Science/Nature Study

sn’t it wonderful how God has given us so many wonderful senses with which to enjoy his creation? We can see the brilliant colors of a rainbow, hear the beautiful song of a cardinal, feel a wooly caterpillar in our hands and taste the sweet juice of an orange! The classroom, especially during the early years, should begin with the outdoors. Nature is God’s greatest classroom and being outside awakens in our children a sense of awe for our Creator.

There are really two main components to the Nature Study. First is the Nature Walk and second is the Nature Journal or Notebook.

Nature Walk

This first component can be stated very simply, Get outside! If you never allow your children the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors then they will never have the joy of discovering a love for God’s creation. At least once a week plan a nature walk with your children. Pack a snack, binoculars, field guides, nature notebooks, magnifying glass and anything else to enhance your outing. The whole idea of the nature walk is to get out of your own house and yard to explore nature. Sometimes our own little band of explorers take a simple walk around the neighborhood and sometimes we pile into the van and go to a park, farm or orchard. Don’t be afraid to get out in the rain; I guarantee that none of you will melt! I encourage you to take walks even on cold days, it’s good for your immunity and won’t make you sick. Several years ago I came to the realization that children love to play in the snow so why not have them play out in the cold even when it isn’t snowing? The temperature is the same, after all. There is so much to see in the winter months that cannot be seen in the warmer months: like the intricate shape of a tree without leaves. For those of you who live in a warm climate try taking a vacation to Indiana in the January, it’s beautiful here. While you are here look me up and we can sip hot cocoa and draw snow flakes in our nature journal!

Nature Notebook/Journal

When I first read about nature journaling form Charlotte Mason I was so excited that I went out the same day and bought my young daughter a very expensive notebook. The next day was a beautiful day and the family eagerly went outside to enjoy the day. My daughter eagerly began drawing in her notebook. I was disappointed when I looked at her notebook and discovered that I could not differentiate between her drawing of a rock and a leaf. My fear was relieved when later that day she was able to tell me with great detail everything that she had drawn in her notebook. I realized the importance of my child knowing and remembering the details of what she had drawn in her notebook even if her artistic ability had not yet arrived. Many years later we look back at those drawings of sticks and rocks and smile. They are fond memories for both of us and I am so glad that I decided to label and keep them. Now we both smile together at her younger siblings who are attempting to draw a stick or an apple. We know that their drawings are memories in the making and precious to us all.

Tips for note booking:

* Purchase a nice notebook that has a hard cover and will not wrinkle in the moisture.
* Show excitement about journaling
* Get outside at least twice a week to do nature journaling.
* Let your child explore and draw their own discoveries, you may direct them to a
neat find if they are not finding anything on their own.
* Be encouraging and not negative towards your children’s drawings
* Remind your child that this is not art class but a way for them to remember the details
of what they are drawing.
* Label the drawing with the date, where the object was found, name of the
object (including the scientific name), and the weather for that day.
* For young children we use a notebook with half the page lined. This makes it easier for
the child to write straight and keep the notebook looking neater.
* Make sure your child starts at the beginning of the notebook and progresses back page
by page instead of skipping pages. This may seem obvious to you but many children
are excited and simply flip open the notebook to the first page they can find and begin
drawing.
* Look up your child’s find in a field guide and then use a book like Anna Botsford
Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study to learn more about your discovery.
* Take note of what is around your discovery. There is a lot to learn from the
surroundings of a leaf or caterpillar. If you find the caterpillar on a Milkweed then it’s a
good chance this is what it eats. When you find a leaf also take note of any seeds or
berries on the tree or bush and what type of bark it has. This will help you to identify
what type of tree or bush it is.

May God Bless your homeschooling adventure!
--Misha Eads--

© 2005 EadsHome Ministries
All materials produced by EadsHome Ministries are free for your use as long as a profit is not made.
Materials copyrighted to others are specifically noted and linked.