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March 27 Benjamin FranklinThere are about as many ways to homeschool as there are ways to diet. If one were to use the google oracle to search 'homeschooling philosophies' one would be faced with this: "Results 1 - 10 of about 1,310,000" . Yowza...where does one start?!
There is a wide range of curriculum in the spectrum between classical homeschooling & unschooling. Each has it's own 'leader' or source of inspiration...Susan Wise Bauer & Jessie Wise wrote "The Well Trained Mind". John Holt is widely considered the founder of the 'unschooling' movement. Dr. Oliver DeMille wrote "A Thomas Jefferson Education". These are just 3 examples (which I personally have read and loved!) in a sea of many other approaches to the subject of teaching children. A nice comprehensive list of the variety of theories for learning/homeschooling can be found here.
So, what does this have to do with Benjamin Franklin? Back a year or so ago, when we were still using an online homeschool curriculum, one of the assignments was a reading on Benjamin Franklin. I am embarrased to admit that even though I was an American Studies major, I never delved more into his life beyond the whole kite/lightning experiment and his contributions to developing our new country. However, one thing led to another, and the kids and I fell in love with Ben. Head over heals, go to the library and check out every book they had on him, read about him every night, LOVE. We were neglecting our other 'studies' to make time to learn about this extraordinary life, to the point where I became a little anxious. "Let's read about Benjamin!" the kids would beg. "First, we have to get these worksheets done! Focus! Sit down! Learn!" I would tell them. They would sulk off, halfheartedly doing their work, until it was finished and they would come alive again. "Benjamin before bed!" they'd shout.
It didn't take long for Brooke to make a connection. "Hey Mom." she said one day. "Benjamin is a pretty good example, isn't he? I mean, he was smart, funny, and always thinking of stuff to do and experiments to try, right? He did a LOT of good things." Walking blindly into her trap, I enthused, "Yeah, he really is amazing, isn't he?!" "Mom, I really want to be like that." she explained. "I mean JUST like him. Because he did all of that without going to school. He taught himself the things he wanted to know. He talked to different people, and read lots of books, and looked around at life. I think I have a lot in common with him! I think of things all the time, and I always find things to do, and I want to learn the things that interest me, not the things you want to teach me." Finally, her evil plan was made clear. And she was making such a good arguement, darn it. She was happy to be out of school, but would be even happier (& productive!) one more step away from a curriculum.
To make a long story a little bit shorter, that was the start of our disconnection with a formal curriculum. It's amazing the power that one man, who lived 300 years ago!, can have with the present. He's our 'mascot', if you will, and inspiration. DeMille has the Thomas Jefferson Education....we have a Benjamin Franklin Education going on.
Imagine our excitement when we noticed that the DMNS was sponsoring a temporary exhibit in honor of the 300th anniversary of his birth! You cannot possibly imagine the nerdy glow of happiness that enveloped me to see Brooke and Carter so excited and bouncing around the displays in the exhibit going, "Oh my gosh! Is that his actual signature?!" "Look at this! An almanac!" "Check out what he wore to visit France!" "Look at his glasses!". The icing on the cake was the whoopie cushions they sold in the gift store (did you know he signed an essay on passing gass: "Fart Hing"? Love, I tell you, nothing but love for this man.).
March 17 Science ClassesBrooke signed up for a class a few weeks ago, for a dissection class similar to this one. She's never been squeamish, so off she went to spend the day dissecting things like a cow's eye, a sheep's brain, a frog, and a heart of some animal. She was OK with the brain & heart, but the dead frog saddened her, and the cow's eye freaked her out. Who knew it would be the size of a fist?!?
March 15 "Time to Tee Off!"Introducing the world premiere of Brooke's first claymation movie, "Time to Tee Off", staring her original cast, The Y's.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!
March 14 Happy Pi Day!Yessiree, today is indeed a day celebrated by math wizzes everywhere as Pi Day. Not a real math wiz myself, I wondered why today of all days, until I read that the date--3/14, mimics pi--3.14. Ha!
And so, to honor this day, I will relate a recent experience that Brooke and I had with Pi.
We noticed that there were well formed fox tracks in our backyard, and were attempting to make plaster casts of them.
What we knew: The tracks measured 2 inches across, so we would need a circle that would be 3 inches across.
What we needed to know: How long to cut our rectangle cardstock, so that it would measure 3 inches across when bent into a circle.
Thankfully, we had just read Sir Cumference and so we could identify what the radius was, and that we needed the circumference, but kept saying to ourselves, "How do we measure the circumference? How is it done?" and then (in case saying it slower would help) "hooooow. dooooo. weeeee. getttttt. circumfereeeeence?" I got that panicky feeling I remembered so well from high school geometry class. The only math class, by the way, that I ever got an 'A' in. But somehow I couldn't remember ever using the formulas to determine the correct shape for a plaster cast circle.
