Nature 1 Teacher Guide 2022 Updates - 082655

Gentle + Classical
Nature
A Charlotte Mason + Classical-inspired curriculum, composed
of 18 units featuring nature exploration, hands-on learning,
living books, memorization, recitation, foreign language, and
more for your K4-4th grade students.
Written by:
VOLUME 1: INLAND WATERWAYS & FORESTS

Gentle + Classical Nature
VOLUME 1 CONNECT
EDITORS
Erin Cox
Members of the Gentle,
Classical Community
WRITERS Facebook.com/lifeabundantlyblog
Erin Cox
DESIGN
Erin Cox
Instagram.com/gentle_classical_press
YouTube.com/erincoxgentleclassical
©2022 The eG ntle + Classical Press, Inc

Erin Cox
LifeAbundantlyBlog.com
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f r personal use.
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Lato
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Gentle + Classical
Nature
Confidently guide your child in exploring God’s
Creation using a gentle, natural
method of early education.
Ages: K4- 4th Grade

For Isabella and Kali- without your support, your role as guinea pigs, and
your hours of loving on and wrestling with your brothers, this program
would not exist.
For Daxton and Kolton- I pray that the seeds sown into your heart will
leave an indelible imprint on your lives and an undying reverence for
your Creator.
Danny- You are the perfect balance to my crazy obsessions, always

encouraging and loving me without fail. You’re everything. Always.
Amanda- You are an encouragement, blessing, and my lifelong partner-in-

crime. You are a selfless servant who gives generously without a second
thought. I’m so grateful to have such an amazing big sister!
Hayley- You are my constant sounding board, homeschooling spirit animal,

and never-failing counselor and friend. Thank you for being YOU!
Mama- I pray this work honors your memory. Thank you for teaching us
what it looks like to live life abundantly.
Table of Contents
Page Content
09 Part 1
10 Welcome Letter
14 Is it open and go? + “No Overwhelm” Zone
16 Scope and Sequence
18 All About the Books
22 Levels and Alignment
25 Quick Start
27 Memory Statement Board
29 Sample Schedules
32 Attainment List (brief)
34 Attainments 1-5
35 Attainments 6-10
Table of Contents
36 “Picture Painting” Games
38 Attainment 11- Nature Collection
39 Attainments 12-13 - Nature Collection
40 Attainments 14-16
41 Foreign Language Notes
42 Attainments 17-18
43 Nature Diaries + “Sight-Seeing” Games
44 How Our Family Does Nature Study
46 Part 2: Term 1- Inland Waterways
72 Term 2- Critters: Great and Small
98 Term 3- Forests
124 Appendix
Important!
This curriculum is composed
of two parts:
PART 1: Introduction, scope and

sequence, scheduling, and detailed
teacher guidance.
PART 2: Curriculum Content
If the philosophies of Charlotte Mason

and Classical Education are new to you,
if possible, please take the time to read
through Part 1 in advance of beginning
Gentle + Classical Nature. I challenge you
to read through it at least twice as well as
to prayerfully consider reading Volume 1:
Home Education by Charlotte Mason for
yourself. You’ll be immensely blessed.
©Gentle + Classical Nature 8

Part 1
9 ©Gentle + Classical Nature

Hi Friend!
As you begin to invest time and energy into exploring this program and all that it offers,
I want to share the heart behind it and the motivation for the months of work that went
into developing it. As a homeschool mama of 4 children, a student of many educational
philosophies, and an ardent enthusiast of “the best way,” I’ve come to firmly and deeply
settle my heart and practices into a method of education that could be loosely called
“Classical-Charlotte Mason.”
A Little Background...
The idea of blending classical education together with the timeless philosophy of Charlotte Mason
is not an uncommon homeschool philosophy. As a matter of fact, the more we learn about the
fullness of a traditional classical education, the more we can recognize some of the inspirations
that came to formulate the Charlotte Mason philosophy. In the classical paradigm, the early years
are meant for developing piety (a right fear and knowledge of God and man) as well as developing
musical and gymnastic “knowledge”. Which is to say, the basis of both the classical and Charlotte
Mason paradigms in the early years is an active, living engagement with creation, the Creator,
music, arts, and movement, with the purpose of developing virtue, reverence, and faith.
One of the most important motivating factors behind Gentle + Classical Nature (GCN) is my
own desire to better understand and implement much of Miss Mason’s philosophy alongside
that of the Christian Classical tradition. I desired to do so in an incredibly practical way without
becoming overwhelmed by schedules that don’t fit our lifestyle or compromising my own personal
educational convictions where they may depart from any particular educational leader or
philosopher.
The goal of all Gentle + Classical programs is to empower educators with knowledge,
usher each of us to the foot of the Cross, inspire us to be tenacious students of
learning, and to remove the burdens of comparison and fear- once and for all.
Homeschool Freedom
I believe that the most beautiful aspect of home education is the freedom to adapt, co-mingle, and
extract any particular practice from any available homeschool method and place it into our own
unique homeschool. One of the most beautiful, and yes— overwhelming— aspects of education at
home is the freedom that we have to choose, manipulate, expand, simplify, and blend any of the
vast numbers of educational philosophies that are available to create our own unique approach.
Each homeschool family can be truly one-of-a-kind! In this volume, that is what I’ve ventured to
do: handpick the best of several various philosophies and co-mingle them to become my own.

The freedom found in homeschooling that can be so overwhelming becomes intrinsically perfect
when we ask for and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. In this guide, you will find advice and
encouragement in educating your children in observing, collecting, cherishing, and identifying
nature and the wonders of creation gifted all around us. The ideas that I present to you will be
beautiful, peaceful, wholesome, and God-honoring. However, that does not mean this is THE
perfect curriculum or that something out there would not be better suited for your personality,
your child’s learning style, or your family’s budget and schedule. There is no “one way.”
I fully and profoundly believe that Gentle + Classical Nature will be an excellent tool for many
families who love God, are inspired to deeply and profoundly be acquainted with His Creation,
want to honor their child’s natural developmental rhythm, and need practical, encouraging
help in ordering their days to reach the vision they’ve
cultivated for their homeschool.
Tip Time!
So whether you are a new homeschooler or veteran,
a Charlotte Mason purist, Classicist, or everything all
mixed up in-between, I hope that you’ll be blessed by Hear me clearly, friend, as you
walking with me through this program. We are one come to know this author’s
community, pursuing the same ideal: to know God fully, heart through her words: the
to obey him eagerly, and to sufficiently and wholly make ONLY correct philosophy
him known to our children, for His Glory. of education for your
homeschool is the one that
the Holy Spirit has called you
Home education is a task of overwhelming patience— to. As I share my perspectives,
much like our overall journey of parenthood which begins ideals, and methods with you
at conception and ends when we draw our last breath. alongside much input from
These long days at home with little ones, big ones, and Charlotte Mason, I want you
everyone in between mesh themselves into months to know that we are not your
and years filled with memories and purpose, ultimately greatest advisors. The God
culminating into a life well-lived as we sow truth, beauty, that created you, created your
goodness, and virtue into the very fabric of our children’s child, and gifted him/her to you
souls. This, sweet friend, is hard and holy work as we to parent/educate is.
journey through sacred terrain. Let us never forget the
legacy-building task set before us and the hallowed ground
that we stand upon.
May God bless you, keep you, encourage and inspire you in all that you do.
In Christ,
Erin 11 ©Gentle + Classical Nature

Let's Get Ready, Mama

A Preface to "A Book of Natural History"
The essence of character-building lies in action. The chief value of nature study in character-building
is that, like life itself, it deals with realities. One must in life make his own observations, frame his own
inductions, and apply them in action as he goes along. The habit of finding out the best thing to do next
and then doing it is the basis of character. Nature-study, if it be genuine, is essentially doing {this}. To
deal with truth is necessary, if we are to know truth when we see it in action. The rocks and shells, the
frogs and lilies, always tell the absolute truth. Every leaf on the tree is an original document in botany.
When a thousand are used or used up, the archives of Nature are just as full as ever. By the study
of realities wisdom is built up. In the relations of objects he can touch and move, the child finds the
limitations of his powers, the laws that govern phenomena, which his own actions must obey. So long
as he deals with realities, these laws stand in their proper relation. “So simple, so natural, so true,” says
Agassiz. “This is the charm of dealing with nature herself. She brings us back to absolute truth so often
as we wander.”
So long as a child is led from one reality to another, never lost in words or abstractions,—so long this
natural relation remains. “What can I do with it?” is the beginning of wisdom. “What is it to me?” is the
beginning of personal virtue.
By adding near things to near, the child grows in Knowledge. Knowledge, tested and set in order, is
Science. Nature-study is the beginning of science. It is the science of the child. The “world as it is” is the
province of science. In proportion as our actions conform to the conditions of the world as it is, do we
find the world beautiful, glorious, divine. The truth of the world as it is must be the final inspiration of
art, poetry, and religion. The world, as men have agreed to say that it is, is quite another matter. The
less our children hear of this, the less they may have to unlearn. Nature studies have long been valued
as “a means of grace,” because they arouse the enthusiasm, the love of work, which belongs to open-
eyed youth. The child blasé with moral precepts and irregular conjugations turns with fresh delight to
the unrolling of ferns or the song of birds.
Nature must be questioned in earnest, or she will not reply. But to every serious question she will return
a serious answer. “Simple, natural, and true,” she tends to create simplicity and truth. Truth and virtue
are but opposite sides of the same shield. As leaves pass over into flowers, and flowers into fruit, so are
wisdom, virtue, and happiness inseparably related.
-- David Starr Jordan, 1902

But, is it "Open and Go?"
Admittedly, most programs don’t require (BEG) that you read an entire book before utilizing them.
While that’s truly in your own hands (and the program can certainly be used if you don’t), this
author asks you to take the time to read Charlotte Mason’s Volume 1: Home Education then asks
you to read through Part 1 of this program at least twice before you begin.
Why? For most of us, we are very much used to (and looking for) “open and go.” That’s my
typical scouting process for new curriculum: “Is it OPEN AND GO?” I 1000% get it, friend. We
have limited time and many of us have several children, in various grades, with different learning
styles to consider.
As you grow in understanding of this “classical/CM” method, this program

becomes very “open and go” on a daily and weekly basis. Aside from procuring
books and ordering a few supplies for term projects, your week-to-week
planning won’t be stressful or cumbersome at all. I know that this will be due
to your diligence and faithfulness in fully preparing your own heart and mind
prior to stepping into the program.
Tip Time!
• Rather than seek out a “summary” of Charlotte Mason’s ideas (and there are some great ones), if
you are educating a child under the age of 6, nothing will surpass the beauty and clarity of reading
Miss Mason’s OWN words about this season in Volume 1: Home Education.
• My personal edition is from The Home Education Series published by Living Books Press and has
been formatted to match the original printings (and page numbers). This will be very helpful as I
direct you to certain pages throughout Part 1 of this curriculum to read Miss Mason’s instructions
in various skills, where they are too lengthy for me to include here.
• Even if time doesn’t allow for you to read it in full before beginning GCN, you will want to have
it on hand, nonetheless. If you can’t read the full book, reading through page 233 will give you the
vast majority of insight you need to get started.
• There is also a FREE online version, with original page citations, that will roughly align with
citations in this book. Find it at Ambleside here: amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html

"No Overwhelm" Zone
Before we dive deeper, I want to address what this program both IS and is NOT, for
your peace of mind and a measure of reassurance.
This program is a MENU. Most people would be exceedingly hard-pressed to complete every
activity, memory statement, book, nature exploration, and attainment outlined in each unit over
even a two-week period. Personally, we will be walking through Nature for a third time soon-
focusing on aspects that we weren’t ready for yet or that weren’t priorities for us at the time.
This program is NOT legalistic. To reiterate above, YOU get to pick and choose what works
for your family. There is no “right” way to handle this content. I certainly have planned and
intended for it to be approached in a particular way, but that absolutely doesn’t mean that it
can’t be approached in 20 other very different ways. This is a program of GRACE.
The program IS designed to primarily be used by North American families, especially in

regards to the specific trees, birds, and wildflowers outlined in the Attainments. That doesn’t
mean you can’t swap those out or even reverse the order of the program if you’re in the southern
hemisphere. There’s no way to write one program about Nature that works for everyone in the
United States, much less the world.
This program isn’t hyper-detailed-oriented. I am a fan of “springboards” as curricula and

despite how robust this program is, it’s not broken down for you into day-to-day activities. It
will require some weekly advanced planning which should take you no more than 15 minutes
once it becomes a routine. It does include suggested schedules and a planner (in the appendix)
for your convenience. As a global/big-picture thinker, I’m not good at communicating or advising
on minute details, and thusly I don’t try to do that here.
This program IS unabashedly Christian. That doesn’t mean you have to be to use it, but I hope
that as you spend time exploring and becoming intimately acquainted with creation, that you
glimpse the glory of our Creator in the process.

Scope + Sequence
Gentle + Classical Nature: Volume 1 is composed of 18 units of work, divided into 3 terms.
If you were an “original” user of Gentle + Classical Nature from its first launch, you may
remember that the plan was 36 units over 3 terms, to be completed in one year. However,
after prayer and actual implementation in our own home, we came to the conclusion that each
unit of Nature is SO ROBUST that it lends itself to two weeks of study minimum. Furthermore,
when used alongside Gentle + Classical Primer (or Morning Virtues), completing one unit in
one week would be intimidating and overwhelming, with much falling through the cracks. This
updated edition allows the same flexibility as always but reduces overwhelm by only offering
what could feasibly be accomplished between both programs, in a two week period.
The chart on the following pages gives an overview of the

unit topics included in each term along with the Charlotte
Mason “Formidable Attainments” we will focus on each unit.
(We will learn more about these attainments in the

next section!)
Tip Time!
There are two general “sections” in each unit: Attainments and Nature Unit.
We will be walking through a process of meeting each of the “attainments” (described in
detail in the next section) in a very clear and natural way as we simultaneously learn about
a specific animal group, habitat, or natural process via the Nature Unit topic.
They are done this way so that you can choose any of the following 4 ways to use this program:
1. Focus on the attainments alone.
2. Utilize the nature unit only.
3. Use the entire program as a “menu” to choose books, activities, or attainments.
4. Do everything as outlined and scheduled.

Scope + Sequence
Key: Tip Time!

denD
I fya9 This icon key indicates 3 term projects
Walk/View over the 18 units (36 weeks). These are
Bird completely flexible and can (and should) be
Body of Water swapped around to suit the season you are
Tree using this program. The projects have been
Term Projects included to align with covered content, but
Wiqdflower they need not match up if you begin in winter
oem
P RecitaDon and can’t possibly have live butterflies at that
time of year. You’ll find more details about
Picture Paint term projects throughout Part 2.
andicraft
H Be sure to make this work for you!

All About the Books
“"Must Haves"”
Term-Long Read Alouds
These books are intended to be read aloud, preferably in small chunks, during a
morning basket time or other collective. They are not necessarily instructional in
knowledge but rather foster imagination and connection to nature’s delights and
would be categorized as “Nature Lore” in a CM education.
Level 1 Level 2
Frog and Toad Among the Pond

Storybook Treasury People
by Arnold Lobel by Clara D. Pierson
Thimbleberry Stories Among the Forest

by Cynthia Rylant People
by Clara D. Pierson
& The Adventures of Among the Night

Geraldine Woolkins People
by Karin Kaufman by Clara D. Pierson

Core Books
These are books we consistently use from unit to unit, so you’ll want to own
them if at all possible.
These books are slated for BOTH Level 1 & 2 students to reduce costs and
streamline studies. The images are engaging, vibrant, and realistic for younger
students and the text is descriptive, rich, and living for older students. Don’t
let the simplicity of the text in several of these fool you- they garner attention
even after a half dozen reads.
Core Nonfiction Core Living Books
Tip Time!
“Rowing a Book” is a popular approach and science has shown great benefit to repeated
readings. All “Core Living Books” with the exception of Ellie’s Log
would be considered “repeat readings”- meaning you read them once per unit or every
other unit. (Pssst: There’s no “wrong” way to do this.)
Ellie’s Log is a much longer book and will need to be read in small portions. Chapters are
assigned by unit in Term 3. Even youngest listeners will be engaged!
For Mom
Here are favorite and highly
recommended resources for mom!

"Lovely Additions"
The selections below are amazing resources for stocking a full
ost nature library or including geography alongside Nature, per
o o k s feature mes
b
These birds and tre Attainments 6 & 7. Some are mentioned in their related unit, but
o f t h e d e d t o o b s e r ve
en
recomm r attainments.
I felt they all deserved a “shout-out.”
in ou
For the Attainments Want to add more creature adventures

alongside some history and geography?
On Mission is a perfect addition to
Nature and Primer!
All 3 Terms!
Tip Time!
Each section titled “Additional Book Menu” included on the unit pages provides a selection
of additional reading options. This menu is a list of suggested books but are not required.
Feel free to utilize what you already own or what your library has available .

Book Tip Time!
• Use what you have available in your home or at your local library. There are many excellent
books not on my list!
• Don’t stress about books. There are numerous great ones, and the important thing is to make
reading aloud an integral part of your day from an early age.
• You might choose to read several books per unit or “row” one book multiples times over a
unit. Both are great options!
• There are a couple of books that we rely on unit after unit (referred to as “must have” or
“core” throughout this guide). To keep costs low and to appeal to as many ages with as few
books as possible, I chose books that can be read again and again with deeper and deeper
understanding over several weeks, that are widely available for purchase or in your local
library, and still have excellent illustrations and beautiful language.
• Each level has its own term read aloud option. I have a suggested pace of reading (outlined
on each “Unit Snapshot” page) that allots to read the full chapter book each term.
Tip Time!
Reading aloud is a great opportunity to The heart of the discerning
train little ones in attentiveness and self-
control. Keep it positive and within “fruitful acquires knowledge, for the
frustration” for everyone involved. The
pace that you keep isn’t nearly as important ears of the wise seek it out.
as the experience! -Proverbs 18:15
I bribe my toddlers with chocolate chips to
listen to read alouds! They are much more
attentive when they have a “high value”
snack that comes along with listening. Do
what works for you! We don’t bribe them
at any other time, but I find it helps make
a positive association with something that
can be quite challenging for them.

