Day 68 / 105 - March Learning With My Kids

Welcome to Daily Learning With My Kids.  Monthly, I'm highlighting when my children (or myself) have learned something new or noteworthy.  Oftentimes, my children will have these discoveries independently and without curriculum.  That's the best kind of learning.  I plan to remember these a-ha moments to keep the joy in the journey.

My daughter discovered this was a super simple way for her to drill herself for Memory Master. Because Cycle 1 Geography is all over the map (literally), I indicated the number of Geography items she needed for each continent (or area) on an old Trivium Table. Now she can look at the map and almost instantly identify the locations, even without a prompt.  

The Google doodle on March 9th introduced us to Clara Rockmore and the Theremin.  We had much fun learning about and listening to the music.  If you aren't familiar, look it up!

Dr. Seuss authored Green Eggs and Ham after betting his publisher that he could tell as story with less than fifty distinct words.  We wrote critiques on Green Eggs and Ham using IEW's Unit 9 materials.  

My children informed me that the Nile crocodile carries her hatchlings in her mouth.  She can carry as many as 15 babies at one time!  One never outgrows a fascination with reptiles.

Since I rarely use curriculum and my children have never taken a test, I wanted to highlight two moments when I've seen their learning at work.  In our Logic class, my son was given a National Mathematics League Pre-Algebra test.  He breezed through the sheet finishing it with correct answers in less than ten minutes.  My daughter and I walked through what I called the 'blue book' exam for Essentials Chart A.  She was full of examples and definitions for every item on the chart.

March was a success.  I'm looking forward to learning in April.

Day 67 / 105 - Ten Kings and Ten Queens

About three years ago, I picked up Milton Meltzer's book Ten Kings for one dollar at a local library sale.  It was a large hardback book in perfect condition, and it told the sagas of ten of the most legendary kings and their complex kingdoms.  Hammurabi, David, and Charlemagne are just three of the kings profiled.  We love history books.  This one reads narratively while including many details and facts about each empire.  Plus, it has fantastic illustrations and maps.

Last month, my daughter began researching a Celtic queen for a year-end report for her Essentials class.  I was thrilled to discover that Meltzer has a similar book of queens profiling ten women who ruled alone or shared governing power with their husbands.  In this book, we discover Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabel of Spain, and more. I am impressed with the history (and geography) lessons that I have learned from these books.

One of Meltzer's contributions to children's non-fiction history was to offer young readers both the best, and the least admirable, sides of historical giants.  He shows how political leaders can use and abuse power, and how just one person can change the course of history.  That being said, I definitely recommend these books for older children to be read alongside their parents.

Day 66 / 105 - Map Sketchbook

My daughter's Foundations class is full of 12-year-olds who are in their final year of the program.  Her Tutor has done a fantastic job at encouraging the students to sketch maps regularly.  She has maintained an incentive plan for the students who sketch at least one map each week.

To organize this plan, at the beginning of the year, I purchased my daughter a sketch book.  She has worked diligently this year to fill it with hand drawn maps,  It was a simple way to keep us organized!

Day 65 / 105 - First Class

This post is far past due.

In June of 2014, my son earned his Second Class rank in Boy Scouts.  Ideally, it would have taken him less than six months to earn the next rank, First Class.  This is a pivotal rank because statistically Scouts who earn their First Class on time tend to stay in scouting longer.  My son was on track to receive this rank rather quickly, checking off dozens of requirements at each meeting or event.

He was short one requirement.  He needed to serve as the meal planner and cook for an overnight camping event.

In the fall of 2014, he was unable to make this happen.  Even though he participated in a campout every six weeks, there were older Scouts in his West Virginia troop who needed to fulfill the requirement before him.  He was bumped from the role more than once, and to be honest, he didn't mind.  He was dreading fulfilling the requirement.

In the spring of 2015, he was unable to make this happen.  We began our commute and transition to Charlotte, and unfortunately he was unable to attend the campouts as regularly as he had before.  We didn't realize how close he was to the requirement, or we would have made this a priority before our move.  He finished his time in his West Virginia troop one requirement short of his First Class.

