» Our home nature center LaPaz Home Learning

Our home nature center

Sep 23rd, 2008 by lapazfarm

Both JBug and Superboy have expressed interest in studying Alaskan animals, and I wanted to do it in a way that invited inquiry, rather than a teacher-directed approach. What better model than those wonderful hands-on nature center displays we all love so much? So I borrowed a few things to add to our own growing collection, and set about creating a little “nature center” of our very own! We are starting out focusing on reindeer/caribou, dall sheep, and various skulls, but displays will rotate every few days until the kids have thoroughly explored it all. Here is what I have out for them right now:

This is a reindeer skull and jawbones and a Skull Alphabet book. (Each display has at least one information/task card to go along with it).

These shelves have a variety of items, mostly caribou-related. Here are some close-ups of the three sections:

The left section holds a reindeer antler, and assorted reindeer/caribou feet/hooves with information on their form and function.

The right side holds an antler still in velvet, some assorted books, and some latex casts of caribou tracks.

The middle section holds some assorted skulls, and two full reindeer hides–one summer and one winter.

Here is a close-up of the skull tray where you can hopefully see the task card I made up for it::

The skulls are ermine, marten, mink, and cat (for comparative purposes).

And here is the Dall sheep display:

It has juvenile and adult skulls, a horn and activity sheet for determining age, a mapping activity, a bit of hide, and an old radio tracking collar (the green thing with number 14 on it).

Of course, the kids couldn’t wait to get started exploring all of it…

…which was exactly the result I’d hoped for!

More on their activities with all of this stuff later!

Posted in Curriculum or Lack Thereof... | 20 Comments

20 Responses to “Our home nature center”

on 23 Sep 2008 at 11:50 am1 ruthie

WOW.
Can i come learn too!

AMAZING!

your kids are so blessed!

What an adventure! The BEST way to learn!
on 23 Sep 2008 at 12:48 pm2 Susan T.

Theresa, I have an extra, paperback copy of “The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations,” if you would like it. I couldn’t help thinking of y’all when I saw it today. Email me if you’re interested.
on 23 Sep 2008 at 12:58 pm3 Mary G.

Theresa,

Can I just move in …. it looks like such fun and the kids must just be loving living up in the Great White!

Sensational us-schooling, dear!
on 23 Sep 2008 at 1:22 pm4 Kathryn

That looks amazing! Your very own hands-on natural history museum!
on 23 Sep 2008 at 1:31 pm5 Angel

That is so awesome – all those skulls! I’m not sure I should show it to my dd… she’ll want to move in!
on 23 Sep 2008 at 2:23 pm6 amyable

Amazing and exciting!
on 23 Sep 2008 at 4:02 pm7 Heather @ CamianAcademy

Very, very cool!
on 23 Sep 2008 at 6:15 pm8 piseco

Oh, I’m drooling. Please, please tell us you’re going to start a mail-order skulls-and-antlers service, with a special discount for your loyal bloggy readers?
on 23 Sep 2008 at 6:52 pm9 Tracey (Connections)

Wow!
on 23 Sep 2008 at 9:46 pm10 Maria

Extremely, extremely cool!
on 24 Sep 2008 at 6:40 am11 Kathy

Fabulous!! We’re inspired to do something more specific with our collections.
I’m curious about the two books underneath the antler in velvet…the left one looks like a Jan Brett book. When you get a moment, could you share the titles? Thanks!
on 24 Sep 2008 at 12:45 pm12 lapazfarm

Sure Kathy! The Jan Brett book (good eyes!) is “The Wild Christmas Reindeer”, the one with the wolf on the cover is “One Small Square:Arctic Tundra,” also included but not easily seen are “Alaska Science Nuggets”, “Over in the Arctic” (a very sweet picture book), the AK Dept of Fish and Game Wildlife Notebook, and a nice Encyclopedia of N.American Mammals.
on 24 Sep 2008 at 2:41 pm13 Sara

I love the display, but I’m curious. Where do you get all this fabulous stuff? How long do you keep it out? Where does it go when the kids are done studying it? What is your budget for school supplies? How do you avoid pack rat syndrome?

I would love to copy you, but those are the things I worry about!
on 24 Sep 2008 at 10:01 pm14 Angela

Theresa, I am so worried that you are just not doing enough to accept the move to Alaska. Try to enjoy some of the native culture and wildlife, already! fabulous stuff…
on 25 Sep 2008 at 12:58 pm15 Bev

Theresa,

This looks wonderful. Where did you get the skulls from? Are these something you order from somewhere. The nature center looks like a fantastic way to learn. Your kids are extremely lucky.

Bev
on 25 Sep 2008 at 6:45 pm16 Mama

Nice! I’m with Piseco — I want a special loyal reader discount on some mail order skulls and antlers.
on 25 Sep 2008 at 10:19 pm17 Ellen

So cool! I want my house to look like a science museum, too, instead of looking like the floor of somebody’s closet. Are any of those antlers from Superboy’s big hunt? Where DO you get all those skulls?
on 26 Sep 2008 at 7:27 am18 Roxie

Theresa wow . ok where on earth did you locate so many skuls and rienedeer hooves lol
We find the odd antler etc. here .
Does your dh go hunting ?
Maybe your like my mum , picking up roadkill to bring back and show the kids lol
my friends still joke about gramma showing up with a porcupine she found on the hwy .
I’m going to show this to ds12 he’d have so much fun with your kids .
don’t you just love the woodstove
ps I’m trying to do a moccassin workshop on our blog if you wanna check it out
much love , Roxie
on 14 Oct 2008 at 8:30 pm19 Rhonda

Oh wow! I want to go to your nature center! You are just so creative Theresa.
on 12 May 2010 at 6:02 pm20 Ralph Masiello

Hi! I love your page here. Thanks for including the book I illustrated called THE SKULL ALPHABET! Nice to see how it is being used.
-Ralph