Identify what kind of squirrel Miss Suzy is.
Read about Gray Squirrels on page 163 of Fun With Nature.
Identify the kind of squirrels that took over Miss Suzys home.
Read about Red Squirrels on page 165 of Fun With Nature.
Older students may want to further research squirrels, and their classification.
They are in the Animal Kingdom, Chordata Phylum, Mammal Class, and Rodent
Order. Introduce what these terms mean and how they apply to a squirrel.
Identify the kind of tree Miss Suzy lived in. Read about oak trees on
pages 254-255 in Fun With Nature. Also mention that much of Miss
Suzys food and dishes came from the acorns of the oak tree.
Identify the kind of branch Miss Suzy used to make a broom. Read about
maple trees on pages 252-253 of Fun With Nature. Go for a walk
in a wooded area, with Fun With Nature in hand, and see how many
different trees you can identify.
Collect leaves to make rubbings, and help student assemble a Book of
Leaves. Press and dry various leaves, and then make a pretty fall placemat
by mounting the leaves between two sheets of clear contact paper.
Collect nuts found during nature walk and make food balls for squirrels
by rolling nuts in peanut butter and hanging from trees.
Go on a squirrel hunt, looking for squirrels, nests, or other signs
such as tracks or scats. Refer to page 202 of Fun With Nature.
For further autumn time study: Read: Animals
in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft
Discuss how squirrels store up nuts to eat during the cold winter months.
Discuss how other animals survive winter (i.e. hibernation, migration,
hunting)
Read: Plants
in Winter by Joanna Cole Discuss why trees loose their leaves,
and how other plants survive the winter.
Squirrel
Coloring Sheet
*Note* - *Danger Comes to Squirrel Valley by Dorothy Galde is
a read aloud chapter book about the struggles and triumphs of a family
of squirrels that reveal spiritual and moral truths. Due to the mention
of the demise of some of the valley animals, it may not be appropriate
for your more sensitive younger listeners.
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