Observation – Page 3 – Blackbird and Company

Posted on June 1, 2014September 6, 2020 by BBCo

Da Vinci Summer V: How to Observe a Caterpillar

“Let us dig our furrow in the fields of the commonplace.” Jean-Henri Fabre

Children become science-minded by exploring their observations of the world around them. Science is much more than facts in a textbook. Facts are only a fraction of the picture. Science is a process that allows us to discover how the world works.

I remember one summer my brother being fascinated with caterpillars. One, in particular stands out in my mind. His name was Ralph. Yes, Ralph the caterpillar. My brother kept the fuzzy creature in a Stride Rite shoebox nested with a handful of twigs and torn leaves. What I remember most about the brief time that Ralph spent in my brother’s observation box before being set free, was my brother’s focused attention, magnifying glass in hand. While he did not keep a record of his observations, I know that my brother was honing his curiosity. But, I must admit, I’ve often wondered what his Observation Journals would have contained. How fun it would be to look back on an archive of his curiosity.

All four of my children have numerous journals of this sort and it is wonderful to look back and recognize the diversity and specificity of their unique observations.

Here is how to begin an Observation Journal:

Materials:

A binder to collect completed observations
Cardstock for drawing
Lined paper for writing
Pencil
Colored Pencils
Chalk Pastel
Thick and thin waterproof markers
Watercolor Pencils
Watercolor
Magnifying Glass

1. Look at the subject for a while.  Look at what you are observing. Pick the object up, turn it around, use a magnifying glass to see texture and detail. Take your time and try to throw out any preconceived notions about the subject.

2. Talk about what is seen.  Join the fun by engaging children in conversation about the details of the object being observed.

3. Draw the object with realistic detail.  Encourage children to look at the lines, textures, and shapes. Have them think about proportions as they translate the three dimensional object to a 2-dimensional object on paper. When the drawing is complete, have them think about the color of the object and try to match the colors as close to the real thing as possible.

4. Read about the object.  Find a book or internet article to find facts about the object being observed. Suggest that notes on a topic wheel might help to organize ideas.

5. Explore the object’s potential.  What did you learn? What importance does the object hold in our world?

6. Write about the object.  Combine and convey information gained through direct observation and research.

When children observe they utilize diverse reasoning modes that will, in turn, cultivate their ability to engage in the art of learning.

Why not begin the Observation Journaling with a caterpillar? Taking Fabre’s advice to heart, no need to travel to observe nature! Step out into your own backyard in search of a caterpillar or two. And, if need be, transplant a caterpillar from the World Wide Web via your printer!

Provide your child with some colored pencils, a pitcher of ice water, and a cozy backyard perch. Curiosity will do the rest.

Here’s to Da Vinci Summer V, eyes open!

Posted on May 16, 2014September 6, 2020 by BBCo

Caterpillars in Micropolis

“We frequently see, at the ends of pine branches, voluminous bags of white silk intermixed with leaves. These bags are, generally, puffed out at the top and narrow at the bottom, pear-shaped. They are sometimes as large as a person’s head. They are nests where live together a kind of very velvety caterpillars with red hairs. A family of caterpillars, coming from the eggs laid by one butterfly, construct a silk lodging in common. All take part in the work, all spin and weave in the general interest. The interior of the nest is divided by thin silk partitions into a number of compartments. At the large end, sometimes elsewhere, is seen a wide funnel-shaped opening; it is the large door for entering and departing. Other doors, smaller, are distributed here and there. The caterpillars pass the winter in their nest, well sheltered from bad weather. In summer they take refuge there at night and during the great heat.”

–Jean Henri Fabre on the Processionary Caterpillar

So begins the march of the Processionary Caterpillar. While children’s author/illustrator Eric Carle might say, “Out pops a very hungry caterpillar,” in this particular case, out pops, single file, not one, but a large family of very hungry caterpillars.

When Fabre observed this caterpillar’s strong instinct to follow-the-leader, its steps locked to the caterpillar being followed, he decided to hypothesize and to test his big idea by setting up a simple experiment. In 1896, he coaxed caterpillars to march in a chain around a flowerpot. And there they circled for days. Round and round and round.

And what did he observe?

Not even food set inches from their proverbial noses distracted the caterpillars from their mindless following.

There was no leader.

And so the caterpillars earned their name.

