Nature Journaling in Fifth Grade: More Than Just a Drawing Lesson

In Waldorf Education, science is taught by doing and observing!

In Waldorf education, fifth grade marks a special shift - one where science becomes more focused, more intentional.

Beginning with Botany in the fifth grade and progressing to Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Anatomy, and more in the later years, students are invited into the world of science not through textbooks or lectures, but through phenomenology—an approach that begins with observation and lived experience.

In practical terms, this means students are encouraged to experience scientific phenomena directly, often through demonstrations or hands-on activities, and then draw their own conclusions. No memorizing facts just to regurgitate them—this is science experienced through the senses.

One of the most beloved activities in the fifth-grade Botany block is something called Nature Sketching (sometimes also called Nature Journaling). It’s simple on the surface: students take their colored pencils, etc. and sketchbooks outdoors, find one subject that captures their attention - a flower, a leaf, even a curled root peeking out of the earth - and spend time carefully observing and drawing it.

But here’s the thing: it’s not about the drawing. Not really.

Nature sketching provides a moment of quiet in a busy, fast world.

Sure, students are encouraged to draw what they see with care - matching color, texture, shape, position - but the true goal is deeper. We’re helping them learn to slow down, to really look, and to begin noticing the small details that might otherwise go unseen.

What does the flower smell like? What’s its texture? How many petals? What’s the light doing at that time of day?

This moment of quiet, focused attention is a rare gift in our fast-paced world. And it turns out, it’s doing more than just building observation skills. Nature journaling also introduces two incredibly important ways of thinking that scientists and artists alike rely on: distributed cognition and metacognition.

Let’s unpack those.

Distributed cognition is a fancy way of saying: sometimes, our brains need a little help keeping track of everything. That’s why we use things like calendars, grocery lists, or calculators - they’re all tools that “share the load” of thinking. In the same way, a nature journal becomes a thinking partner. Instead of trying to remember every detail of a flower or the texture of a leaf, the student writes it down or draws it. Their journal becomes an extension of their memory and attention - just like a scientist’s field notebook.

And then there’s metacognition - thinking about our thinking. As John Muir Laws puts it, “Thinking about our thinking helps us think better.” When students go back and review their nature sketches and notes, they’re not just remembering what they saw; they’re also reflecting on how they observed, what they were curious about, and how their perspective might have changed. That’s metacognition in action - and it’s a powerful habit to develop.

Nature sketching is a multi-faceted, powerful tool.

What’s more, the simple act of nature sketching engages a whole web of skills: fine motor skills, attention to detail, language arts (through labeling, note-taking, or journaling), even basic quantitative skills like counting, measuring, and comparing. And every time a student tries something new - maybe they’ve never blended colored pencils to show shading before, or never really paid attention to the shape of a leaf - their brain is making new connections. That’s neuroplasticity at work: the brain growing and adapting through experience.

So while it may look like just a quiet moment with paper and pencil out in the garden or forest, Nature Journaling is a deceptively powerful tool - one that builds scientific thinking, strengthens artistic observation, supports language and reflection, and even grows the brain itself!

And best of all? It invites the student into a lifelong relationship with the natural world - one quiet sketch at a time. And what our students learn to love, they will strive to protect.

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About the Authors

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, Botany, and Geology, as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum! 

Waldorf Sixth Grade Curriculum: Exploring the Natural World through Physics

In sixth grade, it’s time for a whole new way of exploring the natural world: the study of Physics!

As the child is leaving the comforting world of early childhood and entering into a new realm, it’s the perfect time to re-enliven and re-invigorate their sense of awe and love for the natural world, all while discovering scientific phenomena and law. 

An example main lesson book page illustrating experiments around Optics, from our sixth grade Physics course!

While a Waldorf student has been exploring nature throughout the grades, middle school marks a shift in the curriculum where scientific study becomes far more structured and a key area of focus. These blocks call upon the educator to teach in a new way using phenomenology (Huh? Click here for more) and for the student to approach their learning from a different perspective.

So, what’s sixth grade physics all about? The block starts with the basics, and calls upon the student to use their observational and practical skills to discover the laws of sound, heat, light, magnetism, and electricity. 

The curriculum typically begins with the study of acoustics, where students explore the nature of sound. They learn how sound is produced by vibrations and how it travels through different materials. Through activities involving musical instruments and simple sound experiments, students investigate phenomena like pitch, echo, and resonance.

The curriculum also introduces students to the principles of heat and thermodynamics. They examine how heat is generated, how it moves, and how it affects materials—causing them to expand, contract, or change state. This is a particularly fun aspect of the block; seeing an educator use a blowtorch is always exciting (when done safely, of course!)

The study of magnetism in action!

When studying optics (also referred to as the study of light) students observe the characteristics of light and how it behaves in our world. With the use of a completely blacked out room, students observe how light is invisible, how it can create a camera obscura, and explore the vast world of color and shadow. 

