Green Hour Challenge Assignment #2

For Green Hour Challenge #2, hosted by Barb over at The Heart of Harmony, we hooked up with the wonderful family from Koinonia Academy and meet them at Clear Creek Trail. This trail is very large and we decided to break it up into 3 sections. This time we visited the southern part of the trail which included Dyes Inlet and played on the beach for a while.

My Assignment/Thoughts:

Part of our (parent) assignment was do read different sections of of Handbook of Nature Study. I am soaking up all the reading I am doing and am LOVING it. I also read the Optional Assignment which goes into greater detail on how to use the book HNS to it's fullest. What "I" need to work on now is to call the things we learn about by their names, such as parts of a tree, plant, etc. I have some learning to do myself. I need to make a couple cheat sheets and keep them with me as we go on our walks so when the kids spot a flower I can pull it out and ask them what color is the corolla, what color are the leaves of the spray on that tree, etc. This will be my major assignment over the next few weeks, or months, or how ever long it takes me to remember the names. *Ü*

Here are some quotes from the book I wanted to share.

Page 15: "Certain questions and lines of investigation should be given the pupils before starting and given in such a manner as to make them thoroughly interested in discovering the facts."

Page 23: "Make the lesson and investigation and make the pupils feel that they are investigators." and "If the questions do not inspire the child to investigate, they are useless."

I veered off the reading assignment and read about, "The Field Notebook". It has some great pointers about keeping a Field Notebook. Here are some tidbits of the pointers:

a. "The book should be considered the personal property of the child and should never be criticized by the teacher except as a matter of encouragement."
b. "The making of drawing to illustrate what is observed should be encouraged."
c. "The notebook should not be regarded as port of the work in English." (don't correct spelling, grammar, etc.)
d. "As occasion offers, outlines for observing certain plants or animals may be placed in the notebook." (this one is a must for me... I can't remember everything and having a page with the top things to achieve really helps me in accomplishing our goals)
e. "No child should be compelled to have a notebook." (This one I was a little puzzled with. .. After all, I want my children to have a sketch book, field guide, and journal. I made neat notebooking pages, etc. and by golly they are going to do it. LOL *Ü* But really, what this point spoke to me to me is that it shouldn't be forced. If they don't want to draw, write down their findings, etc. don't force it. Maybe this week (or 2 or 3), might be their week(s) when they don't want to record information, etc. And that is ok. I say again for my own acknowledgement/reinforcement... That is ok! It isn't like we would stop our nature study because they don't want to record anything in their journal. I know they are learning as we are out walking and observing. For me, the notebooking pages are just there as prompts to record their findings. And not all sections are filled out by each child. And... That is ok! )

With that covered, now I will share our finding from Assignment #2:

We started off our day with some time at the beach where they had a blast over turning rocks (and turned them back over again) to see what creatures were hiding under them. Then we headed into the mouth of the creek (where the fresh and salt water meet). There were all types of plants here and lots of birds. Here is a slide show of our day:

One word descriptions of what they heard: Tweet (Holly, Timmy & Jake), Splashing (Jessica)

Two word description of what they saw: Bird Nest (Timmy), Gray Heron (Jake), Clam Shells (Holly), flying birds (Jessica)

Three word description of something they felt: Soft White Sand (Timmy), Fast Moving Crabs (Jake), Tall Tall Tree (Holly), Fuzzy Pussy Willows (Jessica)

Jessica wanted to learn more about the Pussy Willow by discovering how it got the name "Pussy Willow". Click HERE to learn more about it. For her notebooking page she drew a picture of the waves splashing on the rocks. She also drew a Pussy Willow branch with pollen (closer look) in her sketch book.

Timmy wanted to learn more about crabs. We discovered the type of crabs he saw are Purple Shore Crabs. He drew a picture on his notebooking page of an army of crabs running away trying to hide under a rock again.

Holly wanted to learn about The Great Blue Heron. She read more about this bird in the Smithsonian Kids' Field Guides: Birds of North America West. For her notebook page, she drew one perched on a branch looking for its food below. She also drew one in her sketch book and labeled the parts.
















