Winter Nature Study

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  • October 30, 2008 at 6:51 pm
    Misty
    Participant

    I don’t know about you but it’s getting cold here in MN. So I am starting to wonder being this is my 1st full year of Nature Study. What have you done to continue this once the snow comes and studying outside isn’t an option. Any idea’s would be great!

    Also, I know I read a post once about someone doing a study on snow. Where did you start and any idea’s would be great!

    Thanks

    Misty

    ds10, ds8, ds6, ds4, ds2 & due 2/9/09

    October 30, 2008 at 11:47 pm
    Bookworm
    Participant

    Hi, Misty!

    We’ve done a number of things. The book Discover Nature in Winter has some good ideas. We learned to identify leafless trees–there’s actually a book out there on that. We measured how fast snow melted under white paper in the sun versus under black paper. It can be a good time to do astronomy/look at stars, since it gets dark so much earlier.

    But some of the time, my youngest son’s asthma was triggered by cold, and being outside much was impractical. So we looked for all kinds of other things to do. Birdfeeders outside a window. Grow sweet potato tops or other plants. Do physics or chemistry type experiments (that’s still the wonderful world God created) And lots of nature videos about things we were unlikely to see–some of the best ones nowadays are so good it’s almost like being there.

    Just some ideas that have helped us.

    Michelle D

    October 31, 2008 at 12:21 am
    Misty
    Participant

    Any videos you would suggest that we could get from the library?

    Thanks for the advice.

    Misty

    October 31, 2008 at 12:47 am
    Bookworm
    Participant

    We watch for IMAX videos, they are often very well done. We also love the Planet Earth series. There are a number of terrific videos done by Moody that are similar but very Christian in nature–you are always in the secular stuff going to run into the usual “Three billion years ago” and all that. We loved most things that have been on Animal Planet, of course with the caveat about the evolutionary stuff. I spent a lot of time with the children when they were young, teaching them the truth, so when they get all that junk in a video or program they yell the truth at the TV set. 🙂

    Anyway, Planet Earth and Blue Planet are things I hope our family gets for Christmas, they are so beautifully done.

    October 31, 2008 at 5:23 pm
    Esby
    Member

    You received some good suggestions for winter nature study, and I’d thought I’d toss in a couple of ideas for keeping up with the nature journal. During bad weather days, we’ll draw any houseplants we have growing at home, items we’ve collected over the warmer days (pinecones, acorns, seashells, feathers, etc.). And, we set up a still life of food items like apples, squash, etc. If I feel like splurging, a fresh bouquet is nice to draw.

    During the winter we like to grow sprouts for fresh greens, which is a nice nature project…and another subject to draw!

    November 3, 2008 at 5:48 am
    boysinthenest
    Member

    Hi! I just wanted to mention a book that we use. We are using the Fall Nature Study right now in it. It is seperated into Nature Studies based on the Season. It does have a Winter Nature Study on pg 113–it is the last section.

    It may totally not be anything you like, but it’s a nice little guide for us-thought I would mention it.

    It also gives great references to stories and poems.

    It is called Type Lessons for Primary Teachers in the Study of Nature, Literature and Art by Anna E McGovern.

    You can find it on google books. It was written in 1905

    Sincerely,

    Kristal

    November 3, 2008 at 12:38 pm
    Misty
    Participant

    Thank you everyone for your help. I did find the book Discoving Nature in Winter and am thinking of getting it for myself (got it at the library). I will also be looking into the movie recommendations and other books I have heard here.

    Thanks to everyone

    Misty

    March 24, 2009 at 6:20 am
    livelovely
    Member

    I know that Winter is supposed to be over well, we are getting snowed on at present but so goes life in Northern Idaho. I wanted to put in my 2 cents about the first snow and the velvet. Ever since I read that I make it a tradition to get the black piece of velvet out so we can catch our snow flakes and examine them and see how Wonderfully God created even the tiniest things to be unique and not alike. We then read about snowflakes and how they are formed etc. for our science lesson, but I think it’s part of nature study and it’s a good reason to play in that first snow of the season and get some good fresh air. Besides, Charlotte always says that children learn best by playing out of doors!

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