Nature Study

Between global warming, holes in the ozone, and the pollution of our seas and rivers, maybe it is best to keep kids indoors and pacified in front of the television....but probably not. If these aren't real threats then there's nothing to protect our children (or ourselves) from, and if they are real threats—all the more reason to instill a love of nature in the younger generations.

Kids have an inclination toward exploration and learning. Allowing them to do so encourages not only active bodies and active minds, it fosters a healthy imagination and love of beauty. Charlotte Mason understood this over a century ago, and developed a system of education in which nature study played a prominent role. It is in nature, more than in the classroom or the rec room or even the library, that children best learn by observation, and this habit once formed will never disappear.

The often-referenced "childlike wonder" inherent in all of us from a young age (though modern society seems to be stamping it out quicker and more efficiently) isn't just some esoteric feeling of awe. It's literal wonder—kids wonder how birds fly, why their pet dog's fur falls out in summer, where ants go in the winter, why it gets colder and harder to breathe the higher you get. The less contact they have with the natural world, the less wonder they'll have; but the reverse is also true, and kids allowed to roam and explore the outdoors will develop a sense of inquisitiveness that can only help them in the so-called "real world."

Preparation for the Real World of modern myth often takes on peculiar guises. Children are snatched from the fields and streams and placed in front of computer screens or television sets. They are crowded into classrooms and made to feel good about the fact that they are learning nothing at the same rate as everyone around them. They are given plastic toys with supposed educational properties and made to "play" with them under close adult supervision.

