wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I am doing MFW ECC next year and I am trying to beef up the science. I am going to do the Properties of Ecosystems that comes with MFW along with the Apologia Zoology books and the Usborn Living World Encyclopedia. I am going to get the Ecology Sketch Diary. What other resources would you recommend for Ecology/Biomes-- that sort of thing? My dc are very into science so I really want this good and beefed up. They are science nuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 (edited) For biomes I love this series of old books (available from your library or very cheaply ( .01 cent plus 3.99$ shipping) from Amazon. When you look them up on Amazon put in "Our Living World of Nature" first. Biomes: McGraw-Hill Our Living World of Nature series: The Life of the Desert The Life of the Pond The Life of the African Plains The Life of the Forest The Life of the Marsh The Life of the Mountains The Life of Prairies and Plains The Life of the Seashore etc. By ecology do you mean zoology (studying animal and plant species) or specifically "ecology": i.e: ecosystems, the study of energy transfer in ecosystems (food webs, nutrient cycles), interdependence of species (pollinators etc.), and animal populations? Here are some for ecology. I have more resources if you can be more specific about the topics you want to study. Activity books for ecology: Janice Van Cleaves Ecology for Every Kid Hands-On Nature by Jenepher Lingelbach Ecology for All Ages by Jorie Hunken Adventures with Freshwater Animals by Richard Headstrom How Nature Works by David Burnie Living Books: Wild Season by Allan W. Eckert (food webs) Summer World: A Season of Bounty by Bernd Heinrich Winter World by Bernd Heinrich (NOTE: Bernd Heinrich books are at a high school reading level) The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson (strong middle grade readers can handle this) Games: Into the Forest: Nature's Food Chain Game by Ampersand The Wild Seed Game by Ampersand (which is the press, not the author) Onto the Desert by Ampersand Edited February 9, 2011 by Kalmia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 (edited) For biomes I love this series of old books (available from your library or very cheaply ( .01 cent plus 3.99$ shipping) from Amazon. When you look them up on Amazon put in "Our Living World of Nature" first. Biomes: McGraw-Hill Our Living World of Nature series: The Life of the Desert The Life of the Pond The Life of the African Plains The Life of the Forest The Life of the Marsh The Life of the Mountains The Life of Prairies and Plains The Life of the Seashore etc. By ecology do you mean zoology (studying animal and plant species) or specifically "ecology": i.e: ecosystems, the study of energy transfer in ecosystems (food webs, nutrient cycles), interdependence of species (pollinators etc.), and animal populations? Here are some for ecology. I have more resources if you can be more specific about the topics you want to study. Activity books for ecology: Janice Van Cleaves Ecology for Every Kid Hands-On Nature by Jenepher Lingelbach Ecology for All Ages by Jorie Hunken Adventures with Freshwater Animals by Richard Headstrom How Nature Works by David Burnie Living Books: Wild Season by Allan W. Eckert (food webs) Summer World: A Season of Bounty by Bernd Heinrich Winter World by Bernd Heinrich (NOTE: Bernd Heinrich books are at a high school reading level) The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson (strong middle grade readers can handle this) Games: Into the Forest: Nature's Food Chain Game by Ampersand The Wild Seed Game by Ampersand (which is the press, not the author) Onto the Desert by Ampersand Yes ecology as in the bolded part. We have zoology covered. We are planning on bringing that in to our ecology studies (as in what animals, insects, birds live here- and learning about them with our Zoology books) When we go through ECC we would like to look at each specific ecological area in the country we are studying, and do an in depth study that way, kwim? Show them the ecological benefits that that particular area (whatever area it is we are studying at the time) I will have a 4th grader and an 8th grader so I am in need of both levels of books as you provided. Thank you so much for the recs, I am off to check them out!! :D Edited February 10, 2011 by wy_kid_wrangler04 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 One Small Square books are good for ecology studies. I've always liked the look of MODG's Natural History study. I believe Nan has done it.... Here are some ecology things I looked up for someone else a while back: http://www.the-simple-homeschool.com/ecology-online.html http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/ http://christian-book-store.christiansunite.com/062927/Ecology-Grades-4-8.shtml http://christian-book-store.christiansunite.com/20029/Ecology-Kit.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 It sounds like fun at your house! Not sure what's out there, but like the others mentioned, look for things on the unique biomes -- deserts, rainforests, forests, oceans (currents, etc)... You might also find enough if you really dig into what's there -- - POE and the related experiments (my ds really enjoyed the one where you weighed the different things in your garbage can for a week!) - Reading and doing extra notebooking on the other scheduled books, especially about animals that live in different biomes - The teacher manual has an experiment about every week, and you can make an experiment page about it (such as a volcano or an ocean current experiment) - Often the manual suggests growing a plant, such as a potato, related to the area you are studying, and you can keep a science notebook, recording its growth and how much you watered it, etc - Often a local food is suggested for part of the geography experience, and you can turn this into a mini experiment, by choosing several vegetables, for instance (hard vs. soft, green vs. orange), and doing a taste test/survey - I can't remember if this was in the manual or in the book basket ideas, but we grew a terrarium/rainforest and a desert scene (which we habitated the next year in CTG) - Many of the book basket ideas have extra experiments and activities and just general information to read more about trees and such, as well as learning to draw nature (including one or two of the One Small Square books mentioned) - A nature walk is suggested each week, and this can become a whole science program - The MFW Ideas board will have extra books and activities that other folks enjoyed, listed by week http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewforum.php?f=15 Have fun -- we did! Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 (edited) Here are some living books on biomes for your younger child (They say they are for grades 4-6, but they always overrate the reading level of science books (one science word seems to automatically lift the reading level of any book to 5th grade!): they'll probably be really easy for her to read but contain good info) All by Jean Craighead George: One Day in the Woods One Day in the Desert One Day in the Tropical Rainforest One Day in the Prairie One Day in the Alpine Tundra An Excellent Field Study Kit: Pond and Stream Safari: A Guide to the Ecology of Aquatic Invertebrates by Edelstein [i highly recommend this if you have access to a river, stream or pond. (available from www.acornnaturalists.com used ones on Amazon are overpriced.)] Here are some ecology-based field guides for your older child if you live in the Eastern half of the US or Canada: They detail the relationships between plants and animals in the ecosystem:who uses what for nesting material, who lays their eggs on what plant, etc.) The Book of Field and Roadside by John Eastman The Book of Forest and Thicket by John Eastman The Book of Swamp and Bog by John Eastman Edited February 10, 2011 by Kalmia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Thank you everybody :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 It sounds like fun at your house! We try to make it fun! I have learned that if we have fun while learning then they usually learn more :001_smile: Thats the goal right?! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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