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~*~ WHO? ~*~
~Who’s writing today?
~Whose Kid is That? Introduction by ~Kit

~*~ WHAT? ~*~
~So…Are We Unschooling? By Christine Jones
~Unschooled a reply by ~Kit, with Bible Verses

~*~ WHEN? HOW? ~*~
~Fearless High School Science By Teresa Bondora-Revere

~*~ WHERE? ~*~
~ Science in the News and on the ‘Net
~ Links to more Links

~*~ ENJOYABLE SCIENCE BOOK LIST ~*~

~*~ DISCUSSION LIST LINK ~*~

Who’s writing today?

This issue has some serious SCIENCE! questions and answers. It's long and might be something to pick up and set down again, not likely to be read in one sitting. A real e-zine, with meaty articles, things you may want to put in your virtual toolbox and use for many years to come.

I’m your editor, “Kit” Ward. Faith-wise, I’m one of “the older women” with grown kids. I started helping others homeschool around 1980, with my first-born on my hip. Later I went to university so I could feel qualified to homeschool, (ok, overachiever syndrome, a bit insecure, eh?) and to help a church’s little school. I’m passionate about homeschooling, truth, and freedom. I park my virtual bicycle on the internet at www.TeacherMom.com.

Christine Jones has three young children. Like so many of us, she was independently, prayerfully led to flexibility and creativity in her homeschooling, and later heard of, “unschooling” and other people doing this, too!

Teresa Bondora-Revere taught public school science for eight years. She quit in 2001 to become a homeschooler/unschooler to her two children. She resides in Mobile, Alabama where she is currently working on How To Teach Your Child Science and many science products for children. You can visit her online at www.SteelCreek.com

Teresa will also be guest speaker at the 2004 Pensacola Home Education Conference and Curriculum Sale this weekend -- June 11th & 12th, 2004. It will be at the Pensacola, Florida, Interstate Fairgrounds EXPO Hall. http://www.pheccs.com

Susan McGlohn is a mother of three who has been home educating in Virginia for over ten years. She writes regularly for her statewide VHEA Newsletter and contributes to many internet groups. Her short URL: http://tinyurl.com/33eqt.

Introduction - Whose Kid is That?

The little girl scooted off, grabbing things, and asking question after question. Her mom chased, the dad grimaced, and I grinned.

The parents were trying to focus! The curly-haired youngster was not only distracting, but embarrassing. Though exasperated, they were gentle as they reined in the five-year-old’s attentions once more. The conundrum was evident as they fulfilled their social obligations to the rest of us, hurrying to complete their shopping. The strangers at the yard sale moved aside automatically as Shirley Temple bumped legs and purchases trying to get back to, this time, the kitten. She’d already been retrieved from the dahlias, a tree, the Koi pond, and the next-door-neighbor’s rock garden.

“Raising a little scientist, I see?” I interrupted, softly. Both parents looked up, slightly startled. They stared at me briefly, silently, then burst forth simultaneously.

“Yes!” said the father, relief evident. (How wonderful, the lady didn’t complain.)

“She already told me she wants to be a doctor!” Mom spoke in the hurried shorthand of a parent who has adapted to frequent unfinished conversations. She was clearly astonished, but her tense shoulders settled a full inch and her voice, speaking again to the child, seemed to have lost its insecurity. Ahhh, peace.

How did I know?

She was investigating, inquiring, experiencing. It came naturally, unstoppably.

Blessings on you and your little (and big) scientists today. I’ve brought you some treasures just as I used to bring home pretty rocks. Oh, wait -- I’m still doing that.

~Kit~ ~June 7, 2004 ~

~by Christine Jones

I had already chucked the curriculum and was "doing my own thing", albeit amid all kinds of misgivings and feelings of total failure, before I found out there was even a term "unschooling" (much less that there was any information out there!).

My personal experience went kind of like this -- imagine shining faces, dancing eyes, bouncy steps, and hungry minds:
"When are we going to do school?"
"Can we do more?"
"Can we do this one?"
A gradual dimming and clouding and slowing happened, to "Aw, do we HAVE to ?" accompanied by dragging feet, to downright running away when the workbooks came out. I didn't think that all the nagging, crying, begging, fighting and general misery was very conducive to Christian family life (or any life, for that matter!).

