Friday 3 February 2012

A Mother's Home school Journal

In my life this week:

Busy, busy, busy...but unlike other weeks, this week I am tired...and can't wait for this weekend to arrive. We have absolutely nothing on the family schedule and I plan on doing just that...nothing!!!

In our Home school this week:

We did a fantastic science experiment, extracting DNA from strawberries with friends. If you missed it check out this post. Otherwise we are plugging along quite nicely in all areas.

Places we are going:

We have a super cool field trip planned this month. We are going to be participating in the Viking festival in York. The whole family is dressing up as vikings and spending the weekend there. There will be craft demonstrations, viking battles and a ship burning. Last time the children and I were there we were in the audience, this time we will be able to participate:)

Things I am working on:

Started to begin crafting our new history unit. We are going to learn a little about WWI. I just checked out a bunch of books and videos from the library to review so I can decide how I wish to approach it with the children.

Question I have:

Looking for some good resources (books or movies) appropriate for elementary age children regarding WWI. If you know of any please let me know:)

17 comments:

  1. We really like the Usborne book called Introduction to the First World War, I think. In terms of fiction, The War horse by Michael Morpurgo goes well with this and there is a My story about the trenches. Rilla of Ingleside covers WW1 from a family perspective.

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    1. Thanks Sarah Elisabeth, I have the Usborne and war horse books and do have plans to read them. I was thinking of taking them to see the War Horse movie after we finish the book but a few people told me it was to intense for children so I may just watch it on my own when it comes out. I didn't know about the others so off to see if I can find them.

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  2. The Viking festival souds like so much fun! Our family would love to do something like that. And your sciend experiment . . . fun! Reading things like that gets me so excited to homeschool past the early/kindergarten years!
    Happy Weekend!

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    1. Home schooling is so much fun no mater the age. Glad you are getting to do it with your little ones. I took a while to jump into it. But now I won't go back to PS:)

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  3. I always said that I would never want to go back to my younger school days, but I always waver on that when I visit here. Vikings, strawberries, world wars, delving deeply into subjects that give your children so much perspective on their world today.

    Thanks for sharing about your home schooling ups and downs. Although my girls are young adults, I keep your blog in mind when I have the opportunity to speak with any young mom thinking about home schooling.

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  4. Definitely going to have to check out your strawberry experiment. That sounds so cool! My little Amazing would love that.

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  5. The Viking festival sounds fun! Is there a purpose to a ship burning? What specifically will you guys be doing?

    Get some rest!

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    1. There is evidence that the vikings did burial ship burning, but not nearly as much as some think. It is done for the show for the audience more than anything and it is really cool to watch

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  6. You could try these two books. They are in the huge book list that I keep made-up of mostly living books recommended by homeschoolers or used in Charlotte-Mason and Classical type curriculums.

    Falcons of France (Flight, Its First Seventy-Five Years) by Nordhoff, Charles and James Norman Hall
    Hero Over Here; The Story of World War I by Kudlinski, Kathleen

    You can see the entire list on my blog (right-hand side) under Homeschooling Files if you are interested.

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    1. Thanks for the book recommendations going to look into them and your book list:)

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  7. I visited York almost nine years ago and my biggest regret was not taking the opportunity to visit the Viking sites. I hope to someday rectify that mistake with my hubby and three kids.

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    1. We have been to York several times one of my favorite cities. We have done most of the sites but there is always more to see there. I hope you are able to see York with your family one day it is a fantastic city

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  8. The Viking Festival sounds like tons of fun...I hope you'll be taking pics and posting them :).

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    1. Yes I will be taking lots of pictures and will be posting about them as well:).

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  9. the strawberry experiment sounds like a fun and interesting project!! My 7th grade son is studying DNA and we all began talking and thinking about this pretty amazing branch of science..then there are the other kids obsessed with world history...they would probably enjoy you as their teacher!
    Wishing you a peaceful and uneventful week!

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  10. A Viking festival?! I'm SO envious! You find the neatest things to do!!!

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