Digital Scrapbook a Charlotte Mason Nature Sketchbook
Charlotte Mason suggested teaching science within the context of the natural world buy going on weekly nature hikes.
Students learn to observe, identify and record interesting discoveries by sketching and recording observations in a Nature Diary (also called Nature Sketchbook, Creation Notebook, Nature Notebook, Nature Journal, Discovery Journal, etc).
The sample pictured is created with digital scrapbooking kit from CottageArts.net.
There are dozens of sites and books (see list below) explaining more about Charlotte Mason’s methods.
The purpose of this post is to explain the exciting and creative option of digital scrapbooking a Nature Sketchbook.
With a digital camera, sketches, and a software program your student can use this methods not only learn science and document schoolwork they also learn computer layout and design. This is an example of a Nature Sketchbook by hand. Below see pages created digitally.
Digital scrapbook is MUCH cheaper than regular scrapbooking. Going digital requires no scissors, glue, mess, or storage room–all the work is done on the computer.
Students use digital scrapbook methods to add sketches, photos, poems, copy work, journaling, etc. You can share their nature pages online, keep on a CD, or print from your computer.
Scrapbook Software
I recommend ScrapbookMax. It’s as easy as dragging and dropping. Its so easy you just have to try it for your self. You can download a fre trail version for 30 days. Heart of Wisdom offers a on dozen or more Academic and Bible Digital Scrapbooking Kits.
Start with a Discovery Adventure
Go on a discovery adventure. No need to go far, start in your backyard. Everyone must find something God created (bugs, plants, birds, etc) to be drawn and researched at home.
Once your child decides on a topic go home and research it using books like Handbook of Nature Study or Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method.
Students use copywork methods to journal beside their sketches (by hand or on the computer). We include Bible verses too.
Digital Scrapbook Students Findings
To digitally create scrapbook a Nature Sketchbook start with one of the Cotage Arts Sketchbook kit. For $2.99 you get 4 notebooks you can use over and over again–you won’t find one notebook for that price in a scrapbook store.
These gorgeous layouts below use Nature Sketch digital scrapbook kits from Cottage Arts. Here mother and child both enjoy creativity: mother makes the pages and scans in daughter’s artwork.
Easier Than it Looks
The pages below don’t require as much artistic talent as it looks. The journal pages are ready to use – you just add photos or sketches and journaling.
Kids LOVE it. My boys beg to digital scrapbook. Keeps them busy for hours!
Resources to learn more about CM Nature Journaling
What about you? Do you keep a Nature Journal? Do you scrapbook to learn? Does it sound interesting to you?
More Scrapbook to Learn Samples
Robin,
I’m interested in knowing more about this. But I also like to have the hard copy in my little sweaty paw. So if I do digital scrapbooking, can I also print out those pages that are particularly special? Or would that just use up entirely too much ink? Little Critter and I do some scapbooking, but as a boy, he doesn’t get real excited about it….he loves placing the pictures and having me cut out the word shapes but he’s not real good at creativity…yet. So I’d like to know more about this. For what that’s worth….Shalom, Joie
This sounds fascinating! I could see where it could become obsessive though. We’ve kept nature journals off and on. 7yo is now quite into them and loves to go back through them. Assuming you’re able to “own” the pages you create? What type of program do you use to “assemble” them? Also had the question of printing out pages. Perhaps using a commerical print shop – kinkos or such – might be economical if wanting hard copy? Plan on downloading ebook and checking out Cottage Arts. Thanks for the post and twitter re: it.
That is a really interesting idea. I never thought of doing it digital. What a great way for kids to learn about nature & the computer.
Digital nature scrapbook – what a super idea!!!! http://tinyurl.com/ajo57y
You are so crafty and knowledgeable, Robin! I love nature journaling and journaling in general. I also love scrapbooking but never seem to have time for it. What a GREAT idea!!!
oh it’s beautiful! I wish I were organized enough to do scrap booking. lol.
[...] Scrapbooking a Nature Notebook [...]
[...] Scrapbooking a Nature Notebook [...]
Hi Robin,
This is awesome. We try to include Nature journaling atleast twice a month into our schooling. My question for you is I do own Scrapbook Max can I just download one of the nature packs featured from Cottage on to Scrapbook Max? Will it work with just this program or will I need Photoshop in addition to this? I do not own a copy of Photoshop and have not been able to open a lot of scrapbook freebies because of this. Will I run into the same difficulties because of this?
Blessings,
Amy
Amy,
You don’t need Photoshop. You can use any scrapbook images in Scrapbook Max. However non-Scrapbookmax images do not load automatically like a Scrapbook Max kit. Its explained at the Scrapbook Max forum. http://budurl.com/scrapbookmax
When you go into embellishments hit browse down the bottom and you should be able to search your files and load them, or you could open up a window on your desktop and drag and drop them into the program
You can also make a non-scrapbookmax kit into a scrapbookmax kit pretty easy.
Nature teaches our kids so much.
Respecting Nature and keep a record and watch the changes…
Nature note books are great ways to show Dad or Grandparents some of the things we’ve been learning too.
keep teaching and helping others.
I love digital scrapbooks. It is timeless.
As a digital scrapbook designer at Divine Digital, Faith Sisters and Scrap Delicious who will be home schooling our boys for the first time this school year, I’m excited about the possibilities with this. I print out a family album and sometimes a special album each year. I think we’ll do a digital discovery journal of our school year!