Seasons South and North: 08 - The Seasons of August

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08 - The Seasons of August

06/02/2011

Free Download - Observing Nature in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres

This blog, Seasons South and North, celebrates its second birthday this month. By way of thanks to my readers, I have gathered together into one document all of the past year's monthly nature comparisons between two places in the southern and northern hemispheres. Please feel free to download it:

Download Observing Nature in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres

Enjoy the outdoors!

Seasons South and North

Technorati Profile

Posted by Anne Morddel in 01 - The Seasons of January, 02 - The Seasons of February, 03 - The Seasons of March, 04 - The Seasons of April, 05 - The Seasons of May, 06 - The Seasons of June, 07 - The Seasons of July, 08 - The Seasons of August, 09 - The Seasons of September, 10 - The Seasons of October, 11- The Seasons of November, 12 - The Seasons of December, Activities, Crafts, Games, Projects, Lessons, Nature Deficit Disorder, Nature Tables and Seasons, Seasons - Autumn, Seasons - Rainy Season, Seasons - Spring, Seasons - Summer, Seasons - Winter, Seasons In Europe, Seasons in South America, The Seasons and Birds, The Seasons and Migrations, The Seasons and Rainforests, The Seasons and Trees, The Seasons and Winds, Weather Lore About the Seasons, Year round activities | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

16/08/2010

What to Look for in August in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres

I am continuing here my month-by-month comparison of nature observations in Britain in the northern hemisphere and the Atlantic Rainforest in the southern hemisphere. It is well past mid-summer in Britain and some migrants all ready are beginning to depart. In the Atlantic Rainforest no one likes August for it is always cold and dreary, but so windy that many children fly kites.

In August, in Britain, children can observe in nature:

That the Nightingales, Tree Pipits, Turtle Doves and Swifts leave
Many insects have their second broods: Asparagus Beetles, Blood Vein Moths, Holly Blue Moths, Pine Saw-flies and Diamond-back Moths
There are still many wildflowers, but they indicate the season to come: Autumnal Hawkbit, Autumnal Lady's-tresses, Field Gentian, Pennyroyal, Peppermint and Wormwood
Lizards catching the warmth
Slow-worms are born

In the cold, wet fog of the Atlantic Rainforest winter:

The screeches of the Southern Lapwing echo as it protects its nest
Millipedes are seen

Stick insects are seen
Blue Swallowtail butterflies arrive
Hummingbirds come daily to feeders, for they suffer greatly from the cold (On very cold days, they can be found unconscious on the ground. Children are taught to pick them up gently and to hold them in their cupped hands. The warmth will usually revive the bird.)

Do not forget to use the free download Nature Observation Chart, which children can colour, if they wish.

The drawings above come from the pages for the month of August in

The Big Field : a Child's Year Under the Southern Cross

Posted by Anne Morddel in 08 - The Seasons of August, Nature Deficit Disorder, Seasons - Summer, Seasons - Winter, Seasons In Europe, Seasons in South America, The Seasons and Birds, The Seasons and Rainforests, The Seasons and Winds | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Drawings from "The Big Field"

Drawings from "Polly Blue"

