Nature School: Lessons and Activities to Inspire Children's Love for Everything Wild

by Lauren Giordano, Stephanie Hathaway, Laura Stroup

Nature School is your destination for kid-friendly nature learning, where you can explore the natural world through engaging reading, beautiful illustrations, and more than 30 hands-on activities.

Kids need a break from screens now more than ever. Screen-free time spent exploring and learning about the outdoors makes for happier, healthier, smarter kids. And playing in nature gives kids confidence and independence, promoting creativity and teaching responsibility. With Nature School, all ages will enjoy connecting with nature and becoming inspired to discover the wild places around them.

Travel through five of earth’s largest biomes, studying plants, animals, and their adaptations for survival—and learn hands-on through nature experiments explained in each lesson.From the arid desert to the salty seashore, investigate extraordinary ecosystems, discovering the role of predators and prey and learning about life cycles, climate, landscape, and more.

Chapters in this book explore plants, animals, and life cycles of:


Temperate Forests
Deserts
Seashores
Grasslands
Wetlands

Featuring activities and experiments that include:
Bark & Leaf Rubbings
Desertscape Diorama
Salt Dough Seashells
Tornado in a Bottle
Nature Journaling

The whole family will enjoy learning through Nature School!

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Childrens

144 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2023

Reviews

[Whitney Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm using this for science curriculum for my 7-year-old homeschooled child along with a workbook we found online to fill in and it's perfect!! The illustrations in this book are gorgeous! It is very eye-catching and holds my daughter's attention. Full of wonderful, detailed information going over 5 of Earth's biomes talking about the climate, animals and plants found there, life cycles, etc. I've learned a lot myself, even! Highly recommend for kids (and adults) who love nature!

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book to show children how the world of nature fits in with the climate, vegetation, land formation and identity of place. There are various projects and experiments to try in order to understand about vegetation, climate, water and fun things. Written more to capture the Northern hemisphere aspect of nature. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unapologetically old-fashioned nature book, this redacts the factoids, nixes the modern habit of laying out the text so you have no idea of reading order, and just gets on with plain educational matter. That's not to say it's page-edge-to-page-edge text, but this is noticeably more dry-looking than the routine. And that I am sure is a selling point for many.

We start with temperate forests, learning about the different kinds of tree, before getting into anything relevant, from the life-cycle of a fern to the anatomy of a songbird, from the wintering habits of major creatures to styles of cobweb. After that there is almost as much variety in the four pages of activities we can do in relation with this biome, from trailing scat leavings in the field to some artworks. The pattern is continued with deserts (from anthills to ostriches), the seashore (pelagic zones and parrotfish poop), grasslands (toads to tornadoes) and wetlands (mangroves to moose). It's all here when relevant, whether it be the specific critters the creators think of note or the actual geology that formed the regions.

The activities are the usual mix of indoor and outdoor affairs – even those of us without a desert handy to explore can get out there and make a sundial in the ground. This is certainly not a title to have the intention of reading from end to end, but is instead a modern marvel of a reference book. By the end the illustration count is really quite high, but just one look will show them to be used in a much more staid and low-dynamism way when compared to rival volumes. Some potential buyers may know this will not work with the kids they need to educate, but others will certainly be on board for content like this. I certainly couldn't find fault.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t have a child to enjoy this book with….I downloaded it for myself! I camp and hike a lot and I think that this book will be fun for 62 year old me. I’m like my information short and sweet and this provides that. If I want to delve deeper into a topic I will. I think I’ll even enjoy quite a few of the activities while I’m hanging out in camp.
The illustrations are detailed and beautiful. Information is provided on a very, very wide variety of topics broken down by ecosystems such as forest, grasslands, ocean, plains and so on.
In the Ocean chapter there is a blip on beach-combing. Beach-combing is a wonderful activity for all ages. I love it. It’s fun to find empty shells, cool stones, sea glass, and yes…Starfish and Sand Dollars. The one thing I wish the author had included is this: If you find a LIVING creature, including Star Fish, Sand Dollars, tide pool plant or sea life please leave it alone. Living things are not treasures to take home. This goes for any creature you find anywhere, Don’t attempt to keep a wild lizard, snake, insect…anything- as a pet. Enjoy them where they are and let the live their life. Picking and pressing wildflowers and leaves is fun, just be sure not to pull off the roots. Lastly, don’t eat wild mushrooms or plants and never, ever try to touch a venomous snake. Hopefully parents and educators will cover these things.
I recommend Nature School for kids of all ages, including us old folks who don’t necessarily want to read an entire scientific chapter on each of nature’s wonders. This is a nice, simple book to encourage us to get outside and explore our world.
#NatureSchool #netgalley