Level Up!
Throughout the rest of this program, you will see “levels” referenced, especially in relation to
memory statements and literature selections. We have 3 levels that I will refer to that are loosely
based upon age. What is more important than age, in regard to these levels, is the ability to
attend, to memorize, and to understand the material. As a rough guide, they are as follows:
Level 1:1: Ages 3-6; statements are very specific and brief; readings are
much shorter and simplified
Level 2: Ages 5-9; statements are broader with more detail; readings
are longer with more detail
Level 3: Ages 8-12; statements combine levels 1 and 2 or alternatives
are offered that are much longer and more detailed; this Teacher’s
Guide does not provide Level 3 content
You will notice an overlap in ages above. Since there is a huge

range of abilities in reading, attention, and memorization that is all
considered normal, I’ve been generous with the age ranges. In your
own home, you’ll likely see a distinct difference in abilities to listen to
read alouds or focus on a handicraft among your own children, based
more on nature than age. What is easy to one 4-year-old to attend
to or repeat might be quite challenging for an 8-year-old, while both
are completely within “norm.” Furthermore, with learning disabilities
and other developmental variations in mind, these levels should be
chosen based on skill and maturity rather than age.
Tip Time!
It’s not a bad idea to go ahead and prayerfully consider where each of your students fall in
these levels. Browsing through the curriculum will also help you gain insight. There is no
“WRONG” answer- only what works for your family. Seek what is a comfortable fit with very
light stretching— what I refer to as “fruitful frustration.” If in doubt, go with the lower level.
It will be much easier (and more encouraging) to go up a level than have to move down one.

Alignment with other
Gentle + Classical Programs
If you are utilizing Gentle + Classical Nature alongside Preschool, you’ll find that
Preschool includes its own science portion entitled “All About Me” which is anatomy-
related. If you are wanting to add a Nature component to Preschool, you can find
digital Pre-Level 1 Nature Memory Statement Cards included in both the Nature and
Preschool Digital Bundles (in the bonuses file). Utilizing these cards for their simplified
statements, use the “Additional Book Menu” from each unit of Nature to select 1-2
books to read during the week as you practice your memory statement. Many of the
additional activities (entitled “Explore More”) included in each unit of Nature will work
well for most preschool students. You’ll also find that the core term read alouds for
Level 1 are a good fit for most preschoolers, though you may need to take more time
to read through them than what we’ve scheduled. The attainment section of Nature
is NOT suggested for children who are utilizing Preschool. We would instead suggest
that you cycle back through Nature a second time in a year or two, alongside Primer,
diving deeper and adding the attainments at that time as well.
Gentle + Classical Nature is the science portion of Gentle + Classical Primer since the
age focus is the same and they are created to be complementary. Furthermore, Primer will
complete the “Formidable Attainments” set forth in this volume.
Together, they are a beautiful and thorough early education (though you
will still need your own complete phonics program and complete math
program, based on when you choose to begin those).
While they are highly complementary, it is not required that you utilize both
Primer and Nature or begin them at the same time. Over the span of time, they
work exactly the same way- to help you child reach all of the attainments (and
much more) in a gentle, classical way. You’ll find scheduling information for
using both in the scheduling portion of both guides.

Tip Time!
I want to wholeheartedly encourage you to read through this ENTIRE Teacher’s
Guide, including the detailed attainment overview. It’s my heart to encourage you that
understanding the philosophy will help you truly feel empowered to home educate
without fear or comparison. However, if you’re working hard to get started quickly,
you can use the following “Quick Start” guide to get moving while you work your way
through understanding the attainments.

“Quick Start”-
Choose Levels + Terms
Tip Time! 1. If you will be utilizing the attainment

portion of the program, begin with term 1.
Before pondering these (You’ll want to work sequentially through
questions, be sure to take a all 3 terms.)
quick look at the attainments
and the unit overview pages 2. If the attainments are not important to
in this guide. Then come back
you, select a term or unit to begin with.
and consider these questions:
(Mix and match all you want!)
Do I plan to utilize the
attainments as outlined in the
program? Or will I only use the 3. If you will be pursuing the
unit study content? attainments, select your Walk/View and
What is the weather when we Body of Water for study. (The section
are beginning? Is there a term starting on page 34 will help you here.)
project that fits our current
season?
4. Select the appropriate level for each
When and where will we go on
of your children. (See page 22.)
nature walks?
What levels are each of my
children? (If you have multiple
5. Find and secure required books for
children in multiple levels, the program. It’s best to purchase the
consider teaching to the older “core” books if you are able and then
ones and letting the younger place holds on any “menu” books specific
ones catch what they can.) to each unit at your local library. (You’ll
find more information about book
selection back on page 18 and in the contents of each unit.)

“Quick Start”-
Bundle
To make life easier, we’ve created a Bundle of materials that are

aligned with and useful for implementing Gentle + Classical Nature.
The following steps are related to preparing those materials:
7. Have your leveled Student Notebooks printed and spiral bound, if you
desire. They have been designed in order to be worked and read through
sequentially as you go through this program.
8. Have your Nature Collection Notebook printed on cardstock and

spiral bound.
9. If you’re utilizing a Memory Statement Board (see page 31), then you’ll
need to print the Memory Statement Cards from the Nature Bundle as
well. I print these on cardstock, but since they aren’t handled by my
students, I don’t laminate them.
10. If you plan to play the included games with the 3-Part Montessori
Cards or practice Spanish or French with the flashcards, you’ll need to
print and laminate those as well. I choose to print these on cardstock and
laminate for longevity.
Tip Time!
Printing can be expensive!
I have a special blog post with side-by-side comparisons of several affordable printing
options, including how I print as inexpensively as possible at home. Find it at:
gcpress.tinyc.co/printing

Quick Start”-
Memory Statement Board
Creating a Memory Statement Board brings centrality and focus to your homeschool day.
Creating a board is simple and relatively inexpensive. The entire project is under $15 and
takes around 30 minutes. I’ve received pictures of Memory Statement Cards displayed on
cork board, hung with magnets on dry erase boards, and strung across a line on the mantle,
so do what works for you! You can really get creative, but I will encourage you that I’ve
heard from NUMEROUS mamas that building a board, right from the start, would have
saved them time, stress, and money. Having a memory work board on display truly brings
the program to life for most families.
Tip Time! In order to construct a board as pictured on the

next page, you’ll need the following materials:
You can find helpful videos
plus a blog post that
includes MANY different
» black, tri-fold, foam board measuring 48”x36” (I
purchased mine from Hobby Lobby but most stores
versions of Memory
Statement Boards on my like Michael’s and Wal-Mart carry them for $5-10. I
blog. don’t think that you “need” it to be tri-fold, but mine
is. If you want to fold it up and store it each day, this
Boards:
is helpful.)
gcpress.tinyc.co/msboard
Video (IGTV):
» about 2 dozen clothespins- full size or mini (These
can be found on the craft aisle at stores like Wal-
gcpress.tinyc.co/ Mart. The size is only a matter of preference.)
msboardvid
» hot glue gun and glue sticks
Tip Time! Landscape

(horizontally)
Decide on the orientation of your
memory statement board. If you are
hanging it on the wall, you can orient
OR
the board horizontally or vertically. I’ve Portrait
done both, and both ways work well. If (vertically)
you are setting it on a table, you’ll want
to lay it out horizontally/landscape. 27 ©Gentle + Classical Nature
Assembly is easy-peasy!
1- You will want to print out and trim the “board headers” that are included in any Bundle you
purchase from my shop. Alternatively, they are free for download in the Resource Library gcpress.
tinyc.co/resourcelibrary (You can find the password at the bottom of any email I’ve sent you!)
2- Lay out the materials before gluing anything down. You may have to treat it a little like Tetris
and find a configuration that helps you get everything onto your board that you would like it to
have. You can even use a yard stick and pencil to gently sketch out straight lines to use as guides if
alignment is important to you.
3- Once you are confident about where you want to place each header as well as the clothespins
to hold each Memory Statement Card, you can carefully begin hot gluing them all into place.
You will want TWO clothespins for each Memory Statement Card. You can get away with one
clothespin for any flashcards if you are putting those on your board.
5- I used several (maybe 6) of the Velcro® Command Strips® to hang mine on the wall. That may
be overkill. I find the Velcro® ones easier to remove when taking things down, so I prefer those
over the poster strips. If you don’t have a space on your wall, the tri-fold display board can easily
be set up on a table or on the floor and then stored after you’re done with school for the day.
Note: This is a
generic, “sample”
board and all of
subjects on it are
not represented
in Nature alone.
Tip Time!
You’ll likely run across MANY different variations of Memory Statement Boards- in
structure, layout, and content. Each family must decide which portions of each Gentle
+ Classical program works best for THEIR family. There is no “one, right way”. If
you’re using MORE than one G+C program, remember that you likely can’t do ALL of
each program. Consolidate and streamline- basing your decisions on prayer and your
heart’s priorities- to keep days running smoothly!

Sample Schedules
(2 Day / 4 Day)
These schedules have been created as a catalyst to get your “creative juices”
flowing. It always helps me to see a couple of variations on how to implement
a program into my school day. We utilize a Morning Basket time to cover much
content in little time. This also correlates with Primer. You’ll find the Morning
Basket schedule below.
Morning Basket
This schedule includes material from Primer (or Morning
Virtues) since these programs were meant to be implemented
together and often are. However, if you’re using a different
program alongside Nature, no worries- just alter your own
schedule to reflect your choices.
Keep in mind that these activities are all utilizing different parts of the brain and body.
So, while this is around an hour of school time, your students won’t likely get bored or
antsy if you keep moving!
» Hymn (5 min) *Other GCP program
» Nature Term Read Aloud (5-7 min) (assigned in each Unit Snapshot)
» Manners & Hygiene Statement + Reading (7-10 min) *Other GCP program
» Nature Poetry Recitation (5 min) *Included in Nature Student Notebooks
» Handicraft Practice (10-15 min) *Suggestions in the Appendix
» Bible Reading (loop/alternate days; 7-10 min) *Other GCP program
» Memory Statement Practice (10 min) *Includes Nature and other GCP program
» Literature Read-Aloud (15-25 min) *Other GCP program
» Other Poetry, Affirmation, etc Recitations (3-5 min) *Other GCP program
» Artist or Composer Study (5-7 min) *Other GCP program

2-Day / 1 Week Schedule
*If you are utilizing Nature alongside Primer or Morning Virtues AND your goal is to complete
ONE unit per week, this two-day per week schedule will work for you very well. In this suggested
schedule, I am picking and choosing portions of Nature to fit into the day with Primer or
Morning Virtues and I would thusly complete one unit of Nature WEEKLY. Also, it’s assumed in
this schedule that you’re implementing Morning Basket as previously outlined. Keep in mind
that this is not my preferred schedule as I have created each Nature unit with the intention of
being covered gently over 2 weeks, but if you’re only using a few portions, then finishing one
unit per week might work best for you.
Day 1 Day 2
Outside Exploration. Be sure to collect Visit your Walk/View or Body of Water
the flower/tree parts for the unit for the unit, practicing observation and
attainment (when applicable). Add to memory skills, reflecting child’s level.
your Nature Collection Notebook.
Use foreign language terms during
Mentally review previous weeks’ Walk/ discussion and exploration, as
View or “Body of Water.” appropriate, reviewing old ones as well.
Use French/Spanish flashcards to Read Core books.

practice new terms.
Discuss reading and its relationship to
Begin chosen activity, unit project, or the unit’s memory statement.
work in Student Notebook.
Finalize or continue working on project
Play warm-up “picture-painting” or or a unit activity as needed.
memory games.
Core
Core Math Lesson (10)
Math Lesson (10) Phonics Lesson (5-10)
Phonics Lesson (5-10) Handwriting Lesson (5)
Handwriting Lesson (5)

4 Day / 2 Week Schedule
*If you are utilizing Nature alongside Primer or Morning Virtues, this 4-day/2 week schedule will
work for you. It will fit nicely into your plans like the previous schedule, but this allows for you
to cover ONE Nature unit over 2 weeks. In this suggested schedule, I am picking and choosing
portions of Nature to fit into the day. Also, it’s assumed in this schedule that you’re implementing
Morning Basket as previously outlined. Feel free to include more, less, or different aspects.
Day 1 (Week 1) Day 2 (Week 1)

During outside explorations this week, be Read Core books.
sure to collect the flower/tree parts for the
unit attainment (when applicable). Add to Begin chosen activity or unit project.
your Nature Collection Notebook.
Play warm-up “picture-painting” or memory
Use foreign language terms during discussion games (page 36).
and exploration, as appropriate, reviewing old
ones as well. Outside Exploration
Read Nature Nuggets and do Creature/ Use foreign language terms during discussion
Creation Corner in Student Notebook. and exploration, as appropriate.
Day 3 (Week 2) Day 4 (Week 2)

Visit your Walk/View or Body of Water, Read aloud additional book from “book
practicing observation and memory skills, menu”; Discuss relationship to statement.
reflecting child’s level.
Finalize or continue working on project or a
Practice memory statement during unit activity as needed.
discussions on walk.
Mentally “walk through” your Walk/View or
Use French/Spanish flashcards to practice Body of Water with your child from Day 3
new terms. (depending upon level).
Review your flower/tree/bird for unit (via Outside Exploration

your Student Notebook).
Complete narration and any remaining
Complete the copywork and or activity from Student Notebook activities.
Student Notebook.
All About the Attainments
A FORMIDABLE LIST OF ATTAINMENTS FOR A CHILD OF SIX
(items in this font will be covered within the 3 terms of Nature; Items in this font are covered in
Gentle + Classical Primer)
1. To recite, beautifully, six easy poems and hymns.
2. To recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a

psalm. Tip Time!
This list of skills is not for
3. To add and subtract numbers up to ten, with dominoes or
a child to have mastered
counters.
BY the age of 6, but rather
to be challenged with AT
4. To read — what and how much, will depend on what we
the age of 6. What does
are told of the child; children vary much in their power of
this mean? It essentially
reading.
means that the following
list of attainments are not
5. To copy in print- hand from a book.
a “Kindergarten Readiness”
6. To know the points of the compass with relation list but instead would be
to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and considered Miss Mason’s
the way the wind blows. *This aspect is not specifically “Kindergarten” program.
covered in any current Gentle + Classical programs, but On This ALSO means that
Mission is an excellent introduction to geography. if your child is older, it
isn’t “too late.” These are
7. To describe the boundaries of their own home. excellent skills for all
people, 4-94.
8. To describe any lake, river, pond, island, &c, within easy
reach.
9. To tell quite accurately (however shortly) three stories from Bible history, three from early
English, and three from early Roman history.
10. To be able to describe three walks and three views.
11. To mount in a scrap book a dozen common wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to
name these, describe them in their own words, and say where they found them.
12. To do the same with the leaves and flowers of six forest trees.

13. To know six birds, by song, colour, and shape.
Tip Time!
14. To send in certain Kindergarten or other How does this impact the use
handiwork, as directed. of this program with your K4
student? Remember, Mama,
15. To tell three stories about their own “pets” — we don’t have to do things in
rabbit, dog, or cat. extremes. We can still have
intentional, planned time of
16. To name twenty common objects in French, educational growth with our
and say a dozen little sentences. child, no matter how young they
are, as long as we have right
17. To sing one hymn, one French song, and one expectations and attitude. Keep
English song. in mind that these attainments
are geared toward Kindergarten,
18. To keep a caterpillar, and tell the life story of a and you’ll be set up for success.
butterfly from his own observations.
This was the brief list of attainments. The next several pages are FULL
of content. We take each of these attainments covered in Nature
and tackle them one-to-one with wisdom straight from the mouth of
Charlotte Mason herself alongside the “real mom” way of getting these
accomplished. Let’s get to it!

1
To recite, beautifully, six easy poems and hymns.
While we will not be practicing hymns as a goal of
Miss Mason Moment
Nature, we will learn to beautifully recite poems. (During “The child should speak
the 3 terms of Nature, we will schedule to recite 6 poems, with beautiful thoughts so
hymn study being accomplished in Gentle + Classical Primer.) beautifully, with such delicate
As one might expect, the poetry we will select for use with rendering of each nuance of
Nature will be nature-themed. This is absolutely not required meaning, that he becomes to
and you may want to choose different poems, based on your the listener the interpreter of
child’s reading level (or repeating level) that are not nature the author’s thought.... The
themed. The Student Notebooks feature selected poems. We child is led to find the just
will plan to recite (unto eventual memorization) 2 poems over expression of the thought
each term of GCN. for himself; never is the
poor teacher allowed to set
Tips for recitation with pre-readers: We obviously begin a pattern- ‘say this as I say
memory work and recitation with pre-readers in this program. it.’ The ideas are kept well
within the child’s range, and
I’ve done this with all of my children and see great fruit in my
the expression is his own...
teen daughters. A few quick suggestions:
(Recitation) will behoove every
1. Keep your expectations realistic (attention and memory educated man and woman to
spans seem to vary by the day). We frequently have great be able to speak effectively
“remembering” days followed by “complete blank” days. in public; and in learning to
recite you learn to speak.”
2. Record the recitation with your child so that they can use
(v1; p223-224)
the video for independent practice. I record their face (which
they enjoy to watch) and say a portion, having them repeat
after me, just as we would do in person. They then watch and
practice with the video each day. They enjoy it, AND it gives them
independence.
3. Have them share their recitation with family members as
soon as they can. Tip Time!
___________________________________________________________
If your child has a
significant aversion to
repeating after you or
2-5 To recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a
psalm.
attempting recitation,
I encourage you to just
To add and subtract numbers up to ten, with dominoes wait until readiness. But
or counters. To read — what and how much, will depend on I also encourage you to
what we are told of the child; children vary much in their power pray about whether this
is just something to wait
of reading. To copy in print- hand from a book.
on or an obedience issue.
Attainments 2-5 will not be covered in Nature but are Keep things light and fun
naturally integrated into Primer. However, the Student and don’t allow this to be
Notebooks do include copywork of the Memory Statements a point of contention with
for your convenience. your child.

