Wetlands
A Learning Lifestyle
My preschoolers are officially not preschoolers any more. As we step into Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and as a family new to "officially" homeschooling, I recently bought writing curriculum from BraveWriter and breathed a huge sigh of relief.
The guidance offered essentially advocates for 1) focusing on creating an environment filled with books, music, and experiences; and, 2) a language-rich lifestyle - one where you listen to your child, respond thoughtfully, and pursue ideas together. (This builds on what we know about how preschoolers learn, too. ) She, of course, weaves writing lessons into the day and provides structure so parents don't have to come up with everything on their own. (Whew!)
Books, Music, and Experiences
Despite being regulars at the library, I often find myself scouring the catalog and shelves for books that might work to answer my child's question or delve deeper into the subject du jour. It is no wonder why lists are some of the most popular blogs in the world. You know the ones: "101 Books to Read Before Kindergarten," "10+ Children's Books to Inspire Kindness," and my own "24 Books for Preschool Engineers."
A Smaller, More Approachable List
The problem is that sometimes we want a smaller, more approachable list. One with fewer books that includes other things. I just want a few good books, a CD, and a video, perhaps a toy. Something like a thoughtful little themed basket.
Invitation to Learn
It is in the spirit of having a small sampling of one topic that I am writing Invitations to Learn. Each invitation grows from our homeschool life and is a pint-sized unit of study for the DIY crowd. With this list, I am inviting you to learn alongside your child and giving you a small amount of guidance for creating a rich learning environment in your home or school.
Read a book one day; listen to an audiobook another day; watch a movie a different day; go on a field trip a different day. By offering one great thing at a time, you are inviting your child to learn with you and enjoy learning with you! Over time you and your child will consider the topic in several different ways, using different materials, have different but related conversations about it, and you will grow your knowledge in wonderfully robust ways.
INVITATION TO LEARN WETLANDS
I have found some of these at the library or for free online. For your convenience, I will also include affiliate links to Amazon when available.
For the full Amazon list click here: Amazon Wishlist "Invitation to Learn Wetlands."
Climb aboard the Magic School Bus with Ms. Frizzle and her class for a wild ride - certified - as they learn about science first-hand in this Emmy-winning science-adventure animated series based on the best-selling Scholastic books. The Bus changes size and shape to bring the class everywhere from inside a cell to outside Earth's atmosphere. Seatbelts everyone!
Rated TV-Y.
The Magic School Bus Gets Swamped
Synopsis: Should Walkerville get rid of the swamp to build a shopping mall? The class learns the swamp is an important habitat and natural water filter.
Note: There are suggested activities for water experiments at the end of the episode!
Then we hit to library for some books and found these beauties!
Gibbons introduces the concept of wetlands (swamps have trees, and marshes do not) and distinguishes between the fresh-and saltwater varieties of each. She describes the amazing array of plants and animals found in these ecosystems and explains how these areas store freshwater, prevent flooding and erosion, and serve as a refuge for migratory animals. Large, colorful illustrations dominate every page and include many interesting details; oversize labels identify most terms and species. Appended with a map of major wetland areas in the U.S. and Canada and a page of other interesting facts, this will make an excellent introduction for primary-grade students. Kay Weisman
Age Range: 5 - 8 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3
Lexile Measure: 740 (What's this?)
Paperback: 32 pages
A New York Times Notable Children's Book for 2011
One of Horn Book's Best Nonfiction Books of 2011
The 20,000 acres of wetlands in New Jersey now known as the Meadowlands were once home to hundreds of species of plants and animals. But in the four hundred years since European explorers first arrived in the Meadowlands, people have dammed up, drained, built over, and polluted this formerly vibrant ecosystem―and all but destroyed it. Still, signs of life remain―under bridges, on the edges of parking lots, and beside train tracks. Slowly but surely, with help from activist groups, government organizations, and ordinary people, the resilient creatures of the Meadowlands are making a comeback, and the wetlands are recovering.
Age Range: 5 - 8 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3
Lexile Measure: AD1020L (What's this?)
Hardcover: 40 pages
In the Everglades, inches deep and miles wide, mystery abounds. What may look like a smooth, silent carpet of flowing grass is actually a world teeming with life. Amid tree islands and mangrove roots are animals on the prowl. A tuft-eared bobcat gives an eerie yoooooowl, a raccoon carefully washes his food, an osprey guts a fish, and an alligator waits with shroudlike eyes for a redbelly turtle to swim too close. From creatures that fly to those that crawl, here is the cycle of life in the Everglades, presented in lilting, poetic words and lush, dramatic images. A perfect armchair tour through a surprisingly vast array of wildlife in a swampy strip unlike any other place on earth.
Age Range: 3 - 9 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 4
Lexile Measure: 1030L (What's this?)
Hardcover: 32 pages
Introduces the many kinds of plants and animals found in freshwater wetlands, including flycatchers, whirligig beetles, and tiny water fleas and worms.
Age Range: 7 and up
Hardcover: 48 pages
And last, but not least, we had the pleasure of re-visiting a favorite Free-Learning location - Thorne Nature Experience. If you live in Colorado or are traveling through, then consider swinging by Thorne on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon to enjoy a self-guided tour. You can check out the Thorne Nature Museum indoors, visit the animals, or check out a backpack brimming with tools for exploring and learning about Sombrero Marsh!
Thorne Nature Experience, founded in Boulder, Colorado in 1954 by Dr. Oakleigh Thorne II, builds Earth stewardship by providing youth with joyful, hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences that foster an emotional connection to nature.
