ritamarj Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Well.. We haven't been very successful in doing the Nature Study ..I feel bad that we are not doing it every week , but do we have to ? How do you incorporate it into your curriculum/ schedule ? Some success stories will be very helpful 😜 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I am teaching a class that is based on this at co-op. It also incorporates field biology. Let me know if you want to know more. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Cintinative, I would love to hear more. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 It's not our complete science curriculum, but it's a central part of it and will remain so throughout the elementary and middle school years. I just posted about Nature Study today on my blog. We like the Delta Science in a Nutshell Kits. We read a ton of nature stories. We watch documentaries, and take advantage of whatever local opportunities arise. I keep a collection of Van Cleave books and a large tote of materials to use for experiments. My dc (oldest especially) likes to "dabble" in his own time with science demonstrations and experiments, and that is something I encourage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I'll give you a run down of topics and such. We started in September with Insects and the kids did an insect collection, 25-35 insects depending on their age (my class is 4th-8th grades). A younger student could do less or could take help. The hard part is the dexterity required to do the pinning. So as part of the insects we covered the difference between insects and arachnids, and the different insect orders. We spent about three weeks on insects. Then we started into wild edibles. We spent about two weeks covering wild edible nuts and berries, wild edible plants, means of preparation, etc. and then the students brought a wild edible in to share. We went to a local park and the naturalist there talked to us about wild edible plants. We made a dye from pokeberries and dyed yarn in pumpkins. A couple weeks later when the yarn was ready we fingerknit some snakes with it. We had a fall creek walk looking for herps We made a book of fall leaves by preserving them, and then identified them. We studied owls and dissected owl pellets We studied overwintering birds and migrating birds. We studied local mammals, and learned about animal tracks and scat. We studied common birds of the state, bird songs, and learned how to identify birds using bird silhouettes. We learned about how to use keys and online resources to identify bird nests and bird feathers. We learned the difference between different birds of prey like the hawk and the turkey vulture. We learned about amphibians and reptiles common in our state, how to find them, etc. and went on a field trip to see a nighttime salamander migration. We learned about the parts of a flower and dissected flowers in class. We learned about macroinvertebrates and the food chain present in the pond. We used dichotomous keys to identify macroinvertebrates. Haven't gotten to these but they are coming up: trees and tree identification, wildflowers The main assignments for the year were: the insect collection, the wild edible, and a presentation in January that covered any topic we had covered in class or anything in the natural world they were interested in. Other homework was selected bird and mammal observation questions taken from the Handbook of Nature Study. I assigned questions regarding geese, chipmunks, squirrels, chickadeees, chipping sparrow and song sparrow, and robins at various points in the year. They also had to collect leaves for their leaf collection book and preserve them at home. Over Christmas break I assigned a winter hike and sent home plaster so they could make a cast of an animal track it they wanted. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I think it's important that kids have time in nature regularly... I'm a little less sold on "nature study" as a formal thing. The year we really did it semi-regularly we did it alongside biology at home and I thought it was enriching. Otherwise I'm cool with just walking in the woods like we did last week. The kids played with the rocks by the creek - we identified a few as we skipped them. We appreciated the budding green. We kicked some stuff that was rotting. We spotted a lone wood duck. But there was no agenda. It was just a walk in the woods without an effort to turn it into a lesson. Sometimes having a prepared lesson is good... but for us, it's really just that we need to get out there and run around, so no lesson, just appreciation. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I think it's important that kids have time in nature regularly... I'm a little less sold on "nature study" as a formal thing. The year we really did it semi-regularly we did it alongside biology at home and I thought it was enriching. Otherwise I'm cool with just walking in the woods like we did last week. The kids played with the rocks by the creek - we identified a few as we skipped them. We appreciated the budding green. We kicked some stuff that was rotting. We spotted a lone wood duck. But there was no agenda. It was just a walk in the woods without an effort to turn it into a lesson. Sometimes having a prepared lesson is good... but for us, it's really just that we need to get out there and run around, so no lesson, just appreciation. I agree with this, but found a lot of the parents of kids in my class did not know where to start. Mixing the nature study with the biology will give them a great jumping off point for years to come as they strike out on their own. =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I think it's important that kids have time in nature regularly... I'm a little less sold on "nature study" as a formal thing. The year we really did it semi-regularly we did it alongside biology at home and I thought it was enriching. Otherwise I'm cool with just walking in the woods like we did last week. The kids played with the rocks by the creek - we identified a few as we skipped them. We appreciated the budding green. We kicked some stuff that was rotting. We spotted a lone wood duck. But there was no agenda. It was just a walk in the woods without an effort to turn it into a lesson. Sometimes having a prepared lesson is good... but for us, it's really just that we need to get out there and run around, so no lesson, just appreciation. This is essentially how I approach our nature study, add a journal to encourage the kids to take things further, and add some self-education for mom so I can answer questions. (I do not have a great background in nature study.