To know the points of the compass with relation to
6-7 their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and Below are the first 4
the way the wind blows. issues of Volume 1 of On
To describe the boundaries of their own home. Mission, available at
GentleClassical.com
Between Nature and Primer, we felt that our menu was already
full of many amazing opportunities, but the Lord continued
to impress a full feast of geography, culture, and missionary
explorations into my heart. Even though we do not specifically
cover the standards outlined above in the course of On
Mission, we hope you’ll learn more about this special quarterly
magazine curriculum and journey around the world with us.
A thorough and robust geography lesson is so fundamental to

early history studies. How can we understand what it means to
discover America or circumnavigate the globe, if we know little
of the expanse of this creation?
On Mission introduces students to sights, sounds, experiences,

stories, languages, creatures, and above all, PEOPLE, who make
this world so diverse and abundantly beautiful. You can learn
more at GentleClassical.com
___________________________________________________________
8-10 To describe any lake, river, pond, island, within easy

reach. (Referred to as Body of Water in GCN.)
To tell quite accurately (however shortly) three stories from
Bible history, three from early English, and three from early
Roman history.
To be able to describe three walks and three views. (Referred
to as a Walk/View throughout GCN.)
While attainment 9 will not be covered in GCN (but in Primer),

attainments 8 and 10 will be alternated each unit and will Required Reading for
guide our weekly nature explorations. We begin in Unit 1 with Mom- Vol 1: Home
the first Walk/View and then alternate each unit, focusing Education by Charlotte
back and forth between these two attainments. Each term will
Mason, pages 48-49;
include absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells of one Walk/
“Picture-Painting.”
View and one Body of Water. This set of attainments is
detailed over the next 2 pages with examples and
helpful hints.
Here is an example of how Body of Water and Walk/
View Cycles for Attainments 8 & 10 will progress:
Jot a few notes...
In Unit 1, you will visit the Walk/View for Term 1 for the first
time and learn how to observe and “picture-paint” what you
see until it is firmly and permanently planted into their minds
(over the course of all units in the term). In Unit 2, you will
visit the Body of Water you’ve chosen and do the same, while
also discussing and remembering the Walk/View from Unit
1. In Unit 3, you return to your Walk/View and continue your
progression of “picture-painting” the scene. Thusly you will
alternate these two locations each week (or biweekly, based
on your preferred schedule), until you and your child can hold
a robust and detailed image in your mind of both locations
(again, accomplished over the course of all units in each term.).
One caution that Miss Mason gives is that while viewing is

of little to no effort, there is an inherent strain in articulating
what they are seeing in their mind’s eye. “Picture-painting” is
of great value but should be used judiciously. Employing this
technique once on the walk then once later in the week to
review is more than enough.
“Look at this beautiful rock. It’s about the size of my fist and is very cold. I love
“Picture-Painting”
how the bottom is damp and muddy and the top is dimpled. Do you see that fuzzy
stuff that’s green? That’s moss growing on the rock.” Later that evening say, “Do
Example #1
you remember that rock we looked at today? What do you remember about it?”
Follow their lead. If they can’t come up with much, close your eyes and share your
own remembrance, painting a picture for them by being as descriptive as possible.
Help them to experience what it’s like to SEE in their mind from the words
someone else is using. Their personal experience with “seeing” something in their
imagination from your vivid description will help make a distinct connection with
the importance of this skill.
Example: Lay 3 rocks on the ground, all distinctly different in size and shape.
“Picture-Painting”
Ask your child to observe them with their eyes open and share as many physical,
Example #2
descriptive details as possible. If he doesn’t grasp the concept, give him an example:
“I see 3 rocks. One is very large and black. The one below it is smooth and white.
The last one below that is red and bumpy and small.” Once you’ve demonstrated
this, encourage your child to try their hand at it. You can add more rocks and
graduate to looking and describing with their eyes closed once they understand how
to use describe verbally. Try these small “memory muscle-building” games whenever
your child seems receptive, in different settings, and using various objects.
“Picture-Painting” + Memory Games + Tips
1. Follow your child’s lead. Your child might be able to listen to a read aloud for 30 minutes
but still not be able to articulate the images and details he is seeing in his mind or with his
eyes. The skill of putting WORDS to what we are seeing, hearing, and experiencing is truly
a challenging skill. Baby steps, baby steps. Meet your child right where he is and keep the
process light and fun!
2. For Level 1 students, consider having them share observations while keeping their eyes
open, as a stepping stone. Verbalizing what they’re seeing with their eyes open has to come
before verbalizing mental images and is a definite, separate skill. You may also share (aloud)
your own observations to demonstrate the process of seeing and sharing with them. Modeling
is a powerful tool!
3. Model what this looks like to your child, as often as comes naturally. Make it your own
habit to practice “picture-painting” and share those “images” with your children. This doesn’t
have to be something that’s formal, prepared, or grand. Sharing your descriptions of the
characteristics of rocks, trees, paintings, or any other object you’re both looking at will do the
trick. (See example #1 on the previous page.)
4. For youngest children who are overwhelmed at the idea of describing an entire view or
pond, play brief, warm-up, “picture-painting” games. Any game that relies on your child’s
visual memory will build this “muscle.” Basic card matching games are an excellent example.
You can also utilize the 3-Part Montessori Cards by making two copies and laying them face
down. Once your child is capable of successfully playing matching games with a dozen or so
cards, then try small “picture-painting” challenges with various, simple objects. (See example
#2 on the previous page.)
5. Progress slowly. As they get better at these games over time, encourage more detail, more
objects, and longer spans of attention— very, very gradually, following their natural growth in
these skills. Only once they can play these games successfully with several objects, a tree, or
a small garden, should you challenge them with a Walk/View or a “Body of Water.” Your wise
building of these skills will make their eventual progress into these two attainments all the
more pleasurable and memorable for you both.
6. Keep in mind, that for younger children, this could be a skill that you need to build over
years. These attainments are for a child “of 6” and are considered formidable. Don’t get
discouraged! Think of the gift your persistent gentleness is for your child’s mental and
character development. For children under 6, you are doing just as much good playing
memory and “picture-painting” games as you would be helping them to observe and
remember a Walk/View because you are meeting them where they are. It’s all a beautiful,
gentle process!

To mount in a scrap book a dozen common Miss Mason Moment
11 wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to name
these, describe them in their own words, and say “...every wild flower that grows
where they found them. in their neighborhood, they
should know quite well; ... And
In this attainment, we are fortunate to simply be able to having made the acquaintance
follow Miss Mason’s specific instructions (see the box to the of a wild flower, so that they
right). can never forget it or mistake
it, they should examine the
The extent to which your child is able to observe and record spot where they find it, so
his collections will be very much influenced by his age and that they will know for the
maturity. However, don’t allow the age of a younger child to future in what sort of ground
stop the process of observing and collecting. In our home (due to look for such and such a
to little perfectionists), we stick to collection before the age 5, flower... To make collections
of wildflowers for several
for the most part. Then, as they grow in greater dexterity and
months, press them, and
in fine motor skills, we begin brushdrawing and sketching.
mount them neatly on squares
of cartridge paper; with the
English name, habitat, and
In Nature, we will alternate weeks between collecting date of finding each, afford
and observing wildflowers, trees (attainment 12), and much happy occupation and,
at the same time, much useful
birds (attainment 13). Each week, you will also be training; better still is it to
reminded to review the previous weeks’ observations accustom children to make
and collections. The consistent review built into the careful brushdrawings of the
flowers that interest them,
Student Notebook will be very helpful in keeping up
of the whole plant where
with what you’ve learned and need to review. In this possible.”
Volume of Gentle + Classical Nature, we will only (v1; p51-42)
venture to learn 6 wildflowers. Each volume of Nature
will add more flowers, birds, and trees.
Tip Time!
While this curriculum has a general progress of one new observation (of various kind) each
unit, the PACE is not of the utmost importance. Some children are naturally born with an eye
for observing details and articulating their thoughts. It will come naturally to some and need
to be trained and demonstrated time and again for others. Please don’t be discouraged and
get hung up on ages and attainments. Your patience in this allows for their true education to
take place— creating new connections and building new skills. Allow this process of collecting
and remembering to take as long as it takes.

Miss Mason Moment
12
To do the same with the leaves and flowers of six
forest trees.
“Children should be made
We are fortunate again to have Miss Mason’s direct
early intimate with the
thoughts and instruction in our observation and collection of trees, too; should pick out
trees (to the right). half a dozen trees, oak, elm,
Here are some important ideas to note: ash, beech, in their winter
nakedness, and take these to
• W hile Miss Mason suggests we begin our study of trees in
be their year-long friends...
the winter, there really is no time like the present. You need
They may wait to learn the
not wait until the winter to begin.
names of the trees until the
• The procedure set forth in Nature is that we will take one leaves come... They (the
specific tree under our observation for one unit, but we will children) have the delight of
continuously review those we previously visited. discovering that the great
trees have flowers, too, flowers
• Over all 3 Terms, we will have made close acquaintance
very often of the same hue as
with a half dozen and observed them all (in review and in their leaves, and that some
relationship) throughout that time. trees put off having their
_________________________________________________________ leaves until their flowers have
come and gone. By-and-by
To know six birds, by song, colour, and shape. there is the fruit, and the
13 In this attainment, during the weeks we aren’t
collecting wildflowers or tree parts, we will be
discovery that every tree with
exceptions which they need
not learn yet- and every plant
observing and recording birds to commit to heart so that we
bears fruit, ‘fruit and seed
can know their species based upon their song alone.
after his kind.’ All this is stale
knowledge to older people,
There is a particular skill that Miss Mason discusses in Volume but one of the secrets of the
1 called “sight-seeing.” (“Sight-seeing” is discussed on page 47) educator is to present nothing
we believe that bird observation is a fantastic opportunity to as stale knowledge, but to put
employ this method of developing a keen eye for observing himself in the position of the
and committing details to memory. It’s viewed as a game, child, and wonder and admire
slightly different than “picture-painting,” but with very similar with him; for every common
outcomes and skills employed. miracle which the child sees
with his own eyes makes of
Your bird observations can also be recorded in your Nature him for the moment another
Collection Notebook as well. There are a variety of apps Newton.” (v1; p 52-54 partial)
available for identifying birds and their calls. We really like
AllAboutBirds.org and the Merlin app.
Keep in mind that this guide’s attainments are loosely ordered from Aug-May and wildflowers
are in the first/last units (late fall/spring), while bird ID and tree ID are centered in the winter
months. Based on your location, seasons, and availability, feel free to shift this around.

To send in certain Kindergarten or other Miss Mason Moment
14 handiwork, as directed.
Handicrafts are incredibly beneficial in a number of
ways, especially in the development of fine motor skills and “they (children) should not be
hand-eye coordination. Our goal in Nature for handicrafts, if employed in making futilities
you choose to implement them, is that you would select one such as pea and stick works,
handicraft per term. We have included an entire “menu” of paper mats, and the like.” (v1;
p315)
handicrafts in the Appendix, and we’ve highlighted the crafts
that are inherently nature-related.
*I wholeheartedly agree, but
there’s also nothing wrong with
While we schedule one handicraft per term, you are free to an occasional paper craft either.
skip this all together or try something new each week. You
can find various crafts outlined in each issue of On Mission
magazine- the cultural and missionary focused magazine
from The Gentle + Classical Press - or in Morning Virtues
(designed for students 1st grade and older).
______________________________________________________________
Miss Mason Moment

15
To tell three stories about their own “pets” — rabbit,
dog, or cat.
While not every family has a pet, you might consider
either getting one (very small) or “borrowing” one from a Whether it be pet stories or
friend. Pet-sitting or visiting someone’s pet would give your images they’ve painted upon
child the opportunity to have experiences that he could later the canvas of their minds,
relate to family and friends. This relating is the beginning we are enabling our children
groundwork for narration in the older years. to “carry it away with her,
her own forever, a picture (or
story) ‘on view’ just when she
This particular attainment is generally one that most of
wants it.” (v1; p50)
experience naturally in life, so it’s not particularly detailed in
the curriculum units.
____________________________________________________________
To name twenty common objects in French, and say a

16 dozen little sentences.
In Nature, you will see a small menu of both French and
Spanish vocabulary words each unit. Charlotte Mason frequently
spoke of learning French early, as French would have been the
language of one of England’s closest neighbors. Let’s discuss this
on the next page.
Spanish, French, Something Else ?

The language that you choose to practice with your child is completely up to
you. There is no wrong answer. You also have the freedom to choose both or
neither. In the attainments, Miss Mason outlines a “goal” of twenty objects
and a half dozen little sentences. As such, that number is the hallmark for this
program. Feel free to use this as a launchpad to add additional object names or
to choose differently all together. Each noun chosen in this guide was selected
based upon the terms in each unit’s Memory Statement.
Miss Mason Moment
“The daily French lesson is that which should not be omitted. That children should learn French
orally, by listening to and repeating French words and phrases; that they should begin so young
that the difference of accent does not strike them, but they repeat the new French word all the
same as if it were English and use it as freely; that they should learn a few- two or three, five or
six- new French words daily, and that, at the same time, the old words should be kept in use- are
points to be considered more fully hereafter: in the meantime, it is so important to keep tongue
and ear familiar with French vocables, that not a lesson should be omitted. The French lesson
may, however, be made to fit with the spirit of the other out-of-door occupations; the half-dozen
words may be the parts- leaves, branches, bark, trunk of a tree, or colours of the flowers, or the
movements of bird, cloud, lamb, child; in fact, the new French words should be but another form
of expression for the ideas that for the time fill the child’s mind.” (v1; p80-81)
Here are two important points I want us to keep in mind:
1. Especially in children under the age of 6, all language should be transferred orally. What
if you don’t know French or Spanish? There are so many tools available at your disposal—
Google translate and Duolingo are two examples. You don’t have to be fluent. You’ll be
learning alongside your child, utilizing internet resources to get the pronunciation correct,
then planting those terms into your little one’s mind, by-the-way. Don’t be intimidated by
foreign languages!
2. Miss Mason specifies that “not a lesson should be omitted.” That is, of course, her
opinion. I can comfortably encourage you that you will likely miss a lesson, and that there
is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Of course, if we believe that God has placed this
curriculum in our path as a tool in educating our children, we should implement it with
diligence but never forget grace. As scripture says, “today or tomorrow we will go to this
or that city, spend a year there...Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.”
(James 4:13-14 partial).
Miss Mason Moment
17
To sing one hymn, one French and one English
song. (This attainment is covered via hymns in
Primer. We’ll leave the acquisition of a French or Children should be encouraged
Spanish song to your own devices). to watch, patiently and quietly,
until they learn something of
________________________________________________________ the habits and history of the
bee, ant, wasp, spider, hairy
caterpillar, dragon-fly, and
18
To keep a caterpillar, and tell the life story of a
whatever of larger growth comes
butterfly from his own observations.
in their way. (She then goes on,
Each term of Nature will include a “term project.”
in detail, about building an ant
It is up to you, of course, which, when, and how many you farm, which we will utilize in
choose to implement. The metamorphosis of a caterpillar Term 3.) The child who spends
(or tadpole) or the observation of an ant community hard an hour in watching the ways
at work creates a storehouse of experiences from which of some new ‘grub’ he has come
our children will draw from their entire lives. upon will be a man of mark yet.
Let all he finds out about it be
The importance of this gentle, slow process of observing entered into his diary- by his
nature as it transforms in front of him can not be mother, if writing be a labor for
understated. (See Miss Mason’s quotes to the right.) The him. - where he finds it, what it
experience of watching metamorphosis is mind-blowing is doing, or seems to him to be
to even my dulled, mature mind. How much more to our doing; its colour, shape, legs:
some day he will come across
children when introduced to it firsthand!
the name of the creature, and
will recognise the description of
These projects are sequenced to correlate with a mid- an old friend.” (v1; p58)
August start time and a May completion of Nature, in
North America. If you choose to begin with butterfly
metamorphosis as ______________________
suggested, make sure that
your average temperature “Nature teaches us so gently,
is still above 70°(F) 20 so gradually, so persistently,
days from beginning the that he is never overdone, but
project. goes on gathering little stores
of knowledge about whatever
The ant farm and comes before him.” (v1; p67)
terrarium are slated for
fall-winter-spring as indoor projects.
If you don’t begin Nature during in August or you don’t live

in the northern hemisphere, you may freely swap these
projects around to suit your seasons or schedule.

Nature “Diaries”
+ "Sight-Seeing"
Miss Mason Moment
“As soon as he is able to keep it himself, a nature-diary is a source of delight to a child... While he is
quite young (five or six), he should begin to illustrate his notes freely with brushdrawings; he should
have a little help at first in mixing colors, in the way of principles, not directions... As for drawing,
instruction no doubt has its time and place; but his nature-diary should be left to his own initiative.
A child of six will produce a dandelion, poppy, daisy, iris with its leaves, impelled by the desire to
represent what he sees, with surprising vigor and correctness.” (v1; p54-55)
As you can see, our Nature Collection Notebook varies from Miss Mason’s directions for a “nature
diary.” As such, for Level 2 children and older, you might consider allowing them a completely
separate notebook just for collecting and recording anything they might like.
This is totally up to you, Mama!
"Sight-Seeing" Here’s how Miss Mason describes it: “...while whits are fresh
and eyes are keen, she (mother) sends them off on an exploring
expedition— Who can see the most and tell the most, about
yonder hillcock or brook, hedge or copse. This is an exercise that delights children and may be
endlessly varied, carried on in the spirit of a game, and yet with the exactness and carefulness
of a lesson. ‘Find out all that you can about that cottage at the foot of the hill; but do not pry
about too much.’ Soon they are back, and there is a crowd of excited faces, and a hubbub of
tongues, and random observations are shot breathlessly into mother’s ear.... This is all play to
the children, but the mother is doing invaluable work; she is training their powers of observation
and expression, increasing their vocabulary and their range of ideas by giving them the name and
the uses of an object at the right moment... And she is training her children in truthful habits, but
making them careful to see the fact and to state it exactly, without omission or exaggeration.” (v1;
p46-47) Read pages 46-47 for yourself for greater detail and examples!

How Our Family Does
Nature Study
Our family’s general technique for nature study and nature collection is detailed
below. Keep in mind, this is what works for my family, based upon our ages, lifestyle,
and preferences. Each family has to decide what this looks like for them.
3 Depending upon the weather, we either head out first thing in the morning or in the early
afternoon. We try very hard not to allow the weather to dissuade us, and my goal is
to be out of doors as much as possible. That said, I don’t have the staff at my home that
some early Charlotte Mason educators may have had! Therefore, we do as much as possible,
without any guilt for not hitting the lofty goal of 5-6 hours each day.
3 We were recently blessed to move to a 10 acre property, which I realize is not the case for
everyone. However, having lived in the suburbs for several years, we essentially maintained
the same schedule, with a narrower area to wonder. (I encourage you to read Volume 1:
Home Education, pages 43-44 if you’re feeling discouraged about the availability of out-
of-doors time and space in your schedule or location.)
3 On average, we spend 2 hours outside each day. On particularly delightful days this
might be 5+ hours, but in harsh weather, it may be 0-30 minutes.
3 We do not take our nature journals with us. We simply gather everything that catches
our eye while we are out. I may steer them toward a particular flower or plant I would like
for us to learn about. They gather all of their treasures, and we pile them onto our nature
collection table.
3 When the opportunity presents itself, we then choose our flower (or tree) of focus and
attach its various parts into our Nature Collection Notebook. My older girls join us a few
days a week. They collect and press but also use watercolors, charcoals, or sketch their
finds (whichever appeals to them). My daughters (middle and high school), spend time with
the extension page in our Nature Collection Notebooks, identifying the genus and species
and recording more detail. We choose to use watercolor paper and paste/tape it into the
Notebook to avoid upset feelings if an illustration doesn’t turn the first time out like someone
hoped.

