This Sunday marks the first day of autumn, a season that provides one last opportunity to take studies outside before the cold arrives. It also provides a chance for distance learners to study the changes that take place as the seasons shift. Take a walk around the neighborhood or enjoy an evening on the porch as you help your student observe and learn from the world around him.
1. Study Migration Patterns – Many animals change their behaviors or move to different regions as the seasons shift. Together, keep a record of the animals you see on the first day of fall. Update it each day as you observe their behavioral changes. Encourage your student to do some research to figure out why the animals behave the way they do. Then, have him predict what the animals will do when the weather changes again in the spring.
2. Get Crafty with Science – Take a walk and collect colored leaves in as many different shapes as you can find. When you get home, work together to identify the type of trees they fell from. Take some time to discuss processes important to plant life, such as photosynthesis and growth cycles, and study how they impact color changes seen in the fall. When the work is done, make a festive fall candle holder by pressing the leaves and using a clear, water-based adhesive to paste them onto a glass jar.
3. Track Harvest Trends – Take a trip to a local farm to see firsthand what happens during harvest. Before you go, help your student identify the types of food grown in your country. Print a plain, white map and help your student color code it to show which crops or animals are raised in certain regions. Take the activity a step further by researching imports and exports both to and from your country. Track those trends on a global map.
4. Go Cloud Gazing – Sprawl out on the lawn with your distance learner to observe the shapes and movements of clouds. Record descriptions or images of the clouds you see and use them to identify their formal names. As you identify the clouds, determine the type of weather patterns with which they are associated.