Scientific observation involves much more than seeing. Providing opportunities for students to observe allows them to practice such skills as collecting, predicting, constructing, perceiving. The art of observation helps students to risk and ultimately lead.

Jean Henri Fabre’s acute backyard observations laid the foundation for entomology. His earnest observations and insights are collected in ten volumes entitled Souvenirs Entomologiques.

Micropolis, at St Léons, France, is a wonderful destination dedicated to etymology and Fabre’s contribution to this significant branch of science.

Ever marveling at the power of the neologism, I clicked around on the World Wide Web until I came across the Micropolis website. Unfortunately I don’t read, write, or speak French. Still I couldn’t help but poke around a bit as I pondered the word—Micropolis.

And then it struck me.

What a wonderful testament to Fabre. In a single word—Micropolis—the museum communicates the life of a man dedicated to unearthing the diversity of nature in his own backyard.

Da Vinci Summer 2014 is only weeks away. Join the fun as we conjure big ideas for observing the small worlds brimming with diversity that we take for granted, the simple spaces in our very own backyard. Let’s think small. After all, the Renaissance Man himself reminds us, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

—Kim

Posted on March 8, 2013 by BBCo

Seven Ways to the Wonders of Chemistry

Chemistry is much more than a table
of elements, complicated theories, and experiments in the lab. Chemistry is the
foundation of literally everything we know. But for our children, chemistry is
at best a daunting subject, at worst downright boring. Mention the word
chemistry and they will run! That’s
why this year I chose to introduce my elementary and middle school apprentices
to the subject before it was too late.

Honestly, chemistry is no
more daunting than any other subject to be mastered. And chemistry is certainly
NOT boring! Developing an imaginative view of chemistry is the key to unlocking
its wonders.

Here are some ideas to
get started.

1. Transcend the Textbook
There are all sorts of
wonderful books available to help simplify this expansive subject. Chemistry: Getting a
Big Reaction, by Simon Basher, is a really good introduction for children.

In his book, The Periodic Kingdom, P.W Atkins transforms the periodic table to a
fictitious kingdom where we can explore the potential of its topography. This
is the perfect, albeit heady, way to move beyond the mundane and journey into
the wonderful territory of chemistry.

2. Go Digital
One of the best resources
available on the web is hosted by The University of Nottingham. Trust me, The Periodic Kingdom of Videos is AMAZING, crazy-haired scientist and all! Your apprentices will want to watch
every single video and once they do, they will never be bored by chemistry
again.

3. Demonstrate Virtually
These ChemDemos from James Madison University help kids to visualize chemical concepts. (The Gummy Bear Sacrifice is particularly dramatic.)

4. Experiment
Experiencing the wonders
of chemistry is to experiment. But keep it simple. Focus on the concept of
chemical reactions. Teach the budding chemist to hypothesize.

You can purchase a
chemistry kits all over the Web:
Thames & Kosmos and Carolina both have tons of great resources.

Or purchase a book of
experiment recipes like, Janice Van Cleave's Chemistry for Every Kid: 101
Easy Experiments that Really Work, by
Janice Van Cleave

5. Play

The Elements Puzzle: 1000 Pieces, by Theodore Gray
The Periodic Table of Elements Magnets, by Smart
Memory Art
Elementeo Chemistry Card Game, by Alchemist Empire,
Inc.

Periodic Table Playing Cards, by Les Entreprises SynHeme

6. Sing Along

They Might Be Giants – Meet the Elements from They Might Be Giants on Vimeo.

7. Research and Make!
This past week I assigned each of my 22 science
apprentices an element to research. Each would write a three-part paper. The
research paper would begin like all good research papers should, by
communicating the history and basic scientific characteristics of that element.
The paper would move on to discuss the element’s purpose and uses in the wide
world. But I saved the best for last. The third section of the research paper
would move on to a larger discussion of what the element teaches human kind
about human nature. I helped them to begin this consideration by asking, “If
you were an element, what element would you be and why?” The group smiled and
the conversation got lively. Ultimately, this is the challenge that my
apprentices liked best of all because this is the sector of their research
where they were invited to engage imagination.

I provided each of my apprentices with a frame from
my local craft store—only $1.00 each—and gave them specific instructions to
stain the frame with a color that would best represent or compliment their
element (I, of course provided the watercolor). They were to put periodic table
information on the front of the frame and amazing facts on the back of the
frames. The frames would not only guide them in an oral presentation of their research,
but in the end become a larger than life game for our guild, “Scramble them up
and see how fast you can order them!”