The Nature Collection Notebook was created to use in tandem with Gentle + Classical
Nature. It has space for 6 wildflowers, 6 trees, and 6 birds. In the Appendix of the
Nature Collection Notebook, we provide charts for identifying leaf structures and
arrangements along with advanced pages for middle school and high school students.
3 Once I’ve determined a particular tree or flower that we will seek to learn by heart,
I make sure we visit it each day. I’ll ask if anyone remembers the name, allowing my
youngest to go first. If they don’t know, I simply remind them, mention a few details that I
can observe about its leaves, bark, fruit, nuts, or flower, (thusly modeling observations for
them) and then move along. Each day that we pass by, we basically repeat the process. I
ask if they remember, we share observations about the specimen and keep going.
3 In this way, we are consistently reviewing the same specimen but in an extremely casual
way. This also highlights an important point (that Miss Mason mentioned as well): The
trees/plants that you choose to commit to heart should be “in their neighborhood” so
that you can easily visit, discuss, observe, and review without fuss or much travel.
3 With your youngest learners (those under 6), I encourage you to keep this super casual
and fun! Of course, we want it to be fun for all ages, but if our 4-year-old is resistant to
answering our questions or generally showing no interest at all, we don’t want to begin a
power struggle over naming the white ash. This is likely not a hill to die on with a strong-
willed toddler!
3 As you can see from the quote below, much time should be allowed for free play
and exploration. However, that is not at the sacrifice of taking opportunities to learn
throughout the day. The art of educating is being prepared ahead and having a keen
instinct for when to add bits of knowledge and when to leave your child alone.
Miss Mason Moment

Miss Mason Moment
“Of the evils of modern education, few are worse than this— that the perpetual cackle of his
elders leaves the poor child not a moment of time, or an inch of space, wherein to wonder— and
grow. At the same time, here is the mother’s opportunity to train the seeing eye, the hearing
ear, and to drop seeds of truth into the open soul of the child, which shall germinate, blossom,
and bear fruit, without further help or knowledge of hers (the mother’s).” (v1; p44)

Term 1 Overview
Books Needed:
Level 1 Level 2
Frog and Toad Among the Pond People
Treasury by Clara D. Pierson
by Arnold Lobel
Core
Topics Covered:
Unit 9 Amphibians
U n i t 9 F re s h w a t e r F i s h
Unit 9 Aquatic Insects
U n i t 9 F re s h w a t e r Wa t e r b i r d s
U n i t 9 F re s h w a t e r M a m m a q s
U n i t r 9 Re p t i q e s

Attainments Scheduled:
milkweed
black-eyed Susan
agrimony
Maximilian sunflower
oak trees
Canada goose
Unit 1 // Amphibians
Miss Mason Moment

Miss Mason Moment
“Self-education is the only possible education; the rest is mere veneer laid on the surface
of a child’s nature.”
Sweet, friend, let the quote above bury itself into the tenderest parts of your heart,
ready to overcome every worry, fear, and fleeting moment of comparison as you dive
head-long into home education.
Our children are not blank slates, but whole persons, made in the image of their
Creator, endowed with a thirst for His Presence which is found so richly in his creation.
Watch the beauty of this study create attachments, connections, and a living education
inside of your child that will that lasts a lifetime.

Overview
In Unit 1, we launch our exploration into God’s creation by observing the
amazing world of amphibians. Beyond our exploration of amphibians, we will
begin our steady, slow immersion into the first attainments, our first term
project, and the reading of nature-enriched literature!
Project Time !
The first slated project is to raise caterpillars and release them as butterflies. If you
happen to be beginning Nature in winter, choose one of the indoor projects instead:
Ant Farm (page 79)

Terrarium (page 105)
We have utilized the Insect Lore kits from Amazon for several seasons now. Once
you order the kit, you receive a certificate to order the live caterpillars. Be aware
that temperatures must be appropriate to ship them safely. They’re also very lazy
upon arrival but perk up after two days.
Tip Time!
• Consider utilizing a life cycle model from Safari LTD, available on Amazon.
• YouTube it! If you search “life cycle of a frog,” the first several videos are fantastic!
• This link has some great info about finding tadpoles, keeping them, and any potential
licensing needed in certain states: gcpress.tinyc.co/findtads
• Newts and salamanders are also great pets. If you are considering a long-term
amphibian pet, I encourage research. This link has many other resources available:
gcpress.tinyc.co/amphib4pets Amphibians can live 5-10 years, carry disease, and can’t
be released into the wild when purchased from a pet store. This would be best for a
Level 3 child.

Unit 1 Snapshot
Memory Statements Foreign Language Core Books

Spanish Over and Under the Pond
Level 1 frog- la rana (Messner)
Tadpoles turn into froglets pond- el estanque
Nature Anatomy
then into frogs. (Rothman) pg 194-195
green- verde
Level 2 Term Read Alouds
French Level 1: Frog and Toad
Frogs, toads, newts, Storybook Treasury (Lobel) - 3
frog- la grenouille
and salamanders are chapters
amphibians. pond- l’étang Level 2: Among the Pond
green- vert(e) People (Pierson)- chapters 1-3
Level 3
Combine Level 1 & 2 OR:
Amphibians breathe and Attainments
absorb water through
their skin. Some types Í Identify and Visit Walk/View for Term 1
of amphibians are
frogs, toads, newts, and Í “Picture-paint” with your child some portion of
this Walk/View (see page 40)
salamanders.
Í Begin Term Project #1 (units 1-6): Butterflies
Í Begin daily recitation of your first chosen nature

poem
From Student Notebook
Í Begin daily practice of chosen handicraft
Í Locate your first wildflower (Sugg: Milkweed)

Additional Book Menu
Level 1 Level 2
Growing Frogs (French) One Small Square: Pond (Silver)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (p181-182) From Tadpole to Frog (Pfeffer)
Mixed-Up Chameleon (Carle) Old Mother West Wind (Chapter 2) (Burgess)
It’s Mine (Lionni) Frogs (Gibbons)
In the Small, Small Pond (Fleming) *super short A Salamander’s Life (Himmelman)
Pond Circle (Franco)
Explore More
3 Search for puddles, creeks, and streams in which tadpoles might be developing.
3 Look under rocks and old logs for salamanders and newts.
3 Refer to your local/state wildlife departments (or Department of Conservation) for the best
areas and times to locate various amphibians.
3 Does your zoo have a special habitat for amphibians and reptiles?
3 Does your local aquarium have amphibians on display? How about a natural history
museum in your area?
3 Here is a list of natural history museums in the US that may have herpetology exhibits: bit.
ly/NatMusUS
3 Visit the local pet store for no-commitment observation.
Tip Time!
• Invest in the best rain and cold weather gear possible.
• Nature exploration time is to be child-led with “key points” sown by Mom when the
opportunity arises.
• You can find “Nature Nuggets” of knowledge about each topic on the first page of each
unit in the Student Notebook. Each level contains the same information. Older students
can read the Nature Nuggets independently and younger students can receive timely
explanations from Mom.

Unit 2 // Freshwater Fish
Miss Mason Moment

Miss Mason Moment
“All teaching of our children should be given reverently, with the humble sense that we are
invited in this matter to co-operate with the Holy Spirit.”
If you have a Level 1 child who is still in the early stages of being trained in the art of
observing and remembering, continue to play the “picture-painting” game and other
related memory games on a smaller scale- gradually building up these skills to develop
their “remembering muscles.”
Make sure to keep playing memory-building games, modeling observation skills on

daily Nature Explorations. You absolutely may have to train your child to SEE small,
important details for quite some time. Everyone is different. Remember, Mama, the
entire goal is the PROCESS, not the end result.

Overview
This unit, we continue to hang out in local ponds or rivers by exploring the lives of the
fish that inhabit them. The focus this unit is on the function of fish gills. Obviously, this
isn’t specific to freshwater fish. However, in your reading selections, we will focus on
fish living in rivers and ponds.
In a later volume of Nature, we hope to spend an entire year focusing on ocean fish
and other marine animals.
Tip Time!
Tip Time
The flower chosen to study in the Student Notebook is found across most of
the US in August. If you’re using this guide at a different time or not in the US,
swap units around (maybe study a tree instead) or choose a flower that’s local
to you.
Tip Time!
• The content in this unit’s memory statements focuses on fish anatomy and the
function of their gills, mainly answering the question, “How do fish breath in the
water?” Other ideas for exploration would be reading about and studying the fish life
cycle as well. Both sturgeon and catfish have interesting life cycles to read about. This
link goes to a pdf download specific to these two species: bit.ly/fishLC
• Aside from the viewing and reviewing of your Walk/View last unit, we will be
gathering our second nature collectible, to be identified and mounted in the
Nature Collection Notebook. The goal for Term 1 is 4 wildflowers, 1 tree, and the
identification of 1 bird. This unit, we will gather/observe our second wildflower.
However, depending upon when you begin this program, you might not have those
available. Don’t hesitate to change the order of this portion of the program. If you’re
in the midst of winter, consider beginning with observing a bird.

Unit 2 Snapshot

Level 1 fish- el pez
(Messner)
Fish swim in the water and Nature Anatomy
egg- el huevo (Rothman) pg 206-207
breathe through gills.
water- el agua
Fish have gills that extract French Level 1: Frog and Toad
Storybook Treasury (Lobel) - 3
oxygen from the water fish- le poisson chapters
around them. egg- l’œuf Level 2: Among the Pond
water- l‘eau People (Pierson)- chapters 4-6
Level 3
Combine Level 1 & 2 OR:
Fish are vertebrate
animals that lay eggs for
Attainments
reproduction and have gills Í Identify and Visit your Body of Water for Term 1
that extract oxygen from
the water around them. Í Mentally review your Walk/View from last unit
Í Continue Term Project #1 (units 1-6): Butterflies
Í Continue recitation of your first chosen nature

poem
Í Continue daily practice of chosen handicraft
Í Locate your 2nd wildflower (Sugg: Blackeyed

Susan)

Level 1 Level 2
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (Dr. One Small Square: Pond (Silver)
Seuss) Pond (LaMarche)
A Fish Out of Water (Palmer) The Raft (LaMarche)
In the Small, Small Pond (Fleming) *super short DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pg 70-71, 174-
Pond Circle (Franco) 176)
Fish Had a Wish (Garland) *beginning reader Old Mother West Wind (Ch 6 and 15)
Explore More
3 Research a little in advance and look for a local stream, creek, pond, river, or lake
to visit.
3 Looking around the edge of the waterway closely will help you find small “fry” fish.
3 Plan a day of fishing with your family. If your family doesn’t fish, maybe a friend or
relative can help you get started.
3 Is there a local farmer’s market or seafood market that you can tour?
3 Is there a fish farm in your area? Can you tour it or join a local field trip?
3 Do you have an aquarium in your area to visit to view both fresh and saltwater
fish? Many of them allow homeschoolers to coordinate field trips for reduced
admission.
3 Here is a list of natural history museums in the US that may have exhibits specific
to fish in your area: bit.ly/NatMusUS
3 Visit the local pet store for no-commitment observation.
3 Song: There are SEVERAL fish songs listed here: bit.ly/fishsongs
3 Create a fun pond sensory bin if you don’t have access to the real thing: gcpress.
tinyc.co/pondsensory
3 This link has several super simple, crafty fish activities: bit.ly/fishcrafts
3 Don’t forget to enjoy the activities in your Student Notebook this unit.
3 Reminder: Review your French and Spanish terms often utilizing the French +
Spanish Flashcards.
Unit 3 // Aquatic Insects
Tip Time!
Miss Mason Moment
Foreign Language Note:
One important thing to notice about practicing Spanish and/or French with your
little one is that the article (el/la/le) is included in this curriculum alongside the noun.
For your reference, “la” is feminine in both Spanish and French. “El” is the masculine
form in Spanish, and “le” is the masculine form in French. As your child grows older
and continues to study these languages more formally, they will be equipped with a
GREAT advantage to already know the articles (and gender) for these nouns. Even if
they don’t understand it now, making sure to include that article as you practice them
will help set a sturdy foundation for their future foreign
language development.

Overview
In Unit 3, we continue to dwell in pond and lake habitats by exploring aquatic insects. While there
are millions of insect species, we narrow our focus this unit to insects that live in waterways. In
Term 2, we will learn about other kinds of insects (like bees and butterflies).
The memory statement for Level 1 zeros in on dragonflies. For youngest learners, these little
magical flying creatures are a great example of an arthropod that dwells in our waterways.
Dragonflies are fun to watch and have extremely interesting life cycles. For Levels 2-3, we focus
more on arthropods in general, including the process of molting. As always, feel free to mix and
match levels based upon your children’s interests and your priorities.
Tip Time!
Tip Time
When reviewing your “Body of Water,” model for your child how to observe small things
and focus on remembering one small area at a time.
One thing to note is that, while this unit is focused on freshwater arthropods, only
a small percentage of insects are aquatic or have aquatic larval stages, and most of
these are freshwater, not marine.
Tip Time!
This unit, we will REVISIT our Walk/View for the term. This is a fantastic
opportunity to see what you remembered correctly, fill in gaps in both of your
memories, and observe new things that you didn’t notice the first time.
• H as the temperature changed much?

• H as the plant life changed in any way?
• I s the animal life more active or less active?
• A re you visiting at the same time of day? If not, how is the lighting different?
• I s today a windy day or calm? How does it compare to your last visit?
One suggestion is to focus upon one small area of the overall view and work to
paint that upon your mind, rather than the entire view at once. The younger your
child or the more they might struggle to stay focused on this task, the smaller the
area you should attend to.

Unit 13Snapshot
Unit Snapshot

Level 1 insect- el insecto
(Messner)
Dragonflies live Nature Anatomy
dragonfly- la libélula (Rothman) pg 89-95
underwater until they
wing- el ala
grow wings and fly. Term Read Alouds
Level 2 French Level 1: Frog and Toad
All arthropods have an insect- l’insecte chapters
exoskeleton, which they dragonfly- la libellule Level 2: Among the Pond
shed and regrow. wing- l’aile People (Pierson)- chapters 7-9
Level 3
All arthropods have an
exoskeleton, which they Attainments
shed and regrow. This
Í Revisit Term 1 Walk/View
process is called molting.
Í Review your Term 1 “Body of Water;” Continue to
“picture-paint”
Í Continue Term Project #1 (units 1-6): Butterflies
Í Continue recitation of your first chosen nature

poem
Í Gather your 3rd wildflower. Try to revisit the

prior 2 as well for review. (Sugg: Agrimony)

Level 1 Level 2
Are You a Dragonfly? (Allen) Dragonflies of North America (Biggs)
Pond Walk (Wallace) Soar High Dragonfly (Bestor)
Dragonflies (Rice) The Web at Dragonfly Pond (Ellis)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (page 44, 70, 164- Eliza and the Dragonfly (Rinehart)
165) The Dragonfly Door (Adams)
Explore More
3 Research a little in advance and look for a local stream, creek, pond, river, or
lake to visit.
3 Various species of dragonflies mate and lay their eggs in very different
locations in water. You’ll be hard-pressed to find dragonfly eggs. However, you
might luck out and find nymphs.
3 This website (thedragonflywoman.com) has a variety of helpful images and
resources to help you identify nymphs or find molted exoskeletons.
3 What other arthropods might you find local to your area that leave a visible
molted shell? In the southeast US, locusts and cicadas are plentiful and leave
very easy to find molts behind.
3 Are you interested in branching out from dragonflies? Other aquatic insects
are: whirligig, caddisfly, crayfish, and mosquitoes.
3 There are quite a few insectariums and collections all over the US. This link
lists 10: bit.ly/insectzoo Search for similar resources and collections in your
local area.
3 This is a really vivid, short video on Youtube: bit.ly/DFVideo1
3 Try using rocks, sticks, nuts, moss, and more found objects to build your own
dragonflies or other arthropods.
3 Angela at ProjectsWithKids.com also has a free template to use for this craft:
gcpress.tinyc.co/dragonflycraft
3 Don’t forget to utilize the activities found in your Student Notebooks and
Nature Bundle
Unit 4 // Freshwater Birds
Tip Time!
As you visit your Walk/View or Body of Water remember that not only are you
training your child in mental acuity, but you’re also helping her build a storehouse
of treasured memories... so be sure to enjoy these visits. Bring snacks, blankets,
comfortable clothes, magnifying glasses, jars for collections, pencils and paper,
camera- whatever your family needs in order to settle in and help this environment
become an extension of home. Choosing a time that you won’t be rushed to get
finished or get to an appointment is incredibly important. We and our children need
opportunities to just be present in God’s creation with not much agenda other than
absorbing the sights, sounds, smells and wonder.
Miss Mason Moment

Overview
In Unit 4, we move out from under the water to observe and learn about birds that live
in and near freshwater sources.
For Level 1 learners, we focus just on naming a few waterfowl that live near
freshwater sources while for Levels 2 and 3, we turn our attention to the insulating
properties of their plumage.
Next term, we will focus more upon typical forest or “backyard birds.”
Tip Time!
If you live in an area that’s predominantly coastal, focusing on coastal birds twice
might be worthwhile. It’s important to remember to:
1) use your local resources and
2) focus your exploration upon concepts that are close-to-home for these young ages.
Something they have the opportunity to explore in person is significantly more
beneficial than images in a book or video, especially for this age group.
Tip Time!
• In this unit, we will circle back and visit our Body of Water for the second time
this term. It may be helpful to take a camera with you if your child is struggling to
remember details accurately or is bothered by not knowing whether he is “right”
about something he saw.
• You may also want to consider having a special collection of found objects just for
this location. Have you child decorate a special box just for this purpose or designate a
special nature table.
• Waterbirds alone are so diverse and interesting, you won’t quickly run out of
observations to discuss. For this unit in particular, I would encourage you to work very
hard to find a way to observe a variety of waterbirds for as long and often as possible. You
will find bird observation worksheets and instructions in your Student Notebook.
• Ideas for discussion: plumage colors, purposes of different kinds of feathers
(Nature Anatomy pg 168), diet variations (fish vs algae), methods of hunting (diving
vs wading), shape and color of beaks, bird calls, variations between male and female
of a species, length of legs, migratory or not, etc.

