Robinson Crusoe

 Update: Here is a document with today’s assignments for Robinson Crusoe.  

The kids are going to make a map of their own islands, including a giant map of Minecraft islands.

The Brit Lit class read Robinson Crusoe over the summer.  I’m assembling the lessons.  The first lesson is Who is the Real Robinson Crusoe?  Scholars propose four possible inspirations for Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.  We are going to examine key themes from a Catholic Christian perspective: Divine Providence, Faith in God, Crusoe’s Christianity and maturation in faith.  

The British Library has the story about Alexander Selkirk, a castaway, published in 1709.  Here is a map of Crusoe’s journeys and island from the Library of Congress.  The Core Knowledge Foundation has a study guide with detailed questions.  This packet from Macmillan Readers may be useful for kids who struggle with reading.  I especially like lesson which compares Robinson Crusoe and the Swiss Family Robinson.  This lesson is designed for ages 11-13.  The ideas are great for kids with learning differences.  Hope this helps!

Instagram Book Reports

 I was browsing social media and came across an idea called Instgerms, using an Instagram template.  The same idea can be applied to a book report.  Here is a TPT worksheet with instructions.  Here are free instructions.  Here is a template.  Doesn’t it sound like fun?  I took five minutes and created an example with Jamboard.

Play Dough Fractions!

I ran across another idea on social media: Play Dough Fractions. Let your kids make play dough.  I use tempera paint instead of food coloring because it’s cheaper.  See if making the play dough helps them own the fractions.  You can add a bit of tech, too. Have your kids take photos and label the fractions in a slideshow.  Google Slides are free.

Olympics Actvities!

 In horoscope of the Olympics, here are some elementary and middle school ideas.  Take a look!