Hands On Learning = Creative Kid

Nobody likes Hands On Projects more than I do. For Reals.

In fact, when Josiah gets to High School, I will still be assigning Salt Dough Maps.

Once a kindergarten teacher...always a kindergarten teacher.

For one I think that Hands On Projects make learning so much fun. They make it real. They give learning life and help what Josiah learns stick in his cute little brain.

I need to share with you one of our Favorite Hands On Projects Ever! It is so good it calls for the use of Unnecessary Capitalization and a big ole Exclamation point!

It is no secret that Mr. Josiah has just a little obsession with the Big Screen. And I"m not talking about the fact that our TV is too big for the living room. He loves movies. He loves trivia about movies.

And since he was just a little bitty guy he has done elaborate productions of his favorite movies. Costumes. Scenery. The whole bit. I would share some pictures with you, but my laptop has lost it's mind and I'm pounding away on The Muffin's Desktop. Thank goodness I had the bulk of this post done before my laptop went crazy!

Anyhoo. Back to the subject at hand.

What better way for Josiah to learn history than casting his motley crew of action figures and random Happy Meal toys in a rousing movie reenactment of Christopher Columbus' voyage to the New World.

Here's how it all went down. I'll reveal the Big Show at the end of this post.

For his script he used one of the books we've used for History.

He wrote down all the major characters, the various settings and what kind of props he would need to find.

He then went on a search for props and his perfect cast.

My fabric bins were raided.

He set up his first scene carefully. I'm not quite sure how the Star Wars Love fit into all of this.As far as I know, George Lucas wasn't around in the 1400's.

Here is Mr. Spock... playing King Ferdinand. Queen Isabella is played by a very uncomfortable looking Avatar. I think Dr. Spock is a breath of fresh air in our history drama. "It is curious how often you humans manage to obtain that which you do not want." Exactly, Mr. Spock.

Han Solo is our persistent Christopher Columbus.

According to his script, Josiah took pictures of each scene carefully. Then he moved on to the next setting. The Ocean Voyage!

I'm not so sure that sending this group out would be my first choice.

I mean really. Darth Vader isn't known for his people skills. And this isn't exactly the Millennium Falcon.

But look who they find once they make land! Wow! Notice everyone in the New World is green. Except for that Warthog Bank from The Lion King. I'm not even sure warthogs live in the Bahamas. Details! Details!

It was great fun for Josiah. I'm not sure I will ever think of the story of Columbus in quite the same way again.

After Josiah chose the pictures he wanted to use, we edited to them and downloaded them to Windows Live Movie Maker. He picked some free music from a free music site (all his choices, I assure you!) and then made his movie.

This is supposed to be his publicity shot. He took it himself, but failed to put it in his film.

So without further ado....Josiah's finished movie!

Isn't it great? You might enjoy some of my other posts for 5 Days of Creative Teaching.

The Case of the Missing Textbook

Cooking School

Game On!

Homeschooling in the Hard Times

I'm linking to 5 Days of Creative Teaching.

Homeschooling Through the Hard Times

Life Happens. Sometimes Life happens a lot. The stories I could tell. 

When I was 24 I had a massive car accident. I had to learn to walk again. It left me with lifelong scars and injuries. A few years later I went into congestive heart failure. When we adopted Josiah (he was 2 weeks old) I guess I kind of figured that motherhood would exempt me from anymore of life’s little surprises.

Wow.Was I wrong. But then again I was wrong about the whole stirrup pants thing, too. I thought they'd be around forever.

There were the usual things. Moves. Job Changes. The Studly Muffin is a pastor so there have been a few of those. Not to mention I had to learn to parent in my limited capacity. And then came another episode of heart failure. Another move. Another move. And another move. When we decided to homeschool Josiah, he was going into the 1^st grade. I knew it would be a challenge for me. After all, I am trained classroom teacher. And one of the reasons I stopped teaching was because of those pesky stamina problems.

There are those around me who would tell me that I was doing Josiah a disservice.  That I couldn’t possibly manage to address some of the learning challenges that were ahead of him and that he would certainly lack in friends and social situations (every hear that one?)

And then there were those self-imposed issues. Guilt for one. How can I parent effectively, let alone teach to my ability when there are days that I seldom function?  Josiah deserves better than that. How can I assure that there is still some sense of normalcy and consistency in our family life when I am anything but normal or consistent? 

 It’s taken me a few years to come to terms with my own guilt and trying to please others in my life. I had to be honest about what was most important to us as a family. 

I needed to leave the guilt behind. For one, I was developing a relationship with my son that went beyond my parental duties. And given the fragility of life…I was providing him with not just memories and a good education…I was providing him with me.