In the fall of 2015, he ran Cross Country.  We located a new troop, but from the beginning his participation was limited.  With his Cross Country schedule, he was unable to attend any campouts last fall.  Everyone his age was already at the higher rank, so he was not eager at all to attend any events or make any new friends.  His desire to be involved was fading each day.  Some Monday evenings, it was a battle just to get him to the meetings.  Parents battle with teenagers about so many things.  Did we really want to add this to the list?  He was busy with a new sport that he loved.  He wanted to quit.  It was a natural time for him to quit.  Many times, we wanted to let him quit.

Plus, he was still dreading fulfilling the requirement.  He didn't even want to complete it with his very familiar West Virginia troop.  Now he was in a new troop, knowing no one.  He basically had to begin his First Class requirements all over again.

We kept communicating to our son that this is not something that can be done later in life.  Once a boy is 18, his Scouting days are over.  When we were teenagers, my husband and I did not follow through on many activities we started.  We often think of the people we would have become had we approached our teen years differently.  Committing to finish this rank made our son embrace the character development, ethics, values, and leadership skills that the Boy Scouts boasts.

In early February, our son had the opportunity to fulfill this requirement.  He meal planned, camped, and cooked with his new troop.  He spent the rest of the month discussing with his troop leaders his previous rank requirements (which wasn't easy because several were checked off as early as 2013!).

Hands down, this was the hardest he has ever worked at earning a Scout rank.  It might have been the hardest he has every worked at anything.  Monday night, he rightfully earned his First Class.

He could not have been more pleased and proud. Nor could his parents.

Day 64 / 105 - A Day In The Life

Yesterday, I attempted to capture a picture every hour on the hour to showcase our Mondays.  Mondays are a bit hectic for us because my children are pretty full up in the evenings.  Plus, my husband has been traveling on Mondays, which somewhat changes our evening structure.  Somewhat hectic, but still enjoyable.

Oh, how daily life is. - Jules Laforgue

8:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

12:00 noon

1:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

9:00 p.m.

10:00 p.m.

Day 63 / 105 - Color Me Green

Last weekend, my children began their Saint Patrick's Day festivities by running a 5K color run at the U.S. National Whitewater Center.  To add to their enjoyment, they had West Virginia friends visiting that weekend.  They roped in the two visitors to tackle the trail race with them!

My daughter, who continues to enjoy filming and editing videos, captured a few of the events live. You can watch her video here.

Day 62 / 105 - The Life of Jesus in Masterpieces of Art

My children are 14 and 12.  Therefore, I find it somewhat ironic that this is my second post in less than a month sharing about Mary Pope Osborne.  It goes to show that there are some authors you never outgrow.

Each year, during Lent, I attempt to revisit her book The Life of Jesus in Masterpieces of Art.  If you are unfamiliar with it, I would invite you to check out a copy because my photographs are certainly not going to do this book justice.  Mary Pope Osborne has done a beautiful job telling the events of Christ's life using the King James Bible as her source text.  

Then, to make a beautiful story even more beautiful, she uses the inspired images of Old Masters and medieval manuscript illuminations to paint the picture of this tale.  Works from Botticelli, Perugino, Fra Angelico, Giotto, and Poussin are all included.  The book includes the title, the author, and the date of each work.

The book can easily be read in one sitting, or it can be studied and appreciated over and over as we have attempted to do these past few weeks.

Osborne's note at the beginning of the book explains her heart behind the project.  Part of it reads:

     At the end of the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great said, 'Painting can do for the illiterate what writing does for those who can read.'  Consequently, in the centuries that followed, the artists of western Europe were encouraged to use their imaginations to portray the stories in the Gospels.  Since most people could not read, they learned about the life of Jesus through paintings, sculpture, and stained glass windows.
     I am deeply grateful to these master painters for helping me tell the story that has been told again and again - the story that has profoundly influenced world culture for the last two thousand years.

We are, too.

