Quest
There are certain tasks that await you as you prepare to document your excursion into the North Dakota badlands. Here's a checklist to help you keep track of your progress as you go!
CHECKLIST of ACTIVITIES
GETTING STARTED
You can download the picture journal template below--it's a Microsoft Word document. Feel free to edit this template before you use it. There may be different things you want to record, like plants' and animals' scientific names. You may want to complete it when you get back and replace the sketch boxes with digital photos. Ultimately, how you use it is up to you!
CHECKLIST of ACTIVITIES
- Discover some of the history of the park and look at the journals Lewis and Clark kept and the sketches they made
- Learn which animals live in Theodore Roosevelt National Park and how to identify them
- Print off a bird checklist so you can record the birds you see while you're there
- Find out how to recognize the tracks that animals leave
- Discover which plants are native to the badlands and how to identify them
- Practice drawing or photographing animals and plants
- Print pages from the picture journal template to use on your trip
- Fill in your journal during your visit
- Share your journal with a friend when you get back, so they can see what it was like, and hear about it in your own words!
GETTING STARTED
You can download the picture journal template below--it's a Microsoft Word document. Feel free to edit this template before you use it. There may be different things you want to record, like plants' and animals' scientific names. You may want to complete it when you get back and replace the sketch boxes with digital photos. Ultimately, how you use it is up to you!
picturejournaltemplate.docx | |
File Size: | 13 kb |
File Type: | docx |
PICTURE JOURNAL INSTRUCTIONS
First, you'll want to print off as many pages as you'll think you might need. I know it seems like we're doing this the old-fashioned way, but there aren't a lot of places to recharge an iPad in the park!
Animal | Plant | Track Circle one!
Type: Write down the name of the thing you saw, such as: "bison track," "prairie rose," or "mule deer"
Size: Document roughly how big the plant, animal, or track was. For example: "very large," "knee-high," or "about the size of a gopher."
Date Seen: Record the date you saw what you saw. Plants look different at different times of the year, and animals may be more prevalent and look or act differently during certain seasons. This will help you monitor if things have changed the next time you visit the park.
Notes: This is where you can write whatever you'd like to. Were the bison grazing? Were there any calves? What did the prairie dogs sound like? How did you feel when you saw that great horned owl take flight?
Finally, you'll want to preserve images of the animals, tracks, and plants you come across, like those in this sketch collection! That's what the big boxes are for. Sketches can be in pencil, pen, or charcoal; in color or black and white; realistic or stylized--however you want to draw things! You may prefer to take photos instead of making drawings (I certainly do!)
Some people take pictures first and then sketch from them later, since it can be easier to work from a still image. You can even use the Sketchify app to make your iPhone photos look like drawings and paintings!
If you're planning to document your journey with photos, you may find these iPhone photography tutorials helpful:
This video is a great place to start learning how to draw realistic animals in nature scenes:
First, you'll want to print off as many pages as you'll think you might need. I know it seems like we're doing this the old-fashioned way, but there aren't a lot of places to recharge an iPad in the park!
Animal | Plant | Track Circle one!
Type: Write down the name of the thing you saw, such as: "bison track," "prairie rose," or "mule deer"
Size: Document roughly how big the plant, animal, or track was. For example: "very large," "knee-high," or "about the size of a gopher."
Date Seen: Record the date you saw what you saw. Plants look different at different times of the year, and animals may be more prevalent and look or act differently during certain seasons. This will help you monitor if things have changed the next time you visit the park.
Notes: This is where you can write whatever you'd like to. Were the bison grazing? Were there any calves? What did the prairie dogs sound like? How did you feel when you saw that great horned owl take flight?
Finally, you'll want to preserve images of the animals, tracks, and plants you come across, like those in this sketch collection! That's what the big boxes are for. Sketches can be in pencil, pen, or charcoal; in color or black and white; realistic or stylized--however you want to draw things! You may prefer to take photos instead of making drawings (I certainly do!)
Some people take pictures first and then sketch from them later, since it can be easier to work from a still image. You can even use the Sketchify app to make your iPhone photos look like drawings and paintings!
If you're planning to document your journey with photos, you may find these iPhone photography tutorials helpful:
This video is a great place to start learning how to draw realistic animals in nature scenes:
However, I find drawing lessons easier to follow when I find them in books, like the following ones, which may be available from your local library:
Now that you know how to draw and photograph nature, it's time to learn about the park itself, and the animals and plants you might see while you're there!
- Draw 50 Flowers, Trees, and Other Plants by Lee J. Ames
- Draw 50 Horses by Lee J. Ames
- Draw Animals in Nature by Lee Hammond
- Draw Real Animals! by Lee Hammond
- How to Draw Wild Flowers in Simple Steps by Janet Whittle
Now that you know how to draw and photograph nature, it's time to learn about the park itself, and the animals and plants you might see while you're there!