I always enjoy hearing tid-bits about how other family homeschools operate. Sometimes we can learn new things, just from a little detail here and there so I thought I'd share one of my discoveries. Over time, I have found it most successful when we study our science and social studies, one subject at a time, over a week's period. (This would be instead of trying to do both subjects in the same week)
Our daily mornings include math and language arts, ideally finishing at lunch time. Then we rotate weeks for science and social studies in the afternoons. Sometimes I will also devote a week to a particular writing assignment if we need more time than our regular mornings.
Soooo...
This week was science week!
One of my sisters was visiting this week from Oregon. Her husband was away on business so we got to spend some fun time with her and my niece, plus new baby on the way:)
One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the flexibility, not just with scheduling, but also with subject matter and curriculum. For example, yesterday we combined an afternoon of science AND art.
Sound like an odd combination?
Hey, it worked and it was so much fun...even for this Mama who struggles with finding science much fun*wink*
This Wildlife Center has been on our "science bucket list" and our Princess (who loves animals) has been dying to check it out!
It's primarily a refuge for injured, sick, or abandoned wild animals.
We met Bella, the Red Fox...
who quickly became a favorite! She was quite lively and definitely interested in us. What a friendly fox:)
Skunkie the Skunk...
who UNkindly sprayed us with her stinky perfume. Can you believe that got captured on film? Look at that thick and smelly fog...P-U! She didn't like us gawking at her one little bit:)
This was a beautiful barn owl...whose name I forget:(
But the highlight was Fizzle the Squirrel who rolled around in this plastic ball. Everywhere we went, he'd follow us! The littles got the biggest kick out of him:)
Afterwards, we headed home for an art project tying into our field trip.
It was perfect timing that we had recently re-discovered an art book that held instructions for drawing the same animals we had just met at the Wildlife Center.
The art came alive because of our personal encounter with the animals!
Later on we also spent time looking into habitats and information about the animals we learned about here.
The latter part of the week was spent studying static electricity with the youngers and all of the fun ways that electrons work...Always Fun Good review for Mama too:)
Hair that sticks out is always a hit!
You should see MY hair in the morning...I don't even need a balloon to make it stick up or out, nor can science explain it!
Do you have any tid-bits to share?
That looks like a great field trip! It couldn't be that far from us. I can only imagine how fun that little squirrel following you around was.
ReplyDeleteI love your science/social studies idea. We have done it that way before too, but I have been trying to fit both in right now and seem to be missing mark all the way around. We are going to do it!
That static electricity one is always a hit. Did your kids do the thing where they rub it on their head and then hover the balloon over a plate of pepper? My boys thought that was hysterical.
praise God for your homeschooling days.
ReplyDeletegreat pic of the skunk's funk. :)
I love the idea of alternating weeks. We're doing a co-op class for social studies and it does seem scattered trying to supplement that every week plus get our science in (which we love here but it can be time consuming).
ReplyDeleteAnd, what a fun field trip. Animal stuff like that always appealed to me growing up. Looks like everyone had fun and finished off with some great artwork!
You had a GREAT week, Tiffany! When I saw the skunk behind the window I was laughing. Can you imagine how the caretaker must feel? I wonder what kind of protective gear they have to wear before going into that habitat LOL
ReplyDelete(I think I'm able to comment again!!) what an awesome wildlife center you all visitied. (At first that fox looked like he had been taxidermied!) but it really is real. the owl -- oh my, so beautiful. and that skunk is too much! we would have loved that wonderful place of learning! the book on how to make animals from hand prints is one I will have to look for, for certain! I remember the static electricity learning in school and it was always so fun./ my daughter calls it trampoline hair!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe the skunk spray showed up in the photo! Looks like a great field trip and I love how you tied in the art project - love those days. Our science and history are tied together this year, but in years past we have done something similar and it is helpful. I like to group things together as much as possible, I don't like having 5 or 6 different subjects per day, it seems too disjointed.
ReplyDeleteMy son was just rubbing his blanket on his head the other morning. The room was dark and they actually saw sparks...man did that jump start the day! Science can be sooooo cool. If only I had the energy (and time) to make it more fun. Lately it seems we just try to get everything done so that I can check it off my list. Great field trip. My kids are itching to get out to the MN Zoo. We've tried twice this past month only to be delayed by the stomach flu, both times...ugh!
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