Young Explorers - Block 1 is Almost Done!

Here we are in our last week of the pilot community homeschool block - Woohoo!!  I'd say it was a huge success; I've asked for feedback from my guinea pigs and will be making some very positive changes going forward based on the comments received.

All the feedback relates to logistics, and not to content, which I'm very pleased about. I know the content is good and worthy - that is why I created the group - to fill our buckets with good things. However, seems like people would prefer one morning a week, so we will switch to that. For now. I think a community homeschool program would be awesome for newbies wanting to get their feet wet with this style of homeschooling - and then implement the ideas after seeing it in action. I can see a program like this thriving if I were to cast a wider net and make it more "formal." I think the target market for this would be slightly different then.

But most of my  homeschooling families are NOT newbies. They know what they are doing and are primarily looking for good enrichment in a small, safe environment that recognizes the "sacredness of the child" and the "difference between schooling and true education." These families are excited to be homeschooling and probably don't want to give up two full mornings a week on a sustained basis.

Therefore, we will be forging ahead with the same type of content - rooted in socratic discussion of works focusing on good versus bad, right versus wrong, true versus false; complemented with picture study/composer study, living math, living science, and art.  It will be spread out over a longer "block," which I'll finalize after a look at the calendar. We definitely will wrap things up by the end of November as Advent begins. Advent is the time for us to refocus our lives and our learning :).

OK, and now for a recap of today.

1. 7 Habits - the 7th Habit - "Sharpen the Saw" or "Balance Your Life."
This story sees Sophie get into a little bit of trouble because ALL she does is read read read but in the process ignores other important areas of her life - such as physical exercise, time with friends, time to nourish her soul. This of course, is a habit that most adults probably neglect. We talked about how not taking time to nourish all the areas of our life (body, mind, heart, soul), can lead to imbalance. Someone suffers as a result. This was a great story - and it marked the end of the book! Many of the kids said they have purchased this book because they loved it so much. This is a great book to review every year :).

2. Picture Study - Van Gogh's Vase With 12 Sunflowers

3. Composer - Beethoven's 5th Symphony
We broke away from the piano Sonatas to listen to an entire orchestra.  This is one of Beethoven's most famous symphonies. I mentioned to the kids there is a fun little CD that puts silly words to classic masterpieces - called Beethoven's Wig: Sing-Along Symphonies.  I remember getting this at the library for my older kids way back when, and they loved it. Check it out!!

4. Poetry

Continuing with the nonsensical poetry, we read the full version of Old Mother Hubbard, and then Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky.  We read it a couple of times, to try and imagine what all those nonsense words might mean.  Great, fun piece of poetry!

5. Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Socratic Discussion

Oh, the plot thickens.  Bonnie and Sylvia have found a secret passage in the house and have discovered Miss Slighcarp is burning the Willoughby's will.  We talked about what a will is, and what it might mean for Miss Slighcarp to burn the original and replace it with a forgery. Leaving everything to her.  Families, we won't finish this book by tomorrow ... but I know of a few copies floating around to borrow.

6. Group Art Project

As this is the 4th week of the block, we put aside Living Math and Science to do art. The group art project is to illustrate what can be done when we work as a group to produce a single piece of work. Each child was given a square of beautiful art paper (watercolor quality). Using a sharpie, I traced two different-sized circles on each square. The children were given oil pastels and instructed to color in their square completely.  We then cut the finished squares into 4 smaller squares.  You'll have to see what we do with them tomorrow :).

This one was already cut into 4 squares, the child pieced it back together for a picture.

Stay tuned. More to follow tomorrow!

ps Thanks for the brownies!!

Young Explorers - Block 1, Days 5 & 6

So I had every intention of getting a recap of both days of Young Explorers, but gosh, the days have just gotten away from me! So this is more of a "week in review," which is what I'll probably switch to from now on.

1. Icebreakers
... were very casual for us - no standing in front of the group - we just shared interesting things. There were lots of visitors at your houses this weekend; lots of nanas and papas and grandmas and grandpas ... the kids enjoyed telling all about it.

2. Habit #5 from the 7 Habits of Happy Kids - "Seek first to understand, then to be understood.  Listen first, then talk."
Jumper Rabbit asked Goob to play, but Goob was not in the mood; he had lost his butterfly net. So, Jumper moved on to Tagalong Allie's house. Allie was very upset and kept saying some phrase which Jumper couldn't decipher.  Lily listened hard to Allie, not just with her ears, but with her heart and eyes, and figured out that Allie's sweater was on backwards.  This inspired Jumper to return to Goob, and really listen to why he was sad; they found the butterfly net together and all learned an important skill - a way of really listening.

