Handbook of Nature Study

Another book which you may find useful is Handbook of Nature Study. Although this book does not inspire one in the area of drawing, it is useful to guide the teacher to guide discussions and to encourage the observer to note specific details.
It covers

• Teaching Nature Study,
• Animals (general and specific North American animals)- birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects, insects of the fields, and insects of the brook and pond, invertebrate animals other than insects;
• Plants - wildflowers, weeds, garden flowers, cultivated crops; trees; flowerless plants;
• Earth and Sky - the brook; Rocks and minerals; The Soil; The Magnet; Climate and Weather; Water forms; The Skies.

The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock was written in 1911 and revised in 1939. Of course there have been new discoveries since that time that aid us in the study of nature and the skies,but her love of nature is not bounded by time and place. She quotes from poets, includes stories for the teacher's benefit (but I have used this to read aloud to my children) and includes a Leading Thought, Method and Observations for each lesson.

There are hundreds of lessons. Although some species will only be endemic to where she lives, there are enough lessons and ideas to help anyone study nature in their location. There are house flies, ants, bees, mice all over the world. One way to use this book is to plan a study on a classification of animal (for example) for a period of time, using the books lessons as a guide to develop questions and to help your children observe with a keen eye. You can also use this book to explore whatever comes into your home and life in nature walks. Bring the specimen home (if possible) and learn more about it, using this guide. Of course, you will not always find the exact specimen in the book, but you may still from the examples and descriptions of behaviour of similar animals. Otherwise, its a trip to the local library, or Natural History Museum.

(For those in Sydney, the Explore and Discover section of the Australian Museum is an excellent place to help you and your children identify bugs and bones and whatever else.)

Handbook of Nature Study By Anna Botsford Comstock / Cornell University Press Witness the wonders of God's creation with naturalist Comstock as your guide! From dandelions, toads, and fireflies, to robins, rocks, and weather, she takes you on a lively trek through the natural world, vividly describing the habits, habitats, and physical structures of common living and nonliving things. Includes study questions and black-and-white photographs. 887 pages, softcover from Cornell University.

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