Here are some wonderful resources to have on hand
during the research:
The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe, and The Photographic Card Deck of The Elements: With Big Beautiful
Photographs of All 118 Elements in the Periodic Table, by Theodore Gray, and The Periodic Table: Elements with Style! by Simon Basher.

PS – And just for a little more Periodic Table fun!

– Kim

Posted on September 4, 2012 by BBCo

Embroidering Audubon

“I never for a day gave up listening to the songs of our birds, or watching their peculiar habits, or delineating them in the best way I could.” – John James Audubon

Observation is a powerful skill. Not too long ago we were able to check out bird specimens from our local natural history museum. Sadly they've discontinued this service, but not before we were able to closely observe, sketch, and research more than a dozen species indigenous to our neck of the woods. Simultaneously, we studied the life work of Audubon. As we read, we embroidered original drawings of the birds we were researching.

This past spring, my daughter Hannah graduated from college. As she was a music performance and composition major, she had to write a significant body of original music. All of her music is experimental—Composition for Piano and Toy Piano, Piano and Hands, and so on. But it was the piece that she chose to play at her senior recital that made me smile, no doubt a nod to all the Observation Journal activities from her home school years.

This is what she has to say about composing the piece, entitled BirdTree:

I was inspired to write BirdTree when I stumbled across a video of a man who had created a record player that “plays” slices of tree trunks. The sound was transmitted as though a piano unlocks the music of the tree. In a thrift store, I discovered a book entitled, Field Birds and their Songs. These tools helped me imagine the diverse music of nature and inspired me to compose BirdTree. Reflecting now, all that luxurious time observing birds from the museum up close and personal on our own kitchen table must have somehow informed BirdTree. Without doubt this piece is a nod to Audubon! For this composition real melodies of birds are mixed with my personal interpretations of what different trees might sound like if I were wandering and listening to the forest like Audubon. You can hear a mighty oak, a sturdy elm, a weeping willow, and a tall pine interacting with a black and white warbler, the American robin, the blue jay, and the song sparrow. This piece is meant to echo the ethereal of forest life.

It is amazing how the past is stitched to the future.

– Kim

Listen to BirdTree

BirdTree

Further Reading:
Into the Woods: John James Audubon Lives His Dream, Robert Burleigh
The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon, Jaqueline Davies

Posted on August 22, 2012 by BBCo

Learn to Read: Be a Copycat

There are many things that can only be said without words. Yes, without words.

This summer we launched a visual literacy campaign inside my guild. We began with observational exercises. I call this close looking. The goal is to discover and decode the phonics of visual art—line, texture, value, shape, color. We began with Paul Klee.

Paul Klee wanted his make-believe faces to be truer than true ones. He wanted to portray complex emotions in his simple paintings, not just what the eye is able to see on the outside. Head of a Man, Going Senile or Senecio, is a perfect painting to learn just how he accomplished this task.

Spend some time exploring Klee's original.

Always use art vocabulary to guide the observation:
What is the personality of the lives in the painting?
What geometric shapes do you see?
Is the composition symmetrical or asymmetrical?
Is the texture smooth or rough?
Are the values bright or dull?
Is the color warm or cool?
Is the portraiture realistic or abstract?

This particular work was painted in 1922 while Paul Klee was teaching at the Bauhaus in Welmar. The painting now resides in the Kunstmuseum Basel in Switzerland.

Klee is famous for his experiments with bold color. In this painting, notice how the variations of color in the face contrast with each other and how the combined facial colors contrast with the bright orange background. Look closely, notice how the hot red eyes seem to jump off the canvas.

The simple, flat construction of the shapes is child-like—quintessential Klee. Klee used simple geometry to communicate complex mood and this is what makes his art unique.

The colors in this painting are warm and the shapes are simple. But this doesn't mean the composition is simple. Quite the contrary, the warm colors are complex, the simple shapes are constructed in a simply complex manner. And the best way to discover this complexity is to slow down, read the painting closely, and make a copy.

To copy the abstract face you will need:
– Canvas
– Brushes
– Acrylic Paints
– Water
– Paper Towels

Tips:
1. Begin by mixing little tubs of paints that match the canvas, set aside.
2. Sketch Head of a Man onto the canvas lightly with pencil, paying careful attention to think proportionally.
3. Block in the colors using the paint in a thin manner with a bit more water.
4. Layer paint using a dry brush technique until the desired effect is achieved.

