Nature Study is mentioned quite often here on Shaping Hearts and Hands. Nature is a vitally important learning environment, especially for very young learners. Many families enjoy getting outdoors and seem to naturally pick up on things to explore and do. Some households are not outdoor-oriented and getting started in nature study may be harder. For those who need a bit of inspiration and practical direction in getting started, the Handbook of Nature Study blog is a perfect resource. This fabulous blog by a homeschool mom is one of the best nature study resources you will find on the web. Using Anna Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study (available free online) as a foundation, this blog will give you valuable ideas for a weekly outdoor hour as well as seasonal nature challenges and information on creating nature journals. There are lots of great freebies on the sidebar to get you going in the right direction. Now that we are about to experience a change in the seasons, this is a great time to incorporate nature study into your homeschool curriculum. Exploring the nooks and crannies of this valuable blog will take time, so grab a cup of tea and prepare to be inspired!
Category: Out and About
Counting Birds? Share with Us!
Are you participating in The Great Backyard Bird Count that starts tomorrow? We’d love to discover what AHE students have learned about birds! Students, share with us a student drawing, painting or photograph. Send in a paragraph that you have written or narrated to your parents about birds. Let us hear about the list of birds you identified during the bird count.
Parents, send your student’s contribution to editor.aheblog (at) gmail.com . We won’t publish names, just the first initial and the home state/province. International AHE parents: The Great Backyard Bird Count is a North American project, but don’t let that stop you from joining in! It would be wonderful to hear about birds from all over the world!
The Great Backyard Bird Count is Coming Soon!
For our US and Canadian homeschool families that may not be familiar with this event, this is a fun way to incorporate nature study into your program and make a contribution to science at the same time!
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event.
Click on the image to head over to the GBBC website where you can learn more about the count, download activity pages and tally sheets and learn more about birds in preparation for the count.
We will be posting more ideas in the coming days on how to get started birdwatching and turn this event into a fun bird unit study and family nature study activity
Motivation Monday
“These are lessons that our children need to learn. To the little child, not yet capable of learning from the printed page or of being introduced to the routine of the schoolroom, nature presents an unfailing source of instruction and delight. The heart not yet hardened by contact with evil is quick to recognize the Presence that pervades all created things. The ear as yet undulled by the world’s clamor is attentive to the Voice that speaks through nature’s utterances. And for those of older years, needing continually its silent reminders of the spiritual and eternal, nature’s teaching will be no less a source of pleasure and of instruction.”
Education, 100
Nature Study-themed Gift Ideas
Binoculars – It is not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars for a binoculars. A good quality pair can be had in the $20-$40 range. With a little practice, children will enjoy using binoculars to observe nature.
Magnifying Glass– There is nothing more fun than a sturdy magnifying glass! Even very young children will enjoy examining collected items using a magnifying glass.
Field Guides – Field guides will help make your nature study experiences much more informative and satisfying. If at all possible, try to purchase local field guides, specific to your area, for birds, insects and wildlife.
Butterfly Net – A good quality butterfly net is fun for catching insects. Be sure to find one with a sturdy handle and frame: the net will get vigorous use in younger hands.
Collection Jars – These can be fun to make. A sturdy plastic container, like a peanut butter jar makes a good collection jar. A bit of netting and a canning jar ring will provide air for any live creatures you may find.
Sketch Pad and Writing/Drawing Pencils– A sketch pad with a sturdy backing or attached to a clipboard will make creating nature sketches and notes much easier.
Watercolor materials– Most children love to experiment with watercolors. A pad of watercolor paper, a few nice brushes and some paints or watercolor pencils will provide lots of fun creating nature paintings.
December Brings…
Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.*
Here we are at the start of December! 2010 is nearly over! Here are some fun links for the month of December and to take you into the new year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a fun website focusing on the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. Here’s a fun challenge: use the CDC’s Fruit and Vegetable of the Month calendar to introduce a new fruit or vegetable to your family’s diet.
Looking for Physical Education ideas to add to your homeschool? Here’s the homeschooler page for the President’s Challenge fitness program.
Take a winter zoo trip. We tend to go to the zoo in warmer months, but winter can be a great time to visit your local zoo. Many zoos feature special winter programs that show how the animals handle winter weather.
This is snowflake making season in the US. How about some ideas for integrating math or language arts with an afternoon of paper cutting fun? Here’s an article with a few ideas to get you started. It’s also fun to make virtual snowflakes— no paper scraps to clean up!!
* The Garden Year, by Sara Coleridge
The Adventist Home Educator 