Thursday, March 15, 2012

Trees in Science

I love trees, they are like the quiet gentle guardians of the world. Most of them have been around a long time, and if they could talk - they would have stories to tell!

There are some pretty amazing trees out there. Some are hundreds of years old, some hundred of feet tall, and wide enough to drive a car through. Trees are an essential part of our ecosystem. They provide shelter and food for many animals and humans. They are the Kings of the plant kingsom. Developing a homeschool study of these amazing giants can be so exciting. Trees are the largest of all living things.Even a blue whale is smaller than the California redwood trees. In your study of trees be sure to include these topics:
broadleaf trees
conifers
deciduous trees
non-deciduous trees
unusual trees
the redwood family

Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Science in Flowers

Using nature to study science is the most live and amazing way to learn.  Not to mention the fact that it's a huge science lab for FREE! Here are some great tips for studing plants in your backyard science lab.
1) Study petal ,sepals, buds, stamen, and pollen by finding several flowers and disecting them
2) Find a large flower like a lilly and dissect it to view its reproductive system. Locate the ovul,ovaries and pistil.
3) Study pollination by viewing the pollen on a flower and how it works in conjunction with bees
4) Find afruit tree and study how the fertilized bud becomes fruit.

A great way to remember what you've studied in your backyard lab- is to use a portfolio or notebooking/lapbooking journal to draw and paste pictures and information.