CM Carnival #1 – Nature Study in the Upper Levels

Nature Study in the Upper Levels

I have felt somewhat inadequate for the job of teaching my two older boys, age 16 and 15, Nature Study.  They love the outdoors but just to walk outside with their sketch books to draw something of my choosing has not been that exciting to them. 

Since reading about Charlotte Mason many years ago, I was inspired to give my kids a love of nature.  There is so much to learn about and see and yet I knew nothing.  I bought field guides to have on hand and when a new bird would show up in our yard, I would make a point to express my interest.  I’d get the bird book and I’d try to identify it.  (which to me is not as easy as it sounds)  Because of this it sparked an interest in them for God’s creation and now (not always) they’ll research it on their own.  It has been exciting to watch this develop in their lives.

I think that as they get older they want to have more freedom to choose to focus on what they really enjoy.  So, I have been thinking about this.  Yes, I want them to know the names of flowers, birds, etc.  But these are not the only things that they can learn about.  (All of you probably know this already, but count me as a little thickheaded sometimes!)

Here is an excerpt from page 219 of "A Philosophy of Education" by Miss Mason.

 They are expected to do a great deal of out-of-door work in which they are assisted by The Changing Year, admirable month by month studies of what is to be seen out-of-doors. They keep records and drawings in a Nature Note Book and make special studies of their own for the particular season with drawings and notes.  (emphasis mine)

Here is one way my son has recently been doing his own special study without any suggestions from me and not even considering it as a separate subject called Nature Study. 

For about a month my 16yo went scouting for antelope (the fastest mammal in North America).  He would get up early in the morning, about 4:30a.m., and drive 45 minutes to an area where the antelope were located. 

He took the camera and was able to snap LOTS of wildlife shots.  He saw javelina, coyote, antelope buck and doe, fawn and even a Mojave rattlesnake that he came within a few feet of (one of the most dangerous, poisonous snakes in the United States).  He loves every minute he’s out there.  He did not take his sketchbook with him but I think it would be excellent for him to draw each animal he’s found and record some facts about that animal.

My second son is 15 and loves the outdoors too.  He spends a lot of time in his garden that he planted this year.  He’s learned about pollination (has watched the bees in the flowers), good and bad insects, and has seen beautiful butterflies drop by for a bit of nectar.

Just this past Saturday he spent most of the day in his garden watching insects.  He was so excited about all the things he’d seen, telling me how a fly had landed on a flower and a crab spider had nabbed him and telling me about other life and death situations in the insect world. 

He said, "I never knew there was so much out there.  I didn’t even cover the whole garden, just a few plants."

He identified several insects which I can’t remember.

To further this experience, he is going to sketch any or all of the following:  bees, insects and butterflies in his Nature Journal along with their common and scientific names.

I like this way of nature study because it is not so contrived as when I’ve tried to introduce different topics to them.

These thoughts are just my own little humble musings as I think about how to implement Nature Study with older children.    I trust that they’re a help to someone else.