Outdoor Hour Challenge – Mountain Laurel

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Mountain Laurel Study

Inside Preparation Work:

• Read pages 689-692 (Lesson #191) in the Handbook of Nature Study. The mountain laurel is in the tree section of the book but it is really an evergreen shrub. My research shows it is also called the calico bush, ivybush, and spoonwood.
• Alternative studies for shrubs in this family include the manzanita or the rhododendron.
• Youtube video: Mountain Laurel.
• Wonderful images: Mountain Laurel.
• Read this simple article: The Difference Between Trees and Shrubs.
• Here is a page with images of the interesting way that mountain laurel disperses its pollen: Mountain Laurel Launchers.
• Advanced Study link: What is a Tree?

Outdoor Hour Time:

• This week you can take a look at shrubs during your outdoor time. Talk about how shrubs and trees are different. If you have a mountain laurel to observe, take a close look at the flowers, leaves, and limbs. Choose another shrub if you don’t have a mountain laurel to observe up close.

Follow Up Time:

• The lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study details many observations you can make to learn more about the mountain laurel. These include the shape of the leaf, the color of the flowers, the bud, and the pollen dispersal method. Use these to guide your family’s study of the mountain laurel.
• After your observations, create a nature journal entry that includes a sketch with color.
• Advanced Study: Use this link to learn to distinguish between mountain laurel and the rhododendron. There is an advanced notebook page in the ebook to record your information.

Next week we start the summer series from the new ebook, Summer Nature Study Continues.