Autumn Treasures

We took two weeks to enjoy this until study. We also used some of this time to finish up our lapbook about Lentil. Zoey wants me to film her talking about it and share it with everybody.  The bad thing about waiting this long to share what we did is I have forgotten most of what we did. The good part is I can tell you what Zoey really did learn because of what she talks about after we are done with the subject.  Anyways, let's get to the fun that we had.

We watched some short videos from YouTube that showed fall colors. Both girls loved this and were mesmerized by them. We went on a nature walk to gather leaves but it was sprinkling so we got our rain gear on. We walked all over the yard looking for different kinds of leaves so that we could identify them later.

We found on the calendar when the first day of Fall was and when the last day of Fall will be. Zoey tells me she is ready for winter because she wants it to snow. She would also like me to give her the exact date she can expect it to snow here. I'll work on that.

On day two we learned why leaves change colors and where they change colors. When I tried to show Zoey on the map where leaves changed colors she was not interested. Then weeks later I overheard her tell Mat how leaves don't change color everywhere. She added that they don't change color in Egypt.  I don't remember mentioning Egypt but I guess I did. I laugh that I learn something and remember it for a week, at best. Zoey or Sierra learn something and they never forget it. On this day we also learned about how nuts, acorns and other seeds are spread. We also have been doing leaf rubbings and leaf art. With some of the links provided in the study we are able to identify all of our leaves. Zoey recognizes the sycamore leaf everywhere we go now.

Next we learn about Johnny Appleseed. I found a great book at Zoey's level to read to her about him. This lead to learning about the different stages an apple tree goes through and lots of stuff about apples.

After this we learned about what animals do to get ready for the winter. We learned which animals migrate, which animals hibernate, and what other animals do. This worked out so nicely since there has been a squirrel burying nuts in our backyard. We talked about why they have to prepare for the winter. Zoey has talked about this so much since we studied this. One day while talking to my mom on the phone she was looking out into the back yard. She said, "I am just watching the birds. They are not hibernating." We also watched some short videos about the monarch butterfly and how they migrate to a small wooded area in Mexico.

On our last day we learned about pop corn and candy corn. This was so fun. We popped popcorn on the stove after watching a slow-motion video of popcorn popping. That was so neat. The girls sat on the counter opposite of the stove waiting for the kernel of corn they put in to pop. Then I filled up the pan and we listened to the popping. The girls laughed and laughed. We also watched a video of how candy corn is made. I was surprised how interested they were in that one. Weeks later we were sitting in the living room and Zoey starts banging into the couch and making an odd noise. She says she is making corn. I am confused for a bit then I ask her if she means candy corn. Yes that is it! She was so funny pretending to be a machine. We watched Toy Story 3 while we ate the popcorn and candy corn. What a great way to end our study. We had a great time and the girls are still collecting leaves, identifying them, and so much more.