My son left me a gift....he knows how to cheer me up.
I have been busy doing some second term planning and this means a few hours a day sitting at the desk and computer. My boys have noticed that I start early and push myself to just get it done. They have been working on their favorite projects like waxing snowboards, playing basketball, working on model airplanes, taking long walks with the dog, and visiting with family.
I came out to work on chemistry planning and found this beautiful leaf sitting on the text, a gift from my seventeen year old son. Priceless....
I think nature study has made a special bond in our family and I love the way my teenage boys can see beauty in the simplest of things. I hope that in my way that I am helping your families to build that bond and love in nature study.
The challenge I am finding with my high school age boys is to keep our academics solid but balance that with some fresh ideas for "electives".
In our home, keeping our bodies fit has always been a priority. My sons all have a liver disorder that is an issue and their stamina is not always what it should be. One of the benefits of homeschooling chronically ill children is that we can go with the ebb and flow of their energy levels. When they were young that meant shorter lessons with time for rest when needed and now that they are growing in their teen years, we have returned to that sort of pattern again. It works well with homeschooled children and I am grateful every day for the ability to keep our activity levels even with their energy.
With that said, they are still normal teenage boys and they need to work on their physical strength and have some fun every week. I purchased the book Homeschool Family Fitness many years ago and we still use some of their ideas as part of the President's Physical Fitness Challenge goals. I test them at the beginning and end of every term as a way to track their progress.
Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, sit and reach, jump rope, and a mile run are all things they continually work on together. The mile run they complete once a week and everything else they do daily.
I also have other expectations as part of their physical education requirements. They pick from a list of "once a week" activities: weight lifting, volleyball, basketball, swimming, tennis, walking trail, or the skatepark. They have "once a month" activities as well: longer bike rides, snowboarding, longer hikes, and other sports as part of social events with our congregation.
The newest activity to be added to the list is one that our family has never tried before. My youngest son had heard about this sport and saw the course at a local park. He asked if we could give it a try and he loved it!
Disc golf is something that never occurred to me to try with the boys before for some reason. We made a stop at the local sporting goods store where a friend works and he helped us pick out a couple of discs to get started with. (I am told that we can not call it a Frisbee....I made that mistake once and I will never make it again.)
We drove over to the park and it was a glorious day, warm even. We had no idea what we were doing at first or where to even begin.
Note: If you click the photos you will go over the Flickr where you can see the photos with notes. The signs were all so confusing.
We just decided to jump in and go for it. My son, it turns out, is a whiz at disc golf. After a few wild throws, he really got the hang of it and was making par on each "hole".
The challenge is that the "hole" is really far away from the starting spot (click over to Flickr for notes).
The goal is really a pole with a wire basket that you throw the disc into.
For me this meant that I spent quite a bit of time scrambling around under bushes to find my crazy disc that never seemed to go where I wanted it to go. See my yellow disc there in the bushes?
At the end of the afternoon, we had scraped knees and dirty hands from climbing up and down hills and searching for lost discs. This was a much more physically demanding activity than I originally thought. The verdict from my son is that this is a new sport he wants to pursue.
In fact, on the way to the parking lot we ran into my nephew (who is a criminal defense attorney and I was wondering why he was at the park during the afternoon of a workday...hmmmmm) who was there to play a round of disc golf with his friends. He offered to help Mr. B and they have since been back to run through the course without me in tow. Providence....thanks Adam!
I decided it was not a sport for an old lady like me but I am really glad that my son suggested the activity as part of his physical education since it turns out he is a natural player.
When we started homeschooling we were pretty hit or miss with PE until I realized it needed to be on the schedule and it needed to have a shape and form or we would let it slip. Many homeschoolers feel they have to enroll their children in organized sports as a way to provide physical activity for their children but we chose not to take that road. I offer our experience as a way of showing that PE can be a regular part of your week and without much effort keep your children physically fit. My boys *need* this time and it encourages them to spend time with their dad and older adult brother too, a little male bonding time.
It is refreshing to have time to be active and to have some fun outdoors. Physical education is one way we keep our high school schedule fresh and interesting.
I often receive email asking me how to include nature study in the high school years. I really think it depends on the family and how much nature study you have time to fit in with your high school age children.
There are two ways to approach the study. 1. Start with nature study and supplement with a text. 2. Use a text and supplement with nature study.
If you decide on approach number one, take each area of focus in the Outdoor Hour Challenge and add in supplemental information from a textbook.