Day 61 / 105 - Pi Skyline

Happy Pi Day.  We graphed the numbers of Pi, painted a background, and added some Pi shaped stars.  Much fun!

We discovered the activity here. 

Day 60 / 105 - February Happens At The Table

Even with an extra day this year, February still passed rather quickly.  My husband had a recent job transition, so for most of February he was home with us.  We enjoyed a rather flexible schedule before he starts traveling regularly this spring.  Here are some dining-room table highlights from my Instagram.

Editing YouTube videos.

My son's online writing course has been such a welcome addition to our schedule this winter.  

Diagramming Valentines in our Essentials class.  

This cake was supposed to be in the shape of a heart.  But while my daughter was distracted, the dog ate part of it off the counter.  So like any talented baker, she improvised.  And turned the cake into a pig.  

New markers always bring much joy!

#LifeHappensAtTheTable

Day 59 / 105 - February Learning With My Kids

Welcome to Daily Learning With My Kids.  Monthly, I'm planning on highlighting when my children (or myself) have learned something new or noteworthy.  Oftentimes, my children will have these discoveries independently and without curriculum.  That's the best kind of learning.  I plan to remember these a-ha moments to keep the joy in the journey.

You can read my original post here.

My son was responsible for the menu for a Boy Scout Winter Campout.  We tried out a cast iron/dutch oven campfire pizza recipe.  Delicious.  Another perk was how well this reseasoned my skillet.

My daughter received a video camera and editing software for her birthday in December.  She has taught herself how to use both in ways I never knew imaginable.  Check out some of her handiwork on her YouTube channel.

In our Logic class, we learned how to wow others with a little Base 2 number magic.  Follow this link for details on the game.

Are you familiar with the app Daily Art?  In February, I began using it regularly so we can be inspired with beauty and goodness.  A work of fine art is published daily, however you can also search by artist.  It's a great resource, and I recommend you check it out!  

My son wrote a Tall Tale about a Native American boy in the Pacific Northwest.  When I proofed his work, it included many words I had never heard.

Me:  What's Elebekail?
Him:  That's what Native Americans called the Columbia River.  I looked it up.  It means Deep River.

A few of my favorite words I hear from my children are: "I looked it up!"  

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has been such a wonderful companion to Harry Potter as we reread the series this winter/spring.  The footnote on how Muggles view fairies is brilliant.  

We've been reading much about the Roman Empire this winter, so we time-traveled to the First Century with a little help from the classic movie Ben-Hur.

Now it's your turn.  What are you learning with your children?  #DailyLearningWithMyKids

Day 58 / 105 - Activity Tracker Math

For our son's birthday in September, we purchased him a Garmin Fitness Tracker so that he could monitor his running pace and distance.  It was an appropriate gift at the time because of his new attraction to the sport.  In October, my husband and I impulse-bought Fitbit pedometers.  My daughter was eager to join in on the fun, so for Christmas she received her own Garmin tracker.  My goal for my daughter was actually two-fold.  First, so that we all could monitor our activity level.  Second, for her to have some additional math work each week.

For a family that considers themselves pretty active, I was actually surprised at how much we weren't moving during the school day.  We were moving if we had something scheduled, like a class or an event.  Otherwise, we were pretty sedentary.  Especially if the weather was lousy. This was not the case when my children were younger.  Most days, I could hardly get them to sit still.  As they've aged, during downtime, they've gravitated toward sitting, reading, using a computer, playing on a phone, etc.  They are active in the afternoons at scheduled activities.  But during the day, no one was moving very much.  Mom included.

I'll try to not sound too much like an Activity Tracker commercial.  However, once we started monitoring our daily movement, especially during the school hours, we truly began moving more.  And everything about us changed.  (I mentioned some of this in my recent post on the February Doldurms.)  The trackers have been a great addition to our daily schedule.

Since we all had a different style of device, we figured the easiest way for us to compete as a family was to have my daughter tally up our steps at the end of the week.  Then she finds an average and also the percent.  She is not permitted to use a calculator.  We're always trying to sneak more math into her life.  This has been a huge win!