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nature School by Lauren Giordano is an excellent book for kids to learn about different biomes and ecosystems. The book takes readers on a journey through five of the earth’s largest biomes, exploring the plants, animals, and their adaptations for survival. Each chapter discusses the life cycles, climate, landscape and more of different ecosystems such as temperate forests, deserts, seashores, grasslands and wetlands.

What sets this book apart is that it includes over 30 hands-on activities that allow kids to engage with nature at a deeper level. These activities include bark & leaf rubbings, desertscape diorama and salt dough seashells among others. In addition to these activities, there are also experiments in each lesson that explain complex scientific concepts in an easy-to-understand way.

The layout of the book is visually stunning - it looks like a scrapbook someone would create themselves! The illustrations are gorgeous, colorful, and plentiful which makes reading this book a joy.

Overall, Nature School would make an excellent resource for homeschoolers or parents looking for fun and educational activities to engage their children’s interest in nature. It would also make a perfect gift for young naturalists who love learning about the world around them.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so surprised by this book and I will definitely be buying this. This is a must have for any homeschool family, because this is gorgeously packed full of so much information. Chapters include: temperate forests, deserts, seashore, grasslands, and wetlands. In each of these chapters, there are following sections covering topics, such as: ecosystems, weather, landforms, plants, animals, predators, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and activities. The book is beautifully illustrated, but these illustrations really look like photographs with some of these animals. They are so well done.

What I really love about this book is that it feels so thorough in regards to these chapters. It talks about nearly everything you would need to know in a homeschool setting. What you would find, like birds and plants, and then it really goes into detail with some of the plants. It’s incredible. And the activities are specifically designed for the corresponding chapter. It’s great. For example, in the desert chapter, one of the activities shows an evaporation demonstration.

What a great find and I can’t wait to use this book with my kids. Thanks to Quarto Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. This was my honest review and I highly recommend this for any family.

[Melanie Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nature School is the ultimate educational resource and you can't convince me otherwise.

For the past two years I have purchased and utilised Stephanie Hathaway and Lauren Giordano's educational resources in our homeschooling. They are the highlight to our curriculum.

With pooled resources between them and Laura Stroup they have curated the most stunning and informative book I've seen.
Sectioned to make it easy for young minds to consume Nature School offers bite-sized information into each category, focusing on what children want to know. The information ranges from biomes to animals and offers a selection of hands on activity ideas to bring the information to life.

If you are homeschooling or want to offer your child another way to look at the world then this book is a must have. If the information doesn't convince you, the illustrations will!

I was gifted a digital copy of 'Nature School' in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is a book I will be purchasing and adding to our curriculum as I believe it is crucial to my children education.
Thank you for creating this book.

[Jenna Stensland · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully illustrated book! There are so many ways to use this book and I love a good multi-use book. From reading bits here and there to your children or adding it to your homeschool classroom; this is a perfect addition to any home library. I could see us using it weekly as apart of our nature study with the included activities or simply keeping it on our shelves as a helpful reference.

The layout if very easy to read as well and there is a lot of information packed into each section. The book is divided into 5 biomes and under each you take an intensive look at what exists within that biome. Each section opens with an in-depth description, then takes a look at the ecosystem, the climate/weather, landforms, plants, & animals. The animals are broken down even further. (For example, predators, birds, reptiles/amphibians, & invertebrates) Then each section ends with activities!

