British Literature

 Every few years I teach British Literature for the local Co-op. We use Stobaugh, which I supplement with a syllabus from a Brit Lit course I used when I home-schooled Lacie.  Here is the table of contents.  We spend loads of time in class reading from the textbook.  We all take turns.  We discuss themes, words, and ideas.  We write often—but seldom lengthy essays.  

I just sent home summer reading: Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, Robinson Crusoe, and Romeo and Juliet.  Ignatius Press has the classics and offers study guides—ideal for Honors or college-bound classes.  What if your class has reading issues?  Mine does.  The answer is Great Illustrated Classics, Longman Classics, and Shakespeare Can Be Fun!  I advised them to watch the films first—another cardinal sin. (The 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice  isn’t bad.). I know these teens.  My job is to provide a good, general education.  They will be able to say that they are familiar with British Literature.  Yes, they are using mainly the Great Illustrated Classics.  We tried a short story this year by Mark Twin.  The class couldn’t get past the slang in the text.  They had no idea what was going on.  We switched to the Great Illustrated Classic version.  Problem solved.  Now we understand the book because we can read it in standard English. 

During class, we read directly from Stobaugh most of the time. The exception is when the language itself is a barrier.  Shakespeare is an excellent example.  Orson Scott Card ‘freshened’ three Shakespeare plays.  I selected the most famous, Romeo and Juliet.  We’ll watch the 1968 film, too. (West Side Story is based on Romeo and Juliet, too.)  One of my favorite activities is to combine  a Shakespeare play with Hogarth Shakespeare and a film based on Shakespeare.  Here is the spreadsheet I made. (Many of the links are from No Sweat Shakespeare.  I use No Fear Beowulf, too.)  For example, a combination might be Hamlet, The Dead Father’s Club, and The Lion King.  I’m trying to engage teens, get them to think and write.  I ask interesting questions.  Does the Lion King capture Hamlet?  Teens who struggle make teaching even more challenging.  Let’s do everything we can to help kiddos love literature!  For me, that means using easier editions, simple English, and films.  Yes, it’s a joy to teach a strong class.  I grow more as an instructor when I work with kiddos who struggle.

LEGO

 There are so many excellent LEGO materials!  I tried to find a variety.  Print the mats or challenge cards to pull out on a rainy, summer day.

1. Legoland Home School Self-Guided Education Packet.  Use with World Landmarks cards, Landmark Building, or Hometown Landmark.  Build an entire City.

2. 4-H Enchanted Builds combines fairy tales with LEGOs.   So clever!

3. LEGO Morse Code or Morse Code Activity is another take on teaching Morse code.  This is a good rainy day activity for you coffee bin of craft stick ideas to pull when the kids are bored.

4. Free LEGO STEM Challenge Cards are simple activities, such as build a LEGO tower.  

5.  LEGO Mats in English and Spanish.  

6. LEGO Mosaics, Unikitty and Puppycorn, and Claude Monet’s Water Lilies.  

7. Here are a few more ideas: Six Bricks, Learning with LEGO, and Brick Math.

Create a List of Fun!

 No, not a bucket list—just a coffee can with craft sticks.  Write each idea on a craft stick. The kiddos are gambling whenever they draw a popsicle!  Here are ideas! We have used the summer to make Christmas presents!

1. Clean your room.  (Be sure to return this craft stick to the coffee can!)

2.  Hula Hoop.

3, Read one chapter from a classic or a book for the library Summer Reading Program-useful all summer.  (Make extra reading craft sticks for the coffee can.)

4.  Make or use your own sidewalk chalk (or these) to make a chalk mural outside.  Alternatively, chalk bodies and pretend it’s a crime scene.

5. Unload the dishwasher or start a load of laundry—free choice!

6.  Jump rope.

7. Sweep the porch, drive, deck, or sidewalk or wash the car.

8. Play Cat’s Cradle

9. Assemble a puzzle or make your own puzzle.

10.  Take funny (or beautiful) photos and print them.  Now start making Decoupaged, Craft-Stick, Nature Art, or 15 frames—ideal presents!

