This fall I’m teaching Biology. My Co-op class has a summer assignment to make a list of 100 species. I launch Biology with Ecology or Ecosystems. (We do Module 1 concurrently. Classification, taxonomy, and biological keys dovetail well with Ecology, Module 10.) The summer assignment is to create a list of 100 species, ideally local plants, fungi, and animals. Does this seem daunting? Start with an owl and brainstorm its diet. (Okay, your kid will likely Google its diet.). Owls eat voles, shrew, moles, mice, and small birds. Voles and mice, eat grasses, fruits, seeds. Moles and shrew eat insects. Kids can brainstorm types of wild fruit, such as blackberries and types of insects. See how the list develops? The first month of school, the kids will take the list and research scientific names and learn how to create food webs.
If you really want to get a jump on Biology, consider doing an Owl Pellet dissection. This can be a nice way to jump-start a species list.
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