3. Habit #6 - "Synergize!" In other words, use your strengths and talents to work as a team. Together you are better.
This was a cute story involving most of the Oak Street Gang.  They were playing soccer when the Big Bad Badgers came along and challenged them to a soccer game. The story describes each of the Oak Street character's strengths and how they made a big comeback to win the game by working more cohesively as a team. We had a good discussion about teamwork, which led to discussions about sports teams and being a poor loser or a good loser ... the kids had lots of interesting perspectives here. I was very touched by their general attitude of compassion towards the pouting poor sports. One sweet sixer said:
    "If someone is being a sore loser, and pouting, you should go and talk to him and make him feel better. You should tell him, "Its okay."
Then, a sevener said:
    "Everybody is going to make mistakes sometimes."

Next week we will read the last story from the Habits book. The kids are all hoping the main character is Tagalong Allie (but it is not).  I have to say, the kids have really taken to this book - maybe its the animal characters that everyone can relate to, not sure, but I highly highly recommend checking this one out of the library.

3. Socratic Discussion with Dramatic Classics for Children - The Fox and the Crow
In this fable, the Fox outsmarts Madame and Miss Crow, and gains himself a piece of cheese. Miss Crow is holding the cheese in her mouth, and Fox flatters the crows with compliments. But ... what a pity Miss Crow is unable to speak, bemoans Mr. Fox.  That's not true, replies Madame, and tells her daughter to "Caw like she has never cawed before."  To prove she can indeed speak. And out falls the cheese.

Like all fables, this one was excellent material for socratic discussion. Who is responsible for the crow losing the cheese? So the fox is sly ... but wasn't Madame Crow full of pride? Did Miss Crow also suffer from pride, or was she just super-obedient to her mother? We talked about the saying "Pride goes before the fall."

Then we acted out the play, several times so that anyone who wanted to could have a turn to play a role. The great thing about this play is that Miss Crow doesn't have any lines except to caw. This was a perfect role for our young-non-reading girls. And eventually, we were one big group acting out the play because we made it into a family of crows (Madame and her many daughters), outfoxed by several Mr.Foxes acting at once.  The kids seemed to really enjoy this activity; we kept it casual (just sat around the couch and read/acted) and also we laughed alot!

4. Picture Study
We starting to compare different artists' sunflowers; this week we looked at Monet's Sunflowers.

5. Composer
We listened to Freddy Kempf's version of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata. We heard the 1st Mmvt. on Monday and the 2nd on Tuesday. I think we are all in love with the playing style of the Kempffs!  Next week, perhaps we'll listen to some symphonies as a little change from the piano sonatas.  They're just all so good.

6. Living Math - Citiblocks and Estimating
Have you ever heard of Citiblocs or Keva Blocks?

Well they are absolutely hands-down positively one of our family's favorite go-to toys that spans ALL ages! I first heard about them on the Living Math website, and happened across a couple of boxes on clearance for a steal. I don't think many people know what a goldmine they are and maybe they aren't big sellers? We have built up our collection over the past few years.  There are educational lesson plans online, citibloc galleries, and just so many possibilities.

After the kids got warmed up with building using the blocks, we used the educational lesson plan on estimating. Teams were given a basket with a specific number of blocks and asked to build either on edge, on end, or flat; they could build whatever they wanted using this guideline. Then, we estimated how many blocks were used. 

These boys were attempting the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

So proud!

Babes and toddlers love citiblocs too. This is an older pic of Maria and Kate.

7. Living Science

We are progressing through experiments about force; and today talked about gravity. We performed the classic experiment of seeing which objects touches the ground first - the heavier one (golf ball), or the lighter object (ping-pong ball).  Everyone got to try this out firsthand, after making our predictions. Some of the older kids were already familiar with the concept (good job you homeschooling moms!). However, we put a bit of a twist on the experiment when the kids were asked if the same result would happen if you throw one ball (completely horizontally and not "up") and drop the other straight down at the same time. Which will hit the ground first?

Same principle applies, my friend! Even a bullet shot directly horizontal will land at the same time as a bullet dropped straight down.  Is that cool or what. The only glitch is if you drop a feather and a hammer - the feather will not hit the ground first due to air resistance.  However, if you are on the moon, both will hit the ground at the same time - you can check out a You Tube video of an astronaut performing this experiment on the moon.

Gravity is such a neat force.  Its the only force that pulls exclusively, versus push and pull.  It accelerates every object equally (but it pulls harder on the heavier objects).  

So ... after these experiments ... the kids asked if they could have a little more time with citiblocs as they had enjoyed them so much during the living math component.

8. Poetry. POETRY!!  Was so fun this week!

We read limericks! Good clean ones!! Then we did some group composition of limericks so they could get the feel of it.  Here is a taste of what I recall we composed:

There once was a superhero from France,

Who had a really big lance,

He ran into a rock,

And got a really big chicken poc,

... and they finished this limerick with something about pooping his pants.

