Day Eight: The Way We Roll

Diving into A Long Walk To Water from longitude and latitude lines, prime meridian and hemisphere talk, was a welcome switch of gears. Everyone snuggles in cozily when I sit back and begin reading about Nya's struggle to dig in mud to find water and Salva's narrow escape from a lion. My kids have to pay attention when the story alternates between 1985 and 2008, but they don't mind. Somehow, hearing about the lives of children close in age to them keeps them captivated.

 

A unit study that I had planned to take until February has sustained us up until today and will continue to become a life-long journey, I suspect. We understand many more cultures now and I believe this is what pleases Jesus: loving our neighbours. Dispelling the stereotypes was less of a challenge for my children because we know so many Africans and their stories. Everything about Africa fascinates us and I pray one day we will all plant our feet on the reddish soil or sandy dessert or grassy plains of that great continent.

Today we cracked open 10 Days In Africa, an amazing game that teaches skillful maneuvering around the continent, not to mention the country names and their placement. It was tricky to catch on at first, but once they got the hang of it, things ran a little more smoothly :) 

We'd already memorized Africa's countries by singing along to Geography Songs. We also mapped the countries, but remembering their placement was well practiced during the game.

Clementine always ends up walking across our game boards or even sitting right in the middle of them. Comic relief during a highly focused game :)

Flowing with flexibility on a topic we love and carrying it on beyond what was planned is a good thing, in my estimation. I lingered at the Canada/Africa table at the homeschool convention and caught the attention of Donna Ward, who was eager to share her favourites with me. As a result, I picked up a few extra items to add to our study. I'm thankful I did. Not always sticking with the program for every subject or study is the way we roll and it makes our learning richer. 

Day Eleven: Lapbooking and Notebooking--Great Learning Tools

I attended teacher's college but I did not learn about lapbooking or notebooking until I began homeschooling. Then, all of a sudden, many other strange and wonderful words became part of my vocabulary, such as, twaddle, living books narration, and being-there experiences. Oh, how I wish these methods had accompanied my own schooling when I was a child! Various forms of them did now and then, but this way of learning is changing our education in a effective, fun and positive way. 

 

Lapbooking is generally geared to younger students as it includes "foldables" that contain hand-written information about a particular subject. The flaps, accordion booklets, pockets, fans, mini-books and other "foldables" might be designed for short details or for longer descriptions. They can hold pre-printed pictures or spaces for the students' diagrams and drawings. These are then glued into a file folder that has been decorated and most often creased to expand like two windows, opening from the centre. Notebooking is simply pre-printed pages comprising of blocks and lines for drawing diagrams and writing notes on a subject. I love the visual appeal of notebooking and how my kids are proud of their work when they use notebooking pages. Here is a good description of what it actually is and how to utilize it with your children (click on the link). I like to slip the pages into plastic covers from the dollar store, and place them in a three-ring binder.

Notebooking is probably my favourite keepsake of their work.

Sometimes they draw diagrams and sometimes, we print photos of related field trips.

Here, photos of their pioneer day fit perfectly with the short essay she's writing about pioneer children.

Because it's a binder, we alternate lapbook style pieces, notebooking pages, full drawings, essay pages and whatever else will slip into a plastic page protector. It acts as a pocket to hold all the items that go with the study.

 

Here are a few good sites for lapbooking and notebooking:

 

Notebooking Nook

Notebooking Fairy

Notebooking Pages

Homeschool Share (for free Lapbooks)

 Homeschool In The Woods

History Pockets

                                      ... to name a few

 

Binders, file folders, project folders (from business supply stores), spiral bound pages are just some of the ways you can contain your children's essays, poems, artwork, history notes, science experiment notebooking, nature notebooking.  

Lapbooks for little ones 

  

 They love how things open and close, fold and turn.

notebooking with downloadable pictures 

with photos that represent the study 

drawings of the subject 

photos of the pioneer craft (because the real thing gets thrown out, or in this case, eaten!) 

write-up about a pioneer working-bee, plus a photo of our actual working-bee dress-up day 

Middles Ages lapbook 

Gold Rush lapbook 

project folder for Ancient Times...

using History Pockets this time (works best for youngest students as it's mainly pre-printed items)

 

Since many of our lapbooks and project notebooks are connected to our unit studies, I'll share where a large part of our inspiration comes from. Several years ago, my sister and I came across a website in which a woman and her sister and her friend designed curriculum around a theme. We were so taken with her style that we have implemented many of her ideas. Her website is called, Courageous Beings: Ignite Passionate Learning and Heroic Living. (watch the second video, especially--truly, it brings a tear to my eye over how glorious it makes homeschooling appear! Lol! Please, always read every site with discernment). You will get an idea of a couple of the adventures we created for our kids here and here (with my sister being the creative and fully-immersed momma).    

 

Finding the right curriculum can be a daunting and overwhelming task as there is an abundance of curricula out there for homeschoolers. Lapbooking and notebooking are ways in which we can incorporate a quick and complete study related to a child's interest when we're unsure of what  the next best curriculum is for our children. It's even great for those who use textbook style learning (or school-at-home). I'll bet you wouldn't guess that my theme-loving sister uses Abeka for several subjects! Although it works well for her family, they would not make it through the year without throwing in a unit study, or two, with some of these components above. Oftentimes, she will replace a chunk of chapters dealing with a biome or historical era with a self-designed, purchased or free  lapbook or notebook project. It makes things just a little more hands-on and fun for the textbook learner. I love how you can use them as your only method of educating or as a supplement. Since so many of these items are free online, it's also an inexpensive and appealing way to teach your children.

 

Tomorrow, I will share photos of our school room :) 

Geocachers

We dig, we hunt, we search up and down, inside and out, in forests and in parking lots. We're looking for treasure and it's the thrill of the hunt that leads us back again and again for more. Have you ever gone geocaching? (www.geocaching.com) Looking for something to do to get the wiggles out? You've never seen your kiddos (or yourself) become such a sleuth until you've broken into this world of hidden containers. When we find one, oh, the joy! Sometimes we can trade an item, sometimes, we simply sign our names to say we've found it! Join the fun!

Day Twenty-Four (of 31 Days)

He walked the dusty sod with twelve men, gathering crowds, healing the sick, embracing the people. He came from a small town but His message of His Father's great love spread around the world and became written down. Although this Word met opposition, to the point of mass burning and confiscation, lovers of the Word hid it in their homes and in their hearts to preserve it. It will never die. It will be completely fulfilled.

Our pastor has been digging deeply into Scripture with our congregation and we've trodden where the the seven churches have walked. To know that time and all it's qualities and trials is beautiful and eye-opening. However, I've loved imagining Jesus being born into our time. What would that have been like? He is the same yesterday, today and forever! He came at a specific place in history but He is eternal. God's plan is astounding.

Dig into New Testament history and watch it come alive for you. Feel what the early churches felt, hold their dreams of deliverance and hope with them as they sacrificed their freedom and even their lives to carry out their Lord's will in a difficult time. This week, draw close by studying the history and geography surrounding Jesus' mission while He was here on earth. It will come alive for you and get you excited for His return.