life science

Fun Hands-On Bee Activities for Kids Make a Mason Bee Habitat

March 11, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun hands-on bee activities like an easy bee habitat. Also, grab more ideas on my Honey Bees Unit Study page.

Spring brings to mind many wonderful things like flowers, butterflies, birds, and of course those wonderful little pollinators bees.

You can’t let spring go by without at least a little unit study on bees.

Fun Hands-On Bee Activities for Kids Make a Mason Bee Habitat

I have some fantastic hands-on bee activities to try like this mason bee habitat you can make with your child to help support them and encourage pollination.

With the bee decline due to insecticides, pesticides, climate change and other harmful changes it is more important than ever that we give these important little pollinators a hand.

One way we can do this is by helping to create habitats for them to make a nest out of.

Mason bees like to lay their eggs in small openings and use mud or other resources to plug up the hole until the new bees are ready to emerge.

5 Mason Bee Facts

Unlike other types of bees every female mason bee is a solitary queen and lays eggs, raising them without worker bees or drones.
Mason bees lay their eggs in natural or manmade “tunnels” with the females toward the back to protect them from predators and males up front, who emerge first.
The average lifespan for a Mason Bee is just four to six weeks.
There are 140 species of mason bees in North America, and they are found in orchards and gardens.
Mason Bees do not produce honey and they also lack the venom found in the stinger of honeybees.

Then, add some hands-on activities.

Hands-On Bee Activities and Books

Work on this Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids.

Demonstrate the life cycle of a bee with this Safari Ltd Life cycle set and then have your child recreate it with LEGO, clay, in Minecraft or by drawing it out.

Make something with beeswax like this Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

Further, add Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids.

Dynamic Honey Bee Lapbook for Multiple Ages
$4.00 Add to cart

Have a taste test with a few local and/or specialty honey items.

Print and go over these Fun Bee Facts for Kids.

Watch this video on beekeeping and follow up with some fun dramatic play from Dream big Little One.

Also, add some books about bees.

8 Honey Bees Unit Study Resources & Books

Add some of these fun resources to your bees unit study or spring unit study.

Bees: A Honeyed History

One part science, one part cultural history, and countless parts fascination, Bees: A Honeyed History celebrates the important role that these intriguing insects have played in our ecosystem throughout the ages, and today.

The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses

Part history book, part handbook, and part cookbook, this illustrated tome covers every facet of the ancient hobby of beekeeping, from how to manage hives safely to harvesting one’s own honey, and ideas for how to use honey and beeswax. Detailed instructions for making candles, furniture polish, beauty products, and nearly 100 honey-themed recipes are included. Honeybees, which are critical in the pollination of popular US produce such as almonds, apples, and blueberries, are actually not native to the Americas. The honeybee that you see dancing from flower to flower in farms and gardens originated in Europe. The introduction of the honeybee began with European colonization of the Americas; before that, wild native bees, other insects, and some birds and mammals pollinated the native flowers of the continent. The honeybee’s ability to pollinate crops, produce honey, and be easily domesticated precipitated the growth in beekeeping all over America.

Flight of the Honey Bee: Read and Wonder

Follow the flight of a honey bee as she searches for nectar to sustain her hive and, along the way, pollinates flowers to produce seeds and fruits. Nature lovers and scientists-to-be are invited to explore the fascinating life of a honey bee.

Life Cycle of a Honey Bee

Honey Bees are fascinating creatures which have been kept by humans for centuries. Now you can explore the life cycle of the honey bee without being stung. Watch as it grows from an egg, to a larva, and to a pupa before finally emerging as a mature adult.

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

Always a favorite when doing any kind of nature study, there are a few pages that cover different types of bees, common nectar sources, and bee anatomy. If you don't have this set already I cannot recommend it enough for nature studies.

Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

One of the companion books to Nature Anatomy, the farm version covers all parts of farming, machinery, and crops but it also caught my eye because it even covers Beekeeping for aspiring beekeepers. It goes over bee terminology, parts of a bee, the parts of a hive, types of bees, flower parts, and beekeeper essentials. These books really put a lot of info into compact parts.

The Life and Times of the Honeybee

Why do beekeepers use smoke machines when collecting honey? Can a bee really sting only once? Why do bees "dance"? In concise, detailed text and abundant illustrations that range from the humorous to the scientific, Charles Micucci offers a wide-ranging and spirited introduction to the life cycle, social organization, and history of one of the world's most useful insects.

The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

When the Magic School Bus turns into a beehive, Ms. Frizzle's class learns firsthand about how workers, drones, and the queen bees live together. Readers will be abuzz with knowledge as they discover how honeybees find food; make a comb, honey, and beeswax; and care for their young, all from the bee's perspective.

How to Make a Mason Bee Habitat

You will need:

Clean metal can
Lots of paper straws
Scissors
Sandpaper
Paint
Twine

Directions:

Wash and dry a can well, we used a green bean can from last night’s dinner.

You can leave your can as is or paint it to look like a bee, a colorful flower, or also add some color with patterned duct tape. We chose to give ours a bee-like paint job.

Before painting, rough up your can a bit by rubbing all over the outside with sandpaper this will help your paint adhere better.

Paint and allow your can to dry completely.

Grab a straw and measure the height of your can.

Then, cut one straw just under the top edge of the can. Use this as a guide and cut a bunch more straws of the same height.

Use only paper straws as plastic cannot breathe and won’t attract the bees. You can include straws of different diameters to attract a variety of bees and other insects.

Stuff the can full of paper straws so they fit tightly and completely fill the can.

Wrap twine around the top and bottom of the can and knot it tightly. Run a long piece of twine through both and leave a loop to create a hanger for your mason bee home.

Hang the bee habitat outside in a tree.

Fun DIY Felt Frog Dissection With Frog Insides Labeled Mess Free (Free Printables)

March 9, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This diy felt frog dissection with frog insides labeled is tons of fun without the mess. Grab the other ideas on my Frog and Toad Amphibians page.

If you want to cover dissection with your kids but they (or you) are just too squeamish to do the real thing this felt frog is a fun change.

We are creating a frog from the inside out.

Fun DIY Felt Frog Dissection With Frog Insides Labeled Mess Free (Free Printables)

And we’re getting those frog insides labeled and sorted out a little easier with a fun and adorable diy felt dissection frog.

By performing this makeshift dissection, your child will be able to identify the major organs, tissues, and systems of the frog.

This can be a total diy.

For example, we literally googled dozens of photos and frog dissections and quickly sketched out body parts.

Also, you can add more frog body parts like ovaries, cloaca, esophagus, gullet, voice box, spine, and even a skeleton made from pipe cleaners if you’d like to go more in depth.

I love that this project is reusable over and over for lessons, quizzes, and it would even make a great activity for a co-op as well.

More Frog Study and Frog Insides Labeled Resources

Of course, you want to include books, printouts from online, and a pair of tongs for removing and placing all the pieces.

I think our frog looks so fun and inviting on a nice tray and appreciates the lack of mess that a real dissection makes.

14 Frog Unit Study Resources

Add a book or two or some fun hands-on resources to your unit study.

The Frog (Animal Lives)

Superbly detailed drawings capture the elusive frog in its watery realm, as it captures its prey with a sticky tongue, feeds its young, and leaps from place to place to escape from predators.