There were several others we composed, so have fun making up limericks with your children :)

9. Wolves of Willoughby Chase

Its getting good ... Bonnie's parents have left and Miss Slighcarp has turned even more evil - wearing Bonnie's mother's best dresses, firing the servants, selling the horses, boxing up and selling the toys, and locking Bonnie in the closet for protesting the wearing of her mother's dress.  We also met Simon, the boy who dresses in animal skins, lives in a cave in the nearby woods, raises geese and lives on chestnut-flour cakes.  Simon saves Bonnie and Sylvia from wolves. We also find out Mr. Grimshaw is in on the shenanigans ...

I'm sad to say I don't know if we will finish this book by the end of next week ... so you may have to put in a hold at the library ...

And that's a wrap!!!

Young Explorers - Block 1 Day 4

Sorry this post is up a little late, but I had to run out and buy a zipper and peruse some fabric ... there are always urgent sewing projects on the go at my house you know!

We are officially halfway through Block 1 - the "pilot" block of community homeschool! Here's what we did today.

1. Icebreaker
Today's icebreaker was a blast! First off, I was very excited about showing our new artwork for picture study, so I asked if anyone was thirsty ... if anyone needed to "drink" something ... with their "eyes." We talked about how we can enjoy a feast for our eyes, and artwork falls into that category. The icebreaker then, before viewing the art (had to leave them in suspense), was to stand up in front and tell the group what they like to feast their eyes on.  Oh, they were so sweet.

"I like to feast my eyes on nature."
"I like to feast my eyes on Jesus." (at least two kids)
"I like to feast my eyes on food."
"I like to feast my eyes on fall colors." (there were lots of these)

2. 7 Habits of Happy Kids - Habit #4 - Always Try for a Win-Win Situation
This was an interesting story of Lily Skunk who wanted a garden, but her mom was reluctant as she imagined she would end up doing all the work in the end.  Poor little Lily.  She could have pouted (Lose-Win), she could have defied her mom and planted a garden anyway (Win-Lose), but instead she wrote a letter to her mom outlining exactly how she would be responsible for the work of the garden. Her mom agreed (Win-Win).  We discussed different situations and how we always have a choice in how we react.  We should try to make choices where everyone can benefit if possible - like if you're fighting over a toy with your sibling, try to find a solution where you and your sibling can "win."

3. Picture Study
Ah, more Van Gogh, and can you really get enough?  I showed the kids a large, framed print of "Sidewalk Cafe at Night," and we all studied it for awhile then the kids were invited to try a narration. I think because I was so hyped up about showing them this art, THEY were also really hyped up about viewing it. We counted the number of people, the number of tables, and wondered what the people in the cafe were eating :).  Later in the day, Alexa was inspired to pull out the Van Gogh coloring book, and as we speak she is describing Van Gogh's Starry Night to her dad.

And this is the real cafe! Its now called Cafe Van Gogh:

I should mention that right now, we are focusing on just viewing and enjoying the art - we don't delve too much into analyzing paint strokes and such. But as they see more of the same artist, they are able to intuitively recognize the style of an artist. I think that is the magic of exploring art in this way - we don't reduce it to technical aspects. Van Gogh never did.

4. Poem
The poem today was a short one, a famous one, by Christina Rosetti: Who Has Seen the Wind?  I challenged the kids to memorize this selection, if they like, and recite it to the group next week.

Who has seen the wind? 
Neither I nor you.
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I.
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

5. Living Science: Forces and Bridges

We are still exploring physics and force - this time we talked about forces of nature (wind, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc) and how engineers have to consider these forces when designing buildings and bridges.  We made our own buildings and bridges today, after a little demonstration.  First, we propped up an index card on top of two blocks and put some "clay" people on top - watched them fall. Not a strong bridge. But when we turn that index card into an arch and place between two blocks, it holds more clay people. And when you add a foundation (clay), its even stronger.  We also explored a pleated index card and noticed this is also a very strong shape. Who knows what common material uses a pleat to make it strong? Anyone say cardboard?  In fact, if you look at a torn piece of cardboard you will notice the paper pleat. So ... the concept is that you can use the same materials in different ways to make them more functional.

Using blocks, index cards, modelling clay, straw and paper clips, the kids went to work designing and building. They split themselves up into a few groups, with the girls all going together and even naming themselves: The Scientific Thunder Tower Girls.  Or something like that.  The girls built all sorts of details into their bridge - including a boat for under the bridge, a lamp-pole to light the bridge, lovely little clay people and even a clay snake sauntering over the bridge - it was so cute.  The boys formed several groups and were more concerned with making a strong foundation and building very masculine structures. Ah, the difference between men and women :)

A great pleated-over-arch bridge!

Not a bridge ... but you just can't interrupt that creative process!

Check out the green snake!

A great jumping point from this physics lesson is Usborne's Flap Book on Famous Buildings.  We viewed the page with the Eiffel Tower, noting how the foundational substructure deep in the ground allows the tower to withstand a lot of force!  Alexa got into this book later in the afternoon :).

