Natural World

The “Natural World” tour addresses topics in science for students in the third-, fourth-, and fifth grades.

Students study plant growth and how the quantities and qualities of nutrients, light, and water in the environment affect plant growth. They study the life cycle of plants and pollination of bees. They learn the basic components of soil. They study the patterns of movement of objects in the sky such as the sun and moon and stars. They observe the change in the apparent shape of the moon from day-to-day over a month. They follow and record the apparent movement of the sun in the sky during the day and observe the patterns of stars in the sky at night. They study the human body, specifically the skeleton as a system in the body and the function of bones, joints and muscles.
Students build on their knowledge of animals learned in earlier grades and focus on how living and nonliving things such as other animals, plants, weather, and climate affect the life of an animal. They learn how behaviors and body structures of animals help them to survive in particular habitats. They learn about electricity and its applications. They learn the parts of light bulb, the nature of electrical circuits, and the electrical discharge of lightning. They learn how foods provide energy and nutrients for living organisms.

Students learn about the interactions of organisms in an ecosystem and how humans affect ecosystems. They learn about landforms, the forces that change landforms, and plate tectonics. They build on their knowledge of weather and climate learned in earlier grades and study the water cycle. They study technological designs and how machines use energy to move. They learn how people use machines to solve problems.

Please note that the entries in this tour are not in any particular order.

Leopard Hip Pendant

Francesca

Leopard Hip Pendant
Kingdom of Benin, Edo artist, Nigeria, circa 18th Century
(cast brass with copper inlay)
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

Let’s go to Africa. There we will learn about traditions from South Western Africa and study the beauty and power of the leopard.  Continue reading →

Trumpeter Swan

Francesca

Trumpeter Swan from The Birds of America
John James Audubon, American, born Saint-Domingue, 1827-1838
(hand-colored aquatint/engravings on Whatman paper)
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

Let’s see a print of a spectacular North American bird. Continue reading →

Rabble

Rabble

Francesca

Rabble
Ralph Helmick and Stuart Schechter, American, 2003
(mylar butterflies, stainless-steel cables, pewter weights, contrails of fabric flowers)
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

Let’s learn something about the intersection of art and nature.
Continue reading →

Night Flight

Francesca

Night Flight of Dread and Delight
Skunder (Alexander) Boghossian, Ethiopian, 1964
(oil on canvas with collage)
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

Shall we visit a nighttime sky filled with planets and stars and birdlike spirits? Continue reading →

Egyptian Boat

Francesca

Model of a Boat
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, circa 1985-1650 BCE
(wood with gesso, paint, and twine)
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

We’re off to ancient Egypt to learn about the mighty force of a river and meet the men and women who learned to tame her. Continue reading →

Eagle Cliff

Eagle Cliff

Francesca

Eagle Cliff, Franconia Notch, New Hampshire
Jasper Francis Cropsey, American, 1858
(oil on canvas)
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

Long ago, families lived in the wilderness and struggled to adapt to their environment. Continue reading →

Three Trees, Two Clouds

Francesca

Three Trees, Two Clouds
John Beerman, American, 1990
(oil on linen)
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

In the past, mankind could only react to Mother Nature. Today we use science to try and predict Mother Nature. Let’s make a prediction. Let’s forecast the weather and find the perfect spot to spread out our picnic blanket! Continue reading →