We used Apologia Exploring Creation with Biology.
OH Challenge: Garden Plants =Text Module 8 and 15 OH Challenge: Insects =Text Module 3 and 12 OH Challenge: Trees =Text Module 14 OH Challenge: Mammals =Text Module 10 and 16 OH Challenge: Flowerless Plants =Text Module 4 and 14 OH Challenge: Birds =Text Module 16 OH Challenge: Crop Plants =Text Module 8 and 15
For the second option, here is how I enhanced the Apologia biology text with nature study ideas...many of these ideas are on myBiology Squidoo Lens :
Module 1: Read biography of Carl Linnaeus Read Microbe Hunters, chapter 1 Leeuwenhoek
Module 2: Read Microbe Hunters, chapter 2 Spallanzani and chapter 3 Pasteur Start a pond study to complement the study of microscopic organisms-protozoa Use A Golden Guide to Pond Life Read biography of Louis Pasteur Field trip to a pond: Complete nature journal pages for things observed in real life.
Module 3: Continue pond study-algae Handbook of Nature Study section on insects of the brook and pond Examine pond water under the microscope. Complete nature journal pages on pond insects you observe.
Module 4: Nature study focus on mushrooms and other fungi Work with yeast Work with molds There are some ideas for study in the flowerless plants section of the Handbook of Nature Study. Take a nature walk to look for mushrooms and then complete nature journal pages for each one identified.
Modules 5-7: The Biology Coloring Book by Robert Griffin-color appropriate pages to help visualize the abstract concepts in these modules During these modules we used local field guides to identify various subjects from our nature walks each week.
Module 8: Growing pea plants to support Mendelian genetic study (just for fun). Read a biography of Gregor Mendel. Grow radishes as part of experiment 8.4 Worked on a garden plan for the following summer.
Module 9: Read a biography of Charles Darwin Handbook of Nature Study section on rocks and minerals Using a field guide we identified several local rocks and made nature journal entries for each one.
Module 10: Identify a local mammal and then draw where it fits in the food web. Learn about your local watershed and then diagram it or draw a map for your journal. Complete nature journal entries for mammals observed during this module.
Module 11: Dissection of an earthworm Nature study focus on Invertebrates-garden snails, earthworms Handbook of Nature Study section on invertebrate animals other than insects Complete nature journal entries for invertebrates observed during our Outdoor Hour time Complete a "one small square activity" and look for invertebrates or signs of invertebrates in your own garden or yard.
Module 12: Nature study focus on arachnida (spiders) and/or insects and/or lepidoptera Dissection of a crayfish Handbook of Nature Study section on insects Complete nature journal entries for insects observed during our Outdoor Hour time.
Module 13: Dissection of a perch and a frog Nature study focus on amphibians Handbook of Nature Study section on fishes Handbook of Nature Study section on amphibians Keep an aquarium and use the HNS suggestions for observations.
Module 14: Collect leaf samples and make a pressed leaf collection Nature study focus on flowerless plants Handbook of Nature Study section on flowerless plants
Module 15: Insectivorous plants-observe a Venus Flytrap or Sundew Nature study focus on garden flowers-parts of a flower Collect and press flowers Germinate seeds Handbook of Nature Study section on plants/garden flowers Start a seasonal tree study for a tree in your own yard
Module 16: Nature study focus on birds, reptiles, or mammals Handbook of Nature Study section on birds Handbook of Nature Study section on reptiles Handbook of Nature Study section on mammals Keep a pet and make observations based on suggestions in the Handbook of Nature Study. Hang a birdfeeder and keep a log of birds that visit. Go bird watching and make journal entries for each bird you identify.
You can see how you can take an idea and then expand on it using nature study. If you use the basic ideas I have illustrated with the biology topics, you can make a study of nature high school level. Keep everything relevant to your local area and it will be a joy to work on each week. Your family will learn so much together as part of the Outdoor Hour Challenges.
I just posted a rather long "Day in My Life" post over on my Harmony Art Mom blog if you are interested to see how we work in informal nature study during our day.
"Nature study does not start out with the classification given in books, but in the end it builds up in the child's mind a classification which is based on fundamental knowledge; it is a classification like that evolved by the first naturalists, because it is built on careful personal observations of both form and life. Handbook of Nature Study, page 6
Nature study is more about asking questions than it is about finding answers. I always enjoy a good question because it means that my children are taking something they see or hear and are internalizing it and then coming up with a good question. Many times just asking the question helps solidify what they already know.
