Have students group natural objects by their characteristics and decide in which of several possible groups each object best fits. This is a good activity to introduce scientific classification and the use of identification keys. Pick an object on your school grounds, such as a flag pole or tree, and every hour during the day measure the length and the location of the shadow. Count the rings and talk about why there are differences in their size and the distance between them. For a creative writing activity, have the students write the biography of the tree.
Concrete poems are poems that are shaped like the object they describe.
Find pictures of patterned objects such as seashells, leaves, trees and flowers, or bring in examples of these items that students can touch and feel. Talk about the different kinds of patterns students observe. After making lists of adjectives that could describe each item, have students create a poem in that object's shape. Snowflakes contain some of the most delicate, intricate patterns in nature. Those patterns can be preserved by making snowflake slides.