Strassner Academy: Week 13 {and LOTS of Christmas resources!}

I'm trying so hard to take photos of our weekly adventures.  You might have noticed, I'm not awesome at it.

So after 2 weeks without photos, we're back.  We're talking J is for Jesus, and it was one of our most fun weeks to date!

We started with these adorable Nativity cut-outs to better help us envision THE story.

I laminated them, then we cut them out and added magnets so that they could play on the dishwasher, which is our only magnetic kitchen surface.

We also watched this wonderful retelling of the Very First Noel; one of my favorites.  So sweet and tender.

We made J ornaments with pipe cleaner and beads.

We did a Nativity characters scavenger hunt (inspired by this one from No Time for Flash Cards) with our Little People nativity.

I set up the manger scene, but absent all the people.  Then, I wrote clues so that the kids had to figure out who it was, and where to find them.

Can I just tell you, the kids loved this activity!

They ran from place to place and were so happy when they figured out the clues!

It was adorable to watch.  Scavenger hunts are my favorite.

Mystery.  Intrigue.  Critical thinking.  Movement. Team work. Plus, literacy skills?  Yeah, I'm in!  I'm dying to do one of those escape room adventures.  But I suppose that doesn't really belong in a post alongside tiny plastic Jesus...

We did an awesome Candy Cane science experiment looking at the effect of different substances on the rate of dissolution of the candy cane.

This one was so much fun!

And such a fascinating process to watch!  We used cold water, hot water, vinegar and Sprite to observe the process and test which ones would cause it to dissolve the fastest.

We also threw in a cherry-flavored one with other colored stripes, just for fun.

We recorded our predictions before putting them in, and then our findings after 10 minutes

and again after 25 minutes.

I love her face in this photo.  She's such the serious, studious little thing!

The one in the hot water didn't stand a chance!  But what was really interesting to me was that the vinegar and soda both had slower reaction times than the water.  Who knew?  It was also really neat to watch the color changes in the various cups.

Although we've done some "scientific method" experiments at school, this was the first one we've undertaken at home using the formal method.  It was a great opportunity to talk about how important it is to accurately record our observations.  I was really proud of what a good job she did!  She even remembered to record the bubbles in the soda, which were big at 10 minutes and barely visible by 25.

The recording sheet I created can be found here if you're interested in using it with your kiddos.  (It was pretty simple, so I won't blame you if you want to create your own!)

This was a super fun one, so I highly recommend it.

We practiced counting with Christmas trees and mini M&M "ornaments."

Logan's fine motor skills just blow me away.  The fact that he can glue those tiny M&M's on without making a huge gluey mess at not yet three and a half is astounding!  He is also stellar at counting and numbers.  I can't tell you how often he does math in his head.  He kept saying things like, "I have four, so I only need two more to make six!"  He just does it without even realizing what a big deal that is.

Speaking of math, Leah started practicing doing double digit math.  Not carrying yet, just adding sums less than 10 in each column.  We've done fractions and analogue clock reading recently... it's getting very real up in here on the first grade math front!

We also did a fun guided reading about the way Christmas is celebrated throughout the world.

Leah finished her phonics program last week, so the next step is to practice, practice, practice and work on increasing her fluency.  Luckily, the www is an amazing place and has come light years in a very short amount of time in terms of teacher resources available.  I don't have to buy a full curriculum, and I don't have to create things from scratch as I did as recently as 3 or 4 years ago when I was still teaching in the classroom.  It's awesome.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't share this version of Angels We Have Heard on High with you in closing.  It's one of my very favorites, and brings me to tears every time.  The kids and I watched it probably half a dozen times this week - it's just that good.

Such a good reminder of what the season is really about.  It makes me grateful every time, to think that these kinds of lessons aren't just a part of my children's lives, they are the very foundation of their education.  They're a central part of what we do every day... and I love it!

The little homeschool week that could(n't).

So, some days.  Does anyone else ever feel like this?

I mean, I know that there were days I used to drag my weary body out of bed in order to go to work.  There were days that I really felt like I was just play acting at being a teacher, and somebody was definitely going to catch on at some point. Masters-schmasters.

