Nature Studies

Nature Study Made Easy

This classic textbook is a lovely, literature-based collection of plant and nature study lessons and activities prepared for 10-12 yr olds, but easily adaptable for younger or older students. It includes Lessons on: how plants grow, seeds, roots, herbs, trees, moss, flowering plants, ferns, mushrooms and more… with lovely poems and readings interspersed throughout.

This is a scanned PDF of the original vintage book, so it is best viewed on a computer.

To download this PDF ebook, RIGHT CLICK HERE then “save link” to your computer. Mac users, press the “control” key, then click the link and save to your Mac.

Nature Studies

Citizen Bird

This is a wonderful storybook from 1897 that tells the story of different types of birds in the United States, and how each species’ habits, character and behavior are unique. Their story is told in the setting of a farmhouse owned by an ornithologist (bird scientist) whose young niece and nephew come to visit him throughout the year. Their adventures and observations of the birds around them make this a fascinating and fun course in ornithology for old and young alike.

This ebook is heavily illustrated with 111 wonderful drawings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes (who did many of the illustrations for the Common Birds Coloring Book which we featured yesterday), detailing many species of birds, and illustrating the differences between them. Highly recommended for anyone who want to know more about our feathered friends. PDF ebook, 312 pages, illustrated

To download this PDF ebook, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save link” to your computer. Mac users, press the “control” key, then click the link and save to your mac.

Nature Studies

Natural Oddities – True Nature Cartoons

Natural Oddities: Volume THREE (PDF ebook)

Today we feature this THIRD great collection of these classic cartoons by Gus Mager depicting odd, unusual and sometimes just plain weird aspects of the flora and the fauna in the world around us — “Natural Oddities”. Strange but true facts about nature that fascinate young and old readers alike! Kids love this series… don’t miss it!

To download this PDF ebook, RIGHT CLICK HERE then “save link” to your computer. Mac users, press the “control” key then click the link and save to your mac

History, Nature Studies

Wizard of Science – George Washington Carver

Today we are featuring this fascinating vintage comic book biography of George Washington Carver (1860 – 1943).

Carver, the son of a slave, was an American botanist, environmentalist and inventor who actively promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. While a professor at Tuskegee Institute, he developed techniques to improve soils depleted by repeated plantings of cotton. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops, such as peanuts & sweet potatoes, both as a source of their own food and to improve their quality of life. In an era of very high racial polarization, his fame reached beyond the black community. He was widely recognized and praised in the white community for his many achievements and talents.

This seven page story was originally published in Negro Heroes #1 way back in 1944. The full comic book, along with thousands of other vintage public domain comic books,  can be found at the Digital Comic Museum website.

To download this PDF comic book story, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save link” to your computer. Mac users, press the “control” key, then click the link and save the PDF to your Mac.

Living Books, Nature Studies

The First Book of Water

The First Book of Water by Jo & Ernest Norling (PDF ebook) – Today’s resource is a volume in the “Giant Nature Library” series, this GREAT science picture book for young readers all about water – what it is, what it does, why it is so important for all life, and much more. There’s biology, meteorology geology, physics and a whole lot more bundled up in this very informative and wonderfully illustrated text. Again, highly recommended for your homeschooling library!

This is a scanned copy of the original book, and is best viewed on a computer.

To download this PDF ebook, RIGHT CLICK HERE then “save link” to your computer. Mac users, press the “control” key then click the link and save to your mac.

Nature Studies

The “Look About You” Nature Study Books – III

Here’s our final volume (for now) from the “Look About You” nature study series written by Thomas W. Hoare, an English nature study teacher in the early 1900s. These stories follow the activities of an uncle and his nieces and nephews as they explore the countryside and farm and really begin to pay attention to all the wonders of nature surrounding them. Each short chapter ends with some “hands on” experiment or activity for children, related to the topic. These books are exceptionally well done, are great for primary age nature study, and have great illustrations to boot. We highly recommend you check them out!

Again, the series introduction:

This little book should be used as a simple guide to the practical study of Nature rather than as a mere reader.

Every lesson herein set down has, during the author’s many years’ experience in teaching Nature Study, been taught by observation and practice again and again; and each time with satisfactory result. The materials required for the lessons are within everybody’s reach.

There is nothing that appeals to the heart of the ordinary child like living things, be they animal or vegetable, and there is no branch of education at the present day that bears, in the young mind, such excellent fruit as the study of the simple, living things around us.

Your child is nothing if not curious. He wants to understand everything that lives in his bright little world.

Nature Study involves so many ingenious little deductions, that the reasoning powers are almost constantly employed, and intelligence grows proportionately. The child’s powers of observation are stimulated, and his memory is cultivated in the way most pleasing to his inquiring nature. By drawing his specimens, no matter how roughly or rapidly, his eye is trained more thoroughly than any amount of enforced copying of stiff, uninteresting models of prisms, cones, etc., ever could train it.

