Holly is an author, storyteller, and Florida Master Naturalist who loves to share heritage skills taught to her by her grandmothers. Florida has been her family home for generations and preserving that lifestyle for the future is her goal. Holly enjoys coming alongside women to share skills and help them discover their own natural gifts and talents.
By Holly Giles |
Birds, Birds, Birds Birdwatching, even in your own backyard, can be a rewarding experience. With a simple bird book and feeder, your children will have a whole new world to explore. Birdwatching incorporates many teachable lessons. From observing birds in their environments, children learn: Flight patterns, anatomy and wing formation Migration Nest construction and identification Food […]
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Midway. Handicrafts. Livestock. The county fair offers a variety of fun activities. One of our favorite events of the year is participating in our county fair. The handiwork your children make throughout the year can be entered in a variety of categories at your county and state fair. 4-H is offered in all counties, however, […]
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Poetry is an integral part of any language arts program. Learning the cadence of words, rhyming, and storytelling. Reading poetry aloud is an effective way for children to learn and enjoy. Our poetry entries also make good starting points for copywork in each section of the lesson modules. The Oak Alfred Tennyson Live thy Life, […]
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Nature study is the wonder and curiosity of the natural world. All subjects converge here, where children cultivate a love of color, sound, movement, and companionship of the living things surrounding them. Childhood has changed since I was a child of the 70’s and 80’s. We spent all our hours out-of-doors that we were not in school. Shoes were optional and […]
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Learning from State & Local Parks A natural resource for learning. National, state and local parks provide such a wonderful opportunity for everyone. Even though I grew up in Florida, it is easy to take for granted the beauty and the mild weather that allows us to enjoy the outdoors year round. As a child […]
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By Holly Giles |
Week 6: Read aloud Wildflowers, Blooms, and Blossoms. Draw and paint a wildflower using watercolor as your medium. Use the book as a reference for your painting. Finish your wildflower project. Beyond the Trail: Children can dig deeper into their study of wildflowers with these activities. Older children may choose to expand their studies […]
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Week 5: Complete lapbooking or notebooking pages. Children may choose to do both. Read aloud A Weed is a Flower. Discuss the hardships George Washington Carver faced in his life. What significant contributions did he make to our country? Keep working on your wildflower project.
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It was a busy day at our home. We had many outside activities that kept us from staying on track with our lessons. Grant needed a break from working on his math. He welcomed twenty minutes outside to use his handmade bow. After twenty minutes was up, I went out to wrangle him back to […]
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Week 4: Observe the Parts of a Plant and Flower. Obtain at least two flowers on a nature walk. If flowers are unavailable in your area, purchase or ask for discarded ones from a florist or grocery floral department. Examine the parts of a flower. Dissect the flowers and look at them under a microscope. […]
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By Holly Giles |
Week 3: Read aloud the Poem, Daffodils written by William Wadsworth. Use it for copywork during this study. Create a four-line poem about flowers. Read aloud The Flower Hunter. Discuss the plot. What contribution did William Bartram make to the world? Continue to work on your wildflower plants. Daffodils William Wordsworth I wandered lonely […]
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