So -- I just started living with them. I do have what I personally call an "olde-fashioned, classic Montessori-type" of set-up in the house, with little areas of "discovery", baskets in corners with different things in them, lots of paper and crayons, glue and scissors, books, musical instruments, games, etc, etc, etc. In the book that I read, that was basically how Maria Montessori set up her original classrooms. (My understanding is that the teachers originally were there only to help with what the child became interested in. This may not describe your local "Montessori" school any more, though.)

Is it messy? Yes! I DO have MANY "messes" to clean up. I DO have "science" experiments sitting all over the house (to the chagrin of dh, who is constantly asking if the salt growing experiment is over yet, and if the butterflies wouldn't be much happier if freed outside :)) But I make a list for myself (and dh) of all that is being learned in just this one activity/experiment/whatever. It's absolutely amazing what can be "learned" using a simple cardboard box! Sometimes I make suggestions or ask a question that expands an idea (sometimes not). Sometimes I put things where I know they'll see it, we go to the library, and we go on "field trips".

One day, my littlest (2 yo) was playing in the sink with water and soap bubbles and cups and such(again). I was a little bit tired from having cleaned up the mess (again) and dh saw it on my face (I didn't say anything). He said, with a twinkle in his eye, "You SAID it was all part of homeschooling!" Imagine my surprise when my 7 yo showed me a page of multiplication equations and asked for more! Or my 6 yo, showing me a "story" he wrote, and asking me to help him in the spelling. This was not happening before.

These are a few of the things we do. So, are we unschooling?

Unschooled ~by ~Kit

There is a reference in the Bible to “unschooled.”

The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met...
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that
they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and
they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since
they could see the man who had been healed standing there
with them, there was nothing they could say. Acts 4: 5-14 NIV

Peter and John were taught by the Lord in relationship, and with prayer. They accompanied him and learned from his example, as well as listening to his words; very much the “oral history” mode. They were regular guys! However, the fruits of their faith and their learning were evident. So, yeah -- I think you’re “unschooling” at your house! <> Here are a couple more Bible verses which relate to this relationship.

Dear children, let us not love with words
or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18 NIV

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead,
bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4 NIV

Christian Unschooling is love in action and in truth. It’s a very hands-on, yet gentle kind of parenting, sharing the learning lifestyle and learning together directly from the living Word. In this issue I hope you pick up a few new tools for your learning handyman’s (or handymom’s) toolbox. Just think of it as the hardware store!

~*~ WHEN? HOW? ~*~

by Teresa Bondora-Revere (copyright 2004)

I love science. In fact, I love it so much I spent eight years studying it in college, then 8 years teaching it to teenagers. I came home to teach my babies and now I teach other parents how to teach it, but not from Science LaLa Land. You know that place, where other science people live -- where everyone loves science and is great at it?

I’m not sure why, but I can see both sides of this issue. I understand that most people do not enjoy science. I’m sure some of you would tell me, “I’d rather not talk about science or even look at a Chemistry book.” Some, I’m sure, fit the “I think I’m having a panic attack over this” category.

So what to do if you find yourself facing this difficult subject and you’re looking at a teenager who needs your help? My first suggestion may catch you off guard. The real issue is not how to teach this to your teenager, but how to change your own attitude about it. Sounds off topic doesn’t it? But please, hear me out before you lay this paper on the floor to potty train your puppy.

Most of us had a very poor science experience growing up -- me included. There are many reasons for this. One is the way the books were dumbed down, leaving important things out as if we weren’t smart enough to understand them, using incorrect terminology and simplified facts. Another is the fact that the most basic content -- chemistry - isn’t taught until high school. Still another is that we don’t ever teach the science skills, things like thinking analytically and logically, lab skills, dealing with data and using the scientific method, to name a few. Because of this, it would only stand to reason that you may feel intimidated about this subject.

So I challenge you to re-think your situation. The brain you have now is not the same brain you took to high school or college! For many of you, your path through homeschooling has already shown you that you are perfectly capable of learning new material right along with your child. I do that too.