Tale of a tadpole

The natural world doesn't work the way fairy tales do, but it still has its fair share of enchantments. With text and pictures that are both scientifically accurate and totally true to the comedies of family life, this is a happily-ever-after tale of unexpected transformations

Rainforest Frogs

Rainforest Frogs Haiku by Caley Vickerman Illustrated by Mark Lerer Foreword by Franco Andreone Designed and Edited by Susan Newman Frogs Are Green, Inc is proud to announce… Rainforest Frogs Order your copy now! Free shipping in the USA if you order directly from us! $11.95 | 52 pages softcover | Full color Rainforest Frogs profiles ten exotic and endangered amphibian species. Table of Contents Foreword by Franco Andreone Blue Poison Dart frog Amazon Milk frog Yellow-Banded Poison Dart frog Northern Glass frog Tiger’s Tree frog Golden Mantella Red-Eyed Tree frog Flat-Head Bromeliad Tree frog Tiger-Leg Monkey Tree frog Rabbs Fringe-Limbed Tree frog (Toughie)

Frog (Life Cycle of a . . .)

Do tadpoles have legs? Why do frogs live in water? How do frogs catch food? Explaining concepts through stunning photographs and simple text, 'Life Cycle of a Frog' takes an in-depth look at this familiar but fascinating animal.

Ice King Bear Plush Giant Frog

Scientific name of this frog is Conraua goliath (The largest frog in the world).

Product size is 22 inches length from head to soles of the feet, big size.

Soft, huggable material built to high-quality standards and hand wash best.

Suit for kids toy, funny party props, early education animals, cute decorations in house.

Climbing Tree Frogs (Pull Ahead Books)

Introduces the physical characteristics, behavior, and habitats of North American tree frogs

Frogs

How far can frogs jump? Why do their eggs look slimy? Answer these questions and many more in this illustrated introduction to amphibians, and learn about the unique role frogs play in the environment. With her signature bright, well-labeled diagrams and simple text, Gail Gibbons introduces the habitat and life cycles of frogs, and gives a brief overview of common frog behaviors. Important vocabulary is introduced, defined, and reinforced with kid-friendly language and clear illustrations—plus a page of intriguing frog trivia.

Frog and Friends

Frog and Toad

Frog & Toad The Complete Collection

This collection brings together all of Arnold Lobel’s engaging, warm and funny stories about Frog and Toad, and features a special foreword by Julia Donaldson. A collectable classic treasury that every child should read and own. Julia Donaldson says “I hugely admire and envy Arnold Lobel; he is my hero”. Once upon a time there were two good friends, a frog and a toad… From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other – just as best friends should be.

Frog Growth Cycle

This Forg life cycle set is a fun for children with an interest in insects and nature explore. And also it is a great teaching and learning tool for homeschoolers and preschoolers teaching.

Anatomy Lab Soft Cover Frog Dissection Guide Book

Fully Illustrated Guide: Each study guide is fully illustrated and conveys the complete dissection through illustration.

Visualize the Steps: the dissection guides depict anatomically correct step-by-step procedural illustrations helping the student visualize key organs and anatomy aiding in the overall dissection process.

Frog-Development Paperweight Specimens

The frog development paperweight specimen is a 100% natural insect incased in clear resin block, you can observe its development all life stages very clearly from any angle.

Red-eyed Tree Frog (Scholastic Bookshelf)

Category: NatureIn a tropical rain forest in Central America, a red-eyed tree frog spends the night looking for food while avoiding potential predators. Award-winning photographer Nic Bishop's larger-than-life, gorgeous images document the hunt, which ends happily with the frog settling down in the leaves to spend his daylight hours sleeping! Joy Cowley's simple, readable text makes the frog's story fun, interesting, and accessible to young readers. This is a nature tale like you've never seen before!

Frogs Toy Mini Vinyl Realistic Frog

Rich in style: the plastic frogs toys contain 12 different types and each type includes 3 pieces, allowing you to combine and match for beautiful and personalized decorations at your will, which can give rein to your imagination and creativity

Quality material: the realistic frogs toy decorations are made of quality PVC material for safety and wearing, which are odorless; They are also easy to clean and can be applied many times, providing a comfortable touching experience for you

You can either put your felt frog together and then have your child “dissect” the frog and label the parts as they come to them.

Or let them create it, put it together and take it apart, and then label it, etc.

Let your kid decide the setup of this felt frog from start to finish.

