If you bake out all the collagen from a bone, and tap it with a mallet, it shatters. The Pilgrims built rectangular houses out of lumber. The Wampanoags built dome-shaped houses with large pieces of bark as walls. In the midst of keeping up with schooling, we’ve been finishing the last of our paper chase. […]
Category Archives: Education and Homeschooling
Reflections from a First-time Homeschooler
I interrupt the normally scheduled Thing Adoptive Parents Should Know . Did you even notice that was a weekly Saturday occurence? Probably not. In case you’re wondering, we’re still having physicals corrected AGAIN for our home study. I’d rather not talk about it. Homeschooling. There’s a happier subject. At least today. We’re doing really well despite […]
Filling in the gaps
With only 24 weeks in the Classical Conversations year, the memory work is really a broad sweeping outline with plenty of room to fill in the gaps. As far as early American history goes, the biggest gap so far is Jamestown (the first permanent colony). We just happened to be in the area this past […]
{Classical Conversations} Cycle 3 | American Revolution Activity Preview
Weeks 3 and 4 cover Revolutionary War events. In addition, we have an “off” week for CC after Week 4. I’ve decided to design a 3 week American Revolution unit for us to cover those weeks since the CC memory work really doesn’t do this important period in our history justice. I don’t have it […]
Homeschooling: The First Day
I love that I didn’t have to wake anyone up because we had to get to school. We’re using Leigh Bortins’ block schedule for managing multiple-aged children. I spent the first 20 minutes with Ty while the others worked independently. Then I worked with Mia while Ty played and PJ continued to work. Finally, I […]
Curriculum Overview
Here’s the plan so far. Of course it’s subject (pun stumbled upon) to change because we can 🙂 Subject (These are ones required by our state) PJ Mia Bible (this is required by our oversight organization) Community Bible Study Weekly Character Quality Whatever else Patrick implements. Mr. Seminary is supposed to be in charge of this […]
Cursive vs. Printing (Manuscript)
When I sat through PJ’s kindergarten back-to-school night, I was fascinated as I listened to the teacher explain why the school taught cursive first and exclusively until fourth grade. I was pretty sold then but now that two of the kids have been through that kindergarten program learning cursive, our third is a lefty, and […]
Native American Lesson: Build a Tee Pee
Our Native American Unit would certainly not be complete without a tee pee. We’ve been talking a lot about which resources the Native Americans in the Plains would have had (bison skin, sticks, etc.) and what they wouldn’t have (store-bought paint, cotton fabric, etc.). We attempted to make our little tee pee with as many […]