Start a notebook for ‘naming nature’. Pick out three natural things each week, all year long, from your reference book. (The Reader’s Digest North American Wildlife is one such reference text that would be helpful in your search for naming information.) Choose objects that you are likely to be able to find in your own neighborhood. Look at trees, flowers, insects, birds, and rocks; in short, anything natural in your environment. Today your assignment is to pick out the three objects for this week and put them in your notebook, with a sketch and notes of pertinent information. Then try to find them outside.

We recommend that students watch this presentation by one of our MODG teachers for tips and insights on completing their nature journal. https://vimeo.com/478600899/9b5b4b2446

Start reading King Solomon’s Ring by Konrad Lorenz. Read the first four chapters. There are about 44 pages in all, so read roughly 15 pages a day for the next three days. You will be asked to write a report based upon the material you can collect from one of Dr. Lorenz’s projects. So note how he goes about writing his report. He might describe how to start a project, or what kind of data one should acquire first, or what constitutes a ‘do-able’ project. Pay attention to how he goes about acquiring the information he wants. Also, pick out the three natural objects, enter the information in your notebook, and try to find a specimen of each object.

Note: Please take a moment to review the resources, attached to this syllabus, that are generic to the grade level and/or subject, e.g. the rubrics (these are found to the right of week 1, day 1). Some of the PDF files found here are taken from the printed copy of the corresponding syllabus, if there is one. There are also resources specific to the particular course that will be assigned or referenced within the syllabus assignments. We also encourage students to review the Letter about Plagiarism and the Letter about AI and Academic Honesty at this time. Answer Keys or Assignment overviews for the syllabus, if applicable, are only found via the parent log-in; the student log-in may access all other syllabus resources. 

Read King Solomon’s Ring and take notes.

Start a notebook for ‘naming nature’. Pick out three natural things each week, all year long, from your reference book. (The Reader’s Digest North American Wildlife is one such reference text that would be helpful in your search for naming information.) Choose objects that you are likely to be able to find in your own neighborhood. Look at trees, flowers, insects, birds, and rocks; in short, anything natural in your environment. Today your assignment is to pick out the three objects for this week and put them in your notebook, with a sketch and notes of pertinent information. Then try to find them outside.

We recommend that students watch this presentation by one of our MODG teachers for tips and insights on completing their nature journal. https://vimeo.com/478600899/9b5b4b2446

Start reading King Solomon’s Ring by Konrad Lorenz. Read the first four chapters. There are about 44 pages in all, so read roughly 15 pages a day for the next three days. You will be asked to write a report based upon the material you can collect from one of Dr. Lorenz’s projects. So note how he goes about writing his report. He might describe how to start a project, or what kind of data one should acquire first, or what constitutes a ‘do-able’ project. Pay attention to how he goes about acquiring the information he wants. Also, pick out the three natural objects, enter the information in your notebook, and try to find a specimen of each object.

Note: Please take a moment to review the resources, attached to this syllabus, that are generic to the grade level and/or subject, e.g. the rubrics (these are found to the right of week 1, day 1). Some of the PDF files found here are taken from the printed copy of the corresponding syllabus, if there is one. There are also resources specific to the particular course that will be assigned or referenced within the syllabus assignments. We also encourage students to review the Letter about Plagiarism and the Letter about AI and Academic Honesty at this time. Answer Keys or Assignment overviews for the syllabus, if applicable, are only found via the parent log-in; the student log-in may access all other syllabus resources.