What makes late summer so special in nature? Learn what's happening with plants and animals as summer winds down, how changing daylight plays a role, and why those familiar insect sounds become such a noticeable part of the season.

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🎙️ Leave Mrs. Cindy a voice message! What's the most interesting thing you've ever seen happen in nature?

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The ocean is huge, yet many animals choose to live in groups. Join Mrs. Cindy to learn why schools, pods, and colonies give ocean animals an advantage.

Visit the Coral Reef show notes page for discussion questions to use with this episode.

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Can an animal really live without a brain? In this episode, you'll meet three surprising ocean creatures that do just fine without one and discover the clever ways they're perfectly designed to survive.

Sea stars may not have brains, but they have plenty of surprises! Come see what else makes these ocean creatures so remarkable in our Sea Stars video lesson inside the No Sweat Nature Study membership.

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Why does a watermelon have a thick rind while a grape has only a thin skin? In this episode, we'll discover how different fruits protect their seeds, conserve water, and survive the unique challenges they face as they grow.

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Visit the Watermelon show notes page to find comprehension questions that go along with this episode.

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From speedy runners to powerful fliers, insects have some impressive athletic abilities. In this episode, we'll explore which bugs are among the fastest and learn why speed isn't the whole story.

If this episode leaves you wanting to learn more about dragonflies, be sure to check out our Dragonfly video class inside the No Sweat Nature Study membership, where we'll explore their fascinating life cycle, unique adaptations, and incredible hunting skills. Use the code NOSWEAT for $10 off your first payment of a quarterly subscription.

Would you like to try a free NSNS video class? Join Mrs. Cindy here for a complete class about symbiosis.

Visit the show notes page to find comprehension questions to go along with this podcast episode.

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Benjamin Franklin asked bold questions that helped scientists better understand lightning and electricity. In this episode, Mrs. Cindy encourages kids to slow down, observe the world around them, and let curiosity lead them toward discovery.

Join Mrs. Cindy at NoSweatNatureStudy.com for a video class about Ben Franklin's Lightning! We'll take a closer look at Franklin's famous experiments while learning how scientists study lightning, electricity, and storms today. Use the code NOSWEAT for $10 off your first payment of a quarterly subscription.

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See the book list of your nature-themed book suggestions.

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Learn how turtles, beetles, armadillos, and hedgehogs use armor-like protection to survive in the wild in this informative episode about animal defenses and adaptations.

Join the related video class at NoSweatNatureStudy.com to focus on hedgehog adaptations, including how their spines protect them, how their snouts help them find food, and how their nighttime habits help them survive. 1st-8th graders will also create and label their own hedgehog adaptations diagram. Use the code NOSWEAT for $10 off your first payment of a quarterly subscription.

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Visit the Hedgehog show notes page to find podcast discussion questions for your family.

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Explore how the full moon affects plants and animals, including nocturnal behavior, moonlight changes, and possible plant responses to lunar cycles.

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Leave your voice message here.

Share pictures of your nature studies on Instagram or Facebook. Be sure to tag @OurJourneyWestward so Mrs. Cindy will see them!

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review if you enjoy the episodes. Thank you! It helps the podcast so much! :)