Zoom In, Zoom Out

Directions

• Suggested Subject Matter:  any natural object that doesn’t move too much.
• Suggested Location: outside, in a natural environment
• Materials: your journal, pencil, colored pencils, hand lens, ruler, paper cup to trace circles
• Total Time: approximately 40 minutes
• Submission: Please submit a photo of your natural journal page AND another document with answers to the Discussion Questions 

Step 1. Metadata: (5 points) 

• This must be the first thing on your page- always! This allows your journal to be used for further investigation and research. 
• Read this article by Roseann Hanson about Metadata Links to an external site.and answer the following questions in your journal:
• What is the definition of metadata?
• You must always include the date (including the year) and time of day.
• What are 4 other examples of metadata?  
  

In addition you may want to include: 

• • why you chose this area
  • general observations of the site. 
    • is it forested?  is it more open?  is it a mix?
    • is there water nearby like a creek or river or ocean?

Step 2. Silent and Still Observation

After your initial description, next comes the silent and still observation period.  You will be surprised how much you observe by simply being still, listening, and looking.  

• • Find a comfortable place to sit.  Set a timer for a minimum of 5 minutes (10 minutes recommended)
  • Sit in your spot, simply observing.  Don’t write anything down, don’t take pictures, don’t interact with your phone, and if you are with other people, don’t talk.  Just sit silently and make mental notes of what you see, feel, smell and hear around you.
  • Once your timer goes off, take a few minutes to write down your observations

Step 3. Sketching: Zoom In, Zoom Out ( 9 points)

• • Instructions: ~ 30 minutes
  • Observe subject from 3 points of view : close up, life size and distant
  • Place all three  observations on the same page
  • It's helpful to put the life sized image in middle of page
  • Chose part of the subject and zoom in – draw a circle and inside draw using magnification
    
    • Indicate scale- you can actually measure object and write the size  down next to the image. Or you can measure how many  of the real object could fit across the magnified drawing that you made
  • 
  • Final sketch is of whole subject and the environment
  • At each level you should use words, pictures and numbers to describe the subject

Additional Optional Material:

Feel free to personalize your field notebook as you like.  You are welcome to include additional content such as:

• • landscape-scale sketches
  • additional questions or observations
  • maps showing important features like trails, rivers, boundaries of plant communities
  • dried and pressed flowers or leaves can be added and protected with clear tape
  • personal reflection, poetry, list of wildlife sightings, 

Step 4: Submission: Photo and Discussion Questions 

Please submit

• A document with answers to the discussion questions below
• A photo of your journal (or pages) with the zoom in and zoom out

Along with answers to the following questions ( 9 points) 

1. Structure and Function : A key principle of biology is that the structure of something determines its function. Pick a detail you noticed and what are some possible explanations of how it might function? How would the structure help to maximize that particular function?  
2. Levels of Biological Hierarchy/Organization:   Earlier in the semester we learned about the need to study biological phenomenon on multiple  levels of biological organization. What level is demonstrated by each point of view (individual, population, community? molecular? etc. ) ? What parts of the subject are most apparent at each scale? What can be learned by integrating the information from each scale?
3. Exploration and Discovery: One of the main reasons for doing these observation is to learn more about this part of the scientific process. Consider the information that you recorded in words, pictures and numbers.  What are 2-3 questions about the biology of  this system, organism or location due to these observations?  At least one of these questions should incorporate some information from your metadata. For example, a question about the temperature and the abundance of mosquitos... etc. 

If you would like more inspiration, here is a video of John Muir Laws demonstrating Zoom In, Zoom Out