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Science Ideas Clustered around Dolphins and Marine Mammals


CardinalAlt
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I have a very science-motivated 7 year old, accelerated in reading, a bit in math, but pretty on level with writing output. She's been obsessed with dolphins for a while, to the extent that (I think) we've read most of the k-8 related stuff in the library, watched documentaries, done little reports on cetaceans (dipping into Venn diagram representations of animal classification), talked and written about Sea world and animal activism, gotten an annual pass to the nearby aquarium, gone whale and dolphin watching... Last night's comment was that she'd like to learn more about their digestive system and how they're related to cows with their multiple stomachs...

 

To broaden a bit, I'd hoped, we have been trying RS4K chemistry, and while she likes the cartoons and filling out the simple lap book study guides, I think it's a dud otherwise - just too simple conceptually, boring experiments, and way too expensive. I've been fleshing out with library books and a different lab kit...

 

So I'm back to thinking go with the interest... But how?? Any thoughts on where to go with dolphin obsession and science from here?

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Just dive in! Most adult science/animal books are fairly kid safe (with marine mammals, I'd check indexes to make sure there's not too much on hunting and possibly avoid or at least preread for graphicness about anything related to Blackfish/captive training), and there are a lot of periodical articles out there if you check back issues (many are available electronically). Once she's comfortable there, and can read on a high enough level, it's a natural segue to more science-focused materials. What I've found in the herpetology world is that a lot of the people who write good books for non-specialists are also the active researchers in the field, so you can start looking for their papers as well (a LOT of them are available free via university websites if you check for the specific person). An edition or two old college textbooks are often very, very inexpensive, and even if she can't read the text yet, she'd probably get a lot out of having a marine bio textbook, vertebrate anatomy textbook, and so on just for the pictures.

 

What I've found in following a herpetology obsession is that following the obsession leads naturally to needing to fill in gaps. My DD kind of started at the end-she jumped from the stuff in our local library to auditing upper division/grad level special topics courses in herpetology and going to conferences, then went back and did a college general bio for non-majors and is now doing a high school chemistry class to fill in gaps in her understanding. Similarly, she jumped from pre-algebra to college level plug and chug statistics and is now back to algebra, because that's what she needed. She's also really ramped up her writing skills due to seeing just how prominent writing is and how required it is in the field. Meeting several people who make a big part of their career blogging about and rewriting research for more popular audiences (and how valuable this really is for conservation of the animals she loves) and having them encourage her to do likewise has really helped a lot in filling that gap.

 

The best gift you can give your daughter is to take her interest seriously. She may or may not follow it long-term, but she can and will learn a lot in the process.

 

 

 

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Thank you, very sincerely! I don't know why it felt like such a leap to just move up into the more advanced materials... But it did, and I didn't know quite where to start. I asked her if she wanted me to use a Christmas B&N gift card on some older college textbooks about marine biology and comparative anatomy, and she got the biggest grin! Then I used charter funds to order some high school level coloring books for marine biology, zoology, biology... Off to do a library search without the child-level filter!

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Yeah, she's known about reproduction for a while :). Taking the "I answer the questions she asks" approach with a science-y kid led to a lot of info pretty early! Reading Horton Hatches an Egg with that girl at 4 or so, and cracking up with her spontaneously making elephant sperm comments, coming up with all sorts of theories on how that elephant-bird came to be...

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Just dive in! Most adult science/animal books are fairly kid safe (with marine mammals, I'd check indexes to make sure there's not too much on hunting and possibly avoid or at least preread for graphicness about anything related to Blackfish/captive training), and there are a lot of periodical articles out there if you check back issues (many are available electronically). Once she's comfortable there, and can read on a high enough level, it's a natural segue to more science-focused materials. What I've found in the herpetology world is that a lot of the people who write good books for non-specialists are also the active researchers in the field, so you can start looking for their papers as well (a LOT of them are available free via university websites if you check for the specific person). An edition or two old college textbooks are often very, very inexpensive, and even if she can't read the text yet, she'd probably get a lot out of having a marine bio textbook, vertebrate anatomy textbook, and so on just for the pictures.

 

What I've found in following a herpetology obsession is that following the obsession leads naturally to needing to fill in gaps. My DD kind of started at the end-she jumped from the stuff in our local library to auditing upper division/grad level special topics courses in herpetology and going to conferences, then went back and did a college general bio for non-majors and is now doing a high school chemistry class to fill in gaps in her understanding. Similarly, she jumped from pre-algebra to college level plug and chug statistics and is now back to algebra, because that's what she needed. She's also really ramped up her writing skills due to seeing just how prominent writing is and how required it is in the field. Meeting several people who make a big part of their career blogging about and rewriting research for more popular audiences (and how valuable this really is for conservation of the animals she loves) and having them encourage her to do likewise has really helped a lot in filling that gap.

