Squirrel Nature Study Lesson Plans

Nature study is part of a well-rounded homeschool education, especially if you espouse the Charlotte Mason style of teaching. Miss Mason thought that the science learning of young children in elementary school should primarily revolve around direct observation of nature.

Those first-hand natural history lessons are complemented by the keeping of a nature notebook or journal where the student records his observations, stores sketches, and attaches leaves or pressed flowers.

One of the easiest places to start nature study is in your own back yard or neighborhood park. If you have squirrels, you have a wonderful nature study topic. These active mammals make for a very fun observation study.

• Sit on the porch with a pair of binoculars and focus up close on the squirrels' tail twitching and silly antics.
• Stay inside and peer through a window at squirrels' tree climbing prowess.
• Get quiet and listen to the squirrel "language" of chirps and chatter.

You may mix up the order of the components, but here are some suggested activities for a nature study of squirrels.

1. Observe squirrels for at least 20 minutes.

2. Generate some observations and questions based on what you saw. These can be discussed orally or written down.

3. Read The Handbook of Nature Study (or another field guide) for general information about squirrels, seeking to confirm your observations and to answer any questions you have.

4. Continue to observe squirrels at various times of the day, making notes in your nature journal. Try to capture their actions on paper either through descriptive words or through sketches. Use binoculars if possible to observe in more detail.

5. Supplement your squirrel study with some living books about nature. (See the list of free, public domain books about squirrels below.)

6. Collect everything you've learned about squirrels in a written narration on notebooking pages (printables linked below). Include both what you've read and what you've personally observed.

When you are watching squirrels, look for these things:

• How do the squirrels move from place to place? Running, leaping, crawling?
• How do squirrels seem to communicate with one another? Can you hear them?
• Does there seem to be a squirrel bully or leader?
• Can you identify any young squirrels? How do you know?
• Are there any places the squirrels seem to especially like?
• Do you see any squirrel nests in the trees? Do you ever see the squirrels going to them? Do you see a squirrel building a nest?
• What are the squirrels eating? What are their eating habits?
• What kind of squirrel is in your backyard? Grey squirrels, fox squirrels, red squirrels, or flying squirrels?

The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Bostford Comstock is something of a nature study bible for Charlotte Mason educators. Covering a broad range of living and non-living things in nature, The Handbook of Nature Study is a good starting point for questions about what you observe during nature walks. Consider it a natural history curriculum spine.

The Handbook covers squirrels and includes a charming story of Furry, a baby squirrel found by a naturalist and nursed to independence.

Find free electronic copies in various formats at Archive.org.

The print version linked below is a thick (887 pages), paperback book with black and white illustrations and photos. It is the complete, unabridged version and includes study or discussion questions at the end of each section.

Although this book is in the public domain, having a print copy is convenient if you often refer to it. CBD offers a copy for under $20.00.

Handbook of Nature Study
By Anna Botsford Comstock / Cornell University Press

In addition to the Handbook, there are many excellent living books in the public domain that deal with squirrels. See the list below for these titles, many of which were recommended by Anna Botsford Comstock for further study.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Rodentia

Suborder: Sciuromorpha

Family: Sciuridae