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Handbook of Nature Study
A review
by Louise
I have been debating about buying this for over a year and have just
borrowed it to have a really good look (thanks Pam).
Mostly I hear people who have it say they really like it and others have
said they felt too much was not relevant especially considering it is
expensive. I have decided to buy it (and that was really clearly confirmed
when I saw my dh's enthusiasm. He said it is definitely a book he would like
to own and marvelled at the breadth the subject matter and how it was
handled. Quite a compliment from an editor and detail man.)
The book is large and contains the following sections:
*The teaching of nature study (Lots of goodies in here I suspect.)
*Animals-birds
fish
-mammals
amphibians
reptiles
insects -of the fields
-of the brook and pond
invertebrates eg snails,
*Plants
How to begin studying them and how they are named etc
wildflower
weeds- many the same as ours
Garden flowers-many the same as ours
cultivated crop plants-again the same as we use
trees tree parts, how they grow, and includes willows, pines, apple
trees oaks
flowerless plants -includes ferns and mushrooms and bacteria and mosses
etc
*The brook
*rocks and minerals
*the magnet
*climate and weather
*water forms
*the soil
*the skies -this is going to be rather different because the constellations
are different int he northern hemisphere but there is some info worth
reading.
Although there are many creatures that exist in the US only, there are also
references to many are relevant to us here eg domestic animals, bees,
crayfish, earthworms, mosquitoes, dragonflies, crickets, cockroaches,
silverfish, frogs, toads etc etc. More than enough to keep us busy and
learning richly for quite a while. There may be some species differences but
the differences are minor. eg the way a particular butterfly might behave or
live is different but the principles of what *makes* it a butterfly and why
it is an insect and how it's parts fit together etc are going to be the
same. Any differences can be used to awaken the child's powers of
observation by asking them to observe how a butterfly in your back yard
behaves differently to the one in the book.
Each section of information starts with a short essay filled with
information about the topic.
eg "the toad
The song of a toad is a pleasant crooning sound a sort of guttural trill; it
is made when the throat is puffed out almost globular, thus forming a vocal
sac; the sound is made by the air drawn in at the nostrils and passed back
and forth from the lungs to the mouth over the vocal chords, the puffed out
throat acting as a resonator. (Comment from Louise: for science studies a
brief side trip to learn about resonators and how that works in musical
instruments would be interesting. also what other ways are resonators used
eg hi fi speakers.)
The toad has no ribs by which to inflate the chest, and thus draw air into
the lungs, as we do when we breathe; it is obliged to swallow the air
instead and thus force it into the lungs. This movement is shown in the
constant pulsation, in and out, of the membrane of the throat."
Then there is a section with one or more lessons which contain activities to
learn by observation.
eg in the toad section
The tadpole aquarium
Leading thought
The children should understand how to make the tadpoles comfortable and thus
be able to rear them.
then follows instruction on gathering tadpoles and how to set up a tadpole
aquarium-very detailed information and much better conditions than I set up
as a child when I reared tadpoles for fun. Incidentally, there is a big
problem in our ecosystems because frogs are dying out and anything you can
do to raise frogs and reintroduce them to the local streams and ponds would
be very useful to help maintain the environment. There are lots of *frog*
enthusiast groups around who can advise you on how to do this and what frogs
are natural for your area. Another really meaningful project with great
potential for real life problem solving and learning?
One of the strengths of the book for non-scientist teachers (HS parents) is
that the lessons include questions to ask. I have come to realise that one
of the stumbling blocks for HS parents and primary teachers is their
feelings that they need to know the answers to children's questions. This is
not real science.
A real scientist has to develop powers of observation and the ability to
make up a theory to fit what they observe. Their job involves exploring
unknown territory and NOT knowing the answer but coming up with new ways of
seeing and thinking about what they see. About making conclusions and then
using this to make up new theories and then finding ways to test and observe
again. There is a large element of uncertainty and they have to get
comfortable with NOT *knowing* the answers.
If we teach children that science is knowledge, we do them a great
disservice and neglect their greatest strengths ie the spirit of inquiry
and freshness of vision that comes from not knowing much. THAT is why the
greatest discoveries of our world are made by young men and women who know
too little to be hindered by thinking "that does not fit what we already
know" and then discarding it without thinking deeper and learning to discard
the previous knowledge. eg Watson and Crick were young and did some of their
most ground breaking hypothesising over a beer in the pub. And we ended up
*knowing* the structure of DNA and how it works.
Back to the book. I have also come to realise that, for the mentor of young
folk, some knowledge is very useful if you are to guide their thinking and
powers of observation in areas where we do have a great deal of knowledge.
Yes I know this seems to contradict what I just said but there is a role for
reviewing and using the knowledge already gained. For me this is
comparatively easy because I have studied science in a degree that gave a
very broad based science education. A little bit of many things and not a
lot of any one thing; an Agriculture degree(which leaves lots of scope for
learning alongside my children. There is so much I DON"T know). That gave me
a broad base of knowledge on which to build and I guess is the equivalent of
a *liberal education* in science. (Isn't God amazing how He knows JUST what
we need to do to fulfil the roles He has set down for us. Ag was not my
first choice, but it probably has led me into a much *richer* life than my
original choice would have).
It also allows me to ask questions that prompt my child to observe RATHER
than give him answers. The HBONS book does the same thing IMO by giving
lists of questions to ask a child during their suggested activity.
eg Lesson 45 on the toad
Leading thought
The toad is coloured so it resembles the soils and thus often escapes the
observations of its enemies. It lives in damp places and eats insects,
usually hunting them at night. It has powerful hind legs and is a vigorous
jumper.
Then there is info on how to set up a moss garden in a jar to observe a
toad.
Questions
1. describe the general colour of the toad above and below. HOw does the
toads back look? Of what use are the warts on its back?
2. Where is the toad usually found? Does it feel warm or cold to the
touch? Is it slimy or dry? The toad is a cold blooded animal; what does that
mean?
3. Describe the eyes of he toad and explain how their situation is of
special advantage to the toad. Do you think it can see in front and behind
and above all at the same time. Does the bulge of the eyes help this. Note
the shape and the colour of the pupil and iris. How doe the toad wink?
And so on. There are 15 blocks of questions right through to how they are of
use to farmers. Each could be an independent project for older children.
I have no real sense of how easy or hard this seems to you folk to answer
these questions. I feel there is enough information to draw the attention of
the child and for them to practice making conclusions from what they see eg
the toad eye ones. There are hints but it is up to the child to discover
this themselves and to think about what they see. And enough to prompt them
to seek information from other sources including finding *experts* in an
area. Questions that probably would not occur to me to ask because I have
never thought about them eg a toads eyes.
Some you will think obvious but many probably are not and I feel I will
learn many new ways if *seeing* the world and learn how to ask even more
questions. One of the joys of HS is that our dc CAN ask questions when they
come up instead of waiting till later like in a class of 30 and then
forgetting it or losing interest.
I hope this helps. Long!!!! but I hope it gives a clearer picture of the
book and helps you assess how useful it might be to you all. Oh and one more
thing. It recommends some books to help study the topic too. As the book is
very old many of the recommendations may not be available but I noticed that, for the horse, Wild animals I have known is mentioned. It is online and we
*LOVED* it. And there are poems too. And drawings and some black and white
photos.
Louise
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Many great men have put their beautiful
thoughts, not into books, or pictures, or buildings, but into musical
score, to be sung with the voice or played on instruments.
~Charlotte Mason
Let information hang upon a principle, be inspired by an idea.
~Charlotte Mason
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