Nature study has been one of the most rewarding subjects in our homeschool through the years. It reaches deeply into every single realm of science. It gets us outdoors for fresh air, sunshine and exercise. It creatively includes other subjects like language arts, math, geography, and even history. But most importantly, God has revealed so much about Himself to us through the study of nature.
Nature study works easily with all homeschooling styles. It makes a huge difference with children who need to be active. It can meet all kinds of learning styles, and offers those with learning disabilities a fresh perspective on learning to give them success. Best of all, nature study works really, really well when teaching multiple ages. I know you’ll enjoy some amazing learning using the lessons you’ll find below. Have fun!
Science and history have always been “together” studies. In the past, we’ve almost always used unit studies for these subjects since they can so easily be manipulated to fit the needs of each particular child. In other words, we can learn the exact same things together, but each child can complete projects, writings and/or tests…
The verdict is in…we are LOVING Apologia’s Physical Science!! I’m *not* normally a textbook sort of gal, but this series (as well as Ancient Civilizations and the Bible) is converting me! Why do I like it so much? The info is in depth, but the lessons really go rather quickly. All the lessons bring our wonderful…
From woodland walks and nature trails to apple orchards and goat shows, nature study opportunities are all around you this time of year! On a recent visit to McConnell Springs, we were able to see and study all sorts… turtles giant webs signs of birds springs great subjects for journalling even things for three-year-old boys…
We took a MUCH needed and long awaited vacation to Virginia last week – and it was SO much fun! We soaked up a lot in seven days, so I’m going to post a short series of highlights over the next few posts. First stop – Virginia Beach! This was the first trip to the…
Summer is the perfect time for nature study trips that might be difficult to fit into the regular school schedule. Things like all day hikes at a nature preserve, days spent exploring the beach, and observing the middle of the pond from the view of a paddle boat. Paddle boating at Jacobson Park in Lexington…
Look what I found in a small tree IN MY YARD yesterday!! (Sorry the closer pictures are a little blurry. You can imagine that I was standing at a distance using the zoom!) They were only there for a couple of hours and then gone without leaving a trace. I had no idea what was…
Below are some pictures of our farm during the recent flooding of Central KY (and other places.) I know it’s hard to tell that the land is flooded if you aren’t familiar with what it looks like typically. Rest assured – this was a FLOOD! We estimate about 45 acres (three bottom land fields) were…
We’ve been on the hunt for signs of erosion this month during our nature walks – and what a treasure we found! KY is known to have several cave systems because of the large amount of limestone rock that makes up the foundation. We also live near a large creek, have found many springs on…
Below you’ll find the list of January nature study resources that have been in my sidebar. We were blessed with several days of snow, ice and/or frost this month! We’ll probably be blessed with several more snowy/icy days as winter rolls on, but our February studies will take a turn as we focus on the…
We’re having so much fun studying snow, ice and frost this season! On a recent nature walk, we were looking specifically for animal tracks. We weren’t disappointed! Each of the pictures below shows prints or trails made by different animals. Unfortunately, I’m not an expert tracker yet, so I can’t identify all of them. I’ve…
Last week’s nature study compared a new pond structure to the older ponds we have been studying. The kiddos observed the differences in plant life, animal life, general activity and sounds. We also compared how the new pond was man-made, while the others we have observed were natural depressions in the land. You can see…
We’ve had a wonderful month of nature study! I don’t know whether the fruits and nuts were abundant enough to make our nature studies such a success or the weather was so picture perfect that anything would’ve been a success. Either way, we had fun! We’re off to study ponds in October! Here are the…