I believe that attitude about science and the ability to learn and do it are two different things. Science really isn’t hard. I hear you thinking, “She’s saying that because it comes easy to her.” Well, guess what -- it comes easy to everyone. Now stop arguing. Those of you who say you cannot do science, be honest, wasn’t that years ago when you tried? Weren’t you in school, and under considerable stress at the time, with exams, a bad teacher, fear, etc.?

The truth is, science really is easy. Unbelievably easy. It only looks hard, and intimidation is everything. So let’s add the arrogance and superior attitudes of science people and we’ve got quite a picture! But look past the long words, the diagrams, the lab coats. You’ll see that, like anything else, once you go through it step-by-step you find that it just keeps making sense. And you’ll wait for it to get hard. And you’ll keep plugging along and you’ll keep waiting for it to get hard. And then you’ll reach the end of the book and you’ll wonder if you got the right book.

Here’s an example. I’m writing a book. My editor is an English teacher. She’s in the panic-attack-over-science group, super phobic frightened just because it’s “science.” Wouldn’t you know it, she’d get stuck editing science material. One of the things she had to edit for me was a booklet I wrote about the periodic table, how it works, and how to teach it to your child. Going through the material, she worked her way along waiting for it to become so hard she’d have to quit. When she finished she asked me if this was the baby version of this material because it was easy. She said it made perfect sense but if she had to learn the “real” material she’d just die. When I told her no, that this is THE material about the periodic table and this is just how it works and how atoms look and how things bond, etc., a change happened in her at that moment. The silence said it all. The look on her face told me something deep had been affected.

I knew because when I taught my ADD and LD kids, I taught them chemistry without the book, and without telling them what I was doing. I taught it on a much higher level than their books; actually; I taught them the “real” deal. When we finished the material I told them, “We are now going to start chemistry. Please take out your books.” You should have heard the protests! I opened my book and said, “Oh wait, you already know chapter one. Oh, and well, skip chapter 2, you know that now too. Oh, and well, chapter 3 is out too.” As these kids, who’ve been beaten down by labels and the system, realized what they knew, some started to cry. Some looked dumbfounded. All were changed.

And that’s why I feel so driven to write about this. I feel so angry that the field I love so much, that I KNOW is easy, has done such a good job of alienating and intimidating people.

I was asked to write an article about how to teach your teenager science and I’m sure this is not what she meant for me to write. I hope you understand now that teaching your teenager science isn’t any different than what you’ve been doing all along. I hope you feel confident to choose a book and begin.

Let’s talk specifics for a minute. There are very important skills that your teen will need, that are not taught in schools or in textbooks but are specific to “doing” science. When I was a teacher, we’d complain about it all the time. At the high school level we did our best to get those skills in, but often, we just didn’t have time. These make the difference between someone who can DO science and those who struggle to get by. I list these skills and how to teach them all in my workshop materials on-line. I don’t mind sharing it here; it’s just a topic I cover in detail already in that format. There is time to teach these skills even if you feel rushed to “get on with it.”

If you are in the position of feeling like you urgently need to start actively teaching your teen science, please email me. I explain how to get the skills in and then how to have your child ready for college or career.

After teaching the skills, you will need to begin with chemistry. I go into why in the workshop. In a nutshell, chemistry is the basis for the other sciences. Many biological processes involve chemical reactions or electron movement that you’ll need to understand first.

After that, science is not linear. You know how math progresses and builds on each topic? Science is not like that. Science is web-like and interconnected. So jump on into any science your child wishes to learn after Chemistry. They’ll be ready. The choices are Physics, Biology, Earth Science; and I recommend also, Anatomy and Physiology. I don’t have a preference for any text or curriculum. I can say that most Homeschool curriculum is weak in the sciences. This has nothing to do with creation or evolution. It’s just weak and does not prepare our children for college or careers or exams. I am writing my own but it won’t be ready for a while, and will come out in phases.

My advice is to get a used high school text and two used college texts. You’ll find that the high school text is dumbed down and that your child is capable of more so you’ll need both levels of information.

