Sunday, June 13, 2010

Mothers Should Know About Nature

"Mothers and Teachers should know about Nature. --The mother cannot devote herself too much to this kind of reading, not only that she may read tit-bits to her children about matters they have come across, but that she may be able to answer their queries and direct their observation. And not only the mother, but any woman, who is likely ever to spend an hour or two in the society of children should make herself mistress of this sort of information; the children will adore her for knowing what they want to know, and who knows but she may give its bent for life to some young mind destined to do great things for the world." Charlotte Mason, Book One: Home Education, page 64-65.

Here are some things the children are to know:
Field-crops
Meadow and pasture, clover, turnip, corn
Ploughing of the land to the getting of of the crops
Field Flowers
Life-History of Plants such as the milkwort, eyebright, res-harrow, lady's-bedstraw, willow-herb
Every wild flower that grows in their neighbourhood
Describe the leaf-its shape and size, growing from root or from stem
The manner of flowering-a head of flowers, a single flower, a spike, etc.
Never forget or mistake wildflowers or recognize them instantly
Pick out half of dozen trees in "their winter nakedness"
Stopping there....they are more requirements...

It looks like I am to be a quaint naturalist now.

First step done. Went to Barnes and Nobles and found the simplest books possible to begin the "Quaint Mother Naturalist course."

3 comments:

crazy4boys said...

You might also enjoy The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock. This blog http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/ is also excellent for learning about nature.

sariah said...

That "Birds of Idaho" field guide has been well used at our house. Sometimes I make bird mysteries for them to solve. I write something like "I saw an orange bird with a yellow nape and black crown making a cup nest. What am I?" Then I have a few questions for them to answer about the bird after they find it in the field guide. Hailey especially loved it! She made some mysteries for me to solve too.

Lara said...

Quaint? Are you sure you want to do that?