The first activity is “Down the Drain”. It involves a science project asking :
“How much water is wasted while waiting for tap water to become warm?”
The second activity is “All about Earth Day”. It involves a community service project
about creating environmental awareness by having the kids decorate grocery bags that the local grocers could hand out. This project apparently was started by a third grade teacher and the website is:
I believe writing should be fun for kids. I don’t believe they should be made to write things like business letters especially in third grade like they do in California. I also think that writing should be focused more on creative writing as opposed to grammar, editing, etc. We keep a minimalist approach to the technical aspects of writing. Each year we touch a little bit on it, but the majority of our time is spent on creative writing. We want to encourage imagination and inventiveness, not “school” it out of them.
Practice is essential to good writing. Make time for writing:
1) Free writing. (Adapted from “Writing Magic“). 2-4 times per week have a 10 minute free writing session. We vary it by week and by time of day. We have a special notebook for their free writing. I also ask that they date the page. The more they practice writing, the better they will be. The important aspect here is that it is free writing. Then can write whatever they want as messy as they want. There is to never be any criticism, analysis, editing, etc. 2) Review free writing. Once every 3-4 months, have them spend some time reviewing their free writing. Make sure they mark any writing that they really enjoyed and might want to expand into a story or poem, etc. If they want to share some with you great, but it isn’t to be edited or analyzed.
Here are some lesson plans we like to do for beginning story writing. It does not cover much ground, just the basics. We don’t touch on themes or editing. Most are adapted from the books below.
For more complete lesson plans on creative writing, refer to the books.
1) Complete story exercises. (Some adapted from “How to Write a Story” and “Writing Magic“) Breaking big tasks into small tasks makes anything easier whether it is a child or an adult.
a) Characters – put up a picture of a character. It could be a dog, an elderly lady, an astronaut, a cowboy, or whatever you can find. Then ask them to describe the character. Make sure they include both how they look and behave – plenty of adjectives and adverbs.
b) Setting – give each child a picture of a setting that only they can see. A picture without characters but shows a landscape or room or building, etc. Then ask them to describe the setting. Make sure they use plenty of adjectives. Then have them read their setting aloud. Next, you and/or the other kids should try to draw the setting based on the description. And last, compare your drawing to the original picture.
c) Plot – Read chapter 10 “Suffer” from “Writing Magic“. Have them describe three bad things that could happen to their character. Make sure they describe how the character feels and behaves as these bad things happen. You can use a new character or the one from the character exercise.
d) Plot 2 – You could also review the 7 basic plots as summarized in “Seize the Story” and have them describe a story idea for each or some of the 7 basic plots.
( Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, The Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, Rebirth, Endless Variety, Cause and Effect).
e) Conclusions – Have them read a couple short stories or excerpts from a story and then write two different conclusions for each excerpt.
f) Show don’t tell – We also like to do metaphor, simili, personification, etc. exercises. You can find some in chapter 7 of “Adventures in Fantasyland“. For example, a personification exercise might be giving human abilities to things like a cloud, a mountain, a car, a rock, etc.
2) Write a Story
a) Craft the Setting. (Adapted from “Adventures in Fantasyland“). Have them make a map of their setting. Embellish the map with borders, character domains and terrain symbols from the book.
b) Craft the Characters. For starting out, it may be best to limit them to 2 characters a protagnist and antagonist. Otherwise, it may take too long to write the story and they may get bored with the process. Have them draw the characters and color it in using color pencils. Then describe each character – the way he looks and the way he behaves. Then contrast the protaganist and the antagonist using the worksheet on p.119 in “Adventures in Fantasyland“.
c) Craft the Plot. (Adapted from “Adventures in Fantasyland“). Take a poster board and have them draw two hills connected by a valley as on page 122. Then have them label 4 points along the path, one on the first hill, 2 in the middle path, 1 on the last hill. (For brevity we limit the conflicts to 4 to start). Have them label each mark conflict #1, conflict #2 and so on. Under each conflict, they
should describe the conflict and then the solution.
d) Write the story.
Here are some great resources to help you put together lesson plans on writing:
1) Writing Magic by Gail Levine
- Appeals to the young writer
- I read first chapter, then put it down, she immediately grabbed it and read the whole book! This from a child who hates “how to” books (her words).
- Great story starters
- Intro chapter great for negative nannies
- We liked the book so much, we had to go buy it. Originally we got it at the local library.
