Lest we forget….9/11

 

You just agreed to lead a Co-op class for the first time ever. Now, what?

 Let me guess!  Your Co-op group has a gaping hole.  The mom who agreed to teach a course has bailed.  Arrgghh!  In a moment of insanity, you stepped up and agreed to teach.  Good for you!  Do you need a background in the subject to teach it?  Nope. It’s nice!  I had college literature, but was not an English major.  The first time I taught Brit Lit, the school had a hole in the schedule and I was available to teach. The most important aspect of teaching is willingness to both learn and teach.

Anytime you teach a class for the first time expect moments of sheer terror.  What if they ask me a question I don’t know?  They might!  Google it.  Right then, in class.  Repeat after me, ‘What a great question!  I have no idea.  Let’s see.’  Yes, you will have days when you feel as though you are drowning.  You aren’t.  Instead you are going to do another Google search.

Do your homework.  While I’ve taught Brit Lit a few times, I’m no expert.  I use a textbook!  The first time you teach any course, try to use a textbook!  Follow it verbatim!  Read the lesson.  The first lesson we do is Beowulf.  Why is it important?  See what critics say.  I researched a little about the Anglo Saxon period to put the lesson in context.  Why was Sutton Hoo significant?  Look at other teachers’ lessons.  Make decisions.  Do you want to listen to an excerpt?  Select a few activities.  I want to assign Beowulf’s Resume.  

 Try to determine a pacing guide.  For example, I use Master Books British Literature, which has 34 lessons, one lesson each week or 34 weeks.  There are also 31 additional books and readings.  This may take us two years.  We may not read all 31 additional pieces of literature.  In other words, we may not complete all of this.  Frankly, the teens in my class struggle enormously.  The course was pretty daunting when I had exceptionally strong students!  All of this is normal.  You, the teacher, will face choices.  How much of the textbook can you reasonably cover?  Try for two-thirds.  (This is the MODG  standard for any textbook, for any class, in order to receive credit.  I consider MODG as the gold standard.)

Take a big breath.  You are going to experience imposter syndrome.  Some lessons are going to bomb.  There will be moments you bang your head on the table or door.  All normal.  There are also going to be sparks of insight.  Quote an expert!  If I can’t quote Tolkien or C.S.Lewis who can I quote? You’ll come across an especially interesting idea.  One of your lessons will resonate with the class.  Yes, you can do this!  Teach your first class!  Warning!  Teaching is addictive!  You’ll want to continue!

What if your kiddo is exceptional?

 Yesterday, our Co-op resumed.  I’m teaching three classes; one is Chemistry and Physics, the Young Explorers course.  Before class began, John was discussing alpha particles and ionizing radiation with me.  He’s 12.  Charlie’s in the same class; he’s 15.  Charlie is going to fit well.  I emailed John’s mom.  I think he should take Chemistry instead.  You are home-schooling!  Let the class fit the child,

Montessori Finds!

 Did you know Good Will, Etsy, Poshmark, Mercari, Facebook and eBay have Montessori equipment?  Okay, some is more authentic than other. Look for the gold standard in Montessori equipment and materials: Nienhuis.  (Some of the Etsy listing look homemade.). I took screenshots.  Once again, I think the best values are on Goodwill.

It’s your class! Teach it the way you want!

 You’re home-schooling for a reason.  Families want the best for their children.  Teach your class the way you want.  For a couple years I taught French for the local Co-op.  Yes, we used a textbook.  But we also set aside time each month to cook.  We watched Magnolia’s workshop episode to learn how to make a French Omelet. We made Bûche de Noël.  We started class with French prayers and sang Joyeux Anniversaire. (We picked our favorite YouTube version and sang along.)  The class had content, dictations, quizzes; but we played bingo to learn the numbers.  (Of course there were candy prizes!).  The kiddos learned classic French songs. We read bits of Le Petit Nicolas.  Have you ever read Dr. Suess in French?  It’s a hoot!  Okay, then there was the part where I learned MODG required teens who took a foreign language to take a test.  (Catherine explained she had to test.)  The test was entirely grammar!   Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhh!  At the end of the year, we had a cram session.  Yes, I had taught some grammar—but not the entire class!  Back to my point.  It’s your class.  You can teach it the way you want.

Grab and Go!

