Live and Learn Farm

Addicted to the A-ha Moment – Homeschool Version

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A-ha Moment Artwork by Gayle Cunningham

A-ha Moment Artwork by Gayle Cunningham

 

A-ha!

We all do it!  After we present a lesson, especially an abstract one, we watch, wait, looking for that moment.  The moment of recognition, of clarity, of understanding.  That moment when we see the flash of enlightenment in their eyes!  That moment… the AHA moment!  THAT moment is why I homeschool!!!  I cherish the Aha’s!  

I have to assume that this moment is why there are teachers in the public schools!  These moments are so addictive!  As homeschooling families, these moments take on even more meaning to us.  These moments are not only validation that our children ARE learning, it is confirmation that we CAN teach!  

A-ha moments in our house usually accompany a literal physical change in our children’s demeanor where they show a small, shy grin of acknowledgement or sheer jubilation and high-fives of congratulations! Depending on which child experienced the A-ha moment, his personality and how big an A-ha it was… but, we usually see some visible evidence of the moment!  

One of my biggest regrets is not cataloging, organizing, and preserving those moments from my perspective, a mom’s perspective.  This is where journaling, scrapbooking, vlogging or blogging can become a dynamic piece of a homeschooling family.   I know I have already heard … when will I have time.  I can assure you, when our children are grown and gone, we will ask why didn’t we make the time to record these blessings?  I already feel that way now even with my children still at home… I mourn the lost opportunities of documenting their earlier years.  So, I’d like to encourage you to investigate what works best for your lifestyle to document your own children’s AHA moments and start NOW!  I have been looking around to see if there is an A-ha Journal and haven’t found anything that inspired me… So, In an effort to help all of us get better at this, I’d like to ask if you are a parent that has already started capturing the A-ha moments, please share with us!  How do you capture these beautiful moments?  Do you have a blog, a scrapbook, a portfolio, what?  I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone is doing!!!!  

 

Mommy Experiments L & L Farms

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Mommy Experiments

Mommy Experiments

I will document my many mommy experiments here.  We believe that learning is a lifelong experiment and it is not always a nice straight line!  Learning can be messy, chaotic and hectic and that describes our farm regularly.  So, I’m going to share my own adventures (and misadventures) on the blog as well!  I hope it inspires you to try some new things and make some messes!  

Teach Our Children How to Thrive

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Earlier this week a good friend introduced me to Logan LaPlante.  Logan is a 13 year old homeschooled teen that lives in Tahoe.  I loved the confidence this 13 year old demonstrated when presenting at their local TEDx conference. He is self-assured, funny, charismatic, bright, enthusiastic and hungry to learn…  His presentation is about Hackschooling, which is so Montessori (follow the child)!!  He wants to focus on how to THRIVE in life.  This boy gets it!  That is our goal as parents, to Teach our Children How to Thrive!  Let me introduce you to Logan!  

 

 

Logan started his presentation with THE question children hear most often… “What do you want to be when you grow up?”.  I don’t know about you, but I’m almost fifty years old and I’m still trying to answer that question for myself!  And that is my point.  For most of us, we are still dabbling, attempting to identify those things that bring us the most shalom (Hebrew for peace, completeness, wholeness).   I don’t think most of us had the luxury of even contemplating what those things might be when we were younger.    

Teach our children how to thrive

I love the question that Logan posed… “What if we based education on the study and practice of being happy and healthy”?  Here at Live and Learn Farm, we are focused on doing just that!  We teach our children that thriving is more important than JUST having a job; being happy (in life and career) is more important than being wealthy; and our health is more valuable than gold.  We focus on trying to help our children determine what they love to do, so they can explore career choices doing “that”.  I’ve come to the conclusion … if you love your work, it’s never a chore!  

Our faith, our love of nature, and our belief in life-long learning is the foundation that everything else is built upon.  Introducing experiences and encouraging exploration is an important aspect of our homeschool, in other words, we encourage our boys to “practice” being happy, healthy and engaged!  Currently they are engaged in art, music, writing, photography, gardening, sports, camping, hiking, raising farm animals, game development, and slide motion videos as various past-times.  Some of these are new interests and some are waning interests… but they are all being explored and we, as parents, are actively encouraging them.