March 14th is Pi day – apparently celebrated around the world according to the AIMS Education Foundation. I’ve never celebrated it before but I like the idea. It’s also a great time to introduce the concept of Pi. A great way to do that is with the AIMS Education Foundation’s free Pi activity:
Key Question How does the distance around the circle (circumference) compare to the distance across a circle (diameter)? Learning Goals Students will: • generate a graph by using the diameters and circumferences of round objects, • study the scatter plot to discover the proportional relationship, • use numeric data from the graph to approximate the value of pi, and • determine a formula for the circumference of a circle.
Not only is it a great way to understand the relationship of circumference to diameter (Pi), it is also a great way to apply graphing skills.
I enjoy many of the activities you can find at AIMS. If you haven’t checked them out, I recommend it. They provide free previews of the activities so you know exactly what you’re getting. And then to purchase, they generally cost only $2 which is great for the homeschool budget.
Just click on the grade level and subject you are interested in. Then you’ll be able to choose more detailed subjects and finally a list of activities. Just click an activity that interests you and then click preview.
For example, under grade 4-5 math,you will find activities for:
For example, under grade 6-9 science,you will find activities for:
Life Science Cells and Microorganism: Cell Models Cells and Microorganism: Cells Cells and Microorganism: Microorganisms Cells and Microorganism: Microscope Skills Food Chains and Webs Food Chains and Webs: Consumer Food Chains and Webs: Decomposition Food Chains and Webs: Producer Habitats Human Body: Circulatory System Human Body: Digestive System Human Body: Musculoskeletal System Human Body: Nervous System Human Body: Overview Human Body: Respiratory System Human Body: Sensory Organs: Ears Human Body: Sensory Organs: Eyes Human Body: Sensory Organs: Nose & Mouth Human Body: Sensory Organs: Skin Human Body: Urinary System
I also have some free geometry activities that might be fun for Pi day:
3 Story Films has released a teaser for their upcoming documentary on the rise of homeschooling in America earlier this year. From their website:
Class Dismissed will be the first full-length documentary devoted to exploring homeschooling as an alternative to the industrial school model. This film will show how homeschooling is not only rapidly growing in popularity, but how it crosses all social and economic boundaries and covers a wide spectrum of the population. It will answer the questions that many people have about homeschooling and break down the myths that surround it.
The video cannot be shown at the moment. Please try again later.
SYNOPSIS
From home study and kitchen table math, to perpetual recess and park days, Class Dismissed follows the stories of three ordinary American families in their quest to educate their children outside the school system.
As they each struggle to discover what path is best for their children, the social ramifications of their choices come to light, family dynamics are revealed and they come to realize that homeschooling is not just an educational choice, but also a lifestyle choice that affects the very heart of the American family.
Truth and consequence, myth and assumption all come together in this fresh look at what it means to be educated in the 21st century.
No word on when it will be released, but you can follow their blog and facebook page.
Or, more specifically, how to put your child in the position to teach themselves to balance and thus ride a bike.
Throw away the training wheels. Save your back. Eliminate tears. Start them out the right way and that is learning how to balance on the bike safely. This is a low pressure method that is much easier on parent’s backs. I have taught many kids using this method. Some get it immediately and are riding like pros within minutes. Some take an hour and when they leave, they are still wobbly and even wobbly a few bike rides later (mostly due to lack of leg muscle strength). Some, just have too great of a fear factor and won’t do it. So, this will not work for “everyone”, but in my experience, it works for most.
Here are the steps:
Always wear a helmet. Also, some kids will feel better wearing some tough clothes like jeans and long sleeves in case they do fall.
Find a place near you that has a gentle slope leading to a flat area. The flat area needs to be safe and long. They will not have breaks most likely and therefore will not be able to stop until they slow down. So the hill can’t lead into or cross over a road, trail or parking lot. We found a great place near a soccer field. It had a gentle slope leading into the field. Plus the slope changed heights and that allowed us to start easy and go higher. [THINK SAFETY: Don't find a spot where they can slam in to trees or a wall or fence. Even on a “bunny slope” they are going to need 30+ feet of space to ride. A steeper slope may need a much longer run.]
Lower the seat and remove the pedals. We lower the seat so that their feet are flat on the ground reducing the fear factor. We remove the pedals because so they don’t get their legs tangled up with the pedals and then get hurt . (Note, to loosen the pedals, turn the wrench toward the back of the bike. You can’t use “lefty loosey/righty tighty” for bikes)
Position the bike at the top of the gentle slope and have the rider get on. Tell the rider to push the bike down the hill once, then raise their legs out to the sides. They should not try to stop until the bike slows down.
