By working alongside your homeschooler, you are teaching her by example.
Watching your child blossom as she learns on a daily basis is one of the greatest rewards of home-school. Natural science is the study of the world through nature, such as animals, plants and geography, rather than math, social sciences or philosophy. Using simple science experiments allows her to expand her interests and ideas. As she learns grow a garden, for example, she is learning about patience, ecology and the life cycle of plants.
Nature Journals
Using a nature journal, your homeschooler becomes interactive with the natural world. Go on a camping trip to immerse him in outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing and birdwatching, as he begins his journal. Tips for entries are to assign topics or focus points, such as identification of trees or wildlife, to provide guidelines for this project. Use the local library, fictional literature and history books to expand upon the ideas developed through the journal entries. Develop lessons in ecology, geology, history and math that are related to his journal. Include an expandable folder with the journal for collecting flowers, leaves or other materials that can be used for an art project.
Raising Butterflies
Raising butterflies is an exciting project for a home-school student to learn about the life cycle and ecology. Start by collecting caterpillars in the wild and identifying them so she can learn what kind of butterfly the caterpillar will become, feed it and the length of the life cycle. If you cannot find a caterpillar on your own, you can ask local scientist or science teacher for assistance. Make your caterpillar a home using plant material that is native to the species and when the butterfly is hatched, release it into a nearby flower patch. She can document the life cycle using photography as well as paintings or drawings of the various stages including the caterpillar, cocoon and butterfly.
Growing Sprouts
Teaching your home-school student about growing plants is a practice in persistence as well as a way to get him to try new foods. Growing sprouts from beans, seeds or peas, either from seeds sold especially for sprouting or barley or lentils, requires a quart jar, nylon stocking, rubber band and warm water. Add 1/2 cup of lentils or 1/4 cup peas, seeds or beans into a quart jar. Cover with the stocking and secure with the rubber band. Fill jar with room temperature water and let soak overnight. The following day drain the water and rinse thoroughly. Set the jar in a warm, dark area and wait for three to five days to see sprouts. Place the jar with sprouts in a window sill or sunny home so they can collect chlorophyll and turn green. Eat immediately or store in a plastic bag for two weeks in the refrigerator.
Tags: life cycle, home-school student, rubber band, your homeschooler