But mostly, as a working adult, you're forced to soldier on.  Some days maybe more successfully than others.

One thing I'm struggling with in this homeschooling game is how much emphasis to place on academics.  Just how much is enough?  How much is too much?

I know that sounds silly, but please remember that mine are still little.  I mean - little.  And we do school pretty close to year-round in some form or another.  And, in all honesty, part of the reason I believe in school at home so passionately is that I firmly believe that - with all the best of intentions - we are too-often drowning our little ones in academics when they should be spending more time in play.  (There have been so many examples in various academic publications I've subscribed to over the past decade.  This is just one that I've loved, for reference, and don't even get me started on how much I love the Finnish model.  Swoooooooonnn.)

It's all about balance, and it's something I'm still working to find for us in our school day, week and year.

This last week, I was just burned out.  My kids were burned out.  And, Casey was home - which truly is a relative rarity in our world.

It started innocently enough: they were playing so nicely on Monday, that I just let them keep playing.  Sure, we read books.  We always do.  But we didn't sit down or do anything formal, and everyone was completely content to go at his or her own pace.

And then, Tuesday came... and they were still so happy to play!  To run and rough-house and tackle their daddy.  To color and paint.  To snuggle.  To play dress-up.  So we let it be.

Now it's Friday, and I can't say we've "accomplished" anything more than what I noted above.

There is a piece of me - that piece that was accustomed to thinking it necessary to soldier on - that is hugely unsure about how wise it is to just drop everything and play.  My teacher brain is still trained to measure outcomes and evaluate effectiveness.  To start at point A and get to point B.

My mothering brain jumps into overdrive with warnings and flashing lights: if they're illiterate and can't multiply fractions, it will be your fault!!!!  What if they live with you until they're 30 and can't function or hold down a job?  

And then another part of my brain kicks in to argue with my other self: what if you listen to the signals they are sending out?  What if you give them the chance to explore?  What if they play and laugh and enjoy one another and nobody stops them?  What might they learn about themselves?  About each other?  About their own creativity and inquisitiveness and imagination?

I want them to strive for excellence.  I want them to know about hard work, integrity and following through when things get tough.

But... maybe those are lessons that don't have to be taught today?

I know this won't be the last time I struggle with that balance before they're done.  Beyond that, though, I'm pretty sure that having the ability to drop everything and enjoy each other in those unscheduled, unscripted moments is one of the absolute greatest joys and benefits of homeschooling.
This week, we're running with it.  More than that.  We're relishing it.

Strassner Academy: Week 10

Well, I have been rather poor about documenting our journey over the last few weeks.  I got so accustomed to having Casey around in October, it came as quite a shock when he went back to work.

We've had doctor's appointments, dentist appointments, gymnastics and ballet to contend with.  The kids did a lovely presentation in front of our co-op about their trip to California, and particularly Disneyland.  I tried to persuade them to speak about something a little more personal, but they were so excited and enthusiastic telling everyone about their favorite rides, I of course gave in.

Last week, we learned the story of Moses and studied the letter I.  We did a really fun crayon and watercolor fall leaf painting.

Leah studied the pyramids and did her class presentation on Pharaoh Kufu and The Great Pyramid, which tied in nicely with the story of Moses.  She has also been hard at work on Geography. 

 

She is learning to draw the continents - we call it "blob mapping," because it is just a loose approximation, but it really helps to conceptualize where in the world things are.  

Those were about the only photos I took from last week... so moving on!

This week, we dove into the story of David and Goliath, and R is for Rock.  

The battle is the Lord's! - 1 Samuel 17:47

The kids absolutely loved this lacing project, which we used to create David's shepherd's pouch.

We dipped Logan's little race car in paint and drew letter R's, then cut footloose and did freehand race car paintings.  

We painted rocks using several different techniques.  

We played letter review hopscotch. 

But the most fun activity of all was reenacting the Goliath tale.

We measured the wall, which, luckily is 10 feet tall - plenty of room for Goliath's hulking nine foot stature.  Earlier in the week, Logan had made Goliath out of a paper plate, googly eyes, a puff ball and some pipe cleaner.  It didn't take much to secure him in place.