Proceed as follows:

This sounds like a lot of work but if you and your child move through the information in this way, you’ll move rather quickly. You’ll be surprised at how few questions you have as you learn, especially if you’ve taken the time to give your child the science skills ahead of time. Those who have done this and later emailed me, have been very happy at the results. When I’ve inquired into their progress, later, they said it was much easier than they thought and that they were busy learning. And most of them were doing Physics and Chemistry. Most are just grateful to be able to give this to their children. More importantly I think they are grateful to give this to themselves. After all, homeschooling isn’t only about the lessons we give our children. Homeschooling is also about how we learn too. Homeschooling is about how we adjust and grow with them. It’s about how our children change us as they move through our lives.

If you find yourself in a place where a science concept becomes too difficult, have the faith to know that you are capable of moving through it. Just as you do with parenting difficulties, ask others for help. I think you will find that the more you trust your abilities, the more ability you will have. With each question and each resolution, you will grow. And when it’s done, you’ll have many new paths to follow including both the ones you’ve created for your children and the ones they will create for you!

~*~ HOW? WHY? ~*~
by Susan B. McGlohn (copyright 2002- 2004)

“Quoted from Laws of Thought by Archbishop Thompson:

Science teaches us to think. Not the everyday type of thinking, which we do constantly, but to put forth that "conscious effort of the mind". And nature study is to science what base-ten blocks are to math: concrete experience building towards abstract understanding. Correct reasoning power begins on nature study walks with Mother. By following our example, the child learns careful observation. Nature study provides hands-on experience, which is the basis for later abstract thinking.

The Rev. H.H. Moore, M.A., in an article in the Parent's Review states: "Two of the most vitally important faculties for the mental equipment both of young and old are intelligent observation and correct reasoning. The study of natural science furnishes the widest field and most efficient instruments for the exercise and development of these faculties." Thinking should be nurtured in the child by the types of questions asked, and by modeling given by the teacher. In a good science class the teacher trains the children to observe, to ask questions, and then to search out the answers for themselves. Scientific thinking is helpful to all who would aim to make wise decisions in life, not just those bent on scientific careers.

Science shows us the Mighty Work of God. The highest value of scientific training, unrecognized by schools today, which separate the Creator from the Created, is that science shows us the awesomeness of God as the Creator. By neglecting scientific training in our curriculum, we would be sending our children out into the world ill-equipped to participate in today’s technology-driven society. But by teaching our children scientific principles and methods, while also preparing their consciences, we will be affording them a balanced education as well as raising up men and women who will be able to serve God mightily and well.

Charlotte Mason quotes Mr. Holden, author of The Sciences, as saying, "(our) special aim is to stimulate observation and to excite a living and lasting interest in the world that lies about us" (Vol. 1, pg. 267). The goal is ever a higher good than merely an appreciation of nature and scientific training, but sane reasoning power assists in making morally sound choices. In the Parents Review article, "The Value of Scientific Training", Prof. J. Logan Lobley suggests that the habit of observation in the child leads to the development of "thought, consideration, deduction, and analytical and synthetical mental processes...As a direct consequence of this, a judicial habit of mind is fostered and developed with the obvious and most advantageous result that the spirit of mere partisanship is weakened and bigotry is killed". It is our Conscience and our Reason together that inform our Will, so strong reasoning skills help a child's conscience in choosing good over evil.

Science gives us delight in childhood and adulthood, in the field, in literary pursuits, and in work. Knowing the names and habits of flora and fauna makes them the child's friends. Season after season, each year the same friends will rise in the Spring to greet him. When he reads “Daffodowndilly” by A. A. Milne he will recognize an old friend of the garden, and feel a kinship with the author. It also provides the child with knowledge not just of nature but also of the workings of common things around him, so even while doing manual labor his mind can be happily employed to dwell on this knowledge. It provides a pleasant diversion while completing the tedious daily tasks of life.

