30 DAYS of NATURE CONVERSATION

Why should we study nature?  Did you know some ancient cultures would not have studied nature?  Nature was too sacred - the gods were everywhere, dwelling as part of nature, or so they believed.  In fact, science as we know today was birthed when Europe was under the influence of Christianity.  Only under this worldview did people pursue study of the natural world.  Science and the Bible were not separate. *

These 30 DAYS of NATURE CONVERSATION is based on the notion that creation reveals the Creator.  Each day will include:

• Scripture about Nature
• Ideas for Conversation to have with your kids about Nature
• Ideas for Natural Journaling
• Ideas for Nature Study

How to use this Guide:

• Read the Scripture to your kids; then let them loose to make their own observations.  You can plant in their minds some questions to ask or instructions on what to observe.
  Example:
  Read Psalm 19:1 or Romans 1:20 and then ask, "How does the sky declare God's glory?" or "How is God's divine nature and eternal power revealed by observation of _____?" Get the kids thinking before they explore.  You can then allow them to observe through various activities listed below.
• Another option is use this guide to familiarize yourself with what the Bible says about nature.  Then allow the Lord to bring to mind at appropriate teachable moments.
  Example:
  The kids point to a bird flying through the sky and you can bring up Scripture that mentions birds.  I will give more specific verses in a later post.
• The third option is to do a nature study rather than journal and use nature as a springboard for teaching both science and spiritual concepts.
  Example:
  Scripture is full of garden illustrations, astronomy, the water cycle, and animal life.

NATURE ACTIVITIES

• Observation - visual and conversation, no recording
• Keeping records or logs (of weather, of plant growth, of heavenly bodies)
• Collections (plants, insects, rocks, etc)
• Experiments
• Drawing
• Photography
• Writing Inspired by Nature - poetry or songs or stories
• Research Projects inspired by nature observation
• Scripture memory or art with Scripture
• Gardening or other yard work
• Cooking
• Animal Care

*For more information on how modern Science began, I highly recommend The Soul of Science