Our pond this week:
I wasn’t entirely sure we would get to the pond this week, but the children nagged and nagged, having missed it terribly last week. I think our new book had something to do with their enthusiasm. It really has sparked many, many ideas. As promised, here is a quick review of the second half of the book:
We read half the book the first week, and we have just finished the rest. It is giving us so many more ideas which we will apply over the next few months. Not that we lost our enthusiasm for the pond study, but this has definitely given us a renewed vision. We are almost half the way through our one year study, so it could not have come at a better time. A student could spend one session studying just one double page, and would not have wasted any time. It is that good. Over the winter, when things are quieter at our pond, I intend to do just that.
The second half of the book concentrates on the effects of different weather conditions on the pond, such as rain; the pond at twilight; the changes in seasons at the pond. Right at the end of the book there are six pages of pond dwellers you might see, grouped into handy sets:
The book also has a fantastic index so looking up information pertinent to your own particular pond study stage is easy. Of course, with the children feeling better, there has been much begging to get to the pond to choose their square. What parent can deny pleads such as those? So off we trotted.
Once we had reached the pond I was left alone to survey the wonder that is nature whilst they dashed off to inspect possible sites for their square:
Whilst they spent much time and effort choosing and unchoosing and then rechoosing their very own spot I peacefully watched the Heron:
I also spotted one of the baby Moor Hen, who isn’t such a baby anymore. I will be adding him to my Moorhen Bird study post:
Whilst I was snapping away, T11 asked if we could do a water study soon. He had lifted a rock, which was to be on his square and he said there were so many creatures, he wanted to get them home to study for a while. He takes his pond study very seriously and is planning on bringing out a David Attenborough type video series (!) L10 is to do the on set catering! Here he is in pure ponding mode. I love the intensity of all his passions:
What a blessing it was to be in among God’s creation again, drinking in all her beauty.
Isn’t it wonderful how enthusiastic the children are about learning? So glad they’re all feeling better now. 🙂
Thanks Hwee. Sorry about taking so long to reply, things were hectic yesterday!
Now I really want to get this book.
It’s a really, really good addition to any pond study!
What a great mark of a study when the kids do the nagging 🙂 That heron is beautiful, and love reading about T11s intensity with his passions as well. Looking forward to reading (maybe?) what they have learned from their squares.
I love their enthusiasm as well, I just wish I had the energy to do it justice all the time!
Good Day Mrs.Claire my inspirational teaching genius!
I have a request lol, or a Friendly-Suggestion for you to add to your blog. On the regular Mobile view of your (everyone’s) blog(s), there’s an automatic ‘Search’ option WordPress provides for readers to Search your blog. By keyword, category name, title, whichever right? My suggestion in kindness, is to add one more teeny small Widget for easy reader search and resources: “Search” widget.
**Sheesh Im so sorry– I sure hope you’re not upset for me asking in a comment (please feel free to delete after read)…
My purpose? It’s a simple way for me (and all other readers) to take a focused a look into your “POND Study” subjects/posts, all lined up in order of date and relevance (to whichever keyword or subject has been searched by reader)… My personal purpose for this request? I use your Lessons as a guideline for my own, you know that xo. So to keep my brain focused, I would simply ‘search’ the word’ Pond’ itself, and the search results through your blog, will then give me every post in order regarding the Pond Study, see?
**Try it on my blog and search lets say ‘challenges’ (even though its already listed in my Category files, this is different because, it provides a Grouped Result of ALL the challenges Im involved in. IE–photo challenges, and the “Orange Rhino Challenge” it will list them all.
Don’t do it for me! It’s just a suggestion! I can keep up in other ways I’m sure! I just find it easier even when I want to share a certain themed blog entries of my own. I have 3 for ‘foreshadow’ through a categorized ‘challenge’ but there’s a mixture of challenges within that category right? This provides a focused look at whichever subject we desire 😉 Your faithful follower and In Loving Kindness and Blessings, Jeanine H.
++Please, you can delete this and instead send me a Direct Email through my Contact Me Page personally Ok? I’m sorry for length ;( xo
I put it in. Thanks for the suggestion!
Youre a star!!!