WE have to be the innovators on how we educate our children.  Are we going to take the easy way out?  Remember the children are watching!  Are we going to use a curriculum that keeps our children in the house, on the computer or in a book?  Or do want them living and experiencing life as they learn their curriculum?  In order to encourage our children to think differently, to live life differently, to focus on things other than the dollar or the easy way out… we have to model it for them!  Just like photographers and artists look at landscapes differently, we must do the same!  We only get one chance with our children… I encourage you to examine everything you teach, how you teach it, and why.  Examine what you are modeling…  I challenge you today to take their curriculum to the next level.  Refocus, recommit and re-engage!  Teach your children how to thrive!!!  

Until next time….

 

 

 

 

 

Daylight Saving Time Myths and Facts

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If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’ll go ahead and tell you, I love to use books and current events to strike my boys’ imagination!  They all love to read and I feed their imaginations and curiosity with beautifully illustrated, thought provoking books!  One of my favorites about the concept of time is About Time, A First Look at Time and Clocks. If you have not introduced calendars and clocks to your children, this is a great time and way to do so.  So, let’s get to my article about Daylight Saving Time Myths and Facts!

Daylight Saving Time Myths and Facts

In 2013, Daylight Saving Time (DST) started March 10th at 2:00 AM local time. This year, 2014, it starts March 8th. We move our clocks forward one hour in the spring (spring forward) and move our clocks back one hour in the fall. This got me wondering … who thought up this strange clock change to begin with! I’ve always heard that it was for the farmers to get more work in during the daylight hours and that it was originated in the US. Both of these appear to be persistent myths!  Since we are now focused on farming, I wanted to know what the facts are surrounding DST!!

Daylight Saving Time Spring Forward[/caption]So many sources credit Ben Franklin with creating DST. However, it seems most credible sources are now acknowledging that it originated in London,  England. A home builder, by the name of William Willett led the first campaign to implement daylight saving time after an early morning horseback ride in the countryside around London. With his own money, in 1907 he printed a brochure, The Waste of Daylight. It seems Willett became quite obsessed with this idea, but when he died in 1915, it had not been implemented in England.The first country to actually implement DST was Germany during World War I, in order to conserve electricity. In 1918, the United States followed suit as a wartime measure.

There are still states in the United States that do not recognize Daily Saving Time, Hawaii and Arizona. Many communities do not change their clocks nor do some of the US territories. In reality, only about one-quarter of the world’s population, in approximately 70 countries, observe daylight saving time.

What is the purpose for Daylight Saving Time?

To get better use of the daylight by having the sun rise one hour later in the morning and set one hour later in the evening.

There are several persistent myths surrounding daylight saving time that continue to be passed down. Here are a few:

    • Ben Franklin did not create this idea behind Daylight Saving Time.
    • It was not started in America for the farmers… they were actually opposed to it.  It was a wartime measure.  
    • There is not a federal rule or law which dictates that states or territories observe daylight saving time.  In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the start and end dates for daylight saving time but allowed individual states to remain on standard time if their legislatures allowed it.

So, now you know too!  Until next time…

Free Filibuster Lesson

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 Filibuster Lesson edited

 

Current Events Study:  Senate Filibuster

 

 

 

(Note) If you have not introduced civics yet, you will need to cover a bit of background information to help your children grasp what a filibuster is.   A great site to use is:  http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/index.html.  We love the Schoolhouse Rocks videos to help teach a concept.  Here is “I’m Just a Bill”:  

 

 

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A Montessori Love Affair!

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Confession time… I’ve had a Montessori Love Affair for almost ten years.  I LOVE Montessori materials.  I love everything about them.  I love their colors (or lack of).  I love their weight or their daintiness, depending on which works I am admiring.  I love their design.  I love how they are presented.  I love the care and thought that goes into how to best present each work.  I love the shelves they sit on.  I love the clean, uncluttered environments they reside in.  I love the methodology and thought behind the works.  I just love, love, LOVE them.  

