Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Snowy day homeschool
Once again a snowy day found us having to go out to do errands, this time the orthodontist. Fortunately the mysterious one legged man (see previous post) and his sister were once again available to join me. We did some math and phonics before we left but did even more school in the process of our walking trek to and from 40th street. I share it here in an attempt to explain why I often stumble when people ask me how much time it takes to do school each day:
Science: Talking about why it was snowing, noticing how there were little holes in the snow with small salt crystals at there center, figuring out why that is and where they salt came from. Noticing bird, dog and other tracks in the snow and following them and figuring out what the animal was doing by the tracks, also looking at human prints and seeing what we could tell about them (adult vs. kid, direction traveling, boots or shoes, occupation ie mail men leave a distinct pattern etc.)
Art: making our own patterns in the snow with feet, sticks etc. and observing the beauty of how the snow falls on things.
PE: walking, running, skipping, throwing snow, balancing, snow angles etc.
Language arts: visit to library and book store, reading signs along the route, reading in the waiting room. Making up poems about the snow *
religion: Talking about how Jesus washes us as white as snow in taking away our sins and how sinning again is like the ugly junk the cars splat up on the sides of the road with all the salt and dirt in it.
Health/safety: visiting the orthodontist, discussing our lunch choices at McDonalds (not that we went with the most healthy :-), safely crossing streets and choosing a good route to take in the snow.
Life Skills/math: Shopping for groceries and trying to stay within a certain amount of money.
Geography and life skills: helping give another person at the dentist office walking directions to an area restaurant
Socialization: Talking to each other, the dentist, others in the waiting room, imaginative play in the waiting room with our McDonalds Toys.
There are probably other things too but this is what came to mind. Hope you too enjoyed the snow.
** My attempt at a snow haiku
Snow falls on parked cars
Creating weird shaped mountains
Of various hues
Science: Talking about why it was snowing, noticing how there were little holes in the snow with small salt crystals at there center, figuring out why that is and where they salt came from. Noticing bird, dog and other tracks in the snow and following them and figuring out what the animal was doing by the tracks, also looking at human prints and seeing what we could tell about them (adult vs. kid, direction traveling, boots or shoes, occupation ie mail men leave a distinct pattern etc.)
Art: making our own patterns in the snow with feet, sticks etc. and observing the beauty of how the snow falls on things.
PE: walking, running, skipping, throwing snow, balancing, snow angles etc.
Language arts: visit to library and book store, reading signs along the route, reading in the waiting room. Making up poems about the snow *
religion: Talking about how Jesus washes us as white as snow in taking away our sins and how sinning again is like the ugly junk the cars splat up on the sides of the road with all the salt and dirt in it.
Health/safety: visiting the orthodontist, discussing our lunch choices at McDonalds (not that we went with the most healthy :-), safely crossing streets and choosing a good route to take in the snow.
Life Skills/math: Shopping for groceries and trying to stay within a certain amount of money.
Geography and life skills: helping give another person at the dentist office walking directions to an area restaurant
Socialization: Talking to each other, the dentist, others in the waiting room, imaginative play in the waiting room with our McDonalds Toys.
There are probably other things too but this is what came to mind. Hope you too enjoyed the snow.
** My attempt at a snow haiku
Snow falls on parked cars
Creating weird shaped mountains
Of various hues