Recommended Books for Children

Anne Morddel: The Big Field : A Child's Year Under the Southern Cross
"Lyrical...a luscious book and one that you'll want to keep." from a review on www.thebookbag.co.uk The seasons of the southern hemisphere! This is my book. It is a month-by-month and season-by-season account of life on a farm at the edge of the Atlantic Rainforest in South America. You can get it faster and cheaper direct from me. Send me an e-mail at: info@morddeleditions.com
Penny Matthews and Andrew McLean: A Year On Our Farm
A wonderful book that has won many prizes, about the seasons through the year in Australia. You will have to special order it if you are not in Australia, but it is well worth it. ISBN 9781862914926
Diane Iverson: DISCOVER THE SEASONS
North American animals and birds.
Diane Lucas: Walking with the Seasons in Kakadu
The seasons of the year in northern Australia, all six of them!
Susan Jeffers: Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle
There are many books published of Chief Seattle's great speech in defense of nature. The illustrations of this one are especially lovely.
Gail Gibbons: The Reasons for Seasons
Rotraut Suzanne Berner: In the Town All Year 'Round
Berner is a German author-illustrator. This cheery book shows 72 pages of how city people adjust to northern hemisphere seasons.
Alice Provensen: The Year at Maple Hill Farm
Very warm illustrations show the seasons via farming activities and work through the year in North America.
Lucy Cousins: Maisy's Year
Northern European seasons with the hugely popular Maisie.
Paul Harrison: A Picture of the Year: A First Look at Seasons (Little Bees)
Northern hemisphere seasons and humorous illustrations.
Jane Phillips: Book of the Year: Natural History of Britain Through the Seasons
Encyclopedic! If only there were versions for other regions.
Elsa Beskow: Around the Year
A lovely old classic that gives a month-by-month story of the seasons in the northern hemisphere.
Rieko Nakagawa: Guri and Gura's Playtime Book of Seasons (Guri and Gura)
This is funny! Northern hemisphere seasons and a lot of food, but they ARE mice.
Tasha Tudor: Around the Year
Tasha Tudor was one of America's most beloved illustrators. This, like all her stories, is very gentle and the illustrations very sweet without being cloying. North American seasons in New England.
Cynthia Rylant: This Year's Garden
Garden activities through a North American year.
Ferida Wolff: A Year for Kiko
Northern hemisphere seasons depicted with an exceedingly delightful poetic storytelling.
Christina Goodings: Around the Year: A Calendar Rhyme and Counting Book
Cute rhymes. Northern hemisphere only.
Michael Hedley Burton: In the Light of the Child: A Journey Through the 52 Weeks of the Year in Both Hemispheres for Children and for the Child in Each Human Being
Sweet little verses about the seasons IN BOTH HEMISPHERES!
Norman Bridwell: Clifford Celebrates the Year
Northern Hemisphere.
Shirley Hughes: Alfie Weather
Adorable, as Hughes's work always is. Northern hemisphere seasons.
Rosalind Kerven: The Weather Drum (Cambridge Reading)
Bruce LaFontaine: All about the Weather (Dover Pictorial Archives)
Nancy Tafuri: Snowy Flowy Blowy: A Twelve Months Rhyme
Sibylle Von Olfers: The Story of the Root Children
In the charming, fairies-and-babies style of a hundred years ago, the seasons are described.
Elsa Beskow: Children of the Forest
Sibylle Von Olfers: The Story of the Snow Children
Gerda Muller: Spring
Gerda Muller: Summer
Gerda Muller: Autumn
Gerda Muller: Winter
Debi Gliori: The Trouble with Dragons
A sweet explanation of environmental problems today.
Sally Morgan: Weather (Helping Our Planet)
Reviewed in the post of 17 March, 2010
Jill Hartley: Fruits of India
Jill Hartley: Vegetables of India
Helmut Wolf: Flowers of India

Great Links for Nature Identification

xeno-canto
Primarily recordings of birds all over South America. If you want to know what the bell bird sounds like, this is the site!
Floridata
Essentially for gardeners, the value of this site is its huge collection of photos and information in English on many plants that grow in South America. There is also a butterfly section.
Cicada Mania
One man's total obsession with one species, but this site is a LOT of fun!
Botanypictures.com
A very simple and clean site with over 28,000 pictures of plants, their leaves, flowers and sometimes seeds from all over the world.
Arthur Grosset's Birds
Without question, the best site on South American birds, with smaller sections on birds from other continents as well. A very well organized and easy to use site.
BBC - Science & Nature - Wildfacts
It seems this section may be on its way out, but for as long as it lasts, it is excellent on all sorts of animals.
BugGuide.Net
Not a lot of discussion, but some good photos of insects.
the Internet Bird Collection
Over 30,000 videos of birds, this site is invaluable for helping children to see how a bird behaves.
The Seed Site
Dense with information. This is one of the few sites to go to for pictures of seeds and seedpods.
Children's Butterfly Website
A site full of activities, information and photos about butterflies from all over the world. Very child oriented in presentation, but also very factual.
Insects on the Web
One man's brilliant creation of a collection of photos of and information on insects.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The place to start for images and information about plants from both hemispheres. It has an excellent Education section.
The RSPB
The premier site for European birds, with images, videos and recordings for many species.
WhatBird
A messy screen and clumsy to use, but the actual identification pages are good. North American birds.
Guide to seashells
North Atlantic seashells, clearly photographed.
Bird Cinema
Videos of varying quality.
ARKive
Very high quality images and videos of threatened creatures around the world.

