Happy House Project

Each week we've been making an effort to have semi fun-schooling days.  We live in Pennsylvania so theres strict regulation on our homeschooling process. We have paperwork that needs to be pushed and requirements and deadlines to keep in mind. To make the week somewhat less boring we've started throwing in wild card days. We have 4 days a week that we do Language Arts- Reading and 10-14 worksheets, Math- 3 to 4 lessons or around 6 worksheets, Wild Card Lessons- Science, Health, History, art, music. (reading and art projects) In addition to the "work days" we have just naturally grown into the process of starting our day with educational shows and documentaries, theres additional reading for fun and computer time. As we ease into this process I'm finding more and more resources that are useful for us. Homeschooling has become an around the clock lifestyle that just happens to involve 4 days a week of a stricter schedule that includes paperwork. I've mentioned that I feel children should ALWAYS be learning about values and morals, every moment of every day a child's character is being developed, but in a big way I'm noticing that homeschooling has transformed learning into an all the time experience. When Riley was in Public school he wanted nothing to do with the things he was "learning". He was overwhelmed and being forced to try and keep pace with their strict routines. The kids were not even allowed to go to the bathroom. (I've heard so many stories of children pee-ing their pants because they were either too afraid to ask to go, or simply told no.) In the past week my son has actually asked for MORE reading. Being able to read things he finds interesting that are at his level has made every bit of change. Although we spent almost two weeks reading "Lilly can read" once he finally pressed on he was ready and able for the next lesson. He's no longer the weird kid who can't hear or talk right. His learning needs are being addressed and as a result I truly feel he's learning better than ever.

Well Last weeks Wild Card day was Health and Safety. We read seven books relating to emotions, safety and honorable characteristics. (stop, drop and roll. lets talk about keeping safe. peacefulness, respect, self-discipline. tolerance. little squarehead) We also went through the bathroom and kitchen and discussed grooming, bathroom rules and kitchen safety. For our project of the day we made our "happy houses" that included the key words we learned and developed a "happy place". What makes you happy? Who makes you Happy? It was another lesson on cause and effect, how do our actions relate to other peoples feelings. How can being compassionate make you a better or worse person? We discussed tolerance and differences in people. Why do people act negatively towards those who are different from them? Why do people feel they all have to be the same as everyone else? Is it ok to not like someone? 

The final "project for the day" was baking cookies. Cooking is chemistry too! It was a math lesson, safety lesson and a snack. We discussed wet and dry measure, irreversible change and the general rules of cooking and kitchen safety. Although I admit a good portion of the safety-day was explaining to Riley why its SO IMPORTANT to clean up after yourself and wash your hands and brush your teeth he seemed to not be annoyed by it and it worked. 

Happy House Project

Using construction paper we formed a front of the house that had windows with our happy words. On the reverse side we made lists of people and things that make us happy. You can make any sort of model, 3D or even just draw a picture.

Vocabulary:

Health (brush your teeth, wash your hands, eat well)

compassion (consider how your actions make others feel, THE GOLDEN RULE)

confidence

courage

self-discipline (self-control, how does learning improve your character)

tolerance 

respect (self-respect, respecting others and animals)

peacefulness

happiness

Land Preservation Project

I've been a bit backed up on documenting our projects as we go. I "mean to" get around to it but don't. Its not crucial I suppose, but I'm really trying to accurately depict our homeschooling journey and how things are going. Its really me writing as I go for my own personal voyage into what I hope one day will seem like the obvious peaceful journey that has produced happy, well adjusted children. Because frankly every day still seems like a shot in the dark. 

There's really no hiding the fact that I am a bit of a tree-hugger, so a lot of our science currently is "natural science". It seems to be age appropriate and it goes across the lines for all first grade curriculum. One thing I've found difficult about homescholing from a secular perspective is the science. Specifically speaking, I don't like modified science curriculum, and I also don't subject to the idea that children only need to learn natural sciences. It's strictly a personal opinion (Of course everything about homeschooling is personal opinion/preference.) I feel that schooling should be supplemented with religion, not altered by it. Morals, values and maybe even religion are something our children should be learning every moment of every day. Developing a child's character content is the single most important lesson he or she will ever learn. I do want my kids to learn about a variety of things that are age appropriate and finding lessons is a pain. I'm really just making stuff up as I go.

My family has a love for nature and over the years we've discussed many things relating to "Neo-Homesteading". We talk about why its healthier to live more sustainably, how its better for our bodies and how its lower impact for the environment to try to live locally. We frequent pick your own farms and preserve and store our own produce/meat as much as possible. The relation of earth to table I feel is a CRUCIAL lesson, now days especially. In the age of processed, chemically altered, hormonally engineered sterilized food products, the idea of real food seems to be entirely foreign. Although this is a controversial opinion I do feel that theres a fine line between eco-friendly and eco-nazi. "Green" is the new key phrase for a modern day cult following. The PETA generation is pretty much an overwhelming force that I feel thrives on trying to guilt people into being liberal zombies.

