Classical Curriculum and Online Catalog

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Classical Christian
Homeschooling:
Classical Education
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WebMaster:
Christine Miller

Classical Christian
Homeschooling Online Catalog: Grammar Stage Science

www.clas...ling.org/curriculum/science-grammar.html

This page last revised:
May 2003

Grammar Stage
Science Curriculum

Using the Online Catalog

Nature Study
Resources to begin science study as outlined in Science in the Grammar Stage, with focus on discovery and identification of the natural world, and the keeping of a nature journal.

Field Guides
Identification of the natural world would not be possible without field guides; here are some of the best.

CCH’s Science Units for Grades 1-6
CCH encourages families to discover and identify nature for science study in the grammar stage, leaving “traditional” science for the dialectic and rhetoric stages. However, if families want to supplement their nature study with additional science units, these suggestions are our best recommendations.

Nature Study

Handbook of Nature Study
Anna Botsford Comstock

For 1st through 6th grade. This invaluable handbook is a treasure trove of activities and information on every field of nature study imaginable. Mrs. Comstock, the late professor of nature study at Cornell University, states of her book, “For many years requests have been frequent from parents who have wished to give their children nature interests ... They have been borne in mind in planning this volume; the lessons are especially fitted for field work, even though schoolroom methods are so often suggested. The author feels apologetic that the book is so large. However, it does not contain more than any intelligent country child of twelve should know of his environment ...” Although she apologized for the size, the result of her thoroughness is that there is enough material in this one volume to cover the entire six years of grammar stage instruction (or six summers of science instruction if homeschooling families prefer to use the summer for nature study, as many do, and the school year for other academics). Part I is an aid for parents in teaching natural history to children: the relation of nature study to science, how to present the lessons, uses of pictures, charts, drawings, and scientific names, teaching respect for life, correlation of nature study with the language arts, drawing, geography, history, etc. and more. Part II presents the study of animals: birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects, and other invertebrates. Part III introduces plants: seeds, wild and cultivated flowers, weeds, crops, trees, and flowerless plants: mosses, ferns, even fungi, molds, and bacteria. Part IV studies the earth and sky: rivers, rocks and minerals, soil, magnetics, weather, water forms, and astronomy. Replete throughout the volume are such fascinating topics for children as attracting birds, making an ant farm for observation, shell collections, how mother spiders take care of their eggs, germinating seeds, flower and insect partnerships, making leaf prints, weather proverbs, the relationship between the Tropic of Cancer and garden planting, the sky clock, making sundials, and much, much more. 887 pages including a comprehensive index.

Blank Artist’s Sketchbook
Watson-Guptill Publications

This blank artist’s sketchbook is ideal for nature notebooks: 8-1/4" x 11" in page size, hardbound for durability (the covers have a leather-like finish but are actually tough, waterproof Kivar), the 224 blank pages will hold an entire year’s worth of nature study sketches and identification notes. The archival-quality, vellum-finish paper is especially appealing. It will not yellow with time, ensuring the preservation of drawings, and its smooth surface readily accepts pencil, ballpoint, pen-and-ink, charcoal, marker, and other drawing mediums. The hunter green binding is rounded and sewn, which allows the sketchbook to lie flat while children work in it, whether out in the field or at the table.

Christian Liberty Nature Readers
Christian Liberty Press

Beautifully illustrated, these nature readers have long been popular with homeschoolers. Each book progresses in reading difficulty, for grades 1-5. Book 1 for beginning readers in first grade introduces God’s marvelous creation with common and fascinating insects as well as prairie life; Book 2 for 2nd grade teaches about the small creatures children find fascinating: crabs, wasps, bees, spiders, shellfish, and worms; Book 3 for 3rd grade explores the daily routines of ants, flies, beetles, barnacles, jellyfish, sea stars, and dragonflies; Book 4 for 4th grade goes into more depth about the animal world: perching birds, birds of prey, insects, moths, turtles and snakes, and toads, bats, and beavers; and Book 5 for 5th grade introduces the wonders of the human body--how and why God created the systems of sight, hearing, breathing, touching, and thinking.

How Nature Works
David Burnie

How Nature Works is designed to open up the world of natural history to children and adults with a practical, hands-on approach to nature that involves the reader in doing experiments in order to learn. All the experiments and demostrations have been carefully planned and photographed “live” using over 700 full-color photographs. Topics cover the most simple form of life -- the cell -- through various types of plants and the classifications of animals. Crisp, full-color, fully captioned photographs, diagrams, and illustrations combine with text of varying typefaces and sizes in an uncluttered format that skillfully separates information and makes directions easy to follow. Various stages of experiments are photographed and clearly explained step- by- step so that much can be learned just by reading them. However, most seem so appealing that readers will want to see the results for themselves. Equipment needed can be found in most households. A glossary and expansive index help make this a valuable resource.

