Tag: learning at home

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Build Your Own Solar Eclipse Viewer Box: a step by step guide!

a banner that says "how to build your own solar eclipse viewer box" with a picture of an eclipse and a diagram of a viewer box

If a solar eclipse is happening where you live, make this simple solar eclipse viewer from household materials. You cannot look directly at the Sun because it will damage your eyes. However, you can view a solar eclipse using a homemade eclipse viewer box. You can use this viewer box to watch a partial or annular solar eclipse, or track the progress of a total solar eclipse before and after totality.

Photo by Drew Rae on Pexels.com

Before we begin, you may ask: what is happening during an eclipse?

As you know, the Earth is orbiting the Sun, and the Moon is orbiting the Earth. Every once and a while, the Sun, Moon, and Earth all line up and something very special happens. A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. During a solar eclipse, the Moon totally or partially blocks out the Sun during the daytime.

Try my Solar Eclipse Mini Study – with worksheets, activity guides and more.

Materials

  • Cardboard box (tip: longer box = larger projected image!)
  • Sheet of white printer paper
  • Box cutter
  • Tape
  • Aluminum foil
  • Scissors
  • Pin
Download a print out version of these directions to build your own solar eclipse viewer box.

Set Up

Download my printable version of these directions to build a solar eclipse viewer box.

  1. Have an adult cut a head-sized hole into the bottom of the cardboard box.
  2. Use tape to attach a white sheet of paper to one side of the box.
  3. In the opposite side, towards the top of the box, have an adult cut a small rectangular opening.
  4. Cut a piece of aluminum foil that is slightly larger than the rectangular opening you cut.
  5. Keeping the foil completely flat, tape the foil over the rectangular opening.
  6. Use the pin to make a tiny hole in the center of the aluminum foil.
  7. Close the top of the box and tape it shut.

Using Your Eclipse Viewer Box

  1. Stand with your back to the Sun. Never look directly at the Sun and never face the Sun while using the viewer. Do not look at the Sun through the pinhole.
  2. Hold the box with the head hole facing towards the ground. The aluminum foil should face the Sun.
  3. Facing the piece of paper, place the top of your head up into the head hole. Do not put your whole head all the way up into the box, as this will block the incoming light.
  4. Look up at the white sheet of paper.
  5. With the help of a friend, adjust your position until you see the projection of the solar eclipse on the paper.

Study Solar Eclipses with Wild Earth Lab!

You’ll find the printable directions for this activity, solar eclipse diagrams, and worksheets in my Solar Eclipse Mini Study:

Try my Solar Eclipse Mini Study – with worksheets, activity guides and more.

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Tree Anatomy: the parts of trees and their functions

a banner with pictures of trees that says "Let's learn about tree anatomy"

In this post, we will examine overall tree anatomy and the key parts of a tree. Then, we will peek inside the tree to examine the layers of a tree’s trunk and their functions.

A special note for educators: Are you planning to teach your students about trees? I offer a complete Trees Unit as well as a Forest Ecology Unit. And they are both found within my discounted Forest Bundle. I know your students will love the beautiful diagrams and hands-on activities – and you’ll support this blog with your purchase! ❤️

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Overall Tree Anatomy

We can think of trees as having three main parts. Let’s take a look at each.

  1. Roots are the underground parts of a tree that take up water and dissolved minerals. They also help anchor the tree to the soil.
  2. The trunk is the main woody stalk of a tree which supports all other branches.
  3. The crown is the top portion of a tree. It includes the branches and leaves or needles extending from the main trunk. The crown of a tree will look quite different in different types of trees. Picture the crown of a deciduous tree, conifer tree, or palm tree. Let’s take a closer look at the parts of the crown:
    • A branch is any woody stalk extending from the main trunk.
    • The leaves  are parts of a tree that produce the tree’s food through photosynthesis. In deciduous trees, leaves are broad and flat, and fall off the tree at the end of each growing season.
    • The needles are the leaves of a coniferous tree, which produce the tree’s food through photosynthesis. Needles do the same job as broad, flat leaves but stay attached to the tree throughout the entire year.
low angle shot photography of green trees

Tree Trunk Anatomy

Inside a human body, you will find different organs: a heart, intestines, lungs, kidneys, etc. Just like humans, trees have different organs inside their trunks too. The trunk of a tree is made up of several layers, each performing a different function. Let’s take a look.

