“Mrs. Comstock believed that the student found in such a study a fresh, spontaneous interest which was lacking in formal textbook science, and the phenomenal success of her work seems to prove that she was right. Moreover, nature-study as Mrs. Constock conceived it was an aesthetic experience as well as a discipline. It was an opening of the eyes to the individuality, the ingenuity, the personality of each of the unnoticed lifeforms about us. It meant a broadening of intellectual outlook, an expansion of sympathy, a fuller life.”
Handbook of Nature Study Publisher’s Foreword 1939
Textbooks are lacking.
Nature study leads to an opening of the eyes and a fuller life.
Which would you pick for your children? I think there is no question that nature study is a door, or perhaps a window, through which our children can gain a view of a fuller life. They really see what is there and can make close connections between themselves and the physical world. This link with the physical world can actually build a foundation for a more spiritual person as well. (Romans 1:20, Hebrews 3:4)
High school is not the time to drop a living books approach to science and a nature study approach to awakening the curiosity and wonder of the world we live in. Our family continues our adventure with nature study using the Handbook of Nature written by Anna Botsford Comstock.
More Nature Study With The OHC
Starting in September there will be a fresh new series of Outdoor Hour Challenges that will post every Friday. These challenges will be doors and windows into your own backyard and neighborhood. I will be offering them in a brand new ebook to be released on September 5, 2011. The first of the new series of challenges will be posted on September 9, 2011. Each challenge will be clearly explained and can compliment your autumn nature study. The ebook will contain notebook pages for each challenge and a number of coloring pages as well. If you like having everything ahead of time or you have worked through the previous series of Autumn Series 2010 and are ready for some new challenges, you will be interested in the new ebook: More Nature Study With The OHC.
What About the Monthly Newsletter?
I will continue to write the OHC Newsletters each month and they will be filled with ideas and articles to support your family’s nature study. The newsletter activities will complement the new ebook ideas perfectly and you will still find lots of free goodies to offer in your nature study. These will continue to be posted on the first of each month.
What About the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival?
I have enjoyed having all the month’s nature study gathered in one place and I think it has been easier for participants as well. I will not be adding Mr. Linky to each challenge posted in the new series but you are welcome to enter as many of your nature study related posts to the carnival for an end of the month carnival. If you have any questions, please email me.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Yay! I’m so excited and so thankful that I Googled “handbook of nature study blog” a couple of years ago. Your work, Barb, has really helped our family tremendously! I don’t blog about what we do very often, and we don’t do as much as we should, but what we do get done as far as art, music, and nature study is largely due to your work here and at Art Harmony. Thank you so much!
Thank you for the comment. I have been struggling with the direction of the OHC and all of a sudden it just seemed right to proceed with a new fall series. Thanks for letting me know how excited you are.
Oh how exciting!!! A new season with new nature study ideas stretching out. Thank you for enriching our lives. It’s joy!
I echo the other moms. Your blog has been such an inspiration! I’m not outdoorsy by nature, but your ideas have given me direction and purpose and pushed me out-of-doors to see God’s beauty, which has brought healing to my soul. Thank you SO much. I’m looking forward to purchasing your e-book on 9/5; it’s on my calendar.
Thanks so much Tricia and Penelope….I am so glad that I have played a part in your gaining a good idea of what nature study should be and what the whole point of it is….getting to know our Grand Creator by observing his wisdom and qualities in his creation.
so excited to visiting you again Barb!
I’ve gone through post partum outdoor hour withdrawals.lol;-)
We are “planning” on doing the august challenge this weekend.
cant wait!!!
Amanda,
I have been watching your littlest one grow all summer…so glad you are going to join us again.
Welcome back.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’m looking forward to the high school nature study ebook. My 14 year old son still very much enjoys nature, but I’m having some difficulty figuring out where to take formal nature study as he gets older.
Kathy
Kathy,
I have been looking myself and just can’t find any that fit our family. The decision to include high school level notebook pages and suggestions is really shaping up.
Just a note: The book is still written for all ages but will include “Advanced Follow-Up” and “Upper Level” notebook pages as well.
I’m excited and can’t wait to see the Outdoor Hour Challenge for fall! — Kathy at http://www.needleandspade.com
Here is a clue to what I am working on today for the new ebook:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipmunk
I can’t wait to see the new challenges! These have been so wonderful for my two littles. Thank you so much. 🙂
Barb, I love the “Last Days of Summer” grid! When I was still teaching in the classroom, I used to “assign” this kind of activity for homework, as I worked in an urban district, and my kids didn’t go outside as much as I had as a child. Families loved it — they would all do the “homework” as a family!
I couldn’t get to the end of the form without smiling and sighing…
I haven’t visited in a bit. I’m reading this post and wondering if the new September 5th series and the e-book for High Schoolers is one and the same? I’m very interested in having something for my 2 seniors this year (they’ve studied all the ‘required sciences’ and REALLY need something ‘living’ rather than textbook. Is it the same? I noticed that the Sept 5th series said it was for all ages.
Ellen,
There is no “high school ebook” but rather I have included in the More Nature Study ebook additional suggestions for advanced students and notebooking pages for “upper level” research.
This is the first time I have tried to incorporate this into an ebook so we will see how it goes.