 If all I could give him some days was reading snuggled up on the couch or some real meaningful conversations stretched out across his bed, that was worth it. He has had to learn some things I didn’t wish on him. However, the payoff has been that our family unit is stronger. 

My own expectations of an ideal education had to change. I have had to let go of some of my unrealistic notions. Was a good education for us cramming our day with Latin, guitar lessons, swim practice, Lego club,..we’ve had to pick and choose. 

I would like to share with you some of the things I’ve learned along the way.  

Make Hay While the Sun Shines. I am probably more impulsive than I used to be.  If the sun is shining and there is the makings of a PB&J in the pantry, it is not uncommon for us to take an impromptu field trip to one of our city’s many parks. If you are feeling good..take advantage of it. Seize the Day!

A Well Laid Plan. I realize I sound like I’m contradicting myself. But hear me out.  On days that I am more productive I make sure I am planning ahead for those days that are harder. Do I have the supplies for my planned projects? Have I downloaded what I need for a particular lesson? Is my supply of emergency chocolate chips holding out? I've got my priorities, after all.

The Resource Room.  The Resource Room (a room at school filled with all the supplies a teacher could want) used to be my favorite place. I think nowadays teachers have to come up with many of their own supplies. I make sure that I am constantly building our resource Library. In my homeschool cabinet I have a Math Bucket with easy to play Math Games. We have an Art Bucket, with do-it-yourself kits or supplies. I have a list of science experiments that are easily done with ingredients around the house. And consider this, I am not only teaching my son,  I am teaching him to learn.  What kind of websites can you utilize for learning? Are there computer programs that can assist you?

Bookish. This is a given. Are my shelves filled with books that we can enjoy together? Do I have Audio Books that I can utilize? We try and make it to the library every week. I try and check out at least one or two Audio Books that we can listen to. Nobody says you have to read the book to enjoy it. I love listening to Audio Books, myself.

My Peeps. My support system is very important to me. My friends and family have been my hands and feet. Besides of the tremendous help I have received personally from my in-laws and other family members,  Josiah has benefited from Master Art Classes with my Mom, Learning parties with friends, Nature Hikes with my Dad, Field Trips with Daddy. Think about those around you.  There isn’t anything that says you have to teach everything.

Teaching to Learn. I mentioned before that I am teaching to Josiah to learn. Does he know how to look up facts? Letting him loose with a project is pretty great. It might not always have the desired results I think it should have. I realize that Josiah is 11. You can’t necessarily let your 5-year-old loose with a chemistry set. But, there are 100’s of ideas for sensory boxes, busy bags and learning tubs that can be adapted for any age.

Be Good to Mama. This means you. Mama. You must take care of yourself. I understand. I am not always in control. However, I do know that when I don’t get enough rest, when I run myself ragged, when I don’t eat properly…I will eventually pay for it. We owe it to our families to do what we know how to do.

Just Rest. There will be some seasons that you just need to lay everything aside. Pick a wonderful book and enjoy it together. Simply enjoy your family the best you can.

Grace, Grace, God’s Grace. I believe that God’s Grace has sustained me. There have been things I have just had to leave at the altar. And He has heard my groaning. And He has given me joy. 

 This particular season of our lives has seen a little bit of sunshine. My health is good. I lost 70 pounds this past year (I have more to go). I am getting to do some neat things . I still have enough metal in my body to support a small aircraft (not quite, but almost!) and I will be on some of my medications for the rest of my life.

But every time I see this face I am reminded that I made the right decision. It might be tough...but it's not impossible.

 

You might enjoy other of my 5 Days of Creative Teaching Posts

The Case of the Missing Textbook

Cooking School

Game On

I am linking up to 5 Days of Creative Teaching 

Game On!

True story. When I was a little girl growing  up in the Boston Mountains region of the Ozarks (I know...here she goes again) our bus rides home from school were so long I learned to play Poker like a pro. Who knew that inadequate bus services for the public school would encourage such a skill.

When we finally moved to civilization and closer to my Grandma, my mother implored us kids not to play Poker in front of Grandma. Grandma felt that Poker was one step away from the fiery gates. It is not my intention to offend any of you who have similar convictions (you can breath easy...this is not a post about Poker). But it wasn't uncommon for my brother with his buddies to be playing Poker on the front porch and have to throw the cards in the bushes when he saw Grandma's Chrysler coming down the street.

My Poker playing days are behind me (I haven't been on a school bus since the '80's, for one), but I still love to play games. We get more enjoyment out of a Family Game night than about anything. And don't get me started on the wonderful learning games you can coax out of deck of playing cards. Actually, I'll talk about those in just a minute. Plus, a few of my favorite "gamey" things I've made and our newest favorite board game.

