At a vernal pond
At a vernal pond I love introducing 5-year-olds to the characteristics of a freshwater pond. It essential that they realize there is more to a vernal pond than just the plants and animals they might notice at first sight, like ducks or frogs. Therefore, a large part of the field trip to the pond that […]
An oral storytelling tradition
An oral storytelling tradition Storytelling is an art, a skill, a talent passed down from generation to generation. It actually, was the very first medium for books. Verbal history is still valued today. Historians spend precious time with persons of interest to record their stories and memories of days past for posterity. My father was […]
Song Birds
Song birds My father was a naturalist, appreciating and enjoying all aspects of the natural world, but his first love was for the birds in his backyard. Bird watching is something I learned at a very young age. My father loved identifying birds, not only by their colored feathers but by their songs, their characteristics […]
Animal Adaptations
Lesson #5: Animal Adaptations The Adapted Turtle: Brumation For turtles, Brumation occurs in winter when thier bodies slow down. This allows them to survive the winter snow when their pond that might freeze over. (Move your mouse up and down…) Animals survive by adapting to their environments. These adaptations can be anything from the shape […]
Moon lessons
Moonfacts Beyond the appendix at the back of Moonglow, young readers can learn more about the moon here. For example, do all planets have moons? From Peggy Dickerson Moonglow takes the reader on a walk through the forest on a full moon night. Encourage your child to list the planets in our universe. They can […]
Lesson at a freshwater pond
As the ponds thaw and fill with spring rains it is a wonderful time to explore a local pond with your children. In preparation for this lesson, be sure to dress appropriately. Rubber boots are a good idea since the edge of ponds are often muddy. Take a scoop (and old plastic pitcher or milk […]
Classifying Animals
Peggy Dickerson shows an approach to understanding how animals are classified.
Are you afraid of the dark?
Are you afraid of the dark? I never really was as a child. My father often took us for walks at night to listen to owls in the evening or just to listen to the chorus of cicadas on a warm summer night. When I was teaching fifth grade, we took an annual, end of […]
Fun with BIG words.
Fun with BIG words Vocabulary After 30 years of teaching I learned that children love the challenge of big words like metamorphosis or transpiration. They might not connect to the simpler words like atom, ion, larva, etc. But they are intrigued with “big words”. Here is a list of some “big words” or cool vocabulary […]
Scared of Snakes?
The illustrations take the young reader into an eastern North America forest. A factual appendix at the back of the book invites the young reader to learn more about the woodland creatures as well as interesting facts about the moon.
This teaching aid is filled with vocabulary, science and creative writing lessons.