If you want to try more of this at home, check out File Card Bridges over at the Exploratorium.  Great fun!

6. Socratic Discussion
We continued our discussion about the Proud Grain of Wheat from yesterday and compared the proud grain with the more humble and learned grain. The kids focused on the learned grain and I asked them how he became so smart.  The story says the humble grain of wheat spent more of his time thinking rather than talking.  Does "thinking" make you wise?  What is wisdom anyway, and how do you get it?  Someone said you just have to think. Tee hee, so we all spent a few seconds "thinking" and found out that really didn't work.  I'll let you pursue this discussion about wisdom at home, but I would suggest that a great place to start would be the Bible, especially the story of Solomon and the book of Proverbs. Would be a great jumping point!

7. Read-Aloud: Wolves of Willoughby Chase
We are enjoying finishing up the morning with this exciting classic.  Lots happened today - a wolf jumped into Sylvia's train compartment (crashed right through the window); we more formally met Mr. Grimshaw and all the kids believe him to be a nice gentleman (hmmm, will that pan out?); and Sylvia arrived at Willoughby Chase.

8. Handing out of the Script - The Crow and the Fox
Next week we will be branching into drama! If you check out the Block 1 Booklist you will find a link to the book of children's classics in dramatic form.  Essentially, they are Aesop's fables in the form of a play.  This particular play has 3 parts - Madame Crow, Miss Crow, and Master Fox.  Everyone can choose which part they want to play and we'll just take turns acting it out in groups of three.  The kids can read right off the script or memorize their part if they wish.  Performing is fun!  We will also discuss this fable socratically :)

9. Composer Study
I had hoped to listen to Beethoven's (Pathetique) Sonata 8 in C Minor but it wouldn't load for me at the time so we will do it next week.  This sonata is one of my personal favorites; the Rondo movement was my go-to piano piece back in the day, and you will all recognize the second movement by the song "Midnight Blue" by Bonnie Rait I think? Midnight blue, so lonely without you ...  If you're game, check out Wilhelm Kempff's Pathetique here for the second movement, and here for the FANTABULOUS 3rd movement, the Rondo.

And finally, a word about how its going for me.  As this is the half-way mark, I can make some small assessments.  This is what I know for sure:

* The kids are engaged, ready to be inspired, and truly NEED to have their buckets filled with good things.

* They really CAN learn to "think" via socratic method if you allow it to happen naturally. I've witnessed that in only 4 classes.

* If YOU are excited, its contagious. And that excitement doesn't seem to end when class ends.

* They REALLY need a mid-morning break of physical activity. LOL!

* My Maria is a loose canon. Sometimes I feel discouraged :(
and

* I love it all - the talented kids, the LOVE they seem to have of learning, the material we expose ourselves to :).

Have a great week and God bless!

Young Explorers - Block 1 Day 3

Howdy howdy!
We were rowdy today in YE. We spent most of the morning outside since it was just. so. glorious.  Here's what we did today.

1. Icebreaker
This morning, I invited any child who wanted to share something interesting they did over the past week. However, I asked them to stand up beside me, in front of the group, and do their telling. This is just a baby step towards being comfortable with public speaking, and most everybody took part :).
 I am so proud to see them display courage! One child who initially said they weren't ready to speak actually did stand up at the end and gave a little speech. Awesome!

2. 7 Habits of Happy Kids - Habit #3 - "Put First Things First. Work first, then play."
Before we even formally began our morning, some of the children were already asking if we were going to do another habit today! In today's habit, Pokey the Porcupine learned the hard way that you should study for a spelling test well in advance instead of pursuing playtime. We talked about the word "procrastination," (hey everyone I've never even heard of that word, honest haha!) and what it means. We shared what our most important responsibilities are at home, and talked about what it feels like to just do your job rather than put it off and put it off. We shared what it feels like to wake up in a clean room versus a messy room and asked WHY it feels so good to be in a clean orderly place. You might want to ask your kids WHY. I would suggest that our God is a God of order, so it only makes sense that we feel better when things are in order, no? (We did not discuss this last sentence - I leave that to let your kids discover for themselves with you).

3. Poetry - "The Mischievous Dog."
This is just a cute nonsense poem with pleasant rhyme, written by Dylan Thomas when he was 11 years old. I didn't share the title with the kids at first, and asked them to guess "who" was speaking in the poem. Enjoy!

The Song of the Mischievous Dog

by Dylan Thomas

There are many who say that a dog has its day, 

And a cat  has a number of lives;

There are others who think that a lobster is pink,

And that bees never work in their hives. 

There are fewer, of course, who insist that a horse

Has a horn and two humps on its head,

And a fellow who jests that a mare can build nests

Is as rare as a donkey that's red. 

Yet in spite of all this, I have moments of bliss,

For I cherish a passion for bones,

And though doubtful of biscuit, I'm willing to risk it,

And I love to chase rabbits and stones.