Unit 4 Snapshot

Level 1 duck- el pato
(Messner)
Ducks, geese, and swans Nature Anatomy
goose- el ganso (Rothman) Chapter 6
(are waterbirds that) live
bird- el pájaro
near rivers and lakes.
*portion in parentheses is an
Term Read Alouds
optional addition French Level 1: Frog and Toad
duck- le canard chapters
Level 2 goose- l’oie Level 2: Among the Pond
Waterbirds have thick bird- l’oiseau People (Pierson)- chapters
10-12
down feathers which
insulate their bodies.
Level 3 Attainments
Waterbirds have thick Í Revisit Term 1 Body of Water
down feathers which
insulate their bodies, and Í Review your Term 1 Walk/View; Continue to
most have bills and legs “picture-paint”
adapted to feed in water
and dive from the surface Í Continue Term Project #1 (units 1-6): Butterflies
to catch prey.
Í Begin recitation of your second chosen nature
poem

Í Gather your 4th wildflower. Try to revisit the

prior few as well for review. (Sugg: Maximilian Sunflower)

Level 1 Level 2
The Ugly Duckling (Anderson) Make Way for Duckling (McCloskey)
All Night Near the Water (Arnosky) The Story of Ping (Flack)
Have You Seen My Duckling? (Tafuri) The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck (Potter)
Petunia (Duvoisin) Feathers: Not Just for Flying (Stewart)
Little Swan (London) Rechenka’s Eggs (Polacco)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 166, 334- Henry the Impatient Heron (Love)
335)
Explore More
3 Research a little in advance and look for a local stream, creek, pond, river, or lake to visit.
3 As you have a chance to explore a local waterway and get to see a variety of waterfowl in
their natural habitat, here are some suggested questions to prompt thought and observation
in your child:
• Can you notice a difference between the male and female’s feathers? Why are they different?
• How long do you think the duck (or goose) can hold its breath underwater?
• Do you think their feathers get heavy and soaked with water like a towel?
• Why do you think the duck has short legs but herons (flamingos, etc) have long legs?
• What is the most interesting thing you notice about the ______?
3 One place to often see baby ducks or geese is a local farmer’s co-op or feed store.
3 One particular topic to ponder and discuss is wildlife conservation. How does pollution
from a factory make its way to ponds and lakes? How does that affect the food chain? Here’s
a great website that walks you through what water pollution is and how it affects all wildlife
in the food chain: bit.ly/waterpollution1
3 If you have the ability to do so, borrow an incubator and fertilized eggs and wait for the
day that the babies hatch! Some 4H programs or farm programs in your area may loan
these out. You don’t have to commit to owning the birds but get the opportunity to watch
them hatch and care for them in those first few days. Plus, you can “candle” the eggs to
watch the embryos grow.

Unit 5 // Freshwater Mammals
Tip Time!
You might consider having a term celebration as you near the end of Term 1.
Your kids could create a tri-fold display to share all they’ve learned and observed
with family and friends. You might also consider a “Term Party” and invite extended
family or friends to participate. Your children could choose a poem to recite, share a
selection of memory work, display their drawings, collections, pictures, or any other
work they’ve produced during the term as well. Celebrate your hard work!

Overview
Who doesn’t fall in love with manatees when they first see these magnificent and
gentle creatures? There are several diverse species of mammals that call rivers and
lakes home that are incredibly interesting. In this unit we will focus on listing a few
freshwater mammals for Level 1, then focus in more specifically on the definition of
“mammal” for Levels 2 and 3.
Some species include: river dolphin, manatee, otter, hippo, muskrat, capybara, beaver,
platypus, shrew, and moose.
Tip Time!
As always, time aside to remember the Body of Water that you visited for the
second time last unit. Can your child recall any more details than the first time?
Are particular things coming freshly to mind? Continue to model “remembering”
and even a bit of “misremembering” if your child struggles with perfectionism.
Tip Time!
• In two weeks we will begin our second project- an ant farm. If you plan to order this
from Amazon, you might go ahead and do that now so that you have time to use the
certificate to order your ants. They also carry the ant farm kits at Hobby Lobby.
• Continue modeling and playing memory games as needed. While “picture-painting” is
a bit laborious and should be used judiciously, basic matching games are brain-training
fun for your kids. Feel free to make memory-building games a daily part of your
homeschool. The more you train their minds to attend and retain in these early years
when their brains are still developing so rapidly, the more time you will save yourself
(and your child) in the future!
• In this unit, we will circle back and visit our Walk/View for another look. Many of the
same notes from last unit apply. Make sure to keep your focus on the relationship with
your child and with the environment rather than on training.
• This unit, we take a short break from wildflowers to learn about our first tree. Be
sure to find something local to you if you don’t have the suggested species nearby.

Unit 5 Snapshot

Level 1 river- el río
(Messner)
Beavers, river otters, and Nature Anatomy
air- el aire (Rothman) Pages 148-151
manatees are
beaver- el castor
aquatic mammals. Term Read Alouds
French Level 1: Frog and Toad
Level 2 river- la rivière Storybook Treasury (Lobel) - 4
Aquatic mammals live in chapters
air- l’air
the water but breathe air Level 2: Among the Pond
beaver- le castor People (Pierson)- chapters
and birth live young.
13-16
Level 3
Beavers, river otters, and
manatees are aquatic
Attainments
mammals which live in the
Í Visit your Term 1 Walk/View for the last time
water but breathe air and
birth live young. Semi-
Í Review your Term 1 Body of Water; Continue to
aquatic mammals, like “picture-paint”
moose and polar bears,
dwell in and feed partly Í Continue Term Project #1 (units 1-6): Butterflies
from waterways.
Í Continue recitation of your second nature poem

Í Observe your first tree of the year and review

your previously gathered wildflowers (sugg: oak tree)

Level 1 Level 2
Give a Moose a Muffin (Numeroff) Otters Underwater (Arnosky)
Looking for a Moose (Root) Riparia’s River (Caduto)
Beavers (Gibbons) National Geographic: Manatees (Marsh)
A Drop Around the World (McKinney) Henry the Manatee (Lawrence)
*conservation
One Well (Strauss) *conservation
Sam the Sea Cow (Jacobs)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 239-242, Old Mother West Wind (Burgess; ch 14)
266, 109-110, 156)
Explore More
3 If you haven’t had an opportunity yet, I encourage you to look for an opportunity to visit
an aquarium, zoo, or natural history museum in your area that would include as many of
these animals to view as possible.
3 This unit is an incredible time to dig further into conservation:

ÍLook for opportunities to clean and protect any areas that you visit as you explore.

ÍSee if you can identify signs of ecological damage or disruption to habitats when
you observe your “Body of Water.”

ÍCan you join groups in your area to visit and clean waterways?
there a local conservation group or department that you can arrange a field trip
ÍIs
to visit?

ÍMany museums and zoos that have local aquatic mammals have visual
representations of garbage found in the animals’ native habitats.
3 This super simple experiment will help your students see how rainfall moves pollutants
from one area to another, eventually ending up in rivers: bit.ly/watershedexp
3 Consider building your own terrarium or diorama to represent all you’ve learned so far
about freshwater wildlife. It could represent a pond, lake, river, or stream that you’ve had
the opportunity to visit. Toob animals fit these well!
3 Build your own beaver dam! I found a fantastic “Invitation to Play” beaver dam activity:
gcpress.tinyc.co/beaverdam
3 Don’t forget to utilize the 3-Part Montessori Cards from the Bundle. Can you students
sort marine mammals from land mammals? How is a mammal different from the birds we
have studied? How about amphibians? Comparing and contrasting is a great exercise.
Unit 6 // Reptiles
Tip Time!
This topic is another which is so diverse, it’s truly owed weeks and weeks of study.
Keep in mind, just because you may have spent two weeks on a prior topic doesn’t
mean you can’t dive in and dwell in each particular subject as long as you or your
students would like. The beauty in home education is that ability to dig deep into each
topic until you get your fill before moving along. You never know what might spark a
true passion in your child.
Miss Mason Moment

Overview
The reptilia class is a vast topic... and a fascinating one at that! In Level 1, we will
memorize a few common reptiles to help our little ones understand that reptiles can still
be very different. In level 2 and 3, we will focus on the ectothermic nature of reptiles along
with a few other specific facts about reptiles.
Tip Time!
• Look for opportunities to engage with your Body of Water as much as possible-
swimming, wading, skipping stones, fishing, and of course observing as much wildlife
as possible. Continue to focus on one small portion at a time and meditate upon it,
engaging your children with remembering games:
“Look at this portion of the pond. Do you see how there is a bunch of tall grass
growing up in this corner, but not in the other? Let’s look at it for a moment,
then close our eyes and see if we can still see it. I can— can you?”
• Watch for your child’s response and be ready for mountains of specific
encouragement, based on what they are able to recall. If they can’t quite describe
anything, continue to model, encouragingly:
“With my eyes closed, I can see the tall grass. The grass is taller than I am! It’s
green mostly but kind of brown at the top. When the wind blows, I can hear
it making a sound... like walking on leaves in our yard. Can you hear that? I
wonder if it’s pokey or smooth. Maybe we should go see?”
• Recall things that YOU remember as much as possible— helping them to see how
important and fun it is for us all to notice the world around us and to notice God’s
artistic and magnificent hand in it all. In this way, they get to experience the intrigue of
being invited into another person’s memories. When we model this type of sharing, it is
a great encouragement and challenge to them.
• If you have a child who legitimately struggles with memory issues or has a disability,
don’t hesitate to modify the attainment process. One example would be that they
photo-journal their Walk/View, etc. All children can benefit from building a scrapbook
of images they take at these special locations. Alternatively, if you have blooming
artists, allow them to sketch or paint as well.

Unit 6 Snapshot

Level 1 snake- la serpiente
(Messner)
Up in the Garden, Down in the
Alligators, snakes, and turtle- la tortuga Dirt (Messner)
Nature Anatomy (Rothman)
turtles are reptiles. alligator- el caimán
Pages 142-143; 153
French Term Read Alouds

Level 2 snake- le serpent Level 1: Frog and Toad
Reptiles are cold-blooded turtle- la tortue Storybook Treasury (Lobel) -
(finish this unit)
(ectothermic) and lay eggs. alligator- l’alligator
Level 2: Among the Pond
People (Pierson)- chapters 17-20
Level 3
Alligators, snakes, and Attainments
turtles are reptiles.
Í Visit your Term 1 Body of Water for the last time
Reptiles are cold-blooded
(ectothermic), lay eggs, and
Í Review your Term 1 Walk/View; Continue to
are covered in scales or “picture-paint”
have a bony external plate
or shell. Í Finish Term Project #1 (units 1-6): Butterflies
Í Last week of recitation of your second nature

poem
Í Last week of your first handicraft

Í Locate and observe your first bird (sugg: Canada

Goose; Utilize the resources you have locally.)

Level 1 Level 2
The Mixed Up Chameleon (Carle) Snakes, Salamanders, and Lizards: Take-Along
Guide (Burns)
The Greedy Python (Carle)
Snakes (Gibbons)
Turtle Splash (Falwell)
An Extraordinary Egg (Lioni)
The Snake Who Said Shhhh (Parachini)
Cornelius (Lioni)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 297-299+) Alligators and Crocodiles (Gibbons)
Verdi (Cannon)
Old Mother West Wing (Burgess; Chpt 16)
Explore More
3 A visit to the pet store is a great (no obligation) way to see a variety of species of
reptiles.
3 What’s the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? This would be a great
“research” topic for your level 2 students. They could complete a presentation or
research paper about what they learn, outlining the differences and similarities.
3 Why do snakes shed their skin? How and how often does this process take place? Do
other reptiles also shed? YouTube has some great videos that explain this.
3 On a nature exploration, have your kids keep an eye out for any type of reptile they
can identify. Can they find tracks from any type of small reptile or where a snake may
have been? What about turtles on a log in a pond or lake? (Be aware, in N America,
cottonmouths- aka water moccasins- are EXTREMELY venomous. Take proper
precautions around bodies of water.)
3 How do reptiles survive during winter? This is a great opportunity to read, discuss,
and watch documentaries about the adaptations that animals make in order to survive
freezing temperatures. How have reptiles adapted to cold environments? What is
brumation?
3 Worldview Discussion: Based upon your family’s beliefs about evolution, you can
also explore how birds (and dinosaurs) are classified as reptiles. While one classification
system (the oldest, by Carrolus Linnaeus) is based on characteristics of each species
(and grouping them thusly, which means that birds are not classified as reptiles as
they have no scales and aren’t ectothermic), the newer classification system (by Willi
Hennig) uses ancestors (i.e. evolution) to determine how animals are related. The thesis
being that birds and modern reptiles evolved from dinosaur and dinosaur predecessors
in some manner. According to this classification system, birds are more closely related
to reptiles (in particular, crocodiles) than any other group.
Term 2 Overview
Books Needed:
Level 1 Level 2
Thimbleberry Stories Among the Forest People
by Cynthia Rylant by Clara D. Pierson
and
The Adventures of
Geraldine Woolkins
by Karin Kaufman
Core
Topics Covered:
Unit 9 Inqand Birds
U n i t s 9 Te m p e r a t e F o re s t A n i m a q s
Unit 9 Butterfqies
Unit 9 Bees
Unit 9 Arachnids
U n i t 9 Wo r m F D e c o m p o s i t i o n
robin
crow
birch tree
p i n e t re e
house finch
ash tree

Unit 7 // Birds
Tip Time!
I hope that as you walk through these experiences with your children, you’ll take the
time to redeem your own nature education. While most of us had wonderful parents,
we didn’t have these kinds of experiences either. It’s a blessing to draw nearer to
God through Creation.
A few additional resources just for mom would include:
Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock

The Naturalist’s Notebook by Wheelwright
You might also consider maintaining your own Nature Notebook but work on it in
quiet times without “little helpers.”

Overview
We took a few moments in the last unit to really dive into bird observations
in our Student Notebook. These beautiful creatures are truly fascinating in so
many ways! This unit, we will also focus on birds that live in forests or in most
of our backyards.
Project Planning!
It’s time for our second project- ant farm! Hopefully you were able to finish up your
butterfly project successfully before temperatures dropped too much!
Our ant farm project is a very simple activity in application, but extremely rich in
implications. It is no coincidence that scripture tells us to “consider the ant...”
You can find a ready-made ant farm at the list found at: gcpress.tinyc.co/amazon
If you prefer a DIY version, you can find that here: gcpress.tinyc.co/diyantfarm
Tip Time!
• This unit, we will start our third poem recitation for the year. You will find a
suggested poem in each Student Notebook. Feel free to choose your own!
• Your Student Notebooks have bird observation tips as well as questions to ask that
help hone observational skills in your kiddos. Some people are born naturally very
observant, but others just aren’t. God designed us all differently for a reason, but
we can still learn the skill of close, attentive observation. Bird observations are the
perfect opportunity to practice this skill. I’ve noticed my own ability to quickly observe
minute details has grown exponentially through taking the time to really SEE and ask
myself simple questions.
• Check out the Audubon Society (audubon.org), especially if they are active in your
area. You can access their conservation activities and get involved locally.

Unit 7 Snapshot

Spanish Up in the Garden, Down
Level 1 feather- la pluma
in the Dirt (Messner)
Birds have feathers, Nature Anatomy
Review wing, bird, and (Rothman) Chapter 6
wings, and hollow bones
egg from earlier units.
and lay eggs. Term Read Alouds
French Level 1: Thimbleberry
Level 2 feather- la plume Stories (Rylant)- chapter 1

Level 2: Among the Forest
Birds are warm-blooded Review wing, bird, and People (Pierson)- chapters 1-3
vertebrates (endothermic) egg from earlier units.
with feathers, wings, and
hollow bones.
Attainments
Level 3 Í Visit your Term 2 Walk/View for the first time
Birds, which lay eggs
for reproduction, are
Í Continue to “picture-paint” from the previous
endothermic vertebrates term or play “picture-painting” games
with feathers, wings, and
hollow bones. Í Begin Term Project #2: Ant Farm
Í Begin recitation of your third nature poem
Í Begin daily practice of your second handicraft

Í Visit and observe your second bird of the year

(sugg: robin)

Level 1 Level 2
A Nest is Noisy (Aston) The Burgess Bird Book for Children (Burgess)
An Egg is Quiet (Aston) The Boy Who Drew Birds (Davies)
Beautiful Birds (Roussen) Feathers- Not Just for Flying (Stewart)
Mama Built a Little Nest (Ward) Take Along Guide: Birds, Nests, & Eggs (Boring)
Feathers for Lunch (Ehlert) How Do Birds Find Their Way? (Gans)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 115-117) Albert (Napoli)
Old Mother West Wind (Burgess; Chpt 1 and 10)
Explore More
3 Many zoos and natural history museums have aviaries.
3 Take a walk! Nature exploration (daily if possible) is always a part of this program.
Fortunately, most of us live where we can observe some species of bird just by stepping
outside our doors. Most often, no big field trip is required. Careful observation and
conversation about birds will lead to more understanding than anything else.
3 In Alabama, we have a raptor rescue (Southeastern Raptor Center). It’s possible that
you have something similar in your area. This is a way to get up close and personal with
this magnificent order of birds!
3 Pick up the best pair of binoculars you can get. Littles are naturally a bit near-
sighted, so they would benefit more from this than you might expect.
3 Look for a “house window nesting box” on Amazon! How amazing to have a family of
birds build a nest right in your window so that you can witness their entire process!
3 Don’t forget- chickens are birds! If you don’t have a backyard brood, a good
friend may. Kids absolutely treasure the experience of gathering eggs or having the
opportunity to experience incubating and watching them hatch.
3 The website kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals has some AMAZING and
engaging resources for children, including games and great facts to learn.
3 The SQUILT music program is a favorite around here. They have a special collection
of bird-inspired music, free to access. Find it here: bit.ly/squiltbird
3 The most “required” project ever, related to birds, is to make your own homemade
bird feeder. The standard idea is to get an old toilet paper roll, cover it in peanut butter,
and roll it in seeds. Hang it with yarn somewhere that eager eyes can observe.
©Gentle + Classical Nature

Unit 8 //Temperate
Forest + Animals
Miss Mason Moment
Miss Mason Moment

“Every walk should offer some knotty problem for the children to think out, ‘Why does that
leaf float on the water, and this pebble sink?’ and so on.”
“Every day, every hour, the parents are either actively or passively forming those habits in
their children upon which, more than upon anything else, future character and conduct
depend.” (v1; p118)

Overview
For level 1 students, our memory focus is on types of temperate forest animals. As we often
do, we list a grouping to help our littles synthesize a “classification” in their mind of what
animals call the forest their home.
However, for level 2 students, we will learn exactly what a temperate forest is.
In level 3, we combine both topics for a thorough memory statement. For the focus of this
unit, I will use typical N. American temperate forest animals, native to coniferous and
deciduous forests. (We define conifer trees and deciduous trees in term 3.) If you live local to
a rain forest or boreal forest, feel free to make substitutions.
Tip Time!
In this unit, we visit our Body of Water for Term 2. Have you developed a system
of working through observing and exploring different sections of your Body of
Water yet? Or does your family prefer to follow their whims and dive deeply into
various nooks and crannies haphazardly? There is no right way. The more you suit
this exercise to your child’s individual personality and learning style, the more of a
lasting impression it will make.
Tip Time!
• Let’s quickly reflect on our “goal” in pursuing the Walk/View and Body of Water
attainments: The idea is that, when prompted, your child would have the enjoyment
of closing her eyes and literally seeing the entire view of this special spot at once.
She would be able to walk the trails or along the bank, see the rippling water, watch
the cattails bend, feel the cool breeze, all in her mind. Under her own will, she
can transport herself into this place time and again. She will have a collection of
precious memories— of exploring, collecting, swimming, fishing— in this one special
place, to share with her own children, just by closing her eyes.
• Through this exercise of fully immersing and intentionally taking “snapshots” of
moments and details and sensations, she is slowly and surely developing a full and
deep awareness of her connection to God’s Creation, and her place in this world. She
will observe how her presence and actions affect this place she holds so dear. She
will observe how the choices and behaviors of others either preserve or destroy even
the smallest organism that calls this habitat home. She will observe the intricacies of
the food webs and the delicacy of the biome in a way that a text book or living book
could never sufficiently introduce. She will have gone knee-deep in experiencing
the vast power of a Creator that could manifest such a living, breathing habitat as
overwhelmingly diverse as the one she has come to know as her own.

