Handbook of Nature-Study · Lesson LXVI · Topic 8: Domestic animals
66. The sheep
Goal: Your child can tell wool from hair, explain why sheep follow a leader, and describe how a sheep eats, chews its cud and talks to its flock.
You'll need
- A visit to sheep: a farm, fair or petting farm
- A tuft of raw wool or wool roving (craft store) and a hand lens
- A wool sweater or sock
- A nature notebook and a pencil (colored pencils if you have them)
What's in the book
Comstock opens with a passage about the "flock mind" of sheep, then tells of wild mountain sheep, their enemies, wool, lambs and breeds. Lesson LXVI follows with its leading thought, method and ten groups of questions.
The lesson, step by step
When and where
Any season; spring is lambing time, when lambs play in the pasture. Comstock's method: "the observations should be made upon the sheep in pasture or stable."
Safety first
Farm safety: ask the owner before you go near the animals, stay outside the fence unless you are invited in, and wash hands with soap and water after touching animals or their pens. No eating or drinking in the animal area.
Rams can butt hard. Never step into a pen with a ram.
Keep the big idea in mind
Comstock's "leading thought" is the one idea the lesson is meant to lead to. Read it to yourself now, and save it to share at the end, after your child has looked and answered:
Sheep live naturally in high altitudes. When attacked by enemies, they follow their leader over difficult and dangerous mountain places.
Wool and hair
Look at the tuft of wool with the hand lens, then at one of your child's hairs.
What is the chief character that separates sheep from other animals? What is the difference between wool and hair? Why is wool of special use to sheep in their native haunts?
Wool fibers are crimped (wavy) and catch on each other; that is why they can be spun into yarn. Find the same crimp in the wool sweater.
Follow the leader
Watch how the flock moves when one sheep walks off.
We say of certain men that they "follow like a flock of sheep." Why do we make this comparison? What has this habit of following the leader to do with the escape of sheep from wolves and bears?
Ears, cud and voice
What is the position of the sheep's ears when it is peaceful? When there is danger?
Does the sheep chew its cud like the cow? Describe the action as performed by the sheep.
How much of sheep language do you understand? What is the use to the wild flock of the constant bleating?
Lambs
Describe a young lamb. Why has it such long legs? How does it use its tail to express joy? What happens to this tail later? What games have you seen lambs play?
Then ask your child to tell why a flock that follows a leader is safer in the mountains. Read the leading thought aloud.
Nature notebook
Tape a few wool fibers into the notebook and draw one under the lens beside a hair. Add a quick sketch of a sheep or lamb, and the date.
Afterwards
For a writing day, Comstock suggests "The Methods by which Wool is Made into Cloth." Look at the label on a wool garment and trace the steps from sheep to sweater.