How to Teach Science and Nature
Read a science or nature passage aloud in a comfy location.
Pick one child (and rotate each time) and ask that child what he or she heard. (This is called Narration).
Look at pictures together to discover the things you've just read about.
Have your child draw pictures of what they learned.
That's it! If you would like to schedule independent reading for your children, you may do that as well.
If your children are particularly interested in something they have heard in the day's reading, explore it! Go to the library and pick up more books on the topic, or do a little research online.
A great book to have on hand for nature study is The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.
Spend Time in Nature/Go on Nature Walks
Students at STAR Homeschool Community go on nature walks each week. This is such a beautiful time, and it is the most beautiful introduction to science. There is really no student who is too old for a nature walk. This kind of study is important for both adults and children.
Go outside as often as possible!
Observe.
Don't ask specific questions--just ask what your children see.
You do not have to be an expert. If looking at nature stirs up more questions, pull out one of your nature books or search the internet for answers.
Encourage your children to go outdoors when school is over.
Observe a tree throughout the changing seasons.
Have your child draw what they see.
If you do not have a lot of nature around you, take weekly trips to parks, forests, rivers, ponds, lakes, or other places where you and your children can observe interesting things in God's Creation.
You may want a few supplies for observing nature, but they are not necessary:
A magnifying glass
A container or jar for collecting insects
A pouch for collecting leaves, flowers, rocks, sticks, etc.
A dedicated space in the home for displaying things found in nature
A flower press
A nature journal or sketchbook
Sketching pencils
Watercolor paints, colored pencils, and/or watercolor pencils
Using Science and Nature to Teach Language Arts
You may wish to use science and nature to teach language arts to your children, as well. This is how:
Penmanship, Spelling and Grammar
Choose a sentence from your science or nature book and write or type it out for your child to see.
Have the child copy the sentence in their best handwriting onto lined paper.
For older children, choose more than one sentence or an entire paragraph. This is called Copy Work.
Spelling, Grammar
Choose a sentence from your science or nature book with no more than three words that might be difficult for your child.
Have your child stare at the sentence for a minute or so. Ask your child to form the words in his mind, and to focus on the words he does not know.
Hide the sentence and hand your child a whiteboard and a pen.
Read the sentence aloud and have your child write what he hears.
If your child spells a word incorrectly, erase it right away and write it correctly so that the correct spelling is what sticks in his mind.
If your child struggles with this sentence, try an easier sentence the next day, or work with the same sentence again until he grasps the words.
This is called Dictation.
The Cycles and Science and Nature Topics
There are some really special things about the four cycle approach to homeschooling. One is predictability, and knowing what's ahead. Homeschool moms may wonder how they will cover all the subjects with their kids? I understand this concern! While I don't believe you have to teach your child everything (because, even as adults, they will be learners), I want to show you how you can get through a lot of science and nature topics in your homeschool days with them.
Choose One or More Subjects Per Year
If you're going through the four cycles with your children repeatedly, you should be able to hit each cycle three times before they graduate from high school. With this in mind, you can choose one or two subjects each year and do a deep dive into those subjects--knowing that you will come back to the cycle and will hit another subject at that point.
Some Cycles Have More Topics than Others
You will notice that some cycles have more topics than others. This is because some topics (like Biology) are broad and cover a lot, and may be repeated a couple of times. And, some topics line up naturally with other topics. Do not feel pressured to study every single topic! Choose your favorites and then choose to enjoy your time focusing on those topics.
Topics Offered in Every Cycle
There are a couple of topics offered every year: Creation Science, and also General Nature. Creation Science is about the God of the Universe creating the world, and this is a foundational subject for all children to learn. General Nature includes books with nature study that doesn't necessarily fit into one category, or isn't easily categorized.