This blog post is a part of a three-month series: Montessori Art in the Natural World. Observing and drawing inspiration from nature is an important way to connect children with the structures and elements of the natural world around them. Pairing art with a Montessori nature activity can teach kids about the Coming of the Universe and Earth and the Coming of Life in a very meaningful way.

Part 2. – Outdoor Nature Journaling

This series is about growing kids’ knowledge about the natural world by taking them outside their home or classroom and challenging them to create focused art, based on the nature around them. Every aspect of nature—seasons, layers of the earth’s soil, energy, rocks and minerals, fossils, landforms, water, flora, fauna, the atmosphere, different biomes, and even the building blocks of universal mitochondria—can all be represented and expressed through art.

Nature journaling is a tool scientists and explorers use to record important field notes and observations. It can also serve as a way to record history. Sometimes we can’t disturb nature, but we can record the experience by carefully observing and taking specific notes. Students can improve their critical-thinking skills through nature journaling.

Nature journals are unique to each individual owner; they’re composed of what inspires the artist, or in this case, student. Usually, nature journals are a variety of artistic expressions based on the natural objects students see outdoors, including:

• Observation notes
• Descriptions of experiences
• Simple diagrams 
• Simple sketches

Benefits of Outdoor Nature Journaling

Keeping a nature journal strengthens students’ observational skills. For instance, when a child knows they’ll have to draw or record specific characteristics of the natural world, they’ll put care into taking a closer look at their subjects as well as noticing and memorizing details.

Outdoor nature journaling is specifically suited for teaching Montessori students about biomes. It requires students to focus on, analyze, and record different parts of a biome. Each page can be dedicated to a different part of the biome. Montessori nature activities like art journaling can help students become naturalists who are more aware of and feel more responsible for their ecological footprints on earth.

[For more details on creating an art journal and its benefits, read: Montessori Art in the Natural World: Kids Art Journaling, Part I]

Where to Start: Outdoor Nature Journaling

You don’t need very many materials to start outdoor nature journaling; it requires the same basic items you’d need to start general art journaling. For more information on the benefits of art journaling, and how to create an art/nature journal with your students, read last week’s post by clicking here. 

Once your students have a journal to work with, the next step is going outside; they can head out to the schoolyard, their backyards, or even a park or nature trail, depending on when and where they’re completing this Montessori nature activity. Instead of letting them wander, ask them to focus on and sketch one object for 5 to 8 minutes (this helps sharpen their observation skills). Then direct them to move on to another object and time them again. Once they’ve observed and drawn a few different specimens, head back into the classroom.

Before I take my students outside, I always remind them that they may only get a few minutes or even seconds to observe a specimen (especially animals and insects), so it’s important to observe and record details quickly. This will help them look up the correct information and do more research later; knowing how to observe and take notes can help put the pieces of the puzzle together once they’re back inside the classroom and can clean up their drawings.

It’s important to teach your students that nature journaling is about recording details—not creating perfect drawings. The key is to collect enough information quickly in pencil, with detailed observational notes. After they’re done observing and doing additional research, they can update their field notes and finalize their drawings with more details, colors, and descriptions. 

Naturalists, botanists, and book illustrators (artists) use this same observation and drawing techniques; they go outdoors to observe, and collect and record information, then, at a later time, they finish their journal pages with detailed sketches in color pencil or watercolor paint. They also fill in the gaps by doing further reading and research.

Outdoor Nature Journaling Prompts

While I encourage you to do a few “trial runs,” and give your students the freedom to observe and record whatever interests them, eventually you want them to complete and create more focused nature observations.

Every time students go out to fill in their nature journals, I ask them to record:

• The date
• The start and end time of their observations 
• The location where they’re observing
• The atmosphere (dry, humid, etc.) and temperature
• A description of the outside landscape
• How they were feeling that day

You can also ask them to make observations using their sensory system. Ask them to record the answers to these questions:

• What do you smell?
• What do you hear?
• What do you see?
• How do things feel to the touch?

Other prompt ideas:

• Recording a species, include:
  • General name of species
  • Size
  • Color
  • Unique features
  • Describe their actions
  • Any noticeable patterns or textures
• Observe the seasons 
• Observe feelings and experiences
• Observe interesting non-living objects
• Observe plants
• Observe states of matter
• Observe local micro-biomes 
• Observe things in the sky, things in the grass, and/or things in the water

One Step Further:

Now that your students are ready to head outside with their nature journals, I want you to be prepared too! While nature journaling is a pretty independent activity, there are ways—besides just sharing the above prompts—that you can help guide them. This Outdoor Journal Checklist will make sure you have everything you need to keep your students on track and ensure they’re implementing both scientific and artistic principles during their expedition.

You can print it out or save it on your phone so you have it with you the next time you lead your students outside to journal.

To download the checklist for FREE, click here.

Video Training
How-to Theme Art & The Natural World

About this training

Grow your child’s knowledge about the natural world by taking them outside and challenging them to create focused art based on the nature around them.

Every aspect of nature—seasons, layers of the earth’s soil, energy, rocks and minerals, fossils, landforms, water, flora, fauna, the atmosphere—can all be represented and expressed through art lessons.

3 videos to watch

• Inspire your child’s creative thinking
• Make art connections with science topics
• Book resources list download

To purchase the Theme Art & The Natural World, click here.

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