King Alfred Academy Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I have stumbled upon these books in my search for science materials. They look pretty interesting, but I am not sure exactly what they are. Are they interactive where we do our own square and it tells us how to observe it? If so, then we should probably not worry about the Rain Forest and Arctic Tundra books, huh!? Or, do they simply tell you about those different "squares" by showing illustrations throughout different times of the year? Or, am I totally off base? I can't seem to locate anything online that has samples...not even Amazon! If anyone knows of a link where I could view them, I'd appreciate it. And if you have experience with them, please tell me what you think. Thanks for your insights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2legomaniacs Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 We have a couple of them and have used one (Ponds) along with My World Science. One Small Square was ok. I wouldn't say that we loved it. But it had some interesting things in it. It talks about what you would see in a small portion of the designated area. It does have things to do, in Ponds, for actually observing and such on your own. I honestly haven't looked at the African Savanna one yet. We are doing that next but I have not opened it. sorry, not too much help here, am I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Are they interactive where we do our own square and it tells us how to observe it? If so, then we should probably not worry about the Rain Forest and Arctic Tundra books, huh!? Or, do they simply tell you about those different "squares" by showing illustrations throughout different times of the year? Here, Rainbow Resource has a stingy ONE page scan per book, but it will give you a flavor of the series. http://www.rainbowresource.com/search.php?sid=1205091419-172955 At the back of the book are a couple of pages where the child can find various species within the square (like a where's Waldo activity). Ds likes that, and I ask him to read a caption on each page, which helps hold his attention some days. We are using WinterPromise's Animals and Their Worlds theme study this year for grade 1, and it uses this series as a spine. We read two pages per day, stretching the book out to cover a 5 week span. I would say the series is more like your second idea "showing illustrations throughout different times of the year", but it does refer to your "square" as if you could actually visit it. The Woods book was more interactive like that. The other volumes often say "if you ever actually visit this square...". The book includes little activities, which are great for keeping my ds interested. We used Crisco for "blubber" sandwiched between two baggies and wrapped around my ds's hand to illustrate the way polar bears and seals are insulated for swimming in icy water. I like the series, but I like it *more* within the context of WP's program, which includes stories, drawing, crafts, notebooking, etc. I like the Charlotte Mason method of taking these books a "bite" at a time, allowing time for the child to digest it. I believe we've learned much more that way than if we tried to read the book in one sitting or in one week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandpsmommy Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 They are a part of our NOEO Biology I kit. There are suggestions for how you can actually observe and interact with one small square of each environment if you live close enough to that kind of habitat, but they are also useful for studying habitats that aren't accessible to you and learning what you would see there if you could visit. My ds 4, who is a science nut, loves these books. He loves the illustrations and all the facts. Dd 6.5 thought they were a bit on the boring side. I find that that the pages are too busy visually for me. There are little captions and areas of text all over the place. But, again, ds loves them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Readsalot Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 We happen to be doing this one along with our ecology studies at the moment. On Monday ds will be staking out a square inthe back yard. He is hoping our resident mole will travel through it. I am hoping to eliminate the mole from our backyard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 The answer is both. They tell you about an imiginary square they've drawn and what might be seen there. And if you happen to live in or visit an area where you can do the exercise in real life, then there are ideas for that, too. I think I own most of them, although I have them loaned out right now. If you have more specific questions, I'm happy to try to answer them. I love all of them! Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle T Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I think he was 9 or 10 when we used these as part of Animal Worlds from WinterPromise. We ended up dropping that program about two months into it, and these books were a large part of the reason why. DS just thought they were very boring. I found them very interesting, and loved the illustrations. Maybe my guy was just beyond the age range that would most appreciate them. Although of course, I'M beyond that age range! Michelle T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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