At a nature journaling workshop last summer I learned 2 important points from John Muir Laws, naturalist, illustrator, and author:
Be brave. Be bold. It doesn't have to be a pretty picture.
Art is the tool. Observation is the goal.
Here are 2 pages from my Nature Journal where I practice my sketching to increase my own observation skills and learning.
Laws also teaches students of all ages to label sketches and to write using 3 prompts:
I notice.
I wonder.
This reminds me.
I enjoy incorporating these practices as I learn and as I share with students, and even with my young grandsons. It's very good for the brains of preschoolers and their grandmothers, and for all ages in between.
Try it.
Check out the website and blog of John Muir Laws at http://www.johnmuirlaws.com and you'll want to go outside and observe nature. You might even grab a pencil and some paper and try your hand at sketching to learn something new about your environment.
Observing
With Heart
This is exactly how we should be taking notes! You can see the curiosity and wonder spilling off every page. This is where our thoughts organize themselves into meaningful ideas and grow.
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