But my greatest delight is to take a good bite

At a calf that is plump and delicious;

And if I indulge in a bite at a bulge,

Let's hope you won't think me too vicious.

4. Living Math - Shadows, Value Scales & Thales

With the weather forecast looking so good, we needed to take advantage of it! We did sidewalk-chalk living math outside, based on a lesson from Family Math.  We did two things: first we explored shadows by tracing our feet, then measuring the length of our shadows from those same footprints every half hour. It was a sunny day; perfect for this activity. 

We wondered why those shadows kept shrinking and shifting. I asked them how this observation could be useful ... we talked about sundials and telling time and making those connections. Then I told them the story of Thales and the pyramids - rumor has it he was visiting the pyramids and asked his guide how tall the pyramids were but his guide didn't know - nobody knew! Thales used shadows and proportions to make the calculations. That story really came alive for them today!

Second - we drew out a number line in chalk, marking spaces from 0 to 10. We discussed the concept of "values" scales - tell me on a scale of 0 to 10 how much you like pizza.  Or, if 0 is no and 10 is yes, do you like pizza and pop? The entire group hopped around the values scale as I asked them questions. Then, I let each child take a turn asking a question and analyzing the results. They could tell if something was "popular" or not. Onions are all over the board, and mushrooms are not popular at all. We discussed how researchers can design questionaires to gain information this way, and even hospitals use this type of question to help describe the severity of your pain. It was interesting to see the wheels turn as the kids actually had to "analyze" and "describe" their results. One child looked at me and said "THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!"

5. Socratic Discussion: The Proud Grain of Wheat by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This is a short story about two grains of wheat in a sack - one is proud but the other spends her time thinking and learning and is modest and humble. We follow each grain of wheat as they get sown into the ground, become blades, then crowns of wheat, ears, are threshed, etc. At each step, the proud grain of wheat thinks she is better than all the rest and makes whatever situation she is in seem very high indeed. Well, you can guess what eventually happens to the grain of wheat ... We will be discussing the virtues of humility in greater depth tomorrow.  We enjoyed this story outside while eating our snack; I - a lovely red apple. Ahem.

6. Picture Study - Van Gogh

It seemed appropriate to study "The Sower" (one of his many versions) and "Stacks of Wheat." He has many many wheat field portrayals. Today we did the normal study then hide the picture - then ask the kids questions. But we took it a step further and I asked for volunteers to actually try a "narration" where they stand and describe everything they remember about the piece and that worked really well.

We viewed art right after reading the Proud Grain of Wheat, in which there was a sower. When I told the kids this picture was called "The Sower (with Arles in Background), there were several "a-ha's" as they were able to visualize what a "sower" actually does and might look like. 

Stacks of Wheat. Some kids thought they looked like volcanoes. I guess when you don't see this in today's age, it must look very strange!

7. Composer - Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - First Movement

We noted how sad and solemn and quiet the piece sounds. And how very famous it is.  This piece is "easy" to play in terms of the notes, but it is very difficult to play properly, with the right technique - most people butcher it (especially me!), but its complexity is found in its simplicity.  We listened to this version of the 1st Movement on You Tube.  But if you are at home with a few minutes to spare, consider comparing it to Wilhelm Klempff's version - hear the difference?  I am in awe at how the kids really listen and seem to thoughtfully consider the music they hear - by their comments, you can tell their hearts are made for this beauty felt in music. 

8. End with Read-Aloud - Wolves of Willoughby Chase

We wrapped up the last ten minutes of class with another chapter of Wolves. Earlier in the morning they asked if we were going to read Wolves today, and were high-fiving when I said yes - and I am not surprised in the least! Read-alouds and socratic discussion are not only good for the brain, they are just so enjoyable!  That's the wonderful thing about any classic - while we have lofty goals for thinking via the classics, they most importantly fully delight our souls!!

See you all tomorrow for another great morning!

The First Day - Young Explorers Block 1

WOW!!!

This morning was our first morning of Young Explorers, the community homeschool program I'm currently piloting.  For the benefit of the parents, and for those of you who might be interested in forming a "Love of Learning" group of your own, here is a rundown of the morning.

The group is a good size - we have eight children ages 6-10, plus my own littles.  If  you do a larger group you will need another helper :).

Icebreaker
I asked the children what an icebreaker was, and they gave me definitions involving types of machines in the arctic that break the ice for boats to go through LOL! They were right! And from there it was an easy leap to the concept of "breaking the ice" and getting to know one another better.  Our icebreaker was easy - say your name and tell us something about yourself, and we will all guess if that "something" was true or false. I had lots of interesting factoids, mostly involving wildlife. Some have seen penguins, bears, coyotes, wild turkeys and polar bears.  That was fun and got the kids warmed up.