Then, we took aim, cried out "THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S!!!" and let our stones fly.

So... let's just say, they're not exactly crack shots as David was.  

Plus, you know, they're a little bit lower to the ground.  Definitely held them back - nine feet is really high!

It took them a few more tries than the five stones that were in David's pouch, but they did eventually get him square between the eyes.  I think they even managed to knock him off the wall!

And oh my goodness, they had SO much fun!  This little activity ended up being replayed, over and over, for a good half an hour.

This week, Leah worked hard on Eastern Asia.  Geography isn't exactly my strong suit, but we're working through it together. 

 

She's really coming along with her Geography, particularly because there is so much of it to learn.  Even more so because many of the cultures we're learning about are ancient ones this year and often different from their modern day counterparts (okay, so this week isn't a good example of that!)

The last two weeks have been busy and chaotic, and I'm even though he hasn't been gone very long, I'm already looking forward to Casey's return!

Strassner Academy: Week 8

It's difficult for me to believe that this marks the third Halloween I've been at home, teaching my own little ones instead of reveling in The Tell-Tale Heart and Edgar Allan Poe with 140 8th graders.

I'm not going to lie - I miss The Tell-Tale Heart.  And Shakespeare.  And being able to make slightly off-color jokes.  And having a vocabulary that didn't include the word Caillou.  I may have gotten off-topic here... let me go back.

Every year at home with the kids, we take time to do some festive, Halloween-y activities as part of our school day.  This year, a few of those included:

A Halloween-themed sensory bin with black beans and all sorts of wonderful little creepy crawlies.

Puff ball-painted candy corns.

I discovered that Olivia is absolutely enthralled by puff-balls, too.

She did this activity forever.  Literally, for nearly 45 minutes she sat and entertained herself quietly, pausing only to ask me to open the top and pour them out again.  It may not seem like a big deal, but doing anything away from mommy for 45 minutes is a BIG deal in Olivia world.  It was really impressive!

I eventually added beans to the mix to give it an auditory quality, too, which made it fun all over again when she began to tire of just the puff balls.

My favorite activity of the week, though, was this witches brew.

It started off simply enough.  Just a couple of kids, mixing a little baking soda, water and green food coloring.  They took the midnight train goin' anywhere.

Next, we brought out the ingredients:

Leg of spider.  Eye of newt.  Wing of bat.  You know, the usual cauldron line up.

Plus some magnetic letters, because, well, fun review opportunity.  Hello.

And then... the most important, final ingredient.  A little blood of toad (aka vinegar and red food coloring).  Oh yes, I went there.

Plus, it gave me a great opportunity to work in a little Double double, toil and trouble MacBeth action.  Finally, my Shakespeare!

And the result?  Awesome!

Not only was there an awesome reaction, but it turned the potion a really fun, spooky black color.

The kids had a great time playing with their witchly concoctions, and we were able to add more baking soda and vinegar and create a few more reactions.

It's no Poe, but I think we do the holiday justice in our own special way!

Strassner Academy: Week 7

Well, it was fun while it lasted.  We pushed pause on reality and enjoyed a whole ten days of guilt free, routine-breaking fun.

And, well... you know what they say about good things, right? 

So, we started back with the letter C, Joseph, and his coat of many colors.

We made a letter C snack of many colors.

We mixed primary colors to see what would happen.

Leah may have spilled the beans on some of these, what with actually knowing what was going to happen and all.  

But it was still fun, just the same.

Somebody was getting her teeth in and was pretty wretchedly miserable.  

We made crayons on a very wet and fall-feeling October day, 

and not just any crayons.  Halloween crayons, of course. 

So, here's the beautiful thing about homeschooling: it can be done anywhere!  Even though we were on the road the last two weeks, we did memory work, we listened to The Wizard of Oz and Charlotte's Web, we went to the zoo and we learned about invertebrates, and fish vs. mammals at Sea World.  It totally counts, at least a few days' worth.  

There was much to do to get us caught up now that we're back this week, but it was another fun week on the books.