Day 79 / 104 - Immigrants Flock to America

My daughter left for her Foundations class Thursday morning with two costume dresses, a 7-point green headband, and a cardboard box boat.  The goal?  Reenact Immigrants Flock to America with two of her classmates for their presentation.

Day 78 / 104 - March Happens At The Table

Somehow this month passed with the blink of my eye.  We started the month with more snow.  Then a flood.  Then even more snow.  Finally, spring sprung.  Family visited.  My husband and I began processing a situation to reevaluate what is truly important to us.  Sickness overwhelmed me.  And, we're moving.  The move happens this summer, and we've been planning for it for sometime.  But, March brought added responsibilities as we've prepped our house for the real estate market and traveled back and forth to the city which will become our new home.  In the midst of it all, some days I managed to school my children.  Keeping track of what has been happening at the table has been an encouragement to me because I realize I haven't missed the day-to-day even during major transitions.

There's been game-playing and crafting.  (My daughter recently embraced the use-fabric-markers-on-canvas-shoes phenomenon, so take comfort in knowing the shoe on the table was being decorated and had not yet been worn.  This time.)

I mentioned before that my son is learning the Human Anatomy systems this semester mostly by drawing and labeling.  This is similar to how we've been studying Geography all year.  Regardless of the disarray at the table, these have been the two simplest subjects for him to complete because all he needs is a piece of paper and a pencil.  His Challenge A classmates have enjoyed these two subjects also.

Unrelated to education, there is one of those specialty gourmet donut bakeries near our new place of residence.  The first donut I inhaled was filled with peanut butter and banana.  It was delightful.

Finally, to end March, I took a picture last night at 11:00 pm.  I love the tea cup doodle, the Aaron Rodgers football card, and of course the moving box.  As an April Fool's Day prank, perhaps my table will be uncluttered by this evening.

Feel free to follow along and join in on Instagram (link to my profile on the right) and use the hashtag, #LifeHappensAtTheTable.

Day 77 / 104 - Gym Days

Topping the list of my son's favorite things has been his Jr High/High School gym afternoons.  Three months of dodgeball, volleyball, and basketball filled our Wednesdays this winter and truly provided some bright spots in an otherwise dreary season.

Day 76 / 104 - "Easter Pals"

The monthly canvas painting classes continue to be one of my daughter's most favorite things.

Day 75 / 104 - Intro to Human Anatomy

I mentioned in the fall that my son's Science strand had him weekly researching and reporting on various organisms.  This spring, that strand has shifted to an introduction to human anatomy.  We will memorize nine different body systems by drawing and labeling their parts.

This style of learning works so beautifully.  When my son was in the CC Foundations program, he memorized lists of anatomy systems.  This year, in Challenge A, he explores those lists more thoroughly.  All of this prepares him for the day he will study Biology in depth since he will have a wealth of vocabulary about the subject memorized.  This frees him up to learn at an unfettered pace in order to enjoy the goodness and beauty of all subjects.

These four pictures I chose (of the heart, digestive system, the tooth, and the respiratory system) are not his finest work.  They were quickly sketched one morning while eating breakfast (you can even see food on the paper.)  Two were drawn on one side of the paper, then he flipped the paper over to draw the other two.  But to me, this showcases our education at its finest.  The fact that he can quickly sit down and recall this information encourages me that we are training his brain to retain.  Most importantly, we are teaching him how to learn.

Day 74 / 104 - Menu Math

While attempting some cleaning and organizing a few weeks ago, I unearthed this book.  My guess is I purchased it years ago (I haven't lived near a Half Price Books in almost three years) in hopes of doing something educational with it.  Then, like most things, I quickly forgot about it.  Fortunately, locating it now was rather appropriate.  I passed it off to my 11-year-old daughter.

The book is full of fun menus for pets, from outer space, by location, and more.  Each menu gives a student the opportunity to apply mathematical skills and thinking to a lifelike situation.  There are worksheets that accompany each menu.

However, my daughter's favorite activity has been to set us up in a restaurant, take our order, and provide us with our total.  I often tell her I'm paying with a $20 and require her to make change.  It's been a blast, especially for her.  Math can be fun !!

Day 73 / 104 - Pi Day

Last Thursday, for a Pi Day activity, I challenged our Challenge A and B classes to locate circular objects throughout our host church, measure the diameter, and then calculate the area and circumference using the data they collected.

They measured and calculated roughly 200 items.  Not bad for 12 students with 35 minutes of time.