How Charlotte Mason Felt Science Should Be Taught:

Charlotte Mason believed that education is a "science of relationships -- relationships with God, with each other, and with matter -- where the children learn to regard others with proper respect and to serve "an object outside of themselves" (Vol. 6, pg. 133). We must help our children enter fully into those three relationships and to learn to think scientifically. Charlotte Mason suggested that the parent’s most important role in teaching children to think scientifically is to "afford abundant and varied opportunities and to direct his observations so that, knowing little of the principles of scientific classification, he is, unconsciously, furnishing himself with the materials for such classification...the future of the man or woman depends largely on the store of knowledge gathered, and the habits of intelligent observation acquired, by the child" (vol. 1, pg. 265)

Charlotte Mason expected her students to engage in nature study throughout their lives, not just as preparation for the study of other sciences. She said, "The study of natural history and botany with bird lists and plant lists continues throughout school life, while other branches are taken term by term." [One essential resource for studying nature “the CM Way” is Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study. The Handbook is divided into many sections. Part I is an excellent "teacher's guide" to how to use this book and how to teach nature study in a systematic way. Part II is about the Animal Kingdom, and is divided into the different classifications contained therein. Under each classification is anywhere from 8 to 20 different lessons, some focusing on species, some focusing on a certain aspect of an animal (example: a bird's feathers or beak). Part III is the Plant Kingdom; Part IV is the Earth and Sky (solar system, weather, rocks and minerals, etc.).]

At the Thirty First Annual Conference of the P.N.E.U. the notes of a discussion led by A. T. L. Hickson, M.S. (Joint-Principal, Oldfeld School, Swanage) entitled "Science: Nature Study" were handed out. In these notes, the following breakdown for science instruction in the P.N.E.U. school for each Form (grade level of instruction) was given:

How Do We Apply Charlotte Mason’s Method’s Today?

Our parental responsibilities as facilitators of our children’s scientific education are two-fold.

First, we must supply abundant and varied opportunities to our children to build up their stores of real knowledge and increase their habits of observation by exposing their senses to God’s creation from an early age. Modern technology by way of the World Wide Web and television allows us to show our children places around the globe, and experience environments and cultures unattainable in Miss Mason’s time. But even these wonderful tools for learning do not replace getting outside and actually coming into physical contact with nature on a regular, consistent basis. Here is where the powers of observation and classification will be fine-tuned, as they learn to tell the difference between different types of flora and fauna by taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound.

Second, we must also train the children to use the tools they have at their disposal, their senses as well as lab tools, and train them in how to execute field and lab work, making assisted observation possible. We should encourage the children in their habits of inquiry and research by teaching them to take what they have observed and, with careful research and examination, draw conclusions and speculations, and then test these hypotheses as far as they are able. This is the essence of true scientific knowledge. One other aspect of this responsibility is to supply the students with the best tools we can afford, such as field guides, microscopes, notebooks, colored pencils, and even art instruction if necessary to help them take accurate notes and illustrations of their observations.

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~

Recently in the news I read of two people finding kitties which needed rescuing. We’ve all taught our kids not to pet the pretty, fluffy, black-n-white “kitties” with the bad smell, haven’t we? Of course! My brother once petted a woodchuck, which then sampled him, too, and it had to be caught to check for rabies.

This week’s news had a different twist. A lady found a strange housecat hit by a car and put it in her vehicle to take it to a vet. Fortunately for her, the head-injured bobcat didn’t wake up on the trip over. Last I heard the kitty was healing!

In the second, more recent article, a man wondered why he had to repeat the clean-up of fallen, broken tree branches in his yard. As he gathered them the second time, he glanced into the tree overhead -- and there, ten feet above -- was a 130-pound male cougar looking down! Needless to say, his neighbors scrambled to secure children and pets before assisting the wildlife service in its “rescue.”

Be careful, friends, it’s a “jungle” out there!

~Space.com
There has been a lot of fun for sky-watchers recently! Check it out!
http://www.space.com

~Experiment of the Week

Robert Krampf's Experiment of the Week comes to my e-mail box!
http://www.krampf.com

~Dinosaur Sighting in Active New Zealand Volcano?
This is quite a sight! I hope the news article is still up and that it’s daylight in NZ when you go for a look!
http://tinyurl.com/27s6o
http://tinyurl.com/39w4j

Many more links will soon be on my web page www.TeacherMom.com

They’d have been there already if my assistant webmaster’s best bud hadn’t shown up unannounced at 6:27 AM, inviting him along for the last day of his college classes. Susan, and my friend DW and I have prepared an awesome list-o-links for you, and it’s well worth checking tomorrow. (Too much for this newsletter.)