You need ‘grab and go’ resources.  Why?  You need sub plans!  What happens when the toddler has an ear infection and just won’t stop screaming? What if you’re sick?  I guarantee the rest of your family will all be disgustingly healthy while you’re suffering.  If you don’t have the band-width for your regular schedule, have activities in a bin, ready for emergencies.  Hey!  Your kiddos will enjoy the change and you won’t have guilt to top off your morning spent in the half-bath.

1. Grab and Go Primary Food Project has an introductory unit with all the links.

2. Grab and Go Vocabulary Memory is a great generic standby.  Have your kiddo use their reading book and write terms from their book.  Pick three from each chapter.  Look up definitions!  Have the kiddo write them on the index card.  Quiz kiddo orally.  For example, if the child is reading Heidi, define hobnailed, frock, laborious, etc.  Yes, one word definitions are fine.

3. Look over this 4H Art and Math Project kit.  Kiddos should be able to scrounge up the supplies on their own.  There is a bit of origami, symmetry, and Tesselations. Here is the cube pattern and here  is the cat template. (BTW I am allergic to both origami and Tesselations.  However, your family might love them!)

4. These two Grab and Go lessons are slide decks with instructions to make a movie or make music with a garage band.  Use these Story Prompts to come up with a short film idea if your kiddos are stumped.  Do you have a pet?  Could the dog go on an adventure?  Think Lassie!  They may need to watch an episode on YouTube.  Try VeggieTales for ideas, too!  Yes, YouTube has episodes.  Recreate Bible stories.  Have your list of suggestions ready.

5.  Take a look at Mercy for Martha’s Free Literature Guides. Check out Heidi , too!  We used Kolbe’s Primary Literature with Paul.  These types of literature guides have questions and vocabulary terms.  Keep the guide with the novel in the bin.  Practice hand-writing by answering questions in complete sentences.  Bonus points for using cursive!

WSJ Editorial: Why Send a Child to Public School?

 You should read this editorial, ‘Why Send a Child to Public School?’  The article is only available for a few days.  Be sure to download and save it!

Want another tip?

Want another tip?  Yes, it’s also a bit heretical.  If I don’t know much on a subject, I start with the children’s version.  Sometimes I use the same resource to teach.  For example, I’m teaching Brit Lit.  The textbook begins with the Anglo-Saxons.  What I know about the Anglo-Saxons can fit in a tea cup.  So I refreshed my understanding with  BBC BiteSize.  Yes, it does lead me down several rabbit holes, which is part of the process; Sutton Hoo comes to mind.  My Brit Lit class will be able to put the Anglo-Saxons into context before we read Beowulf.

I do this all the time.  Let’s say you are struggling with the fundamentals of electricity.  Start with a children’s book.  I don’t mean the middle school textbook.  I mean the ones for early grades.  Try the graphic or comic versions.  (NSTA’s Stop Faking It! series has merit, too.)  The next time you are stumped, look at a resource on the topic for kiddos.  It really helps when I’m struggling!

UK Resources

 Rob and I just returned from a visit to see our son stationed at a RAF base in England and my brother, who lives in Wales.  Yes, I met home-schoolers!  Our son, Fr. Josh, is a priest chaplain for the Air Force.  There are one or two Catholic home-schoolers!  It got me thinking.  Are the educational resources different in the UK?  Read about the British Education System.  I’m still suffering PTSD from my extended quarantine during COVID. Rob and I were home-schooling Paul; his daddy has a host of medical issues, which made him high risk.  Paul’s daddy is also risk-adverse.  We were locked-down for over a year.   Anything different is good.  UK education is quite different!

1. Browse these Bloomsbury Teaching Resources.  They are eclectic: Big Bad Wolf, Fallout, The Enigma Game, The Austen Girls,  and The Story of Tutankhamen.  Bloomsbury is a noted publisher.  

2. The Science Museum Group has Learning; browse the Resources, such as Baby Weighing Scales,or the Image Bank.

3.  Yes, there are freebies: London Primary Teacher, UK Parliament Learning (Time Travel Bill Adventures), and BBC.

Want more?  Look at the National History Curriculum.  Start with the English Heritage Teaching Resources.  The Home Learning Help page is interesting.  Some tips are fine; others are odd.  How are you going to show understanding of any academic topic through expressive dance?  Review the Maths Curriculum.  Look over Numicon.  Put UK, England, Wales, Ireland, or Scotland in your search and see what comes up.