Jake wanted to find out the type of clam shells he brought home with him. After our research, we found they are called Native Little Neck or Steamer Clams. He also drew a picture on his notebook page to show the inside of the clams. They have a purple tint around the outside edges.

To read more wonderful Green Hour Challenges for Assignment #2 click HERE.

Wordless Wednesday: No Smell Version

For more Wordless Wednesdays, check out the the

Well Trained Mind Board.

Sketch Tuesday: State of Mind

Here is Jessica's picture that represents something from the state of Washington. I am sure we don't have blue Rhodies here, but she wanted one (her favorite color), and asked me if it was ok to make a flower blue. I said go for it.

She use watercolor crayons to make her drawing.


If you would like to join Sketch Tuesday head on over to Barb's blog and find out the details. Next week's sketch is A Bowl of Fruit (draw a piece of fruit). Anyone can join, young and old alike.

Quiz: What Type of Mother Hen Are You?

What type of Mother Hen Are You?
by Montessorimom.com: Educational Resource

Patricia over at Classical Education Our Way posted this neat quiz at her blog. I just "had" to see what type I was. What type are you?

Green Hour Challenge Assignment #1

Barb from The Heart of Harmony as started this wonderful nature study challenge: Green Hour Challenge. If you have wanted to do nature studies with your children, but always seemed to put them off for one reason or another, this challenge is for you.

One thing (among many) I really appreciate is the fact that she is teaching us how to use Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock (here is a free downloadable version). I had this book for quite some time, but the size scared me to death. Barb is suggesting a few pages at a time from different sections of the book. It really is giving me a better understanding what a Nature Study is all about.

Here are a few quotes that stuck out to me, encouraged me, and inspired me:

"Nature-study cultivates in the child a love of the beautiful."

"Nature-study cultivates the child's imagination, since there are so many wonderful and true stories that he may read with his own eyes..."

"...more than all, nature-study give the child a sense of companionship..."

"In nature-study any teacher can with honor say, "I do not know"; for perhaps the question asked is as yet unanswered by the great scientists."

"Moreover, the teacher, in confessing her ignorance and at the same time her interest in a subject, establishes between herself and her pupils a sense of companionship which relieves the strain of discipline, and give her a new and intimate relation with her pupils which will surely prove a potent element in her success."

There was more I underlined or highlighted, but those above really stuck out to me.

For this assignment we went into our back yard and wondered around for about 10-15 min look at different items from nature that might be of interest to the kids. Is there a plant they see and they wonderful what the name is? How long does it take for a tree to grow? What tree does this leaf come from? And other possible questions.

I created notebooking pages for this assignment (and have assignments 2 notebooking page already done as well). This way they will keep a nature journal about our nature studies. I will place them in a 3 ring notebook and divide up the notebook into sections: Plants, Trees, Animals, Birds, Insects, etc...

Here were our results...

Timmy:

Question 1: What did you see: leaves, tree, rock, & grass
Question 2: What was interesting about them: He left this area blank. When I asked him about this verbally, he said, "Mom, it is my backyard. I play here all the time and didn't see anything new." Ok... Think to myself... He has a point there, but we will work on different approaches to seeing things as we go along on our nature studies.
Question 3: Did you bring anything back with you? No
Question 4: What would you like to investigate further? The Fig Tree
Question 5: What did you discover? Common Fig : Figs were a common foodsource for the Romans and were used to fatten geese.

Here is a picture of him hanging from one of the branches of the fig tree. And yes, it produces a ton of figs. Unfortunately a lot of them go to waste. I can't get past the part of what they look like when you open them up. YUCK!

Jessica:

Question 1: What did you see: grass, wisteria, pond, rocks

Question 2: What was interesting about what you saw? Grass-There was a lot of it. Wisteria- had no leaves on it and it looked dead. Pond- had not that much water in it. Rocks- they were around the pond.

Question 3: Did you bring anything back with you? A small branch with buds and a leaves attached to it.

Question 4: What would you like to investigate further? What color are ht buds when they bloom & what is the name of the plant

Question 5: What did you discover? It is the flower buds of a White Lilac.

Ok after I went outside to varify the plant type, I know it isn't a lilac. I will have to search for the "real" name. This is a learning process for us all. :o)

We have finally figured out what this lovely plant is offically called. This is a Cliftonia Monophylla. We also have that has redish belled flowers. They are very pretty when they are in full bloom.

Ok... 3rd time is a charm, right. After searching through more books on nature study and identifying, we are almost certain this is a (drum roll please...), a Japanese andromdeda (Pieris).

Holly:
Question 1: What did you see: leaf, new sprouts coming up from the ground
Question 2: What was interesting about them: Buds-They were dark green
Question 3: Did you bring anything back with you? No
Question 4: What would you like to investigate further? Find out the name of the flower
Question 5: What did you discover? This is a Mealy Cup Sage, will have purple flower spikes; blooms spring, summer, fall; shear occasionally; full sun; 2 to 3 feet.


Jake:
Question 1: What did you see: leaf & tree
Question 2: What was interesting about them: leaf- it was green.
Question 3: Did you bring anything back with you? No
Question 4: What would you like to investigate further? Find out the name of the tree
Question 5: What did you discover? This is a Rubber Tree/Plant.


For Green Hour Challenge #2, we will be heading the the Clear Creek Trail with some friends.

PS: If anyone would like a copy of my notebooking page, you can download them by clicking the link below the Green Hour Challenge Logo on the right side bar, or Here to get to them directly.

My Favorite Homeschool Product(s)

It is Friday Meme time again at The Heart of the Matter. This weeks Meme is: Your Favorite Homeschool Product. Below are some of my favorite things I use/need for homeschooling.




My Laptop and the Internet. I don't know how I could do what I do with homeschooling with out either. Love e-books, making notebook pages or lapbook pages, chatting with other homeschoolers all over the world, and more.

With the love of my laptop comes my treasured item: 1,000 copy punch card at the UPS Store . I couldn't live without this... Honestly, I am there at least once a week making my copies for a notebooking project, lapbooking project, or other needed copies to do activities with the kids. Of course I use my printer for smaller printing jobs, but when I need multiple copies of 1 page (for lapbooks and other larger printing projects), this is a MUST have for me. I need I also use a separate one for my co-op classes. Copies are only 3.5 cents ($35 for the punch card), it eliminates wear and tear on my printer, and I can always swing by Java Joint for a coconut Latte while I am out. That is a BIG bonus! *Ü* (sorry no pictures because they keep it there at the store so I won't loose it. LOL )

While reading other homeschoolers lists of their favorite products, I have to agree, our wipe off board is a must. I wish I had a bigger one, but we don't have room for it here.

My cubbie corner. It holds my laptop (but can be easily moved to the table), has some "core" items I use underneath it, and my storage caddie is right next to it. In here I have pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, stapler, hole punch, scissors, pencil sharpener, tape, magazines, educational cds, audio we use for learning, and so much more. I don't have to get up and search for anything (well unless the kids removed something w/o permission that is *Ü* ). I couldn't imagine not having this wonderful tool by me.

What is your favorite Homeschool Product?

Wordless Wednesday: A Trip To The Zoo

For more Wordless Wednesdays, checkout the the Well Trained Mind Board.

Sketch Tuesday: My Bed

Here is Jessica's view of her bed. To see what other submitted for their drawing click HERE.

If you would like to join in next weeks Sketch Tuesday (something that represents the state you live in), make sure to check out The Heart of Harmony's blog. Anyone can join!

Contest: Lyrical Earth Science

Over at MamaArcher's Blog she is hosting a giveaway: Homeschool Giveaway --Lyrical Earth Science . This curriculum looks really neat. Head on over to her blog to learn more about this curr. and for information on how to enter into the contest. Best of luck to you!

New Site: The Homeschool Lounge & Contest

The Homeschool Lounge is a FREE online social network community for Homeschool Moms; the very first of its kind! The vision of The Homeschool Lounge is to connect Homeschool Moms from all corners of the web; get advice, give advice, share, learn and laugh with those who truly understand you. There is something for everyone inside the many pages of this pioneer website so go check it out!

Site Features Include:
Create your own space
Start or join discussions in our Forum
Start or join a group
Start a Blog or Promote an existing Blog
Create a slide show widget of your pictures for your blog
Photo Gallery
Video Gallery
Live Chat
Invite other Homeschool Moms, friends and family
Members only community ~ All members, all videos and pictures must be approved and only the front page of our site can be viewed by the public for the safety and comfort of our homeschool moms.

Now for the contest information:

Everyone that shares the news about The Homeschool Lounge on their blogs or websites will be entered into a drawing for a giving away of two $25 Amazon gift cards to randomly picked winners! All you have to do is post about post about The Homeschool Lounge on your blog and leave a comment letting them know you did so!

Make sure you go back to this blog: Less of Me~ More of Him and post a comment that you shared this on your blog. This is the final step (after you post about on your blog of course) to entering in the contest. Best of luck for winning!

Award: Blogging With A Purpose

Lisa at Kiononia Academy blessed me this evening with this wonderful award... Thanks so much, Lisa, I feel very special that you would have thought of me. I am... blessed!

Rules:

1. Awarded parties must nominate five people who have not received the award.

2. The blogs that receive the award must serve some purpose.

3. In their post about the award they need to link back to this entry.

4. Awarded parties must post the award banner on their site. The banner must remain linked to this site.

Oh man, there are a more blogs than just 5 I would love to give this award to. I am hoping that it will eventually end up at those wonderful blogs. Here are the 5 I have chosen to give this award to:

Tressa at Tressays: This is a person that I not only know in blog land, but in person. I am blessed to know her and her wonderful children. I really enjoy visiting her blog. She writes from her heart and shares her thoughts in an engaging, wonderful way.

Tami at Ambleside Classical: Tami is one of the first blogging friends I made when I first started blogging. I am blessed by her wonderful posts, how she encourages other homeschoolers, and is so willing to share her thoughts/ideas/lesson plans with other homeschoolers.

Lee at My5WolfCubs: This woman is an amazing artist! She is a wonderful encourager, does wonderful projects with her children, and is extremely inspiring.

Susan at Short on Words: Oh my... Just one look at her blog and you will be inspired! She definitely has a purpose and a true gift. Every time I visit her blog I am inspired to take better pictures. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful gift with others.

Daisy at Lesser Road Academy and Mom, What's for Dinner: Wow, one look at either of her blogs and you know she has a purpose. She shares her wonderful homeschool activities with us all and her love for cooking.

As I said before, it was hard to only choose 5... I have met some of the most wonderful folks in blog land. I am inspired by many other blogs. Thanks you everyone for sharing your heart, life, and home education with others. I am truly blessed.

Wordless Wednesday: Holly's Cat Castle Creation

Inside of the box is a pillow Holly made for her dad as a Christmas gift, which she reclaimed for the kitties. *Ü* This box is so tiny, but the cats just LOVE sleeping in it. Holly feels very proud of herself for making something the cats just love.

Insect Lore

Oh I just LOVE the stuff from this company. Today I received their catalog. There is so much I want to order. The kids and I looked through the catalog and here is a list of things we wish we could get:

Praying Mantis Habitat Set

Earthworm Nursery

Diary of a Worm DVD

Beetle Barn

Carnivorous Creations

Triops (Jessica would like this. I think they look pretty gross...)

Animal Soundtracks Lotto Game (Kids might be a little old for this, but I just think it would be fun to guess the animals by the sounds it makes. "I" want to play this one!)

Owl Pellet Kit (we will get this no matter what for our Zoology 1 study)

It is so fun to create a wish list of things to get. And they also have a Bargain Basement Section! Now only if money grew on trees.

BTW, they have games and other free activities at the site as well. Head on over to check it out.

Sketch Tuesday: Something Made of Wood

Jessica sketched another great picture for Sketch Tuesday. She is really enjoying this project. If you would like to particapte please go HERE for more information. Anyone can join, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Brothers, Sisters, etc.

As I was searching Barb's blog (I just love her blog... so much to learn about there), I ran across another link to some wonderful art video's to watch. She shares her knowledge on using different types of mediums (colored pencils, oil pastels, etc.). This is a definite must see for those that want to learn more about different types of mediums to use.

HOAC Lapbook Freebie

For this week only (ending 2-18), Homeschollestore is giving away In The Hands of a Child's Mary Cassatt Lapbook. This is a wonderful lapbook for an artisit appreication study. Head on over to Homeschoolestore to get your free lapbook.

Project Pack Details:

Mary Cassatt was an American painter during the late 1800’s. Your student can complete a lapbook on one of the first impressionists in history with the Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child. This 56-page unit includes a 9-page Research Guide with information about Mary’s childhood, family, and her experiences as an artist as well as examples of her work. In addition, you will find 17 hands-on activities to help your student learn about this famous woman!

Jessica: CPR Certification

Jessica is now CPR certified. Please help us congratulate her.

WAY TO GO JESS!

She knows this will help her when she is babysitting (we will also be putting her in a babysitting class). And when she gets older, she would like to get a job at our local pool as a life guard.

Update on Timmy's Arm

What a long, long journey we have had with is arm. I am very happy to let you all know that he has completed physical therapy and no longer needs to visit the Dr. YEAH! Praise God!!

He will still need to work on his exercises at home to get his hand to turn over upright. I believe the degree is now close to 70 and a normal person is at a 90. So he isn't far off any more.

The muscle at his wrist wasn't used for 3 months; therefore it has become weak and doesn't want to turn. But with his at home exercises, the Physical Therapist thinks he should be pretty close to normal in about 6 months.

Thank you everyone for all your thoughts and prayers!

Weekly Report

This week was a bit of a blur... I haven't been feeling myself at all this week (feeling a little under the weather). But with that said, I did get some things accomplished this week after all.

Monday we visited with some friends. We called this day "Social Day". What an adventure this day was. I was driving down the highway heading to our friend's house and my battery light came on. I called Greg and he said to return home right away. Jake was in tears because he wanted to visit with his friend. Well... Mr. Timmy had the smart idea (he later said he couldn't believe the parents didn't think of it... Ok 1 up on us LOL ), of having them come to our house instead. That worked for them and we had a wonderful time visiting and are looking forward to the next time.

Friday, we took Jessica and Holly to see Romeo and Juliette ballet at the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Another big treat of the night was eating dinner at the Metropolitan Grill (if you live in the Seattle area, this is a must go to restaurant) before we went to the ballet. And as a bonus, we were surprised with dinner guests, Uncle Jerry and Aunt Natalie.

Now to the fun school things:

Russia Study:

We worked on our vocabulary words, read about the people of Russia, began learning about the Mongols, read a Russia Folk Tale, and read a story about a Christian family that lived during Soviet Union.

Art:

Jake and Holly created a masterpiece in the Henri Matisse fashion and Timmy did a composition masterpiece, where he also had to mix his own colors. Timmy found this project to be a little difficult. So this art work is really a Timmy & Mom project. Jessica's Latin class was cancelled, so she was able to join us for art class this day.























We did get other regular work done, but not a whole weeks worth. There is always next week to catch up on bookwork.

Wordless Wednesday: Cat Nip Heaven

Anyone that knows my cats (or has a cat like this), knows that the orange kitty doesn't like the other cats at all. She growls, hisses, and swats at them when ever they come near her. But she forgot all about that once the cat nip was brought out! Silly kitty...

Sketch Tuesday: I'm Freezing In Here

Jessica had fun trying to figure out what she will draw from the freezer. She thought about it for a while, but once she opened the door, right away she knew what she wanted to draw... Sausage of course!

To see what other artisit choose to draw from the freezer, check out Sketch Tuesday. If you would like to participte, check out Sketch Tuesday for information on how to participate. Anyone can join in the fun.