Field Guides

National Audubon Society Field Guides
National Audubon Society

The Audubon Guides are the Rolls-Royce of field identification guides, and a must for taking along on field trips and family outings to build our children’s knowledge of their local natural world. Color photographs and detailed descriptions help to nail the species in question every time. The guides include common and scientific (Latin) names for each species, their range, habitat, and other pertinent information (song patterns and nesting habits for birds, for example) to aid in identification. If an eastern or western region is indicated, be sure to order the proper region. The Eastern region is considered east of the Rocky Mountains; the Western region is considered the Rocky Mountains and west.

National Audubon Society Regional Field Guides
National Audubon Society

The National Audubon Society is now putting out North American regional field guides. These new guides include maps and the same identification features that made their standard guides so popular, only they cover all the flora and fauna found in each region.

Field Guide to New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, VT, RI)
Field Guide to Mid-Atlantic States (NY, PA, NJ, MD, DE, WV, VA)
Field Guide to Southeastern States (NC, SC, GA, AL, AR, LA, MS, TN, KY)
Field Guide to Florida
Field Guide to the Rocky Mountain States (ID, WY, MT, CO)
Field Guide to the Southwestern States (AZ, NM, NV, UT)
Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR)
Field Guide to California

Local Field Guides: Meet the Natives
M. Walter Pesman, Denver Botanic Gardens

Don’t overlook locally produced field guides for use in nature study and identification. Many times a local guide goes into greater detail on the plants and animals likely to be found in the local area. I use my local guide, Meet the Natives (for the flora found in the Rocky Mountain region) just as much as my Audubon guide. Find the best local guide for your area by asking at locally-owned bookstores, the local public library, the regional office for the National Parks or Forest Service, or for the regional office for state parks and recreation areas. Another place to check would be the County Extension office or 4-H program.

Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Nature & Survival for Children
Tom and Judy Brown

Build awareness and observational skills while out on nature hikes, and learn to appreciate God’s amazing created world. This book also includes such helpful and fascinating information (for kids) as how to not get lost, what to do if lost, telling time without watches or other electronics, finding direction, and more. Tom Brown is Apache-trained in natural awareness, tracking, and survivial, which he passes on in his excellent field guides. (Contains a few references to Apache beliefs.) Other Tom Brown Field Guides include:

Nature Observation and Tracking
Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants
Forgotten Wilderness (of backyards and even highway medians!)

CCH’s Science Units for Grades 1-6

1st Grade: Introduction to Natural Science

2nd Grade: Plant Kingdom

3rd Grade: Animal Kingdom

4th Grade: Earth and Sky

5th Grade: Human Body

6th Grade: History of Science

Using the Online Catalog

This online catalog is made possible through an association with Barnes&Noble.com. Clicking on the book title or book cover will take you to Barnes&Noble.com’s information page about that book. You can look at its price, availability, any discounts currently taken for that title, reviews of the book, and other information, as well as order it if you decide to purchase the book. You can even place books in your shopping cart and save them for purchase at a later time. You can continue to add or delete books from your shopping cart until you are satisfied with your order and ready to purchase. Clicking on any link to Barnes&Noble.com will open a new window; to return to CCH, click on the “Window” menu on your browser’s menu bar, and choose Classical Christian Homeschooling.

Sometimes books go out of print, or the publisher runs out of stock. Any book not available from Barnes&Noble.com for any reason can be searched using AddAll.com, a book shopping site which will scan Barnes&Noble.com as well as Amazon.com, Powell’s Books, Book Close Outs and many other new and used book sites. Be sure to also check BookFinder.com for out of print book searches.

Still have questions? Ask me!

Grammar Stage
Science Curriculum

Using the Online Catalog

Nature Study

Field Guides

CCH’s Science Units for Grades 1-6

Using the Online Catalog

Return to CCH’s Science Curriculum

Return to CCH’s Grammar Stage Curriculum

Return to the CCH Online Catalog

Grammar Stage Science Curriculum

Using the Online Catalog

Nature Study

Field Guides

CCH’s Science Units for Grades 1-6

Using the Online Catalog

Return to CCH’s Science Curriculum

Return to CCH’s Grammar Stage Curriculum

Return to the CCH Online Catalog

Grammar Stage
Science Curriculum