Hands-on Creation

 Have you heard of Hands-on Creation?  I saw their ad on Facebook and just had to share!  Their prices to loan materials are fair.  Take a look.  Contact them through their Facebook group.

British Literature and even more heresy!

Long, long ago…in a private school, I was assigned an English class—mainly British Literature.  Things went fairly well.  I decided I could teach Lit. From time to time I offer Brit Lit to our local Co-op.  The class is based on British Literature by Stobaugh.  Okay, it’s loosely based on Stobaugh’s textbook.  I taught this with Kolbe Academy’s syllabus, too, when I home-schooled Lacie.  I use any resource available: modern translations, outside lesson plans, and curricula: School House, Easy Peasy, and Lard Bucket.  Yes, even more heresy!  I use any number of websites for ideas.  I lard the lessons with background and history.  How can you understand Beowulf if you aren’t familiar with Anglo-Saxon history?  No, the class isn’t going to be writing essays.  This year, the class will have short assignments for each piece of literature.  

Why?  Every class, every student is different.  This fall, the two boys are not avid readers.  They struggled when we tried to read Huckleberry Finn in the vernacular.  Do you think we’re reading  Shakespeare in its original text?  Come on!  They had four books as summer reading: Hamlet, Tale of Two Cities, Robinson Crusoe, and Pride and Prejudice, all easy to read versions.  While we will write, most assignments will be short projects: timelines, concept maps, art, etc.  We’ll read more than do any literary criticism.  Sure, we’ll pick out themes, etc.  Although after three years with the boy, most of the time I give them the themes, have them write them down, and look for examples.  We aren’t tackling AP Literature.  I’m exposing the teens to Brit Lit.  Make the class fit your kiddo instead of making the kiddo fit the class.

Hungry for History!

Some  regions just have more history than others.  Winchester, VA is one of those spots.  Hungry for History begins this Friday.  We just returned from the UK, where every shire seems to be laden with history.  Be sure to explore yours!  Start with the Visitor’s Center.  Are there any battlefields?  Civil War Battlefields?       Do you have any Revolutionary War sites?  Do you have a museum?  (Winchester’s MSV and gardens are first rate!)  Does the area have an arboretum or botanical garden?  Is your area near the Appalachian Trail?  You may as well add some science and nature to your history trios and tours.  Do a deep dive and see just what your town has to offer!  Get started!

Are you set up for success this fall?

 While some home-school families teach year-round, many restart in September.  Our Co-op resumes right after Labor Day.  What can you do to set yourself up for success?

1.  Have you ordered all of your course materials?  If you are a member of an online school, such as BJU or Kolbe you should have your syllabi.  Have you shopped for the textbooks and solutions guides?  Do you have the contact information for the advisors?  

2.  Do you have enough supplies?  The back to school sales are over.  Walmart has some fabulous clearance items.  Buy lined paper, composition notebooks, binders, crayons, pencils, markers, etc—any consumable.  How do you plan to organize supplies?  I like giant yogurt cups and bins.  Just be sure your kiddos can assess and return supplies.  We use our pantry more for supplies than food.  Yes, this isn’t practical for a large family.  However, you might keep shelves in the dining room dedicated to supplies.

3.  How are you recording grades?  I use Google Classroom.  When I home-schooled Lacie and Paul, I kept a separate class for each subject.  Additionally, we kept work samples, tests, etc sorted in a slide deck to submit to Kolbe each quarter, for Paul, and each semester for Lacie.  Now, I am teaching Co-op classes.  All the kiddos are recorded into one Classroom.  How do you plan to maintain records?  I recommend posting work samples, graded tests, writing samples weekly.  You can always edit submissions.  Get your kiddo in the habit of taking and recording pix.  Make it a chore.  

4.  What is your schedule?  With Lacie we tackled every subject every day.  With Paul, things were different.  For example, he did a week’s work of Geography on Mondays.  We used Sadlier’s Vocabulary Workshop exercises twice a week.  Fridays, we did labs.  Paul did core classes, such as math, history, and science daily.  Paul’s fifth grade course from Kolbe had so many different books we attacked each one once or twice a week.  He did read after lunch every day.  Lacie bunkered in the basement and just did her work.

