Nature - One Hour Challenge:

The Outdoor Hour

I have been looking at ways to incorporate Nature Study into our homeschooling. Shirley, a friend of mine told me about this programme. We are meant to do the 10 week starter but since a pear study is this week's challenge, and we have a row of pear trees outside our window, I decided to jump straight in here. So we went outside, into the glorious sunlight, and had a look at our trees:

Most of the pears have already dropped onto the ground or been picked for home-made cider (these particular pears are used in the making of pear cider).

We had a look at the pears on the branch as well as how the leaves grow on twigs growing out of the branches.

Then we went indoors to have closer look at the leaves and to cut open the pears to look inside.

We do have a microscope but Sarah fashioned an impromptu one using her lamp and magnifying glass :) Here is Alexandra testing it out looking at pear flesh cells

Journaling our findings - Sarah also used pastels and created a story about pears being picked and exported. Alexandra sketched her fruit and noted down some interesting facts.

And then, seeing as we are in the throws of a wonderful Indian summer, we used our pears (or rather ones I had bought, as cider pears are not too great to eat) in a delicious summery fruit salad.

So, altogether, a super "first" one hour challenge