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Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This foraging and feasting nature unit study and lapbook is not only a way to teach Tiny some basic survival skills, but a great way to sneak in tips about how to cook. Also, look at my pages Best Homeschool Unit Studies and Homeschool Lapbooks – Powerful Tools For Mastery Learning for more ideas.

My kids have always loved ways of learning how to live off the land.

I don’t want to give you the wrong impression about our foraging efforts because we’re currently city dwellers although not by choice.

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

That means we have a lot to learn even if we can find a field nearby that is legal and safe to forage. Even though we don’t live in the country anymore, we still have a love of it.

Besides enjoying the beauty of nature, learning the basics of foraging makes for a fun unit study and appreciation for the gifts of plants.

When you can tie in learning about nature with a practical life skill like cooking, I think that it’s a win win.

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

Making healthy choices for food is important to us as well, but it starts first with being able to identify how to forage.

The Basement Workshop Store

We live in an area that has lots of wildlife and nature, but it’s still a city like I mentioned earlier.

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

On our nature walks we try to take time to identify plants along the way and learn about wild edible plants.

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook
Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

It’s not just a matter of finding the right plant parts, but identifying which parts are safe to eat and ones are tasty. 

We’ve been learning out of this beautiful book, Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook to use as our guide for this fun summer unit study.

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

One of the reasons I chose the book was because not only did it have beautiful, detailed plant images and colorful plant guides in the front, but it has tons of recipes.

A science cookbook as I call it.

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

In addition, at the bottom in the gray area are details about how to use the plant parts.

Although it may seem easier to identify plants, one key thing we have been learning is that it’s equally important in which parts of the plant are the most tastiest.

Also, you need to learn how to leave enough of it so that it can replenish and that may mean taking an inventory.

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

So, it’s responsibly foraging too so that enough remains of the plant to reproduce.

There is so much to learn about each of the plant parts and their uses for cooking that it has taken us a while to identify and learn about them.

It has made an awesome reference book for tying in science and nature study with a life skill like cooking.

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook

Next, look at more foraging activities.

More Foraging Activities

I’ve gathered some resources to help you round out this unit study and of course I have my next free nature study lapbook that I’ve been doing in this series.

Edible Wild Plant Unit Study Resources, Lesson Plans, and Activities

Plant parts you eat.
Plant Part Exploration – Stems.
Needs of Plants.

Which Plant is Which.
5 Edible Plants for the Brown Thumb Gardener.
Edible model plant cell.

Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert).

How To Identify Plants On A Nature Walk.
Edible Plants and Wild Crafting Handbook.
Surviving in the Wild: 19 Common Edible Plants.

Seed to Plate Lessons.
Edible Plant Parts.

Survival Curriculum.
10 Plants that Could Kill You – YouTube

Edible Parts of Plants – YouTube
16 page booklet showing all of the plant parts we eat.
Free Book – The First Book of Plants.

Make a char cloth to start a fire.
Plant Parts We Eat – 11 page pdf.

How to forage for wild edibles with kids.
Homeschooling Wild Food.

A Beginners Guide to Foraging for Wild Edibles With Kids.
Foraging For Wild Edibles With Kids.
Choosing and Using Edible Flowers Book.

Our Journey Westward

If you’re looking to do any nature studies, you’ll want to get a few of the NaturExplorers. I love those studies for multiple ages.

You’ll love these other nature studies articles:

How to Get the Free Forage and Feasting Lapbook

Now, how to grab the free lapbook. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.


1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab your freebie.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Look at these other links:

Nature Walk Alphabet Hunt from Emily at Table Life Blog
Guided Tide Pool Hike from Eva at Eva Varga
Foraging & Feasting Unit Study & Lapbook from Tina at Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Fairy Gardens and Online Book Club from Dachelle at Hide The Chocolate
Decoupage Art with Nature Walk Findings from Katrina at Rule This Roost
Summer Nature Hike from Thaleia from Something 2 Offer
Leaf Shape Hunt from Karyn at Teach Beside Me
Easy Peasy Beginner Nature Journal Ideas for Kids from Cassidy at Freshly Planted

This foraging and feasting nature unit study is not only a way to teach some basic survival skills like learning how to live off the land, but a great way to sneak in tips about how to cook. CLICK HERE to grab this FREE Foraging and Feasting Lapbook and unit study resources!
This foraging and feasting nature unit study is not only a way to teach some basic survival skills like learning how to live off the land, but a great way to sneak in tips about how to cook. CLICK HERE to grab this FREE Foraging and Feasting Lapbook and unit study resources!


Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity

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As we’ve been working our way through the NaturExplorers : Beautiful Birds unit study, we’ve been learning so much about types of birds, what they eat, how they fly, and even where they go when they migrate. In our area, we tend to see the same few species of birds, but I still wanted the kids to be interested in observing them.

NaturExplorers  suggested graphing the different kinds of birds we observe in our neighborhood and one of the printable notebooking pages shows kids how to keep up with bird colors by using tally marks. My kids, though, needed a little practice with bar graphing.

So we decided to do a bird color bar graphing activity to keep them watching out for the feathered friends who frequent our family home!

Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity

To do this bird color bar graphing activity, you’ll need the following supplies:

  • Graphing paper
  • Colored pencils
  • Clipboard (optional)

You don’t have to use a clipboard, but I found that having it helped the kids keep up with their graphing much better. Especially when they’re outside and they decide to have an impromptu dirt digging session, which happened on more than one occasion.

Bird Bar Graphing Supplies

We used colored pencils for the bird colors we see the most often. We see lots of cardinals and blue jays, so we included red and blue. But we also see lots of brown thrashers and crows, which meant including brown and black as well.

Making a Bar Graph of Bird Sightings

To make the graphing simpler, we started the bars by just coloring the first outer square edges. That way, we’d make even bar shapes going up.

If you don’t keep a bar graph neat from the beginning, the bars will look crooked and make the graph almost impossible to read. (Ask me how I know.)

Graphing Local Bird Colors

We saw a good number of cardinals, but we saw even more blue jays. I love them both.

Making a Bar Graph of Bird Colors

But we saw more crows than any other kind of bird! That was pretty neat.

Graphing Bird Colors with Kids

We suspected that it was because we usually saw individual cardinals and blue jays (and even brown thrashers). But crows were always in big groups. It’s common to see 15 of them at once sitting on a telephone line.

More Hands-on Math Nature Study

We’ll see if the crows stay on top over the next few weeks or if they’re upset by one of the other bird species.

The kids absolutely loved doing this activity. And they were getting some math practice without even knowing it. That’s always a win in my book.

Share these other hands-on nature study activities when you’re learning about birds with the kids!

Hugs and love ya,

Hands-On Mixed Media Flower Art Fun Nature Study

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love this fun mixed media flower art project.

Every spring, my youngest son and I go to the local nursery and pick out a few, inexpensive, flowering plants. He brings them home and plants them in “his pot.”

It’s a springtime routine we have enjoyed together since he was a toddler.

He likes to get his hands in the dirt. I love the look of flowers on my patio. It’s a win-win.

Picking out a few inexpensive flowering plants, adding in some gardening activities and art, and you’ll have a fun hands-on mixed media flower art fun nature study! Check out how easy it is to do this fun hands-on nature activity!

This year, I decided to take this gardening activity and use to it to fuel a quick nature study as well.

Hands-On Mixed Media Spring Nature Study

What you’ll need for this activity:

  • Flowering plants (either purchased or in your own yard)
  • Something to draw and color with (we used chalk pastels because they are very forgiving, but color pencils, crayons and even markers will work too)
  • A large piece of white construction paper (make sure it’s pretty heavy)
  • Clear glue

Nature Study At Home

The day after my son planted his special spring pot, we completed a basic geology lesson about soil.

I began by asking him what components he thought made up soil. He was easily able to answer broken down pieces of rock, but we decided to do  some more research.

Soil is defined by Dictionary.com as the loose top layer of the Earth’s surface, consisting of rock and mineral particles mixed with decayed organic matter (humus), and capable of retaining water, providing nutrients for plants, and supporting a wide range of biotic communities.

We learned that different soils exist in different locations around the globe, based on their environment and weather. This came as a bit of surprise to my son, so we spent some time discussing a the clay soil we saw on our last family trip, verses the rocky silt that exists in our backyard.

Then, we decided it was time to move on to the fun, hands-on part of our learning.

Mixed Media Nature Study

In the past, we have collected items from the beach and from our hikes in the forest, and then used them to create mixed media art as a record of our experience.

Instead of using shells or pine needles, for this activity, we used the soil, leaves and flower petals available in our own flower pot.