This will help the information stick better.

If your child is in middle school, they prefer some independence in their studies.

Younger children might need you to do more of the upfront work or at least more assistance.

5 Fascinating Frog Facts

The largest frog is the Goliath Frog that can weigh up to 7 pounds.
The smallest frog is Paedophryne amauensis, this little guy is less than ⅓ of an inch long.
Frogs don’t drink water directly but rather they absorb it through their skin.
The North American Bullfrog is the type of frog used most often for dissections.
Frogs in captivity have been known to have a lifespan of over 20 years; it is unknown how long in the wild.

In addition, be sure you add my free lapbook to your study.

More Frog Resources

Finally, look how to make this fun frog craft.

How to Make a DIY Felt Frog Dissection

Here is what you will need:

2 sheets green felt
Red felt
Pink felt
Blue felt
Purple felt
Tan felt
Red string/yarn
Scissors

You can either trace the crude frog outline I made for you or have your child draw it out on paper.

To make the felt model easier to work with you want to have them draw it fairly large, using the majority of the paper.

Cut out the paper outline and use it to trace onto the green felt.

Fold the felt in half and cut the outline out of two layers.

That is one layer of green felt and one layer of pink.

The pink will help us create the muscle tissue layer.

Next, cut out the internal organs from paper to use as a template to cut out of various felt colors.

Again, here is a crude sketch but you can free hand the general shapes as well.

You can keep all the organs from one system the same color if you like, such as all digestive organs pink, respiratory purple, etc.

To assemble the frog lay out one of your green body shapes and then run red thread from the “heart” to each of the 4 limbs creating the arteries.

Assemble the organs in roughly the correct spot, cover with the pink frog layer and then the second green one.

You can leave it uncut and just simply remove the top layers.

Also, you can have your child create a dissection then cut and fold the pieces back and hold the flaps in place with tacks or stick pins.

Finally, create labels for each of the parts on cardstock.

How to Get the Free Frog Body and Body Parts Outline

Finally, how to grab the free frog body and body parts outline for the felt. It’s a subscriber freebie.

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

Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

March 8, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Spring is in the air, and I have a free North American Robin bird lapbook and unit study ideas. You’ll love my North American Robin unit study, lapbook ideas, and best homeschool unit studies pages.

The North American robin can be found in all parts of the United States except Hawaii.

Some robins will migrate to south Texas and Florida, but robins have a huge winter range.

Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

But when you see them in abundance you know spring is here in the northern regions.

I have some more fun facts below about robins and a free bird lapbook.

And did you know that March is the peak month for robins migrating?

As the day lengthens and the temperatures are warmer, they return to warmer grounds.

Another interesting fact is that British robin is smaller than the American robin.

However, early colonists from England gave the name robin, a name familiar to them.

Next, look at some vocabulary words below.

Vocabulary Words American Robin

migration – movement to another area either to seek food or warmer climate or both.
breeding cycle – producing offspring robins breed in the spring and it extends from April to July
fertilized – if a female robin mated with a male, the yolk would be fertilized or become a baby robin. If the female didn’t mate, the egg would just remain as a yolk.
albumen – watery protein that surrounds the yolk.
egg tooth – hard hook on the beak of the baby robin to help it hatch out of the egg.
brood patch – This is an area on the mom’s belly where her feathers fell off. It’s an area where she shares her warm bare belly heat with her young and the outer feathers cover over that area.

Also, look at some more robin resources below.

More North American Robin Resources

Then, add some more facts to your study.

10 American Robin Did You Know Facts

And kids love trivia and learning facts, look at some of these fun facts about American robins.

That robins are the easiest birds to train to feed from your hand. Put food on something nearby and add to your open palm. Eventually the robin will eat from your palm but not always land on your hand.
A wave is three or more robins.
Male robins sing when they get to their breeding territory.
Territory means a place where nesting and mating occurs.
Most birds lay their eggs at sunrise, but robins lay their eggs mid-morning.
During breeding season robins spend the early morning hours looking for worms.
Female birds have only one working ovary unlike most mammals.
They lay one egg a day.
Robins usually lay 4 eggs and stop.
Until they lay a full clutch, a female won’t sit on the eggs so they all hatch close to the same time.