The anatomy of a tree trunk coloring activity for kids to learn about tree science
brown tree log
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
  1. Bark is the rough, protective outer coating. Bark helps protect the tree from insect and fungi invaders.
  2. The phloem underlies the bark. The phloem’s function is to transport sugars. Sugars form in the leaves during photosynthesis, and the phloem moves the sugars to other parts of the plant where they are needed for growth.
  3. The cambium is a thin layer of dividing cells between the xylem and phloem. This is where secondary (outward) growth occurs. In temperate climates, the most growth happens during the summer. This is why tree rings form.
  4. The sapwood underlies the cambium. The sapwood is the living part of the xylem, which actively moves water upwards through the tree. Water is drawn up through the ground via the tree’s roots. Water leaves the tree through tiny pores called stomata in the leaves, in a process called transpiration. The xylem grows from the cambium – we can see tree rings in the xylem.
  5. The heartwood is old, inactive xylem tissue. Heartwood no longer has living cells and does not move water. Heartwood provides structural support. Both living and dead xylem parts (sapwood and heartwood) contain tree rings that formed each year as the tree grew inwards from the cambium.
  6. The pith is at the very center of the tree trunk and plays a role in the movement of nutrients. In older trees the pith is often very tiny or diminished, relative to the size of the heartwood.

Free Tree Anatomy Materials:

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  1. Tree Trunk Anatomy Coloring Activity:
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2. Print this free tree anatomy poster.

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Wild Earth Lab’s Tree Teaching Materials

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Fold a Jumping Frog: Step-by-Step Video Tutorial

part-way folded origami frog and origami frog

In this video activity, students will learn to fold an origami jumping frog! Origami is the art of folding paper. Through origami, a simple piece of paper takes on different shapes, and can even be transformed into complex figures such as boxes, flowers, animals, and much more. In this activity, you will fold your own jumping tree frog out of paper!

Folding a jumping frog is a great activity to do with students of any age. It’s a great add-on activity to a frog life cycle unit! Folding a frog helps students practice the art form of origami and follow a step-by-step procedure. Students can practice measuring how far the frog can jump. Furthermore, students can modify their frogs to try to make them jump further – a great way of practicing adaptability, problem-solving, and innovation skills central to STEM fields.

Fold an Origami Jumping Frog: Video Tutorial

Origami Frog Materials

To fold your jumping frog, all you need is a piece of paper. You may also use markers, pencils, or any other art supplies of your choice to decorate your finished jumping frog.

Tree Frog Unit Study for homeschool or elementary school
Build STEAM and problem solving skills with this unique take on a frog unit study!

Fold a Jumping Frog: Written Step-by-Step Directions

  1. Start with a rectangular piece of paper. If it has a colorful side, place it facing down. 
  2. Fold diagonally so that the top corner meets the opposite edge. Crease then unfold.
  3. Repeat the previous step with the other top corner. Unfold.
  4. Flip the paper over. The creases will form an X.
  5. Fold the top edge down to create another crease through the center of the X.
  6. Unfold, then press in on the new crease to start popping up the paper like a tent.
  7. Flatten the paper by pinching together the top and bottom of the X.
  8. Flip over.
  9. Fold the two triangular flaps toward the top and crease. This will be the frog’s front arms.
  10. Fold both sides into the center line.
  11. Flip over. This will be the frog’s back.
  12. Now begin folding the frog’s springy back legs. Fold approximately the bottom fourth of the paper up over the back.
  13. Flip over. Now fold the bottom the same amount over the front to create a spring.
  14. Flip over your completed frog. Add eyes or decorate your frog.
  15. To get the frog to jump, place the frog on a hard, flat surface. Press down on the back end of the frog, compressing the springy back legs, then quickly release.
Sitting green tree frog watercolor painting
Did you know tree frogs can jump about 50 times their body length?

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