Posts Tagged ‘unit study’
Easter Unit and Notebook
Here is a slideshow of Elijah’s Easter lapbook (in a notebook). We spent about three weeks learning about the life of Christ with Amanda Bennett’s Easter Unit Study and the free corresponding lapbook at Homeschool Share.
Elijah used a spiral bound Bare Book for this project. Pages 18-22 (not pictured) are vocabulary pages.
China Unit & Notebook
We started our study with The Story About Ping. We added in a Learn About China Kit, a co-op field trip to P.F. Chang’s, and bits & pieces from the Ancient Civilizations History Pocket. We ended up with a boy who couldn’t wait to learn about China each day!
Book List
The Story About Ping
Tikki Tikki Tembo (go along for the classic story & fiction story lessons in FIAR)
The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop (go along for the classic story & fiction story lessons in FIAR)
Children Just Like Me (used with geography lesson for FIAR)
Good Times Travel Agency Adventures in Ancient China by Linda Bailey
Usborne Beginners China (has internet links)
The Great Wall of China by Leonard Everett Fisher
The Magic Boat by Demi
A Grain of Rice by Helena Pittman
Little Pear & Little Pear and His Friends by Eleanor Frances Lattimore
Ling and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi
The Empty Pot by Demi
Other Resources
Teach me Chinese (book and CD)
Chinese New Year Celebration printables by Scholastic
Great Wall of China Informational Sheet from Learning Page
Ping Resources at HSS
Dragon Puppet (I can’t find the link for the one we made…sorry)
Ancient Civilizations History Pockets
China Learning Kit (which made this study real and relevant)
Ancient Egypt Unit Study
I determined that this year Elijah would get to choose more of his unit study topics, and he decided to start off 2nd grade with Ancient Egypt. I hope to write some posts this year about Delight-Directed education (the philosophy we are working toward). I can honestly say that Elijah taught himself more about Ancient Egypt than I taught him. He knows MORE about Ancient Egypt than I do. When you let your child have a hand in his own education, he just might surprise and delight YOU.
I inteded to make this a series of posts, but laundry and dishes and gardening keep getting in the way of blogging, so you are only getting one (very fat) post.
Becoming an Egyptologist (or is that archaeologist?)
We started with a kit I picked up at Frye’s for about $5. Elijah could barely breathe when he saw it in his workbox on the first day of our Ancient Egypt study. He worked on it for a long time and was happy with his finished product.
Making a Mummy
Another fun project we did the second week of our study was to "mummify" an apple. We also tried preserving with water (freezing) and Elijah predicted which one would be in the best shape when we checked on them a week later.
We took three apple slices and washed/dried them (something weird about eating an apple slice during a mummifying experiment…).
One apple gets coated in a mixture of salt and soda (about 1/4 cup of each). Then you roll it up in some guaze.
Another apple gets placed in a ziploc of water.
The final apple gets placed in a dish.
The apple in the water goes in the freezer while the other two go to a dark, cool place (scary!) for seven days (don’t peek!).
Want to see our results? Are you sure? :)
the control apple (ew!)
the apple mummy
the frozen apple
Ziggurat Lego Model
After learning about architecture, Elijah decided to try his hand at building a (very colorful) ziggurat complete with treasures stored inside. I had no part of this…didn’t even know it was how he was spending an afternoon.
Making a Pharaoh Mask
We followed the Pharaoh Mask instructions found at DLTK kids. You can do the same, but here are a few tips:
1. Make your pattern by folding a piece of posterboard in half. You won’t see the fold after you paper mache. Also, draw it in pencil as many times as you need until you have something you like. You won’t see the pencil marks after the paper mache, either.
2. Smooth the newspaer pieces down after your student is done. I didn’t do this for Elijah, and after we spray painted it, I saw all the lumps and bumps. It’s okay (he doesnt’ care!), but I thought I would share that tip.
3. Put plastic lids under the mask as it dries so it won’t stick to your work surface.
4. You might want to cut holes in your eyes BEFORE you paper mache. I had a really hard time cutting the eyes out. I think we could’ve paper mached around them easier. I don’t know for sure.
5. Use a thick flat brush for painting the stripes.
6. Have fun! I don’t know if Elijah will ever let me get rid of this mask!
Ancient Egypt Notebook
We used the Evan Moor History Pockets book to make our notebook. I skipped some things as this book is targeted for 4th-6th graders. I am only going to post some of the pictures (we filled an entire Bare Book). You get lots of informational pages to print in the History Pockets book. We pasted most of them as full pages in the notebook, but a few were folded (as simple folds or tri-folds).