5. Are you planning to join a Co-op.  If so, you’ll need to adjust your weekly schedule.  Your kiddos may need to work all morning, four days a week, in order to attend Co-op, too, especially if Co-op is largely field trips and fun.  If Co-op is academic, you may not have long mornings the rest of the week.  Co-op might cover math or science.  

6.  Have you planned your daily schedule?  What time are you going to get started?  We liked to start right after breakfast and chores, at about 08:30.  We had a brief break mid-morning.  After lunch and a long walk, there was reading.  How are you going to maintain a schedule?  What about bed times?  Kiddos thrive with a little discipline.

7.  What about extras?  Will they join youth group?  Play soccer?  Run?  Shadow a veterinarian?  Join Civil Air Patrol?  Play an instrument?  Act in theatre?  Learn to debate? Take art classes?   Be sure to document extracurricular activities as electives.  Keep photos, dates, number of lessons, etc in a slide deck, as part of a digital portfolio.

Now is the time to set up your schedule, order supplies, and figure out a plan which works for your family!  Get on it!

A little more heresy!

Mainly I teach science classes for the local Co-op.  However, long, long ago I taught an English class at a private school.  It went fine. It’s one of those Co-op classes families like to delegate.  I teach a few literature or composition classes.  Now for a little heresy! When I teach a composition class, it’s not traditional.  Usually, these classes are all five paragraph essays.  Instead, I think a Comp class should be literal.  I view any form of writing as composition.  My teens write letters.  We wrote thank-you letters to the military police at the AFB in Columbus and Kadena, where my son was assigned. We sent a care package along with letters thanking them for their service.  

What else do we do? We met once a week and did enormous amount of writing.  The class wrote emails, lab reports, and stories.  I taught the kiddos how to write grants.  They created lessons for religious education.  Sure, we read books and wrote essays.  However, the essays often compared the book to the movie.  We did some grammar.  The kids edited with Editor in Chief exercises. (We spent a great deal of time editing all submissions—even letters.)  We made it a game to see who can find all of the errors.  The teens learned how to diagram sentences.  I use Picture Writing exercises and grab and go activities.  Essentially, Comp included any form of writing I could imagine. My teens wrote their own college  recommendation letters.  I explained that high-schoolers should ‘ghost’ these letters for teachers.  Teachers are busy.  Draft a recommendation letter the teacher can edit. BTW teachers seldom do.  I wrote many ‘ghost’ letters when I wrote grants.  

Do the same thing! Label anything related to writing as a separate subject, Composition. You might want to maintain a notebook marked ‘Composition’.  Read a newspaper article and review it.  Give it 0-5.  Write thank-you letters, use Picture Prompts, and create a resume. Would your family like to start a blog?  What about the Christmas letter?  Create posts.   Make the lab report for science part of Comp; it’s technical writing. Change a text message into a paragraph.  Read a book, watch the movie, and use a template to make the comparison.  Teens should have a  Warriner’s, a MLA handbook, and a thesaurus available.  Be sure, your children understand how to write a Five Paragraph Essay. Be sure to practice for a college application essay with writing prompts.  I just think any writing, editing, formatting, etc should be part of Comp. 

British Museum

 My husband and I are visiting family in England and Wales.  We ducked down to London for a few days and visited the British Museum.  Guess what?  They have a host of videos on their YouTube Channel for children and on this British Museum YouTube Channel.  The museum has virtual tours and Museum Activity Trails, or guides to use with the virtual tours.  The Natural History Museum in London has Learning Resources, Discover Natural History, Museum Stories, and News.  Victoria and Albert has a link, Young V&A, with resources.  You do have to sift!  As always so many resources are all doom and gloom, Climate Change, or some activist’s position. Booo!  Browse museums in London here for more ideas and resources.  Use the list for names of museums and then Google their website to evaluate their resources. 

How much time per day should you home-school? How is it possible when formal school runs for seven hours a day, five days a week?

 Are you a new home-schooler?  Often newbies try to replicate a seven-hour school day!  They are operating under the premise that a standard school day requires seven full hours of instruction.  In another life I taught professionally—mainly at the high school level.  Now I teach high school subjects for the local Co-op twice a week.  How much time do you need? Very young children might only work for an hour and a half. Younger children, 9-12, can complete their lessons in two to three hours, especially if they work five days a week.  Teens may need three or four hours.  Families often have a reading hour after lunch.  (Yes, listening to a fun audio book counts!)  Families feel they must somehow be short-changing their children.  After all instruction doesn’t take all day.