Thank you NetGalley & Quest books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six biomes, divided into six color coded sections are included in this comprehensive non-fiction book. Each sections covers that biomes ecosystem, climate/weather, pants, animals, predators, birds, reptiles/amphibians, invertebrates and several hands on activities. Nature School is likely intended for grades 4-6 unless done with a parent in small time periods and might be just the resource to augment the topic in a homeschool setting or as a family who enjoys exploring the outdoors. Activities that are included for each do not generally take a great many materials and most are readily available in most homes. Illustrations appear to be watercolor but are likely produced digitally with most maps having outlines done in pen. While the work is very realistic, in a straight up non-fiction natural world book, I would have appreciated at least a smattering of photographs of the real thing.

Thanks you for sending me a finished copy to review, Amazon Vine program.

[petalpineink · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunningly illustrated and accessible educational resource book for bringing nature to the classroom.

I loved this resource. This resource provides nature-based information and activities through its give habitat sections. Each page gives quick but highly informative information on all things nature. I found the illustrations so fantastically done that I’d consider printing them as classroom poster or activity guide sheets for students to look at. Each habitat at section is also packed with several activities to demonstrate the processes you are learning about.

I highly recommend this for educators seeking to bring nature to the classroom or to their educational programming. I cannot wait to integrate this in my place-based education methods.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this resource.

[A Broken Zebra · Rating 5 out of 5]

NETGALLEY / Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry, Quarry Books ARC

This lovely little nugget is divided into five sections/biomes; Temperate Forests, Deserts, Seashore, Grasslands, Wetlands. It deftly explains how to use the book, since it’s meant to be an engaging/interactive read. Like how to tell certain trees apart, as well as which flora and fauna exist in said space, including detailed images. Nature School also contains good ol' Fun Facts, a plethora of images (lovely artwork), definitions, activities, Did You Know?s, journaling ideas, and an index.

Fantastic, informative, imperative read. And it’s visually stunning to boot, making it eye candy and worth devouring. It’s approachable for a decent range of ages, too!

[Mechelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the past year or so I've been doing outdoorsy activities with my kids on the weekends to supplement their preschool and kindergarten academic focused time. They love it, I love it, it's sooooo needed. When I found this book I was overjoyed. It was exactly what I wish we'd had when we first started doing these types of things. My youngest is absolutely obsessed with nature, and forest animals are a particular favorite. This book is structured easily to make unit studies of each type of environment and kick off further study for older kids into anatomy and ecology, or animal studies for littler kids. We ended up picking up a hard copy to make things easier for us in the new year. I've always loved Stephanie Hathaway's nature studies, and having a full curriculum has been an asset to our not-so-home school.

[Torie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty nice nature exploring resource for some very diverse biomes! The illustrations are really what sets it apart as a useful book, I think students and educators alike can enjoy reading this. I have an ebook copy, and the formatting did have quite a few issues(words that had letters completely cut off, a few pictures with a missing chunk), I would recommend avoiding the ebook and going physical instead. I wish the nature journaling recommendations provided a bit more structure, I would love to see more unique/developed prompts for journaling activities for each biome, rather than just "draw the view".

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a truly impressive non-fiction book that is well-structured and packed with both information and activities. The writing can be used as model writing for teaching non-fiction writing. The graphics is nicely done too.

I was so impressed by it that I went straight to Amazon to put it on my shopping list, ready to order it when it is published. The price though is a bit high for a paperback. I am still going to buy it though. The price tag does make it less likely for me to use it as a core-text as it might be a bit too expensive for some parents.

[Mrs.MakesReadingFun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must have for nature lovers!
All the little budding scientists, nature lovers, animal lovers- you'll love this book.

My kids and I loved taking this book with us to the forest & the beach, and learning all about the plants, animals, bugs and terrain around us.

I love how this guide is broken down into habitats and environments, and really explores all the things that make up each habitat. The pictures are wonderful, and the facts are "just right" for little learners!

This would be a great addition to any home library, classroom or school library.

