Tag Archives: questions

Tiny Surprises

Not too long ago I got a cool little photo gift–a small detachable macro lens for my iPhone. It has a little clip (kind of like a clothespin) that fits the macro lens right over my phone’s native camera lens. The fun thing about a macro lens is that it lets you get close up and magnify tiny things so you can really see them.

During Tuesday’s lunch break I decided to attach the macro lens to my phone and head out into the backyard in search of a photo subject. The milkweed is looking quite sickly. There are a few flowers, but the leaves have been stripped clean. Upon close examination, I did find a caterpillar–the monarch variety–cruising the stripped branches. I leaned in, took a deep breath, and held as steady as possible to snap a few photos of the yellow, white, and black crawling creature. It was a pretty big one, so I ended up with a head shot rather than a full body portrait.

Then I turned my attention to the lavender. I love the way that lavender has tiny blossoms that make up the bloom. I aimed the macro lens at the individual blossom–and then I saw them! The tiniest ants were crawling in and out of the blossom. I moved the lens away and looked closely. I could make out the tiny ants, just barely, without the lens. I snapped a few different shots of the tiny ants exploring the blossom and then my questions started emerging. Are these ants pollinators? Do they help or hurt the lavender? What about these tiny ants–are they a different species than the regular ants I’m used to seeing, just smaller?

I love the way taking photos also creates opportunities for research and learning, piquing my curiosity as I notice something new or unexpected. Photography keeps reminding me to look at the world through fresh eyes, changing my angles…or just the camera lens!

Ducks

Snowy Egret Questions: NPM #15

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Today was my first day back with my full class, full day, now on a 5-day a week schedule. I’ve challenged them (and myself) to writing a poem-a-day during the month of April. Today I started by reading them Little Black Crow by Chris Rascka–a picture book written entirely of questions. And we revisited the poem Yellow Weed by Lilian Moore–a question poem. Then we set off to write our own question poems.

I love writing with my students–and I love when they make no hesitation before beginning to write. And better yet, when after 7 minutes, I asked who would like to share their question poem–more than half the class shot their hands into the air! What fun to hear their question poems and the variety of topics they picked to write about. And they were not surprised at all to hear than I chose to write my question poem about snowy egrets.

So here is my poem:

Snowy Egret

Feathery friend, what brings you to the beach today?

Is it the tasty orange shrimp in the low tide soup?

Feathery friend, do those bright yellow feet

bring critters near as you stomp and stir?

Are they a beacon shining bright in the salty sea grass?

When you spread your delicate white wings

do you feel like a plane

or a kite lofted into the gentle sea breeze?

Feathery friend, what do you think when you see

my eye pressed to my camera lens?

Am I intruder or a familiar-faced friend?

Feathery friend, where do you go when you leave the beach?

Do you fly away home? Do you live alone?

I look for you on all my beachside walks

my lucky charm

a sign of good fortune.

Good bye snowy egret,

will I see you soon?

®Douillard

Flotsam and Jetsam: SOLC #7

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The sea was moody today. Thick clouds kept the sun at bay and also kept people at home. That’s a good thing for me–there’s nothing better than an empty beach for walking and exploring.

I love the way the beach is ever changing. Some days the shore is smooth and sandy. Lately piles of smooth beach stones have been pushed up into my walking zone. Low tides, like today, expose stretches of reef, some pieces algae-covered in reds and greens. I’m always on the look out for interesting finds on the beach. Unfortunately, we often find trash on our walks. Pieces of plastic and styrofoam, leftovers of foil wrapped burritos, and all too often straws of all shapes and sizes.

Today I noticed a glow stick on the reef. I know that fisherman often use these as part of their fishing routine, although I’m not sure exactly the purpose. I stopped to capture a photo and then we picked it up to throw away. (Lucky for our local environment, my husband always carries a trash bag when we walk on the beach.)

Next up was the shoe. Just one. Alone. It hadn’t been in the sea long enough to become a home for sea creatures, but it was soaked all the way through with sand inside. I wonder who lost this shoe and when they noticed it was missing. Does this child still have the other shoe tossed in the back of the closet?

Then I noticed the long white structure. Was it trash? No, seems like a bone. A closer examination made me believe that it is the remain of a pelican beak, long and thin and about the right size, washed up onto the shore. This piece we did not pick up–seems best to let it decompose and return to its native environment.

As I was documenting these finds with my camera, I was thinking about that term: flotsam and jetsam. Is one type of debris flotsam and another type jetsam? I turned to Google to check out the definitions. I learned that in maritime lingo, flotsam is wreckage of cargo that remains afloat after a ship has sunk and that jetsam is cargo or equipment thrown overboard from a ship in distress. I also learned that the phrase flotsam and jetsam has come to mean useless or discarded items. So I’m categorizing the glow stick and the shoe as flotsam and jetsam. The beak bone, just ordinary bird remains.