I want to show you one of Josiah's more recent projects.

He created his own Board Game.

And it's pretty Whoopty-do!

We first talked about the concept for his game. He knew he wanted to create some sort of Mystery game. (He's all into mysteries right now). He decided he didn't want a Clue kind of game, but instead more in the line of Candy Land.

He also decided that instead of  the game board being all squares and lines like a Monopoly game, He wanted to created lots of twists and turns. He created his path on the board and then we colored in the squares. Like the Easter Grass in his hair? He was digging in his toy buckets for the right props for inspiration. I shouldn't admit to this, but I haven't got out any Easter Grass this year, yet. Yup. That grass is from last year, my friends.

He also decided that he wanted the detectives (the players) to reach the Pathways (the game is called the Mystery of the Missing Pathways). And after reaching the Pathways they could choose to go through doors A, B, or C. Certain doom or a wonderful surprise would be awaiting you. Depending on the door you chose.  See my big tote of fabric in the background. I told you all that the Fabric has taken over my house. I was serious!

We typed up some cards (I just simply made a form using a table in MS Word) and he figured out what manner of mishaps or lucky breaks you were to receive along the way.

The players take turns rolling the dice. If you land on a spot with a sticker (we used simple dollar store stickers) you have to draw a card. Hopefully, I'll get that one that encourages me to go to the Donut Shop!
As you can see he used Action Figures from his Ginormous Stash. 

Here he is. Explaining the wonder of it all.

Pretty fun stuff, huh? Oh. And he used the back of a large poster frame that had come apart. It was wonderfully sturdy and free.  He's already to try it out with his friends and his Daddy. I sure hope Daddy doesn't get locked in the room of spiders.

So I promised just a few other of my favorite Gamey things. I love using items that we already have or are easy to find.

 

Josiah and his cousin Christopher are playing War. Which I think is a genius way to learn math facts. In fact, Let's Play Math, a blog filled with tons of Math game ideas, has been a life saver. I would urge you to go try it out.  I have a Math Bucket filled with fun things Josiah can use to practice his skills at any time.


This next game has to be mentioned. It's just plain fun. Headbands! You can check us out playing with the Cousins. 

I also want to show you these little darlings. I made these owl bean bag babies. I got tired of trying to find all the various bean bags we've had over the years.For one, they were dull and unfun. These are as cute as they can be. We most recently took these to a friend's house for a Bean Bag Toss Game. Warning. Don't let their cuteness fool you. They can be used as missiles.

My last little "Game On" Shout Out is to Classic Bingo (with a twist) These are so simple to make. I used these with a variety of kids this year for Valentine's. I love that you can personalize them to fit any occasion.

Okey Dokey. I've given you a few of my favorite do-it-yourself, got it have it, and to- cute- pass up game ideas.

Go Get Your Game On!

I'm linking up to 5 Days of Creative Teaching!

Cooking School

The very first thing I remember making entirely by myself was a cake (from scratch) with blueberry icing. It was my Mom's birthday. She and my Dad had gone out for dinner. I set my Little Bro and Baby Sister to decorating the house with toilet paper streamers. And I baked the cake. The cake itself was a bit of a mess. I didn't let it cook completely (I've always had a bit of an issue with instant gratification) and I used frozen blueberries. Now. I know what you are thinking. Blueberry frosting? It sounded pretty to me. Unfortunately, the result was more of a watery, sugary blueberry mass that floating across the raw center of the cake.

My parents, however, were gracious. They ate every bit of that soggy cake. I know I've told this story before. But even though my efforts at 11 or 12 weren't the most successful, I am grateful for every minute my Mom let me spend in the kitchen...stirring, cracking, mixing...I can even appreciate clean up duty!

Maybe that's why I feel so strongly about teaching my son to cook. I feel pretty strongly about equipping him with Life Skills...one of those being cooking. And as he is my only child he gets to be my kitchen helper quite a bit.

Besides our weekly and daily cooking escapades in the kitchen, I want to tell you about something super exciting that we do. We Host a Cooking School for kids. 

Our Cooking School participants are generally our cousins. Where would you get yours from?

Haul the neighbor kids in. Invite the cousins over. Or if you have a large family, make it point to set out a time once a week or once a month for a bonafide cooking class. Sure. There are plenty of  culinary skills your kids can learn just by helping you in the kitchen. But Cooking School, my friends, involves just a bit more than tearing lettuce, mixing a cake mix or spreading out pizza dough.

But first things first. 

