#Earthschooling365: Day Forty
Inner Work Meditation (Heart): Squirrels, although common, are one of my favorite subjects to photograph or to look at. There are endless possibilities with these creatures as they are much more expressive and varied in their movements than deer or birds. However, as you can see, when I take a photo of a squirrel on the nature walk (above) I am not able to get very close. However, when I take a photo of a squirrel through my window (below) I am able to capture intimate details of his actions without him knowing I am there. This almost seems contradictory – that I would get closer by putting something between the squirrel and I. However, this also works in our daily lives. Sometimes we can gain better insight into a situation if we put some distance between us and the situation or if we put something else (like advice or another opinion) between us and the situation. Take some time today to contemplate something in your life that could benefit from “intimate discovery through a window”.
Nature Walk Idea (Head): On our nature walk today we are going to play a matching game. For younger children you will have them sit by the window for about 10 minutes (you may tell them a story or speak while you are sitting there for it is hard to simply sit still for some) and take note of all the animals you see outside of your window. You will then take your nature walk and have the students point out similar animals they see on their walk. For older kids and adults have them observe one or more animals outside the window and take notes (or draw pictures) illustrating how they behave. Then, afterwards, have them make notes on their nature walk of the same animal(s). How do the animals behave differently when they don’t know you are watching versus when they know you are approaching? Would you like more nature inspired lessons for mixed grade classes? Check out our monthly mixed-grade guides HERE. 50% off when you use the code: MIX50 at checkout.
Photography Notes (Hands): Today we are going to take a break from learning about ISO and talk about something very basic – keeping your lens clean. If you compare the two pictures of squirrels I took today you can see a vast difference in the quality of these photos. One is sharp and clear and the other is a bit fuzzy and foggy. This is because the photo of the squirrel eating was taken through two panes of window that are dirty. This is what would also happen to your photos if you lens was dirty. To make sure you have the best quality photos you can possibly have with your equipment (even if it is a mobile phone) be sure to keep a special lens cleaning cloth with you at all times (and keep the cloth in something to keep it clean) so you can clean your lens each time before you shoot photos. Even smart phone lenses need cleaning.
Verse: Opening the Door
Copyright Kristie Burns
Acrobatics, skip and scurry
Whirly tail in a hurry
Chatter, chirp and scold
Trapeze artist so bold
Until a door is open blown
And then you suddenly turn to stone
*These poems have been created for many purposes – from early childhood circle time verses to inspirational or expressive. They vary from day to day so you may find the way you use them or enjoy them also varies. If you would like to set these poems to music consider our tutorial: Creating Your Ow Waldorf Verses or Finding Your Inner Voice.
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What is #Earthschooling365?
This series takes you through an entire year of our nature walks and is part of our non-profit project #Earthschooling365 at www.Earthschooling.org. The photos and posts in this series are all copyrighted. Please do not share or re-print them. Instead, share the link to this blog with your friends.
Along the way I will be sharing our favorite photo of the day, an inner work meditation for the day, photography assignment/tip for the day, nature walk theme for the day and a short verse for circle time (children) or meditation (teens/adults). We invite you to “walk along with us” this year, take some time to use the inner work meditation, be inspired by the nature walk theme of the day and perhaps even start a photo series of your own. To join the community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram please tag your photos #Earthschooling365. To receive these inspirations in your e-mail inbox daily please subscribe to our blog alerts HERE. Don’t worry about missing days – you can join us as many days as you want this year!
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