The World as Classroom

One of the greatest things from a homeschooler's perspective is that the learning need not take place at home necessarily.  The world literally becomes your classroom!  Lucas thrives in an environment where his natural curiosity can prevail, and there is no better place I've found to bring this out than the great outdoors.  We're very lucky to have a ton of fantastic county parks, nature conservancies and centers, trails, ponds, and woodlands near us.

The majority of these nature centers and county parks have education centers, which offer programs to both regular schools and homeschool groups about subjects ranging from botanical identification, seasonal discovery, conservancy and the environment, and even native history and arts as they pertain to the wildlife and geography of the area.

We've been able to participate in a class at the Tenafly Nature Center which focused on trees, how they are changing with the season, what their life cycle is, what creatures make their homes there, and which kinds could be found in that park.  It was almost completely outdoors, with the group traipsing through the thickly wooded trails, the sounds of birds and insects on all sides, and the heady smell of ancient loamy forest all around.  This kind of learning, where every sense is stimulated, is a world away from learning science in a school classroom, from a book with, at best, nice pictures of trees.

Most public school classes experience one field trip per year, two if they are lucky.  We are aiming to get out and learn by doing and touching as much as possible, sometimes every day, at least while the weather permits.

We've started a "Nature Journal" where Lucas records the various species we may have come across that day, and for those he has brought home, such as a Wooly Bear caterpillar, we record what we find out about it, such as its diet, and what it will turn into after metamorphosis.

Our most exciting find so far is a huge (I mean HUGE) orb weaver spider which we found in our garden, which we've named Brutus.  He (or she) is almost 2 inches when fully spread out, and has a voracious appetite for the bees and flies we've caught for him.  He's absolutely fascinating to watch catch and eat his prey, and we've had some great research sessions into his habits and characteristics.

Orb weaver spider, similar to Brutus

We plan to attend another Autumn Discovery class at the Essex County Environmental Center in a couple of weeks' time, and have plans to hit as many of the other nature reserves in our area as possible before it gets too cold to be enjoyable.  Even then, there are a couple of great classes Lucas can participate in about winter survival and hibernation, although they may be a little chilly for me..(I'll be reading a good book at a nearby coffee shop I expect!)

Fortunately, I love the outdoors almost as much as Lucas.  There's something truly amazing about observing the natural world, the discovery of its secrets is delightful and fulfilling to both of us, I think.