As a child I spent time in the woods: climbing trees, building paths and looking for snakes. I paid attention to how the natural world worked, and my curiosity grew the more I noticed. These observations became even clearer and more memorable when I began to draw and record my experiences in my journals.
About ten years ago I found an outlet for the observation, wonder and curiosity I had about the world in the form of nature journalism. This activity creates a more structured way to pay attention to outdoor spaces. When we pay attention to what is happening, we can come up with questions and reflections about the world around us.
Wildlife journalism is not about creating beautiful art, although it can be. The point is to draw attention to something that may not have been noticed before. To do this work with students, we can encourage removing obstacles, such as worrying about taking perfect photos or thinking their own questions aren’t interesting (preventing them from capturing their thoughts and ideas). It is also useful for us to have our own practice so that we can support our students in building theirs.
Start
You don’t need much for a nature journal. Students can use clipboards with plain paper or a notebook and pens or pencils. The most important thing is to get outside and observe. Once you’ve established the boundaries for where students can go, start discussing what they notice.
When you tell a student to look at a tree, they often just look at it. However, if you ask them to notice – to use their senses and really explore the tree – they will see more. I’ve found it’s important to start with something on the page, usually details about where, when, what and who is with us. Students can then record their thoughts, ideas, and connections in their journals. Following the example of my teacher and mentor, Jack Laws, I like to start with the mnemonic INIWIRMO: “I notice it, I wonder, it reminds me.”
I notice
Noticing is the act of drawing attention to something. If you consciously make yourself pay attention, you will remember more. I have diaries from several days: I watched a squirrel – tail swishing and making loud noises – chase a hawk away from her baby. I leaned over a dock with my family and saw algae, anemones, and tunicates (an interesting creature that looks like a plant but has an anterior spine during development).
I filmed a day where my students watched birds waving their heads in an interesting pattern and were curious about their behavior. When I look back at my journals, these days seem more alive and connected because I wrote down my observations, and the action I took helped me remember. In this practice, simply looking is not enough; It is important that students notice carefully and purposefully, pay attention to what is actually happening and write and draw what they see.
I wonder
To wonder is to engage the mind, to bring curiosity to the surface and take it to another level. At this stage it is necessary to ask questions:
- How can I learn more about this small ecosystem, and is one dock different from another?
- How did the little squirrel fight the hawk and save her baby when there seemed to be a dramatic weight difference?
- Why do those birds wave their heads?
Curiosity and asking questions are essential for future scientists. At this point in the process it can be helpful to highlight what students might be wondering about (how two organisms are connected or a pattern that might emerge). In the early stages of nature journaling, students can practice talking about these wonders, or questions, with each other. Later they can write those questions in their diary. Some students may find it challenging to develop questions, so it is important to support them in asking them. Opening your mind to why things might happen or what is going on is essential to learning more about the world and what they might be seeing.
It reminds me of
“It Reminds Me of” helps students make connections between things that may not be clearly related and activate their creativity.
The interaction between the mama squirrel and the hawk may remind me of my fierce protectiveness of my own children. When I wonder how things grow on the dock, it reminds me of studying marine invertebrates in college, and it makes me think about diversity and evolution.
Watching the birds reminds me of other repetitive behaviors, such as when ducks continue to dive underwater. Our brains are great at forgetting things, and by making connections we can build attention and curiosity.
Merge everything
“INIWIRMO” is not only a fun word for students to say, but also gives them a plan and path to follow to create their journal pages. Within this framework you can ask them to look for the cross-cutting concepts of the Next generation science standardssuch as patterns, systems or cause and effect.
You can also ask them to use their senses by making sound or smell cards or by recording the smoothness or roughness of a branch or leaf. Asking students to add words, pictures, and numbers to their journal entries can also build their skills. Challenge your students to find multiple ways to express their ideas in their journals. Some students may find words easier and worry about drawing. Others just want to draw. However, using all of these methods will create ways for your students to notice.
Nature journaling encourages students to explore their natural wonder and curiosity by making observations of the world. These observations then support learning and connection, which can ultimately inspire conservation. Nature journaling is a powerful tool for experiential learning and can improve students’ educational outcomes.
While it may seem like a big step to take your students outside, I am confident they will notice more and become more curious about the world around them. This curiosity can lead to setting up experiments or coming up with solutions to problems at your school. For more information, read the great book How to learn wildlife journalismGby John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren and the Wild Wonder Foundation. These resources provide you with activities and plans to support you as you teach your students about wildlife journalism and connection.
Actually, it’s best to just start!