Summer Studies-Part 3 Geography/Science

H.C. Holling has a few fans at our house, so we're really excited to start reading through these three fun books! The first encounter we had with Holling's writing was last year when we read Pagoo as part of our science studies. It is the story of a hermit crab's life from it's birth through maturity, along with all the other little creatures lurking in his little tide pool. I was a little skeptical when we first started the story because I thought the boys would loose interest in this crab's life, but instead they badgered me every day to read a new chapter...sometimes two. It was such a hit!

For our geography study we'll begin with Paddle to the Sea which follows the journey of a wooden figure in a toy canoe from the North Woods of Canada, over land and in water, to the broad Atlantic Ocean. The canoe spends four years on the water, being picked up by loggers, fishermen, and families before finally making it to the sea.

Next we'll read Tree in the Trail. In this story, a Cottonwood tree watches the pageant of of history on the Santa Fe trail for over 200 years.

Finally, we will enjoy Minn of the Mississippi,. Minn is a turtle (Snapper!) hatched at the source of the Mississippi and carried through the heart of America to the Gulf of Mexico.

We'll be using Rea Berg's literature guide for these books and follow some side trails of our own as interest dictates. We'll be learning about Canadian Geese, exploring our pond as it changes though the summer, learn about the iron ore industry up north, research Cottonwood trees, and explore the forces which cause continual changes in a river, and more! Plus we will be using maps to document the journeys we will be taking through these wonderful books.

This all sounds like a huge undertaking for the summer, but since we do so much exploration at parks and reserves throughout the summer anyway, our directed studies will fit in just fine without anyone really feeling like there is a lesson happening. Know what I mean? This will be a very hands on study. And just so we don't feel crunched for time, we'll pace our reading to continue into autumn. Can't rush a good thing!