This is our last challenge in the Spring Series for 2010. What a wonderful season of nature study we have all enjoyed together!I encourage the participants of the Spring Series to reflect on what their family has accomplished and where their love of the outdoors has grown. Perhaps you have a better appreciation for the nature study subjects right in your own backyard. Here are a few of my reflections on our family's studies this spring:
- We learned three new bird songs and now we are keeping it going informally each time we are aware of a new bird. It has made us hypersensitive to hearing more birds as we go about our daily life.
- We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the blooms on our tulip tree (our subject of the year-long tree study).
- We were armed with some knowledge when we stumbled across a snake on a hike and a snake in the road. It felt good to be able to distinguish the snakes we saw from a dangerous rattlesnake.
- Our spring weather has given us lots to keep track of as far as cloud types. The boys now quiz each other as we go about our daily activities.
- Dandelions are everywhere.
The first of the Summer Nature Study: Using Your Senses Challenges will be posted on June 18th. If you have not had a chance to read about the new ebook or view the samples, here is the link:
I know that there are many summer nature study opportunities stretching out ahead of us all. I look forward to sharing in all your adventures by reading about them on your blogs or in your emails. You all encourage me by sharing your family's experiences and showing me new ways to be a better teacher and guide. Thanks for all your support.
(Photo from 2007 entry on aphids.)
Outdoor Hour Challenge
Spring Series #10 Insect Study-Ants
Inside Preparation Work:
Read pages 294-300 in the Handbook of Nature Study to learn more about insects in general. You might like to introduce your child to the development and structure of insects using the information from the Handbook of Nature Study.
Read pages 369-373 in the Handbook of Nature Study for information about the ant. Make some notes after reading Lesson 91 on the Field Observations of Ants so you will have some ideas for observation when you take your children outdoors. This might be a fun challenge to use a magnifying lens!
*Note if you are using the free download of the HNS, The Ways of the Ant are on page 419 and in the Homeschool Freebie version of the HNS, the ant is in the Insects PDF on page 114.
We have used educational ant farms over the years in our home and they are a fascinating way to study ants up close. I highly suggest this as a family activity. Here is a link to the ant farm we have used in the past: Uncle Milton’s Giant Ant Farm.
Outdoor Hour Time:
For this challenge you can spend some of your outdoor time looking for ants. Ask your children if they have noticed ants in your backyard and have them investigate to find some ants to observe. Look under rocks, logs, along sidewalks, under leaves, on the bark of trees, and on garden plants. Use the suggestions you listed in your inside preparation time to learn some more about your ants.
Some Ideas For a Simple Ant Study
- Quietly observe ants at work. Count how many ants you can see.
- Can you follow the ant’s path? Can you find the ant’s nest?
- Look carefully to see if all the ants are the same size.
- Do you see ants working together to carry something?
- Do you see any aphids with your ants?
- Do you see any ants fighting?
- Do you see any eggs?
Talk about the ants you were able to observe during your outdoor time. As always, allow time for a nature journal entry. If you are keeping a simple nature journal of your own, remember that a journal entry can be as easy as a sketch, label, and a date. You can also use the notebook page from the Spring Series Ebook or a blank nature journal page from the sidebar of my blog.
You may be interested in viewing this YouTube video from PBS and NOVA, Lord of the Ants. It is rather long but you can choose to watch just a portion of it if you want to with your children.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKbj3ZDmvdU&feature=channel
Please make sure to come back and post your link on Mr. Linky after completing this challenge and writing your blog entry. I always love to come by and see what you are up to!
If you would like all the Spring Series Challenges in one place, I have an ebook gathered for you to purchase for your convenience. The ebook also contains art and music appreciation plans for the spring months as well as custom notebooking pages for each of the challenges. Please see this entry for more details:
Spring Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