Why teach your kids to cook? I feel like I’m preaching to the choir. Teaching kids to cook helps with math skills, science, practices following directions and builds family relationships. (Try our family recipe for Christmas Fudge).

 My favorite thing about teaching kids to cook is that it prepares them for life. They have control over their health and wellness by participating in their own food preparation. They will be able to manage their budgets more effectively because they can cook from scratch at home.

So you want to host your own cooking school? Here are a few things I have learned along the way
.

Where? You might have an itty bitty space. I understand. My kitchen is about the size of a dressing room at Macy’s.  So I make sure that any groups I have in my home are manageable. For big groups I use my Mom’s kitchen. She has room for large folding tables. If I am going to use my kitchen I plan a recipe that is easily prepared from my cozy kitchen table.(This 321 Cake is a perfect recipe for a small crowd)

 

When? Set aside enough time for Cooking school. We do Cooking School every year at our Annual Cousin Camp. A good portion of the morning is set aside. That way there is enough time for instruction and for each and every child to become a participant.

What? Think about the kinds of things you feel kids should know how to cook. When we have our cooking school at Cousin Camp I use a mixture of family heritage recipes and items that are just plain fun and/or recipes that employ a practical technique.  I also am mindful of ingredients that we might already have one hand. Just a little tip. Baking is one of the easier things to teach during Cooking School. And there is something magic about creating a whole concoction out of a few ingredients.(Here is a perfectly wonderful recipe for Biscuits!)

Getting Ready. What kinds of cooking utensils do you need? Do you have enough ingredients? The Dollar Tree is a wonderful spot for extra mixing bowls, mixing spoons and cooking mats. How about your recipe? I make an additional copy in easy to read print and instructions.  If I have a smaller group I use individual recipe cards. My larger groups get a poster I’ve made. How about dish clothes, aprons, and any kind of foil or wax paper? Be sure you are prepared.

The Lesson. The first thing we always begin with are Kitchen Rules. These important rules help  kids navigate a kitchen safely. I always have a fun poster displayed. I also to refer to the rules all through the lesson. When I begin the lesson I generally divide and conquer. I arrange the kids into teams that can work together. I also decide how I am going to separate the tasks (if at all). I also model each step. If you yourself feel uncomfortable in the kitchen this is also a good opportunity to brush up on your culinary skills. (Take a look at this collection of week's worth of Cooking School Recipes we did at Cousin Camp a few years ago.

The following is a video from last year’s Cousin Camp. We are making homemade bread. Notice that they are learning important measuring techniques. It’s hard for me to believe but I have lost nearly 70 pounds since that video was taken.  Yay me! Only one little hiccup. When I uploaded it I did something wrong. We all sounded like the Chipmunks...mumbly Chipmunks at that. So I added some music. We made bread that day!

Add your own special memories.  

This is a little cookbook I made before Cousin Camp one year. The recipe cards were added every day. I can’t find last years book. It must have been that good. Don’t go for any kind of wow factor. Since Cousin Camp is generally a big fat hairy deal the more I have done ahead of time the better. But letting kids start their own personal recipe collection is a pretty special thing.

I enjoy making aprons. We have also taken plain aprons from the craft store and decorated them. Otherwise you can borrow or find a collection of aprons from the thrift store.

Here is a link for a free apron tutorial and chef's hat. I have made several of the hats. They are really darling!

Consider a Field Trip. Are you able take a trip to a grocery store or farmer’s market? We are blessed that my parents have a large garden. One year we took a trip to the herb garden. We then picked our own special herb blend for Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs. The  kids were so proud. I did ask somebody to bring me in some Rosemary on one occasion and got lavender, but hey! That’s pretty good!

Happy Cooking!

This post is part of the the Schoolhouse Review Crew's 5 Days of Creative Teaching.

The Case of the Missing Textbook

It was a dark and stormy night...

Maybe not. It wasn't dark or stormy and it certainly wasn't night.

I shuffled into the room, accidentally sloshing my cup of peppermint tea on my already crusty pajama top. What was that? Oatmeal? I hope. I sighed and made my way over to the couch my office.

The place isn’t much to look at. In fact, the whole building kind of looks like a stack of stale graham crackers. But we’ve called this little apartment on the 2^nd floor home for a few years now. And if you can get past the large mountain of sewing stuff in front of the bookcase or the road bikes parked in the living room…it’s not so bad.  

My mine drifted to the case at hand. Where did I put that crazy thing? I glanced over to the last place I had seen it. Waving away a strange urge to catch a train in Constantinople or wrap myself in a tweed cloak, I got up to take a closer look.

"Hah! Maybe someone took it, "I said.

A small voice from the table spoke up.

"Are you talking to yourself again, Mom?" It was The Boy.

