Here is an excellent resource if you are studying Adventist history with your children. Click the image above to find the coloring pages. These coloring pages would make great illustrations for student-written biographies, timelines or notebooking pages. Source: Adventist Heritage Ministry
A creative way to personalize any math program. Click the image to visit Homeschool Swag Printables and download this free math journal set.
The ways to incorporate nature study into your homeschool program are as vast and varied as nature itself. There is no single
right way to “do” nature study. My family attempted to keep nature journals, but found that they did not hold our interest as well as creating bug or rock collections, gardening and raising animals. Consider the learning styles of your children when exploring nature study activities or projects. You can be as simple or detailed as you’d like. It may take a few tries before you find your nature study niche.
Today we share a collection of inspired quotes that remind us of the spiritual blessings to be gained from nature study. Be sure to explore the links at the end for easy-to-implement ideas.
An Unfailing Source of Instruction—Next to the Bible, nature is to be our great lesson book. Testimonies For The Church 6:185.
Growth in Grace—Tell your children about the miracle-working power of God. As they study the great lesson book of nature, God will impress their minds. The farmer plows his land and sows his seed, but he cannot make the seed grow. He must depend on God to do that which no human power can do. The Lord puts His vital power into the seed, causing it to spring forth into life. Under His care the germ of life breaks through the hard crust encasing it, and springs up to bear fruit. First appears the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. As the children are told of the work that God does for the seed, they learn the secret of growth in grace.
Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 124, 125.
Nature Illustrates Bible Lessons—Many illustrations from nature are used by the Bible writers; and as we observe the things of the natural world, we shall be enabled, under the guiding of the Holy Spirit, more fully to understand the lessons of God’s Word.
Education, 120.
Nature and the Bible Were Jesus’ Textbooks—
His [Jesus’] education was gained from Heaven-appointed sources, from useful work, from the study of the Scriptures, from nature, and from the experiences of life—God’s lesson books, full of instruction to all who bring to them the willing hand, the seeing eye, and the understanding heart.
The Ministry of Healing, 400.
His intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures shows how diligently His early years were given to the study of God’s Word. And spread out before Him was the great library of God’s created works. He who had made all things studied the lessons which His own hand had written in earth and sea and sky. Apart from the unholy ways of the world, He gathered stores of scientific knowledge from nature. He studied the life of plants and animals, and the life of man. From His earliest years He was possessed of one purpose; He lived to bless others. For this He found resources in nature; new ideas of ways and means flashed into His mind as He studied plant life and animal life….
Thus to Jesus the significance of the Word and the works of God was unfolded, as He was trying to understand the reason of things. Heavenly beings were His attendants, and the culture of holy thoughts and communings was His. From the first dawning of intelligence He was constantly growing in spiritual grace and knowledge of truth.
Every child may gain knowledge as Jesus did. As we try to become acquainted with our heavenly Father through His Word, angels will draw near, our minds will be strengthened, our characters will be elevated and refined.
The Desire of Ages, 70.
Bible verses to add to a winter or spring nature journal – Look under “Winter Journal” and “Spring Journal”
My Bible First : Nature Corner – Nature object lessons with a Bible verse. Great for copywork! **SDA resource
Child’s Nature Journal example with Bible verse
Clouds in the Heavens– Nature unit study based on Psalms 19:1. Free nine-page printable.
Nature Provides Object Lessons – A simple activity that lays the foundation of a wonderful Bible/nature study. **SDA resource.
Nature Study is exactly what its name implies: a study of nature. At the same time, it is much more than simply watching grass grow. In terms of True Education, It is making a conscious choice to spend time in nature, discovering and gaining a deeper understanding of the wonders of creation and our Creator.
Busy modern life does not make much room for time in nature. Time exploring out-of-doors has been crowded out of our busy schedules. It is amazing to think that many children (and adults!) have no real understanding of the natural world around them. They may know the basics of how plants grow or that leaves change color in the fall from science textbooks, but they do not have an intimate personal knowledge of these processes. Hands-on nature time is more of a novelty than the norm. Sadly, there are many who have no idea what they are missing from not spending time in nature.
Nature study is much more than simply science. It is mathematical expression, a record of history, and inspiration for literature, music and fine art. Nature study is an opportunity to sharpen the powers of observation, to enrich and broaden our homeschool studies and most importantly for us as Seventh-day Adventist families – to draw our hearts closer to our Creator.
This week is Nature Study Week on the AHE blog. Please join us each weekday for ideas, inspiration and resources that will help make nature study a valuable part of your homeschool program. Tomorrow: The Spiritual Importance of Nature Study
The study of hymns is an interesting way to add music to your home school curriculum. Hymn study can be made simple or detailed – tailored to fit your family. Getting started with a hymn study is very simple.
* Choose the number of hymns that you would like to study for the year. Some families choose just one for the month, others like to focus on two or three at one time. Perhaps you want to focus on the hymns of one particular author or follow a particular theme. You could select the hymns sung by church pioneers or choose to learn new hymns to add to your family’s worship repertoire.
* The elements of your hymn study do not always have to be the same. There are so many elements to study:
Author of the hymn
Composer of the music
History of the tune if is a traditional tune
Scriptural reference that goes with the tune
Date and circumstances behind the hymn
The hymn as poetry
Memorize the hymn
Learn to play the hymn on whatever instrument you choose
Object lessons that the hymn may teach
Using the lyrics for handwriting practice/copy work
Listening to both instrumental and vocal versions of the hymn
* Gather resources. In addition to the church hymnals that are available through the Adventist Book Center, there are lots of other resources that are helpful to preparing a hymn study.
Adventist Book Center – Don’t forget there is a companion book to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal that gives background information for each hymn. There is also Early Advent Singing, which includes a history and story about each hymn from early Adventist history.
The SDA Digital Hymnal website is a collection of midi files and other resources based on the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal.
TheCyber Hymnal website contains over 8,000 hymns. It is an excellent hymn study resource with lots of author and composer biographies.
Hymns for Kid’s Heart features free sheet music as well as free mp3 files for a nice selection of hymns. You can also purchase the full-featured book that includes author biographies and a devotional for each hymn.
The best free hymn study resource that I’ve found on the web is the Squidoo lens by blogger and homeschooling mom, Jimmie. She shares some great free hymn study note booking pages that she created, as well as a web page full of good ideas.
Here is a printable/downloadable .pdf version of this post to add to your notes: Hymn Study pdf
“Let every youth and every child be taught, not merely to solve imaginary problems, but to keep an accurate account of his own income and outgoes. Let him learn the right use of money by using it. Whether supplied by their parents or by their own earnings, let boys and girls learn to select and purchase their own clothing, their books, and other necessities; and by keeping an account of their expenses, they will learn, as they could learn in no other way, the value and the use of money.”
Counsels on Stewardship, 294.
The Adventist Home Educator 