See also www.steelcreek.com/homeschoollinks.htmfor Teresa’s gr-r-reat list!

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~

The Lever and The Pulley by Hal Hellman

Mickey's Magnet
by Franklyn M Branley and Eleanor K. Vaughan
Pictures by Crockett Johnson

How Do You Lift a Lion?
by Robert E. Wells (fun illustrations)

Wheels At Work, by Bernie Zubrowski

Diary of an Early American Boy, by Eric Sloane.
It involves basic physics, a history of old handmade tools and a touching personal account of Noah Blake in the 1800s.

Science and the Bible, by Donald B. DeYoung
30 science demonstrations that illustrate the laws of nature as well as teach Bible principles and affirm God as Creator

Robots, What They Are, What They Do by Fredericka Berger

The Phone Book by MacLeod

The Way Things Work by David Macaulay.
Other titles by the same author:
City
Castle
Cathedral
Pyramid
Underground
Ship
Mill

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton

Amazing Impossible Erie Canal by Harness

Eureka! It's an Automobile, by Bendick

Archimedes and the Door of Science by Bendick

Rocket--How a Toy Launched the Space Age by Maurer

Story of Inventions by McHugh/Bachman

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

GEOLOGY / EARTH SCIENCE / ORIGIN OF EARTH

Madam How and Lady Why, by Charles Kingsley

Exploring Planet Earth, The Journey of Discovery,
from Early Civilization to Future Exploration,
by John Tiner.
(written for 5th-9th grade. It's got lots of maps and pictures and talks about exploration in a different way than most books. It mentions the Bible and the Creator in many ways and is a thoroughly Christian book.)

Mystery of the Ark
(Explorers climbing Mt. Ararat to look for the ark)

Mountain of Fire by Paul Thomsen

Volcanoes, by Seymour Simon

Banner in The Sky by Ramsey Ullman

The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
Probably jr. high and up, many science topics touched on, geology, physics, chemistry...

Birth of an Island by Millicent Selsam
(this fits under biological science, too)

Volcano by Patricia Lauber

Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation by Dennis Peterson

Yellow and Pink by William Steig (about the origin of life)

Dry Bones and Other Fossils by Parker (Creationist book)

Darwin's Black Box by Michael Behe
(heavy, advanced reading, could also be considered under biology)

The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons

To Space and Back by Sally Ride

Destination: Moon by Astronaut James Irwin
He tells about his awe inspiring trip to the moon and frankly discusses his strong faith in Christ

For Signs and For Seasons by Robert Messina

The Glow In The Dark Night Sky Book, by Clint Hatchett

I'll See You When the Moon Is Full by Susi Fowler
(phases of the moon)

Wait Til the Moon Is Full by Margaret Wise Brown

Find the Consellations by H.A. Rey

Our Solar System by Seymour Simon
(beautiful pictures of the planets and loads of information) This is secular.

Moonwalk (A "Step into Reading" book)

For All Mankind
(fascinating book about the Apollo missions)--includes personal "narrations" by many Apollo astronauts.

Astronomy and the Bible by Donald B. DeYoung
30 science demonstrations that illustrate the laws of nature as well as teach Bible principles and affirm God as Creator

The Weather Book by Michael Oard

Lightning by Seymour Simon

Hurry Spring by Sterling North

Scholastic's Wind and Weather is a neat "interactive" book

The Sun, Wind, and the Rain by Lisa Peters

Weather and the Bible by Donald B. DeYoung
30 science demonstrations that illustrate the laws of nature as well as teach Bible principles and affirm God as Creator"

Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll--a Let's Read and Find Out science book

Exploring Nature In Winter by Alan Cvancara.

Of Skies and Seas
The Rustling Grass
All Nature Sings
all by Joanne DeJonge--other titles as well

Dancer's in the Garden
and others by Joanne Ryder

This Year's Garden by Cynthia Rylant

Linnea's Windowsill Garden by Christina Bjork and Lena Anderson

Rosy's Garden by Laird

Shakespeare's Flowers
by Jessica Kerr and illustrated by Anne Ophelia Dowden.
The author takes a quote from Shakespeare that includes mention of a flower or herb and then tells all about the plant. The illustrations are just beautiful.

