If you wanted to start a nature study group

[Faithr]

how would you go about doing it? A new local support group I just joined wants to start up a co-op and I'd really like to make part of it Nature Study. I have always wanted to do Nature Study more deeply than we do it. We are very unschoolish about it, but I'd like it to be a vehicle for deeper study. I'd like to incorporate drawing and photography, nature crafts, literature, biographies of naturalists, learning to identify species, learning the Latin names for things, etc. The group wants to meet 3 Friday mornings a month at a location (probably a church) and then take the last Friday of the month for a fieldtrip. I was thinking of trying to set up a guided nature hike at a local nature center for those fieldtrips.

 

So how would you set things up given those perimeters?

 

Thanks for any and all suggestions and advice!

 

:)

[Osaubi]

I am intrested in this also!

[Murphy101]

oh this sounds really neat!

 

My first thought is that you should consider what you want to foster the most to start out.

 

For example, MY primary focus would be a 20 minute quiet sketch session to foster attention to detail and patience.I would take them out around the building to gather any item they might like to sketch. If you could place a popsicle stick or something to mark their locale that would be nice too. Then they can sketch how that one nature spot changes from one visit to the next.

 

what age are you looking for? That would be too much to ask of my 6 yr old. For him, I'd want him to gather and identify 3 items found. This would require lots of different reference materials for them to search through.

 

it could be much simpler. a short lesson on the local season and plants and then a scavenger hunt for them?

[Lisawa]

Martha has some great ideas.... I love the scavenger hunt idea....

 

but its to bad that you will only be able to go outside 1 time a month... maybe you could encourage the kids (as work to be done at home) to go outside once or twice a week... have them come to class with what they found.... and still have a field trip of some type once a month..... They can then sketch or do a rubbing....

 

I bet Barbs Green hour Challenge would be a great start.... She has the challenges up on her blog.... they could easily be printed out.... and implemented in some way in a co-op setting for the field trips... go over the challenge, let the kids do it at home and they can come back and report about it....

 

Have the kids set up notebooks for journaling and sketching.... and they can do that at home or in class....

 

Just a few thoughts...... I hope others post so you can have a bazillions ideas to spark your creativity!

[Tina in WA]

I want to do this next year at co-op as well. Since I am just learning about nature studies, I don't have the details figured out. I do think I will do something along the line below, but I am sure it will change as I learn more about nature studies.

 

1. notebooking pages on finding something to observe and share findings in class the following week.

2. use field guides in class to identify different trees, mammal, plants, etc.

3. Do different hand-on's activities in their sketch books (like a leaf rubbing, flower pressing, etc.)

4. Go outside (when the weather permits in WA) and do a nature walk at co-op

5. Play different nature type games with the kids. A friend loaned me a wonderful book called: Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Bharat Cornell.

6. Listen to bird calls on tape, make bird feeders and observe them at home. Make projects along these lines.

7. Bring a pet in for observing, sketching, and record information in their notebooks.

 

There are sites out there that have nature books listed by grades if you wanted to incorperate literature into your class. As well as making notebooking pages to learn about naturalists. I bet Notebooking Nook or Notebooking pages might even have some already created. :)

 

I know I will change things around, not do somethings, and add things to this. I am an infant nature studier (I know not a word LOL) and I figure the more I learn the better instructor/teacher/investigator/helper I will become. I am sure I will have certian expectations, but I really want the interests of the children in my class to lead the discoveries. Like I said, I haven't figured it out... But am excited to do this. :D

 

Using Handbook of Nature Study will really help guide me to make nature study fun... like an investigation!

 

I would love to hear other idea's as well. :)

 

~Tina

[ABQmom]

I was a part of a nature study group when I had my first 3 children--they were between the ages of 2 and 7. It was very laid back and the kids and I really enjoyed it. We met only once a month.

 

A different family each month would be responsible for the activity. Some would plan a field trip to an outside location. Sometimes the family would choose something for the entire group to prepare for that month before the meeting. For example, when my little family took a month, we chose to have everyone study the rainforest. We then put together a presentation of the things we had learned and presented it to the group. On another month a family did flowers, and on another a family did birds. There was always a time for the dc to share something on the chosen topic for that month --something that they had learned or a project they had completed.

 

We met at a park unless the family chose to do a zoo or nature trail, etc., or unless it was raining in which case we met in a church gym.

[Faithr]

I agree about the being confined to a church building for 3 out of 4 meetings! However, I'm hoping that wherever we wind up meeting we could go outside and observe something: trees, worms, insects, flowers, clouds, wind direction,rain, squirrels, birds. Right now most of the kids are pretty young. Mostly 5 to 7 years old. But in theory we want the co-op to be available to older kids and even high schoolers. One reason why we liked the idea of doing Nature Study is because it is so adaptable to different age groups.

 

I just ordered Mother of Divine Grace's Natural History curriculum. That looks really interesting and perhaps it could be applied to middle schoolers. And I'd completely forgotten about the Handbook of Nature Study. Gotta go dig that gem out! I used to use it a lot but it's gotten buried over the years.

 

I was thinking that each week would have a different focus. Maybe we'd take a theme a month and the first class focus on learning basic facts and then sketching. The next week could be doing some kind of scientific activity or experiment or game maybe tying it to a poem or Latin names. The 3rd week could be a nature craft and maybe a focus on a naturalist. Then have the fieldtrip be something that ties the whole thing together.

 

Thank you for your ideas. Please keep them coming. I'm going to go dig through my books to find the Handbook!

