Elementary

  • Icy Nature Study

    If you live anywhere near a pond when it freezes over, this is a great nature study activity! We headed out in the very cold wind to bring a sample of ice home from the pond.  After trying to break the ice with a knife (which usually works), then a large rock (which almost always…

  • A True Unit Study Day

    Not everyday is a full unit study day around here, but today was one of those days where every subject just fit perfectly into the Lewis and Clark portion of our Westward Expansion unit.  (Except Bible time.  I could have fit that in, too, but we’re working our way through Hebrews and I didn’t want…

  • Winter Learning Centers

    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. So, in different places…

  • December Reading

    Great December Reading   Oh, and have you met God?  Apparently Eli has!  Every time he gets his busy little fingers on a Santa ornament he says, “God.”  (Very reverently, I might add.)  His innocent little eyes looking up at us with complete seriousness that he is holding God right in his chubby little hands. …

  • Names of Jesus Unit

    This has been such a relaxing and awesome study!  Using Easy Fun School’s free unit titled The Names of Jesus, we’ve spent a little time each day focusing on one of His names from the Bible and creating a scrapbook-style keepsake for each name. I chose not to include most of the other suggestions from…

  • Math and Science – Bridges

    Our “math break” continues to bring lively and rich lessons!  One of the projects from Hardhatting in a Geo-World concerned bridge construction.  We had to make six different bridges and test their strength. After completing the activity and filling in the chart provided, I had the kiddos show their findings with homemade graphs. The book…

  • Hardhatting in a Geo-World

    We are having SO much fun with this book!  A little break from the regular math schedule has turned out to include such exciting math and science that my kids are actually asking to do more.  🙂 Here are some photos from one of this week’s investigations…. Cylinder structures – Using various sized cardboard tubes…

  • Stuffed Felt Ornaments

      These turned out so cute, and they were fairly easy for a beginning to intermediate sewing project. Draw the shape onto a piece of felt, making it about 1/4″ bigger than you’d like the finished product to be. Double the felt and cut out the front and back pieces at the same time. Decide…

  • American Revolution Unit

    The American Revolution is such an exciting and inspiring time in our country’s amazing history!  As always, we learned so much through our literature-based, project-based unit study. My children were in 5th and 2nd grades during this four+ week study. American Revolution Resources   Internet Scavenger Hunt Living Literature We read and listened to many,…