Well, I have been busy around here-- organizing, scribbling down notes to myself about things we need for our upcoming school year, reading and re-reading the teacher's manuals to make sure I know what I need to buy or prepare in advance. Today I spent most of the day researching information for our venture into lapbooking beginning next week. We will start with dolphins and move on from there, with one subject to focus on per month. Right now I have our lapbooking time scheduled for them to work on during the baby's naptime. (Though I will admit she is hardly a baby anymore-- she will be three at the end of August!)
I had intended to wait to start school until the day after Labor Day, but now that my olders are in school, my youngers are actually asking to get started. So, I told them that I would scramble around and get at least part of our stuff ready to ease into our school routine gradually beginning next week. Last night I painstakingly wrote out our schedule and researched different resources that we will be using for our biography study.
Here is our schedule for our monthly lapbooking themes:
August: Dolphins
September: The History of Pizza
October: Apples/Johnny Appleseed
November: Thanksgiving
December: Christmas
January: Tis The Season (Treasure Box Press kit)
February: Human Body
March: T is For Tarheel (a book based on the state of NC)
April: TBD
May: TBD
I am leaving the last two months open just so we can plug in some of their interests/requests. Today my 3rd grader sat beside me while I was looking at stuff online and she fired off several things she wanted to study-- frogs, owls, butterflies, and horses. She is actually the one who chose "The History Of Pizza" while looking over my shoulder at CurrClick today. I was on there to buy these great Johnny Appleseed lapbook guides for just $1 and she spied the one on the history of pizza. "Oh mom, can we do that one? Please! Please!" At a price of just $10, I figured, why not?! I am sure we will try our hand at making our own pizza during that unit, as well as learn a lot more than any one human being ever needed to know about why and how pizza was invented! Because it is an ebook, I was able to instantly download it and have already looked through it-- it's actually quite interesting.
And so, that explains where I have been these past few days-- not a lot of time for blogging or anything else while you are in the throes of reading and research! And I am just enough of a nerd to enjoy that sort of thing-- Surely some of you understand...
6 comments:
I am curious. What is a lapbook? I have never heard of it. I'm a future teacher--I'm in my last year right now--and I am curious if it's something I would be able to use in an elementary classroom.
Oh, how I understand! I actually started my research for this school year last March! The schedule has been complete for nearly a month now, but I still research daily!
We have only been lapbooking sporadically-just when I feel like we need a fun craft or when I think we are learning something that needs to be reinforced. But I like the idea of having a specefic time to work on it...I guess I'll go back to planner *grin*.
I just wanted to say I'm so glad to have found your blog too! It's always so nice to "meet" other large families.
I'm certain to be here often as I'm hopelessly addicted to reading great blogs! :o)
We're revamping our homeschool & are about to include Unit Studies-they just seem so fun!
Thanks for the inspiration & ideas!
Thanks for sharing the currclick site - I went there today and found just what I was trying to piece together for our unit study on government and elections. I have printed it out and it is PERFECT for what I had in mind!!
Okay, so where did you find the history of pizza unit study? Or did you come up with it yourself? I know it would be a hit at our home!! We are currently doing a unit based on "The Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil..." which encompasses art appreciation, quite fun. I am always on the lookout for unit ideas and yours sound great!!
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