Fieldtrip: Conner Prairie

This beautiful 10/10/10 Sunday, the family spent the day at Conner Prairie. Conner Prairie is an Interactive History Park. This was the first time G has ever attended a museum where the docents play the part of the time period... he didn't quite know what to think.

First we rode the 1859 Balloon Voyage. G did not want to go but to be honest... I made him. There are certain things, like this balloon ride, like his first kiddie roller coaster, that I make him do. I don't want him to miss an opportunity. And I don't make him go if I am not willing to do it too. I only do this maybe once a year. He still was scared but talks about the view as being really neat.

350 feet in the air.

Indiana in October from 350 feet in the air

Once back on the ground we entered the Lenape Camp, the Conner's Farm, and Prairietowne.

Silver pieces like the English & the Indians Traded

G Creating a paper replica of the silver

Discussing trade with the Delaware

Learning how wool was dyed

Collecting kindling to pay for his half of the bed for the night. 12 1/2 cents

The Inn keeper telling us about how the Spanish Reales was used.

Trying to hold a rifle made by the Carpenter.

Crushing Sage

Playing a real piano forte!

Forging a nail, which G got to keep

Watching the Potter throw

Pretending to throw

Playing Farmer in the Dell

Fieldtrip: Metamora

Metamora is a small village in Indiana platted in 1889. We attended their homeschool day last month. Activities included rug hooking, cooking, rope making, visiting the gristmill, and riding the canal boat.Learning about the Grist Mill

Boarding the Canal Boat

Making a rope

Tuning the boat around.... the horses pull the boat and have to be reattached to the other end of the boat so we can go back.

Fieldtrip: Stone Mountain, GA

We had never heard of Stone Mountain but the day before we left for Florida, I received my prize book from Live the Adventure. As I perused the 500 locations I came across this location near Atlanta… hmm we have to go through Atlanta. So we decided we would stop on the way back home. We are so glad we did. We only looked at the carving and took the train around the base but we plan to go back and partake in all of the activities and watch the laser show.

First: Junior Ranger

Over the years I have “watched” other homeschool blog families vacation in National Parks and participate in the Junior Ranger Program. I couldn’t wait until G had the opportunity to try his hand at this. Well, last month we stumbled upon our first one. We were on our way home from a funeral in Tennessee and stopped off at McD’s in Cave City… and what do I spy? A Momma with an armful of Junior Ranger Handbooks! We were contemplating driving down the road and taking a short tour of Mammoth Cave but now we HAD to go! I hadn’t realized that Mammoth was a National Park; I assumed it was a state park.

We asked about the program at the information desk and learned that G needed to earn 9 points to become a Junior Ranger. The booklet consists of worksheets about being a Ranger and about the Cave System. So while we waited for our tour we found a quiet, cool corner and started to work.

After working in the workbook and seeing the cave, G said he wanted to be a Ranger at Mammoth Cave. He talked to our tour guide, Ranger John, about it. Ranger John told G he could come back when he was in 16 and be a summer intern. High School students intern and learn behind the scene jobs (tickets, cleaning…) and will be giving tours by the end of their stay. I have one very excited Junior Ranger now!

History is ALIVE!

I have so many, well four, posts that I want to write but I am experiencing my first over scheduled, can't find my rhythm year. But I just had to share this...

We are continuing history this year with Story of the World 3. I enjoy this series immensely. Although, this year since it starts to cover America (1600-Gold Rush) I wanted to slow down through it and do a slightly more in depth American Study than just two or three pages scattered throughout the text. So I got out a notebook today and numbered the lines one by one from 1607 to 1850. Then I fingered through the text to find the America chapters, 10 out of 42. Next I wrote those events on my time line. The second bit of information for my time line were the states... what year did states become states. Then the Presidents. Finally, I added us.

Us as in my family not US as in United States. I am so blessed to have pieces of a book written by a now deceased 2nd cousin. This man, whom I never got to meet, traced our family back to 1633. All but 3 of G's Grandfathers, on one side, lived during these years!! History is going to come alive. The first one came to America as an indentured servant 13 years after the Pilgrims. Another was born the year between Washington becoming President and the Bill of Rights. One fought in the War of 1812. These 8 men are going to guide us through the forming of this country. I am so excited!

Hands On History

One of my goals this year is to do more hands on activities in our lessons. This week we tried out a few of the recommendations from Story of the World 2.

Crumbling Rome

Sugar cookie building the barbarians can devour.

Celtic Brooch
Yeah, G was suppose to make it but I got so inspired myself. I used brown Model Magic, a pencil, and a glue stick lid.
The Celts Attack

China Leaning Kit from CHINA

A few months ago Jimmie blogged about a fellow mom in China who was creating a business by selling China learning kits. I jumped at the chance to receive one of these kits because I am a tactile person and I love being able to see and touch real objects. I was not disappointed.

The kits are $13 and include 10 objects and an identification pamphlet. It took about 25 days for the package to arrive. The stamps and writing on the envelope were just as exciting as the items inside.
































G looking at the package, trying to figure out where it is from.
























Paper Lantern



























Red Money Pouch














The entire kit

Anatomy of a Parade Float

Take one drink box

Tie to a skateboard

Decorate

Priceless!

Parade of States

During this 12 weeks of Co-op, the children had the chance to participate in an independent project, a state parade float. The kids chose a state, studied it at home, and created a float to represent what they learned about the state. The children paraded their floats through the audience at our end of the year program after a rousing performance of 50 Nifty United States. It was fun to see what they used as bases... skateboards, wagons, mini tractors, cars.California

Pennsylvania

New York

Missouri (Pre-K asked his Mom for the stuff she wraps the food in...
that would make a great arch, he said.

Michigan

Kansas

Indiana

Florida

Arizona

Alaska

Tennessee

Texas