Tuesday, January 9th

After our winter break and a frigid week in temperatures last week, we felt like it had been a while since we'd been out and exploring the neighborhood. We asked children a question at the beginning of KW today: Have you noticed anything different about nature now from when we made our observations early in the school year? How has nature changed?
Rose: What if we go collect nature on the ground...like leaves?
Ellee: There's ice now. 
Kate: Is ice part of nature?
Ellee: Yes, but it will melt in the bag. 
Cassius: Now...there's gunna be so much nature on the ground. 
Jay: There will be slush. 
Following these predictions, we set out on a neighborhood walk to partake in some observations. Rose and Ellee stumbled upon a brown plant: 
Rose: That was green before. 
Ellee: Nature dies in the winter. 
(Later) Rose: I found an evergreen. 
Ellee: (With a purplish-brown leaf) Sometimes leaves turn purple when it's winter. 
Friends also took notice of the snow, ice, slush and puddles present on the sidewalks, as well as some other brown plants that hadn't shed their leaves. We're wondering why some plants, like the evergreen, will keep their color all winter, and others turn brown or loose their leaves. 
Enjoy the slideshow from today's nature walk below!