Meanwhile, the real real world waits outside the walls and doors and windows with its fresh smells, its colors brighter and more unique than anything on HDTV or Blu-Ray, its real wind, and its endless mysteries. If you don't like answering questions, don't want your kids to grow or exercise, prefer fat and lazy to fit and intelligent offspring, by all means somberly prepare them for a life without questions, and consequently without answers. If you want children who will grown into thoughtful adults with a sense of the loveliness of Earth and their place in it, keeping them inside is possibly the most dangerous choice you can make on their behalf.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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75 Items found Print
Active Filters: 2nd grade (Ages 7-8), Hardcover, Used Books & Materials
100 Things You Should Know about Mammals
by Jinny Johnson
from Barnes & Noble
for 2nd-5th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
44 Animals of the Bible
by Nancy Johnson
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIB-STU)
$9.59 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Ones
by Barbara Bash
from Sierra Club Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Animal Babies in Grasslands
from Kingfisher
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Animal School: What Class are You?
by Michelle Lord, illustrated by Michael Garland
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Babes and Cradles
by Maud Wolcott Spalding, illustrated by Lucile Patterson Marsh & Anita Parkhurst
from Southern Publishing Association
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Baby Whale Sharp Ears
by John Y. Beaty, illustrated by Helene Carter
from J.B. Lippincott Co.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$80.00 (1 in stock)
Bag in the Wind
by Ted Kooser, illustrated by Barry Root
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Biography of a Rhino
by Alice L. Hopf; illustrated by Kiyo Komoda
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$44.00 (1 in stock)
Bird's Eye View: The Natural World
by John Farndon and Paul Boston
from Words & Pictures
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Bombus Finds a Friend
by Elsie Larson, illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Butterflies Come
by Leo Politi
from Charles Scribner's Sons
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Caterpillars and Butterflies
Usborne Beginners
by Stephanie Turnbull
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$2.70 (2 in stock)
Dangerous Animals
Usborne Beginners
by Rebecca Gilpin
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$2.70 (1 in stock)
Delver's Danger
Smithsonian Wild Heritage Collection
by Susan Thompson-Hoffman, illustrated by Eileen Major Buzzanco
from Trudy Corporation
for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Detective Dinosaur
by James Skofield
from Barnes & Noble
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Disguises and Surprises
Supersmarts
by Claire Llewellyn
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Ducks Don't Get Wet
by Augusta Goldin, illustrated by Leonard Kessler
from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 1st-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Earthworm
by Andrienne Soutter-Perrot, illustrated by Etienne Delessert
from Creative Education
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Edgar, the Super Dolphin
by Nathaniel Benchley, illustrated by Mamoru Funai
from Harper & Row
for 1st-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Elephants
Usborne Beginners
by James MacLaine
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$3.15 (1 in stock)
EyeLike Letters
from Play Bac
for Preschool-2nd grade
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Eyes on Nature: Cats
Eyes on Nature
by Janr P. Resnick
from KidsBooks, Inc.
for 1st-6th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Fun with Nature Take-Along Guide
Take-Along Guide
by Mel Boring, Diane L. Burns, Leslie Dendy, illustrated by Linda Garrow
from Northword Press
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Giraffe: A Living Tower
by Christine and Michel Denis-Huot
from Reader's Digest Young Families
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
How Flowers Grow
Usborne Beginners
by Emma Helbrough
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$4.49 $2.70 (3 in stock)
How Grace Got Her Name
by Alice Elshoff, illustrated by Jennifer Curtis
from Moonglade Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Joey
from Tambourine Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Kiya the Gull
by Fen H. Lasell
from Addison Wesley
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Let's Get Turtles
by Millicent Selsam, illustrated by Arnold Lobel
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Lifesize
from Kane Miller
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Little Turtle and the Song of the Sea
by Sheridan Cain, illustrated by Norma Burgin
from Crocodile Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Living Fossils
by Caroline Arnold, illustrated by Andrew Plant
from Charlesbridge
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Living Pond
by Nathalie Tordjam, translated by Vicki Bogard, illustrated by Laura Bour
from Young Discovery Library
for 2nd-4th grade
in River, Pond & Swamp (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Look at Me!
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Look to the North
by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Lucia Washburn
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Lucky Porcupine
by Miriam Schlein, illustrated by Martha Weston
from Four Winds Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Mists of Eden
by Erica Sherman
from Landmark Editions
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-JUN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
More Fun with Nature Take-Along Guide
Take-Along Guide
by Christiane Kump Tibbitts, Diane L. Burns, John F. McGee, Laura Evert, Linda Garrow, Mel Boring
from Northword Press
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
My Father's World
by Pablo Yoder, photography by Jacinto Yoder
from TGS International
for 2nd-4th grade
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Nest Full of Eggs
by Priscilla Belz Jenkins
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Night Animals
Usborne Beginners Level 1
by Susan Meredith
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$4.49 $2.70 (2 in stock)
Now I Know All About Seeds
by Susan Kuchalla, illustrated by Jane McBee
from Troll Associates
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Oh Say Can You Say Di-no-saur?
by Bonnie Worth, illustrated by Steve Haefele
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 2nd-4th grade
in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Original Water-Color Paintings by John James Audubon for Birds of America
by John James Audubon
1985 edition from American Heritage Publishing Co.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$35.00 (1 in stock)
Penguins
by Emily Bone
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$2.70 (1 in stock)
Poisonous Animals
Usborne Beginners
by Emily Bone
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$2.70 (1 in stock)
Prairie Dog Town
Smithsonian Wild Heritage Collection
by Bettye Rogers, illustrated by Deborah Howland
from Trudy Corporation
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Rare Treasure
by Don Brown
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
River Ran Wild
by Lynne Cherry
from Harcourt
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in River, Pond & Swamp (Location: SCI-ECO)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Seashore
by Sue Unstead
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Seashore & Tidepools (Location: SCI-ECO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Seeds and More Seeds
by MIllicent E. Selsam
from HarperTrophy
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Sharks
Usborne Beginners
by Catriona Clarke
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$2.70 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: Secrets of Animal Camouflage
Shine-A-Light
by Carron Brown and Illustrated by Wesley Robins
from Kane Miller
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: Secrets of the Apple Tree
Shine-A-Light
by Carron Brown and Illustrated by Alyssa Nassner
from Kane Miller
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: Secrets of the Seashore
Shine-A-Light
by Carron Brown & Alyssa Nassner
from Kane Miller
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Seashore & Tidepools (Location: SCI-ECO)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Snakes and Lizards
by George S. Fichter; illustrated by David Mooney
from Western Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Spotlight: Jungle Explorer
from Silver Dolphin
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-JUN)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Tadpoles and Frogs
Usborne Beginners Level 1
by Anna Milbourne
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$2.70 (4 in stock)
Toad Overload
by Patricia Seibert, illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis
from Millbrook Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Ecology (Location: SCI-ECO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Travels of Monarch X
by Ross E. Hutchins, illustrated by Jerome P. Connolly
from Rand McNally
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Tree Life
by Theresa Greenaway
First American Edition from DK Children
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Turtles
by Bertie A. Stewart and Gordon E. Burks; illustrated by William Hutchinson
from Golden Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Two Bad Ants
by Chris Van Allsburg
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Pocket Nature
by Barbara Cork
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$4.05 (1 in stock)
We Dig Worms!
Toon Level 1: Giggle and Learn
by Kevin McCloskey
from Toon Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Whales: Friendly Dolphins and Mighty Giants of the Sea
by Jane Werner Watson
from Golden Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Whales & Dolphins (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
What Makes a Monster?
by Jess Keating, illustrated by David DeGrand
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
When An Animal Grows
by Millicent Ellis Selsam; illustrated by John Kaufmann
from Harper & Row
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Which is Which
by Solveig Paulson Russell, illustrated by Gail E. Haley
from Prentice Hall
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Wild Folk in the Mountains
by Carroll Lane Fenton
from The John Day Company
for Preschool-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Wonder Book of Trees
by Cynthia Iliff Koehler, illustrated by Alvin Koehler
1974 printing from Wonder Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Wonder of Animals
by Kathleen N. Daly, illustrated by Tim and Greg Hildebrandt
from Golden Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Woodchuck
Science I Can Read Books
by Faith McNulty, illustrated by Joan Sandin
from Harper & Row
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$9.00 (1 in stock)