agriculture, gardening, astronomy, weather and trivia of all sorts.
New on Outschool
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hours per week

Class Experience

US Grade 9 - 12
In this ongoing club, learners will come to understand the contents of an almanac, and learn to read the complex charts and graphs therein. We will talk about the history of nature and agricultural almanacs and their place in the U.S. since the 1600s. 
Most annual almanacs contain a huge amount of information regarding the natural world. Some of it is within geographic specific charts and maps. This includes information about sun/moon rise and set, tides, planting, and various other phenomena. This information is presented through maps and charts, , and those graphics are divided into regions and zones. 
Outschool and I take learner privacy very seriously, and places of residence are to be kept private. That being said--
**The only location specific information learners will share will be what regions/zones they are in, according to the almanac categories. If learners are not able to differentiate their regions/zones on their own, they can ask their adult for help, or consult with me, the teacher, via private chat. If they give me their general state area and time zone, I will be able to help them determine their correct regions/zones, without them revealing their hometowns.**
Each session we will explore an aspect of the almanac. One week we will talk about frost dates, another we will learn about full moons and the moon rise and set times. The region/zone times can be tricky, but we will learn together and students can (with an adult's permission) look online for a geographically specific chart, so they don't have to do do constant numerical conversions. 
All this sounds very complicated and tedious, but it is very fun and informative to be able to anticipate the happenings in the natural world! There are no tests, and no one should worry about getting things "wrong"!
After a ten or fifteen minute chat about an almanac topic, we will have open discussion about what students are noticing in their area. Did they have a freeze? Are the fish biting? Are the tomatoes good this year? Are the almanac predictions proving correct? Learners will build a better and more comfortable interaction with the natural world the more they anticipate and understand. Discussion will be casual, respectful, inquisitive, and fun. 
Some sample weeks themes in 2025-
Week of January 13- Introduction to Almanacs
Week of January 20- Regions and Zones
Week of January 27- Regions and Zones, continued
Week of February 3- Sunrise/Sunset
Week of February 10- Moon Rise/Moon Set/Phases of Moon
Week of February 17- Tides
Week of February 24- Last Frost/First Frost
Week of March 3- Twilight
Week of March 10- Temperature Highs/Lows
Week of March 17- Weather
Learning Goals
Scientific Inquiry- We will wonder, learn, observe and discuss together.
Map Interpretation- Map reading is an essential skill. Analog (paper, printed) maps are increasingly rare, but important.  The act of looking at and absorbing information from a printed map helps develop spatial and critical thinking.
learning goal

Other Details

Supply List
Learners will need a 2025 edition of Farmers' Almanac (with the orange cover)
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined October, 2024
New on Outschool
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
My background is in geography. In 2022, I was a Harrison Fellow of the Historic Landscape Institute at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. I work in landscape heritage. My work involves preservation, conservation, and interpretation of cultural and historic landscapes. My education is ongoing and continuous through classes, seminars and workshops. 

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Live Group Class
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$12

weekly
1x per week
45 min

Live video meetings
Ages: 14-17
3-10 learners per class

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