Project Based Learning Electives provided by the Berrien Springs Virtual Academy​​​​
Nature Journaling              Spring 2022

​INSTRUCTOR: Diane Helbley 
CONTACT INFORMATION: phone: 269-240-3959 email: diane.helbley@gmail.com
LOCATION: Andrews University Campus, Berrien Springs 
FORMAT: IN-PERSON  
GRADE OR AGE LEVELS: Grades 2-8 

Additional registration at the location is not required.


Nature Journaling 
Eight Thursdays, 1-3pm, Every other week beginning Jan. 20 
​
Description:  Have you ever looked really closely at an individual snowflake? Have you ever noticed what flowers and plants pop up first when winter starts transitioning  to spring? Have you ever noticed all the different colors of pollen? In this class, we will stop and not only smell the roses, but look closely at whatever we can find and  then journal about them. We will sketch what we observe, make notes, and ask questions. Nature  journaling helps us to focus our attention and remember what we have seen and what we thought  when we saw it. The class touches on art, botany, ornithology, entomology, ecology, measurement,  and comparison/contrast. 
As John Muir Laws states: “Nature Journaling will enrich your experiences and develop observation,  curiosity, gratitude, reverence, memory, and the skills of a naturalist. It helps you discover, think,  remember, and integrate new information with your existing knowledge. Train your mind, and the world  will offer you its secrets of wonder and beauty.”


Each student will need: 
- A sketchbook/journal in which to journal their finds. They should choose one that is at least  4”x6” and no larger than 8 ½ ”x11”. It should be blank and able to open flat. A hard cover is  helpful when drawing out in nature, but not required. 
- A pencil and eraser. 
- Colored pencils. 
- A bag or backpack to hold supplies. 
Optional supplies: 
- Ruler 
- Binoculars 
- Magnifying glass 
- Plant and/or bird identification books. 
Parents/guardians are required to stay nearby in case a child needs to use the restroom. Dress for  the weather. We’ll be sitting on the ground, so dress accordingly.  
Syllabus


*Please note: it is important to make as informed a decision as possible when choosing your student's Community Resource classes. Most locations will allow a student to drop a class after one meeting, at no charge if it wasn't a good fit for the student, but not all. Some classes plan ahead based on the number that have signed up and have purchased materials, hired teachers, etc. and there might be a fee for class time or materials given to the student if the student drops after one or two meetings. The school cannot pay for classes that students do not complete, so choose wisely; if you do not take the class off of your student's schedule by the deadline, you may be asked to pay for the class time incurred prior to dropping the class.
 
Teacher of Record: Tom Hurst