Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: fish, LIving Books, Nature study, Pond and Stream, science

This topic has 20 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 4 months ago by beccawalker2000.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 21 total)

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April 15, 2015 at 3:59 pm
Wings2fly
Participant
I am excited about the new Companion guide for Pond and Stream and all the living books to go with it for science next year. We really enjoyed Outdoor Secrets, Companion guide, and living books a few years ago.
We don’t typically do stories with mythical creatures. Would I be able to read Pond and Stream aloud and substitute any children’s names in place of the Imp and the Elf and it would still fit okay, and be believable?
Would a third grader, reading at a fourth grade level, be able to read all or most of the companion books to himself?
Is a weekly nature study and nature notebook entry included in the lesson plans? I assume the whole family could easily join in on these weekly nature studies.
I hesitated to do this study because we do not have a library card. But we are using books we already own for frogs, amphibians, and owls. And I had the field guides, poetry anthology, Handbook of Nature Study and the optional otter title. So I was able to find the other 14 books, used at Thriftbooks and Betterworldbooks on sale, for $43 total. Only two I purchased were optional books. I hope that helps anyone else out if they are thinking of purchasing the books. $50 total with the guide for a year of science study, though I have not yet placed my SCM order. Many of these books look like some real gems that will make a nice addition to our home library.
April 15, 2015 at 4:26 pm
missceegee
Participant
I bought all of the books for Pond and Stream used for under $100. Can’t wait to use this next year!
April 15, 2015 at 5:45 pm
my3boys
Participant
I bought the bird guide because my ds loves birds and I found the Burgess book for a $1 at a library bookstore. But now I have to have this Pond & Stream guide, too!
April 15, 2015 at 6:38 pm
HollyS
Participant
I ordered both guides, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be using the bird guide this coming year. I’ve been wanting to study birds more in depth. We covered them with AIG’s animals book this past year, but didn’t study specific types of birds. We have a CD of bird calls I’m planning on using to go with it.
I ordered most of the 106 Days books on Amazon a few years ago…most of them were a penny or so plus $3.99 shipping (but I never did total how much I spent). I’m pretty sure we’ll be reading through these for years to come! I’d much rather spend our budget on living books than textbooks.
April 16, 2015 at 1:48 am
3fallingleaves
Participant
I’ve been formulating a question I wanted to ask here about science, so maybe this is a good thread to ask. Science is the main subject that every year I am uncertain what I want to do…the main area I am not sure if I am teaching well enough. I am a science oriented person, I enjoy it and feel it is important. Kids will be K, grade 2 & 4 next year. We’ve done 2 Apologia (1 with 2 older, other mainly with oldest, with sibling listening somewhat). We’ve done Outdoor Secrets, 106 Days of Creation, Pagoo, Nature Notes, some nature study books, anyway I still sometimes am not confident on if it is enough. I guess I feel it’s the Physics and Chemistry–science beyond plants and animals …should I be incorporating that in at this level and if so, how?
April 16, 2015 at 7:23 am
Doug Smith
Keymaster
The Imp and the Elf are children. Those are just playful nicknames given them in the story.
You can get Pond and Stream free online so it’s easy to take a look and see what you think.
April 16, 2015 at 8:02 am
RobinP
Participant
Are there any plans or possibility of reprinting Pond and Stream? I’ve had this copied and spiral bound as well as Ransome’s other wonderful science titles but it is printed two pages together and is a bit difficult to navigate. It would be great if they were reprinted.
April 16, 2015 at 10:15 am
Jordan Smith
Keymaster
We explored the possibility of reprinting Pond and Stream, but there are some details with the copyright that make it difficult.
April 16, 2015 at 3:47 pm
2Corin57
Participant
Would I be able to substitute the books that are listed for books we already own? We’re in Canada, so most of the books aren’t available at our library, and I just can’t afford to spend almost $200 on one course (which is what it will cost me buy the time I buy the guide, and then all the books I’d need with the difference in our money.
April 16, 2015 at 9:26 pm
Karen Smith
Moderator
Would a third grader, reading at a fourth grade level, be able to read all or most of the companion books to himself?
I think a third grader should be able to read most, if not all, of the books recommended.
Is a weekly nature study and nature notebook entry included in the lesson plans? I assume the whole family could easily join in on these weekly nature studies.
Just like The Outdoor Secrets Companion, there are nature study lessons. They are not necessarily weekly though, just worked in as you learn more about water creatures. Because not everyone has easy access to ponds, streams, lakes, and rivers, or lives where they can see animals native to Great Britain, many of the nature study lessons are short videos or audio sound clips. And, yes, the whole family can join in on the nature studies.

April 16, 2015 at 9:56 pm
Karen Smith
Moderator
I still sometimes am not confident on if it is enough. I guess I feel it’s the Physics and Chemistry–science beyond plants and animals …should I be incorporating that in at this level and if so, how?
Nature study and living books on a variety of science topics are more than enough for elementary science. You are laying a foundation for later science studies by developing the habit of observation and exposing them to the different branches of science.
Biology, botany, physics, and chemistry are all observed or experienced by children in nature study, play, and everyday living. Every time your child climbs, swings, runs, slides, stomps in a mud puddle, throws a ball, etc. he is observing physics in action. Cooking and cleaning provide opportunities for your child to observe chemistry.
The experiences and observations your child makes now will be built on in later years when a more formal and math-intensive study of physics and chemistry will bridge the gap between observations and the whys behind them.
April 17, 2015 at 7:17 pm
Carla
Participant
I’m in Canada and I’ve substituted some (for the Outdoor Secrets Companion). Do check your library, though. I was pleasantly surprised that 1/3 of the books for Pond and Stream were in our library. It isn’t normally that high. Also check amazon.ca. If they are for $0.01, then the $6.49 shipping isn’t awful–especially if they are normally a $15 book.
April 18, 2015 at 6:23 am
2Corin57
Participant
I did check, but unfortunately our library only had 3 of the books – and that’s out of our entire inter-provincial system 🙁 A couple of the books couldn’t be found for under $5-8 plus shipping, and then even with $0.01 and $3.99 shipping, it was going to come out to like $130 US for the books 🙁
But, that’s awesome if I can substitute as we have a very well-stocked home library full of nature and animal living books 🙂
April 18, 2015 at 7:30 am
Monica
Participant
I just started thinking last night that I am going to make good use of interlibrary loan (since our library only has three of the books). I think I am going to do this with the kids this summer, since we have a river right behind our house. So fun!
April 18, 2015 at 8:01 am
Carla
Participant
How disappointing about only 3 books being available, but hooray for a well stocked library!