See the videos. The first one is off the gentle slope. The second is a much higher slope.
For the very nervous or balance challenged child, you may have to hold the back of the seat and run down with them part or all of the way. In fact, you should plan to do that for at least the first couple times with your child. Once you know, they are balancing themselves down the hill, you can back off and just let them do it.
Once they are really comfortable balancing down the hill (they don’t have to go down steep hills, they can just stay on the “bunny slope” and then move directly to the flats), put the pedals back on and raise the seat to the appropriate height (toes touching the ground).
Typically, we work on a AstroTurf soccer field or a baseball diamond. The baseball diamond seems to work the best. It is softer than a paved bike trail and therefore less scary, but also packed firm enough to make the pedaling easier. Here, you retreat back to the “holding the back of the seat” and pushing them. But, since they already know how to balance, you should be able to help them just by pushing them and letting them go. [Note: It may take the awhile to get the leg strength to allow them to push off by themselves. ]
If they’ve never used the brakes before, you will need to show them how to do this and help them by constantly yelling “brake” to get them to practice braking.
Bike Riding tips:
NEVER push on the handlebars. This is the number one reason for wobbliness. Because kids don’t have developed leg strength, they tend to try to get leverage pushing on the pedal by also pushing on the handlebars. The problem is, they do this unevenly and that causes the front wheel to turn and now they are wobbling.
Pedaling is from the hip down. They should keep their back, arms, and hands relaxed.
The should sit up straight and lean forward slightly at the hips.
Don’t forget to raise the seat back up so that their toes are just touching the ground or just a little lower than that. It is much harder to pedal if the seat it too low.
Don’t buy bikes that are too big for them or too heavy for them to handle. Buy something cheap to start with and once they are good at riding, then get them their “good” bike.
When you do buy them a “good” bike, make sure they have room to grow with it. I’ve seen people go out and buy bikes where the seat is all the way up to it’s maximum height as soon as they bought it. So as soon as the child grows an inch, they are too big for the bike.
New on Homeschoolbin
Geometry Lapbook and Geometry Village
Actually, it includes much more than geometry such as measurement. The projects are intended to be fun, hands on learning. The student is given instruction on building some houses out of shapes. Here are some examples from the village:
Building Problem 4: Quadrilaterals
25) Cut out a quadrilateral with 2 right angles and with at least one side 60 mm in length for the house.
26) Cut out a parallelogram with one side 20mm in length and another side 15 mm in length for one window.
27) Cut out a shape with 4 right angles and all sides equal for another window.
28) Cut out a rhombus for the door with one side 30mm in length.
29) Cut out a rectangle with at least one right angle and at least one side 20mm for a third window.
30) Cut out a trapezoid with at least one angle of 45 degrees for the roof.
Building Problem 6: Circles
31) Cut out a circle with a diameter of 8 cm. Then cut the circle in half and use only one half for the house.
32) Cut out a circle that has a circumference of 234mm for one window.
33) Cut out a circle that has a radius of 10mm for another window.
34) Cut out a circle for the door with a diameter of 5 cm.
35) Cut out a circle with a circumference of 10 inches for the roof.
The Geometry lapbook is similar except it also includes Labels and definitions to add to your house. This turns the geometry lapbook into a handy reference. You can download all the instructions at
You may need to adjust some of the sizes – I know we did. I whipped this up one night last fall and finished it very late that night so some of the sizes are a bit too big.
This is a lot of work. Don’t expect them to finish this in one day or week. I would space it out.
I am very intrigued by project based learning and have begun to incorporate elements of it in our homeschool. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or knowledge to create really robust project based learning modules. That’s why I get so excited when I find something ready made.
Keep in mind two things, one, we haven’t started the program yet, and two, it is expensive. Well, the curriculum isn’t expensive, but the robot is. The robot may be purchased from lego mindstorms or amazon.com . It currently sells for $265. Now, I realize that is expensive, but I view it as a good investment. Not only can you do the curriculum I will discuss below, you can form a coop and get the engineering II curriculum where project management and teamwork is emphasized.
While we are homeschooling with a charter school that provides funds for curriculum and educational products, we chose not to buy through the charter because when we leave the charter, we have to give it back. I figure it is better to buy it ourselves, and if we are no longer using it, sell it and recoup at least some of the expense. Which brings up the point, that you might find a used one on Ebay or Craigslist.
I am a self-taught programmer with very little formal training in programming. I LOVE to program. But, that is not what excites me about this curriculum. It is the reinforcement of many of the math and science concepts we cover in 4th through 8th grade. The programming part is cool too, but I loved the applied aspect.
