TheAttachedMama Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 Howdy! I am thinking of starting up a "Summer Bug Club" with a group of homeschoolers. Most of the kids would be in 4th-7th grade, but they would have their younger siblings tagging along. I am looking for a program or book that we could use as a spine. (I know next to NOTHING about insects, but I am eager to learn along with my kids.) My idea would be that we would all read about a particular concept at home, and then meet together to explore that concept in nature. My 6th-grade son is VERY much into wildlife, bugs, and nature. He has dreams of becoming a wildlife biologist someday, so I feel like I better step up my nature study game. I am hoping that meeting with a group will help keep me more accountable with facilitating nature study. :) The two programs I am looking at are Jack's Insects (with nature journal from SCM) or MP's Insect study. Can anyone compare those or offer another alternative? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 I have no input on your question but I want to say that this idea sounds like fun! Please update on what you choose and how everything turns out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macmacmoo Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 Good and beautiful has an Anthropod unit. http://www.jennyphillips.com/science/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arliemaria Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Not a spine, but get The City Under the Back Steps. We listened to this a few years ago and the kids still talk about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 We used mp insects this year and my son learned a ton. He knows way more about insects than most adults. It is set up nicely to have a do-at-home section and an explore-together section. Each chapter has reading and questions. That would be the part they do at home. Then there is a section of sketching and activities. That is the part you would do together. The workbook directs them to sketch and label a particular insect. Then they practice their recitation and do one other activity. Sometimes it has them go over flashcards of insects and determine which order each insect belongs in. The drawing and labeling would be great with a real live specimen instead of from a picture. You could have a short show and classify at the beginning of each class. Every kid could bring an insect and as a group they could classify them. I can’t compare to Jack’s because I haven’t used it. It may very well be even better, idk. A short response about not doing enough nature study with a science fanatic kiddo: I kept failing in this regard. We have very short daylight hours during winter, the cold is intense, and the younger siblings (especially when I had a potty-training toddler) just can’t trudge through snow or refrain from melting down if I spend too long focusing on the older child’s interest. OTOH, when the weather is nice the kids want to direct the outdoor activity. Going to do nature study gets trumped by outdoor child-led play. Enter MP science. We started with astronomy and despite its boring facade, my son ate it up, learned and RETAINED a ton, and was able to apply it on those rare evenings when we could see the stars through all the smog and light pollution. Then we had a similarly wonderful experience with insects. I give it two thumbs up and no longer feel guilty in the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 BSA has an insect merit badge study that might be a good resource. https://meritbadge.org/wiki/images/9/95/Insect_Study.pdf https://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Insect_Study For identification/life cycle resource I would recommend Audobon's Insect and Spider field guide. Field guide Your ds might enjoyThe Bug Scientists and Fabre' Book of Insects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 I’m really enjoying Memoria Press Insects, about 7 units in. It’s gentle enough for my 5 year old but deep enough for my 10 year old. I’m not familiar with the other programs so I’m not able to compare. You can make it very challenging or use just as a read aloud. There is usually a 2-4 page reading. It may be factual or in story form. The workbook has facts for each unit, questions, about the reading, and sometimes a drawing exercise. Every so many units is a review and a test. You could definitely take the lessons deeper if you wanted to find additional readings, videos, or observations outside. I have been having my 5 year old answer the questions orally, my 8 and 10 year old write the answers. I have only had my 10 year old do the test. He has never done any test of any sort before so it has been a good exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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