Aug. 6, 2008 - Science Plans for this School Year
NOTE: Sorry about the crazy coloring on parts of this post! I can seem to make it behave!
What to blog about today, that is the question! I have about four posts floating around in my brain or in my computer - just havent had the time to post them! lol.
So, I decided to post about our science plans. We are fans of Charlotte-Mason style nature study, and generally take about 3 months per unit. We are also fans of notebooking, so we create a scrapbook-style notebook as we go along. Here is our line-up for this year. We are about half-way through "insects" right now, and loving it!! :) Notice we are taking October off altogether, and then allowing FOUR full months for the next unit, which should be a lighter one anyway. This is all because of our baby blessing arriving the end of September! :)
Plans beyond the tree study, as you can see, have not been fully developed, but I have been collecting resources on those topics, and tucking them away in my private shelf! hehe. I have one section of the bookcase that the children are not allowed to touch in which I stick stuff "for future use". It is so much more exciting that way! So, anyway, I think I already have everything I need for the anatomy study - I just havent organized it all yet. I guess I can post more on that when I do. :)
July, Aug, Sept 2008:
General Ideas:
-In the book of Exodus, read about the plagues in
-Do a scavenger hunt to see how many insects we can find. Be sure to take along a magnifying glass and field guide so we can examine them closely.
-Read the poems from Joyful Noise together. After reading each poem, use the field guide to find out about the insect in the poem. Fill in insect worksheet.
-Insect Parables by Robert Baker
*Week One and Two: General.
-Talk about what an insect is, general anatomy, etc.
-Insects by Alice Field (read aloud)
-Read Aloud: When Insects are Babies
-Independent reading: Strange World of Insects and
-True Bugs and 3-D Thrillers
-Bible verses: draw the bug plagues of
-Bugs: what day of creation?
*Ant week:
-make fingerprint ants
-make and eat "ants on a log" for a snack!
-Read aloud: Fact II in Lessons from Nature
-Prov 6:6-copywork and memorization
-Insects do The Strangest Things: pg 8
-How to draw book: ants
-Independent reading: Story of ants
*Butterfly week:
-put out butterfly feeder
-butterfly life cycle craft
-read aloud: Monarch Butterfly of Aster Way
-Wonder where Butterflies go in winter?
-Very Hungry Caterpillar
-How to draw book: butterflies
-Read Alouds: Nature reader ch11-26, The Bee Tree, A Hive of Busy Bees
-Fact XVII in Lessons from Nature
-Insects Do The Strangest Things: p52 honeybee
-Independent reading: Bees, Wasps, Ants
-How to draw: bumblebee
-Make Bee Book from Danielle’s Place- Children can write Bible verses, words starting with the letter "B", a short story about a bee, or facts about bees in this cute little bee-shaped book.
-Bee and Flower Mobile (Danielle’s place)
-Eat Honeycomb cereal! (glue to projects, use for counting games)
Bible verses:
-Prov 16:24 “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”
-Ps 19:7-11 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.”
-Plant flowers to attract bees. Plant flowers such as sunflowers, black-eyed Susans, mint, and clover. Spend time in the garden and try to discover which types of flowers they like best. Try to catch a glimpse of the pollen sacks on large bumblebees as they fly from flower to flower. You really can see them. http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/na/bgardn.html
-See if we can visit a bee farm!
*Ladybug Week:
-The Very Grouchy Ladybug
-Ladybug and other insects
-Insects do the Strangest Things: pg20
-How to draw ladybugs
-Find rocks to paint like ladybugs
*Misc Bugs Weeks:
-Read remaining parts of Lessons from Nature: grasshopper and firefly
-read remainder of Insects do the Strangest Things
-Other wrap-up, review and notebooking
- Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears : by Verna Aardema
-Firefly night / by Carole Gerber
-Two bad ants / Chris Van Allsburg
- The napping house / Audrey Wood
- The icky bug alphabet book / by Jerry Pallotta
November, December, January and February
Trees
Read Alouds:
-Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling
-A Tree is Nice
-A Tree Can Be…
Ideas:
-Trees – what day of creation? Review creation lapbook.
-Collect leaves, identify, press and include in notebook (field guide)
- Look at the leaves we collected w/ magnifying glass. Notice veins on leaves.
-Learn about life cycle of tree and the seasons
-Learn about photosynthesis
-Bible: -Psalm 1 and Jer. 17 about righteous vs wicked men
-Good fruits and bad fruits: Mt 7
-Crayon rubbings of tree bark in the forest preserve and yard
-“T” in Proverbs for Preschoolers –verse about trees.
-Independent
-Notebook about all. – Notebooking pages available at hslaunch J
-Here a Plant, There a Plant, Everywhere a Plant, Plant by Robert Quackenbush
Human Anatomy
June, July, August 2009:
Plants and Gardening
Comments
Aug. 6, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by StonyHillHomeSchool
Hi, I just clicked on your post from the last 100 list on the home page, I really enjoyed reading your post on your science plans and thanks so much for sharing, really great plan... thanks also for sharing the scavenger hunt list link I will use that with my daughter and her friend tomorrow afternoon.
I am sure I will be back to read more of your posts.
Darlene
Aug. 8, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by familymgrkendra
Once again another inspirational post!! I love your layout for your Science for the year. Some very good studies you have there. Last Sept. I found a freebie online that might be useful for your family's Tree Unit Study: http://www.deepspringspress.com/treasureboxpressscienceofautumn.pdf
I downloaded it last year, but never got a chance to use it. We will be using it this year for sure! We have a beautiful park in our town that is 2 block radius all around and it has tons of tree. 66 different kinds. Each tree has a metal plate to help identify it. Then of course we are surrounded by Forest Preserves! Have a great year in your science adventures!
