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JennGM
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| Posted: Aug 02 2010 at 12:15pm | IP Logged
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In thinking of nature study ideas for the school year, we bought a few One Small Square Series.
Ds is very excited because he wants to do the suggestions in these books, and most are very doable. Has anyone ever planned around these books? I'm not really looking for really formal, but if I had a nature study group like Alice Gunther talks in her book, it seems like these books could be a good impetus for a little structure.
Is there anything else similar?
Also, for the regions that we probably won't visit, like Tundra and Tropical Forest, are these books more informational? Would they be interesting for a North American bound boy? Or would he be a little frustrated that he couldn't "do" some of the activities mentioned?
A further question. We have a few public ponds around here. Has anyone tried doing experiments, leaving things and found that it doesn't work with local people disturbing things?
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
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SuzanneG
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Oh that's so funny, Jenn. I was just thinking of the same thing. Wondering if someone had already planned around these books and would share.
I'm using the Backyard book this quarter for my 1st/2nd grader....usually we'd do stuff like this TOGETHER, but she's requesting something nature-wise "just her" so I'll happily comply.
POND BOOK - I had a skeleton plan jotted out, using the Pond book....for a POND SUMMER NATURE CLUB with a few of the girls in the neighborhood, but then I went and got PREGNANT  ....so THAT little plan went out the window.  I'll see if I can find it, or if I got so far to type it up...can't remember.
And, I just requested the region/climate/biome books.....to see if they'll go with our biome/climate study this quarter. I haven't seen them yet.
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Suzanne in ID
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Aug 02 2010 at 1:34pm | IP Logged
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I'm using Backyard right now with my 1st grader. He loves it! I have some basic plans, but they aren't on anything I can share yet - just written on paper right now. I'll see if I can get them typed up to share soon. Truthfully, these books are so great just followed informally. The biggest thing is to set aside one small square to visit regularly and make observations.
We plan to finish up Backyard by mid-year (Christmas) and after that work in One Small Square - Woods.
SuzanneG wrote:
| And, I just requested the region/climate/biome books.....to see if they'll go with our biome/climate study this quarter. I haven't seen them yet. |
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Are these a part of Donald Silver's One Small Square series? I hadn't heard of them and would love to know the title name and your review since we're digging into climate right now and moving into biomes next term!! Can't wait to hear what you think of this book, Suzanne!
I really like this series of books. Like Suzanne, we really like to do this together, but my little fella wanted "his own small square"  ...and this series so easily works with the large family study while still allowing individual children to feel like they have their own space for observations! It's very well suited to large family study, as well as a nature club!
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Jen Mackintosh
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lapazfarm
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Jenn, I just pulled out my one Small Square Tundra book and it has activities that can be done anywhere: making tracks in snow or mud, looking at the tilt of the earth using a flashlight, etc, measuring temps above and below the snow, making a tundra diorama, searching for lichen, making "permafrost" dessert in the freezer... so, even if you are stuck in the mid-latitudes, you could use the book.
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Theresa
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Angel
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We used the tundra book one year in the winter. We didn't have tundra, but we did have lots of snow. 
My kids love the books (particularly my 7 yo), but we've always used them very informally. We read the seashore book before we visited the beach to prepare the kids more than anything. When we took a walk to the pond behind the house and captured tadpoles to raise, we read the pond book and related it to what we observed on our walks. I don't think anybody did any of the activities, exactly, but the books made the experience richer anyway.
That wasn't exactly what you were asking, I guess, but IMO the books lend themselves to many different approaches and *all* are interesting and worthwhile.
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Angela
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violingirl
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We are going to use a few of them to enhance our continent study this year. The first one up is the African Savanna and we can still do all the projects from it, even though we live in the midwest.
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Erin
DS (2005) DS (2007) DD (2012)
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Nature Study and One Small Square
