Felt dolls

Rachel loves to create toys by hand sewing. I have no idea where she got that, but I've looked around for some links. Some of this stuff is *amazing*.

Purl Bee
Tutorial
Steiner doll

Unschooling

I think we are unschoolers. Some unschoolers may not think so, but that's okay. Maybe we're eclectic - we are certainly relaxed - maybe organic. :-)

Anyways, leaving the charter school has been so freeing. Now when lesson plans appear, I don't think "that would be great to show the ES". Now I think "would that be the best way for Rachel to learn the material?" I love it!

So I'm in the midst of planning 4th grade - wow! Lots of fun. We get to do California history. I want to cover Native American culture a bit more, etc. I have lots of plans for next year -- see you there!

Shakespeare

We just saw Gnomeo and Juliet, so I thought I would do a little Shakespeare unit for Rachel. Maybe I'll open it up to a few kids. :-)

Shakespeare is difficult to introduce to younger students. I just want my 8-year-old to know that he was a famous playwright and perhaps read a Midsummer's Night's Dream to her.

In the meantime, I found some kid-friendly Shakespearan activities.

- A cut out that can be put together of the Globe Theatre.

- A mini-poster of Shakespearan quotes.

- A lesson plan at pbs.org

- A synopsis of Midsummer's Night's Dream.

- Some kid activities.

- And some printables from the movie website.

Where have I been?

Wow! Alot has happened since my last post. First of all, I was laid off from a 25 year career as an engineer. At the same time, we were looking for a location to have an art class. Voila! A new career was born. George and I have a thriving small business providing classes to homeschoolers. Sounds like an oxymoron, I'm sure, but I've never had anything against school per se. Just the way it's been morphed after No Child Left Behind. It just happens that one of us is able to stay home. The opportunity was there and we decided to homeschool. That's all. No big horrible thing happened at school. We just decided to keep Rachel home.

Sooo...this will again be the spot where we chat about all things homeschool. Or at the very least, it will document what we are doing and plan to do. Hello again!

Curriculum order Nov 2009

Acorn Naturalists
http://www.acornnaturalists.com
- Take a Walk with Butterflies and Dragonflies
- Take a Tree Walk

art materials: watercolour paper, construction paper

Peggy Kay's Games for Writing

What Your 2nd Grader Needs to Know

Sewing cards

The U.S. Constitution

Constitution Lapbook
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/uploads/j/Joyfulschool/123388.pdf

Images of the Constitution
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html

From wikipedia:
The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the Federal Government of the United States. It provides the framework for the organization of the United States Government and for the relationship of the Federal government to the States, to citizens, and to all people within the United States.

The Constitution defines the three main branches of government: a legislature, bicameral Congress; an executive branch led by the President; and a judicial branch headed by the Supreme Court. The Constitution outlines the powers and duties of each branch. The Constitution reserves numerous powers for the states, thereby establishing the federal system of government.

The United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and ratified by conventions in each U.S. state in the name of "The People". The Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times; the first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.[1][2]

The United States Constitution is the shortest and oldest written constitution in the world.[3]

The Constitution has a central place in United States law and political culture.[4] The handwritten, or "engrossed", original document penned by Jacob Shallus is on display at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.

Space Shuttle

Spacesuit template
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/space/mspacesuit.html

Make your own paper rocket
http://www.groeg.de/puzzles/rocket.html

Famous astronauts
http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/lapbooks/printables/astronaut_famous.htm

What would you take with you into space?
http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/lapbooks/printables/astronaut_take.htm

Astronaut food
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/living/spacefood/index.html

Writing Prompt:
"If I could go into space..."

Print photo of shuttle landing at Edwards
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Parts of the space shuttle
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/what-is-the-space-shuttle-k4.html

Look for history of space flight