Read-Aloud #1 - from the Seven Habits of Happy Kids
We read and discussed the first habit - where Sammy the Squirrel is "bored" and looks to each of his friends to entertain him  or suggest something to do. In the end, Sammy finds out that he can use his talents (he likes to fix old things like radios, phones, etc), to make someone else feel better (Allie the mouse was sick in bed). Sammy fixes an old radio and wraps it in a ribbon for Allie. Each of us shared what our passions and talents were and how we can use them to brighten someone else's day.  I had to laugh because one child's passion was eating! T'was good. The icebreaker and story took a good half-hour.


Living Math - Mobius Strips

By this time, the kids needed to move so it was perfect to switch to some hands-on Living Math.  Today we explored Mobius strips - they are super-cool! First, I read a little blurb about Mr. Mobius, found in Famous Problems and their Mathematicians.  Mobius had retired from a long career in math and astronomy, and was on vacation with his wife. They were in a cabin with no windows and flying insects were a problem. He tried hanging flypaper from the ceiling, but alas, Mr. Mobius is a tall guy and kept running into the flypaper. To make it shorter and more effective, rather than making a simple loop, Mobius twisted one end of the flypaper before making a loop. And he was amazed by its properties - as were we :). He started an entire new branch of mathematics! (Incidentally, there is also a Mobius-type bottle which might be fun for you to google and explore with your children).

So we explored Mobius strips. First we made a simple ring using adding-machine paper and tape, and chatted about it. It has an inside surface and an outside surface. It has two distinct edges. We cut it in half lengthwise around the loop and it formed two new and separate circles.  So far so good.

Then, we each made a Mobius strip and tested its properties. We drew a line down the middle and put our scissors to work, with interesting results!!

Some ended up with two new linked Mobius strips and some ended up with one big Mobius strip. Most of all, the kids wanted to keep going and keep cutting down the center of each new strip that evolved, to see what would happen.

And that's the idea, isn't it? To inspire them to be curious! One child said she couldn't wait to get home and make more strips to see how far she could take it :).  And after everyone left for the day, Alexa was busy making more strips as was my 12yo.

Break and Snack
We had spent a good 45 minutes at Living Math. And by that time, we were ready for a break. We took our snacks and headed outdoors. The kids REALLY needed this time to expend energy, and it was a beautiful day. We had a good 15 minutes of outdoor time and that was time well spent.

Power Hour and More Socratic
We moved right into our art picture study. Since my large poster-sized prints had not yet arrived, I had to use pictures out of my art books, which was hard with a large group! We set a sand-timer and I instructed everyone to examine the painting closely until the sand ran out, then I hid the picture and quizzed them on what they saw. We did this for several Monets - and they seemed to really enjoy this.

We read and discussed Robert Frost's poem, The Road Not Taken.  First, I read it like a narration with no artistic pauses at the end of each line or verse so it didn't read as a poem at all. Then I read it like a poem - to illustrate to the kids firsthand how a poem is different and stylized and how its much more pleasurable to listen to as a poem. We discussed the meaning of the poem. I had to laugh in my head, as one child said there were two paths you could take in life - one is getting pierced and tattooed and the other is doing the right thing and being a good person LOL. You got it!!

Finally, we read Samba the Coward, from The Olive Fairy Book (free on Kindle!!). GREAT STORY!!! We laughed, we cried, we almost died. Seriously, we had so much fun reading this. ALL the kids were totally engaged. And we tackled the concept of courage, cowardice, and bravery.  Kids are so smart. They came to their own conclusions Socratic style. Are we born with courage? How do we get it? What IS it exactly? Its so funny to hear their thoughts on courage before reading the story versus after. Most importantly, provide time for your kids to THINK about these concepts.  If never given the opportunity ....

So there you have it - in a nutshell! Day 1 a total success.  We meet again tomorrow, this time the focus will be Living Science instead of math; all else will be similar to today.

God bless your week!!

Young Explorers Art/Picture Study - Block 1

Van Gogh's Bedroom

I have always loved the Charlotte Mason approach to teaching art appreciation via picture study. Choose an artist and several selections by that artist. Each week, show one of the art selections and let the child just take it all in. Then, remove or hide that piece of art and ask the child to describe everything he can remember about the picture - this being called a narration. Finally, have a discussion about the piece to further encourage the child to interact with it.  Keep the art visible for about a week. If you pick 6 pieces per artist, viewing one picture per week, you can cover 4-6 artists in a school year.

So simple.



Bridge in Monet's Garden

Having been through this with my older kids (group A), I am taking a bit of a twist in my approach with group B and the Young Explorers learning group. My approach is influenced by the TJEd lifestyle, particularly the principles of "You, not them," and "Inspire, not require." Let me explain.

