Welcome to our stop on the 2018 Back to School Crew Blog Hop today!
Sometimes it is as simple as walking into the backyard, and letting your kids explore, while you write down everything they found, and then coming up with research questions for them. Or you can do it in reverse- Write up a sheet of questions and send them out into the yard, so see if they can answer them.Especially in the elementary years, this is an exciting activity for kids, and they really don't comprehend HOW much they learn by observation!
We started incorporating the book The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms (by Clare Walker Leslie) into Miss Grace's science curriculum last year, after she finished her science text (TWO months earlier than planned!), and I needed some filler! It is an interactive workbook, packed with creative, year-round activities for blooming naturalists (about ages 8 to 13,though older kids might find the activities interesting as well). The book guides kids through nature around the,via activities like sketching wildlife, observing constellations, collecting leaves, keeping a weather journal, and watching bird migrations. PLUS, there is a calendar year section, with a full chapter for EACH month, with different activities and experiments, to get kids noticing changes, and working with science theory! Miss Grace has LOVED this part of the book. And I have to say it has provided her with a world of information, for when she went on adult nature hikes. I was really impressed with how much she was able to speak to the instructors, and answer questions.
By joining the local nature club, she has been able to go on nature walks, art lessons on the trail, and attend special lectures. It was the best $5 student fee I've ever spent! She has gotten SO much from each episode of directed learning, AND best yet, it has spurred her to come home and research different animals and plants! That quest for more knowledge did NOT happen when she was in private school! By being able to be 'hands on', it has spurred her want to get more info, and consequently, we've had more 'nature' field trips and days! In fact, I've been thrilled to see how her outlook on these trips has changed- now they aren't 'get out of school days', but 'fun educational days', where she is no longer a passive learned, but an active one! In fact, she'll pass on field trips where she thinks she's learned everything there is to learn at that location, in favor of a shorter one she's never been to before, just to see what she can learn. Did you hear the angels singing? This is a kids with dyslexia who HATED school 2 years ago!
By feeding this one interest, she is using so many skills-reading, writing, researching, and even debating, as we have discussions after she's done her research! These are skills that she will use ALL of her life, and I'm thrilled that she's so INTO learning now! We've already seen how she's used those skills, this Summer, when she took over teaching the Science class! She already had the skill set, and was able to take over with no problem! And she's not even a teenager yet!
So, when she also started showing an interest in how natural disasters can affect urban areas, besides her natural ones, I knew some engineering info might be something to look into. After viewing the amazing IMAX movie, Dream Big,and talking about the different methods,and what could be done locally, I knew that taking her to a local STEM fair, where engineering was going to be featured might be a great idea!
And it was! She had quite a few discussions with the adult volunteers, many of whom work IN the field of engineering, and when she heard most of them started with Legos, she was hooked! Now she wants to take an engineering class! So when she finishes this year's science text early (sigh, "Mom, I was bored, so I read ahead"), she's going to take an online engineering class, where she gets to not only learn, but build STRUCTURES to withstand different types of weather. It's the perfect mix of research and hands on for her!
Right now she is at that stage (6th grade) where she really isn't sure what she wants to be when she grows up- she wanted to be a veterinarian, but the amount of required schooling (and cost) is giving her pause right now. So by following these rabbit trails and interests of hers, she's not only learning, but experiencing the varied options for employment within the different fields they cover. Being able to speak to those in these fields, is allowing her to explore where she might want to steer her college curriculum towards.
And maybe some hobbies here and there too!
For example, while taking the Nature Art Class,we've discovered that she really DOES have an eye for taking photographs. She has a very good internal sense of perspective and light,making for some interesting pictures. So this Fall she'll start using my semi-auto camera and learning some basics from me, and then in the Spring, she'll start the Schoolhouse Teachers Online Photographer's Class! Not only will it count as her Art class, but she will get to develop skills she can use for a hobby, or maybe, she might get good enough, to make a career from it!
For us, following her rabbit trails so far has been pretty easy- we've been able to find activities, field trips, and courses, that all tie in, and allow her to explore and learn! And we live out in the boonies! Don't be afraid to see if your child can attend a class aimed at adults, like ones at a library or nature center! Frequently the instructors WELCOME homeschool kids, as they are attentive and ASK questions, when the adults might not, and help to get discussions going! Sometimes all it takes is a few minutes of Facebook events nearby and county calendars, to find interesting events that can spur YOUR child's interests too!
Right now my daughter is already talking about her high school courses, and trying to figure out what electives she can take, based on what she's interested in now! She actually WANTS to study Shakespeare and all the inherent nuances, for example! But I'm ok with that, as I'd rather have her learning and excited, than bored and just passing a class. Some of our fellow bloggers are already there, and they've got some great advice on finding those electives and extracurriculars, like:
Amanda @ Hopkins Homeschool
Annette @ A Net in Time
Ashley @ Gift of Chaos
Betty @ Let’s Get Real
Brenda @ Counting Pinecones
Carol @ Home Sweet Life
Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
And for more great ideas, be sure to check out the different blogs on the linky below too!
Hope you've enjoyed this look into our homeschool!
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