Life science horse unit ideas?

[Mommy22alyns]

My girls love horses, so I'm trying to pull together a fun little 2-week horse study for science. I'm thinking of something in the same style as the Living Learning life science - I just bought the teacher & student pack from a member here, but I'm surprised that LL didn't include horses!

So I'd love any suggestions for simple, fun horse crafts or activities. I'd also like to find a good coloring book or some printable sheets - I don't want anatomy, but I need more than a line drawing. Anything you all can recommend would be a great help!

[Trivium Academy]

Book: All About Horses by Marguerite Henry (OOP) and Wonderful World of Horses Coloring Book (http://store.yahoo.com/doverpublications/0486444651.html) by Dover or Horses of the World Coloring Book by Dover (http://store.yahoo.com/doverpublications/0486249859.html)

Beautiful Feet has a unit study of The History of the Horse as well. :) Have fun!

[Dawn E]

This summer I am planning to do Sarah Constance Julicher's My First Unit Study on Horses (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/My+First+Unit+Study%3A++Horses/012178/1210045570-1871872) with my daughter. I also have her Horses: A One Week Off Unit Study. For your girls, if you buy just one, I would purchase the My First Unit Study one.

[Tina in WA]

This is a study my dd is begging me to do as well. I do have a unit study Dawn listed above, but I haven't got around to using it. It looks really GREAT.

We also have In The Hands of a Child's lapbook on Horses (http://www.handsofachild.com/shop/Search.aspx?k=horse). It is wonderfully put together and also includes a research guide loaded with information as well.

Have fun!

[Soph the vet]

Take a road trip to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. I see that you are in TN and maybe not too far?
Or look for your state's Hunter/Jumper Association online and take them to a local show, free to spectate usually unless it is a larger "A" show. Or call a large show barn in the area and ask for a tour or if you have any friends with horses plan a field trip to their farm. Definitely do some real contact with horses. How about a therapeutic riding program in the area? Great example of how horses serve people. Call a local equine vet and ask for an "interview" (I love to give these, if you can't find one then your girls could PM me questions:D).
Soph

[Rhesa]

Ooh...This is perfect timing. The Natural History Museum is opening a new exhibit at the end of the month on horses. My daughter is going to be in heaven. (Fortunately, they're also opening Lizards and Snakes Alive!, which should thrill my son.)

I'm going to check into these books. Thanks, all!:)

[paula j]

Christian Cottage Unit Studies has a unit on Vetrinary Medicine that includes some horse science. There is information on horse care, a study of breeds and what the various markings are called, and of course learning the anatomy of a horse with worksheets to label. You can buy just this one unit seperately from Currclick or from CC.

Another place that has a horse study is the Sams Treasure Chest science club, their study includes, Black Beauty, a horse puppet to make, a study on the horse markings, and several other projects. Their kits, of course, include everything from the reader, to the teachers guide, to the materials needed for the activities. I got this one for ds and his best friend for Christmas year before last and they both enjoyed it, especially making the wooden horse puppet.:001_smile:

[MelissaMinNC]

We're so boring (cheap? inexperienced? Yes, all of these...), that when we did a little horse unit earlier this year, we just checked a bunch of books out of the library, read what we found interesting and made a lapbook. We did our own lapbook, not from a kit - I found some links to free printables and mini books, etc., by googling "horse lapbook". We read fiction and non-fiction - like American Girl (Felicity) books have a horse plot somewhere in them, but we also checked out the Kingfisher book of Horse & Pony Care.

It was very simple; I hadn't done a lapbook before and I didn't want anything too complicated or expensive that would overwhelm me on my first try. Plus, dd is only 6, and I wanted her to enjoy it! Oh, I also bought some horse-themed paper and stickers at the local scrapbooking store to use on our lapbook. It turned out well, and dd enjoys taking it out and looking through it.

HTH,
Melissa

[MJN]

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