Wild Green Things in the City; A Book of Weeds
The Blossom on the Bough: A Book of Trees
by Anne Ophelia Dowden

Consider the Lilies; Plants of the Bible
by John Paterson and illustrated by Anne Ophelia Dowden.
Takes a scripture that mentions a plant and then tells all about the plant.

The Rose in My Garden by Arnold Lobel

The Oak by Andrienne Sutter-Perrot

Heidi by Joanna Spyri

It's The Apple Tree, by Lynley Dodd

What Tree Is It?
What Wildflower Is It?
and similar titles by Anna Pistorius

The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson

Tim Tadpole and the Great Bullfrog by Marjorie Flack.
A wonderful, sweet book explaining tapoles and frogs in a story manner.

Steven and the Green Turtle, by William Cromie (an I Can Read book)

Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell

The Sea Brings Forth
Time of the Turtle
and other titles by marine biologist Jack Rudloe
(for older children (?)--there are a few curse words).

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne
(combines well with a study of ocean life)

Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
(combine with a study of currents, etc...)

Pagoo by Holling C. Holling
(hermit crab, and other small sea life)
Other titles, as well, by the same author.

Jacques Costeau's Ocean World
(and other titles by the same author)

Picta the Painted Turtle, by Virginia Frances Voight

Lucky Ladybugs etc.,by Gladys Conklin

Secrets of a Wildlife Watcher by Jim Arnosky
(who has written many other nature books too)

A Handbook of Nature Study, by Anna Botsford Comstock

The View From the Oak, by Judith and Herbert Kohl.
This book is based on the science of ethology, the study of how an animal behaves within its habitat. It asks questions like: What do the flowers in a meadow look like to the bee? What does the world look like to a snake who "sees" by detecting minute temperature changes? What is it like to live in the water strider's two-dimensional world? It is beautifully written and illustrated w/pen and ink type drawings.

The Snail's Spell
and other titles, by Joanne Ryder

The Very Busy Spider
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
and other titles by Eric Carle

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

James Herriot's Treasury for Children

Wolves by Seymour Simon

Song of the Swallows by Leo Polloti

Big Red and other titles about dogs, by James Kjeldahl

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Seton Thompson

Julie of the Wolves
My Side of the Mountain
both by Jean Craighead George

Misty of Chincoteague
and other titles about horses by Marguerite Henry

Gentle Ben by Walt Morey

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Insects Do the Strangest Things
Animals Do the Strangest Things
(These are "Step Up" readers, at a 3rd grade reading level.)

Lad, A Dog by Alberts Payson Terhune

Linnea's Almanac, by Christina Bjork and Lena Anderson

If Animals Could Talk by Coleman

Wonderful Worms by Glaser

Freckles
Girl of the Limberlost
and other titles by Gene Stratton Porter

Slim Green (about a little snake--can't remember the author)

Books by Jim Arnosky--Many, many titles, including:
Nearer Nature,
Watching Foxes
Come out Muskrats,
Rabbits and Raindrops
Otters Under Water
All Night Near the Water.

Books by Millicent Selsam. I can't recommend this author too highly, although you have to screen some evolutionary content. Her books are written to children, and treat them as competent scientists, naturalists, and observers. No twaddle! If I had young children, this would be the first author I'd look for. She has many, many titles.

Some "I Can Read" titles include:
Tony's Birds
Benny's Animals
Let's Get Turtles
Egg to Chick
Seeds and More Seeds
Hidden Animals
Greg's Microscope
Terry and the Caterpillars
And more, in other formats!--
How to be a Nature Detective
How Animals Talk
How Plants Move, and many, many more

The Big Snow, by Berta and Elmer Hader (picture book)

The Year at Maple Hill Farm, by Alice and Martin Provensen

Ants are Fun by Mildren Myrick

Where's Inky? by Sam Campbell

Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey
(and other titles by the same author)

A fairly new series of books, "Step into Reading" has a number of books that are easy to read. Some titles:
Dolphins!
Hungry, Hungry Sharks
Monster Bugs
S-S-Snakes
Whales, the Gentle Giants
Wild, Wild Wolves

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
(about a 13 year old boy who did nature study the hard way.)