"Of course, not. Probably. Yes. I'm talking to myself. Have you seen it?"

"What?"

"Have you seen your science book I put it right here!" I looked closer at the spot. What was that? A buttermilk glass ring and what looked like to be Strawberry Pop Tart Crumbs. I picked one up and tasted it. Yup. Strawberry Pop Tarts.

I thought for a moment. Hmm. The only person in the house that would leave behind a buttermilk glass ring is The Studly Muffin. But what would he do with a science textbook? That left the Strawberry Pop Tarts.

Mighty peculiar. I looked suspiciously at The Boy sitting at the table. He loved Strawberry Pop Tarts. And what was that in the corner of his mouth? A bit of Pop Tart? The more I thought about it  he did look a little shifty. And a little too pleased with himself. For one thing he was building some sort of strange contraption. A getaway car? A flotation device? Something to block Downtown Abbey from ever appearing on the television set again?

"Mom! Did you see this. I made a simple pulley. If I attach this Storm Trooper to this end of the pulley it will lift him up....." He want on to describe some sort of sci-ency stuff. I have no idea what he was talking about. My expertise extend only to things I can make up.

But I knew when I was licked. This kid didn't need that science book to learn science. I sighed. If you can't beat 'em...join 'em. I sat down at the table, picked up Darth Vader and said, "Okay then. Show me what we can do with him."

Case Closed.

Do you ever feel as if you are lost in the deep murky mysteries of a textbook? Have your child’s eyes become listless and shall we say it, Bored?”'

This is where Delight Directed Teaching comes in. 

Delight Directed Teaching makes up a good bit of our schooling. I’m not quite an unschooler. I was educated as a classroom teacher. I’ve had to rewire my brain just a bit. And I do enjoy planning. But there is something pretty terrific about allowing my son to follow his interests and passions. 

Just this past week Josiah asked me if he could write a mystery story. Why Surely! Josiah has had a fascination as of late for mystery stories. And because I am a bit gaga over the genre myself I have been only happen to indulge. 

I want to share with my steps of planning said Mystery Story. Maybe it will help you dip your toes into the fun world of Delight Directed Teaching. No textbooks needed 

First of all,  I kept a notebook of things I wish to accomplish. It is not a specific lesson plan. I wrote enough of those in college. With all those standards and objectives. Very dreary.  Instead I make a list of resources that I wanted to pull together so that I could assist Josiah with his project.

I looked through our library. If I could give any advice to any homeschooler is that you need to always be building your library. Many of our books I found at The Thrift Store.  I piled up a variety of mystery novels for inspiration. If perchance I don’t have what I want I make a list and put the books I want on hold at the library. We have a large city library system and I know I can get quite a few good ones. If the subject matter is say, more historical in nature, I make sure that there are plenty of books, magazine articles, etc.  for research.

My first place to look for supporting movies, videos, etc. is Netflix. I found a few movies appropriate to the subject and Josiah’s viewing guidelines and added them to our "Watch Instantly List." I always like to add a movie experience to whatever we are studying. I also found clips of famous detectives on Youtube.

 Are there things that we can do that brings the subject to life? In this case Josiah's goal is write a mystery story. From his reading and watching he gets inspiration. Now I must teach him to organize his thoughts into characters, clues and intrigue. 

I use  Pinterest a lot! What a happy place for the homeschooler! I believe I could find a resource for about any kind of lesson, unit on Pinterest. You can check out the board I made on detectives. 

Are there any field trips we can take? Maybe not this week, but maybe a teacher or another homeschooler has created a lapbook or unit study that I can incorporate. Here are some of my favorite sites to check out.

• Teacherspayteachers.com
•  Teachersnotebook.com
• Currclick.com
• Homeschoolshare.com
• Handsofachild.com
• Scholastic.com

So do I worry about gaps learning this way? Not really. It used to stress me out a bit. But I've realized that he learns so much when he's truly interested. Think about this. By researching the mystery genre and then writing his own mystery story he learns about story elements. His writing skills are polished.  He puts his editing skills to work. And instead of using random sentences from a textbook, he is learning by using his own words. And he has a finished product he can be proud of. 

I gave you an example of Josiah's mystery writing career as part of our Delight Directed Approach, but I have used the same method for many different things. Sharks. Levers and Pulleys (MacGyver, anyone?), Archeology (Indiana Jones), Snakes, Pond Life...and it goes on and on. 

So, dear friends, I hope you are inspired to add a little mystery and intrigue into your schooling every now and again. And lose the textbook...at least every once in a while.

Rebekah

I am linking up with some of my fellow TOS crew bloggers for the 5 Days of Creative Teaching!