Spring Mixed Media Nature Study

He started by drawing his potted flowers with chalk pastels. (Because he dislikes the feeling of chalk on his fingers, he always wears latex gloves, but it works.)

Spring Mixed Media Art Project

After blurring the chalk lines, we then took some of the leaves and flower petals from our plants (only a few to keep the pot looking pretty!).

You’ll love these nature living books curriculum!

Our Journey Westward
Mixed Media Nature Art

We then glued the leaves and petals to the picture in various locations.

More Ways to Learn about Nature in Your Homeschool

After allowing the glue to dry, he grabbed a handful of our soil and we observed the various bits of rocks and sticks that blended together to create our top layer.

Easy Mixed Media Spring Art

We then spread glue around the bottom of the picture and rubbed the soil into it to create an additional area of interest in his art.

Mixed Media Spring Nature Study

That’s it! The result was a beautiful representation of our hands-on, spring time activity.

Making a Spring Mixed Media Project

I really love this idea for anyone not able to get out into more obvious natural environments like a hike through the woods or a tide pool at the beach.

Nature study can happen anywhere, with the help of a few pants, some soil and an interested learner!

Picking out a few inexpensive flowering plants, adding in some gardening activities and art, and you’ll have a fun hands-on mixed media flower art fun nature study! Check out how easy it is to do this fun hands-on nature activity!

Written by Shawna at Not the Former Things.

Hands-On Middle School Math: The Pythagorean Theorem

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

One important mathematical concept kids run into sometime in middle school or high school is the Pythagorean Theorem. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips

Pythagoras, an ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, who was born around 569 BCE is credited with the discovery.

The Pythagorean Theorem is that theorem you probably remember from your own middle school and high school years: a² + b² = c². Today we’re going to teach our kids the theorem with a hands-on activity!

Hands-On Middle School Math: The Pythagorean Theorem. One important mathematical concept kids run into sometime in middle school or high school is the Pythagorean Theorem. Pythagoras, an ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, who was born around 569 BCE is credited with the discovery. Click here to do this EASY hands-on activity!

But first let’s take a look at what a mathematical theorem is.

Hands-On Math: The Pythagorean Theorem

A mathematical theorem is a statement that can be shown to be true by accepted mathematical operations.

This means you can’t just make up a proof and say it works. You have to use logic, reasoning, and accepted mathematical operations to show the theorem is true. Today we’ll be using squares and areas to show the Pythagorean Theorem is true.

So what exactly is the Pythagorean Theorem?

Pythagorean Theorem: The square of a square drawn on the hypotenuse of a right triangle equals the sum of the areas of the squares drawn on the other two sides.

Put another way: a² + b² = c².

In other words. If you have a right angle and measure each side, the square of side a plus the square of side b is equal to the square of the long slope we call the hypotenuse.

What You Need for This Activity:

  • Graph Paper
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Pen

Directions
According to the Pythagorean Theorem, if I draw a right triangle, the square of the two sides added together will equal the square of the hypotenuse. Let’s see if this actually works!

Step 1: Pull out your graph paper and draw a right triangle on it. I’m going to use sides with the length of 3 boxes and 4 boxes.

Pythagorean Theorem for Kids

Step 2: Measure the hypotenuse.

Easy Pythagorean Theorem Lesson

Step 3: Remember square of a number is the area of a square with that length of side. So I’m now going to draw and cut out my squares. One square will have sides the length of 2 squares on the graph paper. One square will have sides the length of 3 squares, while the third will have the length I measured!

To make the next step more clear I’m going to highlight the squares in different colors. The small one will be yellow. The medium will be green. And the large one will be blue.

Simple Pythagorean Theorem Activity

Step 4: Let’s see if the area of the two small triangles will equal the area of the large triangle! We’re going to do this by laying the medium square on top of the large square.

Pythagorean Theorem Lesson for Kids

Now you have a choice. If you count the squares left over on the large triangle, you’ll notice there are 9 squares. And what’s 3²? 9! Or you can do what I did and cut the square to fit the left over area.

Pythagorean Theorem Hands On Activity

As you can see, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the sides. The Pythagorean Theorem works!


Now let’s run through all 4 steps again with different numbers. This time I’m going to use sides with lengths of 6 and 8.

Step 1: Again we create the right triangle.

Teaching the Pythagorean Theorem to Kids

Step 2: Now measure the hypotenuse.

Measuring Triangles with Kids

Step 3: Create the squares.

