Nature Study
Required Materials:
Books and supplies are not included in the purchase of the course.
For Sections with Mrs. Christa Maldonado
- Journal
- Pens, Pencils, Crayons
- Poster board or file folders (4)
- Misc. school supplies for projects
For Sections with Mrs. Brenda Tchoundjo
- Nature notebook, preferably one that lays flat and has paper thick enough to withstand liquid
- A set of watercolors
- A paint brush that has a fine point no larger than a size 6
- Such as Pentel Aquash Waterbrushes
- Pencil, erasable pens, colored pencils, double sided tape or glue stick
- Field guides
- Local guides will be most helpful if you can find them. Books are helpful for in-depth reference at home, but impractical to carry very many with you walk. Laminated folding guides are lightweight, indestructible and helpful for quick reference. Search Sibley's Folding Guides for your area such as Peterson Field Guides on YouTube
-
Optional:
- A jeweler's loupe is an excellent lightweight lens you can carry with you for a closer look.
- Magnifying glass
- Journaling A Year In Nature
- ISBN: 9781616342838
- Brush Drawing Basic Course
- ISBN: 9781616345938
Brenda Tchoundjo
[email protected]Brenda Tchoundjo has a Master’s degree in Teaching and Learning with Technology (MATLT) from Ashford University and a certification for teaching English as a second language. She has taught in many different capacities from child development centers to community colleges, military environments and homeschool co-ops.
Brenda homeschools her two sons and was introduced to Scholé Academy through their homeschool curriculum at the co-op where she began her classical education journey. She also has a stepdaughter graduating from a Classical private school next year.
Brenda has an enthusiasm for learning in fun and creative ways which has been developing even more as she homeschools. She uses different methods of teaching depending on the children’s’ learning styles and has been learning the different needs of learners with autism, ADHD and dyslexia.
Brenda taught after school programs for American children on an Army base in Germany, international military students in Ft Jackson, as well as German children and adults learning English while living for 10 years in Bavaria. She has substitute taught for Baltimore County Public Schools.
As a a military wife and mother of 3, Brenda wanted stability and continuity in her childrens’ education. She was called to homeschool in 2023.
In her free time, Brenda cares for pets in her community while their owners are away or needing walks during the day. She continues to study French, German, Spanish and ASL. She enjoys arts and crafts, nature walks with her family and toy poodle and women’s Bible study. She and her husband volunteer in their church youth groups and marriage ministry.
Christa Maldonado
[email protected]Christa Maldonado is a naturally curious person who is constantly reading. The wonder of the natural world led her to studying science deeply in her adult life, but she is really a polymath and philosopher at heart. She has a Master of Education in Instructional Design, a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences - Biology, a Bachelor of Science in Hospital Administration, and an Associate of Science in Chemistry. Christa has formal experience teaching science, mathematics, Latin, and grammar as well as a host of additional subjects through tutoring and homeschooling.
Christa is a Catholic wife and mother. Her family lives the rhythms of liturgical life and they have developed a great love of Catholic traditions and culture. Her husband is a school administrator working in public education. Her children learn at home from the rich curriculum that nourished the minds of the saints past. Aside from their liturgical and educational interests, her family enjoys raising chickens and rabbits, growing a garden, reading good books, baking delicious breads, and exploring nature.
Quarter 1
Sections with Brenda Tchoundjo
- Autumn
- Book: Burgess Bird Book Gutenberg.org
- Finding Direction without a Compass, What Tree Is It? Preserving Leaves, Autumn Leaf Color, How to Make Leaf Rubbings ,Why Do Leaves Change Colors?
Quarter 2
Sections with Brenda Tchoundjo
- Winter
- Project Gutenberg books: D’aulaire’s Greek Myths about the night sky
- Moon phases, Ursa Major and the Big Dipper, Big Dipper, Little Dipper, and Polaris, Big Dipper, Polaris, and Cassiopeia, Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades
Quarter 3
Sections with Brenda Tchoundjo
- Spring
- Spring poetry provided by instructor
- Bird Beaks, Bird Feathers, Learn Bird Songs Flower Parts Diagram, Cloud Types, The Water Cycle, Learn to Draw Flowers, Press Flowers to Preserve Them Step-by-step, Guide to the Life Cycle of a Flower, Webs and spiders
Quarter 4
Sections with Brenda Tchoundjo
- Summer
- Storybook of Science excerpts from Gutenberg.org
- Ants, bees, beach/sand, birds, butterflies, clouds, creeks, dragonflies, fireflies, frogs and toads, lacewings (one of my favorite insects), lakes, marine life, moths, nests, night sky/stars, pond life, rivers, summer tree study, turtles, wildflowers
Computer: You will
need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better
on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8,
7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an
iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much
better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer.
Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain
features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation,
which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
High-Speed Internet Connection:
You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet
cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal
use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection
with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
Webcam: You may
use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations:
Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
Headset: We recommend
using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the
level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
Zoom: We use a web
conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to
gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy
to use. 
To
download Zoom:
- Visit zoom.us/download.
- Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
- Open and run the installer on your computer.
- In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
Scanner: In this
class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks.
Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.
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Please take careful note of our teaching philosophy, our technology requirements, our school policies, the parent agreement, and the distinctions between our grade levels.
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This registration will be finalized when the student's placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.