Books for Teaching the Seasons and Nature

Best Sites for Teaching the Seasons and Nature

Prince's Rainforests Project For Schools
An excellent resource and soon to be updated to be even better.
SPVS - Sociedade de Pesquisa em Vida Selvagem e Educação Ambiental
Dedicated to the preservation of the Atlantic Rainforest, with pages in Portuguese, English and Dutch.
Brazilian Rainforest Conservation
An excellent historical perspective on how European-style farming led to the destruction of the rainforest, with projects for reversing the trend and opportunities for involvement.
Plant A Billion Trees - one dollar at a time - with The Nature Conservancy
This is the nature conservancy's programme to replant native trees of the Atlantic Rainforest. There are a number of educational pages on their site. Click around and discover.
Rainforest Concern
About mostly South American rainforests, with a very nice education section.
Educators and Gardening For Wildlife - National Wildlife Federation
North American with good education pages.
Evergreen
North American, in English and French. Look for the Teacher's Corner.
eNaturalist
North American, with a weekly units page that has dozens of pithy little factoids about nature.
The Tree Council
Northern European, an excellent resource on all trees, with many campaigns for schools and children to learn more and do more to preserve and plant trees.
Web Weather for Kids
Nature is governed by cycles of weather, so learning about weather is crucial to the understanding of life. This is a very good starting place for teachers and children, with simple and clear explanations.
BBC - Science & Nature
A wonderfully comprehensive site, for all age levels.
Gardening With Kids
Many lovely ideas for bringing the benefits of gardening to children, including those with special needs.
BBC - Gardening with children
This is a few small but very useful pages on gardening with children in a large gardening section.
RHS - Campaign for School Gardening
The Royal Horticultural Society gives quite a lot of good advice aimed especially at teachers and students trying to create school gardens.
Gardening With Children - Love Your Environment!
The best of green for children.
The RSPB: Teaching
All of the RSPB site is full of helpful information on birds and nature, and the teaching pages have many resources.
The Woodland Trust | learning
Many activities and downloads. British and European nature only.
NASA's KSNN™ - Why are there seasons?
We could expect better form NASA, I think, but the explanation is clear. Click on activities for a couple of good, simple ways to demonstrate the earth's tilt and orbit.
The Revolution of The Earth - Geography For Kids
Very simple and clear pages. The whole site is quite good.
Rainforest Action Network
Click on the icon at the bottom of the page for the section for teachers. There are kits and lesson plans to download.
RainforestEducation
Tropical rainforests only but this is a fine site with good information and fun games as well.
Rainforest conservation in action with the World Land Trust, international wildlife conservation organisation World Land Trust
Click "teachers and Students" on the sidebar to register for free downloads - excellent informations and activities.
National Audubon Society
Comparable to the RSPB, this is a large environmental society that began for bird watchers and quickly grew to be for all those who love nature. The education pages are excellent.

Rainforest Books for Children

Anne Morddel: The Big Field : A Child's Year Under the Southern Cross
My picture book about a child's discovery of nature in the Atlantic Rainforest.
Dorling Kindersley: Rainforest (Eye Wonder)
Factual.
Lynne Cherry: The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
A picture book about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
Richard Platt: The Vanishing Rainforest
A picture book explaining the threat to the Amazon rainforest.
Jeannie Baker: Where the Forest Meets the Sea
A picture book about the Australian rainforest.
Nancy F Castaldo: Rainforests: An Activity Guide for Ages 6 9
Nice activities referring to both tropical and temperate rainforests around the world.
Tim Knight: Journey into the Rainforest (Journey...)
Angela Wilkes: Rainforest (Question Time)
Factual book about all kinds of rainforest plants and animals.
Lynne Cherry: The Shaman's Apprentice: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest (Reading Rainbow Book)
A picture book about the Amazon rainforest.
Audrey M. Fraggalosch: Great Grizzly Wilderness: A Story of the Pacific Rain Forest (Habitat)
A picture book about a temperate rainforest in North America.
Christy Steele: Animals of the Rainforest: Orangutans
Factual. In the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra.
Richard Sobol: Breakfast in the Rainforest: A Visit with Mountain Gorillas (Traveling Photographer)
Factual and photographic. In the African rainforest.
Michael Chinery: Predators and Prey (Secrets of the Rainforest)
A factual book about animals of tropical rainforests.
Kathy Darling: Rainforest Babies (Books for Young Readers)
Dorothy Hinshaw Patent: Garden of the Spirit Bear (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Awards))
A picture book about the North American rainforest.
Penny Clarke: Scary Creatures of the Rainforest (Scary Creatures)
Edward Parker: Insects and Spiders (Rainforests)
Emma Lynch: Rainforest Food Chains (Food Chains and Webs)
Susan Canizares: Rainforest Colors (Science Emergent Readers)
Marianne Berkes: Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme
Cheery and fun, with bright illustrations.
Molly Aloian: A Rainforest Habitat
A book and CD-ROM showing children the trees, flowers, insects, birds, and animals of the rainforests.
Toni Albert: The Remarkable Rainforest: An Active-Learning Book for Kids
For a slightly older group than primary, but the activities are very interesting and many could be adapted.
Diane Willow: At Home in the Rain Forest
Written by a staff member of the Children's Museum of Boston, this book focuses on the interrelatedness of the rainforest eco-system.