A close study of an abstract work of art takes time, cultivates patience and a host of wonderful character traits in the apprentice. But the most important benefit of a close reading of a painting such as this is the discovery that each line, each stroke of color, each simply constructed shape is certain phonics with vast potential to speak.

– Kim

Posted on November 8, 2011 by BBCo

Look!

One week into the adventure, our errands accomplished, we were still in the van at twilight. Moving to the city was not what my husband and I had envisioned for our family, but food on the table is always a good thing! As we loaded our boxes into the U-haul we promised each other to look on the bright side of the concrete, but that particular night, after fighting traffic for 45 minutes, there was a shortage of positive thoughts. Rounding the corner into our brand new neighborhood I think it was Liam, then an animated three-year-old, who was first to spot them, “Mommy, look!” I slowed the van to a whispering tiptoe. In hushed tones, we watched as a mama raccoon and her kit crossed the street, “Wildlife in the city!” This was the moment we began to feel at home. From that day on we kept our eyes wide open, documenting our discoveries in the Observation Journal.

We’ve been city dwellers for nearly twelve years now. This past weekend our country folk friends ventured to the city to celebrate the beginning of fall. On Saturday, we were just about to begin breakfast when we heard a great commotion. We ran to the yard to find a murder of crows mobbing a Great Horned Owl snoozing in our tree. While I must admit this was an extravagant sighting, I was not surprised. My friends, on the other hand, were flabbergasted by this display of wildlife. Even the neighbors were drawn from their autonomous spaces, cameras and binoculars in hand, to observe the owl and her mortal enemies.

On Sunday morning Sara collected pellets from the base of the tree, “…a dissection opportunity for the Observation Journal.” And as you can see from the photos, the pellets provided a treasure trove of interesting material for scientific inquiry and discovery…not to mention a lot of ohhs and ahhhs.

The owl and the crows spent the weekend with us, then disappeared as mysteriously as they appeared.

Read more about starting an observation journal in the latest issue of Heart of the Matter's online magazine (see page 22).

Note: Should you not be so fortunate as to have a Great Horned Owl nesting nearby you can find owl pellets readily on the internet.

Posted on October 5, 2011 by BBCo

Pearls in the Sky

I know this has nothing to do with my usual posts, Home Ec, but I just had to share this little garden delight with you.

Almost everyday when I go into the garden, I run into this very industrious spider's web with my head because I can’t see the intricately woven strands. This spider weaves a web to collect a nightly feast between the branches of my apple tree and the vine on the fence. But it’s always in a slightly different place. I’m sure the neighbors can hear me mumbling a malediction as I plow headlong into it on a daily basis!

Today my attitude changed completely as I was greeted with rain and the miracle and beauty of a web adorned with pearls.

Now, was that web the same yesterday and the day before?

Of course it was!

Isn’t it amazing how just a little shift in perspective changes everything?

– Sara

Posted on September 26, 2011 by BBCo

Pages From a Third Grade Observation Journal

Almost exactly a year ago we posted about observation journaling (A Closer Look – Part 1 & Part 2). Working on this kind of journal is an important and holistic endeavor that builds science, reasearch, art, and writing skills. At the end of the year, if done with regularity, you'll find it's not only a precious memento of pictures and words but a rich and informed body of work.

Revisit our posts for a how-to, and be inspired by these pages from Hannah's third grade journal. I especially love how she takes note of her "fore frecels." Precious indeed!

Posted on August 19, 2011 by BBCo

Listen with Your Eyes

I love summer not because we are “off” but because we get to jump start and fine tune our rhythm of routine. We get to be outdoors. And this summer that fact, connected to our policy of TQM equaled a thriving garden, well, that plus plenty of water and regular food for our little green friends (thanks for mentoring us Sara).

When my boys came in a few weeks ago with a larger than life-sized squash that appeared over night in the garden, you know, the kind that was not quite ready to pick yesterday and has become a snack for Gargantua over night, the kind that is just too tough for a delicate meal, I ask, “How 'bout grate the mutant into another modified version of zucchini bread?”

A resounding, “No…!”

“Okay, we'll make art!”

So we pull out the sketch pads for an impromptu art session. Because squash (especially in this overgrown state) will last on our counter indefinitely, they are perfect objects to accent a still life composition. But this curvaceous object, I decided, was perfect for contour drawing. So we set out on a visual journey, observing the delicate contours of this enormous vegetable.

