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Science can be simple or
complex, depending upon the approach that you take to this subject. God’s
creation is so vast that even the brightest of intellectual minds cannot
comprehend His handiwork. You are probably thinking, “How can I possibly
teach this?” Getting your children outdoors daily exposes them to nature.
Encourage them to discover God’s handiwork and teach them to become more
observant. Below is an acrostic that explains how to proceed:
In this acrostic, you can
see that I have emphasized reading. Reading is the key to this
literature-based curriculum.
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Take a nature walk at least once a week.
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Read biographies of scientists.
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Read nature and science books.
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Keep field guides and nature handbooks available (for sketching
and labeling specimens).
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Spend time outdoors everyday (at least 15-20 minutes). When
outside, encourage your children to observe all that surrounds
them. Send them out to go see what they can see and then to come
back to narrate (describe) what they have observed.
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Catch insects and observe their behavior (as a pet in a jar), be
sure to use your field guides to catalog your specimen.
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Start a collection by gathering samples of plants and insects,
or if you prefer, draw sketches instead. Be sure to label all of
your specimens with both the English and Latin names. Also,
document the dates and places of each specimen.
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Collect flowers from your yard or a park. Place them gently in a
plastic bag or basket. At home, put the flowers between two
pieces of wax paper and place heavy books on top.
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Start a nature notebook. Include sections such as weather
calendars, sketches, journal, narrations, copy-work,
information, observations, experiments, and a log (with a record
of observation), etc.
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Study any given science subject, for instance, trees.
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Observe the animals in your own backyard. (*As a fun project,
make a bird feeder to encourage birds to come to your yard).
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Have an outdoor tea party or picnic at a nearby park. If the
weather is rainy or cold, have a car picnic and then afterwards
go for a walk in the park.
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Begin a timeline, and fill in all of the relevant data and
information about this time period.
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I would suggest Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, by Dennis
R. Petersen as a very valuable resource to this unit study. This book
provides information on early earth, evolution, original man, and
ancient civilization.
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