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iPad icon with green trim and a snail in the middle. Used as the cover for a nature curriculum about math and patterns in nature.
Page from the Math in Nature curriculum.
Page from the Math in Nature curriculum.
Page from the Math in Nature curriculum.
Page from the Math in Nature curriculum.
Page from the Math in Nature curriculum.
Page from the Math in Nature curriculum.
Page from the Math in Nature curriculum.
Page from the Math in Nature curriculum.
Page from the Math in Nature curriculum.

Math in Nature

$20.00

This not-to-miss nature curriculum makes fantastic connections that inspire children to look for math everywhere. Discover the wonders of math in nature with this engaging curriculum guide for 1st-8th graders. Through eight captivating lessons, explore geometric shapes, intricate patterns, and mathematical concepts inspired by nature. Perfect for sparking curiosity and making math meaningful through real-life connections and cross-curricular exploration.

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Math in Nature: Shapes and Patterns

Would you love to inspire kids to get excited about math? This curriculum guide can help you do just that for 1st-8th graders as they discover math in nature!

Engaging Lessons on Nature’s Math

Eight comprehensive lessons teach science and math as children recognize incredible shapes and patterns found in nature. This topic is fascinating and will captivate even the most skeptical math-hater. Don’t be surprised when your students begin noticing math all around them!

Math in Nature Topics Covered:

  • 2-D & 3-D Shapes: Understand the basic and complex shapes found in nature.
  • Symmetry: Discover the balance and harmony in natural forms.
  • Patterns: Explore repetitive designs and sequences in the environment.
  • Tessellations: Learn about repeating patterns without gaps or overlaps.
  • Fractals: Dive into infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales.
  • Fibonacci Sequence: Uncover the mathematical sequence that appears in various natural phenomena.

Note: For younger students, it may be wise to leave out the last couple of lessons that delve into deeper mathematical concepts.

Real-Life and Cross-Curricular Connections

Making real-life connections to math is essential. It shows children that there is a purpose to the work we give them and that math is everywhere. This curriculum also emphasizes cross-curricular connections, building a deep understanding that supports a firm foundation in learning. Integrating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education, the guide strongly hits four out of five components.

Versatile for All Learners

Math in Nature: Shapes and Patterns can be used with multiple ages, interests, abilities, and learning styles simultaneously. Whether you have younger or older students, this curriculum is adaptable to meet their needs.

Science and Math Explorations are Inspiring

While the lessons can be completed indoors, children may be eager to explore and find real-life examples in nature. Perfect for the kitchen table and the classroom, the activities will foster a love for nature study and scientific inquiry. Choose from:

  • Teaching Points: Clear, kid-friendly explanations.
  • Book Suggestions: Curated reading lists to deepen understanding.
  • YouTube Videos: Visual learning with engaging videos.
  • Nature Journaling: Activities to document observations.
  • Hands-On Activities: Interactive projects to reinforce concepts.
  • Kid-Friendly Research: Encouraging independent discovery.
  • Nature Walk Ideas: Practical outdoor experiences.

A Thorough Study Taught Conscisely

The curriculum guide can be used for up to two months. It fits nicely into any study of botany, zoology, or the physics concept of structures. The lessons are wonderful as living math for geometry, too.

Charter-Friendly

Format

PDF
Grade Level

1st-8th Grades
Is Printing Necessary?

No
Pages

36

Frequently Asked Questions

Each Nature Study Made Easy guide contains eight meaty lessons. Each lesson includes introductory material to read with the children. Follow-up learning for each lesson is based on the five “E”s – Extract, Explain, Engage, Elaborate, and Explore.

Extract – Books and YouTube videos are suggested for learning more.

Explain – This is a nature journaling activity.

Engage – This is a hands-on activity.

Elaborate – This is a kid-friendly research project.

Explore – This is a nature walk prompt.

It’s easy to pick and choose from the five “E”s to make the study as in-depth as you wish.

They are written with 1st-8th graders in mind and can be used with multiple ages together.

They can be! The unique thing about these guides is the amount of learning that can occur indoors—even though children are focused on nature study topics. Many of the activity ideas are also conducive to group work.

No, they work well for all types of homeschoolers. Because they are so flexible yet provide plenty of learning options, they can be used for almost any homeschooling situation. For example, some families may want to spend a week’s worth of morning time working on one small part of a lesson. Others may decide to use the lesson material as a full science curriculum. While others may decide to use the curriculum for a full day of nature club learning. The options are endless, but sample scheduling ideas come with each guide.

It’s entirely up to you and how you use it. One guide can last an entire semester if you open it once a week and work through most of the suggested material and activities. If you do a small portion of one lesson daily each week, a guide will last eight weeks. If you choose to cover one lesson per day (that would be really hard), a guide will last you eight days.

No. Because they rely heavily on indoor learning, they can be used worldwide. If you use the nature walk prompts, most can still be used wherever you live.

No worries! You can use 95% of the curriculum without leaving the house. The only exception is the nature walk prompt provided with each lesson. Otherwise, the rest of the learning is indoors.

Yes! They are religion-neutral and don’t discuss creation or evolution.

You can always email a picture or story to me at cindy@ourjourneywestward.com. Better yet, share pictures of your adventures on social media and tag me @ourjourneywestward!

In regards to the downloadable curriculum and freebies on Our Journey Westward:

When purchasing a downloadable product, you are purchasing a license to use the product, not the product itself. The license is not transferable.

Each download is meant for single family use. You may keep a copy of the e-file on personal devices and print the file for personal use.

Please Don’t:

  • Share or link to the e-file directly; link to the blog post or product page instead.

  • Alter the e-files in any way.

  • Sell, distribute, or give away the e-files in any way.

  • Host an e-file on your website or upload it to a shared website.

A teacher of a co-op or classroom may use an e-file with her students. She may keep a copy of the e-file on personal devices and print it in its entirety for her use. She may make multiple copies of student pages as necessary.

She may not share the e-file with other teachers, even if they are team teachers. Each teacher needs to purchase her own copy of the curriculum file.

Please Don’t:

  • Share or link to the e-file directly; link to the blog post or product page instead.

  • Alter the e-files in any way.

  • Sell, distribute, or give away the e-files in any way.

  • Host an e-file on your website or upload it to a shared website.

Some folks enjoy creating additional notebook pages, worksheets, charts, etc., to accompany the NaturExplorers studies and other Our Journey Westward publications. The pages you create must only be used with your children and may NOT be sold for profit or shared with others (online or otherwise) as free enhancements, go-alongs, or otherwise.

While Our Journey Westward is pleased you enjoy our products and wish to create derivative materials, doing so without authorization violates copyright law. In other words, it is considered theft of intellectual property rights. We trust that you will understand the importance of this and thank you for your cooperation.

If you wish to create derivative materials for sale or as freebies, please contact us to discuss possible permission.

If unsatisfied with a PDF product, your entire purchase price will gladly be refunded. We only ask that you please request a refund within two weeks of purchase and delete the file from your computer. Thank you for respecting these terms. Please contact us for a refund that meets these criteria.

The following curricula meet the requirements of charter schools to remain neutral on religion.

The following professional development materials remain neutral on religion.

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