The love of flowers and animals is one of the most commendable traits in the disposition of the wondering child, and ought to be encouraged above all others. A few lessons on Nature Phenomena are added.

It is the author’s fondest and most sanguine hope that his little pupils may study further the great book of Nature, whose broad pages are ever open to us, and whose silent answers to our manifold questions are never very difficult to read.

Today’s book is Volume 4, and topics covered are: Snowdrops – Crocus – Tulips – Daisies – Water Beetles – Life of a Trout – Silkworms – Birds
CLICK HERE

This book can be viewed and read online, or can be downloaded as kindle or epub ebooks.

Nature Studies

The “Look About You” Nature Study Books – II

Here’s another of the “Look About You” nature study series written by Thomas W. Hoare, an English nature study teacher in the early 1900s. These stories follow the activities of an uncle and his nieces and nephews as they explore the countryside and farm and really begin to pay attention to all the wonders of nature surrounding them. Each short chapter ends with some “hands on” experiment or activity for children, related to the topic. These books are exceptionally well done, are great for primary age nature study, and have great illustrations to boot. We highly recommend you check them out!

Today’s book is Volume 3, and topics include: Birds in Winter – Seed-Eaters & Insect-Eaters – Baby Plants – Tadpoles – and Frogs

CLICK HERE

this book is available in HTML format to read online, or it can be downloaded as an epub or kindle ebook!

 

Nature Studies

The “Look About You” Nature Study Books – I

This week, we’re sharing a few volumes from the “Look About You” nature study series written by Thomas W. Hoare, an English nature study teacher in the early 1900s. These stories follow the activities of an uncle and his nieces and nephews as they explore the countryside and farm and really begin to pay attention to all the wonders of nature surrounding them. Each short chapter ends with some “hands on” experiment or activity for children, related to the topic. These books are exceptionally well done, are great for primary age nature study, and have great illustrations to boot. We highly recommend you check them out!

From the series introduction:

This little book should be used as a simple guide to the practical study of Nature rather than as a mere reader.

Every lesson herein set down has, during the author’s many years’ experience in teaching Nature Study, been taught by observation and practice again and again; and each time with satisfactory result. The materials required for the lessons are within everybody’s reach.

There is nothing that appeals to the heart of the ordinary child like living things, be they animal or vegetable, and there is no branch of education at the present day that bears, in the young mind, such excellent fruit as the study of the simple, living things around us.

Your child is nothing if not curious. He wants to understand everything that lives in his bright little world.

Nature Study involves so many ingenious little deductions, that the reasoning powers are almost constantly employed, and intelligence grows proportionately. The child’s powers of observation are stimulated, and his memory is cultivated in the way most pleasing to his inquiring nature. By drawing his specimens, no matter how roughly or rapidly, his eye is trained more thoroughly than any amount of enforced copying of stiff, uninteresting models of prisms, cones, etc., ever could train it.

The love of flowers and animals is one of the most commendable traits in the disposition of the wondering child, and ought to be encouraged above all others. A few lessons on Nature Phenomena are added.

It is the author’s fondest and most sanguine hope that his little pupils may study further the great book of Nature, whose broad pages are ever open to us, and whose silent answers to our manifold questions are never very difficult to read.

Today’s book is Volume 2. Topics include:  Sowing Seeds – the Life of a Plant – Country Walks – Rabbits – Gulls – Spiders – Ants – and Grasshoppers.
CLICK HERE

This book can be viewed and read online, or can be downloaded as kindle or epub ebooks.

Arts & Crafts, Nature Studies

The Common Birds coloring book

The Common Birds Coloring Book from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology contains terrific line drawings of over 50 common feeder birds. You can download the coloring book and print out pages as you need them, and let your students color the images using a field guide. There are also identification questions on each page to help your students learn to spot these birds in the field.

Most of the pictures in this coloring book were drawn by the noted bird artist and ornithologist, Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1872-1927). Fuertes, a native of Ithaca, New York and a Cornell University graduate, is known for his realistic bird art. Look for his signature initials: L. A. F. The other drawings are by William Montagna, signature initials: W. M. All are gorgeous!

To download the PDF coloring book, CLICK HERE

Arts & Crafts, Just for Fun, Nature Studies, Physics, Science

Projects, Experiments & Hands-On Fun

TheHappyHousewife.com has a great collection of almost 100 hands-on projects, crafts and experiments especially for homeschoolers, on all sorts of interesting topics, including:

Turkey Feather Science
Testing for Starch
Milk Fireworks
The Physics of the Trapeze
Fun Ways to Improve Writing Skills
Buoyancy Experiments
…and dozens more.

CLICK HERE Take a look and browse through the collection yourself!