I just finished a summer marathon: VBS, Science Camp, and two weeks of Faith Camp. Now I’m trying to rough in lessons for the anatomy class this fall. Do you know what is important when planning lessons, whether it is for a camp or class? One key aspect is to determine the order of topics, labs, or activities. We played suitcase relay the last day of Faith Camp—not the first! We smashed open geodes outside the last day of Science Camp—not the first day my husband suggested. Why? When you do something that fun, you have to top it. Instead, build a crescendo. The same goes for class. Many families teach math first thing in the morning. One, the kiddos are fresh; two, math is hard. After you get math out of the way, the other subjects aren’t as daunting.
Rule one is to do the worst first. I start class with a review or introduction, usually for about ten minutes. After we launch into activities, the labs or projects are tiered from least fun to most fun. We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m more likely to schedule lab on Thursday to get kids to finish work on Tuesday before starting lab.
Rule two is to combine tedious assignments. For example, viewing and sketching slides is dull. We stack a few sections together and get it out of the way. Let your kiddo do a week’s worth of geography on Monday. Make Tuesday spelling and vocabulary day.
Rule Three is to inject a fun or novel event as a motivator. At VBS we paint with tape on Friday. I used tiny peg dolls mini kits as motivation for Faith Camp. (We bring sharpies and hot glue guns to elevate Camp. They paint and Modge-Podge, too.) Let the kiddos know that Friday they’re making ice-cream in a bag or in our case, edible aquifers. Do I use candy labs? Absolutely! Cutting up gummy bears to learn anatomical positions and directions gives kids a little lift. Remember to do the fun lab, craft, or activity last!
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