But what about this?

It seems that Shamus and Marisol decided to create some art on these beach boulders. It makes me wonder, did they bring paint to the beach with the idea that they would use beach rocks as a canvas? Was it made with water-based paint that will dissolve into the sea during the next high tide? Did they make it for their own enjoyment or for others to see? Or is it a call for help? (Notice the S.O.S.) Temporary art is common on the beach, there are sand artists who rake intricate designs into the sandy shore. There are rock tower builders, carefully balancing stone after stone after stone. And of course, the sand castle builders who create turrets and moats on castles adorned by seaweed and shells. All pieces meant to last only until the next tide sweeps it away.

I always leave the beach with questions and something to think about. And I always learn something. Regardless of its mood, the sea and the beach is never dull.

Question Poems: NPM20 Day 20

Photo-Inquiry…Art, Science, and Writing

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I’ve been taking pictures every day for more than a year now. Some days it’s a struggle, other days it’s pretty easy. But one of my favorite things about being a photographer (albeit, amateur) is that it makes me pay attention…and ask lots of questions.

Yesterday I was up in our local mountains enjoying all that fall brings…colors and pumpkins and apples…on a warm fall day. As I was photographing some beautiful leaves turning orange and red and yellow, I noticed this beautiful pine tree.

Looking closely, I was fascinated by the texture of the bark on the tree. And an even closer look revealed all these tiny holes…with many filled with acorns or other nuts.

That observation set off a million questions…how does this happen, what animal does it? Does it hurt the tree? Is it squirrels? And then I noticed this nearby fence post.

So it’s not only about trees…it’s about wood. I noticed the nearby utility pole also had holes and nuts.

With all these questions running through my head, we continued our adventure and I continued to look for interesting subjects for my photography. A while later, at the edge of a little pumpkin patch I looked up and saw a beautiful blue bird with red markings high up on a utility pole. I thought it might be some kind of jay, but my husband was quick to point out that it was tapping the pole…a woodpecker!

We watched closely, listening to the persistent tapping as it pecked into the top of the pole. I attempted several photographs…but one thing the iphone camera is not good at is long distance photos! Here’s an attempt.

If you look closely you can see a tiny silhouette at the top the pole. As I watched I started to make connections to the pine tree and fence post I had photographed earlier. These holes with the acorns in them were the work of an acorn woodpecker! A little internet search today led me to this information:

The group will guard their territory, and will often have a single tree in which they store their acorns; known as a granary. A single granary may contain tens of thousands of acorns. The acorns themselves are placed individually into a hole drilled into the tree. Acorn Woodpeckers also feed on insects (including aerial flycatching), sap, and fruits.

I love that photography always ends up teaching me interesting things about nature and about the world. It makes me pay attention, notice details, and ask questions. It makes me curious…and makes me wonder…a perfect tool for inquiry! And as I write this on the National Day on Writing, I get to share my photography and learning with you! #write2connect in action!

How do you write to connect? What do you learn from the activities you love?

Too Much of an Interesting Thing…

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When I first spied the mushroom in my front yard I saw it as a photo opportunity. I watched it grow, seeming to magnify right before my eyes. I watched it for days until I found it kicked across the yard one morning–and then, once it was turn upside down, I captured what I had missed by looking at only the outside surface with my camera.

The following week I noticed a few more mushrooms growing in my lawn. Again, I watched them grow…this time with some “portholes” to look inside and see what was beneath the surface. I got out my macro lens and worked to capture my secret view of the underside of the mushroom.

And then this morning it seemed that an entire forest of mushrooms has exploded on my lawn! One was so round and on a tall stem…looking almost like a lollipop. When I got home–late (meeting and then traffic)–that forest had ballooned, each mushroom doubling in size from this morning. And while my photos don’t really capture the drama of the growth, my eyes registered it.

And now I’m thinking that these fascinating mushrooms are becoming a problem. What started as an interesting novelty has become a bit of an eyesore. Just where do these mushrooms come from? What effect do they have on my lawn? How do they multiply? What is making them thrive in my lawn? And now…how do I get rid of them?

Early morning update: As my husband was leaving for work, he came back into the house saying, “The fairies are having a field day at our house!” I looked out the door…the mushrooms are enormous this morning! They ballooned overnight–and the biggest among them are between 6 and 8 inches across. Here’s a picture trying to capture the magnitude. (The photos don’t really capture the size adequately!)

Generating Questions–Photo Style

Urban Art?

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There are two of these nailed to the telephone poles on either side of this bridge-like structure near my school. I passed them yesterday without stopping, but today I had to take the time to capture a photograph. They have me wondering and asking questions.