The Charming Crocus – Find it in Siberia and Your Backyard

Tagged With: , , , , ,

When we lived in Virginia, the sight of crocus blooms popping up in our yard meant that spring was close at hand. I think that is the reason why the crocus remains one of my favorite spring bulbs! But did you know that there are over 80 different varieties of crocus? The crocus is part of the iris family and is thought to have originated in Europe, Asia, and Africa.  These flowers can live from … [Read more...]

Snowdrops – when You See These, You Know Spring Is Almost Here!

Tagged With: , , , ,

Ahh, spring is in the air. There’s a warm breeze blowing, birds chirping, and snowdrops dotting the ground! But don’t get lulled into a false sense of the season - old man winter can still rear his frozen head. Snowdrops are one of the first flowers to appear each spring. These blooms typically appear as soon as the temperatures are regularly above freezing - depending on where you live this … [Read more...]

Bottlenose Dolphins – Have You Seen These Amazing Aquatic Mammals?

Tagged With: , ,

Now, I realize that the likelihood of you having dolphins in your backyard to observe is about as likely as you penguins. But, chances are high that you kids love bottlenose dolphins, thanks to movies like A Dolphin’s Tale. So, why don’t we take a moment to learn about these amazing aquatic mammals! Bottlenose dolphins are very smart and playful marine mammals. They are often spotted jumping … [Read more...]

The Stinkhorn – A Mushroom Only A Mother Could Love

Tagged With: , , , ,

It “hatches.” It smells like death. Some have a questionable shape. What’s not to love about stinkhorn mushrooms? Stinkhorn mushrooms like to grow on rotting organic matter, so you typically find them in your mulch beds. But don't worry, if you don’t want these stinky ‘shrooms showing up in your flower bed, you can replace your hardwood mulch with pine needles. Like all mushrooms, what we … [Read more...]

Impromptu Nature Study

Tagged With:

In our neck of the woods, the weather is finally turning more spring-like, so we have been spending quite a bit more time outdoors. This has provided us with several opportunities for impromptu nature study. This type of nature study is all about taking advantage of the opportunities to study science outdoors as they present themselves. What does Impromptu Nature Study Look Like? The other … [Read more...]

4 Easy Steps for Using Currents Events in Homeschool Science

Tagged With:

In our homeschool, we have discussed the latest news in science informally for several years, but this year we began a more formal approach to using current events in our homeschool science instruction. Here's the steps we take each week to incorporate the latest scientific news into our studies. Using Current Events in Homeschool Science Step 1: Choose an article You can subscribe to a … [Read more...]

« Previous Page