Having live animals in the home is so educational. I highly recommend it.
Today's lesson: predator and prey do not always act appropriately.
Our youngest student announced with quite some agitation, "The mouse is acting as if the snake is his best friend! He's using the snake's back to climb around the cage. The snake isn't eating him. They are like roommates!"
Maybe it's because it's almost Christmas.
Showing posts with label Critters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Critters. Show all posts
Friday, December 23, 2005
Monday, May 02, 2005
History interrupted by nature study
So there we sat, in the living room, reading about the American Revolution from the British perspective (nothing like confusing the littles and causing them to exclaim in dismay, "Wait! Who are the bad guys and the enemies?") when suddenly eldest-son-at-home-during-school-hours jumped to his feet and rushed out the door with a cry of, "It's a snake!"
And the snake hunt was on.
Youngest child wanted desperately to keep the snake. I was almost ready to capitulate. It was some sort of garter or ribbon snake, and it was quite striking looking, what with its reddish pink underbelly extending down to the underside of its tail. But eldest-son-at-home talked us into releasing the snake once it was photographed extensively.
Perhaps I'll post the pictures another day.
History seemed a bit dry after the excitement of the snake capture.
And the snake hunt was on.
Youngest child wanted desperately to keep the snake. I was almost ready to capitulate. It was some sort of garter or ribbon snake, and it was quite striking looking, what with its reddish pink underbelly extending down to the underside of its tail. But eldest-son-at-home talked us into releasing the snake once it was photographed extensively.
Perhaps I'll post the pictures another day.
History seemed a bit dry after the excitement of the snake capture.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Harris Hawk after a successful hunt
I missed seeing Chance swoop down on his prey, since I was making my way through some brush at the time. Here he is, happy that at least he was able to catch a bunny for his dinner.
I just hope this wasn't the Easter Bunny.
I just hope this wasn't the Easter Bunny.
Flying the Hawk
It was a beautiful day, my second time out with my apprentice falconer son and his red-tailed hawk. This time we went with his sponsor, who had brought along his Harris hawk as well.
Tama did not seem overly concerned with looking for prey, at least not to me. But, then again, this is all new to me!
We traipsed through fields and bushes, looking for bunnies to flush out into the open. Tama flew to fence posts, to a telephone pole, to the top of an oil drilling rig. She would return, sometimes reluctantly, to my son's fist. Nothing was happening on the bunny front.
Finally, fearing she might be getting bored with the whole thing, they tossed out a lure, which she dove for. She was rewarded with food and returned to her box. In a few days, we'll try again.
Tama did not seem overly concerned with looking for prey, at least not to me. But, then again, this is all new to me!
We traipsed through fields and bushes, looking for bunnies to flush out into the open. Tama flew to fence posts, to a telephone pole, to the top of an oil drilling rig. She would return, sometimes reluctantly, to my son's fist. Nothing was happening on the bunny front.
Finally, fearing she might be getting bored with the whole thing, they tossed out a lure, which she dove for. She was rewarded with food and returned to her box. In a few days, we'll try again.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Adventures in Homeschooling
Hhhhmmm...I just thought of a new slogan: "Homeschooling---it's not just a job, it's an adventure!"
Today was the reward for lots of hard work and study for one of my sons. He was finally able to trap his first red-tailed hawk. Even as I type, he's training it, holding it, feeding it from his hand, getting it used to him.
For now, that means the bird is inside. It's an amazing thing to walk by the music room and see this beautiful, rather large, wild raptor. Most mothers, my husband claims, wouldn't allow this bird in their home, especially a home that is still decorated so beautifully for the holidays. Perhaps. But then, most mothers do not homeschool, do not believe in the joys of delight-directed learning.
Today was a day of delight. I love home education. It's not just for school days. (Aha. Another slogan.)
Today was the reward for lots of hard work and study for one of my sons. He was finally able to trap his first red-tailed hawk. Even as I type, he's training it, holding it, feeding it from his hand, getting it used to him.
For now, that means the bird is inside. It's an amazing thing to walk by the music room and see this beautiful, rather large, wild raptor. Most mothers, my husband claims, wouldn't allow this bird in their home, especially a home that is still decorated so beautifully for the holidays. Perhaps. But then, most mothers do not homeschool, do not believe in the joys of delight-directed learning.
Today was a day of delight. I love home education. It's not just for school days. (Aha. Another slogan.)
Sunday, November 28, 2004
The Joys of Delight-Directed Learning
Imagine sitting your young teenage boy down and telling him, "Hey, I just came up with this great unit study idea! You'll be researching birds, reading all sorts of massive tomes written at a rather technical level, and you'll also be cramming for a test that requires you to read and study an entire subject in just one day, and you'll be designing and constructing a one room structure, and you'll be clearing brush and digging up hard-packed soil in order to build the foundation of said structure, and you'll be filling out governmental paperwork, and you'll be making stuff out of leather, and you'll be doing all sorts of other hands-on projects, and...and...and..."
Some, perhaps a lot, of teenage guys I know would simply despair if they were faced with all the work my son has been doing happily. But, then again, I know boys who have undertaken projects that would make my son groan.
It's the natural history museum thing all over again.
Years ago, my kids put together what they called their "Natural History Museum". It was all their own idea. They busily collected their specimens and made exhibits, researched animals and plant life, wrote reports, etc., etc. If I had assigned this amount of work, they no doubt would have protested. But, since it was their own idea, their own passion, their own delight, the work was exactly what they wanted to do.
And so my son has been hard at the work of learning, and enjoying himself all the while, striving towards a goal that is important to him. Delight-directed learning...if only all learning could be this way...
Some, perhaps a lot, of teenage guys I know would simply despair if they were faced with all the work my son has been doing happily. But, then again, I know boys who have undertaken projects that would make my son groan.
It's the natural history museum thing all over again.
Years ago, my kids put together what they called their "Natural History Museum". It was all their own idea. They busily collected their specimens and made exhibits, researched animals and plant life, wrote reports, etc., etc. If I had assigned this amount of work, they no doubt would have protested. But, since it was their own idea, their own passion, their own delight, the work was exactly what they wanted to do.
And so my son has been hard at the work of learning, and enjoying himself all the while, striving towards a goal that is important to him. Delight-directed learning...if only all learning could be this way...
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