Authentic Writing Experience for June - The Nature Journal

Reading Rockets has put together a wonderful, free resource called Start With a Book. They suggest several children's titles on a variety of topics and then suggest activities to explore with those topics. One of my favorites is Keeping a Nature Journal. They provide practical suggestions for everything from creating the journal itself to finding specific things to observe. Some of their selections include Scientist Field Notes, Ant Watching, and creating a Nature Scavenger Hunt. They also provide a list of children's books to encourage observations in nature.

I recently traveled from Denver, Colorado to Albuquerque, New Mexico to Sedona, Arizona. The photo of the beautiful blooming cactus above was taken in Sedona. Kids take take photos like this to put in a journal, draw a picture, or use words to describe what they see.

Encourage kids to write observations using the following prompt:

I saw

I think... because or since

I wonder

Using the photo above, you might write:

I saw a cactus with a huge white flower in Sedona, AZ.

I think that it must need very little water to grow because Sedona is in the Desert.

I wonder if the flower will turn into a fruit. I wonder if it will produce seeds.

That's a scientific approach, but people of all ages might have fun turning some of their responses into a creative exercise using a little imagination. Keep in mind that some of the best experiences can't be photographed as in the example below.

Every summer, I go to an Abbey in a remote area outside of Albuquerque, NM for a writer's retreat. This trip was a little different.

I saw a coyote outside my bedroom window early each morning. I tried to get its photograph, but it was too fast. It walked away before I could get to my phone. The day I left, I saw two coyote pups with the adult coyote. I jumped out of my car to get a photo, but they trotted off into the desert.

I think that maybe the adult coyote was a female and a mother because it was with two pups.

I wonder if the coyote turns into a person who works at the Abbey during the day. Maybe that person works in such a secluded place so that no one will know their secret.

The second response starts as a direct observation but soon turns into something quite fanciful. This is one way that writers get their stories. They observe the world around them and ask, WHAT IF.....

That is one thing that writers and scientists have in common. They are always wondering about things and asking questions.

Let's Connect at ALA

Are you a librarian? Do you know one? Would you like to learn more about decodable books and how to use them with struggling readers? Let's connect at ALA if you are going! The American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference will be in Sunny San Diego June 30-July 1. I am signing books (Hank the Tank: Animal in the Spotlight & the Activity Book) at Booth 2210. It's the booth for Headline Books and Zoom Into Books. They are hosting the award-winning authors for the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. I'll be there Monday, July 1 from 11am-1pm.  Stop by if you are around and let your librarian friends know about it if they are going. Check out the updated cover below for the Hank the Tank Activity Book with the award in the corner! Hank is a 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist!

I will also be hanging out at the IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) booth #1837 from 3-5pm on Sunday, June 30. On Monday from 9-9:30am, I will give a book demonstration at that same booth. Both books will be displayed with IBPA all weekend if you just want to stop by and take a look. Read more about the award and about decodable books in my May post HERE.

Sign up for my newsletter HERE and receive a free copy of my first decodable book, No Gift for Man. Don't miss any of the fun-filled activities coming up for A Year of AWE: Authentic Writing Experiences.