Posted by Cindy on January 21, 2009
Lewis and Clark kept wonderfully detailed journals as they charted unknown American territory in the early 1800′s. Their journals included everything from a daily diary of events to sketches and descriptions of new plants and animals along the way to maps of the land around them.
To help my children understand the scope of what was included in the Lewis and Clark journals, we created worn leather journals from old paper bags in which I asked the kids to jot down all sorts of notes throughout one of our homeschool days.
The journals….
Take a flat section of brown paper bag and crinkle it up until it looks like worn leather when smoothed out again.
Carefully burn the edges to give the journal even more of a weathered look.
Line several sheets of white paper on top of the paper bag.
Lay the papers on top of a piece of wood. Hammer several holes all the way through the papers using a large nail and a hammer.
Use whatever string you desire (we used raffia) and whatever lacing method you desire to lace the pages together.
Fold the notebook in half and there you have a ready-made journal.
Here’s what we included in the journals throughout the day…
Notes from important events throughout the day.
Sketches of interesting plants and animals we found on a winter nature walk. I also asked the kids to include notes to describe the plants and animals as if they’d never seen them before. If we were able to find tracks from the animals, they added sketches of those as well.
We couldn’t decide who had made these little tracks, but they were one of the few finds on our cold and blustery walk.
And finally, the journals included a map of the hiking area.
We tracked our journey into the “unknown” so we could find our way home. (This left nice little treats for the critters, too.)
This was all part of our super-fun unit study day yesterday. Today we’ve caught Oregon Fever!
Posted by Cindy on January 19, 2009
The time has come to set out some winter learning centers. Even though the kids get outside almost everyday still, it’s just too cold to stay out for long. Without friendly reminders around the house, one of my sweet children will do nothing but beg to watch the TV for hours. (Anyone who knows us can guess which of my lovely children that might be!)
So, in different places around the house, I have stashed a few small boxes and baskets of creative things for my children to do if the desire strikes. (Or if I’m so sick of hearing the TV question that I demand their desire to strike. 
)
The first four were inspired by LaPaz Home Learning. A small sample of abstract art and oil pastels for recreating the artwork. Another small sample of abstract art, this time with chalk pastels. A few cards of architecture/machines, Sculpey clay and some “around the house” tools for recreating 3-D models. And a bag of marshmallows and toothpicks for creating…. whatever.
There are also math manipulatives that we don’t use often during school time scattered about. Fraction circles, pattern blocks and geo boards.
A few science kits – electricity, chemistry and magic tricks. (Thank the Lord for grandparents who buy these fun kits for gifts!)
I’ve also been checking out more books on tape/CD for the kids to listen to as they knit or sew or clean their rooms.
Don’t get me wrong. My children don’t always flock to these things. If I let them, they (well one of them) will always choose TV over the wonderful extra-fun learning activities I’ve so diligently and thoughtfully placed around the house. Sometimes, real boredom has to be experienced before any of these things seems inviting.
Posted by Cindy on January 6, 2009
Snow Toward Evening
Suddenly the sky turned gray,
The day,
Which had been bitter and chill,
Grew soft and still.
Quietly
From some invisible blossoming tree
Millions of petals cool and white
Drifted and blew,
Lifted and flew,
Fell with the falling might.
~Melville Cane
Welcome to the first edition of the Charlotte Mason Carnival in 2009! You sure are in for a treat as there are over 30 posts to savor and enjoy. I know there are gems to be found in every CM Carnival, but this one is full of really great posts! I hope you’ll take the time to encourage each one of the writers with a kind comment. Enjoy!
Thinking About a New Start to the Year
Jimmie of One Child Policy Homeschool shares her new scheduling plans in Rotation Scheduling for Our Homeschool. She also shares an eye opening post about living math in Living Math is Not Quick or Neat.
Dana from School For Us gets us thinking about being passionate homeschoolers in Great Teachers.
Penny from Our Crazy Adventures in Autismland! reviews her learning goals for the new year in Task #64 Make 1 yr and 5 yr Homeschool Plans. She continues the planning as she shares Our New School Schedule! WooHoo! I am on a roll!!
Sandy from Falling Like Rain has been rethinking some things for the upcoming school year, too, and shared them in A Peek Inside My Planner.
Makita of Twinkling Stars Family School reviews last semester’s plans and makes goals to improve on a few things in Change of Direction – Mid Year Review.
Christin of Journey to a Gracious Woman has written a post about all the CM goals she has for the upcoming months in As We Resume School.
Jennefer of Smooth Stone Academy is just beginning her journey into CM style learning. She shares some of her thoughts in Learnings From Miss Mason.
Our CM Carnival organizer deserves a big thank you in her comment section! Jamie from Rose CottageIntentional Homeschooling shares some of her thoughts about school and life in .
Preschool
The Queen of Carrots from Introducing the World talks about Charlotte Mason’s ideas on reading books versus storytelling with preschoolers in Tell, Don’t Show.
I have a busy toddler in the house who can make school challenging (to say the least!) I’ve written a post called Taming the Toddler to remind myself of things to keep him meaningfully busy while the big kids are involved in school work.
Habit Training
Anne of French Kids Don’t Get Fat takes an interesting look at Charlotte Mason’s thoughts on reward systems as they relate to getting our children to eat well in How You Might Be Teaching Your Child to Hate the Very Foods You Most Want Him to Eat.
Teaching Ideas
Lapbooking has become a popular method of recording lessons learned. Lynn from Eclectic EducationChristmas Lapbook shares one of her son’s latest creations and links in .