Learning about Daily Life was great (my favorite part!)
Government, Leaders, & Occupations
Religion
Very cool mummy book that demonstrates the layering of the coffins… (cover is "Where’s My Mummy?" above)
Architecture
Courtyard Pop-up (cover pictured above "An Egyptian Courtyard"
"Elijah" in hieroglyphs
Resources Used
Evan Moor History Pockets ~ Ancient Egypt
Usborne Beginners ~ Egyptians by Stephanie Turnbull
Who Built the Pyramids? by Jane Chisholm & Straun Reid (Usborne)
Mummies and Pyramids by Mary Pope Osborne (Magic Treehouse Research)
Tutankhamen’s Gift by Robert Sabuda
Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey
Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki
Egyptian Life Stickers by Dover
Safari LTD Ancient Egypt Toob
note: Something fun I did with the Acient Egypt Toob…I put all the pieces in a workbox and told Elijah that he had to tell me how each one related to Ancient Egypt. If he didn’t know, he had to do some research and find out. He loved this much more than I thought he would! I might have a little researcher on my hands.
Links
Your Name in Hieroglyphs
Explore Ancient Egypt (includes some great printable activities!)
Ancient Egypt Paper Dali (cover image)
Pharoah Mask
Mailing May Lap ~N~ Note
We finished our study of Mailing May yesterday. We used the lessons from FIAR Volume IV. For Eiljah’s notebook, he used the FIAR Fold N Learn, resources from Homeschool Share, and a train project pack from HOAC (a super member freebie).
Topics of study included trains, the post office/mail, the 1900s (then/now), vocabulary, facial expressions in art, quilt patterns, Idaho, Daniel Boone, wild/domestic animals, and probably something else that I’m forgetting.
Elijah’s favorite part was learning about trains. Yesterday, our loveseat became a train. He was sining I’ve Been Working on the Railroad at the top of his lungs (and a little off-key!). He was telling Simon things like, "You, fresh fish! Grease the pig!" (Which means– "Hey, new worker…oil the engine!")
Books Used
Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell
House in the Mail by Rosemary Wells
Hail to Mail by Samuel Marshak
The Post Office Book: Mail and How It Moves by Gail Gibbons
Who Was Daniel Boone? by Sydelle Kramer
Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
Train of States by Peter Sis (we only used the Idaho page)
Beaver Lapbook
We started a pond study. It was interrupted with a study of Mailing May (which we finished today…pictures coming soon). Elijah told me he didn’t want to continue with the pond study, so we just put everything (mostly beaver stuff) in a simple lapbook. I didn’t make the templates this time; they are from Hands of a Child. The few pond themed things are mostly from Evan Moor’s Giant Science Resource Book.
Roxaboxen Day 4- Notebook Complete!
Pages 1-2
Design Roxaboxen (from FIAR Fold N Learn)
Lizard Poem (from a children’s poetry book we have) and Lizard drawing (drawing from Draw Write Now)
Pages 3-4
Mini books from Day 3
Pages 5-6
Page 5 mini books were done on Tuesday
Page 6 mini books were done today
Page 5 close-up
Jewel Shutter from Homeschool Share
Desert Glass Candy is just a simple fold with pictures from our cooking adventure
Desert Glass definition from Five in a Row FNL; three small pictures from FIAR FNL
Mineral Chart from Crystal Mining Kit; lifts to show pictures of Elijah mining
Page 6 close-up
How Many Days? Calendar poem – from HSS
Buried Treasure from HSS
Seasons Accordion from HSS
Seasons in the Bible – inside pictures/verses from FIAR FNL
Pages 5-6 Books Opened
Roxaboxen Day 3
Today we had a geography lesson (deserts and the Southwest U.S.) and a social studies lesson about good leaders/followers (using Moses and the Israelites as examples). We also talked about our Roxaboxen town from Monday and laws (including God’s Law). I purchased the FIAR Roxaboxen Fold N Learn, and we used various pieces from that today.
Here are some FAQ I get (behind the scenes):
1. How long do you spend each day on your unit study?
As we’ve gone along our first grade journey, I’ve noticed that Elijah wants to go a bit deeper, and we are spending more time than we did at the beginning of the year. We can do spelling, handwriting (usually part of the unit study), and our unit study in 1 1/2- 2 hours. This is how we spend our morning time (usually 9:30-11:30).
2. How many mini-books do you do each day?
This is different every single day. Today we worked on six. Sometimes we only do one or two. Sometimes we go wild and do as many as eight. I would say an average, normal day is about four or five mini-books.