Teaching Riley about "environmentalists" has become something thats handled gently per say. For this project I wanted needed to introduce the importance of our impact on our surroundings. It was a lesson on cause and effect. Although Riley specifically has been well educated on chemicals and engineered-preservative packed food, I really don't want him beaten into submission. I don't want to be "that mommy." I don't want to be the nut bag that explains with vigor why my kid thinks toilet paper is evil. I struggle some days more than others but I don't want these lessons to be scare-tactics. I want him to naturally think about his cause and its effect on others and/or his surroundings. I'm a firm believer that I am a free-thinking individual and my children deserve the right to form thoughts and opinions of their own. I do find it to be a beautiful thing when my son says "that has germs" or "this taste better without chemicals" but I'm willing to accept that its normal for kids to like nuclear orange boxed macaroni. Its not a mark upon my success as a mother.

Reading books, looking at pictures and remembering the parks we've visited, and the foods we've eaten is really a great experience to share with the family. It may seem silly but describe an apple tree as a natural resource that may no longer exist if not respected and a kid will relate it to, Wait no more apple juice? That would suck. If a child shakes hands with the farmer that allowed us to pick his fruit it becomes real to them that food does not just magically appear somewhere and that we should not take anything for granted.

Land Preservation Project- 

Reading, we borrowed multiple books from the library. Land preservation, trees and our environment were the general topics of discussion. I was able to find a few worksheets around the net. Some from http://www.education.com and some other sources I cant quite remember. Our reading list is constantly growing I keep meaning to update it in my Curriculum tab. (and I will soon) 

Vocabulary words-

Preserve: To protect or keep something in its natural state

environmentalist: A person who believes that land and resources should be preserved.

Pollution: contamination (to make dirty) of water, soil or air by harmful chemicals. Pollution is caused by factories, cars and other sources. 

Atmosphere: chemical gases that surround a planet

Recycling: processing used things into new products to reduce the use of fresh material 

Natural Resources: land or raw materials provided by nature
National Parks: A reserve of protected natural, or semi-natural land owned by the government set aside for animal protection or human recreation.

Tree Facts-

Tree's help make rain

Trees provide oxygen for us to breathe

Tree's can provide food

Trees can be used to make various materials from paper, houses or even medicine. 

Trees provide shelter for animals. 

Tree's provide shade and reduce energy use. 

Kindly Welcoming February

All together this week was relatively peaceful. We had a few drama-blessed days , for the most part I'm keeping in mind that life will not stop being chaotic simply because I chose to homeschool. Life happens in between, during and after "school". Riley's had a few days where he's just told me to get bent, but for the most part I feel that this week was really great overall. Monday for science we read a few books about the solar system and to "act it out" we created a paper model solar system. (Take that pottery barn, I've got a solar system in my dining room. How not trendy we are!) He really seemed to take an honest interest in it and we had fun with it. 

For groundhog day we made little dirt cakes, kind of looks like monkeys, or just dirty little somethings? Not overly educational, I was hoping for a bit more of an ohhhh, I get it! Instead Riley barely showed interest. "You mean a beaver predicts the weather? I thought that's what satellites do?" No, Riley its a groundhog and its just superstition. Super what? I guess honestly it was just a clever way to find an excuse to make sweets, all in all I thought it was cute. I got to make cupcakes which always makes me happy. 

A few of the other days were less than informative but we did cover our mandatory Language Arts and Math. We've been reading about the pilgrims for a while now, its something I truly find important.  I was able to visit Plymouth Plantation multiple times as a kid and its memories that have stuck with me. The basis that these people left their homeland, risked their lives and sacrificed creature comforts so they could be themselves is a great foundation for what he will be learning as we go. We started reading about George Washington and how he led our country to be free. The declaration of independence, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and President's day are things we're doing. The freedom to be an individual is very important to me. I don't want to traumatize him, but in time I want him to learn that the worlds always been at war with itself.  The American Revolutionary war I approached in a way that it was about freedom, not necessarily power. At some point the details will come into play but for right now I just want him to understand that freedom is important. 

Sometimes war is a result of the desire to be free, sometimes war is simply political and un-necessary. However it plays out I want him to appreciate that we have freedoms today because of people from the past that left the bread crumbs along the way. Also he's remembering men and women sacrifice their own lives today. I grew up in a military family and policy aside, I've always stood by our  forces. Human beings as a whole seem to have this inner desire to make everything the same. Religious wars, wars of race and now days  even teenagers seem to be at war with one another based on hair cuts and sneakers. This desire to force others to be the same is just not my thing. I've been ostracized for one reason or another for as long as I can remember. My boys need to learn that they are different just like everyone else. Differences should be respected and many of life's troubles simply may not exist if people learned to shut up and live and let live.

Next week we will probably start our Geography lessons and Pennsylvania History. We stared out the window and admired the winter weather a lot of this week. I planned on going for a winter walk, two days went by and it just never happened. Wishful thinking I guess. There's always next week.