Unit 8 Snapshot

Level 1 tree- el árbol
Deer, squirrels, skunks, Nature Anatomy
forest- el bosque (Rothman) (p99, 132, 136-
foxes, and bears are types 141,144-147,154-155)
bear- el oso
of (temperate) forest
animals. *parenthesis is optional addition
French
Term Read Alouds
Level 1: Thimbleberry
Level 2 tree- l’arbre Stories (Rylant)- chapter 2
forest- la forêt Level 2: Among the Forest
A temperate forest is a People (Pierson)- chapters 3-6
bear- l’ours
“four-season forest”, located
in the temperate zone.
Level 3 Attainments
A temperate forest is a
Í Visit your Term 2 Body of Water for the first time
“four-season forest”, located
in the temperate zone. Í Review your Term 2 Walk/View; Continue to
Deer, squirrels, skunks, “picture-paint”
foxes, and bears are types of
temperate forest animals. Í Continue Term Project #2: Ant Farm
Í Continue recitation of your third nature poem

Í Observe and learn about your next bird this

term. (sugg: crow) Review any flowers or trees you
have the chance to observe.

Level 1 Level 2
Tall, Tall Tree (Fredericks) Annie and the Wild Animals (Brett)
Forest Bright, Forest Night (Ward) Big Tracks, Little Tracks (Selsam)
Forest Adventure (Milton) The Bears on Hemlock Mountain (Dalgliesh)
Whose Tracks are These? (Nail) In the Snow: Who’s Been Here? (George)
Over in the Forest (Berkes) *author has many In the Woods: Who’s Been Here? (George)
excellent titles
Old Mother West Wind (Burgess; Chpt 3, 4, 6,
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 154, 179, 7+)
285, 320+
Explore More
3 Visit a local forest or park! While it’s (maybe?) unlikely you would see any larger mammals, you
can often see smaller forest animals and spot tracks of larger ones.
3 If your family has never camped or visited a forest for much time, could you swing a weekend
camping trip? You might consider a cabin in the woods, if sleeping bags aren’t your thing.
3 One way we get up-close and personal with forest animals is via our natural history museum.
There are many hands-on exhibits so that little ones can explore the various types of fur for
themselves. Look for something similar in your area or via this link: bit.ly/NatMusUS
3 Look up “temperate zone” online and see if that’s where you live.
3 Find a list of national parks alongside specific activities for each state here: bit.ly/NatParks1
3 Be sure to take along a basket for collecting found objects while visiting your local forest.
You can use these objects on your nature table, to decorate your home, or to sort through
later. Have your children gather various items from each tree (branch, leaves, fruit/seed). Once
at home, see if you can remember which fruit/seed went with which leaves, and so on. It’s a
great way to relive your fun day. You can also add these to your Nature Collection Notebook
and work to identify them.
3 After collecting leaves from the forest, press them into paint and make prints with them.
3 Frame the leaves you collected on pretty black or white cardstock. They’ll make gorgeous art!
3 Look for proof of temperate forest animals on your walk. Can you find tracks or stripped pine
cones from busy squirrels?
Unit 9 // Butterf lies
Tip Time! Tip Time

This process of visiting, observing, and remembering may be going gloriously for you,
or you may be feeling like an utter failure. Your child might have a memory like a steel
trap or may barely remember that you even go on nature walks. He might love the out-
of-doors and never want to leave, or he may have a tantrum to have to go outside each
day. I say all of this to say: You aren’t alone. Every child is different, but it’s most likely
that your child is not some odd anomaly. They all have natural abilities that need little
encouragement from us... and they all have natural weaknesses that we must not run
from. Keep on, keeping on, Mama!

Overview
We spent the first several units involved in a butterfly project that fit out season
(hopefully!). But now it’s time to see how much our little ones observed and retained
from this project.
In levels 2 and 3, we learn the term metamorphosis. You have an opportunity here
to note how in unit 1, the process that tadpoles undergo to become frogs is called
metamorphosis. The same goes for dragonflies in unit 3.
Tip Time!
• We have TWO visits each left for the Walk/View and Body of Water this term.
That means that as you revisit your Walk/View this unit, you’ll want to really spend
some time “picture-painting” areas that you may have overlooked or aren’t quite
sticking. Keep in mind that the goal is NOT absolute perfection. We do want to
encourage completeness, attentiveness, and accuracy. Those are habits that we are
cultivating through this exercise, but always (always) with grace.
• One opportunity for discussion this week would be to hypothesize how different
events could impact this Walk/View. Since you’ve likely been observing small (or
large) changes to this habitat based on human interaction with it, you can use the
information you’ve already gathered to make an educated guess about how other
events might impact this area as well.
Í What if there was even more garbage strewn?

Í What if chemicals were disposed of nearby?
Í What if chemicals were disposed of several miles away?
Í What if air pollution became a problem?
Í What if an invasive (or non-native) species was introduced?
Í How might these different events impact the food web and health of the
plants in the area?

Unit 9 Snapshot

Level 1 caterpillar- la oruga
Caterpillars turn into Nature Anatomy
butterfly- la mariposa (Rothman) (p70-81)
chrysalises then into
flower- la flor
butterflies.
Term Read Alouds
Level 2 caterpillar- la chenille
Stories (Rylant)- chapter 3
Level 2: Among the Forest
Butterfly metamorphosis butterfly- le papillon People (Pierson)- chapters 7-9
has 4 stages: egg, caterpillar, flower- la fleur
chrysalis, butterfly
Level 3 Attainments
Metamorphosis is the
process of changing from Í Revisit Term 2 Walk/View
one form into another
and includes 4 stages for Í Review your Term 2 Body of Water; Continue to
butterflies: egg, caterpillar, “picture-paint”
chrysalis, butterfly.
Í Continue Term Project #2: Ant Farm
Í Continue recitation of your third nature poem

Í Observe and learn another beautiful tree (sugg:

birch)

Level 1 Level 2
The Busy Tree (Ward) Monarch Butterfly (Gibbons)
In the Tall, Tall Grass (Fleming) Velma Gratch & the Way Cool Butterfly (Madison)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Carle) Gotta Go! Gotta Go! (Swope) *early reader
Where Butterflies Grow (Ryder) Small Wonders (Smith) *Jean-Heri Fabre Bio
A Butterfly is Patient (Aston) Caterpillars, Bugs, & Butterflies: Take-Along Guide
Monarch and Milkweed (Frost) (Boring)
Are You a Butterfly? (Allen) The Big Book of Bugs (Zommer)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 127, 121-123)
Explore More
3 Many botanical gardens, natural history museums, zoos, herpetology exhibits, and
even aquariums have butterfly encounters. A quick Google will help you find one in your
state (or ask in your local homeschool Facebook group). If possible, I encourage you to
arrange a guided field trip (and invite a few other homeschool families along).
3 Plant a butterfly garden! What an incredible way to nurture the environment and bring
a variety of gorgeous butterflies right to your own door. Even if you live in an apartment
in a city, you could still do a small window planter, as long as you have some access to an
outdoor space. Amazon (and of course your local garden center) will sell seed selections
specifically designed to attract butterflies (and bees, which is great for the next unit).
3 I’ve also seen small butterfly feeders available which are very similar to hummingbird
feeders as well as butterfly houses. I’ve not used them, but they look very intriguing!
3 Don’t forget about your Spanish and French flashcards in the Nature Bundle! Utilize
those several days per week for review. Keep previous units’ flashcards nearby to
cycle back through those regularly. For readers, utilize them as “4-Part Cards” per the
instructions in that file.
3 The following link features 15 easy and cute The Very Hungry Caterpillar crafts. The
book and crafts are colorful fun for all elementary school students: gcpress.tinyc.co/
caterpillar
3 This is an adorable butterfly life cycle paper craft. If you have a kid 7+ who loves paper
crafts, this is educational and fun: gcpress.tinyc.co/butterflycraft

Unit 10 // Bees
Tip Time!
Tip Time
The multi-faceted life cycle that many of God’s creatures experience mirrors the
same process we walk through as new creations in Christ. These animals begin as the
smallest creation but go through a variety of internal and external changes- often
shedding off their former selves to be made into something completely new and
different. This is a perfect metaphor for our children to understand how WE are made
new in Christ as believers. Once was once an unattractive grubby caterpillar or larva
ends up being a beautiful butterfly or an industrious bee. There are so many parallels
to explore as we disciple our children!

Overview
Bees have gotten a lot of attention over the last few years- and rightfully so. They
are imperative to our survival, extremely fascinating, make the most delicious
and healthy treat, AND are dying off in record numbers. Depending upon your
child’s age and sensitivity, that last point might or might not be explored too
deeply. In our Nature Focus, we will be learning specifically about honeybees and
the types of bees that colonize their hive.
Miss Mason Moment

“It cannot be too often said that information is not education.”
Tip Time!
• I’ve chosen a short menu of book suggestions on the Additional Book Menu page as
usual, but please know there are countless excellent books that discuss this topic from
either the perspective of how bees live and make honey to their significance to our
environment and food chain. I think approaching the topic from both perspectives is
excellent and gives a well-rounded perspective. Your kids won’t likely look the same at
a bee floating by again! You’ll find both kinds of books recommended in the menu.
• Remember that you don’t have to spend only two weeks on each topic. Some topics
are exceptionally intriguing or have so much information that we can’t possibly tackle
it all in a short time.
• There are only 2 units left in Term 2 of Gentle + Classical Nature. Next up, we will
shift from insects to arachnids and learn all about our 8-legged friends.
• We wind up this term with a look at worms! Creating worm farm or worm bin would
be an amazing “bonus” project at the end of this term. While our goal is 1 project per
term, creating a maintaining a worm bin (or compost bin) is a FANTASTIC way to learn
not just about worms and their part in our food chain and environment but about
decomposition in general.

Unit 10 Snapshot

Level 1 bee- la abeja
Honeybees make honey Nature Anatomy
honey- le miel (Rothman) (p70-81)
from the nectar of flowers.
pollen- el polen
There are three types of Stories (Rylant)- chapter 4
bee- l’abeille Level 2: Among the Forest
bees in a honeybee hive:
queen, workers, and drones. honey- la miel People (Pierson)- chapters
pollen- le pollen 10-13
Level 3
Bees transfer pollen
between the male and
female parts of flowers as
Attainments
they gather nectar, allowing
Í Revisit Term 2 Body of Water
plants to grow seeds and
fruit. There are three types
Í Review your Term 2 Walk/View; Continue to
of bees in a honeybee hive: “picture-paint”
queen, workers, and drones.
Í Begin recitation of your 4th nature poem

Í Learn all about another tree this unit (sugg: pine

tree)

Level 1 Level 2
Bee: A Peek-Through Picture Book (Teckentrup) Bees- A Honeyed History (Socha)
Bee & Me (Jay) Flight of the Honeybee (Huber)
The Honeybee (Hall) The Bee Tree (Pollaco)
Are You a Bee? (Allen) The Life & Times of a Honeybee (Mucicci)
The Honey Makers (Gibbons) The Honeybee Man (Nargi)
Five Bizzy Honeybees (Douglas) What if there were no bees? (Slade)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 111-112) The Bee Book (Milner)
Explore More
3 Find a local beekeeper! You won’t find anyone as knowledgeable or passionate
about bee health, conservation, and delicious honey. Beekeepers are fascinating
to talk to, and there’s likely no field trip that your children will remember
better. This website will be a good starting place to find one in your area: www.
beeculture.com/find-local-beekeeper/
3 It’s entirely un-CM, but we love “The Bee Movie.” It has a great story, is
humorously insightful, and the whole story comes down to the importance of
bees to the earth’s plant and animal life.
3 Perform a family honey taste-testing. Buy a variety of different honey brands,
local and national. Be sure to get some raw/unfiltered and some filtered. Have a
taste-testing to find a family favorite. Can you tell the different between local/
national or pasteurized/raw?
3 Make a “Bee Watering Station”: gcpress.tinyc.co/beewaterer or “Bee Hotel”:
gcpress.tinyc.co/beehotel
3 Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov is a must-listen this week!
3 Buy sheets of beeswax to roll into beeswax candles- no dipping or heat
required!
3 Also consider making beeswax poured candles or soaps with your level 2+
children

Unit 11 // Arachnids
Miss Mason Moment

Miss Mason Moment
“Children should be encouraged to watch, patiently and quietly, until they learn
something of the habits and history of bee, ant, wasp, spider, hairy caterpillar,
dragon-fly, and whatever of larger growth comes in their way.... With regard to the
horror which some children show of beetle, spider, worm, that is usually a trick picked
up from grown-up people. Kingsley’s children would run after their ‘daddy’ with a
‘delicious worm,’ a ‘lovely toad,’ a ‘sweet beetle’ carried tenderly in both hands. There
are real antipathies not to be overcome, such as Kingsley’s own horror of a spider;
but children who are accustomed to hold and admire caterpillars and beetles from
their babyhood will not give way to affected horrors. The child who spends an hour in
watching the ways of some new ‘grub’ he has come upon will be a man of mark yet.”
(v1; p58-59)

Overview
This may not be your favorite unit. I won’t argue with you. But as we travel from the
depths of the pond, up into the sky and down into the forest, we simply can’t skip over
the amazing creativity of God in these masterpieces. They are incredibly integral to our
world’s ecosystems and as diverse as insects in their appearance and purposes. You can
classify these next two units as “things you might find under a log.”
Tip Time!
• There are only 2 families of venomous spiders in the US but multiple species. They
all belong to the widow or recluse families. It’s smart to research which species live
in your area, the type of habitat they usually occupy, and any identifying markings.
(Alternately, research venomous spiders native to your particular area). When in
doubt, don’t touch.
• You might even take along some thick kitchen gloves if you intend to flip over any
logs on a Nature Exploration (which I highly encourage!). The life under and inside of
a rotting log is a perfect little biome that houses a huge variety of mollusks, insects,
arachnids, and worms.
• This is our last term-assigned visit to our Term 2 Walk/View! I would encourage you
to make this visit extra special. Stay longer than normal, bring special treats, pick up
trash, explore the last unexplored areas, invite friends along to see this special space. I
especially love the idea of having your child paint the “picture” of this Walk/View for a
family member then having them come see for themselves! What a special treat!
• In Term 3, we will cycle through a new Walk/View and “Body of Water.” If your local
resources are limited, feel free to stick with the current ones long-term. There’s no
RULE that says you absolutely must have 3 Walk/Views and 3 “Bodies of Water.” If
you feel like more time is needed at these locations, make that adjustment as well. The
beauty in homeschooling is that we can follow our specific passions and needs.

Unit 11 Snapshot

Level 1 spider- la araña
Spiders, scorpions, and ticks Nature Anatomy
leg- la pierna (Rothman) (p92-93)
are all arachnids.
eight- ocho
Term Read Alouds
Level 2 French Level 1: The Adventures
of Geraldine Woolkins
Arachnids are arthropods spider- l’araignée (Kaufman)- Chapter 1
with 8 legs. leg- la jambe Level 2: Among the Forest
People (Pierson)- chapters
eight- huit
14-17
Level 3
Attainments
Spiders, scorpions, and ticks
are all arachnids. Arachnids
have 8 legs, no antenna, and
2 body sections. Í Revisit Term 2 Walk/View for the last time
Í Review your Term 2 Body of Water; Continue to

“picture-paint”
Í Continue recitation of your fourth nature poem

Í Add a new bird to your repertoire and review

your previous items as time allows (sugg: house
finch)

Level 1 Level 2
The Very Busy Spider (Carle) Charlotte’s Web (White)
A House Spider’s Life (Himmelman) Be Nice to Spiders (Graham)
Sophie’s Masterpiece (Spinelli) Diary of a Spider (Cronin)
Spiders (Gibbons) I’m Trying to Love Spiders (Barton) *silly
Are You a Spider? (Allen) Nefertiti: The Spidernaut (Pattison) *very cool story
One Small Place in a Tree (Brenner)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 327-328, 309)
Explore More
3 Does your zoo have a special arachnid exhibit? Does your local university have
an entomology department that you could visit to learn from a professional? While
entomologists study insects, many of them also study arachnids.
3 Consider checking with your local pest control specialists; do they provide any
educational resources?
3 In our area, spiders come out at dusk and begin weaving enormous looms to catch a
midnight snack. Try an after-dark excursion, flashlight in hand, to see if you can find a big
garden spider in action. Watching a spider weave a web in person is truly breathtaking!
3 Make a “bug guts” smoothie! Spiders inject poison into their pray, liquefying them, and
then ingest them that way. If you have a kid who that doesn’t totally gross out, maybe a
green “bug guts” smoothie is in order? We like this one: gcpress.tinyc.co/greensmoothie
3 Finger-knitting would be a great way to help your little ones “feel like” a spider! This is a
great tutorial for 1st and up: gcpress.tinyc.co/fingerknit
3 Make sure to use your 3-Part Cards for sorting: Sort insects from arachnids and add
some math skills by counting legs when in doubt.
3 If you have a good assortment of Toob animals (especially insects and spiders), sorting
those to match the 3-Part Cards is always a fun experience.
3 Use an Oreo, 8 pretzels, some icing, and mini-M&Ms to make a spider. gcpress.tinyc.co/
oreospider
3 Sing “Itsy-Bitsy-Spider.” We have a board book by Kate Toms by that title and my boys
love it! gcpress.tinyc.co/itsy
Unit 12 // Worms + Decomposition
Montessori Moment
“The first essential for the child’s development is concentration.”

-Dr. Maria Montessori
If you’re working through this program with a child under age 8, remember that
your goal here is NOT to help them acquire much impressive knowledge. We are
cultivating character, building habits, training attention, engaging the imagination,
instilling wonder, and laying the foundation for the development of Christian virtue.
Memorization is great, but it’s never the end goal- simply a tool!