 

I remember so vividly the first glimpse I had into the genius behind the Montessori pedagogy and materials.  My oldest son was in the primary (early childhood) classroom at our local Montessori school.  I was a drop-my-kids-off kind of mom and this was my first observation of the classroom with students working.  I sat quietly in my assigned, child-sized seat watching.  I remember being a bit bewildered as I watched the students go about their daily work.  I watched children blissfully content with being focused on the task at hand, whatever that task was.  I watched works being restored in their proper place with great care.  I saw teachers giving lessons to small groups while the other students stayed on task in their own areas.  I watched children taking turns and waiting for the opportunity to use a favored work.  I was mesmerized!  After my observation period concluded, I sat with the head of school and gleefully offered to purchase more of the particular favored work.  She smiled, patted my hand, and patiently explained why they didn’t need another of those works.  I WAS HOOKED!  My Love Affair officially began then and there!  I knew my children would be taught in a Montessori environment!    

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Paths of Exploration – Columbus Unit Lesson 1 Supplemental Resources

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Below are my Supplemental Resources for Paths of Exploration (POE) by Trail Guide to Learning for the Columbus Unit, Lesson 1.  Our goal is to add more hands-on activities to this wonderful curriculum!  (Note this is a long article, so I have chosen to use the “read more” tab below in order to shorten the articles on the home page… so if you are interested, please be sure to click the “read more” button right below the share buttons for the various social media sites OR the Title of this post).  

 

Paths of Exploration Supplemental Hands-On Resources

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 1 Part 1:

Compass Rose – A great (and free) compass work by Montessori Print Shop.  

Montessori Print shop Compass Rose

 

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Traditional Garden Checklist by Month

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Since we are just starting our Permaculture garden, I don’t have a checklist to go by yet!  So, I’ll have to modify the one we already have to Permaculture!  It is one I adapted from Southern Living Magazines years ago.  Note this is for Zone 7, for other zones, you will have to adjust the list to fit your area.  Here is a map to help you identify your region.   

Garden checklist by Month

Note the Last Frost date for zone 7 is approximately April 15th.  First Frost approximately November 13th. 

January

  • Inventory and Order Seeds
  • Prune shrubs (not flowering shrubs)
  • Prune fruit trees (tipping the main stem & main branches).  Apples and Pears:  Prune branches competing with the leader branch, branches that cross, grow inward, appear broken or disease or rise abruptly from horizontal branches.  Remove suckers from the base. 
  • Plant new shrubs and trees
  • Till garden when dry, working in compost  NOTE:  Back to Eden Gardens do not require tilling
  • Plant blueberries
  • Early January, plant Artichoke in greenhouse, move to 4-6 weeks at 35-50 degrees. Two weeks after last frost, plant in bed. 
  • Late January, plant Asparagus, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, broccoli, hot peppers in greenhouse.  Move outside after last frost. 

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Pickin’ Chickens!!!

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Today we decided to get our “chickens in a row” and pick the chickens we want to add to our flock of Rhode Island Reds. We fell in love with Rachel, the red frizzled cochin from Kathy, The Chicken Chick!  So we knew one of the breeds we were adding would be frizzled bantam cochin!  (Note this is a long article, so I have chosen to use the “read more” tab below in order to shorten the articles on the home page… so if you are interested, please be sure to click the “read more” button right below the share buttons for the various social media sites).  See what a lovely lady little Rachel is:  

 

Rachel

Our current coop / pen combinations severely restrict our options for adding chickens.  The way the coop and pens are laid out now, we can only prevent two breeds from mingling.  Therefore, we decided to go with all bantam / cochins.  We ordered them from a new hatchery we found Welp, Inc.  They have been in business since 1929, so they are certainly not a “new business” just new to us!  We will provide a review of this hatchery once we receive the chicks (they will not ship out until 4/9).  Below are pictures of the chickens we ended up pickin’ today:

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2012-2013 Homeschool Curriculum

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We have homeschooled now for four years.  This is our 2012-2013 Homeschool Curriculum.  Prior to homeschooling, our boys attended a small local private Montessori school, where I was on the board for the school. Our boys have reached the point of thinking and working abstractly, so most of the Montessori materials are no longer used in our curriculum. So what do we now?  Come & see!!

