Jayne J Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I am striving to combine CM and WTM into a workable method for us. For those who have done this, I wonder if you would share your ideas about combining the 4 year model of science under WTM (Biology, then Earth Science, then Chemistry, then Physics in that order from grades 1-4, then repeat) with the CM concept of the nature journal as science. During grade 1, when you study biology, it would fit perfectly, But during the following three years, do you just keep nature journals seperate? Do you continue to pursue biology each year, along with other areas? Oh and please understand that if you answer, you will likely be asked a bunch more questions! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kls126s Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 A disclaimer first - we're just at the beginning of this journey too, and these are just my thoughts now, not anything based on lots of experience... ;) For us science notebooks and nature journals are two separate things. We do science notebooks a la WTM and I plan to follow the recommended rotation. We school M-Th, and then on Fri we do extras. One of those is nature study. We do the Outdoor Hour Challenges and are dabbling in nature journals as part of that. I think as my kiddos get older we'll be more systematic about journaling. Right now it's mostly about getting out there and looking and talking and soaking it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristiana Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 We do science notebooks a la WTM and I plan to follow the recommended rotation. We school M-Th, and then on Fri we do extras. One of those is nature study. We do the Outdoor Hour Challenges and are dabbling in nature journals as part of that. I think as my kiddos get older we'll be more systematic about journaling. Right now it's mostly about getting out there and looking and talking and soaking it in. This pretty much describes us as well. I really like the science rotation in TWTM, and plan to do earth science/astronomy next year, but we've been doing the Outdoor Hour challenges as well and it's been wonderful to get outside more and to have a purpose out there beyond digging in the dirt.;) Sometimes we do some nature journalling, other times we just do the challenge and get out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 My kids are older so we do "Science" (they go to a class run by a Science teacher, which covers physics and chemistry, and my older also works her way slowly through Singapore Biology Matters) and now we do Nature Study as well. We read books for nature study- I assign books to them from AO- and we do a nature walk each week, and a sketch each week. If I was starting from the beginning again, I would only do nature study, and use it to cover all the sciences to some degree, but mainly biology and the habit of attention and focus and the love of nature. I wouldn't bother to cover physics and chemistry formally until the kids were around 10 or so, even 12, unless they showed an interest. I honestly don't think they remembered much from the work I did do with them around that age and I wish I had instead spent the time out in nature with them developing the curiosity and interest and knowledge of their immediate environment, and also things like the Magic School Bus and nature documentaries. Its more than enough, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaMere Academy Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 A disclaimer first - we're just at the beginning of this journey too, and these are just my thoughts now, not anything based on lots of experience... ;) For us science notebooks and nature journals are two separate things. We do science notebooks a la WTM and I plan to follow the recommended rotation. We school M-Th, and then on Fri we do extras. One of those is nature study. We do the Outdoor Hour Challenges and are dabbling in nature journals as part of that. I think as my kiddos get older we'll be more systematic about journaling. Right now it's mostly about getting out there and looking and talking and soaking it in. We do the Outdoor Hour Challenges too, they are wonderful for inspiring nature study. We also do a lot of read alouds. I think we're more CM than classical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlashine Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 My plan for next year is to do nature study combined with Drawing with Children ala harmonyartmom-plans are here- http://harmonyartmom.blogspot.com/2007/11/drawing-with-children-nature-journal.html I plan to work on this every week in addition to WTM suggestions for Earth/space science. I will call it Art. That way, if we don't get to art specific curriculum-Artistic Pursuits-every week, I still have drawings every week that can count as art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 Thank you all for your replies. It looks as though my first instinct was what most people do--keep nature study as a seperate subject. I will probably do that, cutting down on other science time alittle. I tend to agree with Peela when she says: I honestly don't think they remembered much from the work I did do with them around that age and I wish I had instead spent the time out in nature with them developing the curiosity and interest and knowledge of their immediate environment, and also things like the Magic School Bus and nature documentaries. Its more than enough, IMO. I love the WTM rotation, but think it may be a bit heavy. Now, you were warned, so now that I have discovered all you CM + WTMers, I have another question...;) How about literature? I like all the wonderful literature the CM method, but it is all jumbled up in terms of time (historical period) Any CM curriculum I've seen (Ambleside, Tanglewood) pay no attention to associating history and literature. How do you feel about that? And as a secondary question, WTM is not very inerested in the "living books" approach I so love about CM. Anyone found any really great resources for living books that focus on "hard sciences" like chemistry and physics? Is that even possible?:D Are you regretting anwering my first question yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 How about literature? I like all the wonderful literature the CM method, but it is all jumbled up in terms of time (historical period) Any CM curriculum I've seen (Ambleside, Tanglewood) pay no attention to associating history and literature. How do you feel about that? And as a secondary question, WTM is not very inerested in the "living books" approach I so love about CM. Anyone found any really great resources for living books that focus on "hard sciences" like chemistry and physics? Is that even possible?:D I wouldn't say AO or Tanglewood pay no attention to associating history and literature. I am using AO/HEO and although some of the literature doesn't line up historically, it does in other ways- for example, we study Watership Down in Year 7, which doesn't correspond with the Medieval Theme, but it does correspond with other underlying and significant themes of the year which are connected to the morality of leadership, government etc. And, I would say the other literature- Chaucer, Once and Future King- are pretty medieval :001_smile:. The kids are meant to have a timeline/Book of Centuries to help keep it together and make the chronological connections- CM has said she feels kids are quite capable of making those connections themselves. So, check them out again before you write them off as not being connected. AO encourages the use of all the Apologia books as the closest thing to living books. I dont use them though...my kids are older so they have a teacher and use textbooks. But they are also reading the living Science books that AO recommends. I don't know what they are like yet, but if you check out AO, they do have living Science books which cover physics at least, and I think chemistry too. They are older books of course. I can recommend the Tiner books myself, such as the World of Chemistry,World of Medicine, for ages around 12, as very interesting Living Books, that are modern. For your kids ages? Not sure. But then, I wouldn't bother at their ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 Thank you Peela. My kids are very young--5 and 3. I haven't really looked that far ahead I guess, in the Ambleside curr. I did check the Tanglewood and couldn't make the connection between their literature suggestions and the history (there are associated reading selections for history, but the literature is set up seperately, and doesn't seem interconnected.) I am going back to Ambleside to take a closer look at the Lit. rotation for the older grades! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kls126s Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 One other place you might check for living books that are related to science is the Simply Charlotte Mason bookfinder. If you haven't explored that site yet, it's a great source of useful information, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna A. Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 You might also try http://www.oldfashionededucation.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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