 

The best gift you can give your daughter is to take her interest seriously. She may or may not follow it long-term, but she can and will learn a lot in the process.

 

Totally off topic, but you don't happen to be A's mom (on Athena Academy)? I'm not stalking :P Just read your post thinking this has to be the same kid.

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Thank you, very sincerely! I don't know why it felt like such a leap to just move up into the more advanced materials... But it did, and I didn't know quite where to start. I asked her if she wanted me to use a Christmas B&N gift card on some older college textbooks about marine biology and comparative anatomy, and she got the biggest grin! Then I used charter funds to order some high school level coloring books for marine biology, zoology, biology... Off to do a library search without the child-level filter!

 

Can you share what books/coloring books you got? My nine year old is into marine biology right now as well and I'm having a hard time finding good materials for him. He's got all the children's level library books memorized...

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EndofOrdinary, what resources would you recommend? She is very interested in "helping," and I'm not sure where to guide her next. I think there might be some TED talks on activism appropriate for kids, I was thinking of researching those. My one concern is that she's pretty emotionally intense and sensitive - we've read about captivity issues, for instance, but only in more general, emotionally neutral ways.

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Thanks so much for posting this, CardinalAlt, and for your replies, dmmetler.  I've considered posting similar, just substitute in flamingos as the area of interest.  (And if I may piggyback on this thread, if anyone has any flamingo-specific suggestions, please let me know!  But the thread already gives me some direction, so thank you. :))

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The only thing I can think of extra is that, as with herps, there tend to be state/regional ornithology groups. You'll probably have to join and simply bring your child (until you get to the point where your child is better known in the area than you are an you become their "accompanying person"). Now, flamingos may not be observable locally, but a lot of other birds are, so that's a direction to look in. Cornell has a great website and app, too. One of DD's friends is a budding ornithologist, and being outside with those two together is a bit trying on the nerves, because DD is looking down, and will run into obstacles, and her friend is looking up, and will trip over anything, step in a hole, walk off a cliff, etc.

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I am already on Cornell's mailing list and have downloaded some of their resources. :)  DD just received a bird feeder for her birthday, so she's been staring out the window and drawing our little visitors in her sketch pad as I help her identify them.  She would greatly prefer to have flamingos appearing in our backyard, but alas, that is not to be. ;)

 

I'm a little hesitant to try joining local groups because I usually have the whole Entertainment Squad along with me (the 3yo and the baby in addition to the 6yo).  I can see the younger ones being an annoyance to people who are trying to quietly observe birds.  

 

I am laughing very much at the mental image of your DD and her bird-loving friend.  They need to bring along an anthropologist who will look straight ahead!  :lol:

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Watching this thread closely, and taking note, in case my son's whale and shark obsession of the last six months sticks. (He's two. I find it highly amusing watching him correct his nearly-six-year-old sister on identifying his toy whales.)

If the shark side sticks, look up my DD at JMIH in a few years ;).

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An update - we're still having fun with the evening read-aloud being a science book instead of fiction! Besides the marine biology textbook, we found another one specifically on dolphins in the adult section of the library, AND we've also discovered Basher's science books. DD loves these! One big switch was just making sure DD knew she could read ahead in any of these and we could jump around however she wanted, versus the fiction read alouds we had been doing. For the science read alouds, I've told her that other than me deciding how long I'm up for reading, she's in charge... So we're jumping around a lot, and learning tons!

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My son is very interested in marine biology--dolphins and manatees in particular.  I found a couple of things I'm going to look into more.  

 

http://www.homeschoolmovieclub.com/dolphin-tale-2?url=/dolphintale_files/videos/Lesson%201_v1.mp4 Goes with Dolphin Tale 2

 

www.forsea.org

 

The Marine Biology coloring books like you mentioned above.  And these books:

 

a.     The Living Sea by Jacques Cousteau

b.     Dolphin Confidential by Maddalena Bearzi

c.      Seaside naturalist

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I know they're far behind your daughter's level, but I thought I'd mention a great series I found for my son, in case anyone else who can use it comes looking at this thread for ideas: the Smithsonian Oceanic collection of picture books. I ordered some online and can hardly wait for them to arrive for him!

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