Homeschooling tips Incorporating Art in your Nature Studies: Wildlife Wednesday

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

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We do a lot of different nature & wildlife activities. One of the best things we've incorporated into our homeschool nature studies - is art. It's fun and interesting, it helps the boys remember what they have seen. It reinforces what they have learned either out in the field or in studies afterward.

Incorporating art into our studies adds another layer of depth to our adventures outdoors. Our art can be very simple - in the form of a drawing or sketch in a simple notebook. Or it can be as extravagant as a sculpture, painting, or recreation/model about our experience.

Students can create a collage out of natural elements, or they can put one together from pictures in magazines (great for little ones). Art is a wonderful way to bring geography into your studies as well. You can learn a lot about culture, climate, and the people from any area on the globe, by studying the animals who call it home.

Using art in your nature studies requires the participants to take a closer look at the subject and allows for in depth discussions about God's incredible creation. It gives the opportunity to stop and appreciate the intricate details implemented by a loving and omniscient Designer.

You don't have to have a lot of complicated supplies to enjoy art and nature with your children. Start with a few basics such as a sketch pad and an art set with various mediums to try.

Suggestions:
Simple art tools
Sketch pads & Journals

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday: Incredible Luna Moth

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

I is for Incredible! 

The Incredible Luna Moth 

The male have thicker and fuller, feathery antenna so they can find the female. The Luna Moth caterpillars are found in North America and eat a variety of trees. They eat hickory, sweetgum, pecan, and walnut trees (to name a few).  

They have a 4-5 inch wing span. 

Our female Luna Moth: 

We found this beautiful female at the Sheltowee Trace Outfitters in Southern Kentucky. There are plenty of hickory, sweetgum and other trees around for the luna caterpillars to eat in the wooded area near Cumberland Falls. The details of the fine, thin wings are incredibly beautiful. The "eye" shapes on each of the 4 wings are striking as well.

As excited as we were about our whitewater rafting adventure with Sheltowee Trace Outfitters, I was thrilled to see the boys get just as excited about this beautiful moth. God's creation never ceases to amaze. If He has created such beauty here on earth, how much more must be waiting for us when our "life cycle" is done!

1 Corinthians 2:9 

 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

 neither have entered into the heart of man, 

the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

We do not know if this female has yet laid her eggs, but if so, she will not live much longer, as she will have served her purpose. The eggs are medium sized, dark brown, and circular.  Laying her eggs will complete her life cycle.

For you: 

Luna Moth printout - from Enchanted Learning 
You Tube video about the life cycle

*Enter the Master Books Giveaway here to win The Ecology Book 

Don't miss out! Join our Wildlife Wednesday group here on Creation Conversations to share information and discuss God's Creation, hear from the experts, and gain more insight, freebies, and fellowship.

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday - Nature post link up & a giveaway

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

This week: Kathy Balman is hosting the WW post here

Around our place - we are always on the lookout for a new critter to observe! 

Are you finding any fun critters around your place for some up close observation? 

We are giving away The Ecology Book from Master Books!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday - Backyard ecology and Giveaway!

I participate each Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

This week:

Backyard ecology

You don't have to take a trip or head for the wilderness to study wildlife with your kids. You don't even have to be especially "outdoorsy". We love our nature walks, camping and outdoor adventures - but sometimes we have the most fun right in our own yard!

If you have a pond or water nearby - you can collect tadpoles. After a good Spring rain is a great time to go for a tadpole search.

Please go here to the Creation Conversations Wildlife Wednesday page for full article and suggestions on how you can enjoy some backyard science with your kids!

Exciting giveaway:

Master Books is giving away The Ecology Book  to one of my readers in honor of Wildlife Wednesday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday - E is for . . . Echinoderms

Join me, Kathy Balman of Kathy's Cluttered Mind - and Master Books at Creation Conversations where we share information about God's Creatures and freebies for your home and homeschool. 

Starfish, and urchins, and sand dollars - oh my! The echinoderm family is one of our favorites. 

Scientific classification info-  

Kingdom:   Animalia

Subkingdom:    Eumetazoa

Superphylum:   Deuterostomia

Phylum:   Echinodermata

Starfish, sea urchins, and sand dollars are a few of the more familiar echinoderms you’ll find living on the sea floor, you won’t find them in fresh water. There are about 6000 different species of echinoderms.

They are “spiny- skinned” invertebrates, which is what echinoderm means. They have a hard endoskeleton made of calcium carbonate which helps to protect them, like a natural armor.

