I normally enjoy an annual post about our beloved school supply selection and maybe a "first day" shot or two; however, due to...ahem..."technical difficulties" (as in I forgot to take one)...I won't be posting a first day shot this year. I'm not 100% sure my kids won't be explaining to their therapists one day about how their mother neglected to record such important events in their life as their first day of 3rd/1st grade; however, on the bright side it may take some of the focus off all my other clueless mommy moments, and that, my friends, is what me and Charlie Sheen call winning!!! :-)
So, this year we're focusing in more on the Konos curriculum...a hands on approach to learning that I myself was taught with during my homeschooling years. Research shows that children remember only 10% of what they hear, 50% of what they see and a whopping 90% of what they do! Konos is loaded with ideas on how to make learning a multi-sensory experience that goes far beyond rote memorization of facts and aims for deep understanding of what is being learned as well developing a curiosity for learning and tools and skills to investigate those aspects we're curious about.
I'll never forget a day in 8th grade when our Konos group was studying the body and our moms had hit up the local butcher for some "spare parts." (Can't you just hear what that butcher was thinking??) To this day, I remember where I was standing in the room when someone inserted a straw and blew into a set of cow lungs laying on the dining room table....how it expanded and what the tissue looked like, how it smelled and the noise it made. I can hear everyone in the room gasp as we pulled on the tendons of a chicken claw and watched the "fingers" suddenly contract and startle everyone into amazement and then laughter. It was not only instant and lasting knowledge of something I'd never even heard of before (tendons), but also instant fascination and understanding about the human body that remains with me today!
The best part of the curriculum is that the units are divided into character traits, and what you study all relates back to your chosen character trait. For example, a unit on responsibility will include studies on pet care, animal anatomy, ants, beavers, pioneers, etc. Our current unit is attentiveness, and we're learning about the human ear, sound, music, the eye, animal tracking and more. While we're studying science, art, history, language etc., we're also learning and studying how to become people of rich character, so it's a really nice, holistic approach to learning how to integrate character development into every aspect of our lives....another skill I hold with me today.
The idea of Konos is to work with other Konos families and meet as desired for "group activities." We choose the unit together and each do our own chosen activities to do at home from the same unit, then we choose a few to do as a group (obviously some are much better in a group than they would be at home with just a few students).
Our Konos group is super special because one of the mommas was actually in MY Konos group as a kid!! I have to say it's a LOT more work being a teacher than it was a student, but I have to say it's a pretty cool thing to be working with my former "classmate" and see our kids play and learn together.
Our first group day was focused on the human ear and dipped into the sound portion of the unit. These pictures show a "crawl through" model of the ear that the kids got to help set up and each give tours through. Luca is about to pass the "pinna" and go through the "auditory canal." Brooke is holding our "middle ear" walls.
Once in the "middle ear," our little "sound waves" hit the "ear drum" which vibrated our "hammer, anvil and stirrup." Then a brief description about the "semicircular canals and cochlea," the extension cord "nerve" to the brain and out the eustachian tube to the nose. :-)
We learned a few gross things about earwax (ewwww) from our fave Grossology book, experimented with sound conductors, and tried to make sound scopes (which didn't end up working very well...ya win some, ya lose some!) This week we've been diving deeper into sound and finding ways to see sound waves, also investigating how sound waves move fast or slow for high/low pitches and high/low volume! The girls have gone the extra mile and decided in honor of our sound studies to not stop making sound. Ever. (blink. blink.) :-)
Also having fun with the homeschool group again this year! The group is over 100 people, believe it or not...I never would have dreamed of so many homeschoolers in one place back in the day when it was still sort of a "new-ish" idea. The group meets every other week for activities/field trips/learning experiences and also aims for a monthly service project. Last week's field trip was an insect discovery hunt. The kids gathered all sorts of creepy crawlies, and the naturalist explained what we'd found and all sorts of interesting things about insects. Super fun field trip for the teachers too!
Somebody found a snake. Thank you telephoto. :-)
She's hunting wabbits in the Amazon jungles
Does this give you the shivers? You are not alone, my friend.
The girls looking bug hunting busy while actually discussing really, really important matters that have nothing to do with bug hunting. Lord help their mothers when they become teenagers. :)
How am I not a naturalist and how does a naturalist ever stop saying "my job is freaking awesome!"
That is a SERIOUS spider! Think it's just a Wisconsin thing? Think again! This female garden spider can be found in nearly every US state. It just makes you want to garden, doesn't it?? Love Bren's face in this shot.
Our monthly service project was immediately following the insect discovery and involved making cards and candy baggies to send to a troop of 115 deployed soldiers who will soon be losing their access to receive mail. Sure, let's have the kids fill the bags with candy! Then when they're done, we can have them hide all their Christmas presents in the basement! (It had to have been a challenge to have that much candy at their fingertips, but they were dedicated to their cause and got the job done).
That's the "first of the year" report from our little crazy schoolhouse. I hope this finds all of you learning and loving and living in your own little State of Grace and that you find each day brings the 3 closer and closer together until one is indistinguishable from the other.
2 comments:
You did learn something after all! Does my heart good to see another generation being homeschooled. It was fun. Wasn't it?
So, I have to say that I am disappointed not to see a picture of all your new supplies ;)! Absolutely blown away by the interactive inner ear! That is unbelievable!!
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