Overview
This unit, I hope you’ll consider doing a small worm farm or a few of the suggested
activities to observe worms in action. It’s hard to study these little guys without learning
about their important function as decomposers. Feel free to focus in more on the worms or
on their jobs, or take time to sift through both topics. Lastly, while there are 3000+ species
of worms, we will be focusing in on earthworms this unit. We will study decomposition
again in unit 14 as well.
Tip Time!
Tip T
If you’re approaching the end of Term 2 and rather than feeling excited and
encouraged, you feel like you’ve been on the struggle bus this whole time, I want to
tell you this: I’m a huge fan of doing things the Charlotte Mason way- but we have a
ton of options that Miss Mason did not have. There’s massive merit in training our
children in attention and observation through this process- but don’t allow the ideal
way to become a stumbling block to your child’s experiences (and yours!). Look back
at this term and find what brought you joy and cultivated confidence in your ability
to home educate. Do more of THAT and leave the rest. It will be here if/when you’re
ready for it.
Next unit we begin a Term Project building terrariums. We will work on it all
term, so no rush getting started!
Tip Time!
• This is a fantastic video to watch with your kids: bit.ly/decomposers1 Even if your
kids don’t watch the videos with you, they’ll help you feel fully equipped to share
amazing facts about the process that worms work through that both break down
waste and create fertile ground for growing new plant life. It’s an amazing life cycle
that benefits us all very directly.
• This is our last official visit to our second “Body of Water!” I hope that you and
your children have grown intimately knowledgeable about this special place you
chose. I hope you’ve grown closer as a family and have grown intricately aware
of the magnificence of our incredible God who knit every aspect you observed
together, by simply speaking it into existence. Isn’t God amazing!?! You’ll also want
to take one last “mental walk” through your Walk/View.

Unit 12 Snapshot

Level 1 worm- la lombriz
Earthworms help to make Nature Anatomy
soil- la tierra (Rothman) (p126-127)
our soil healthy.
eye- el ojo
Term Read Alouds
Level 2 French
Level 1: The Adventures
Earthworms have no eyes, (Kaufman)- chapter 2
worm- le vere de terre
Level 2: Among the Pond
ears, or bones and breathe soil- la terre People (Pierson)- chapters
through their skin. eye- l’œil 18-21
Level 3
Earthworms are ectotherms Attainments
that have no eyes, ears, or
Í Visit your Term 2 Body of Water for the last time
bones and play a significant
role in the food chain as Í Review your Term 2 Walk/View; Continue to
decomposers. “picture-paint”
Í Finish Term Project #2: Ant Farm
Í Last week for recitation of your fourth nature

poem

Í Add your fourth tree of the year and review your

previous items as time allows (sugg: ash tree)

Level 1 Level 2
Wonderful Worms (Glaser) Wiggling Worms at Work (Pfeffer)
Worm Weather (Taft) Yucky Worms (French)
An Earthworm’s Life (Himmelman) Diary of a Worm (Cronin)
Compost Stew (Siddals) Garden Wigglers (Lowen)
underGROUND (Fleming) Composting: Nature’s Recyclers (Koontz)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (page 360) One Small Square: Backyard (Silver)
Explore More
3 Dare I say- dissection? It’s very commonplace for students to dissect an
earthworm in schools. I’m personally not a fan of it (weak stomach here), especially
in the early elementary years. However, if you have a particularly audacious child,
this may be right up his alley!
3 Field trip to the bait shop! In Alabama, we have a fishing bait store every few
miles. You can grab a whole tub of night crawlers or wigglers for just a few dollars.
You can use these to begin your own worm farm or compost bin OR just to get up
close and personal with these creatures.
3 Head outside after a warm rain in the summertime, and you may find quite a
few little earthworms have made their way up to the surface. When we lived in a
neighborhood with sidewalks, my girls would run outside to try to “rescue” these
little guys from the forthcoming sunshine (aka: certain death).
3 Head out to one of your favorite (shadier) nature exploration spots. Look for a
log or rock and take a careful peak underneath. You’ll likely find a variety of little
critters as well as their various holes they dig down into.
3 If you have a forest to visit, see if you can do a little digging to show your
kids how the various layers on the forest floor cover one another up to create a
decomposition sandwich. On top, you’ll have whole fallen leaves, but as you slowly
remove layer upon layer, you’ll find leaves that are broken and chewed into smaller
and smaller bits. You may even find a worm or two (or worm castings!). You’ll
eventually end up down in the rich, fertile soil.
3 If you need a little help getting started on a worm bin or compost pile, this link
will be very helpful: gcpress.tinyc.co/wormfarm
Term 3 Overview
Books Needed:
Level 1 Level 2
The Adventures of Among the Night People
Geraldine Woolkins by Clara D. Pierson
by Karin Kaufman
Core
Topics Covered:
U n i t 9 C o n i f e ro u s Tre e s
U n i t 9 M o s s e s h M u s h ro o m s
U n i t 9 Tre e A n a t o m y
U n i t r 9 D e c i d u o u s Tre e s
Unit 9 Nocturnaq Animaqs
U n i t s 9 N a t u re i n M o t i o n
cedar or fir tree
mourning dove
killdeer
m a p q e or box
elder tree
clover
dandelion

Unit 13 // Conifer Trees
Miss Mason Moment
“Point to some lovely flower or gracious tree, not only as a beautiful work, but a
beautiful thought of God.”
“Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally
to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we
must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole
end of education.”
s Mason Moment

Overview
If you live in the northern hemisphere, there is a high likelihood that close to your home,
you can find a temperate forest. However, coniferous forests are not as widespread, but
it’s likely you still have some type of conifer tree in your area, even if you don’t have entire
forests of them. The most important thing is to utilize what resources you have available.
This unit we will explore the intricacies of cones and the majesty of the redwood!
Project Planning!
It’s time for our third term project- a terrarium. You can handle this activity a
number of ways, but it’s intended to be easily implemented indoors, no matter the
weather. We also utilize this one project for the entire term to keep our winter and
early springtime responsibilities low-key, so take your time getting set-up.
This video is fantastic to help you get started. In it, you’ll learn how to create a self-
watering closed terrarium: gcpress.tinyc.co/terrarium
You can find endless tutorials online and make your terrarium as small as a vial or as
large as an old aquarium.
Tip Time!
• We begin a new Core Book for all levels this unit. Ellie’s Log is a FANTASTIC book
with so much rich detail- it will make you wonder why every book written about
nature doesn’t go to this level! That said, it is a much lengthier book than the rest
of the units for our Level 1 and 2 readers, so take things slowly and break it into
digestible pieces throughout your week. It’s also SUCH a good book that I would have
my Level 3 students listen in as well.
• Furthermore, since it’s so rich and beautiful and our “Term Read Alouds” are
also rather meaty, I seriously doubt that you will need many more books from the
“Additional Book Menu” section for Term 3. However, there are several suggestions
there just in case.

Unit 13 Snapshot

Spanish Ellie’s Log (chapters 1-2)
Level 1 cone- la piña Nature Anatomy
Pine, cedar, and fir trees are (Rothman) (chapter 4)
seed- la semilla
types of conifer trees.
tree- el árbol Term Read Alouds
Level 2 Level 1: The Adventures
French (Kaufman)- chapter 3
Conifer trees stay green
cone- le cône Level 2: Among the Night
all year long, produce People (Pierson)- chapter 1
seed- la graine
cones that house their and 2
tree- l’arbre
seeds, and have needles
instead of leaves.
Level 3 Attainments
Conifer trees stay green
Í Visit your Term 3 Walk/View for the first time
all year long, produce
cones that house their
seeds, and have needles Í Play any “picture painting” games you haven’t
played in while
instead of leaves. Pine,
cedar, and fir trees are
Í Begin Term 3 Project: Terrarium
types of conifer trees.
Í Begin your 5th nature poem recitation
Í Begin a new handicraft of your choice

Í Learn about and observe your fifth tree this year

(sugg: cedar or fir)

Level 1 Level 2
One Small Square: Woods (Silver) Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Trees (Arnosky)
Tell Me, Tree (Gibbons) *good for a few units this term
The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree- The Tree Book (Ingoglia)
Loving Woman Changed a City Forever (Hopkins) The Sequoia Lives on (Cooke)
*biography My Side of the Mountain (George) *generally
Tall, Tall Tree (Fredericks) amazing chapter book for this entire term
Sequoia (Johnston) A Year Full of Stories (McAllister) *folk tale; page 86-
Where Would I Be in an Evergreen Tree? (Blomgren) “Why the Evergreens Keeps Their Leaves”
The Pinecone Walk (Springfield)
Explore More
3 My little ones love collecting pinecones. We like to group them by size and shape.
We also sort them according to whether they’ve been untouched or whether a squirrel
has already made a meal out them. Challenge your young students to a similar sorting
activity.
3 Pinecones make excellent bird feeds. Cover your pinecone in peanut butter and roll
it in birdseed. Using a string, hang it from low-lying branch. It make take 24+ hours for
birds to spot it and be willing to fly by for a snack.
3 Pinecones close themselves up to protect themselves from too much rain. An
interesting “time-lapse” activity is to place closed, damp pinecones into your oven on its
lowest setting (around 135°F) and have frequent peeks as the pinecone slowly warms,
dries out, and opens up over about 90 minutes.
3 Look for the actual seeds inside of any cones you find or dry to open. This is a great
opportunity to discuss how different plants have different protective mechanisms for
keeping their seeds safe.
3 Go on a brief tour of the Redwood National Forest via YouTube: gcpress.tinyc.co/
redwoodtour
3 An average mature redwood is between 200 and 240 feet long and diameters of 10-
15 feet. Measure this out in your own yard if you have space!
3 Go on a nature walk and compare the various types of conifer trees you may have
in your area. See if you can collect pinecones in various stages of their development as
well. ©Gentle + Classical Nature
103
Mosses
Unit 14 //
and Mushrooms
Miss Mason Moment
“We older people... get most knowledge through words. We set the child to learn in
the same way and find him dull and slow. Why? Because it is only with a few words in
common use that he associates a definite meaning; all the rest are no more to him than
the vocables of a foreign tongue. But set him face to face with a thing, and he is twenty
times as quick as you are in knowing all about it.” (v1; p67)
Miss Mason Moment

Overview
Moss is an unique plant, and mushrooms are an amazingly diverse group of fungi. Taken
together, these guys are excellent decomposers and play important roles in various
ecosystems. In our Memory Statements, we will be differentiating between them and
increasingly describing both. Feel free to take one week to focus on moss and the next to
focus on mushrooms.
Another important organism discussed in this week’s reading that is often found alongside
moss and mushrooms is lichen. Lichen is kind of like a “hybrid” of algae and fungi. It’s not
uncommon to find lichen right alongside moss and mushrooms, so it’s nice to have an
answer for what it is before you go on a nature walk.
Tip Time!
• There is a depressing lack of good books for young listeners that cover moss and
mushrooms in an explanatory, living way. Fortunately, one entire chapter of Ellie’s
Log is dedicated to moss and all the critters that call it home, so you won’t lack
opportunities to learn about it! Our other core book, Nature Anatomy does a fantastic
job with both moss and mushrooms. However there are still just a few additional
books to consider that are more just fun narratives that feature our topic of study.
• I’ve personally always been a bit scared to forage and actually eat wild mushrooms.
I’m not confident enough in my abilities to identify them. However, I’ve been told
morel mushrooms are a pretty safe bet and are very readily identifiable. You’ll find as
suggested resource for doing this safely in Explore More.

Unit 14 Snapshot

Spanish Ellie’s Log (chapter 3)
Level 1 moss- el musgo Nature Anatomy
Moss is a plant and (Rothman) (pages 120-127)
mushroom- el hongo
mushrooms are fungi.
plant- la planta Term Read Alouds
Level 2 of Geraldine Woolkins
Moss is a small, seedless
moss- la mousse Level 2: Among the Night
plant and mushrooms are People (Pierson)- chapter 3
mushroom- le champignon
the spore-bearing portion and 4
plant- la plante
of fungi.
Level 3
Moss is a small, seedless
Attainments
plant that grows in Í Visit your Term 3 Body of Water for the first time
moist, shady places while
mushrooms are the Í Review your Walk/View from last unit; Play
spore-bearing fruiting “picture painting” games
body of fungi.
Í Continue Term 3 Project: Terrarium
Í Continue your nature poem recitation
Í Continue your Term 3 handicraft of choice

Í Find and observe your 5th bird of the year (sugg:

mourning dove)

Level 1 Level 2
Plants That Never Ever Bloom (Heller) One Small Square: Backyard (Silver)
Mossy (Brett) Mushrooms: How to Identify and Gather Wild
A Walk on the Tundra (Hainnu) Mushrooms and other Fungi (DK) *nonfiction
Mushroom in the Rain (Ginsburg)
The Mole Sisters and a Piece of Moss (Schwartz)
Grandpa Green (Smith)
Explore More
3 Moss would make a fabulous addition to your terrarium if you haven’t included it. It
craves a moist environment so you’ll need to make sure it stays wet, but it will also help
retain moisture for the roots of any small plants you may have included.
3 Using your 3-Part cards, sort out mosses from mushrooms and lichen. Discuss the
difference between plants and fungi. Allow your kiddos to share their own observations
about color, texture, and other differences they notice.
3 Doing an oral or written comparison and contrast between moss and other plant
types would be a great challenge as well. The trees and flowers we have studied this
year have all been plants, but they are very different from moss. How are the alike
and how are they different? The Student Notebook includes a chart to draw or write
observed differences and similarities.
3 Spore prints are an interesting way to observe this special function of mushrooms.
Carefully forage for a variety of mushrooms. Gently remove the mushroom cap and
place it spore-side down on paper. Sprinkle the cap with water, place a bowl over the
top, and wait until the next day to peak. Each mushroom will have its own distinctive
color and pattern to its spore impressions.
3 Grow your own mushrooms! You can actually propagate your own mushrooms from
store-bought. You can find instructions here: gcpress.tinyc.co/growmushrooms
3 Treehouse magazine has an amazing assortment of activities along with free
worksheets, coloring pages, and more that’s all about mushrooms. You can find it here:
gcpress.tinyc.co/mushroomactivities
3 It probably goes without saying, but definitely include a special nature walk this unit
scouting out mosses and mushrooms. Foraging for morel mushrooms can be done safely
following these guidelines: gcpress.tinyc.co/morelmushrooms
Unit 15 // Tree Anatomy
Miss Mason Moment

“This idea of all education springing from and resting upon our relation to Almighty
God-we do not merely give a religious education because that would seem to
imply the possibility of some other education, a secular education, for example.
But we hold that all education is divine, that every good gift of knowledge and
insight comes from above, that the Lord the Holy Spirit is the supreme educator of
mankind, and that the culmination of all education (which may at the same time
be reached by a little child) is that personal knowledge of and intimacy with God in
which our being finds its fullest perfection.”

Overview
In this unit, we spend time labeling the parts of a tree. You’ll observe that we keep the
list to 3 parts for youngest learners, add two additional parts for Level 2, but we switch
gears to focus on trunk anatomy for our Level 3 students.
This is another unit that you can tackle in a “split” fashion, by focusing on tree parts
one week and then trunk anatomy the second week. Do whatever interests you most,
my friend!
Tip Time!
We are almost there! Just a few units left before we finalize this in-depth nature
study experience. I am honestly the WORST at finishing strong. I want to encourage
us both to keep going. If Spring has sprung and you’re looking for a change of pace,
try focusing on the portions of the program that fell by the wayside a while ago, OR
feel free to skip any reading and spend every possible moment out of doors. That’s
the best experience you can ask for!
Tip Time!
• We run into a similar issue this unit with additional books as in last unit. Most books
outlined are not specific to tree “anatomy” but rather focus on types of trees, life
cycles of trees, or just sweet stories that feature a tree. Thankfully, our core books
stand strong and give us most of the information we need on this topic. A positive note
is that many of the books that are great for this unit are also great for the next.
• This unit, no book will stand in comparison to finding a tree stump or fallen tree and
taking a close look at its rings and layers. The more up-close and personal you get with
this nature study, the more the terms and experience will “stick.”

Unit 15 Snapshot

Spanish Ellie’s Log (chapter 4)
Level 1 trunk- el tronco Nature Anatomy
Three parts of a tree are: (Rothman) (p99-116)
root- la raíz
roots, trunk, and branch.
branch- la rama Term Read Alouds
Level 2 French
(Kaufman)- chapter 5
Five parts of a tree are: trunk- le tronc Level 2: Among the Night
People (Pierson)- chapter 5
roots, trunk, branch, crown, root- la racine
and 6
and twigs. branch- la branche
Level 3
The trunk of a tree is Attainments
composed of 5 zones: outer
bark, inner bark, cambium, Í Visit your Term 3 Walk/View
sapwood, and heartwood.
Í Review your Body of Water from last unit; Play
“picture painting” games
Í Continue Term 3 Project: Terrarium
Í Continue your nature poem recitation

Í Find and observe your 6th bird of the year (sugg:

killdeer)

Level 1 Level 2
Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Trees The Tree Book (Ingoglia)
(Arnosky) *fantastic, but out of print Trees: A Rooted History (Grajkowski)
Everything You Need for a Treehouse (Higgins) Take Along Guide: Trees, Leaves, and Bark (Burns)
In a Nutshell (Anthony) The Magic and Mystery of Trees (Green)
Because of an Acorn (Schaefer)
Tell Me Tree: All About Trees for Kids (Gibbons)
Explore More
3 Do you have a small sapling in your yard? On paper, write out the names of different parts
of the tree and cut those into labeled strips. The older your kids, the more advanced you can
get. Allow them to tape the proper name to the proper tree part. If you have a few kiddos, they
can have a race to see who can label their parts the fastest (if somehow races don’t always end
in tears in your home ;).
3 Trees have alternating dark and light tree rings inside of their trunk. The light area is the
first growth in the spring and the dark areas indicate the latter growth toward the end of the
growing season. Counting the dark rings gives you a pretty accurate account of the tree’s age
in years.
3 Observe the size of any rings you find in a tree stump. Narrow rings can indicate drought
or crowding in the forest. Trees with plenty of space to grow will have wide, consistently even
rings. Forest fires can also caused narrowed rings. Sometimes, you will even see that the rings
on one side of a stump are narrower than the other side- this can indicate that something was
pushing against the tree (maybe another tree?) and limited its growth. Tree stumps can tell you
about climate change and major events in the forest over a hundred years or more, depending
upon the age of the tree.
3 Your Student Notebook has tree part labeling activities and worksheets. Your 3-Part cards
will also be useful in reviewing the parts of a tree or tree trunk.
3 Different trees have different bark textures. Try taking your crayons and several sheets of
white paper outside. Press the paper up against the tree bark and have your student rub the
side of the crayon over the paper. The paper will reveal the texture of the tree’s bark. See if
you can identify the type of tree you’ve rubbed. Try another few trees and compare the texture
from their bark. Which trees are smooth, knobby, or have extra thick bark?