I love how they break the problems down into simple problems and especially the investigations.
Their site claims the following key educational outcomes (please note: the curriculum is designed for middle school, however we are doing it for an advanced 5th grader):
Math
Diameter
Circumference
Angles
Graphs and tables
Linear relationships
Scaling and models
Ratios & proportions
Unit conversions
Averages
Boolean logic
Spatial reasoning
Patterns
Technology
Purpose of technology
Technology relationships
Systems
Design tradeoffs
Troubleshooting
Sensors
Performance
Boundaries
Mechanical elements
Controls
Technology relationships
Systems
Design tradeoffs
Troubleshooting
Sensors
Performance
Boundaries
Mechanical elements
Controls
Science
Hypothesis & evidence
Experimental design
Observations & predictions
Data analysis & acquisition
Measurement
Error analysis
Amplitude and frequency
Light and reflectivity
Color and perception
Spatial graph model
Ultrasonic waves
Speed, distance & power
Communication
Brainstorming solutions
Reasoning with evidence
Explanatory composition
Documenting processes
Doesn’t that sound awesome? Ok, I know I’m weird, but I am excited about this program. I’ll be sure to post about our experience when we get a handle on things. If you happen to jump in too, please share your experiences.
It is refreshing to see young people get it. But, as a homeschooling parent, the challenge is letting your child learn and grow outside the system. For now, we are stuck in the system but are doing our best to make education an experience as opposed to a whole bunch of tests and worksheets.
We probably spend half our time outside the system of desk/book. Whether it is taking in a play, getting together with a group for an educational experience, or just taking a hike together to learn what we could learn, our focus is on the experience.
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The following speech was delivered by Valedictorian Erica Goldson during the graduation ceremony at Coxsackie-Athens High School on June 25, 2010
Here I stand
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, “If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, “Ten years . .” The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast — How long then?” Replied the Master, “Well, twenty years.” “But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?” asked the student. “Thirty years,” replied the Master. “But, I do not understand,” said the disappointed student. “At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?” Replied the Master, “When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.”
This is the dilemma I’ve faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, “Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn’t you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I’m scared.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, “We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness – curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don’t do that.” Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not “to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. … Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim … is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States.”
To illustrate this idea, doesn’t it perturb you to learn about the idea of “critical thinking.” Is there really such a thing as “uncritically thinking?” To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn’t for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren’t we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don’t have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can’t run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be – but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, “You have to learn this for the test” is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn’t have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a “see you later” when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let’s go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we’re smart enough to do so!
CNN has an article up about Sir Ken Robinson where he says:
…education system works like a factory. It’s based on models of mass production and conformity that actually prevent kids from finding their passions and succeeding, he said.
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Robinson, author of “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything,” spoke to CNN after a recent lecture at the TED Conference in Long Beach, California.
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Instead of trying to mass-produce children who are good at taking tests and memorizing things, schools should emphasize personal development, Robinson said. Not all kids are good at the same things, and the education system shouldn’t pretend they should all turn out the same, he said.
As a homeschooler, I try to encourage my child to engage in learning activities related to her interests. However as a homeschooler tied to the public school system I still feel we spend too much time on redundant activities with questionable benefits.
Like reading comprehension. Reading is fun but the worksheets are a bore and so redundant. I find it hard to believe that you have to tell kids over and over (for how many years in elementary school?) that they need to predict what will happen next – compare and contrast with their own life or something they are familiar with, etc. My belief is that these things all happen naturally as you read.
When I read stories with my child and we discuss things she doesn’t understand, it is not because she doesn’t have the ability to “predict what will happen next” or “compare and contrast” or any of the other so called “reading strategies”. It is because of:
1) She doesn’t have the life experiences or familiarity (through other books) to understand that part of the story
2) The vocabulary is a stumbling block
3) Ability to concentrate when reading
I wonder how reading comprehension would fair if:
1) Staged events related to the story beforehand. For example, before reading stories on money, you could have the kids go through various hands on activities similar to what the stories are about.
2) Review new words before reading so that they have an understanding of their meaning beforehand.
Now that is a “reading comprehension” curriculum I would buy. Though it probably doesn’t fit the “radicalization” Ken calls for, I think it would be a change for the better.
Of course, I have an anecdote of one, so take this all with a grain of salt.
Homeschool Bin now has a blog! We’ve also connected it with facebook and twitter. Feel free to leave comments about any of the resources and ideas. Everything is still a work in progress though. We hope to add some new stuff soon.