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSinNS Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 To be honest, we spend the warm months wandering around, looking at cool stuff, and sometimes reading about it. And we have friends who know lots about birds. It's worked great, and the kids actually know a surprising amount of science, with very little effort. It's practically stealth education :-}. I'm planning to start some "formal" science with my oldest next year, but I think for younger to mid-elementary, there's nothing more productive than learning about the world by being there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLMom Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 We try to do nature study 1x week so we do 4 days of our regular science curriculum and then 1 day of nature study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Neither. Certainly not a "curriculum". And it is certainly not an "extra" either as I see it as being central. Time is spent in nature every day. We are lucky that is possible where we live easily, but even when I lived in cities there was a lot of nature still available right there... bugs, rodents, birds, and so on. We have orchard bees that my ds watches and studies. We have wildlife to study. We got a bat house to try to help the bats that are in trouble. We have an organic garden where the whole cycle of life and interplay of plant, animal, mineral, can be seen. Something like that could be done even as a small planter if one had at least a patio available. I just have to remind myself that time my ds spends out in nature is important and not to call him in prematurely for some book science or other thing that IMO is actually less important. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5wolfcubs Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 We aren't doing much formal sudy, even though I have lots of ideas! We studied birds a bit (and I made a printable set to share), and now I want to learn about soil...but then I think about the lunar eclipse, and all the flowers that are starting to bloom that I don't know...there is SO much I want to know! And that I want my kids to understand and appreciate! But right now, just getting outside every single day is what we're doing. I've made time outside with my kids my ONE Thing (anyone read this book?) for this season in our life. Thanks for all the info you posted, cintinative! I wish my kids could take your class! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 What's a good comprehensive resource for moms to be able to answer basic questions as they come up, something more than just identification and includes other relevant science (such as photosynthesis, mating habits, etc)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study is a good book to have handy. Documentaries are awesome for teaching about mating/instincts/etc... I have Amazon Prime and we use that extensively. Google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I'd done it both ways. As an enrichment: we are intentional about going on a hike every week, and I sketch nature items and scenes of interest once or twice a week and encourage the kids to do the same, but I don't stress out about it if they choose not to. As a summer science unit two years ago we did bug identification and record keeping as our science (granted age 5 with a 3yo tagalong). As a nature/Botony unit right now we are doing more nature study than usual but also planting and keeping several plants with drawings of various stages, reading up on things like photosynthesis, doing experiments, dissecting seeds and pine cones ect, drawing and labeling different plants, ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ritamarj Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 Thank you for a great/inspirational ideas !!! I think I just needed to remember that it doesn't have to be something formal ! We live in a country, have goats,chickens, a dog. We plant a garden in the spring,take zoo classes,spend time outside.... It's ok ( at least for right now ), lol😊😜 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Thank you for a great/inspirational ideas !!! I think I just needed to remember that it doesn't have to be something formal ! We live in a country, have goats,chickens, a dog. We plant a garden in the spring,take zoo classes,spend time outside.... It's ok ( at least for right now ), lol😊😜 I believe you can get Comstock's book online for free (try archive.org or google books). She has some sections on at least chickens and dogs. I am not sure about goats, but that might be in there also. I find some of the questions she has in there for the students to be helpful. Also I love her emphasis on keeping a journal and doing drawings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Thank you for a great/inspirational ideas !!! I think I just needed to remember that it doesn't have to be something formal ! We live in a country, have goats,chickens, a dog. We plant a garden in the spring,take zoo classes,spend time outside.... It's ok ( at least for right now ), lol😊😜 Yes, it's not meant to be formal. If your dc are hands-on help with the goats and chickens and garden, they've had a good start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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