"You, not them."
Before this principle took shape for me, I would have chosen 5-6 artists and a selection of their artwork based either on a canned curricula or online schedule for picture study. This may or may not be chosen according to the history period we were studying. My choices would be systematic and we'd not look at the next artist until we had finished a good 6 weeks of the current. I'd probably follow the exact recommendation and use the exact artwork specified.  And ask the kids the exact questions suggested by the curriculum developer. Did you like the picture? How does it make you feel? Seems like a rational approach. Easy. Don't have to think too much. Check the box and get 'er done.

Farmer's Garden with Sunflowers - Klimt

This time I have chosen what I love! In other words, I started with ME. Not them.
I spent some time going through my favorite online gallery where you can order prints and posters. I scrolled through the fine art prints (with a price filter on to view the lowest price items first) and chose several pieces by a handful of masters (I love Klimt, Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir - they just kept beckoning)  that I could gaze at forever because they are beautiful to me; pieces I would love to have in my own home. Pieces that aren't the size of a postcard.

Add to cart.

Renoir's Dance at Bougival

"Inspire, not require."
Because I am excited about these pieces, I have no doubt my enthusiasm will spill over to the kids!  When I tell them I can't wait to show them the art selection for the day, it will be sincere! And I'm going to be the one taking great pleasure everytime I walk into the kitchen and see the poster on the wall.

So, we aren't sticking to just one artist for each block, although that's a fine and systematic approach. We'll be viewing some classic Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Klimt. (We won't go into detail on Klimt's biography!!) But how neat to view paintings of sunflowers from the perspective of 3-4 different famous artists. Monet, Van Gogh, Klimt - they all had their sunflowers. What is it about sunflowers that artist like to paint? I can almost guarantee you my kids will be inspired to paint their own sunflowers, perhaps yours will too.

Van Gogh's 15 Sunflowers

And I love Van Gogh - he painted hundreds! While Van Gogh is probably one of the most commonly studied artists, you can't really get enough of him. (Its ok if the kids have studied him before - he is a classic, which means you can return to him over and over again and get something new out of the experience each time). When the kids see that his still life teapot-and-fruit-on-the-table paintings were ... not really his niche ... as they compare them to his more famous works ... the kids will realize that you don't just begin as a perfect artist. It takes time and practice to find where you fit in.

Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Klimt - they are classics. They are worth knowing and falling in love with.

Klimt's Tree of Life

Later, when the kids are older and more inclined to analysis, we can take a more systematic approach. We can analyze impressionism from baroque. We can talk pointillism. We can study the more obscure artists and what influenced them. 

Van Gogh's The Sower



But not now! Now is the time to give the kids the eye candy and create in them an appetite for the true and the beautiful!

Have a lovely weekend!

Young Explorers Living Science - Block 1

Good morning everyone!

Just a quick note to let you know about the Block 1 plan for Young Explorers Living Science segment - the kids are going to love it! And that's the whole point at this age, right? It won't matter if they don't fully understand scientific concepts like "all things in motion stay in motion unless acted upon." But, they will remember whether science was engaging and fun or boring and hum-drum or whether it occurred at all; and if they feel excited about science as a kid, chances are they will be willing to do the hard work later on, such as in high school/college, etc.

We're going to become a bit more acquainted with Newton. That means experiments in things like force, gravity, friction, motion ... physics of all sorts! We'll learn a bit about who Newton was, but then we'll get right to work, using www.sciencelearningspace.com study units as a loose spine.

Can't wait to see the kids build a giant roller-coaster made out of foam pipe insulation!

Looking forward to bringing out our inner engineer by building cities out of wood blocks, straws, clay and index cards, then testing out the forces of weather and lego minifigures. How will the arch stand up? Will the paper-pleat design withstand an earthquake? Will any of us survive the famous barrel roof? Hmmm ...

Which soup will win, the chicken or the clam? I'm not kidding with this question, we are going to test it.

I may throw in some pop rockets for fun. Might need safety glasses :). I'll let you know.

One other hint if you're joining us. Quite often, and I know you've experienced this yourself as a homeschooling parent, an exposure to something will get your child all excited. And he will want to go a bit deeper. There will be a little spark of interest and inspiration. THAT is the time to pounce!!! THAT is the time to pull out the library books you just happened to pick up, related to the spark of interest. Or to take a run to the dollar store to grab some supplies for your child's "what would happen if?" moment. So, you may want to mark on your September calendar to scout out some fun library books on topics such as Newton, roller-coasters, bridges, famous structures around the world, how to earthquake-proof a building, earthquakes, famous barrel roofs or barrel roof design, buildings and forces of nature, etc.

Strew them around the house and watch the learning come alive!  

Young Explorers Booklist Block 1

Things are a-happenin' this fall let me tell you!