Read more about these fascinating creatures at Creation Conversations here. 

Get your FREE Sea Star lapbook here from Homeschool Share. 

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Linking with -

Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, ABC blogging, Educating Laytons

Wildlife Wednesday - Nature post linky

I participate each Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind andMaster Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

This week: 

The Beneficial Bat 

           

Go to the Creation Conversations - Wildlife Wednesday page here

for links and more info on bats and to join the group 

Wild America - Bats (free streaming video with Amazon Prime- free trial) View here

All about bats - for kids here online 

Bats around the World - book 

Bats are the only mammal that truly flies. They make their homes in places around the world, except the Antarctica and desert regions. There are about 1000 different species of bats, most living in tropical climates. 

Do you know what you call a bat baby? A pup! See, isn't that cute? Bats aren't the scary monsters we sometimes think they are. Bats are necessary and also extremely beneficial to humans.

Go Here to read the rest of the article and find out which myths we've been taught to believe about bats aren't  true and share the information about Bats God created with your kids.

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday - Exploring the Everglades

I participate each Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation. 

This week I'm sharing our adventures in the Everglades with Marcy and Ben @BenandMe  - Please hop on (over here) and read all about the American Alligator and find links to resources with more information. See our pictures of these amazing creatures in the wild. 

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word! 

Grab the button below or use a text link: 

Wildlife Wednesday - a job for every creature

We are celebrating wildlife with Master Books and Creation Conversations. Creation Conversations, is a wonderful resource for anyone who is interested in, or teaching God's creation vs. the theory of evolution.  Membership to CC is free. In the Wildlife Wednesday small group from CC, along with great articles and information on wildlife and nature, you will find free giveaways on books and loads of resources to help you teach your family about wildlife and creation.

This week:

A job for every one

(pic taken from inside the house on a phone) 

Oddly enough, this picture was taken in our yard. The Bald Eagle fought off the vultures and grabbed the fish.  It was pretty wild to watch this going on in our own back yard. We found it to be extremely exciting.

Last year, we were leaving the neighborhood and were thrilled to find another bald eagle just hanging out on a limb. We watched in amazement as he surveyed all around him in the majestic style that the species is known for.

Read more about "A job for every creature" here

Wildlife Wednesday - The Gopher Tortoise

Did you know the gopher tortoise can live to be over 100 years old; or that they dig burrows which house some 300 different species of animal? 

The burrow of the gopher tortoise has been recorded to be 50 feet long! The average size is between 15 - 30 feet long at about 6 feet deep. 

God created these special "landlords" of the wild for a special purpose, just as He did every living creature. 

Come learn more about these amazing animals on Creation Conversations - Wildlife Wednesday   group and download free printable coloring pages of the gopher tortoise and it's amazing burrow. 

Creation Conversations provides free information, valuable to any family and homeschool about all God's Creation. There are free resources available as well as special giveaways each month. 

 I'm joining Kathy Balman of Kathy's Cluttered Mind  and Master Books/ Creation Conversations   to provide you with this Creation information for your family and your homeschool each week. Join the free Wildlife Wednesday group to learn more about sharing God's creation with your family. 

Link up your nature and wildlife posts below and we will pin them to the

 Wildlife Wednesday group Pinterest board. 

Tarpon Fish of Boca Grande, Florida - Wildlife Wednesday

Boca Grande, FL has been coined “The Tarpon Capital of the World” because people travel from all over come to fish for the mighty silver king. Tarpon are not primarily known as a food fish, because they are extremely bony.  They are a terrific sport fish, a strong, fighting fish that jumps and puts on a terrific show for the anglers who fish for them.  

They are known to develop habits of coming in to docks where they are fed regularly.  In Islamorada, FL there is a school of 50 – 100 tarpon that come in to be fed each day. It’s an impressive sight, as they roll along the surface of the water, splashing, sparkling, and coming up for air. 

Scientific   Classification  -	Tarpon
Kingdom :	Animalia
Phylum :	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Elopiformes
Family :	Megalopidae
Genus :	Megalops

 Learn more about this fascinating creature God made on Wildlife Wednesday

 at Creation Conversations. 

 You'll find loads of information on Creation science - Free wildlife posts, and freebies. 

Link up your favorite nature and wildlife posts with us so we can pin them to the group Pinterest board and share the information with other homeschool families. Please grab a button for Wildlife Wednesday to help spread the word of Creation Conversations group from New Leaf Publishing and  Master Books: