You can focus on two areas each term, typically a plant and an animal, but I have thrown in some earth science as well. You can mix and match as you like, but I will be offering book suggestions and object lessons in the order shown below.
When a term includes several options, such as “Rocks, Minerals, Soil, or Soil Conservation”, then you can make a decision about which topic best suits your family. Older students might enjoy a general study of the whole grouping, but younger students would be better off focusing on just one option, such as Rocks.
To learn more about how to best utilize this natural history rotation, please see my post Implementing Special Studies – An Outline or Natural History: Implementing Special Studies (for a full explanation).
Form 1
Fall | Winter | Spring |
6 wild flowers & fruits | 6 kinds of twigs | 6 wild flowers |
wild animals, birds | animals, birds, animals in winter | wild animals, nesting birds, keep tadpoles |
Forms 2-6, Rotation, Year 1
Fall | Winter | Spring |
Reptiles: Snakes, Turtles, Chameleons, Lizards | Birds in Winter | Pond and Insects: Dragonfly, Mosquitoes |
Wildflowers: Milkweed, Goldenrod | Trees | Garden Flowers: Tulips, Poppies, Daffodils and Their Relatives |
Forms 2-6, Rotation, Year 2
Fall | Winter | Spring |
Amphibians: Frogs, Newts and Salamanders | Mammals: Dogs and Foxes | Birds |
Flowerless Plants: Ferns, Fungi & Algae | (early Spring) Wildflowers: Violets, Clover & Dandelion | Cultivated Crops: corn, pumpkin & strawberry |
Forms 2-6, Rotation, Year 3
Fall | Winter | Spring |
Fish | Mammals: Squirrel & Chipmunk | Earthworms |
Weeds: Queen Anne’s Lace | (early Spring) Cultivated Crops: strawberries, lettuce, peas | Insects of Fields & Wood: Ants, Bees |
Forms 2-6, Rotation, Year 4
Fall | Winter | Spring |
Spiders | Shells & Seashore Creatures: Crayfish, Hermit crab | Insects of Fields & Wood: Butterflies, Crickets, and Grasshoppers |
Rocks, Minerals & Soil | Monera: Viruses, Molds & Bacteria | Cultivated Crops: cotton, herbs, peanuts |