First item of business. Young Explorers Learning Group. I have planned a community homeschool pilot project for a 4-week block scheduled this fall. I'll be mentoring a group of children, ages 6-10, for two mornings a week and I am so pumped for this! Our group will not be your typical homeschool get-together-for-some-group-learning-and-crafts; no. Rather, first and foremost we will be rooted in the classics and socratic discussion. This age is prime for learning core lessons such as right versus wrong, good versus bad, true versus false - using literature as our vehicle and allowing the kids to come to conclusions on their own (not take it away from them or "tell them the answers.") What makes a hero? What is courage and how do I get it? What does it mean to be honest? Brave? What makes a house a home? What is a villainous character and what happens to them? Socratic discussion is based on asking questions, it begs one to think and form an opinion; in this case based on a set of experiences within the confines of great literature. All the lofty ideas we aim to come face to face with. We will also be doing living math, living science, and fine arts (art, drama, music appreciation). Gonna be so good.

Within a few hours of sending out the initial announcement and invitation to join the community homeschool pilot project, 5 of my 8 spots were filled. And a few days later, the 6th. I have only 2 spots left, friends, if you're thinking about it, before I cast out a wider net in the local homeschool world.

In the meantime, I've been carefully selecting the read-aloud list for block 1. Our group will read and discuss together - there will not be any reading preparation for the kids to do at home. We are going to discover it all together! In choosing titles, I wanted the piece to not only delight but to provide a good basis for discussion of core lessons and great ideas. The piece had to be doable in a 4 week block with no carry-overs (although we may at times include only excerpts of good classic literature). And, I was aware of the fact that the kids may have already been exposed to many of the really popular children's classics (like Little House on the Prairie, A Little Princess, Gullivers Travels, etc). Not to say we won't do them, but just not in Block 1. I'm hoping most of the material here is fresh for them.


1.The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey - we'll cover one habit each day

2. The Olive Fairy Book compiled by Andrew Lang  - We'll read "Samba the Coward."  Do you know the Fairy Books? They are classics, there are 13 differentiated by color, and are full of worthy tales and stories from around the world. Many available free on the handy dandy kindle.

3. Tolkien's Tales from the Perilous Realm. With "The Hobbit" being released in theatres this fall, the kids have been reading a lot of Tolkien. For that reason, I'm sure they will be receptive to hearing some of his lesser-known but equally awesome short stories found in this treasury. We won't do all of them, but either Roverandom or Farmer Giles of Ham.

4. The Proud Grain of Wheat by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This is a lovely short story about a grain of wheat who thinks he's better and finer than all the rest. Great jumping point to discuss the virtue of humility and the consequences of pride. And the really exciting part is along the way we are going to view some artwork depicting wheat in all its stages (think Van Gogh's The Sower; Sheaves of Wheat, etc). This story is found in a collection of novels and short stories by Burnett, author of The Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and the likes. I am currently reading The Little Princess to Alexa (6). Not only does she love it, but its reaching her heart and making her think - exactly our goal. Had to include something by Frances HB for sure! 

5. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. Another heartwarming story about courage. Some of the kids may have read this one already, but a classic is a classic because you can come back to it again and again, and learn something new each time. And be changed for the better.

6. Children's Classics in Dramatic Form by Augusta Stevenson.  Oh, this is a find. It is a collection classic fables and tales, (Aesop, Andersen, Grimm) adapted into short little plays. Each play only has 2-3 characters and are simple enough to read and perform. Then discuss. Then perform again :). Free on Kindle!!

7. Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit. We'll probably do The Tempest or Romeo & Juliet, but I haven't fully decided. Never too young for a little Shakespeare, child-style though. As my friend said, is there any Shakespeare play that doesn't have something inappropriate for children in it? Don't worry, I'll be highly selective and careful with what's presented. On that note, when reading aloud to my own children, I'm pretty good about replacing words like "stupid" with "silly," etc. I'll do the same in any group read-alouds.

8. I'm debating over a couple of others. They are Pearl's Promise by Frank Asch, great little story about a mouse who escapes a pet store and promises to save her brother from a hungry snake AND keep her family together. GREAT story about courage, heroism, bravery, promises and keeping your word. But, in one small episode Pearl ends up seeing a fortune-teller's cat who gives her information from the crystal ball,(quite humorous yes), but not sure I want to have to explain fortune-tellers and crystal balls to the kids. I don't. Maybe I can edit this section out? The story is a page-turner and would appeal to all.  I'm also in the middle of pre-reading the classic Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken. So far it has all the elements in a good piece of literature - heroines Bonny (rough and tumble) and cousin Sylvia (frail); wolves on the loose; the villainous and cruel Miss Slighcarp who plots against Bonny and Sylvia while Bonny's parents are away; and Simon the gooseboy who lives in the forest ... so far so good on this one.  And lastly, we'll add some great poetry into the mix. I have lots of that!

Lofty list? That's ok. We don't have to make it through everything, there's no rush. I'm optimistic that however far we dive in, we will savour the journey and enjoy the process!

I'll post later about our living math and living science plan.
'Till then, God bless your week!