Little Rascal by Sterling North (about a pet raccoon)

Methuselah's Gift by Mary Elizabeth Edgren
(a Christian book about some raccoons who still serve their Maker)

Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong
(jumping -off place to study storks/birds)

Charlotte's Web
both by E.B. White
(Beautiful literature, and a great "jumping off place" to learn about Swans and spiders!)

Animals and Their Young by Anita Ganeri

Animalia by Graeme Base

Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel
(Great to spark an interest in studying insects)

The Great Dinosaur Mystery and the Bible Paul Taylor

Learning About Sex series for the Christian Family

Rabies by Elaine Landau--story of how rabies is transmitted

Focus on Medicine by Susan Destefano

The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
For teens with discernment -- stories of mental illnesses, neurology, psychology

My Body Inside and Out by Dr. Anne Townsend

The Disease Fighters by Aaseng

The Readers Digest ABC of the Human Body
A reference book good for parents to read aloud with suitable "editing" or for teens.

Germs Make Me Sick by Melvin Berger and others

Double Helix, by James D. Watson
(a story of the discovery of DNA)--high school level

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Philip Yancey

Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki

Gifted Hands--story about Ben Carson
(Christian surgeon that separates conjoined twins)

Starry Messenger--a lovely picture book about Galileo, by Peter Sis

Beatrix Potter's Art by Ann Hobbs

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman
For well-grounded, discerning teens and their parents. Autobiography of a Nobel prize winning physicist.

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden

Capturing Nature--the writings and art of John James Audobon

Men of Science, Men of God, by Henry Morris

What Are You Figuring Now? A story about Benjamin Banneker
by Jeri Faris

Soldier Doctor about a man who helped eradicate Yellow Fever

Ten Fingers for God about Dr. Paul Brand who worked with leprosy

Carl Linnaeus: Father of Classification by Margaret J. Anderson

A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, by John Muir (other titles, as well)

I don't have specific titles, but check your library for biographies on some of these names:
Johannes Kepler
Isaac Newton
Robert Boyle
Samuel Morse
Louis Pasteur
Thomas Edison
Alexander Bell
Henry Ford
Benjamin Franklin
Albert Einstein
John James Audobon
George Washington Carver
Michael Faraday
Nicholas Copernicus

Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola

Naming Living Things, by Sarah R.Reidman.
This is beautifully illustrated and explains how animals and plants are classified-what characteristics are used and all in a very non-textbook conversational style.

The Rainbow Book of Nature Studies, by Donald Peattie

The Faber Book of Science
"Summary: Science's most momentous discoveries come alive in 100 brilliant and brief firsthand accounts, from Leonardo da Vinci's early autopsies to current theories on chaos. Selections "not only by scientists but surprisingly also by writers such as Calvino, Steinbeck, and Nabokov. Great reading for the nonscientist in us all."--The Bloomsbury Review. 528 pages.

Where the River Begins: Land of the Gray Wolf
Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art
and others by Thomas Locker

Books by Hal Borland. He used to be a newpaper columnist and composed well-written columns on nature topics. His books are usually collections of his nature essays. Teens and up.

It Couldn't Just Happen-Fascinating Facts about God's World,
by Lawrence O. Richards

Little House on the Prairie, and other titles by Laura Ingalls Wilder
(I know, they are history first, but don't neglect the science aspects either!)

Speak to the Earth
The Land, the People
Rural Free...all by Rachel Peden.
She wrote regularly for a newspaper, so her books have literary quality.

A Practical Guide for the Amateur Naturalist, by Gerald Durrell ...
"What to do in 17 various environments"

Check out Eyewitness, Dorling-Kindersley, Usborne, Magic School Bus books, Audobon guides, Janice Van Cleave books, books from the "Let's Read and Find Out" series, and the "How and Why" series. You will find many books that will serve you well as supplements to some of the living books on this list.
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