Easy Way to Teach the Pythagorean Theorem to Kids

Step 4: Do the squares of the sides equal the square of the hypotenuse? The highlighter caused the sides of my squares to curl, so I used a touch of tape to force the squares to lie flat. Even so, as you can see the answer is yes!

Showing Kids the Pythagorean Theorem
Teaching the Pythagorean Theorem for Homeschoolers

Try the activity yourself using varying lengths for the sides.

No matter what the length of the sides of your right triangle, you’ll discover the squares always equal the square of the hypotenuse or a² + b² = c².

You’ve shown the Pythagorean Theorem works!

Hands-On Middle School Math: The Pythagorean Theorem. One important mathematical concept kids run into sometime in middle school or high school is the Pythagorean Theorem. Pythagoras, an ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, who was born around 569 BCE is credited with the discovery. Click here to do this EASY hands-on activity!

Written by Sara at Classically Homeschooling.

So what lengths did you use for your right triangles?

Teach math with these other fun homeschool activities!

Hands-On Science: Handprint and Fingerprint Activity

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

What better way to celebrate the uniqueness of our skin than to learn more about our unique fingerprints and palm prints? Fingerprint science and palm print science is easy.

(The truth is, this activity can easily be completed as a fun scientific study, completely independent of the human body. It stands alone as its own little mini-unit.)

As part of our study of the human body, we began a unit on organ systems this month. My son was shocked to learn that the body’s largest organ is our skin!

After spending some time learning basic facts about our skin, I decided it was time for a little extra, hands-on fun.

Hands-On Science: Handprint and Fingerprint Activity. What better way to celebrate the uniqueness of our skin than to learn more about our unique fingerprints and palm prints? CLICK HERE to grab the free printable and do this fun hands-on activity!

Hands-On Science: Fingerprint and Palm Print Study

What you’ll need for this activity:

Fingerprint Collection and Observation

Because my son was excited to get started with the messy part, we began with the fingerprint collection and observation portion of the activity.

Here’s how we got one of his thumbprints to observe:

Scribble back and forth with a pencil on the index card or cardstock. You should do this until there is a thick layer of pencil on the sheet.

Learning about Fingerprints

Have your child firmly place his thumb onto the pencil markings, being careful not to move once his thumb is on the card.

The Basement Workshop Store

Once your child has carefully lifted his thumb off the penciled area, take a piece of tape and stick it to the “dirty” area of your child’s thumb.

Making Fingerprints with Kids

Carefully lift off the tape and stick it to the appropriate area on the Fingerprint Study Notebooking Page.

Examining Fingerprints with Kids

Once the tape is affixed to the white backdrop of the page, your child will easily be able to observe and discuss her findings.

Interesting Facts We Learned About Fingerprints

  • Fingerprints stay the same over our lifetime, no matter how much our fingers grow.
  • The only way to change a fingerprint is through surgery, injury or diseases of the skin.
  • No two fingerprints have ever been found alike in many billions of human and automated computer comparisons.
  • Even with the discovery of DNA, fingerprints remain the primary source of criminal identification around the world.
  • The first noted examples of fingerprints being used for identification are from Ancient Rome. Fingerprints were used in business transactions, the way we use signatures today.

Palm Print Tracing and Observation

Depending on your child’s stamina, this portion of the activity can be done the same day as the fingerprint study, or completed later in the week.

Hands-On Handprint Science Activity

Trace your child’s hand in the labeled section of the Palm Print Study Notebooking Page.

Have your child observe and record (draw) the lines they see on their actual palm, on the traced version.

Fingerprint Science Activity

Observe, discuss and record your findings.

Interesting Facts We Learned About Palm Prints

  • Palm prints were used in Ancient China as part of crime scene investigation as early as 200 BC.
  • Palm prints are as unique as fingerprints when the entire palm is able to be studied and analyzed.
  • Moms love having their baby’s handprints from when they are born. (My son included this one!)
Hands-On Science: Handprint and Fingerprint Activity. What better way to celebrate the uniqueness of our skin than to learn more about our unique fingerprints and palm prints? CLICK HERE to grab the free printable and do this fun hands-on activity!

Overall, this activity produced a ton of conversation between my son and I, both about the science of skin and the forensic science behind crime scene investigations. This activity can be scaled back for younger learners, but as is, it worked perfectly for my 12-year old.

Looking for more fun science activities? Try these hands-on lessons!