[Reading Adventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this workbook. It is great for any homeschool or elementary classroom. In this book are over 100 activities like puzzles, short nature lessons and writing activities. I love how it is organized into sections: Forests, deserts, seashore, grasslands, and wetlands. The directions are all so easy to follow and expanding on each activity has endless possibilities. We can’t wait to use this in our homeschool. My son is 5 and I have been reading it to him but when he is older it will be perfect. Your going to love this workbook, we sure do.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a BEAUTIFUL book. Loads of information, but not too overwhelming. I homeschool and the kids who read this with me are 8 and 10. Both enjoyed it, both said they learned a ton and my kids are also in scouts and will be using their copy we ordered for some activities and tree spotting on upcoming trips in the fall!

10/10 recommend for all- those new to playing in the dirt, and those well versed in the outdoors. This is a great book! Loved it.

[Briana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, educational, and fun!
I absolutely love how educational this book is, but in a fun way that engages with school aged children.
This would be a phenomenal science addition to a homeschool family, a school library, or for any nature loving family.
There are a ton of activities to do with your children - like an ocean in a bottle, & bark and leaf rubbings.
Overall, this book is packed with a ton of education about temperate forests, deserts, seashore, grasslands, and wetlands!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher, wife, and a mother of two, I am always on the hunt for fun and educational books. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was so bright and colorful! I loved the details that were provided in this book when it came to break things down. The projects and experiments are a lot of fun and I will definitely be doing them with my students this coming school year.

[Lost Without A Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for any school library, full of fascinating information and exciting activities to do. I loved the layout of the book, the illustrations were beautiful and it kept me interested throughout. There were lots of great idea here that could be used to enhance a curriculum or could be given to a child interested in nature to extend and challenge them.

A lovely book; would make a great gift!

[flourgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrated reference on he natural world and major habitats. A good choice for elementary homeschool and nature study and note booking with lots of diagrams and colorful pictures. Suggestions for activities and experiments that I feel are suitable for the younger students up to middle grade. A great addition to your nature book collection.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and packed with information, this is a perfect addition for any home educating family, library or anyone interested in the natural world. Though the majority of the animals featured are found in America (we are based in the UK) this was still a useful book with plenty of activities for my 9 year old to try out and enjoy.

Thank you Netgalley and Quarto for this ARC.

[Cherry London · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kids' encyclopedia on nature, it is factual and very informative. It will broaden their minds and imaginations, thereby encouraging learning. It is packed with eye-catching illustrations with beautiful colors, which makes this book pop. It is a delightful, educative, and very informative book. I love it.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and can’t wait to add a physical copy to our shelves! I love that at the end of each chapter the authors give several fun activities for hands on learning! We love being in nature and this book was an interesting, up close look at some of our favorite ecosystems. The art is beautiful and the Fun Facts throughout were super cool! 5 stars!

[Hannah Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! If you are a homeschooler I definitely recommend this as a resource for nature studies. The pictures grab your attention the information isn’t dry or boring it keeps you interested. It includes activities and I can’t wait for do some of them again. I have young children 5, 3, & 2 and this book worked great for our family. Even you are not a homeschooler but want some fun creative activities to do with your kids this is a great book to get your hands on!

[Melissa Neely · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book. We are using it for our homeschool, but we noticed the map for grasslands on page 92 is the same as the desert map. We live in a grassland area, so I was a little disappointed! Otherwise, it is wonderful and thorough for the ages it is geared to.

[Mrs. Ruigrok · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful book full of information as well as hands-on nature experiments.   Learn about temperate forests, deserts, seashore, grasslands and wetlands.  An incredible resource for both teachers and students .  5/5

[Elinore (elinore_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will captivate you entirely. The illustrations are superb, I was enchanted, alongside my children whilst reading this book. Information is concise and easy to follow, I highly recommend.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

So it’s a lightweight 4th grade science textbook with like 4 activities. What is it with these mama bears and the people who worship them

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a lot of nice ideas in it but I purchased blindly and thought it was more of a natural history book for children.