Nature Study
updated March 31, 2023
Recorded here is my own personal collection of articles, resources, favorite links, teaching ideas, and lesson plans. It encompasses many years, from the very beginning of my experience studying and learning about Waldorf to the present time. People from all around the world visit my site and recommend it to others. Welcome!
This site records my journey. I hope my honesty is encouraging and helps break down some barriers that may prevent people from trying Waldorf methods. Because this is an ongoing site documenting my curriculum planning and ideas, some materials are more Waldorf-y than others. Please feel free to take what you like and leave the rest.
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Nature Study
for Bridge and Class 1/2
As I write this, in January 2020, I have been mulling over the question of
school for Zac, who will be six in May.
As he gets closer to six he is really interested in school in a more serious way but I know he is still too young for reading and math.
So we are in the "Bridge" time, and we are just reading lots and lots of books about all kinds of things.
One of the things I was looking at as more academic-y but still gentle and not too much is Exploring Nature with Children which is a Charlotte Mason-inspired nature study year long plan.
It is meant to be done for several years, so you would do the same topics when you came round again in first and second grade, but reading more challenging books about it.
There is also
plenty of optional additional support for this curriculum available through Facebook and Instagram for families.
Kristen Lindsay @magichomeschoolbus puts
together free supplemental packets with more activity and book ideas for each week's theme, which you
can
sign up to receive. And there's also a FB group where people share what they are doing with their kids, and since everyone is always on the same week at the same time, regardless of the age of their child, it's pretty helpful to hear everyone else's ideas and suggestions.
It is so interesting to me now to look back over this Waldorf Curriculum website. Since I have been working on collecting my notes here since 2005 it
is a project with no end, and -- as new resources are created and old resources fade away -- there are always
new things to suggest.
So, currently,
to use as a Bridge curriculum or for Nature study in grades 1 & 2, I recommend the Charlotte Mason-inspired
Exploring Nature with Children curriculum.
It is a downloadable PDF which you can choose to print or not, and the cost is just $18.00.
An optional companion book is Anna Botsford Comstock's
Handbook of Nature Study, which is also useful
for multiple years.
Handbook of Nature Study
by Anna Botsford Comstock
And, of course, Nature Study doesn't end when you complete Second Grade! A love of Nature stays as a continuing thread
throughout all of Waldorf education.
Becca, age 11
with the Parts of the Biome jars from Waseca Biomes
the lovely Weather Tree (PDF)
from All Year Round
Pro-tip: If you forget to color in the leaves of your weather tree, here's a website with past weather data!
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/carbondale/historic?month=3&year=2023
Nature Study - February Notes
Candlemas
Earthworms
Evergreens
A Field Trip
Nature Study - March Notes
Nature Study - April Notes
Spring Tree Study
Plant Life Cycle
Wildflowers
Grasses
Nature Study - May Notes
June - Week 1
A Museum Visit, p.180
June - Week 2
Honeybees, p.184
June - Week 3
Blossoms, p.189
June - Week 4
The Summer Solstice, p.193
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