By the way, if you already know the answer, please google 'great math minds' and read those blogs. This place is strictly for people like me who attempt to recieve answers to math problems through the mysterious ether, or through divine intervention, or through quiet meditation.
The math gods heard Brooke and my frustrated exclamations: "This would be so much easier if we could find circumference with only diameter!" and a stored away and long forgotten memory floated to my conscience. "Brooke, I think there is a way!" Excitedly, we both ran to the computer to ask the google oracle about 'circumference and Pi', and it did not dissapoint. Eureka! C=d*pi !!!!
Thanks to Pi, we were able to construct our circles, make our plaster casts, and sleep well that night. We also developed a certain appreciation for the need for Pi.
And so, we celebrate this day with the math geeks of the world. Cheers to Pi!
March 09 Directionally challengedThat's how I would describe myself. Both for following or giving directions, also, for finding my way different places. You know, like from the inside of the mall to my car. I get lost 1) getting from a store to the right part of the mall, 2) finding the right doorway out, & 3) finding my car once I get to the proper exit. Thank goodness for car alarms that go off if you hold down the lock button. It helps me narrow down where to start searching for my ride home. Frequently, once I've found the right car, I still manage to get it wrong. I look for a white minivan, I see a white minivan, I go to a white minivan. Then I notice, when I can't open the door, that it's not the right kind of white minivan. More searching, unless the kids happen to be with me and can point me in the right direction. I also still cannot give people directions to my house from the highway. It's not difficult, I've lived here almost 3 years now, but I have to keep written notes nearby..."if coming from North...", "if coming from South...". Usually I can't find them when I really need them, so panic ensues. Thank goodness for mapquest and a quick internet connection.
In any case, my kids seem to have not gotten this curse from me. They are little compasses, like their dad. And as if to rub it in, Carter also likes to carry a compass around his neck and randomly announce "We are now facing North!". In an effort to get some practice with directional activities, and to foster my kids inate ability, we are looking forward to trying some orienteering this spring. I'd thought that we could get out and practice a little this winter, but it's been so cold and snowy (you know, blizzards will do that). So, we set up a mini-course in our playroom. Duct tape squares spaced out every 2 feet, 4 square rows total, each square of duct tape with its own number. Facing due North (yay! I did it!). The kids start out on a number with a compass and a set of directions from me...'4 feet North. 2 feet East. 6 feet South...what number are you on?' It's been a fun game, and now we take turns charting courses for each other.
In order not to suck the fun out of it, I won't mention the mental math & computation this activity takes. Nor will I talk about how some people call it "running while playing chess..." or "the thinking sport". So far it's just been a fun thing for the kids and me to do while waiting for spring, and it will be even more fun when we can all get out as a family and run the course!
(side note...if you look carefully at one of the pictures, you can see proof that I really used to be a serious homeschooler. Charts on the walls! Multiplication tables! Calendars! Slowly they are being removed to make way for the kids homemade pirate treasure maps and pieces of work. I'm hoping I can sell the old teaching charts on ebay or something.)
Brainquest 'Around the World' GameI like any company with the tagline, "Because it's OK to be smart". So we have quite a few of the fandecks from Brainquest. They are portable, quick, easy, and can be used with a group of people or by one person. We use them in a lot of ways--a quick game in the car or at a restaurant, a bunch of levels for our own 'Jeopardy' type game, or Brooke & Carter's favorite 'Tickle' game where each wrong answer gets you tickled.
We branched out and got this 'Around the World' board game from Brainquest. What I like about it is it has 4 levels that can be played simultaneously so kids from 6-12 can each play the same game. Carter LOVES it, and has declared himself 'Game Reader' so he is the only one that can read the questions on the cards aloud to people. This is quite something, considering that Carter is a rather reluctant 'out loud' reader. Brooke doesn't find it very interesting--if it were an "Animals Around the World" game she would be into it as well. But geography doesn't quite do it for her. She rarely plays a game, but will sit around and give us more trivia facts about the question/answer.
We play this with an inflatable world globe that gets a lot of use in this house. It's the same globe that we tracked Captain Nemo's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" voyage on (the big black bullseye is where he found Atlantis), the same one we tracked Captain Ahab's "Moby Dick" journey, and the one we use as reference for any kind of 'where in the world' question that comes up. You will see in the pictures how marked up it is...like the Velveteen Rabbit, its worn exterior only shows how loved it is.
March 08 Big Blue MarbleWhenever we visit the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, we stop off at the Space Odyssey first thing. It's on the first floor, right before the elevator, and you get to walk through this cool hallway with flashing lights and eerie 'space sounds'.
It's interesting to see how different kids will approach walking into a room full of experiments and activites. Brooke is all over the place..bouncing back and forth between interesting exhibits. Carter is a bit more methodical, and walks in a general counter-clockwise motion, stopping at what he is interested in but making sure to see everything.