Not all the class time in public or private schools is well spent.  It’s better in private schools with small classes.  Usually, there are fewer disruptions.  In a public school, there are many, many sources of lost instructional time.  The first week, teachers seldom teach much.  

The first few days are spent with homeroom for hours to allow time for all of the kids to complete forms. Teachers were expected to show these students their lockers and complete a host of forms.  Hours.  The first day, all of the teachers literally took each class outside to show them where their line was for a fire drill.  Teachers show students where their lockers are. I can’t make this up.  

Another huge loss of instruction is the review period.  I can’t tell you how many teachers persist in weeks and weeks of review of previously taught material before they begin teaching their core subject.  For example, students have learned metrics and conversions repeatedly.  Still, chem teachers spend weeks in review.  

 Another time loss is home-room or the announcement period, which can cut short the first class of the day.  At the high school level, there is five minutes of passing time between classes.  Teachers must take attendance for each class—which must be recorded into the computer, along with grades.  Many teachers use ‘bell-ringers’ to allow time to post attendance.  

Every month there is at least one fire drill.  There can be more!  There can be tornado and shooter drills, too.  Every drill means twenty to thirty minutes lost.  Additionally, there are field trips, assemblies, and pep rallies.  If a team goes to a championship, the entire school might go outside to cheer them on to the bus.  There are special announcements during the day and final announcements at the end of the day.  Time is spent on periodic homeroom meetings or clubs.  Don’t ask about Fridays or holidays.  Movie madness reigns the week or so before any break.  

What happens when there is a substitute teacher?  The teacher might leave an assignment.  However, it is much more likely the instructor left a movie to watch—preferably from his or her discipline.  I taught at a school where the televisions had been donated.  Students watched a mandatory program daily at lunch time.  During the first week of school, the science department broadcast the same safety film to watch every year.

Did I mention testing?  I don’t mean tests teachers assign; there are federal tests and state tests.  If the state requires a standardized test in May, teachers in that subject need to complete their regular instruction by April in order to review the year’s material for the May test.  After the test?  There is little instruction. Teens play games, chat, and watch films.  Few teachers continue instruction after the exams.  

When I taught professionally, I did everything possible to combat the loss of instructional time.  It was still significant.  Whenever a teen is disruptive in class, there is time lost.  Be aware that not every class in any school setting is academic.  There are art, music, library, band, gym, cooking, computer, marketing,  and language classes.  Yes, you can confine formal instruction to the morning when you home-school and still give your child an excellent education—free from many common interruptions.

 High school students may need more time for math and science, especially labs. Teens tend to take courses remotely, which require more time.  Often Co-ops meet once a week, from 9 AM to 2 PM with classes.  Our math and science Co-op classes meet form 90 minutes twice a week and have reading, homework, and tests outside of class.  Literature and History classes meets once a week for 90 minutes with outside work.  Home-school teens seldom require seven hours every day to complete their work because there are many, many fewer disruptions. 

History of Science Unit Study!

The History of Science is one way to combine two seemingly disparate subjects.  They aren’t!  History frequently influences science and vice versa.  My Chem students create Atomic Theory Timelines to add a little scientific history to Chemistry.  Here is a project guide. But I do want to add more history of science and famous scientists next year, when I teach General Science.  Grades 6-8 seem like the perfect time for some old-school research and biographies.

 Apologia’s General Science Module 1 has an introduction to the history of science.  Here and here are samples of module 1.  Both samples have study guide questions.  Use them with this study guide sample, which has a timeline to complete.  Module 1 is already a good unit study—especially with the questions and timeline.

Online are children’s books: Children’s Stories of The Great Scientists, Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Scientists, Stories of Great Inventors,   Stories of Great Scientists, and Famous Scientists. The next stop is the library.  Good Reads Picture Books Biographies of Scientists is a good place to start.  Be selective: Audubon, Mendel, or da Vinci.  

