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iPad with purple trim and a bat hanging upside down on a tree branch. This is a cover for a nature study curriculum about nocturnal animals.
No Sweat Nature Study: Nocturnal Animals Science Curriculum page
No Sweat Nature Study: Nocturnal Animals Science Curriculum page
No Sweat Nature Study: Nocturnal Animals Science Curriculum page
No Sweat Nature Study: Nocturnal Animals Science Curriculum page
No Sweat Nature Study: Nocturnal Animals Science Curriculum page
No Sweat Nature Study: Nocturnal Animals Science Curriculum page
No Sweat Nature Study: Nocturnal Animals Science Curriculum page
No Sweat Nature Study: Nocturnal Animals Science Curriculum page
No Sweat Nature Study: Nocturnal Animals Science Curriculum page

Nocturnal Animals

$20.00

Explore the flip-flopped lives of animals that thrive in the dark with this engaging science curriculum. It covers night vision, acute hearing, echolocation, and more through eight detailed lessons, offering hands-on activities, nature journaling, and exploration opportunities. Perfect for enhancing biology, ecology, and zoology studies, it makes learning about nocturnal creatures both fun and educational for 1st-8th graders.

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What’s Happening in Nature at Night?

Shed light on the intriguing lives of animals that thrive in the dark with the Nocturnal Animals nature study curriculum. Have fun learning about the extraordinary senses and unique adaptations that allow these creatures to navigate the night.

Eight Rich and Engaging Nocturnal Animals Nature Study Lessons

This curriculum is designed for 1st-8th graders, with flexibility to cater to different learning levels. Extensive vocabulary and complex concepts are broken down into kid-friendly explanations, making it easy for young learners to grasp. The eight lessons include:

  1. Introduction to Nocturnal Animals: Gain an overview of nocturnal animals and their unique lifestyles.
  2. Activity Patterns: Understand the differences between nocturnal, diurnal, and crepuscular animals.
  3. Night Vision: Learn how nocturnal animals have eyes that see well in low light.
  4. Acute Hearing: Discover how their ears are adapted to hear the faintest sounds at night.
  5. Echolocation: Explore how some animals use echolocation to navigate and hunt.
  6. Keen Smell: Study how nocturnal animals use their highly developed sense of smell.
  7. Touch and Sensory Receptors: Investigate how some nocturnal animals use touch to sense their environment.
  8. Nighttime Encounters: Learn about nocturnal animals you wouldn’t want to meet in the dark.

Exciting Nighttime Discoveries

Uncover the secrets of the night and gain a new appreciation for the active world that comes alive after dark. Even if you’re afraid of the dark, learning about nocturnal animals will illuminate the wonders of nighttime nature.

Nocturnal Animals Nature Study Explorations for All Learners

While the lessons can be completed indoors, don’t be surprised when your students are eager to explore and find real-life examples in nature. This curriculum is perfect for the kitchen table and the classroom, fostering 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

After using this science curriculum, children will thoroughly understand the animal kingdom’s nocturnal creatures. The guide can be used for up to two months to fit into any study of biology, zoology, life science, or ecology.

The Nature Study Made Easy series tries to avoid content about creation or evolution. In this particular edition, some of the additional resources mention evolution because it was difficult to find neutral sources.

Charter-Friendly

Format

PDF
Grade Level

1st-8th Grades
Is Printing Necessary?

No
Pages

34

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 [email protected]. 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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