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Signs of Fall:
Observation Reminder for October
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| Today's
Reminder Includes:
- How
the Season is Changing >>
- Outdoor
Observations: Draw What You See >>
- Exchange
Data with a Partner! >>
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What
clues can you find? >> |
How
the Season is Changing |
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As
fall unfolds, migrating animals are moving! An observer in Nebraska
saw "over 50 robins fluttering all over. They're so thick in
the trees, I have no way of knowing how many." Other students
report needing sweaters and seeing earlier sunsets. They've spotted
animals with thicker coats, acorns dropping, and colorful leaves.
Fifth graders in Oregon discovered that September 22 (the equinox)
had equal hours of daylight and night.
What
clues in your hometown tell you that fall is progressing?
Look, smell, feel, and listen carefully. Then add your observations
to your Signs of Fall journal or checklist (see resources,
below). |
What
does fall "look" like in other places? To read
observers' reports, go to the Signs of Fall map >>.
From there, click on the "I" tool (circled in
orange, above) and then click on any dot. |
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Outdoor
Observations: Draw What You See |
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Photo:
© childrenscreativity.com > |
When you make your
October observations, try adding a new twist. As you look carefully
at how living things change, choose at least one thing to draw (an
adopted tree, section of the garden, or feeding monarch, for instance).
Here are some tips:
- Try to draw
what you see rather than how you think something
should look.
- Look
at colors, shapes, behaviors, numbers, the surrounding habitat.
- After
drawing the whole object, move closer so you look at just a small
area up close. How do you "see" differently when you
do this? What new questions or discoveries do you have?
- Ask,
How do I predict this will look next month?
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| Exchange
Data with a Partner! |
| Are
the seasons changing in the same way throughout North America? Does
October look the same in Texas and Maine? Share your findings with
a partner classroom and find out!
- Find
a partner classroom and compare Signs of Fall data >>
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| Resources
to Explore |
- Student
Journal: Signs
of Fall >>
- Watching
the Seasons Change:
Grades K-3 >>
- Fall
Checklist: Grades 4+
>>
- Fall
Photo: What clues can you find? >>
- Report
your observations! (Choose "Signs of Fall"
or other events.) >>
- Maps:
Signs of Fall
/ Other Fall Events
- Handout:
Signs of Fall: Clues About Seasonal Change >>
- Tree
Color:
Live Fall Foliage Map from the Weather Channel >>
- Teachers:
About Signs of the Seasons (Phenology) >>
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How
is sunlight changing? >> |
| Signs
of Fall for November:
A reminder will be posted on November 1, 2008 |
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