Nature Journal: John Muir Laws

 

Nature journals are the foundation of our "academics", but it's not because we all walk around with sketchbooks tucked under our arms. Our year consists of several studies (Literary Study, based on a novel/series we've read, History/Science Study when someone shows interest in a specific area, Nature Study that creep into each passing season). All of these units produce diagrams, sketches, paintings and maps, that end up being pasted into each childs Nature Journal. At the end of each year, we have 365 days of work in order of completion that demonstrate the seasons and what we have studied in each.

This is all the content we produce for the year. 

Aside from purchased math curriculum, there are no other work/notebooks as part of our homeschool assignments.

John Muir Laws is my modern muse. I've attended his viral workshops and now make a point to sit with him each week for his Nature Journal sessions online. Children welcome but not mandatory. If you were to simply base your entire years curriculum on his Nature Journals, all topics would be covered; geography, science, history, math, social studies, art...

He teaches journaling is not simply sketching, but studying.

So we started this September with Sit Spots. The assignment was simple. Take your clipboard, paper and pencil to a flower. Sit and sketch.

Some of the children don't like to draw. No problem. They can write what they see or lay on their backs and tell us about what they noticed in their sanctuary.

But when they are in separate sanctuaries and left with a pencil and paper, they often don't feel pressure to compare their work to others or worry about being judged.

For those that want to draw well, but seek the skills, teach shape awareness. All drawing is just lines and curves, very much like the alphabet. Nature journals aren't working toward mastery, simply observation. But you will see self-improvement over the course of your own journal.

Some students like to keep their sketch detailed and therefore would not want to cover it in colour. Also okay. I always recommend, if you want to add colour, keep your details out of the original drawing. It's easier to colour a simple outline and add more detail as you go, rather than colour over all that beautiful shading and fine line work.

As for the littles, they love to create a beautiful sketch only to drown it in colour. The process is all that matters here, so make sure to take a photo of the sketch if you ever want to see it again. 

For those interested in adding colour, we offered oil pastels and ink for batik work.