How can you turn stories into a unit study?  You can summarize biographies of three or four scientists with this Famous Scientist Project Worksheet or this simple flap book.   Famous Scientist ‘Wanted’ Poster looks fun.  Go old school and write a report.  Who was the scientist? When did he live?   What were his contributions to science?  What are some interesting facts about the scientist?  You can select one period of time and create timelines.  Let’s go deeper in science and add a bit of history.

Join a Co-op!

 Do you have a Co-op locally?  They vary widely.  Some groups just to field trips together.  Others are dedicated to science labs.  Parents might band together, meet in a church’s religious ed classrooms, and offer a variety of classes for kiddos K-8.  Families pay for insurance or rent the space.  Moms usually do the instruction according to their background or interests.  Our Co-op offers classes to the Middle School and High School students.  Classes vary.  This fall we’re offering Young Explorers Chemistry and Physics and Apologetics to the Middle School.  The high school classes include British Literature, Chemistry, and Personal Finance.  (Brit Lit meets Wednesdays.)  Our Co-op determines classes based on student need.  The greatest need is in math and science; however, we’ve offered composition and literature classes regularly, based on need.

Why should you join a Co-op?  Moms can answer your questions, especially about their experiences with different programs.  You’ll be amazed at the variety of curricula families use.  Some enroll in online schools and others don’t.  Your family will form friendships.  Most of all, Co-op can keep you accountable.  Seeing a family with eleven children manage to arrive at Co-op on time is pretty motivating. (This family’s children finish all of their work on time, too!  Moreover, when they need help, mom packs lunches and drops them off.  Rob and I support them however we can.  The children elevate any class we teach.) Trust me, you’ll up your game when you see the quality of work other families produce. (Alternatively, you might join another, less demanding  Co-op.  I’ve been told I require a lot of work.)  

If you are going it alone, consider a Co-op—even just for field trips or visits to the playground.  Yes, families with Littles meet to play and chat.  You need encouragement.  You need resources.  You need support!  Join a Co-op!

Here’s a little heresy.

 I don’t mean theological heresy—but, educational heresy.  I mainly teach science classes to Co-op.  However, I don’t mind teaching literature or composition classes, too. For the past three years, the Composition and Lit classes have had teens with learning differences.  Here’s the heresy; we read abridged books.  I even assigned four abridged books as summer reading: Frankenstein, Romeo and Juliet, A Tale of Two Cities, and Pride and Prejudice. I use Longman simplified books and Illustrated Classics books.

I let one student with dyslexia use Grammarly to write papers. She had so much trouble spelling, Grammarly was a life saver.  Fine.  Usually, my students use Google Docs and we edit.  If a kiddo struggles with reading and writing, he or she watches the movie before reading the book to get the gist of the plot.  One of my favorite assignments is to compare a book and the film.  Does the Lion King capture Hamlet?  Does West Side Story retell Romeo and Juliet?  A few years ago, I had two young women in Brit Lit.  Anna’s favorite novel was Pride and Prejudice.  Angel couldn’t stomach the novel; she read the version with zombies.  (We all agreed that the film version with zombies didn’t resemble Pride and Prejudice at all.). 

BTW I love classics.  I do enjoy teaching a traditional, literature curriculum.  But, sometimes the teens have learning differences.  I want them exposed to literature, too, as part of their overall education.  Sometimes, the slang in Huckleberry Finn or Old English in Shakespeare deters kiddos from reading classics.  I don’t hesitate to pull out an abridged copy of the novel.  

Museum in a Box or Traveling Trunks

Does your museum have trunks or boxes your Co-op could borrow?   Look at the assortment available at the Las Vegas Museum.  Look for Traveling Trunks, too, such as these Revolutionary War or Civil War trunks.  Look at all of the histiry trunks at Prince William Historic Preservation or Gettysburg.  Be sure to look at the Gettysburg Curriculum Guide, too.  You can use the image and worksheet independently from the trunk.  For example, download Lincoln at Gettysburg along with the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address to use with the worksheet—another instant lesson!  See if your local museum has the trunk or museum in a box program.  You can pack in a ton of history in a few lessons.

Here is an overview to create your own museum in a box diorama—a mini museum.  Look at this article for ideas.  Mini Museums has templates.  How about a Mini Art Museum?  Your family is going to have so much fun!