Great Natural History Websites

Children's Books About Wind

Simon Puttock: The Day the Baby Blew Away
An utterly silly story, but funny. (***)
Robyn Hardyman: Wind and Storms (Weatherwise)
Non-fiction. (***)
Robin Nelson: A Windy Day (First Step Nonfiction) (First Step Nonfiction Weather Series)
Non-fiction. (***)
Phyllis Root: One Windy Wednesday (Giggle Club)
Absolutely delightful. (****)
Patricia J. Murphy: How Does the Wind Blow? (Tell Me Why, Tell Me How)
A particularly good non-fiction book about the wind. (*****)
Pat Hutchins: The Wind Blew
An absolutely charming book that has been much loved for 15 years. (*****)
Norman Bridwell: The Windy Day (Clifford the Big Red Dog)
(**)
Neil Griffiths: Walter's Windy Washing Line
(**)
Mick Manning: It's Windy! (Me and My World)
A very sweet story with pictures by one of Britain's best illustrators. (****)
Martha E. H. Rustad: Today Is Windy (Pebble Plus: How's the Weather?)
Non-fiction. (**)
Judith Williams: Why Is It Windy? (I Like Weather!)
Non-fiction and a fun book. (***)
John Cunliffe: The Breezy Day (Postman Pat Story Books)
(***)
Joesph Sherman: Gusts and Gales: A Book about Wind (Amazing Science Weather)
Both informative and very attractive, a fun read. (****)
Hans Wilhelm: It's Too Windy! (Hello Reader! Level 1)
(***)
G.Brian Karas: The Windy Day
A kind of off-beat but cute story. (***)
Frank Asch: Like a Windy Day
(***)
Elizabeth Miles: Wind (Watching the Weather)
Non-fiction (****)
Elisabeth D'Aubuisson: Windy Days (What's the Weather)
Non-fiction. (*)
Cindy Rink: Where Does the Wind Blow? (Sharing Nature With Children Book)
(***)
Anna Milbourne: The Windy Day (Picture Books)
(***)
Alan Rogers: Bright and Breezy (Little giants)
The humourous illustrations please many children. (***)
Disney "Winnie the Pooh" and the Blustery Day (Disney Book of the Film)

Zoo Sites With Good Animal Fact Sheets

African Wildlife Foundation
This is not a zoo site, but has many animal information pages and GREAT photos.
Zoo Atlanta
San Francisco Zoo
In addition to animal information, this site has a great collection of podcasts of the animals.
Sedgwick County Zoo, Kansas
San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium
San Diego Zoo
One of the biggest zoos in the world. The superb website has fact sheets on animals and plants, and a fun "free postcard" page that allows you to send e-mail postcards with animals photos.
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
Philadelphia Zoo
In the "Meet Our Animals" section are good facts sheets with very good pictures.
Perth Zoo - Western Australia
This site has not only animal fact sheets, but plant fact sheets too. Very useful!
Oregon Zoo
Very good animal fact sheets and also quite a lot on endangered species.
National Zoo and Aquarium, Australia
At the bottom of the page, click on "The Animals".
The Smithsonian National Zoo
This is an excellent site with lots and lots of information, pictures, and cameras on the animals.
Zoos Victoria, Australia
Really good animal profiles in the "Learning Experiences" section.
London and Whipsnade Zoos
The Queen of the Zoos, with a superb site.
Lincoln Park Zoo
Excellent animal fact sheets. The "Explorers' Outpost" is full of good educational pages.
Prospect Park Zoo
Queens Zoo
Central Park Zoo
More animal profiles like those on the Bronx Zoo.
Bronx Zoo
Very nice animal profiles in the Look and Learn section.
Dublin Zoo
The Detroit Zoo
The animal information "Arctic Ring of Life" is particularly good.
Denver Zoo
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium