During the first two weeks of April the kids & I took a road trip to Winnipeg. It reinforced for me how much learning really takes place while we're experiencing things, not necessarily reading and writing them down. Here's a list of the topics that come to mind.
Socials
Obviously geography is huge when you drive from the Okanagan, through the mountains and out onto the plains. Changes in terrain, altitude and weather were duly noted. While we were in Winnipeg there was a critical focus on the impending flooding. We saw the Red River rise over the week we were there and we spent a fair bit of time trying to explain how river diversions and flood gates work to protect the houses within them (and what it means down and upstream). On the way home through SK we ended up taking a 65km+ detour due to flooding on the trans Canada highway. Not what we had been planning!
One morning we took a trip to the historic Forks area and had a lovely breakfast in the market, which Ivy wrote about in her blog. We briefly talked about the value of the forks to the First Nations of the area and how it was the heart of Winnipeg. It was neat to see the 2 rivers converge and note how much more quickly one was moving (the Red River) than the other (Assiniboine). We were disappointed that the Manitoba Children's Museum was under construction, since we've enjoyed it in the past, but look forward to returning again a different year!
The girls probably wouldn't count this as learning, but I toured them through many of my childhood haunts, houses and schools. I love the idea of helping them establish a sense of roots and family history. Whether or not it succeeded I may never know!
While we were in Winnipeg we made a visit to see the kids' great grandma in the hospital. They have met her a few times but hadn't seen her in over a year. It was the first time they had visited someone quite ill in a hospital and it was a bit shocking for all of us. They slowly absorbed what they were seeing in the hallways, in her shared room and in conversation with her. She was conscious and her memory is amazing, but physically she was very weak. We took half an hour in the lobby afterwards (over snacks) to talk about what we had seen and how we felt. This isn't in the curriculum anywhere but was a major learning time.
Ivy may not recall this as it was late evening after 12 hours of driving, but we had a reasonably long discussion about Canada's political parties and how our voting system works (based on all the election signs we were seeing). We touched on the concepts of "left" and "right" wings and how we might compare to some other countries in general.
Language Arts
In the car the girls listened to books on tape to help pass the time. They also got a new DSi game called "Scribblenauts" that I love. You face obstacles and can type in the name of any tool you want to help you overcome it (eg. you reach a deep river and need to cross - you could type in "bridge", "jet pack", "trampoline" or whatever you can come up with). It's very creative and requires correct spelling! One rainy day we walked the 2 blocks over to the library near my parent's place and spent some happy, mellow time choosing books to read over the next days.
Active Living
The kids' only 2 cousins live in Winnipeg and they're active! We met them at the pool one evening and followed it up with pizza. We also took the time to watch Marissa (11years old) do some gymnastics training. Since Ella has just gotten back into this it was neat to see her facility and what level she's working at. On a few of the sunny afternoons we took advantage of the selection of outdoor toys available. Frisbee, skipping, football, catch, lawn "darts" and shovelling leftover snow were popular activities. We only made it to a playground one day but it was good for over an hour of exploring! On the road trip itself we had a few stops at motels with pools, which was good for blowing off some accumulated energy.
Science
On the way home we spent 2 nights in Calgary, with the dual purposes of hanging out with my brother and his partner (Uncle Mark and Roel) and seeing the Calgary Zoo. Ella blogged about it on her new site (we're hoping to add updates most Mondays). Although it was chilly the kids hadn't remembered ever being at a zoo and were blown away. I had never been to one like that either! They fell in love with the Red Pandas but enjoyed seeing almost everything there. Ella especially liked the elephants and Ezra was thrilled with the zebras, tigers and monkeys. Mom was most enamoured with the (warm) tropical & butterfly gardens. There were some neat science displays there that were related to solar heat/light.
Our last night on the return road trip was in Vernon, an unusual stopping point for us. We slid into town with 15min to spare to watch some of Ivy's friends in their dance performance. Afterwards, we checked into our lovely hotel and had a long swim. The next morning we visited the Okanagan Science Centre for the first time. As it was very quiet, Ivy pronounced it "much better" than the one in Vancouver. I could not tear the girls away from the flight simulator!
Math
There was a LOT of discussion about how many hours/kms there were until the next stop, and how many left in the day. It lead to a lot of talk about how fast I may have been driving to get those results...
Not bad for two weeks without textbooks!
Showing posts with label socials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label socials. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Ivy's Art - Spring 2010
1. Kerpoof
Sugol: A Cautionary Tale
- Ivy worked on this environmentally themed short story all in one session. Unfortunately due to program limitations (Kerpoof)we were not able to go back and edit once it had been saved!
Kandy Korn I & II
- These videos were also made on the Kerpoof site.
2. Environment posters
3. Violin
4. Egyptian drawing
Sugol: A Cautionary Tale
- Ivy worked on this environmentally themed short story all in one session. Unfortunately due to program limitations (Kerpoof)we were not able to go back and edit once it had been saved!
Kandy Korn I & II
- These videos were also made on the Kerpoof site.
2. Environment posters
3. Violin
4. Egyptian drawing
5. Panda
Monday, April 26, 2010
Earth Day
In honour of earth day the girls did a voluntary garbage clean-up in our neighbourhood. They had one bag nearly full when the employee of a local business came by (on his forklift) and offered to dispose of the garbage for us. Then he gave the girls $5 to thank them! It was a fun bonus. A few days later the Sparks and Brownies met to do a group clean-up along Prairie Valley and Giant's Head roads.
Ivy in particular takes environmental issues very seriously and it can keep her up at night. Along with 2 friends she started the "JEB" club and the 3 girls hope to raise money for a variety of causes, with Ivy's first choice being an environmental organization. Here are some posters Ivy's made on this theme.
Ivy in particular takes environmental issues very seriously and it can keep her up at night. Along with 2 friends she started the "JEB" club and the 3 girls hope to raise money for a variety of causes, with Ivy's first choice being an environmental organization. Here are some posters Ivy's made on this theme.
Ella made some of her own posters too:
Monday, January 18, 2010
Canada & Socials
Canada and Communities related work this term:
-Louise Erdrich novels
These books incorporate North American history, cultural learning, exposure to a different language and spirituality and language arts. Last summer we traveled to within a few hours of where Omakayas and her family ended up after their displacement so the girls have a frame of reference for the type of landscape.
- Mapwork
We have worked with blank Canadian maps to learn the provinces (Ivy and Ella) and capital cities (Ivy). In addition we are spending time locating places on our world map. Cardinal directions, grids and scales have also been introduced. Ivy knows the inter-cardinal directions as well. We procured a dated travelogue from the library that was entertaining and somewhat educational. Canada has scenery, beautiful cities and...many recreational golf courses!
- Socials Project
The girls' uncle Mark is traveling over the next few months so we are following him and marking his progress (Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam). We are also making an effort to learn something about each place he's in. Fortunately he's keeping a blog so we can see pictures too! In addition their grandparents are spending the winter in the Dominican Republic working on local projects. They volunteer their time there and have kept us up to date on what is going on in the communities there.
- Google Earth
This program has been a blast to use. Both Ivy and Ella enjoy searching and "zooming" in on specific places. This is the program we're using to mark the locations and trails of various family members over the winter. Ivy discovered the feature that allows you to also explore the landscape of the moon, Mars and some constellations (more solar systems - while I'm on the topic she went through this Cosmic Quest game too).
-Louise Erdrich novels
These books incorporate North American history, cultural learning, exposure to a different language and spirituality and language arts. Last summer we traveled to within a few hours of where Omakayas and her family ended up after their displacement so the girls have a frame of reference for the type of landscape.
- Mapwork
We have worked with blank Canadian maps to learn the provinces (Ivy and Ella) and capital cities (Ivy). In addition we are spending time locating places on our world map. Cardinal directions, grids and scales have also been introduced. Ivy knows the inter-cardinal directions as well. We procured a dated travelogue from the library that was entertaining and somewhat educational. Canada has scenery, beautiful cities and...many recreational golf courses!
- Socials Project
The girls' uncle Mark is traveling over the next few months so we are following him and marking his progress (Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam). We are also making an effort to learn something about each place he's in. Fortunately he's keeping a blog so we can see pictures too! In addition their grandparents are spending the winter in the Dominican Republic working on local projects. They volunteer their time there and have kept us up to date on what is going on in the communities there.
- Google Earth
This program has been a blast to use. Both Ivy and Ella enjoy searching and "zooming" in on specific places. This is the program we're using to mark the locations and trails of various family members over the winter. Ivy discovered the feature that allows you to also explore the landscape of the moon, Mars and some constellations (more solar systems - while I'm on the topic she went through this Cosmic Quest game too).
More Loiuse Erdrich
We continued reading about Omakayas in Louise Erdrich's books "The Game of Silence" and "The Porcupine Year". We are starting to recognize some of the Ojibway words when they come up in the text and don't always have to check the translation at the back!
The relationships between adults and children are very well written and impressed all of us. We had interesting discussions about the responsibilities and expectations of children being so different in that time & culture. We were treated to big laughs as well as quiet, sombre moments. Ivy in particular asked keen questions about "white" culture and showed frustration with our heritage.
The relationships between adults and children are very well written and impressed all of us. We had interesting discussions about the responsibilities and expectations of children being so different in that time & culture. We were treated to big laughs as well as quiet, sombre moments. Ivy in particular asked keen questions about "white" culture and showed frustration with our heritage.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Community Involvement
We've discussed communities of various sizes in different countries. Ivy has had an email exchange with her grandparents who are doing relief-type work in the Domincan Republic. They discuss food, housing, schooling and lifestyle.
At the local level, Ivy spent a morning at the SPCA with friends to learn about what they do for animals. She has been to the food bank and is eager to find a way to contribute to it. Together with her Brownies group she did a walking tour in Summerland and they paid particular attention to public art.
Before Christmas we spent some time talking about what we are thankful for and where we might want to help people out. We took a more global perspective and the girls chose to put together a shoebox for a girl aged 7-9. Our extended families put money together at Christmas to send to a helping organization instead of buying each other too many gifts. This year the Paper Kite Foundation was the choice as it was founded by several of my brother's friends. We read through the website to see what the money was going to go towards.
Neighbours are a major component of our community so we are making a little more effort into these relationships. We called an elderly former neighbour and met her for coffee. Our neighbours are very generous and help us out by clearing our driveway of snow and giving us food from the orchard. We try to give back in small ways but I think we need to pick up the pace in that department!
Issues in Communities/Homelessness
Through the contact with the food bank and a having a grandma that works at a homeless shelter, we had the resources to talk through many scenarios where people might have to use these services. The girls did some role playing and came up with some of the challenges they'd face. Some of their solutions were very creative! Being homeless they'd need to find shelter (electricity - extension from outdoor plug next door, blankets, cope with seasons, bathing), food (scavenge, rely on handouts, shelters, food banks, finding odd jobs, how to cook?), clothing (re-purposing or reclaiming what others have rejected, making do with less, toiletries).
Two books that helped us understand more about it were The Boxcar Children and Family Under the Bridge.
At the local level, Ivy spent a morning at the SPCA with friends to learn about what they do for animals. She has been to the food bank and is eager to find a way to contribute to it. Together with her Brownies group she did a walking tour in Summerland and they paid particular attention to public art.
Before Christmas we spent some time talking about what we are thankful for and where we might want to help people out. We took a more global perspective and the girls chose to put together a shoebox for a girl aged 7-9. Our extended families put money together at Christmas to send to a helping organization instead of buying each other too many gifts. This year the Paper Kite Foundation was the choice as it was founded by several of my brother's friends. We read through the website to see what the money was going to go towards.
Neighbours are a major component of our community so we are making a little more effort into these relationships. We called an elderly former neighbour and met her for coffee. Our neighbours are very generous and help us out by clearing our driveway of snow and giving us food from the orchard. We try to give back in small ways but I think we need to pick up the pace in that department!
Issues in Communities/Homelessness
Through the contact with the food bank and a having a grandma that works at a homeless shelter, we had the resources to talk through many scenarios where people might have to use these services. The girls did some role playing and came up with some of the challenges they'd face. Some of their solutions were very creative! Being homeless they'd need to find shelter (electricity - extension from outdoor plug next door, blankets, cope with seasons, bathing), food (scavenge, rely on handouts, shelters, food banks, finding odd jobs, how to cook?), clothing (re-purposing or reclaiming what others have rejected, making do with less, toiletries).
Two books that helped us understand more about it were The Boxcar Children and Family Under the Bridge.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Girl Guides
Both Ivy and Ella (Brownie & Spark respectively) have been involved in the Girl Guide program this year. They attended camp where they participated in crafts, games and chores! Ivy's highlight was the careful packing of the exact recommended list, complete with correct knots and groundsheets. Ella loved the newness and sociability of the whole thing.
The girls participated in the Remembrance Day parade - Ivy carried a flag and Ella got to help lay a wreath.
The girls participated in the Remembrance Day parade - Ivy carried a flag and Ella got to help lay a wreath.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
trading post
Ivy and Ella independently set up their own trading post one afternoon after covering some fur trade history and reading the Birchbark House novel. They were careful to initially only trade supplies that they had found or made themselves. The early offerings included hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, carrots and windfall apples. The girls had to consider the relative value of each item and decide how to trade it. They also figured out how long their supplies could last, depending on how much they would eat or drink each day.
As they began trading with various family members the options became more colourful. Their grandma heard about it and brought some true treasures to trade with. She has worked extesively with the Mishkegogamang First Nation in Northern Ontario (Ojibway) helping them to record some of their history in writing. She brought two small booklets, one contains stories from an elderly man who used to be a fur trader and the other is a book of traditional legends for the area. She also gave the girls a carved bone pendant made by the fur trader.
As they began trading with various family members the options became more colourful. Their grandma heard about it and brought some true treasures to trade with. She has worked extesively with the Mishkegogamang First Nation in Northern Ontario (Ojibway) helping them to record some of their history in writing. She brought two small booklets, one contains stories from an elderly man who used to be a fur trader and the other is a book of traditional legends for the area. She also gave the girls a carved bone pendant made by the fur trader.
The Birchbark House
The Birchbark House, by Louise Eldrich
This novel follows a year in the life of Omakayas, an Anishinabe girl of 8 winters. The girls and I used it as a read aloud book so that we could talk about new ideas together as they came up.
Throughout the book we are exposed to the many ways in which animals are used and shown respect. Many different plants and their various properties are discussed. Canadian history is reflected in the life of the village, their Deydey's (father's) work as a voyageur, and the exposure of the village to smallpox. The culture of the Ojibway comes through in the language, stories, spirituality and relationships.
The girls and I made charts to keep track of some of the many ways in which animals & plants are mentioned. There is also a poster to show the different stories and legends that are told. The story is broken into very distinct seasons which we noted for Ella's science unit.
This novel follows a year in the life of Omakayas, an Anishinabe girl of 8 winters. The girls and I used it as a read aloud book so that we could talk about new ideas together as they came up.
Throughout the book we are exposed to the many ways in which animals are used and shown respect. Many different plants and their various properties are discussed. Canadian history is reflected in the life of the village, their Deydey's (father's) work as a voyageur, and the exposure of the village to smallpox. The culture of the Ojibway comes through in the language, stories, spirituality and relationships.
The girls and I made charts to keep track of some of the many ways in which animals & plants are mentioned. There is also a poster to show the different stories and legends that are told. The story is broken into very distinct seasons which we noted for Ella's science unit.
Fort Langley & Science World
In September the girls and I took part in a trip to Fort Langley that was arranged by another home schooling parent. We covered the bases of BC & Canadian history as well as getting some good exercise! The group arranged to add a voyageur canoe trip up an arm of the Fraser River. It poured rain but the kids were good sports and so were the adults. The hot tub was all the sweeter at the end of the day.
We swam in the hotel pool every day. The kids got a full workout on the waterslide while we supervised from the hot tub.
On the way to and from Vancouver we enjoyed listening to Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism on CD.
Since were were near the big city anyway, the girls and I navigated our way to the King George skytrain station and rode it downtown to Science World. It provided a great hands-on boost to our science learning, particularly for the "Structures" unit.
The Eureka Gallery
This area commanded most of our attention and the girls had a blast playing with all kinds of force, motion and water based activities.
Our World
In this gallery we experimented with different ways to generate electricity. Solar, wind and a crank come to mind.
-from the website:
Search Gallery
After a bit of time in the main areas we were all ready for the quiet of the Search Gallery. It ended up being one of our favourite spots. It wasn't the flashiest by a long shot, perhaps that's the answer. It's hard for us to learn in environments where there is a lot of noise and activity.
We swam in the hotel pool every day. The kids got a full workout on the waterslide while we supervised from the hot tub.
On the way to and from Vancouver we enjoyed listening to Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism on CD.
Since were were near the big city anyway, the girls and I navigated our way to the King George skytrain station and rode it downtown to Science World. It provided a great hands-on boost to our science learning, particularly for the "Structures" unit.
The Eureka Gallery
This area commanded most of our attention and the girls had a blast playing with all kinds of force, motion and water based activities.
Our World
In this gallery we experimented with different ways to generate electricity. Solar, wind and a crank come to mind.
-from the website:
Our World encourages us to find solutions for a better future—while examining the environmental, social and economic factors that all need to come together to make for a sustainable society. Through colourful, bright and imaginative exhibitory, Our World engages our attention, while focusing on the everyday choices that we make and how those choices will impact our lives, both immediately and in the future.
Search Gallery
After a bit of time in the main areas we were all ready for the quiet of the Search Gallery. It ended up being one of our favourite spots. It wasn't the flashiest by a long shot, perhaps that's the answer. It's hard for us to learn in environments where there is a lot of noise and activity.
A world of discovery awaits you in our newly-renovated
Search: The Sara Stern Gallery. Gaze in wonder at a T. rex skeleton, climb inside a giant 800-year-old Western Red Cedar, crawl through a real beaver lodge, stroke a collection of animal coats, hear vibrations travel through rock, visit the poison dart frog and discover our updated discovery boxes.
This calm, contemplative gallery will mesmerise you on a journey through the past and present of some of nature’s magnificent wonders.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Osoyoos Field Trip
Ivy, Ella and I really enjoyed the field trip to the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre on June 1st with the HLP. We learned a lot about rattlesnakes, local ecology and the Nk'Mip culture.
These signs were everywhere and it was almost enough to make us paranoid. The one snake we saw (other than the ones that were being released) was lounging under the walkway with a big bulge where it was digesting a small rabbit!
Witnessing a rattlesnake release!
A short learning time in the big pithouse. It was cool & shady after a warm hike.
We took the opportunity to celebrate the end of the school year. We had ice cream, spent a few hours at the beach and enjoyed the mini-golf and bumper boats at Rattlesnake Canyon. We finished up with supper at one of our favourite restaurants - the Best of India in Oliver. A wonderful end to a fun & successful year! The girls did a fantastic job of figuring out this home schooling thing.
These signs were everywhere and it was almost enough to make us paranoid. The one snake we saw (other than the ones that were being released) was lounging under the walkway with a big bulge where it was digesting a small rabbit!
Witnessing a rattlesnake release!
A short learning time in the big pithouse. It was cool & shady after a warm hike.
We took the opportunity to celebrate the end of the school year. We had ice cream, spent a few hours at the beach and enjoyed the mini-golf and bumper boats at Rattlesnake Canyon. We finished up with supper at one of our favourite restaurants - the Best of India in Oliver. A wonderful end to a fun & successful year! The girls did a fantastic job of figuring out this home schooling thing.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Dragon of the Red Dawn
Ella has recently discovered the Magic Treehouse series and we finished Dragon of the Red Dawn (#37) last night. The artwork was beautiful so we were inspired to do some drawings and paintings of Japanese gardens today. They were so pleased with the results that they proceeded to play an imaginary game involving the family traveling to Japan, based on Ivy's interpretation of the Imperial Gardens from the story. We followed up with trying our hand at Haiku and short poems. The girls are developing a base of knowledge about the Japanese culture this year, including popular motifs, plants, architecture and artwork.Ella's poem
Imperial Garden - Ella
Basho's House - Ivy
Imperial Garden with Friends - Ivy
Koi
The golden koi fish
Swimming in it's rocky pool
Quietly waiting.
-Ivy
The golden koi fish
Swimming in it's rocky pool
Quietly waiting.
-Ivy
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
First Peoples
We read the First Nations legend "Origins of the Eagle Clan", (Pacific Northwest Coast). We talked about the concept of sharing - when we do and when we don't. Is it okay to not share? Why? We also discussed the value of animals, do we honour them in our culture?
As a follow up we also worked on colouring in some Haida style depictions of a sun and wolf. Ella designed her own "First Nations Moon".
After reading about some of the coastal nations we were curious about the Okanagan Nation in our area. This site gave us a great starting point. It was fun to spend time looking at the Sylix calendar and figure out which season it is. We will look for the signs in the landscape and return to this site as the months change.
As a follow up we also worked on colouring in some Haida style depictions of a sun and wolf. Ella designed her own "First Nations Moon".
After reading about some of the coastal nations we were curious about the Okanagan Nation in our area. This site gave us a great starting point. It was fun to spend time looking at the Sylix calendar and figure out which season it is. We will look for the signs in the landscape and return to this site as the months change.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Girl Guides
Ivy is a Brownie. Last week she researched a project called "Symbols of Canada" which was presented to visiting Guiders from England. Ivy had an opportunity to go camping with her group and learned new games, practiced a skit and participated in chores.
Ivy sold cookies as part of her membership responsibilities and worked hard on her math so she could give correct change. She learned the relative values of coins and small bills. She used addition to find out how much multiple boxes would cost and subtraction to figure out change. We counted the money several times during the sales period to make sure the sold boxes balanced with the cash.
Ella is a Spark and the focus has been on learning to be a good friend. She has enjoyed playing new games and is beginning to make friends with the other girls.
Tofino
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