3. How do you manage your 2 year old during school?
I have a box of school stuff just for Simon that is used ONLY during school time. I also have a bin of fun things that are only for school time. I save scrap paper for him…we have LOTS of scraps. Today while Elijah was cutting, Simon was cutting. When Elijah was gluing, Simon was gluing (glue stick) small scraps to large scraps. Simon also played with shape puzzles, and colored a desert cactus picture. If he feels included, he is easy to handle. All I have to do is give him something.
Here are Elijah’s mini books from today:
1. What Will I Find in the Desert? Tri-fold
designed by Elijah
Inside pictures from FIAR Fold N Learn
There was also a picture of an Ocelot, but Elijah just had a fit about this. He was insistent that they are much more common in the rain forest than in the desert and would not paste the picture in his book. He even grabbed two or three encylopedias and started researching! I didn’t argue. I’ve learned that he’s usually right — especially when it comes to animals!
2. Where are the Southwestern States Simple Fold
(from Homeschool Share)
Inside the Southwestern States book
3. Places in Arizona Mini-book
pictures are from the FIAR Fold N Learn
4. Deserts of the World Simple Fold
outer clipart and definition from FIAR Fold N Learn
Inside from Evan Moor Giant Science Resource Book
5. God’s Law Envelope Book (designed by Elijah)
The Ten Commandments piece is from the FIAR Fold N Learn
6. Good Leader/Follower Book
I designed this one today
Inside I recorded Elijah’s answer
Rainforest
Well, once again, plans thwarted by real life. I spent two weeks (about 8 hours/day) working on the house to get some ongoing (think seven years) projects we’ve had undone DONE.
School got pushed to the side during these two weeks which completely interrupted our rain forest study. We had two weeks in, then two weeks off, then one final week. We used our final week to tie up loose ends and to study sloths and manatees (we were fascinated by both!).
This notebook is huge. Really huge. I don’t think we will be doing another themed study in a notebook that’s this size. I don’t like it when it seems that fillng the notebook seems more important than the actual learning. This is not the goal! Even though the notebook has three blank pages and is without a pretty cover, Elijah has learned a TON. Beyond the pictures of his notebook, he has read dozens of books about the rain forest and rain forest animals.
Here you can get an idea of just how huge the notebook is
Inside cover
First Page
Layer Puzzle Pieces
Misc. Animals Matchbooks
Close-up of Elijah’s Rhinoceros Beetle (love the drawings kids do in their lapbooks!)
Cats of the Rain Forest
Who Am I? Close-up
I am a… JAGUAR!
Lepoard Draw Write Now
Plants of the Rainforest
Blue Morpho Butterfly and Vine Poem
Opened Butterfly
Poem
Birds of the Rain Forest
Toucan Draw Write Now
Birds Book Opened
Chocolate Page! Elijah designed his own chocolate bar. We went on a fun field trip to a chocolate factory, and we made our own chocolate at home with a kit!
M and M Graphs
Chocolate Process Sequencing Cards
Sloths
Sloths Page 2
Sloths Draw Write Now
Manatees Page 1
Manatees Page 2
The Amazon River – piranahs and anacondas!
All Things Bright and Beautiful Copywork with Dover stickers
Elijah designed this all by himself. I really just need to let go and let him do his own thing! This is my favorite page in the entire book.
Africa Finished!
Well, I intended to post three parts…one for each week. But…week two we were both sick and didn’t get much done other than math and reading books! So, here is Elijah’s finished project. Some of the pictures have been seen before, but I like having them all in one spot!
The final picture (the Masai writing) is actually HUGE and in a different spiral bound book. I am going to collect and keep all his Tops and Bottoms writings in there. I will take a picture with him with the book at some point so you can see how large (and fun!) it is.
If anyone has any questions about this project, I am happy to answer.
Next Stop: Africa
Here is what Elijah started today!
Resources we plan on using
Evan Moor Theme Pockets – September (has a pocket devoted to Africa; all the above items are from this)
Masai and I Unit Study
My Rows and Piles of Coins Unit Study
Cheetah Lapbook
Zebra Lapbook
Ostrich Lapbook
Draw Write Now
I found some fun scrapbook papers (for cheap!) to include throughout the notebook. I am going to let Elijah decide how he wants to do this.
Books to Read
Children Just Like Me (portions about African children)
Anansi the Spider
Mama Panya’s Pancakes (we may even copy, cut, and fold some of this info. for minit books)
Honey, Honey, Lion
Fatuma’s New Cloth
Faraway Home
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears
African Savanna (one small square)
Jambo Means Hello