More Bird Lapbook and Resources

Also, look at these fun bird resources.

American Robin Books

Next, add some of these books or resources to enhance your spring unit study about robins.

11 Fun Resources and Books to Learn About North American Robin Birds

Studying about North American Robin birds is fun to do anytime of the year with all ages. You'll love adding one ore more of these resources to your study.

1. All About Robins

A robin is one of the most familiar and beloved of all birds that are found throughout North America. You may see robins running across lawns or going after earthworms in your yard or a park. You can also find robins by listening for their clear, melodic singing.There are many facts about robins that most people don’t know. If your children have ever wondered about robins and how they grow from chicks to adult birds, this book is for them. The book contains dozens of beautiful photos of robins from the time they first hatch, to when their mother feeds them, until they take their first flight. It also includes many little-known facts that are sure to captivate young naturalists.

2. Model Backyard Birds Toys

Set of bird figurine toys, which contains 7 different small plastic birds. The weight of bird figure toy is 96G / 0.2LB. The set of small plastic bird contains 7 pieces of toy birds, such as robin, bluebird, oriole, woodpecker, etc. Please refer to the picture for the actual size and color.

3. Big Book of Birds

The book draws in children and parents alike with captivating information about and charming illustrations of hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, puffins, red-crowned cranes, and more. The book also invites young bird-watchers to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird-friendly. The text is chatty, funny, and full of remarkable facts.

4. A Nest Full of Eggs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Named a Best Children's Science Book of the Year by Science Books & Films, this picture book shows how the birds develop inside their eggs during the spring; how they mature into fledglings in the summer; how they learn to fly in the fall; and how they leave for warmer climates in winter—only to return when spring comes around again.

5. BACKYARD BIRDSONG GUIDE EASTERN AND CENT (cl) (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Suitable for beginning bird watchers, Backyard Birdsongs is an interactive handbook of birds and their songs. With a touch-button electronic module that contains common vocalizations of seventy-five species from across eastern and central North America, this volume offers a truly sensory way to identify and get to know local birds. Crisply detailed, scientifically accurate illustrations accompany each entry, and up-to-date range maps provide clear geographical reference points. With an introduction that will inspire readers to look out their windows and venture into the field, this unique book gives people of all ages an exciting entryway into the subtle art of using birdsong to identify birds.

6. A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home (Nest for Celeste, 1)

Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of black-and-white drawings, A Nest for Celeste is a short novel that tells the story a mouse living in the 1800s and his friendship with John James Audubon’s young apprentice. While enjoying this sweet amd appealing story, young readers will also learn about nineteenth-century plantation life and the famous naturalist who was known for his paintings of birds and American wildlife.

7. An Egg Is Quiet: (Picture Book, Kids Book about Eggs)

This stunningly beautiful and wonderfully informative book from award-winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston makes for a fascinating introduction to the vast and amazing world of eggs. Featuring poetic text and an elegant design, this acclaimed book teaches children countless interesting facts about eggs. Full of wit and charm, An Egg Is Quiet will at once spark the imagination and cultivate a love of science.

8. Robins!: How They Grow Up

Robins are the most familiar and beloved of all birds, found throughout North America and celebrated as one of the first signs of spring. But there's a lot about them that most people don’t know! In this visually stunning picture book that features comic-book panels combined with painterly illustrations, Eileen Christelow tells the story of two young robins’ first year, and reveals plenty of little-known facts that are sure to captivate young naturalists. Narrated with humor and filled with kid-pleasing details, this fascinating account of how robins grow up includes an Author’s Note, Glossary, More About Robins, and Sources.