Artist and Composer Study
Kris from Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers presents Simple Artist and Composer Studies at Homeschool Bliss.
Barb from Harmony Art Mom gets us thinking about a topic we may or may not have ever considered in Art Books-How to Deal with Nudity.
Patti from Charlotte Mason in America gives tips about artist study, including some nice links, in Art.
Melissa of Living Life Between the Trees had me chuckling as I read her post about artist study in Do Art (Not Crafts).
Amanda from Hearts and Trees continues her watercolor tutorial series in Watercolor Techniques #8 Watercolor Splatters.
Handicrafts
5intow from Delighting in His Richness gives a wonderful paper quilling tutorial in Giving and Quilling.
Living Learning
Kris of At Home Science has started a new blog called Education is the Science of Relations. She shares an interesting post about twaddle free viewing and listening in Living Media.
Molly of Counter-Culture School shares a post from her series about living literature in Whatever is Noble: Hero Stories.
Nature Study
Jonnia of Giggles, Wiggles and Wonder takes us on an impromptu nature study in Unofficial Outdoor Hour.
Julie of Homeschooling Ideas gets us thinking about displaying nature finds in Homeschool Nature Table.
Melissa from In the Sparrow’s Nest gives us some great winter activity ideas in Snowflake Craft and Project – Paper Snowflakes and Borax Snowflakes. She also encourages us to get outside and enjoy winter in Winter Nature Study.
Barb shares a post encouraging a winter nature study of birds in Watching Sparrows and Learning Their Habits on her nature blog Handbook of Nature Study.
Candace from His Mercy is New shares all sorts of snowy ideas in A Winter Nature Study. She also shows a wonderful idea for keeping nature study memories in A Nature Scrapbook.
Shannon from Song of My Heart gives several practical and fun ideas for studying nature this season in Winter Nature Fun!
Theresa of Grace Like Rain also gives several practical and fun ideas for nature study this season in Winter Nature Study.
Jacci (if you’ll remember as the founder of the Charlotte Mason Carnival) is back with a new blog called Understanding Charlotte. She shares a post about getting outside in winter in Winter Nature Walks (a.k.a. a mother self-talks through the PNEU motto to combat her SAD and get her grumpy self outside).
And believe it or not, there’s one more exciting thing to tell before this carnival wraps up…. Barb from Handbook of Nature Study has come up with a plan to help us all get ourselves moving with winter nature study. It’s called Winter Wednesday. Click on the button to see what it’s all about. I hope to be able to join Barb and many of you some weeks!
Ladies, thanks for starting off 2009 with such a great carnival full of practical Charlotte Mason ideas! I pray 2009 is a year full of wonderful memories with your children. Take time to snuggle with them during these peaceful winter days.
Nest of Pleasant Thoughts will be hosting the next CM Carnival in two weeks. Be sure to submit a post here.
Posted by Cindy on January 4, 2009
Our Pioneer unit will soon be underway! I thought I’d share some of our plans as I try to get my thoughts organized.
I’ve added some links, activity books and literature books that I plan to use for our Pioneer Unit in my sidebar – scroll pretty far down.
Here’s the rest of the plan….
Daily
Copywork Quotes from Amanda Bennett’s Pioneers
Timeline and Map work
Reading/Research
Work on one or more projects (project ideas below) and/or work on a hands-on project from Westward Ho!, Pioneer Days or Wild West Days
Order of Learning – most of the outline comes from Amanda Bennett’s Pioneers, I have noted when I added something with an *.
Daniel Boone – pioneer, frontier boundaries after Revolutionary War, Wilderness Road, Northwest Ordinance
Thomas Jefferson – Louisiana Purchase
Lewis and Clark – Northwest Passage, plants and animals discovered (nature journals), geographic barriers, cartography, map of Native American tribes across N. America
Sacagawea – conestoga wagons, Monroe Doctrine, fur trade, Oregon Fever (*use some of the Sacagawea unit)
*War of 1812 – America & Great Britain, disagreement over shipping & trade on seas – Embargo Act, Henry Clay, fought in America & Canada, Star Spangled Banner, Treaty of Ghent
Jedediah Smith – Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail (*use bits and pieces of Oregon Trail and Santa Fe Trail units)
Davy Crockett – prairie schooner, Jason Lee, Independence Rock
*Trail of Tears – Indian Removal Act, Andrew Jackson, Cherokee history
Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) – six states created from 1816-1821, wagon groupings, Pony Express
*The Battle of the Alamo – some of Alamo unit
*Oklahoma Land Run – some of Oklahoma Land Run unit
*Chisolm Trail and Cowboys – some of Chisolm Trail unit, Buffalo Bill, Ben Holladay, Annie Oakley, Wild Bill Hickock
Potential Projects
Choose one major pioneer to research and complete a biography project.
Choose one major westward expansion movement or event and create a presentation project.
Interview grandma (who is very much into our family’s history) about a pioneer relative. Put together a book including the story behind the person with pictures if able.
Plan and prepare for a “no electricity day”.
Prepare a book report on assigned chapter book.
As usual, I’ll be sharing bits and pieces of the unit as we go along. As my blog’s title says, we’re just about ready to go on “Our Journey Westward”!
Posted by Cindy on April 7, 2008
Thoughts of a 7 3/4-year-old boy on public school….
Mom, you know what I would like about going to public school? What? The school bus – and nothing else. Well, maybe the cafeteria, too. Why would you like the school bus? Because you don’t have to wear seat belts. Oh, and I like the brown or blue seats, too. Oh, and I like the way the doors open.
The school bus might actually be my worst nightmare about public school!
