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MNMommy
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| Posted: Feb 03 2010 at 10:29pm | IP Logged
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elemental science and Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding??
We love our CM nature study, but it's not getting done in the winter. Someone (that's me) doesn't want to brave the subzero temps. So, I'm looking for something to fill in around nature study. If I'm spending $ and time on this, I want it to be fun, fairly easy to implement, and worthwhile (helping the kids develop scientifically - whatever that means).
Should I drop my thoughts of these and somehow force myself to gear up FIAR again? I'm tired of that for now and just the 3rs is getting stale.
Do I need to be talked down from the ledge?
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Jennifer
Tired mom to - 10yo dd, 7yo ds, 6yo ds, 4yo dd, 2yo ds
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Feb 04 2010 at 7:30am | IP Logged
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Love this book! It will require your involvement though so I wanted to mention that! If you are tired of being involved in every little thing or don't want to direct this...this book is probably not a good idea for you. It is a great book though, and I think fills a gap nicely in terms of providing a general skeleton of basic facts that one can build on nicely with living books.
The Table of Contents is listed and divided up into 4 "threads". The threads define the general emphasis of the topics covered, and each lesson builds on and assumes that you've completed the lesson before it (or at least certain lessons before it...very helpful in that the lesson being covered lists the required background lessons that should have been taught prior to approaching the current lesson. It's not a book you could just randomly pick and choose, but science is ordered so this makes sense to me in terms of presentation. The different threads are:
** Nature of Matter
** Life Science
** Physical Science
** Earth and Space Science
Each lesson has a GREAT!!!! listing of living books that builds and adds to the lesson covered.
There is a great and VERY DETAILED review of this book by another homeschooler here. Additionally, you can go to the publisher's website and view sample lessons, the table of contents, etc. It's very helpful for discerning if this book is a good fit for you. The author maintains a yahoo group so you can actually ask the author questions if you need to. It's my understanding that the author is coming out with another book in this series for grades 3-5.
Another possible drawback...this is another book that YOU will have to be responsible for gathering the items needed for the activities.
Is there any way you could check it out from the library first?
Would you like us to brainstorm some exciting winter nature study sources with you rather than shifting gears entirely? I'm asking because sometimes if it feels stale, a few new books to read can be exciting. I do A LOT of winter nature study from the windows. Not all. But some. Let me know if you'd like a list of favorite sources that inspire a delight in winter nature study in our home!
HTH! 
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Angel
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| Posted: Feb 04 2010 at 3:56pm | IP Logged
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We do a lot of winter nature study from the windows, too. Mostly because I do not like wind chills with minus signs. 
So while I don't have any experience with the book you asked about, I do have some experience with winter nature study... and would be happy to share some of what has worked for us. I think it really depends on what area of the country/climate you're in as far as what you're going to want to do in the winter, but what we often do is a combination of:
*bird-watching -- feeder birds
*snow/ice studies/blizzard studies (occasionally)
*seasonal picture books for the little ones
*something totally unrelated but scientific which seems to spark everyone's interest -- currently electronics
*the occasional nature walk, lead usually by my 10 yo dd (mostly what the kids see is tracks, so we generally include some books on tracks/sign during the winter)
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: Feb 05 2010 at 4:04am | IP Logged
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Jennifer (in MN), have you looked at this website?
She posts a different study idea every week, and they are all based on ABC's book "Handbook of Nature Study."
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Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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Betsy
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| Posted: Feb 05 2010 at 1:41pm | IP Logged
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I second what Jennifer said about Building Foundation of Scientific Understanding.
I am using it in a co-op with another Mother and I love it. Probably my only complaint is that this book is geared towards K-2 and some of the lessons can be overly simple for the 2nd and 3rd grade boys that we are doing it for. But, everything that you could want to know for a scientific foundation is there!
Betsy
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MNMommy
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| Posted: Feb 05 2010 at 10:07pm | IP Logged
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Thank you for the responses. I think I am going to try BFSC. If nothing else, hopefully I learn something from it.
Thanks for the winter nature study tips. We do all kinds of nature exploring from the windows, but it's just not the same as being out in nature. We had a wonderful day today - above freezing temps and snowing - so all the kids & I were able to be outside together. It was just what I needed. We followed tracks through the snow, made snowmen, climbed trees, watched the snow melt, caught snowflakes, and enjoyed icecycles. I am so looking forward to spring. Our nature explorations are one of our top homeschooling delights.
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Jennifer
Tired mom to - 10yo dd, 7yo ds, 6yo ds, 4yo dd, 2yo ds
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mariB
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| Posted: Feb 06 2010 at 5:26am | IP Logged
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Dear Paula, thank you for the lovely website...I am bookmarking it now!
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marib-Mother to 22ds,21ds,18ds,15dd,11dd and wife to an amazing man for 23 years
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Feb 06 2010 at 1:19pm | IP Logged
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Paula in MN wrote:
Jennifer (in MN), have you looked at this website?
She posts a different study idea every week, and they are all based on ABC's book "Handbook of Nature Study." |
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I think this is, hands down, the best nature study site out there, if not the best organized nature study program period.
We do not use it because, quite honestly, science/nature study is my personal forte, but if it were not and I needed a more organized approach to nature study I would definitely be looking to Barb's site for guidance.
At this point the site has been up long enough that Barb has compiled an enormously rich and varied set of lessons and I find her suggestions for activities and journaling to be spot on. Plus, they are multi-aged, and highly adaptable. The bonus is that she uses so few resources (Comstock and a couple other books plus field guides)that practically anyone can afford it.
Needless to say, I highly recommend it. 
(btw, I do not personally know Barb nor am I compensated in any way for this endorsement) 
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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