9. Rob the Robin: A Tale of a Feathered Friend

Join Rob the Robin on his adventure as he discovers first the difficulty of surviving a long winter and then the wonders of spring. Written as an early reader, this tale is sure to delight children with captivating photography and pictures that visually tell the story in such a way that will interest both readers and non-readers alike.

10. The American Robin

In this book, Roland Wauer offers a complete natural history of the American Robin for a popular audience. Combining his own observations as a field naturalist with data gleaned from the scientific literature, he described the American Robin from every angle - appearance and biology, distribution, behavior, life cycle, and enemies and threats. In addition, he explores the legends and lore surrounding robins ("Whoever kills a robin redbreast will never have good luck were they to live a thousand years") and offers suggestions for attracting robins to your yard with favorite food, water, landscape plantings, and nesting places.

11. American Robin Plush Authentic Bird Sound

Kids and adults love this bird stuffed animal and are captivated by its realistic sound. They are also great baby toys and used as sensory toys. With one squeeze, Audubon birds produce beautifully authentic bird calls provided by the Cornell lab of Ornithology’s bird recording archives.

How to Get the Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook

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

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get this freebie.

1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie instantly.
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Botany Homeschool Curriculum Review of Botany in 8 Lessons Grades 4-8

March 7, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I’m having a guest review a botany homeschool curriculum. I have more tips on my how to homeschool middle school page.

When looking for a science curriculum, particularly a botany homeschool curriculum for middle school I wanted something that would put most of the responsibility into the students hands.

Botany Homeschool Curriculum Review of Botany in 8 Lessons Grades 4-8

But I didn’t it so challenging that it was frustrating.

Like you, I am always searching for a just right curriculum.

Although I favor the unschooling approach, I love unschooling or relaxed schooling with some structure to our schooling days.

We do a combo of fully child led learning and some structured that is still child interest led.

To do this I asked my son what science topic he wanted to learn about, and he chose botany.

Next, I went through and picked out 4 or 5 various curriculums that I thought would be a good fit.

And let him choose from reading the sample pages and directions on those and this was the botany homeschool curriculum that he chose Botany in 8 Lessons.

Botany Homeschool Curriculum

We had both the hard copy of the student text as well as the pdf for the teacher and student sections.

I highly recommend getting the pdf and downloading just the pages you need if you are opting to just do level 1.

I have to say we have both really enjoyed the curriculum. My son is 14 and would be considered a freshman in public school.

He struggles with dyspraxia/dysgraphia, ADHD, Aspergers, Tourette’s, OCD, and anxiety. That’s a lot for a kid to deal with.

I really liked that this was an open and go science curriculum which didn’t require a lot from me other than encouragement and some accountability.

The fact that he could do most of it independently really helped his confidence also.

I think this would still be a fun and still educational botany curriculum even for highschoolers.

In addition, there are a few ways your student can cover Botany in 8 Lessons.

If you assign lessons twice a week you finish in about 8 weeks,

Or you can stretch it out and do Lesson 1, level one on the first week, and level two the next week, and so on. If you include extra activities like videos, work in the garden and field trips, you can get 16 weeks out of it.

About Botany in 8 Lessons Grades 4-8

We chose to do science twice a week, making each lesson cover two weeks.

So on week 1 he read a few pages from that lesson and chose 1-2 activities at the end of the level 1 to complete.

The next week he would read level 2 and complete 1-2 of the suggested activities.

I loved that there were choices for the activities at the end of each lesson.

Instead of just assigning one activity and telling your child to do it, there is flexibility.

It made it less of a battle if I told him to pick an activity for one of the days he worked on science.

And I chose one for the other ( to make sure he wasn’t always opting for the easy way out) , or you could assign all of them over the course of the week.

You can see here in the first lesson there were 6 to choose from at the end of the lesson from completing a crossword to computer research.

I did sit with him through most of the first couple lessons.

I could encourage him and make sure that he understood and was able to do the work independently.

