We started Botany last month and picked Zoology as our next topic. It really worked well for us to learn their introductory units one by one – so much in common! Though, it stretched a little – holidays, long weekends, flu… but we don’t mind – it is fun! We even have a new PPT presentation about all the things we’ve learned:  Introduction to Biology, Botany and Zoology

Other Categories and how we use these materials.
Categories – Materials and ToDo lists (MS document)

• Materials Useful for learning Botany
• Unit 1 – Introduction to Biology and Botany

Materials Useful for Learning Botany

Books:

• The Magic Schoolbus:
  • The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow by Joanna Cole, John Speirs, and Bruce Degan
  • The Magic School Bus Gets Planted: A Book About Photosynthesis by Lenore Notkin
• Rookie Read
  • From Seed to Plant by Allan Fowler
• Cat in a Hat:
  • I Can Name 50 Trees Today!: All About Trees (Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library) by Bonnie Worth, Aristides Ruiz, and Joe Mathieu
• Let’s Read and Find out Science Books:
  • How a Seed Grows (Let’s-Read-and-Find… Science 1) – Paperback (April 10, 1992) by Helene J. Jordan and Loretta Krupinski
  • A Tree Is a Plant (Let’s-Read-and-Find… Science) – Paperback (Sep 4, 2001) by Clyde Robert Bulla and Stacey Schuett
• I can read about… series:
  • I Can Read About Trees and Plants by Elizabeth Warren
  • Diary of a sunflower (I can read about science library) by Carol Pugliano

Web:

• http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_main.html : our absolute favorite site for learning about plants, cells, animals, etc.
• Plants and our environment: http://library.thinkquest.org/3715/
• Projects for young botanists: http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt
• Plants for kids: http://www.kathimitchell.com/plants.html
• Solve great mysteries about how plant grows (available in Spanish too!): http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/
• Photosynthesis for kids: http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPS.html
• Involving kids in your garden: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/kindergarden/kinder.htm
• Photosynthesis explained in a fun way: http://www.ftexploring.com/photosyn/photosynth.html
• Interactive slide show for learning about trees: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/trees2/index2.html

DVD:

• Magic School Bus – Goes To Seed“, “Gets Planted“

Toy list:

• Root Vue Farm
• Carnivorous Creations – Dome Terrarium
• Grow Your Own Apple Tree
• Prehistoric Plant – Plant Cube
• Dinosaur Plant

PowerPoint Presentations:

• http://www.childandme.com/encyclopedic-knowledge-plants/
• The Classical Mommy presentations
• The Classical Mommy Friends’ presentations

Units

Unit 1: Introduction to Biology & Botany.

Please note: we did Zoology Unit 1 right after this unit, and they worked very well together.
MOST USEFUL MATERIAL: World Wide Montessori course, Botany album.
a.       Books:

• The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow by Joanna Cole, John Speirs, and Bruce Degan
• The Magic School Bus Gets Planted: A Book About Photosynthesis by Lenore Notkin
• Rookie Read: From Seed to Plant by Allan Fowler
• How a Seed Grows (Let’s-Read-and-Find… Science 1) – Paperback (April 10, 1992) by Helene J. Jordan and Loretta Krupinski

b.      DVD:

• Magic School Bus – Goes To Seed“, “Gets Planted“

c.       Toys:

• None this time

d.      PPT:

• Introduction to Biology, Botany and Zoology by Alenka

e.       Web:

• Haven’t used this time

f.        Hands On Learning:

• Biology Science Tray: dried flower, toy-fruit, toy-spider, toy-jelly fish, toy-lion, toy-mushroom, pine cone, leaf, stick, bacteria model (used some elongated cat toy), virus model (used a spiky ball), shell, mushroom
• Botany Science Tray: flower, stick, leaf, toy-fruit
• Needs of Life beings tray: water, air, food, reproduce (seeds)
• Examined leaves in a microscope
• Project: planted cat grass together.