11. Clean the bathroom.  (Another craft stick which should return to the coffee can.)

12.  Make popsicle stick bracelets and decorate them with embroidery floss, markers or washi tape.

13.  Make a LEGO Frame or a DIY LEGO frame—an excellent present!

14. Make homemade vanilla extract.  Put it away as a Christmas present.  

15. Learn to Knit or Crochet.  Woobles have free Amigurumi patterns.  Crochet slippers as a present.

16.  Play chalk games.

17. Build LEGO flowers.  Walmart and Target have sales.  Buy inexpensive glass vases at the thrift store.

18. Make a Craft Stick Chain Reaction.

19. Ride your bike.

20.  DIY muslin bags with sharpies.  Grandma may get a library bag for Christmas.

21. Make soup mix in a jar in big batches!  Look for  gift jar ideas. So many presents!

Programs for Kiddos!

Have you considered programs for your kiddos?  Programs and groups vary enormously.  Our Co-op is located near Quantico, affording us access to Stafford County, Prince William, Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania resources.  Our teens are involved in their church youth groups.  They are teens, with varied interests.  Families look for more opportunities.  Co-op members tend to share resources and tips for groups, organizations, and opportunities.    Let me share a few for you to consider.  See if other members of your Co-op are interested.  You can always start your own group.

1. NCFCA is a competitive speech program for teens. I’ve judged for the local group. The rules are strict!  The topics are meaningful.  This is an excellent means to develop logic  and public speaking skills.

2. FNE and AHG are great alternatives to the Boy or Girl Scouts.  (I was a leader, service unit manager, and trainer for Girl Scouts.  I saw first -hand how the organization lost its way.). Kiddos want a traditional scouting experience.  They want to camp, build a fire, cook outside, learn knots and first-aid.  Kiddos love to do service projects.  Find a scouting group which shares your values.

3. 4-H groups are wholesome and a good way to get ready to compete at the local fair.  

4.  What about Civil Air Patrol?  Many of the Cadet Activties promote leadership.  Naturally, teens want to learn how to fly a plane.  The program requires self-discipline; but, it had loads of activities, skills, and paths to pursue.

5.  CTY is a local, Christian, Theatre group.  Many of the families seek out Christian groups to safeguard our teens.  

6.  Before we moved to Stafford, near Quantico, we lived in Winchester, home to Shenandoah University, which has a robust music program.  Shenandoah has many resources for home-schoolers: Private Music Lessons, Summer Conservatory, and Making Music.  What type of music education is offered locally?

7.  Would your teen like to volunteer at a local museum?  In Winchester, The Discovery Museum has a teen council. The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley also accepts teen volunteers.  (Winchester has several historical sites.  Here is a brochure.  We loved living in Winchester!)  Did you know teens 16 can volunteer at Mt.Vernon?

Participate in the County Fair this summer!

 You do not have to belong to 4-H to participate in the local fair.  There are a huge variety of entries. I entered goods in one fair.  I had no idea how strict the requirements were and bombed badly!   Do your homework!  Start soon!  Locally, Stafford County has a fair—without a permanent home.  It does have a home-making category and the fair isn’t until October.  This type of fair is ideal for your first foray.  No pressure!  

When we lived in Winchester, VA, there were several local fairs: Warren County, Berkeley County, Jefferson County, Clarke County, and the Shenandoah County Fairs.  I toured all of these, except Berkeley County’s fairgrounds.  (We used to volunteer at a Pro-Life Booth at Jefferson County.)  We were spoiled.  I like old-fashioned, county fairs.  What is the process?

1.  First, look at the  fairground’s website, such as Frederick County Fairground.  Read the rules! Some, such as Prince William County’s General rules are lengthy and have a fixed cost.  Are exhibitors given a free pass?  

2.  Review the entries, such as Agriculture/Crafts.  Read the Judging Criteria.  Youth Baked Goods’ criteria are equally specific.  Some fairs offer Education Exhibits, which are open-ended, but often agricultural.  There are loads of other categories: Hobbies and Collections, Fine Arts, Canning, Horticulture, Sewing, and Photography.  Yes, growing food or flowers, understanding photography, baking bread, or creating an educational exhibit all have scientific merit.  