I am very thankful that we stumbled blindly into a Montessori school! It has been a complete blessing to our family and continues to be … it is how we approach learning, education and life in general. So, although we have very traditional homeschool material now, our approach is still firmly grounded in the Montessori pedagogy.

 

#1 (oldest son) 7th Grade:

Exercises in English G
Grammar / English: Loyola Press Exercises in English G
Writing:IEW / Beautiful Feet Geography Study
IEW Beutiful Feet Geography Literature
Literature: GA Henty Books (Cat of Bubastes) and Jim Hodges Study GuideCat of Bubastes
Spelling: All About Spelling 3-5All About Spelling 3
Vocabulary: Loyola Press Vocabulary in Action GVocabulary in Action G
 
Algebra: Video Text Algebra II (CLEP when complete!)VideoText Algebra
World History / Geography: Mystery of History IIMOH 2
American History / Geography: Paths of Exploration /Trail Guide to LearningPOE TGTL
Civics: God and Government Volume 1God and Government 1
Science: Apologia Physical ScienceApologia Physical Science
Logic: Fallacy DetectiveFallacy Detective
Foreign Language: Croghan Language Academy SpanishCroghan Language Academy
Economics: Starting a Micro Business for Teensmicrobus-workbk
Physical Education: Soccer, Karate
Scripture Studies: Torah, Writings, Prophets, NT
Electives: Art, PhotographyVirtual homeschool group name

 

 

 

(Middle Son) 6th Grade:

Grammar / English: Loyola Press Exercises in English FExercises in English F
Writing:IEW / Beautiful Feet Geography Study
IEW Beutiful Feet Geography Literature
Literature: GA Henty Books (Cat of Bubastes) and Jim Hodges Study Guide Cat of Bubastes
Spelling: All About Spelling 3-5All About Spelling 3
Vocabulary: Loyola Press Vocabulary in Action EVocabulary in Action E
Creative Writing: IEW / Beautiful Feet Geography Study
Algebra: Video Text Algebra I (CLEP when completes II!)VideoText Algebra
World History / Geography: Mystery of History IIMOH 2
American History / Geography: Paths of Exploration /Trail Guide to LearningPOE TGTL
Civics: God and Government Volume 1God and Government 1
Science: Apologia General ScienceGeneral Science
Logic: Fallacy DetectiveFallacy Detective
Foreign Language: Croghan Language Academy SpanishCroghan Language Academy
Economics: Starting a Micro Business for Teensmicrobus-workbk
Physical Education: Soccer, Karate
Scripture Studies: Torah, Writings, Prophets, NT
Electives: Art, PhotographyVirtual homeschool group name

 

 

#3 (Youngest Son) 3rd Grade

Grammar / English: Loyola Press Exercises in English DExercises in English D
Writing:IEW / Beautiful Feet Geography Study
IEW Beutiful Feet Geography Literature
Literature: GA Henty Books (Cat of Bubastes) and Jim Hodges Study GuideCat of Bubastes
Spelling: All About Spelling 3-5All About Spelling 3
Vocabulary: Loyola Press Vocabulary in Action DVocabulary in Action D
Creative Writing: IEW / Beautiful Feet Geography Study
Teaching Textbooks Pre-AlgebraTeaching Textbooks Pre Algebra Montessori Measurement (EDUTC)Edutc Measurement    Montessori Area and Volume from Houston Montessori Center
World History / Geography: Mystery of History IIMOH 2
American History / Geography: Paths of Exploration /Trail Guide to LearningPOE TGTL
Science: Apologia Exploring Creation Zoology 3Exploring Creation Zoology 3
Logic: Fallacy DetectiveFallacy Detective
Foreign Language: Croghan Language Academy SpanishCroghan Language Academy
Economics: Starting a Micro Business for Teensmicrobus-workbk
Physical Education: Soccer, Karate
Scripture Studies: Torah, Writings, Prophets, NT
Electives: Art, PhotographyVirtual homeschool group name

 

Note:  Items above are linked to my Amazon affiliate account.  The very small amount of money that we make from our affiliation with Amazon is used to augment our curriculum needs.  Photos are shared from Amazon.

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