[hsm]

I led a group, but I ran it much differntly than when we explore as a family, which is pretty free. The group had no idea where to start and was scared to delve into nature study, so we kept a focus because too much freedom would have frightened everyone off.

 

We choose a topic. Read a short intro from some fun books. I had a variey of nature notebooking pages prepared, some blank paper for those that prefered. We looked for our topic and observed. They sketched that and anything of choice . Somedays our topic was how to use nature resource tools--compass, maginfying glasses, binoculars, field guides and that's what we practiced. Periodically we studied seasonal changes. We kept our explorations to a few areas, so moms didn't get overwhelmed and developed familiarity:)

 

"Inside" days were spent reading longer passages, doing activities/experiments/nature craft.

 

I think if this is a beginner group, it is definately easier to go with a theme of the month, so they can focus on one thing at a time. Kind of like a scout, 4-H type idea. Maybe you could get ideas by taking a look at the requirements for certain badges, they incoorporate activities like you described.

[woolybear]

HI all. I'm resurrecting this very old thread because I am wondering how some of these groups went. I'm particularly interested to hear about Tina in WA coop class, as this is something I am thinking about doing. How did it go? What did you end up actually doing?

 

Anybody else?

 

Thanks in advance.

Woolybear

[Guest Cindie2dds]

HI all. I'm resurrecting this very old thread because I am wondering how some of these groups went. I'm particularly interested to hear about Tina in WA coop class, as this is something I am thinking about doing. How did it go? What did you end up actually doing?

 

Anybody else?

 

Thanks in advance.

Woolybear

 

Bumping for you! :) I'm very interested too. We are about to join a small, inclusive co-op; and I was going to try to start something like this as my "class." I would love to hear how it went!

[PeterPan]

Ever since I saw this mentioned by someone else here, it has intrigued me. http://www.wildernessawareness.org/home_study/kamana_one.html

[woolybear]

Anyone else?

[Osaubi]

I ran a 10 week co-op class with Barb Harmony-Art nature study pages. I did one lesson per class. There were some things I would have done differently.

 

I really liked the nature study pages Barb put together. It was easy to teach, and had notebooking pages that went with every lesson.

 

We went outside to explore and the parents were supposed to be responsible for their own kids and helping them when needed. That didn't work out so well. Parent just let their kids run around and scream.:glare: I tried to set some rules up before we went so maybe we could see some animals if we were really quite. I went over the rules at the start of every class, but it didn't matter.

 

Parents were not reading the section of the nature study book to help the kids. I tried to go over it the first couple of times in class, but it never worked. This group will not do anything outside of class even if it is required/recommended.

 

I think the co-op would have been a lot better with a different group of people.

[woolybear]

Thank you. That is one of the ways I was thinking of doing this. I think if I put into the course description that this is more of a nature study/journaling class and not a run around and play outside time, it may help. (Though I also like the run around and play outside idea.;))

 

Do you have a link to those nature study pages? I tried to find them on her site, but I could not. There is just so much info there to wade through.

[Carol in Cal.]

It's the most detailed nature-oriented mentoring program that I know of. It documents practices use in indigenous tribes, and ways to convey them to children without seeming all serious about it--leading by example more so than by talk.

 

Also, buy local field guides and do sketching.

[Osaubi]

I used these pages http://www.lulu.com/content/6059459 . I thought it was worth the money to have everything there and ready.

 

I know you can see her first 10 lessons online for free though. Here is a link to her blog: http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/

 

The first class I explained what we were going to do, and my expectations. Then we spent about 15-20 min outside. Then we would come back in and fill out our notebooking pages.

 

After the first class I would talk about something I found the week previous. If anyone else had done research they were free to share at this time.

 

All in all it was a pretty easy class teaching wise, the kids were always ingaged, and they had lots of fun.

[woolybear]

It's the most detailed nature-oriented mentoring program that I know of. It documents practices use in indigenous tribes, and ways to convey them to children without seeming all serious about it--leading by example more so than by talk.

 

Also, buy local field guides and do sketching.

 

 

I wish I could see a sample of this or that it is less expensive.:)

[woolybear]

I just found the Coyote's Guide through ILL. I will check it out.

[Pammy]

once a week.. depending on the weather of course. :0

 

It is somewhat informal, we usually meet at about 9:30 and start walking.. the kids stop and sketch a few things, explore, etc. Then around 11-12 we have our sack lunch and chat for a while. We also plan field trips once a month to art museums, plays, etc. It is great for young kids!

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

I am very interested in this. Has anyone seen this brochure? Or this info? Good stuff. I think I will also try to get my hands on Coyote's Guide. There is great info in Sharing Nature with Children and a whole section of recommendations for activities in the back of the updated version of Last Child in the Woods. I'm kind of toying with a group that combines nature study with native Texas gardening for wildlife. Thinking...thinking...

 

Richard Louv's site is a treasure.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Alte Veste Academy

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

I wish I could see a sample of this or that it is less expensive.:)

 

Here is a sample. :001_smile:

[woolybear]

Here is a sample. :001_smile:

 

 

Thank you!:)

[Chris in VA]

Haven't read the other replies, but just wanted to say we had a nature group that took a walk thru a marsh (Huntley Meadows, if you want to see it! lol) every month, and observed the dramatic changes. EVERY time we went, something was different.

If you have a spot you can observe consistently, it's a great idea to keep track of the seasonal changes. Even if you went one place 4 or 5 times a year instead of every month, I think you could benefit. There's something to be said about becoming intimately familiar with an area.