Has anyone used "Handbook of Nature Study?"

[Handsomesmomma]

It is a Charlotte Mason based book and looks fabulous!
I was thinking of picking it up and wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts on it.


Ann-Marie

[dotnetdiva]

You can get it free online so you can start reading it now. It was written way back in 1911, so it's free online.

However, this is a book you'd want to have on hand in physical form. It is like an encyclopedia for the natural world.

I just started reading it myself. It is not something you can read in one week though.

Then, head on over to the related blog and do the Outdoor Hour challenges. It takes the book and offers little challenges for your family to do. We'll be starting this soon.
http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/
Get Started:
http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspo...t-started.html

[MyLittleWonders]

I was going to say everything Angela already said. I have decided to use the on-line version. I printed out the first section that is references in the "get started" challenges, and I think I will print out the bird section. In the long run, it might be more expensive, but since I told dh I'd stop ordering from Amazon for now, it's easier.

[momtomine]

we are using this right now! i think it is really cool. it is more like a "teachers edition" type of book. i read the little unit, and then i use the ideas the book gives to teach it to my daughter. it is very intensive, and our curriculum actually recommends using it through the 6th grade. (we are in first right now) so we will be doing birds first. im not sure how much more we will get through in a year. birds might take all year.

[MyLittleWonders]

So, I take back my idea of printing it a bit at a time as needed. I didn't mind printing the first introductory section, but I went to check the bird section and it was about 125 pages!!! So, dh was like, "Maybe that's not such a good idea." I have the intro section in page protectors in a binder with the first 10 challenges from the blog Angela linked above plus a couple master copies of nature pages for their notebooks, but I think I'll go ahead and buy the book.

[MeadowSong_]

We just did our first official nature study last week and the kids loved it. : Plan on doing it every week from now on, so easy. They have been asking when our next Nature Study will be haha. I blogged about it here

http://onebusymama-erica.blogspot.co...ure-study.html

I have not read the book, just glanced through the online form and really agree about wanting to have a copy of my own. Full of great information.

We also plan to follow along with the blog that goes along with it. She is starting up new challenges the week of the 18th, I believe. So it will be a great way to learn more about it and to get used to the process.

[mangopassion]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

I was going to say everything Angela already said. I have decided to use the on-line version. I printed out the first section that is references in the "get started" challenges, and I think I will print out the bird section. In the long run, it might be more expensive, but since I told dh I'd stop ordering from Amazon for now, it's easier.

Yes, thanks Angela for your post! I was going to respond with the same thing, but I think you said it much better than I ever could have.

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

So, I take back my idea of printing it a bit at a time as needed. I didn't mind printing the first introductory section, but I went to check the bird section and it was about 125 pages!!! So, dh was like, "Maybe that's not such a good idea." I have the intro section in page protectors in a binder with the first 10 challenges from the blog Angela linked above plus a couple master copies of nature pages for their notebooks, but I think I'll go ahead and buy the book.

And thanks for this, too! I was planning on using the online version to save a little money, but it doesn't sound like I will actually be saving money. So I guess I'll just purchase it too!

You know... we should have a support thread of sorts to track our progress with The Outdoor Hour blog and this book. Or we can make that a "blog challenge" once a week for us bloggers... as I think everyone on this thread so far has a blog, right? That would be fun! But I don't have the book in hand yet. I'll probably be ordering it from Amazon this week, though.

[MyLittleWonders]

I like the idea of making it part of the blog challenge.

[crunchy_mama]

We just started this as well, last week. It is certainly on my wish list to buy!! I hate reading books online. We are having a very busy week this week, one day going to an actual nature preserve, so not sure if we will get our actual nature study in- I haven't looked at this weeks challenge, but hope to resume next week when life is more normal.

[momofmine]

Thank you SO much for this. I would like to set aside time one day each week and do the outdoor hour challenges. I think we might start at the beginning though, with challenge 1, and just work our way through, since we haven't done the book before.

Thanks for sharing this. I have been wanting to read more about Charlotte Mason-based learning, I really like what I know of it so far, but this seems like ane asy way to get into it.

[Keeta]

Originally Posted by momofmine

Thank you SO much for this. I would like to set aside time one day each week and do the outdoor hour challenges. I think we might start at the beginning though, with challenge 1, and just work our way through, since we haven't done the book before.

Thanks for sharing this. I have been wanting to read more about Charlotte Mason-based learning, I really like what I know of it so far, but this seems like ane asy way to get into it.

Me too! It seems really cool so far. I think we'll start from the beginning and work our way through, too (at least for a little while).

[MyLittleWonders]

I want to do challenges 1-10, and then go from there. Are the others "grouped" in chunks of like topics (like a group of challenges all dealing with, say, trees)? I need to look around more on the blog as I just have focused on the first 10. I'm going to order the book today (and an Audubon Field Guide of birds for our half of the US). I told dh that I wanted to slowly collect the Audubon guides.

[AngelBee]

Been thinking a lot about doing this.

[MyLittleWonders]

I got notification yesterday that my book is in the mail from Amazon along with an Audubon field guide of Western US birds.

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

I got notification yesterday that my book is in the mail from Amazon along with an Audubon field guide of Western US birds.

[Handsomesmomma]

I bought it too and got it yesterday. It looks great. It was on sale at Amazon.

[dotnetdiva]

Should we as an MDC group tackle the Outdoor Challenges together, or would that be too difficult?

[MyLittleWonders]

Sounds good to me.

[Handsomesmomma]

Oh I like that!

[rainbowmoon]

This looks wonderful!