Wildflowers
Summer is a great time to observe wildflowers. Just this week, I went for a walk with my daughter and we were delighted to see numerous flowers in various shades of purple and yellow growing along the edges of the trail. We used our field guides and the app on my phone to identify the flowers which included purple loosestrife, blue vervain, flowering spurge, and woodland sunflower.
Charlotte Mason encouraged students in Form 3 and up to make a list in their nature notebooks of flowers, birds, and insects they observed. In the Mason archive we can see notebooks where students handled this by working from front-to-back with their drawings and from back-to-front with their lists. An example of a list can be found on p. 78 of the Alveary Member Tutorial. Usually, you would add the date found, the location, common name, the Latin name, and check off what month(s) you observed the flower, bird, or insect. Each new year you can anticipate what will be blooming again and add to your list.
One new entry in my notebook this year was the flower known as Bouncing Bet or Soapwort. I learned a little more about them in A Child’s Book of Wildflowers by M.A. Kelly. The book said that early settlers from England brought this flower to America. It was not only pretty, but had quite a useful purpose. When crushed in water, it forms a lather that can be used as a mild soap.
There is so much to discover right outside our doors! What wildflowers are growing in your area? Head over to the Hive and leave your comments and pictures.
Notes
1. Reference Book: It has come to our attention that Rand McNally’s Historical Atlas of the World is currently out of stock on Amazon. This appears to be a temporary issue. Feel free to search other vendors.
2. Seen in the Hive This Week: In this post members are talking about how they start their school year, including many special touches and ways to celebrate. Check it out and feel free to add your own traditions or ideas in the comments. In addition, this “Reflect Together” circle is for people who want to work through the Reflective Practice Plan Book with other members this summer. Consider joining them!
3. Science (Grade 8): It has come to our attention that the book DNA Detective has gone out of print. We have chosen The Genetic Code by Isaac Asimov (available online) as a replacement and are providing a PDF of lesson plans for this book for those who have not been able to obtain DNA Detective.
4. U.S. History (Grades 4-8): America Grows Up recently went out of stock at Yesterday’s Classics. The publisher will be printing more, but the timeline is indefinite. In the meantime, we are providing a PDF for Chapters 5-6. The PDF will also be added to the Program.
5. Geography (Grades 9-12): Five Months on the Missouri by Thomas Elpel is out of stock, but we talked to the publisher and they said Amazon should have more copies soon. You can also order the book directly from Mountain Press via their website or by calling 406-728-1900. You can receive a 20% discount by telling them you are ordering as part of the Charlotte Mason Alveary curriculum.
Queries
1. Office Hours: Here are the videos from our time with Rachel Miller on July 20th:
- Reading Folktales in English First
- Gestures for TPR (Total Physical Response)
- Soft Launch for Language Lessons
- Overview of Forms 1-3 Lessons
- Overview of Forms 4-6 Lessons
Please note that our next session will be Wednesday, August 10 3:30 p.m. EDT. We will discuss science with Danielle Merritt-Sunseri. If you have questions you would like to have answered, please submit them at least 24 hours in advance by commenting on the event in The Hive.