3.  Look over any special events, such as the Youth Pet Show or a  Farm Animal Costume Contest.  I think a chicken in a costume is hilarious!

4.  Livestock at any fair is a special category and takes planning.  However, Rabbits and Chickens might work.  Take a look at the Poultry Requirements.

5. Read the Livestock Regulations thoroughly. Note this fair requires YOCA Youth for the Quality Care of Animals Training.  Check with the local Extension office for information.  Typically, youth who exhibit livestock are members of FFA or 4-H.  

Now is the time to get organized if you want to take part in your local fair.  You need ample time to complete forms, grow produce, practice recipes, or contact a vet.  Kiddos like to work with a purpose or goal.  Work as a family to decide which entries you want to submit. Make plans!  This summer is going to be so much fun!  

Summer Camps

All of us need a break.  I’m no stranger to summer camps.  I’ve hosted any number of science camps, both at my church and at schools where I taught.  Not all the campers were from the private school.  I’ved enrolled kiddos in camps.  First VBS is a week of camp.  Some churches offer summer camps.  Just look at St. James list of summer camps.  (This church is in WV.). The same is true of Sacred Heart’s summer camps in Winchester, VA.  BTW Summer Camps can be hard to join. In our area, outside Quantico, camp slots fill quickly in February.  Our favorite county camp is Multi-Sport, a different sport every day.  What if the county camps are full?  Check local private schools to see if they are hosting camps, such as this Art and Drama Camp. Sylvan Camps for openings.  We tried a Sylvan, STEM camp at the local fitness center one time.  The instructor used LEGO STEM kits.  Sadly, she just read the instructions to the kids.  Not the most fun. I’m sure some instructors are better at making STEM fun.   Some of the Catholic High Schools offer Sports Camps.  What about library, summer programs? Yes, mainly these are reading programs; check for special events.  Try Museums or Colleges, too.  Hey!  If these options are too expensive or unavailable, plan a cousin camp!  

Plan an outreach project!

 Project Based Learning or PBL is really a process.  Let me walk you through an outreach project, Apple-ka-dabra, a kindergarten, outreach program.  At the time, Musselman High School, where I taught, were the Applemen.  Everything was about apples—hence Apple-ka-dabra!  The outreach was a hands-on science program.  High School volunteers picked and prepped hands-on science experiments.  These teens hauled all of the materials to a neighboring school and spent the morning doing hands-on stations with the entire group of kindergarteners, and cleaned up after. We did this outreach for a friend’s private school once, too.  Later, the Co-op teens led an outreach to Head Start kiddos, who met in the Knights of Columbus building.  There are pix from Apple-ka-dabra at bottom.

1. Here is the list of activities, books, and materials we used.  We had a coloring station.  We just copied sciency coloring pages and had a basket of crayons on hand.  We usually had a reading station with sciency books.  

2. Planning involved selecting hands-on activities.  Our list has time-tested hits for kiddos aged 4-6. BTW color-changing nail polish is a huge hit.

3. Once you select your activities, determine how many kiddos will be in the group.  This is essential to budget.  Our groups had between 50-150 kiddos participating.  You need to determine the costs!

4. Prep before the event.  It takes time to prepare all of the solutions, sort, and box materials.  Be sure to filed-test every experiment.  Save loads and loads of bottles for Cartesian divers and Tornado bottles; one or two liter bottles work well.

5. Set up early.  Have plenty of tables to act as stations.  We set up a station outside near a hose for tornado tubes, which inevitably leak.  Save grocery bags for the kiddos to put their goodies they make.  We sought t-shirts from thrift stores and our homes for the kiddos to wear over their clothes and take home.  Have extra baggies available to take home instant snow, magic sand, slime, etc.  Everything goes in the grocery bags.  

6.  Enlist extra help for clean-up.  Plan to mop the floor and wipe down tables and chair.  Someone needs to box all of the materials, too.  

7. Meet with the entire group afterwards to debrief the event.  What could you do differently?  What was a hit or a miss?  Were there any snags which could be avoided?  Be sure to thank everyone!  Outreach projects are enormously rewarding.  The teens learn leadership skills.  You won’t believe how excited the kiddos get after a few hours of fun!