“Your rights end where my nose begins... The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins."

Solar System Project-  

Read books and discuss the solar system. Use construction paper to cut and design planets or paint spheres to make a mobile solar system. Hands on projects brings the subject to life and although its slightly "un-cool" to have a solar system in your living space there's a great deal of progress when a child can visualize and re-live a subject.  

Groundhog's Day Cupcakes- 

Discuss groundhog's day and then make dirt cakes. You can use any brownie or chocolate cake recipe with a buttercream frosting. Mix cookie crumbs into the frosting and decorate little "groundhog critter" faces with cookies for ears and candies for facial features.  

The Recipe I used is Here.

Why, Oh, Why? Sweet potato Pie! (The cycle of Pie)

Almost all first grade curriculum's and objective lists suggest teaching your first grader about plant growth and "processes". The most common I've seen in book after book is about the growth of a frog from tadpole to amphibian. There's one worksheet after another that instructs the child to label the example story in order of how it occurred from 1-5. Well that's no fun now is it? How about we take a story from our reading book and apply that  to the food cycle. How about to the cycle of pie! From plant to pie? Now that's a story I can dig my teeth into. 

Riley and I lately have been having the discussion of food and what happens to people who do not cook? Although adorable that he thinks he will "starve to death" without his momma to cook for him. I wanted to take this project a little further. We've been frequenting pick your owns for years pumpkins, strawberries, apples and blueberries are the staples in this house. He's seen me grow pumpkins (only to have the deer eat them), he's helped make jam too but he's never really fully grasped the concept of this was a seed a farmer planted, it became a plant and then produce that we purchased or picked. With this book Why, oh, Why? Sweet Potato Pie! By Anne Rockwell we were able to practice reading as well as have a hands on natural science project. We learned that sweet potatoes are grown, picked, cooked, and last but not least eaten. Although we are Northern folk and sweet potatoes are somewhat  foreign, Riley quickly warmed up to this project when he realized  that pie was involved. This project helped with the question "Where does my food come from". It also helped with his reading and his desire to... eat pie.

Link To The Neo-Homesteading.com Recipe 

Why, Oh, Why? Sweet Potato Pie! 

(By Anne Rockwell)

From everything I've seen this is totally out of print. I located it in a curriculum book we are borrowing from the public school. Below is the story. It can be sang or read. We started off reading it a few times and then sang it to a rhythm.

Pa picks sweet potatoes one by one.

Why, Oh, Why? Sweet potato pie!

Grandma bakes them till they're done.

Why, Oh, Why? Sweet potato Pie!

Gramps stops chopping.

Ma stops washing.

Tom stops swimming.

Why, Oh, Why?

Sis stops swinging. 

Bob starts singing.

Come and get my sweet potato pie!

Everybody coming one by one.

Why, Oh, Why?

Sweet Potato Pie!

Everybody eating till there's none.

My, Oh, My. 

Sweet Potato Pie!

Words to Practice- sweet, by, stop, oh, them, swing, eat, sing, why

Social Studies Vocabulary- Happiness

hap·pi·ness (noun)

1. good fortune : prosperity

a : a state of well-being and contentment : joy  

b : a pleasurable or satisfying experience 

Project: 
Dialogue-  
This can be written or printed or you could simply ask your child the questions.

What is Happiness? 

Happiness "Senses"-
Happiness looks like: 
Happiness tastes like:
Happiness feels like: 
Happiness sounds like:
Happiness smells like: 

Riley's answers:
What is Happiness? Happiness is a feeling that makes you feel good. Happiness is when momma is silly. 
Happiness looks like: Connor 
Happiness tastes like: Hot dogs
Happiness feels like: Vibration (yes that's really what he said)
Happiness sounds like: Santa
Happiness smells like: Cookies

Riley's Synonyms or "Happy Feeling" words-

excited, sharing, smile, proud, silly

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. 

-Mark Twain

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

- Abraham Lincoln

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give. 

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Sing a Song-  
If your Happy and you Know it, lyrics and chords

Social Studies Vocabulary- Habitat

hab·i·tat (noun)

1: The place where something is commonly found

a : the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows  

b : the typical place of residence of a person or a group

Project: 
For a hands on project I asked Riley to form a "habitat" of some sort. We discussed the vocabulary word and what it meant.  My initial "lesson plan" was that we would choose an animal. It sounded ideal at least. He had a plan of his own however, he came up with making an environment or habitat for his halo action figures. "Jorge and Emile like to be outside." So he developed a theory as to what their ideal habitat is. How does the weather effect their behavior? Do they have predators? etc. Although somewhat silly it helped him acknowledge the vocabulary word in a way that was fun and interesting to him. It was a hands on arts and craft project that introduced a new vocabulary word.  

Dialogue-
What do they eat?
Where do they sleep?
How does the weather effect their Behavior? 
Do they Have predators? (If so what)

Other habitats might include- Barbie or Spongebob. Involving your childs favorite character or television personality is a way to teach them in a fun way.