For instance, if they see a little creeping creature and wonder what it is, they will need to look a little closer. On examining the creature, they see that it has six legs. Six legs equals an insect and not a spider.
So already before asking me what it is, they have decided it must be some sort of insect and we can then pull out the proper field guide to see if we can identify it by habitat, color, shape, and size.
If we never positively identify a particular insect, we still have taken some time to investigate it further both in the field with our eyes and afterwards in the house with the field guide. The important work was done. We could be finished there if we felt satisfied or we could dig further, checking on the internet or at the library if we were inspired to know more. This is our science reference shelf with our collection of field guides. Other than the Handbook of Nature Study, these are our best tools for research. The process of going through identifying a subject leads you through a series of questions...good questions. Some families are making the next step and trying to keep a record of their time in nature with a nature journal. Our family finds this activity very rewarding but we don’t always draw in our journals after every outdoor time. Honestly, when we do take the time to try to draw what we see during our nature time, we get a lot more out of it. There is something about the process of taking your experiences and putting them down on paper that creates a special bond between you and the subject whether it is a leaf, a spider, a flower, or anything else you choose to draw. We did end up identifying this caterpillar and we will not forget his name ever....isn't he great? Many times I find that if we take the time to go outside, explore the outdoors, find something that interests us, ask a question, come inside and research, and then make a nature journal…..we don't easily forget the information because we "own" it. Here is a collection of items from a picnic nature study that we had last summer....the process of collecting the items was more fun than spending time identifying them. We just enjoyed them and then left them there at the beach. Maybe next time we will have some questions ready to ask and the proper field guide on hand and we will get down to the business of knowing the particular rock and tree.
So don't be afraid of questions....questions are a great tool. You don't need to know all the answers to the questions that your children have about nature study. Consider it a good thing when you find something you need to research because you will learn right alongside your child.
Found this old photo of the boys in 1998 when we were out on a hike...way too cute.
Ramble, ramble, ramble....prepare yourself to hear my honest words....straight from my heart.
It is the start of a new school year and so many homeschooling moms have now decided to add nature study as part of their plans. Wahoo! That makes my heart happy. See me smiling? :)
One thing I want to caution against. In our zealousness to offer a valuable study to our children, we may get caught up in the details. What kind of notebook? What sorts of pencils? What particular field guide? How can I teach my child to draw in his notebook? Although these are all great questions, don't get sidetracked from your goal of actually completing nature study.
If you are just starting out, please make your goal to enjoy the time outside with your children. If after you have the time outdoors exploring and discussing and taking in the air and your child feels inclined to draw in a nature journal, great. If you took the time to go outside and explore and discuss and take the air and that is all you ever do....you are still successful.
It is great to have an overall plan for getting outside and observing and learning with your children but try to leave some room for spontaneous experiences during your daily life as well. The best nature studies happen when the subjects come to you. If you are not open to the experiences because it is not your official nature study time, you will miss a perfect learning opportunity.
Don't squeeze the life out of your nature study by structuring it too much.
Remember to learn about nature from real life. Which do you learn more from? Looking at pictures of clouds in a book or from the real clouds in the sky over your own home? Books are a great resource but get your children outside and looking for themselves at what is in their own yard or neighborhood. In the Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Comstock encourages us to look for nature close to home, right outside our own back doors. We don't have to travel far to find something of interest. Every child should know about the trees, wildflowers, birds, insects, mammals, and rocks in his own backyard. Start simply and stay close to home and your nature study will take on new meaning.
The ordinary things that we see every day as we step out our own door take on greater value when we know a little bit more about them.
Help your family get started by going outside with them. I think it is an unreasonable expectation to send your children outdoors by themselves to do nature study alone. A healthy respect for nature is something that is learned and becomes a habit over time. If you are just starting out with nature study, your example is vital in setting the pattern for them. Get on your knees and look under a rock carefully. Show them how to look closely at a flower's parts by doing it yourself. Model how to be quiet and listen to the sounds of your world because they may not know what a crow sounds like or what that buzzing is in the bush without you being there to tell them. Sit quietly on the grass or on the steps of your house and watch what is going on in your own yard. Be curious about the ants on the sidewalk and the weeds in the grass. Here is an entry I wrote awhile back that I keep thinking about. It is such a simple idea to get your family started with nature study. If the Outdoor Hour Challenges are not on your plan this year for school, why not try this simple idea? It may just spark some interest in your family. Nature Study the Gentle Way