Botany Topics

He chose to use his computer to look up Plant Cell Micrographs for the first activity.

You can see all the topics covered over the 8 lessons here in the table of contents:

And each lesson has 2 levels; the 8 topics covered are:

Plant Cells and Photosynthesis
Plant Classifications
Non-vascular Plants
The Vascular System
Leaves and Trees
Plant Reproduction
Plant Adaptation
Plant Diseases

There are consumable pages in the back that make up the additional activities like lapbook.

And a board game to put together and play.

The hard copy has simple and colorful illustrations for each topic and gorgeous vintage botanical prints to look at for reference.

Botany Course

Additionally, there are pictures of botanists like Carl Linnaeus.

He was the first define the system that created the basic biological taxonomy, identifying, classifying, and naming organisms which we still use today.

The variety of activities makes it a multisensory curriculum and I love that for pretty much any of the learning styles.

The author recommends that younger students or those with a limited interest in science just complete the level 1 activities.

Moreover, older children or those who wish to dive deeper into botany should complete both levels.

The activities in both sections are great additions to your learning time though.

Finally, the bibliography gives you some books including the ISBN to check out from the library or add to your own shelves.

Here are two of my personal favorites that we used to add to the unit.

First, add Botanicum.

This is an oversized book with gorgeous vintage looking prints of everything from wildflowers, to mushrooms to trees and more.

The series is geared towards younger than middle school, but I think this series is a fantastic picture reference book for older kids as well.

Next, there is Nature Anatomy.

This is a favorite reference of ours that we use for any kind of nature science study.

There are a lot of illustrations and snippets of information on trees, leaves, flowers, mushrooms and ferns.

The only other thing I added to the study was a digital microscope to look at specimens we gather as well as some prepared plant slides.

We also used the app inaturalist which was fantastic for photographing and helping to identify plants in our yard via flowers, bark, and leaves.

More Botany Resources

Lewis and Clark Free Botany 1 and 2 Minibooks

How to Purchase Botany in 8 Lesson

►Product Name: Botany in 8 Lessons
► Two Ways to purchase 1) Amazon in paperback 2) in Digital Downlaod
►Website: Ellen Mchenry Basement Workshop
►Grade Level: 4 to 8
Note: This could be used for a high school if you add in more activities
►Type of product: These is a physical product or digital product.

Free Toad and Frog Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

February 20, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a free toad and frog lapbook today. Be sure to look at my page Toads – Amphibians for more fun ideas and my lapbook ideas and best homeschool unit studies pages.

Amphibians include three major groups: 1. Salamanders, newts and sirens; and 2. Frogs and toads; and 3. Caecilians pronounced (see-SIL-ee-ans).

Herpetology comes from the Greek word which means to creep. Some say herpetology is a jargon word and not even in the dictionary.

Free Toad and Frog Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

Today, I have a fun frog lapbook which also includes facts about the differences between toads and frogs.

We did this unit study about frogs because we wanted to know the difference between a frog and toad.

The World Book Encyclopedia answers: “Most true toads have a broader, flatter body and darker, drier skin than do most true frogs. True toads are commonly covered with warts, but true frogs have smooth skin. Unlike most true frogs, the majority of true toads live on land. The adults go to water only to breed.”

But also look at more facts below about frogs.

10 Fun Frog Facts

Frogs absorb water through their skin,
Frogs can lay as many as 4,000 eggs.
The eyes and nose of a frog are on top of its head so it can breathe and see when most of its body is under the water.
Frogs need both water and land to live.
A frog can change the color of its skin depending on its surroundings.
Frogs have long back legs and webbed feet for jumping and swimming.
Certain frogs can jump up to 20 times their own body length in a single leap.
Frogs usually eat meat (bugs and worms) and swallow their food whole.
Frogs and toads make our lives more bearable and reduce disease transmission because they consume large numbers of insects.
Metamorphosis is a change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism.

Too, look at some of these fun frog books.

Books about Frogs