Now that we are familiar with the museum, the kids have definite things they like to see every time. One of them is a big model of Earth that is tucked away behind the Planetarium entrance. It's quite hidden from the rest of the Space Odyssey exhibits, but worth the look for it. It's huge...over 6 feet tall...and shows a nice detailed image of the Earth...every nook and cranny, every hill and vale. Even the trenches and seams under the ocean, which Carter likes to point out. It is set on a rotation speed of once every 3 minutes, which gives you just enough time to spot things that are interesting but not enough time to study them in detail...leaving you on the tips of your toes waiting for the next rotation. Unless you are like my kids who shadow the turn until they run into the wall 3/4 of the way around, and then zip 280 degrees back (or whatever 3/4 of 360 is...you know me and math) so you can catch it on the flip side. And then, don't forget to lay on the floor so you can glimpse Antarctica.
It's a pretty amazing thing for kids, whose reality revolves around themselves, to feel a bit of the scale of space. Something bigger than anything they know, bigger than anything they can imagine...bigger than the idea of 'me'. It's scary and exhilirating all at once. Brooke and Carter like to sit still, underneath the big Earth, close their eyes, and try to feel the rotation underneath them. They imagine themselves hurtling through space, round and round, until they fall over from the vertigo of the thought. Giggling and tumbling, time stops for a while underneath the big blue marble.
March 07 Roll Over, Beethoven!Do you often forget where you placed your keys, yet recal the words to your favorite song in 7th grade? Do you struggle to remember lists and important information, yet can sing the entire "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel? The best thing my 4th grade teacher did for me was introduce the 50 States by teaching the class a song, "50 Nifty United States". I would have been sunk by the end of the year if it weren't for that jingle...I still wow! and amaze! all my friends by recalling, verbatim, all 50 states in alphabetical order.
In College I was introduced to Humanities, which I loved. History with pictures and sounds! I was hooked.
I'd noticed this same tendency with Brooke...her rote memorization skills are on vacation somewhere in the Rainforest, but her recall for song lyrics is spot on. At the same time, music really moves her, and as I've mentioned before--2E kids who can make a connection with something are less likely to forget it or blow it off. I remember a few years ago, she and I were listening to one of my favorite classical songs. The melody suddenly changed tempo & octaves, and she giggled. I asked her what was so funny, and she told me "it's like the music just told me a joke!" This sensitivity and connection to music can be such a great companion to learning! Because of this, I'd been looking for a 'music appreciation' CD to introduce my kids to classical music in a fun, exciting way.
Enter the "Beethoven's Wigs" collection of songs. Each CD has a compilation of composers & songs set to really funny lyrics. Most of the words include the composer's name, facts, or something to do with the era/subject of the song. They're up to 3 CD's now, and we love every one of them. The kids now know about and recognize great pieces of classical music and the composers, and I didn't have to 'make them' learn it at all. It's all from listening to it when we run errands in the car! If you click on the link, you can hear some song snippets on their website. March 05 Reaping what we sew.Brooke comes from a long line of people who sew. Each of her grandma's on both sides of the family sew, as well as their mom's, and probably their mom's moms. This unbroken chain is shattered when it reaches me. The most I can recall sewing is a plush computer 'pillow' in 7th grade. Literally, a pillow in the shape of a computer...the bottom half was a keyboard, the top half was the monitor. I think I stitched an alien invader game into the screen.
Brooke has compensated for my inability to teach her anything about the use of a sewing machine by creating entire wardrobes for her stuffed animals by using fleece, scissors, and tape. I thought I would try to expand her horizons by enrolling her in a sewing class.
First up...a square blanket. Before class, we (Brooke, Carter & I) stopped off at the local 'Hobby Lobby' to get some fabric. Brooke paired a lovely leopard pattern with a dramatic horse print. Carter surprised me by coming up to me holding a bolt of red fleece and a bolt of flaming tiger striped print. He wasn't about to stand by while Brooke made a nice, soft blanket!
All the way to the class (which I hadn't signed him up for) and then back to home (where I told them I would sweep the cobwebs off my sisters sewing machine so we could use it) Carter would say, "I can't wait to get sewing!" Proving the point that real men DO sew.
That day was very productive. Blankets, pillows, baby blankets, doll blankets, more pillows, and new fancy doll wardrobes were created. Brooke and Carter LOVE their soft, fleece blankets and sleep with them every night. I don't know if Carter will sew again...he liked making the machine go really fast by pressing on the pedal, but doing the stitchwork just wasn't his bag.
I won't talk about how mathmatical sewing is, or how great it is for things like fine motor skills, perceptual concepts, and eye hand coordination. That would take all the fun out of it, really. What we did talk about was how much fun we were having, how girls throughout history must have felt while sewing, and then we sang to Kelly Clarkson and munched on some snacks. Carter, by that time, had gone to practice his golf swing, but he came back just in time for me to finish up his blanket.
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