Magnetism is explored through the use of simple magnets and iron filings, allowing students to observe magnetic attraction and repulsion, and the concept of magnetic fields. They experiment with magnetic materials and learn about the basic properties of magnets, including polarity.

Finally, students are given an introductory look at static electricity using balloons, various kinds of fabric and textiles, and other materials. Though explored simply, this portion is setting the stage for 8th grade physics when students will build motors, explore circuits, and more! 

This 6th grade Physics block sets the foundation for the future as the curriculum deepens in complexity, where physics will be visited again in 7th and 8th grade.

It’s an exciting shift where the educator and student enter a new realm of observation, investigation and exploration! 

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About the Authors

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, and Botany, as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum! 

Waldorf Botany Curriculum: Shifting Focus to the Higher Plants

A watercolor painting of the “higher plants” from our Botany course!

In Waldorf fifth grade botany, the second block focuses on the “higher plants,” or those that have true leaves, roots, stems, and flowers!

(To learn more about the first block and its focus, click here).

The second block, often done in the spring, is the perfect time to study these more complex plants with new methods.

Why?

The curriculum meets the developing fifth grader right where they are, which is on the cusp of entering middle school! 

The growing fifth grader is ready to use their observational skills in more complex and challenging ways, and the educator can begin to introduce concepts using phenomenological techniques, preparing them for middle school science curriculum.

The shift in the Botany curriculum is notable; the fifth grader is no longer living so much in the world of imagination and story, but instead, is eager to explore and learn more about the world around them.

In Botany, the second block closely follows the growth of a plant from the very beginning. As the fifth grader is growing and changing rapidly, it’s the perfect time to connect with nature and see how it blossoms as well. 

An example main lesson book page from our Botany course.

Commonly, students study seeds, germination, photosynthesis, flowering, and seed dispersal, all the while incorporating opportunities to connect to plant life thriving in their own region. As well, students may explore trees, categorize plants according to their characteristics (monocots and dicots), and so much more- the possibilities are endless! 

This block provides an opportunity for the educator to bring the students directly into the learning process, and begin to nurture observational skills and the ability to come to educated conclusions.

It’s a time to do, feel, see, smell, taste, and use all of the senses to connect with the plant world!

From sprouting seeds, to dissecting flowers, the curriculum provides all kinds of opportunities to enliven the students’ connection to the vast world of Botany.

Wondering where to begin?

Most simply, and perhaps more meaningfully, start outside! Gain inspiration, connect with nature, and explore the beauty of the higher plants out in nature; it really is the best place to begin. 

Our Botany course provides a full year’s worth of curriculum for the school year, including two full blocks, hands-on demonstrations, and so much more.

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About the Authors

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, and Botany, as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum! 

Learning through Recreating: What studying great artists has to teach us.

An important aspect of middle school art curriculum in Waldorf Education is providing opportunities for students to find their own artistic style.

A Matisse-inspired still life chalk drawing from our Weekly Art Foundations course.

One of the best ways to do this? Recreate the works of great artists from the past!

We realize this may sound counterintuitive; how can copying artwork from another artist help a middle schooler find their own style - isn’t it stifling their creativity? 

In Waldorf education, the practice of studying and emulating master artists aligns beautifully with its holistic, experiential approach to learning. Learning through imitation lays a strong foundation for creative expression!

The imitation is not about rigid replication but about deeply experiencing artistic techniques, composition, and color in a hands-on way.

Just as a young musician learns by playing classical pieces before composing their own music, young artists build confidence and skill by studying the masters. 

Just as so much of the Waldorf curriculum does in 7th grade, we take our cues from the artists of the Renaissance. When the artistic world was expanding quickly and household names such as Leonardo di Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael were in their creative primes, one of the ways hopeful apprentices learned was to recreate the style, technique and subjects of these (and other) artists. This method aligns with the Waldorf developmental principle that learning is most effective when it is embodied and experienced.

Through the process of copying entire great works of art or specific techniques individually, students learn foundational skills required to create a beautiful and complete piece.

A chalk drawing inspired by Monet’s “Water Lilies” series, from our Weekly Art Foundations course.

From setting the base, finding the most pleasing composition, and mixing colors, studying the masters serves as a stepping stone to personal artistic expression.

As we have discovered again and again, a strong foundation provides the confidence and ability to branch out and find one’s own style; copying masterworks isn’t just about technique—it engages the hands, heart, and mind.

Waldorf education seeks to cultivate the whole child, and working with master artists' techniques allows students to feel the art, not just analyze it.

Recreating an artist’s work is the epitome of learning through doing, which is what Waldorf education is all about!

In our art courses, we include various lessons that do just this: take a well-known artist’s work and techniques, and recreate them. From Claude Monet to Alma Thomas, Vincent van Gogh, to figure drawing as Michaelangelo once did, our courses draw on inspiration from great artists of the past and awaken our students’ own creative forces in a deeply meaningful way.

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About the Authors

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, and Botany, as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum! 

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