Ruler Review - Elementary

As spring comes on and seeds need to get in the ground, I call it Horticulture Math Day.  My 10 year old is always happy for a change of pace for math.  Using a yard stick, some sticks or rocks as markers for the rows and some seeds he heads out with his clipboard and pencil.  This year Horticulture Math included making a diagram of the seed placement in the bed.  Garden Tip:  For best germination only bury the seed as deep as it is long.

Teens and Writing: How to inspire written creativity

Recently, I started a homeschool teen creative writing class. It may be important to add that I don't think of myself as a strong writer. I enjoy writing and telling stories however what has stopped me from writing more then I do is the mechanics of writing. (Even now I find myself deleting what I have already written because I have a little voice in my head that's saying "that's wrong!" whether it is or not. )

When I was in school  (yes, I was public schooled), teachers I had focused more on grammar, spelling, sentence structure and the other rights and wrongs of writing. All of these are extremely important. We have to learn how to correctly execute a written piece for people to really understand what you are trying to convey.  The problem is forcing these skills can lead to a writing revolt in some children.

By the time most home schooled kids reach high school age, they have already learned basic writing  skills. My guess is they also have read a ton of books. ( Reading is by far the best grammar teacher, the more people read, the stronger their grammar skills!) Most teens already know what they like or don't like (or more correctly put, they know what they will put energy into and what they won't. )

Last fall I decided I wanted my children to write more.  My oldest daughter, who is of high school age, loved writing. Most of her work was 'private' and only allowed to be viewed during those special times when she wanted to share. I was really impressed by her writing however I noticed that her story lines were very similar as were her characters.

My middle child, who happens to be middle school age, hated writing ( and hate is probably a much happier, lighter word to use than how she actually felt). She would avoided writing like the plague.

So, how was I going to inspire one child to write and the other to think outside the writing box she built around herself? I knew a few things to get me started. First,  I decided right away that I did not want to crush the creative spirt by starting with writing mechanics. I knew if I did that, I would loss my children in the writers abyss, their work never to be read again. I also thought that reading their work out loud to others may help them to improve their writing (hearing yourself read a piece aloud will help you to catch mistakes. If it sounds incorrect, it probably is).

The teen creative writers group was born. Every week, a small group meets at my house. We start by reading  the assignment that was given the week before. After a students reads their piece, the others have a chance to comment. The students love writing, reading and listening to the stories. Most of the class is filled with giggles and smiles mixed in with a lot of positive feedback from their peers.

In just a few weeks, I have noticed a huge improvement in my children's writing and motivation to write. I have received positive feedback from the families involved saying the teens are enjoying the class. Plus,  all the kids are completing their assignments. I have yet to hear one of them say "My dog ate my homework."

Over the next several weeks, I will be posting about the class and exercises we completed.  The main goal of this group is to first get them inspired and wanting to write. Next, work on the details. It's easier to want to improve a skill when you find enjoyment within it rather than perfecting a skill you never find enjoyment in.

Journey North - Mapping, Graghing, Predicting, Oh My?

Okay not quite the rhyming scenario required but you get my drift! :) A great homeschool mom turned me on to this via her little yahoo list called Homeschool Tips. By going directly to the following site (http://www.learner.org/jnorth/mclass/) you get to sign up to locate/try to locate 10 different mystery classes located all over the globe using photo period (hours of daylight) to determine the locations. In addition to learning how to determine photo period we've also been studying/reviewing longitude, latitude, rotation of the earth on it's axis and around the sun.  This is an fairly independent work for middle and high school ages, a bit more help need for the elementary ages but well worth it.  After they submit their "guesses" the locations are revealed with great photos and further information on the locations by the Mystery Classes.  Check it out!

Real Science 4 Kids: Chemistry Level I; Chapter 7

I run this class at my home with two other families.  We do a review of the chapter that the kids read at home and then preform experiments together on Science Fridays.  The experiment for Chapter 7 is great however it doesn't work for a class due to the time for the mixture to separate. 

Here's how I worked around it, we did the experiment using paper towels, food coloring and a bowl of water.  The colors separated (not all so be sure and check before running class) and were done separating before class was over.  As for the experiment in the curriculum, we prepped the coffee filters and showed how to set up the experiment.  Each kid was sent home with prepped filters, colored ink pens and the ability to run their experiment at home themselves.