NASA’s Museum in a Box

 NASA’s Museum in a Box lessons are for educators.  They combine activities and history.  Look at First Flyers.  The lesson begins with a list of materials for the Museum Box.  There is a bit of history and a series of activities—all related to flight.  Part of the lesson is scripted.  There is vocabulary, a series of images and templates, essentially an instant unit study.  Remember these lessons are from NASA and largely relate to aeronautics.  As instant lessons go these are fantastic!

Instant Unit Study!

 How do you create an instant unit study?  Start with a theme.  Pick up a pile of books at the library.  Do a huge number of related activities.  Plan a culminating project.  Document the process.  I like unit studies the whole family can do. The theme is Construction.  Why?  Your four-year old already has a complete collection of trucks.  The concrete blocks can serve a presents.  The topic is cement.  The youngest kiddo has his cement mixer truck ready.

 Here are 20 children’s books about construction.

IWhat about older kiddos?  One construction topic is cement.  Read The Case of the Flaking Floor, which is about cement.  Here, here, and here are fact sheets about cement.  

Are there activities? Try Flour Concrete and Composites (newspaper and ice).  NASA has this unit, Museum in a Box: Composites.  The pix and information is excellent.  But it’s based on a kit with carbon fibers, Nitinol, and density cubes.  Here are simple instructions for Nitinol or memory wire.  

Take pix!  What is your final project? Make Concrete Blocks or Engineered Concrete.  Make Stepping Stones as presents.  Think Engineering has Handcraft Cement Shape. Summarize your findings: slide deck, video, lapbook, or list.  Look at you creating your own unit study!

Egypt Camp

 In another life, my friend, Carla, the school’s librarian hosted a summer, Egypt Camp.  I had a young friend who couldn’t afford the camp.  I assisted and my young friend came free.  We did so many fun things all week! 

Start with a stack of books.  Many of the activities we did are included here; the activities are orange mummification, and learning about hieroglyphics.  We made paper plate Egyptian collars, copied hieroglyphics, created Jewelry, made and played Senet, and created canopic jars.  We even built sugar cube pyramids.  Here are more Craft ideas.  

Let’s organize a few resources.  This teacher’s guide has some history, social strata, day in the life, diet, etc. The guide has excellent images and can answer most questions which arise.  How can you organize the material into lessons?  

1.  Where is Egypt?  Locate Egypt in the globe.  Make a salt dough map.  

2.  Show kiddos this slide deck, which has a good introduction to Ancient Egypt.

3.  Use the National Geographic Egypt Collection (or any book about Egypt) to help shape your lessons.  Read a book.  Try an activity.  Read about the pyramids and build one with sugar cubes.  Read about Cleopatra and make jewelry.  The book on mummies pairs well with canopic jars and orange mummies.  

4.  Keep asking questions!  What do the hieroglyphics mean?  Learn about the Rosetta Stone and practice hieroglyphics.  What did children wear?  Make costumes and collars.  What did they eat?  Try this ancient recipe.  Make and play Senet.

5.  You may want to add more history and geography.  Here is Ancient Egypt Lapbook with more ideas.  Connect the project to the Bible.  Try more recipes. Learn about King Tut.  Watch the Prince of Egypt.  Keep reading fiction and nonfiction books about ancient Egyptians.  It’s your camp.  Have a blast!

Start with a Book!

 Are you familiar with Start with a Book?  The idea is to combine fiction and nonfiction books with lessons—something you probably do already.  The site has loads and loads of activity kits.  I love to add a book to any outreach program.  For example, I have an activity kit for this Handwashing Lesson.  Include Germs Make Me Sick.  Be sure to explain to Littles that the germs are fake so no one cries.  Ask me how I know.  One tip if you use Glo Germ lotion and the hand-washing lesson, check the nail beds; kiddos never wash their nail beds well.  What books can you combine with lessons?  I mean, you can do so much history with American Girl Doll books.  You might want to browse the library stacks for lesson inspirations.  Have a blast!

Simplify life with a theme for gifts!

 I like a theme!  Have you considered finding a theme for your gifts?  My kiddos receive books as presents.  None of us are adverse to a stack of books—even used books!  I keep a stack of paper, pop-up, flower cards.  They are perfect for someone in the hospital or a friend’s birthday.  It’s still a card; it doesn’t create  a sense of obligation—just a sweet message!  

