-how it works-
Seasonal Quests
Each quest contains seasonally geared topics (aka adventures) for your child to explore:
- focused nature walks,
- investigative nature study,
- hands-on experiments,
- engaging activities,
- great books, and engaging videos.
Along the way, they will record their discoveries in a personalized adventure journal and add to a nature collection.
Time Commitment
Depending on the quest and your family rhythm, you may need a full week or just a few days to complete the topics.
Donβt stress about finishing all topics in the month they are listed.
Topics can be completed in any order.
Tweak the placement of your quests on the calendar to ensure they match up with your regionβs seasonal changes.
Only one outside book needed
The only outside resource you need to complete A Year of Discovery is a nature guide.
But we've included a booklist so you can easily find coordinating books for each monthβs quest. Bonus? It comes with a comprehensive concordance for A Handbook of Nature Study.
A Digital Curriculum
The program is designed to be digital (no printing necessary!).
If you prefer to use a print version, keep the digital copy handy so you can easily access the embedded links.
Download it to your tablet and hit the trails!
Poetry + Art
Beautiful, seasonal poetry is sprinkled throughout the quests, along with art extensions.
Experiencing nature through the viewpoint of others can help children learn how to express themselves.
Interactive Resources
Links to applicable websites and videos are embedded in the activities to help you extend your childβs learning. We wanted to save you time so you can spend more time exploring and less time prepping (if any!) by including instructions for crafts, experiments, and more.
Why now?
A Year of Discovery guides your child through one year of seasonal changes. Allowing them to truly focus in on the natural world.
This curriculum will help you teach an exceptional nature unit regardless of grade.
It's perfect for teaching multiple children/ages - providing the invitation to learn that each child can respond to on their own level.
Cycle Observation Log
Help your child understand the passage of time and life cycles by tracking seasonal changes such as:
- the time of sunrise and sunset,
- the transformation of a deciduous tree,
- weather patterns, etc.
Each month contains this guided βThrough the Yearβ tracker. It's one of our favorite features and opens up so many opportunities for conversation about how our world changes!
What to expect
We aim to help children develop an appreciation and love for the natural world.
It is only through real-life experiences in forests, fields, and other natural areas, that children can foster a relationship with nature - a relationship that we hope will someday inspire them to become good stewards of the earth.
This supplemental curriculum is designed as an interactive PDF that can be used as a stand-alone, year long science and nature curriculum or as a seasonal supplement for Be a Naturalist.
-what's included-
Interactive Digital PDF
Curated, interactive links to help you tailor the curriculum to your child's learning goals and interests.
Through The Year Tracker
A tracker at the beginning of each section to help your student log their observations about the changing of seasons and their environment.
12 months of content
Each month your student has quests to prompt exploration, discovery, and connection. Start in at any time of the year.
Based on seasonal changes in North America.
Preparing the soil.
"If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.
The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil."
- Rachel Carson
What method is this?
The best bits of all.
It's important for children to physically experience their world like Marie Montessori advised, connect with the natural world and internalize big ideas like Charlotte Mason emphasized, and learn important scientific concepts like Classical methods aim to do.
Love the earth. Then advocate.
The early programs of Science Through Nature do not place focus on environmentalism.
First and foremost, children must desire to save something before they take the necessary steps to do so.
That desire comes from experiencing the wonder of the natural world - from realizing that it is worth cherishing and protecting.
Let them first love nature and, as they grow and develop the ability to understand the myriad of issues facing the environment, they will inherently strive to protect it.