Unit 16 // Deciduous Trees
Miss Mason Moment
“Having found the book which has a message for us, let us not be guilty of the
folly of saying we have read it. We might as well say we have breakfasted, as
if breakfasting on one day should last us for every day! The book that helps us
deserves many readings, for assimilation comes by slow degrees.”

Overview
In this unit, we change gears from evergreens and learn about deciduous trees. Almost
everyone in North America will have access to some type of deciduous tree near them
for observation. Deciduous trees are best observed over time. Hopefully, through the
attainments, you’ve seen a few trees change colors through the fall, drop their leaves
for winter, and begin to bud with new life this spring!
In this unit, we learn about how a deciduous tree differs from an evergreen and why
they lose their leaves.
Tip Time!
You are probably drawing very near to the end of your school year. From one
mama heart to another, I hope your gentle, classical adventure has been a
blessing. I want to encourage you to make the most of any excellent spring
weather you might be having and enjoy less time in books and more time in
nature. Remember, a change is always as good as a rest :)
Tip Time!
• In this unit, Ellie’s Log takes a bit of a divergence from what we are focusing on, but
there are many other books that help us to understand and enjoy deciduous trees.
Regardless, this chapter is a great one, so I would still continue to read about Ellie and
Ricky’s adventures.
• Basically, every book this term works for almost all of the units, but of course,
because there are SO MANY good tree books, I’ve added a few more to the menu this
for this topic.
• For our attainment this unit, we are looking to observe a maple of any kind. I’ve
indicated sugar maple or box elder (a type of maple), but look for maple trees native
to your area. If you are insanely blessed enough to have the ability to partake in
maple syrup extraction and making, that usually takes place February-March in the
northeast. Sugar maple, black maple, and red maple all produce maple sap for syrup.

Unit 16 Snapshot

Level 1 Spanish Ellie’s Log (Li)- ch 5
leaf- la hoja Nature Anatomy

Deciduous trees shed their (Rothman) (p98-116)
leaves once per year. winter- el invierno
autumn- el otoño Term Read Alouds
Level 2 of Geraldine Woolkins
Deciduous trees shed their leaf- la feuille Level 2: Among the Night
leaves once per year in People (Pierson)- chapters 7,
winter- l’hiver
order to protect themselves 8, and 9
autumn- l’automne
during the winter.
Level 3 Attainments
Deciduous trees go through
an annual process called Í Visit your Term 3 Body of Water
dormancy in which they
shed their leaves in order
Í Review your Walk/View from last unit; Play
to conserve nutrients and “picture painting” games
protect themselves during
the winter. Í Continue Term 3 Project: Terrarium
Í Begin recitation of your final nature poem

Í Find and observe your 6th tree (sugg: maple/box

elder)

Level 1 Level 2
*All books from the previous unit are still suggested Arbor Day Square (Galbraith)
We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt (Metzger) The Things That I Love About Trees (Butterworth)
The Leaves are Falling One by One (Metzger) Owl Tree *Choose Your Own Adventure Story
As an Oak Tree Grows (Karas) (Montgomery)
The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree (Gibbons) Why Do Leaves Change Colors (Maestro)
A Tree is a Plant (Bulla)
Explore More
3 If you *happen* to be exploring this unit in the fall, you must give leaf waxing a try.
You can find a great tutorial here: gcpress.tinyc.co/waxleaves
3 You can totally still do that activity during spring or summer as well- it just won’t be quite
as colorful.
3 This is a fantastic YouTube video that asks the question: Do Trees Hibernate? gcpress.
tinyc.co/treeshibernate
3 Here’s a great activity for demonstrating how a broadleaf leaf loses moisture leading up
to dormancy and how an evergreen leaf/needle retains moisture:
Í Get 3 pieces of paper towel, a spray bottle of water, and 2 sheets of wax paper.
Í Spray one piece of paper towel with water and leave it flat and uncovered,
comparing it to a broadleaf deciduous tree like a maple or oak.
Í Spray a second piece and twist it tightly. This represents an evergreen needle like
a pine.
Í Spray the third piece and lay it between the two pieces of way paper. This
represents evergreens that are broadleaf, like a live oak (or evergreen oak).
Í After about 30 minutes, check each paper towel. Which one has already dried
out? Which ones retains moisture the longest? You can use a simple chart to track
the changes over time and even have Level 3 students graph the data, rating the
moisture content at different time intervals.
3 Tree leaves make wonderful, free manipulatives for counting and sorting. When doing
nature walks with littles, I find it best to assign them a task like, “Find Mommy a leaf bigger
than this leaf!” or “Who can find ten leaves in 5 minutes?” These types of activities offer
multiple skill practice all at one time.
Unit 17 // Nocturnal Animals
Miss Mason Moment
“The formation of habits is education, and education is the formation of habits.”
“Our aim in education is to give a full life. We owe it to them to initiate an immense
number of interests. Life should be all living, and not merely a tedious passing of
time; not all doing or all feeling or all thinking - the strain would be too great - but,
all living; that is to say, we should be in touch wherever we go, whatever we hear,
whatever we see, with some manner of vital interest.”

Overview
We take one last departure from plants and trees to learn about a special group of
animals that thrive living that night life! These animals have special adaptations that
allow them to survive safely in the dark and also equips them to hunt more effectively
during that time period as well. There is much to learn about nocturnal animals and
many fun, interesting creatures to study in the process!
Tip Time!
We have one more unit following this fun exploration into the night. I encourage
you to take things slowly and enjoy these last few weeks in our forest habitat.
Your children would be THRILLED to go on a night hike or even camp out to have
firsthand experiences with forest animals, especially nighttime creatures. You’ll
make memories that last a lifetime!
Tip Time!
• Ellie’s Log is a perfect compliment to our studies this week! Nature Anatomy doesn’t
have a specific section on nocturnal animals, but the indicated pages feature some
animals that are indeed nocturnal. One idea would be to flip through the whole
Creature Feature Chapter (5) and discuss which animals are nocturnal and which are
not. This might trigger a great research topic for your older children.
• This unit’s Additional Book Menu is only a small portion of the many excellent
nocturnal animal books available. Be sure to look for more titles at your library that
feature foxes, owls, opossums, coyotes, bats, and more.
• I’ve included a really simple, zero-prep activity under Explore More that will require
a bowl of water and a few small objects easily found laying around the house. It goes
along way in demonstrating bat echolocation.

Unit 17 Snapshot

Ellie’s Log (Li)- ch 6
Spanish
Level 1 night- la noche
Nature Anatomy
Bats, owls, foxes, and (Rothman) (p132-137)
animal- el animal
opossums are
nocturnal animals. dark- oscuro Term Read Alouds
Level 2 French (Kaufman)- chapters 7 & 8
Level 2: Among the Night
night- la nuit
Nocturnal animals sleep People (Pierson)- chapters 10,
animal- l’animal 11, and 12
during the day and move at dark- sombre
night to search for prey or
avoid daytime heat.
Level 3 Attainments
Nocturnal animals have a
special reflective surface Í Revisit Term 3 Walk/View for the last time
in their eyes along with
structural differences that Í Review your Term 3 Body of Water; Continue to
“picture-paint”
help them to see better in
the dark.
Í Continue Term Project #3: Terrarium
Í Continue recitation of your 6th nature poem

Í Find and observe your 5th wildflower this year

(sugg: clover)

Level 1 Level 2
Owl Moon (Yolen) Stellaluna (Cannon)
Daylight Starlight Wildlife (Minor) Nightsong (Berk)
Where are the Night Animals? (Fraser) Opossum Opposites (Gallois) *nonfiction
Explore My World Nighttime (Esbaum) *nonfiction The Bat Book (Milner) *nonfiction
The Night Box (Greig)
Serafina Soars (Hammond)
Little Owl’s Night (Srinivasan)
Coyote Moon (Gianferrari)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 103-105, 267-
269, 244+) Old Mother West Wind (Burgess; Chpt 3, 6, 8, 11)
Explore More
3 Dissect owl pellets! HomeScienceTools.com is a great website for homeschool
science materials that we have used multiple times. While dissecting owl pellets is
pretty gross, it’s also extremely fascinating! Avoid if squeamish ;)
3 Echolocation is the process by which bats send out sound waves that reverberate
back to them, creating a “sound landscape” of everything around them. In order to
help students “see” these sounds waves, we can represent them with water. This simple
activity helps make some big connections:
Í Fill a bowl with water.
Í Select a variety of small objects (beans, coins, etc) of varying sizes.
Í Drop them one by one into your bowl or tub of water and watch how it
creates ripples. You can even record this in slow motion on your phone to help
little eyes see the effects better.
Í Discuss how these waves you’re seeing in the water are similar to the waves
that help a bat to “see.” Just like the waves will rebound from the edges of the
water bowl back toward the fallen object, so too do the waves bounce back to
the bat and help him to “see” objects, their size, and their distance.
3 Have you ever noticed how animals’ eyes shine in the dark? This is due to a reflective
surface called the tapetum. This tapetum reflects any light that passes through the
retina back into the retina, essentially doubling the light available to them in order to
help them see better in the dark. You can read about many special features of nocturnal
animal eyes here: gcpress.tinyc.co/nocturnaleyes
3 Utilize your 3-Part Cards to sort nocturnal animals from day-dwelling animals. Can your
students observe any anatomical differences between them?
Unit 18 // Nature in Motion
Miss Mason Moment
“We all have need to be trained to see, and to have our eyes opened before we can
take in the joy that is meant for us in this beautiful life.”
“Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to
thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must
bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of
education.”

Overview
We are drawing to a close, sweet friend! This unit is a culmination of our overarching
theme of cycles and growth. This is an idea we’ve essentially been exploring and
pursuing all year long. One season, one purpose, one action always leads into the next.
The focus on the never-ending cycles in nature is a beautiful conclusion to this year of
inland waterways and forests. I hope you’ll be blessed to explore this last unit freely for
weeks as it has ample room to foster explorations in a variety of topics. Be blessed!
Tip Time!
The goal in this unit is to create a connecting awareness that there is a season for
everything under the sun and that nothing outside of Creation by God is created or
destroyed but is instead re-purposed and remade into a new creation or new form.
Our Father doesn’t waste anything. I’m sure you’ll have the opportunity to make many
beautiful theological connections in this lesson with your child. Everything in Creation,
including us, is being continually made new and reborn into a new thing.
Tip Time!
• This is an interesting unit, where our year of studies culminate into a focus on the
cycles that have surrounded all of our studies. Whether it be a life cycle, seed cycle,
decomposition, or a food chain- all that we’ve encountered in Nature this year can
be summed up in one word: rebirth. In Ellie’s Log, Ricky and Ellie finish their season
of explorations with a look into the future. We will spend this unit learning about the
concept of cycles and how they affect everything we’ve been learning about.
• When it comes to additional book selections, these will feature a variety of cycle
specific topics. Feel free to spend several weeks digging into the various cycles like:
photosynthesis, food chains, the water cycle, seasons, human development, etc .
• You’ll find that most of the books you’ve read earlier in the year would be excellent
re-reads with a focus on any cycles found within them. The frog and butterfly life
cycles, seed to tree life cycles, and any mentions of predator/prey relationships are
great ways to explore.

Unit 18 Snapshot

Spanish Ellie’s Log (Li)- ch 7
Level 1 life cycle- el ciclo de vida Nature Anatomy
Life cycles, decomposition, (Rothman) (p18, 36-37, 46,
food chain- la cadena 72-73, 126-127, 203)
and the food chain are all
alimentaria
types of cycles.
water cycle- el ciclo del agua Term Read Alouds
Level 2 French
(Kaufman)- chapters 9 &10
A cycle is when one element life cycle- le cycle de vie
Level 2: Among the Night
or compound is reused for a food chain- la chaîne People (Pierson)- chapters 13,
new purpose. alimentaire 14, and 15
water cycle- le cycle de l’eau
Level 3
A cycle is when one element
Attainments
or compound is reused for
a new purpose or changed Í Revisit Term 3 Body of Water for the last time
into a new form. Examples
include: decomposition, Í Review your Term 3 Walk/View; Continue to
“picture-paint”
photosynthesis, water
cycles, and food chains.
Í Finish Term Project #3: Terrarium
Í Last week for recitation of your 6th nature poem
Í Finish daily practice of chosen handicraft

Í Add your 6th wildflower of the year and review

your previous items as time allows (sugg: dandelion)

Level 1 Level 2
Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle The Water Cycle at Work (Olien) *nonfiction
(Paul) The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth
Pass the Energy Please (McKinney) (Ignotofsky) *nonfiction; detailed overview of ecosystems
Trout are Made of Trees (Sayre) A Drop Around the World (McKinney)
The Story Goes On: A Novel (Fisher) Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food
The Wolves are Back (George) Web in Our Backyard (Zoehfeld)
DK Encyclopedia of Animals (pages 40-45, 81)
Explore More
3 Spend some time reviewing our first several units. Frogs, dragonflies, butterflies, and
bees all go through interesting life cycles. Other super interesting life cycles to explore
belong to: duck-billed platypus (mammals that lay eggs!), the pearly jawfish (daddy fish
carries the babies in his mouth), marsupials (who birth very underdeveloped young then
continue to develop them in their pouch), seahorses (where the male actually carries
the babies), and magicicada (which are 17-year cicadas).
3 Several Eric Carle books are excellent for studying various cycles: A Very Hungry
Caterpillar, The Tiny Seed, and Mister Seahorse are just a few.
3 If you don’t already do this as a family, you might begin a new tradition of measuring
everyone’s height in one area of the home once every 6 months or on each birthday. If
you think you’ll move, you can purchase or make your own height chart. Children also
love to see their own baby pictures. They’re as shocked and fascinated by their growth
as we are!
3 The food chain is another cycle that we have briefly hit on as we have studied
different animals. Food chains are vital to ecosystems and when they are disrupted, it
can disrupt everything. The Wolves are Back (George) is a fantastic book for exploring
this concept.
3 Utilizing your 3-Part cards, create your own food chains. Which animals are the
natural predators or prey? Which ones belong in the same biomes and support one
another and which ones do not?
3 Your studies in decomposition and growing plants in a terrarium are also a part of
this topic. This unit is prime time for reviewing your year of growth :)

Appendix
Visit www.GentleClassical.com and click “Nature Tools +
Shoppable Book Menu” to find a convenient listing of all
suggested materials and books mentioned in this program.

Body of Water + Walk/View Notes to Consider
When choosing your Body of Water and Walk/View for each term, there are
several important elements that you will want to keep in mind. The following is
a list of suggested questions to ponder when making this decision:
• Is this location convenient enough that I will enjoy visiting weekly or bi-
weekly?
• Will I need special permission to visit this property?
• Will the “walk” be interesting enough to engage without being cumbersome
to visit often?
• Is it relatively free of modern alterations? (If you live in a highly urban area,
do what you can! The PROCESS is the most important thing.)
• Is it safe?
• Is there any particular wildlife I need to be more educated about before
visiting this area?
• Is it pleasant? Is the view worthy of memory?
If you are coming up empty-handed, consider local parks, a nearby national park,
a local farm, a favorite area at a local zoo or museum, a rooftop garden, or any
garden (community or otherwise).
Ideally, your special locations would be both convenient and beautiful and brim-
ming with nature to observe and explore. However, that may not always be the
case. Do what you can with what you have! Even if it isn’t as “idyllic” as you would
like, this is YOUR city/town that you are exploring. This environment is the environ-
ment of your child’s childhood. Look for beauty everywhere you go, focus on the skills
we are aiming to attain, and trust God to take care of the rest!

Menu of Handicraf ts
*Items in this font could easily be nature-related
• sewing
• macramé
• knitting
• rug-hooking
• crocheting
• embroidery
• woodworking
• felting
• gardening
• clay sculpting
• ceramics
• beadwork
• jewelry making
• carving-soap or wood
• flower arranging
• quilting/patchwork
• cake decorating
• weaving- paper, branches, leaves
• photography
• braiding/knotting
• sculpting
• floss e.g.
• decoupage
• friendship bracelets
• scrapbooking
• lanyards
• collage
• candle making
• metalworking
• woodworking
• pottery
• basket weaving
• mosaics
• card making
• flower pressing
• doll making
• wood burning
• spool knitting
• cross-stitch
• appliqué
• drawing (charcoals, pastels)
• smocking
• painting (watercolor, oils)
• tatting
• latch-hook
• needlepoint
• rubber stamping
• wire sculpting
• cooking/baking
• finger knitting
• canning/freezing
• organizing

Gentle + Classical Nature was created to be highly
complimentary to Gentle + Classical Primer.
Download the FREE Teacher’s Guide at:
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Gentle + Classical

VOLUME 1: INLAND WATERWAYS & FORESTS

©2022 The eG ntle + Classical Press, Inc

Do not copy, reprint, alter, or redistribute

The eG ntle + Classical Press, Inc

Ages: K4- 4th Grade

Danny- You are the perfect balance to my crazy obsessions, always

Amanda- You are an encouragement, blessing, and my lifelong partner-in-

Hayley- You are my constant sounding board, homeschooling spirit animal,

14 Is it open and go? + “No Overwhelm” Zone

16 Scope and Sequence

18 All About the Books

22 Levels and Alignment

27 Memory Statement Board

32 Attainment List (brief)

36 “Picture Painting” Games

38 Attainment 11- Nature Collection

39 Attainments 12-13 - Nature Collection

41 Foreign Language Notes

43 Nature Diaries + “Sight-Seeing” Games

44 How Our Family Does Nature Study

46 Part 2: Term 1- Inland Waterways

72 Term 2- Critters: Great and Small

PART 1: Introduction, scope and

PART 2: Curriculum Content

If the philosophies of Charlotte Mason

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Erin 11 ©Gentle + Classical Nature

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-- David Starr Jordan, 1902

13 ©Gentle + Classical Nature

As you grow in understanding of this “classical/CM” method, this program

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The program IS designed to primarily be used by North American families, especially in

This program isn’t hyper-detailed-oriented. I am a fan of “springboards” as curricula and

15 ©Gentle + Classical Nature

The chart on the following pages gives an overview of the

(We will learn more about these attainments in the

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Key: Tip Time!

17 ©Gentle + Classical Nature

Frog and Toad Among the Pond

Thimbleberry Stories Among the Forest

& The Adventures of Among the Night

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Core Nonfiction Core Living Books

19 ©Gentle + Classical Nature

For the Attainments Want to add more creature adventures

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21 ©Gentle + Classical Nature

You will notice an overlap in ages above. Since there is a huge

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Tip Time! 1. If you will be utilizing the attainment

25 ©Gentle + Classical Nature

To make life easier, we’ve created a Bundle of materials that are

8. Have your Nature Collection Notebook printed on cardstock and

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Tip Time! In order to construct a board as pictured on the

Tip Time! Landscape