Contour drawings show the outline of an object. Blind contour drawings are those created by looking only at the subject, not the paper, while drawing and to make matters more complicated, without lifting the pencil. One continuous line, this is the goal in a perfect world. This practice helps develop eye-hand coordination, helps to train the brain to listen to the eyes and to send the proper message to the pencil whose job it is to put marks on paper. Changes in form and space are tough to detect, this exercise allows the artist to get the eye, the brain, and the muscles to be on the same page.

My dear friend, painter and art mentor extraordinaire, Sandra, has been teaching me the value of contour drawing for many years, “Listen with your eyes,” that's what she says. At least that's where she begins. Here is where that little opener leads:

Putting the effort, (even if it is a little uncomfortable!), into the the practice of contour drawing is important for a few reasons.

Primarily, it works to strengthen observation skills, (drawing what one actually sees, as opposed to what the brain “knows”).
Blind contour assists in becoming “shape sensitive”… instead of drawing a nose… follow the contour curving left, then sharp turn right…
Lastly, It's fun, (if you embrace it)!!!

Whenever I struggle with a sketch… I'm not getting the correct gesture or tilt of the head or shape if the eye and shadow shape…

I switch my brain over to contour mode and rely on my eyes to tell my hand what to do. Right and left brain work together: Right brain follows the contours of shape, left brain analyzes where the shape relates to other shapes.

You can clearly see that she practices what she preaches. This is one of her contours.

This is where her rhythm of routine leads:

Since we live miles and miles apart, she mentors me via iPhone. My youngest son, Søren has been drawing all summer. When I sent Sandra his recent contour, he was tickled to read her encouragement:

“Soren's contour from last night is really good! Those undulations can be challenging, the tendency is to let the brain say, ‘…ya, ya, I know… up and down, up and down…blah blah blah…’. It looked like he was
really letting his eyes inform him! Keep it up!”

Sandra will be pleased to know that after 25+ years, I am beginning to recognize the value of this foundational skill. In fact, Søren and I have committed to a year of as close to daily contour drawing as possible. We will see where this goal lands us. My larger plan is to incorporate contour drawing into science workshops at my co-op this fall—15 minutes of observational drawing. I am sure Leonardo would nod approvingly, but his eyes would not stray from the subject at hand!

Click here for a really creative lesson from Lori over at the inspiring Camp Creek Blog, on how to begin blind contour drawing with younger children.

– Kim

Posted on March 8, 2011 by BBCo

More Than Dessert

Leonardo da Vinci said, “All our knowledge has its origin in our perceptions.”

Well, Kim sent me this photo of the beginnings of an apple crisp that Taylor made and I just had to write about it! I immediately thought of Escher! It looks like an Escher!

All at once I could see the amazing back-story.

I see a 16 year old who is very artistic for one thing. But this image seems to be born in a musical brain, a brain that has been trained to carefully observe. Taylor’s musical brain is trained to see what is happening under his hands.

Now, my 16 year old would have just dumped the bowl of apples into the pan (as I would have).

I'm sure Taylor didn't have a preconceived picture in his head when he started making dessert. I bet he cut the first apple, observed the crescent shape, and began to ponder, “What would happen if…?” This is a mind that has been trained to step out and risk, to explore.

I taught Taylor when he was in Kindergarten in our home school co-op. He was a child who always appeared to have his thoughts in a cloud. You could just see the wheels turning and I remember thinking that I wished I could know what he was thinking about!

As the one who was trying to get him to concentrate on the subject at hand, however, this was challenging. I remember when Taylor would go to the bathroom to wash his hands, he would climb up on the stool, and just stare at the water flowing under and over his fingers as he slowly, and I mean v-e-r-y slowly, washed his hands. This of course irritated me, being the impatient adult who wanted to get on with the important job of teaching math or whatever!

Hmmm…Now, looking back, I realize that he was thinking very hard about that water—what it felt like, how it sounded. Was there rhythm that only a musical child could hear?

Looking back, I realize that Taylor was doing an Observation Journal without a lesson!

Looking back, darn it! Did I miss the golden opportunity to let him be? I should have just let him stay in there for an hour until he was done perceiving that water.

Well, thankfully he survived me. See what he does now without even being asked?

And I say, “Bravo Taylor!”

– Sara