Highlight on Nature Study

Exploring Nature With Children

Our next few blog posts will feature some of the classes we have planned for the coming year. First up is our year-long nature study, Exploring Nature With Children. This amazing curriculum was created by Lynn Seddon and is perfect for a mixed age group like ours.

Each week features an exciting theme, such as a pond or tree study, bees, birds, or flowers. We will observe how nature changes over the course of the year while focusing on these areas and learning more about relationships in nature. When the leaves change in autumn, we will learn why as well as discuss why some leaves drop and others stay year round. Why do some birds migrate while others stay put? How do earthworms help plants grow?

Throughout the year we will also learn about taxonomy and how to classify all living things. We will observe specimens from all six biological kingdoms, many under the microscope. Students will draw and take notes in a personal nature journal, and we will collect small specimens to display on a class nature table.

Learning how every living thing is related to another and how we all impact our Earth will instill a sense of appreciation and respect for our special planet. By learning to love nature, we hope to help create the next generation of Earth's care takers.