My go-to high school graduation present is an electric kettle and as case of ramen noodles.  Really.  I pick up kettles whenever I can find them for less than $16.  I don’t want students to starve.  Teens think the gift is hysterical. 

Please stand by!

 Sorry!  June and July mean Science Camp, VBS, home-school portfolio reviews (ten) and two weeks of Faith Camp—kiddos who are behind in the sacraments.  While I have been inspired to adjust Faith Camp, I’m blanking on tips for home-school families.  I’ll post soon!  Please stand by!

Evan-Moor

  One resource I recommend all the time is Evan-Moor.  The workbooks are ideal for summer practice.  I like the Geography practice as enrichment in the elementary grades.  You can do an exercise each day or polish off a week’s worth of activities in under an hour.  Look at Grade 5 Geography, as an example.  Another suggestion is Summer Bridge activity books.  You can use these as supplement those days when you just need emergency lessons.  Consider used copies—many are like new.  These workbooks won’t replace a core curriculum; they do provide a good supplement.

Instant Lessons: Let’s write reports about inventions!

Let’s go old-school and reinstate reports.  Kiddos used to read an article and handwrite a report. Reports are a great safety net.  Read a book and write a report.  Done.  Reports are perfect assignments for the week of chaos when you had a trip to the ER, the washer broke down, and the dog was sick. 

 Pick any topic.  I teach science and am interested in inventions.  (Don’t you wish you had invented wheels on luggage?)   If you subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, look for Ben Cohen’s Science of Success articles.  (He wrote about white lines on the roads in the July 3rd issue.). Print a few articles to assign during family emergencies. 

Take BYJU’s Quiz, Ten Famous Inventions and Inventors Kids Must Know to get started with a list to research at the library or on Britannica.

ACS Chemical Landmarks: Crest, Scotch Tape (Booklet), Bakelite (Booklet), and  Test Strips (Booklet) are all examples.  Food Dehydration (Booklet) can lead to Snack Engineering.

Smithsonian has Invention Stories, such as epi-pens, George Forman’s grill, brewing coffee, and more about chips.  Invention at Play has a ton of short inventors’ stories, such as Ann Moore’s Snugli.

Lemelson-MIT has an Inventor Archive with Mary Anderson’s Windshield Wipers, Marconi’s telegraph, , and Mars M&Ms.

Dave Ramsey Financial Peace

 Have you considered Dave Ramsey’s Home School Personal Finance?  You may want to buy the 2012 version.  My friend, Christine, and my husband, Rob, teach a personal finance course and include Dave Ramsay’s program.  They are examining just the books and workbooks because the costs of the digital versions have risen sharply.  (BTW we use and reuse older textbooks all the time!)  Many, many families have their teens read one of Dave Ramsey’s books, attend a course (often held at a local church), or use a home study course.  Rob and Christine want the teens to use a workbook and take quizzes to hold them accountable for the material.  The used kits have DVD lessons.  Some teens prefer to watch and video and answer questions.  You do you!

Patriotic Art Projects!

 The 4th of July is right around the corner.  Let’s celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary in style!  Do an elective art project!  Add this fun, summer project to your digital portfolio.Make 4th of July Agamographs! Here and here are more.  4th of July Pointilism dovetails well with this Art of Patriotism unit.  10 Easy Crafts includes spin painting.  Finally, 30 Patriotic Crafts should give you enough ideas to finish your art unit.

Instant Lesson: Story Starters and Writing Prompts

 My young friend, Meg, used to get up at 6:30 to be able to finish all of her school work before her neighborhood friends even got on the bus to go to public school.  She enjoyed running out to the bus stop to announce she had finished!  Now what?  You need instant lessons occasionally for enrichment.  Some of my favorite instant lessons are for writing.  

Kiddos: Free Creative Writing Story Prompts are written for home-schoolers!  Here, here, and here are more story starters.  Print a list or two for your emergency files.  You could also have your kiddos print a list my hand to practice handwriting.

Teens: I keep a set of grab and go writing prompts for days I just blank.  I used several from San José State: Descriptive Writing, Pruning Your Prose, Snowball, etc.  (Nope.  I can’t find the source for the exercises unless they are buried in Homegrown Handouts.)  Teens need to write!  Practice with SAT Writing Prompts or these prompts.  

There are any number of reasons you need an extra activity or an instant lesson.  Let’s create a stack of files for fall!