Summer School 2009 - Lesson Week Two: Dragons

My oldest son, Joseph, picked this theme for his “week”. Wow. Talk about challenging! There was no "one" place where I could glean a lot of info!! So this week, I relied heavily on a dragon unit my mom (a retired teacher) sent me, entitled A Unit About Dragons by Jo Ellen Moore, Joy Evans, and Leslie Tryon. I also decided that this week would focus mainly on creative writing, which is Joseph’s weakest subject (not the creativity part…he has that in spades…but the actual WRITING part). So there is less science and math this week, and more expression!! It was also a challenge to tie in a gospel-theme, but I chose to talk about talents, and use all the scriptures that have to do with improving your talents.

The first thing that I did was use an idea from A Unit About Dragons, and make a “center” that had a backdrop of a castle wall with three turrets. Each turret had a pocket strip in front of it to hold story starter ideas. The first turret has a flag that reads “Characters”, and inside are strips of paper that read: “fierce flying dragon”, “brave knight”, and “beautiful princess”; “kind dragon”, “small boy”, and “magic box”; “huge three-headed dragon”, “clumsy knight”, and “smart maiden”; “an invisible dragon”, “wise old man”, and “angry king”; “tiny dragon”, “pet cat”, and “curious child”; and “Unusual dragon”, “old woman”, and “hunter”.

The second turrets flag reads “Settings”. Its idea strips are: “cottage at the edge of a big forest”; “dark cave at the foot of a mountain in the middle of winter”; “stone castle surrounded by a water-filled moat”; “in my backyard yesterday after school”; “near the Great Wall of China a thousand years ago”; and “hidden in a dragon’s lair.”

The third turret has a flag labeled “Situations”. The idea strips for this turret are “a search for dragons treasure”; “someone lost who is trying to find a way home”; “a wounded dragon seeking…help, vengeance, or a magic potion”; “someone has been taken by a dragon and must be rescued”; “a strange door has opened between the past and present time”; and “a misunderstanding causes trouble”.

If you think of other idea strips, feel free to use them. Each day we will use the story ideas to write creative stories. My two oldest should be fine, but I’ll probably be taking a lot of dictation from my two littles. We’ll work on brainstorming, rough drafts, and final copies (probably typed up on the computer). We’ll go over illustration, poetry, and even comic/graphic novel writing. Should be fun!!

Some great coloring pages and worksheets of dragons: Coloring.com, First School, Color Mountain, Crayola, Enchanted Learning, ABCTeach, and Family Fun

Monday –

· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16

Opening exercise:

Read the story of Heber J. Grant learning to sing (I Have Learned to Sing by Joan Oviatt). Explain that we are all special, and we all have talents. Sometimes our talents come easily to us. But sometimes, we have to work very hard at discovering and perfecting our talents. The Lord wants us to use our talents and make them better – he wants to be proud of us. Sometimes we have to face many discouragements along the way, like President Grant faced. But if we have perseverance, and try very, very hard, even hard things can become easier for us.

This week, our Summer School theme is “Dragons”. Now, you may be wondering what improving our talents and persevering have to do with dragons…but we are going to use this theme this week as we work on storytelling and creative writing, which are talents that we’re going to try and develop more fully.

Vocabulary:

Cut out the vocabulary pictures and paste on 3x5 cards and write the words on the back of the cards.

· Dragon, China, England, Castle, Princess, Knight, Flame, Cave, Mountain, Myth, Talent, Perseverance, Village, Imagine, Write

Story-Writing:

I am using a couple worksheets from A Unit About Dragons that encourage brainstorming about dragons and their qualities. You can create a big poster board and as you ask the kids these questions…write down their answers. You can display the poster somewhere where everyone can see it. It will help them think creatively and give them ideas to use in stories, and give you a great opportunity to discuss ideas and hear the other kids opinions.

What Do You Think…Which Is Hotter? Why?

1. A desert or a dragon’s tongue?
2. The inside of a toaster or a dragon’s mouth?
3. Old faithful or a dragon’s breath?
4. Scalding steam or a dragon’s tears?

Think About Dragons…Is a Dragon More Like…? Why?

1. …a lizard or a snake?
2. …a fairy tale or a legend?
3. …a bird or a bat?
4. …a volcano or an oven?

What Would A Dragon’s…Be Like?

1. …tears
2. …laugh
3. …song
4. …breath

What Does It Feel Like To Be a Dragon? What Would … a Dragon?

1. …anger
2. …amuse
3. …embarrass
4. …frighten

Art and Journal:

Have the children imagine their own dragon, then answer these questions about it in their journals or on a separate piece of paper. Provide large pieces of construction or butcher paper for them to draw their dragon, and a variety of supplies to use, such as crayons and markers, tissue paper and foil to make scales, and glitter. Get creative!!

Imagine a Dragon

Does your dragon have…

Scales?
Wings?
Claws? How many?
What is your dragons name?

Describe your dragon:

Length
Width
Body Covering
Color
Age

Write a paragraph describing the special talents and characteristics of your dragon.

Reading : Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.

Flashcards : Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills

Computer : Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites


Tuesday –

· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16


Opening Exercise: Read the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14 – 30). Use the Primary 7: New Testament lesson manual for the following discussion

· Why did the master give different amounts of talents to each servant? (Matthew 25:15). How do your talents differ from your friends’ talents? Your family members’ talents? Why does Heavenly Father give different gifts to each of us? (D&C 46:12.) How can we show our gratitude to Heavenly Father for the particular gifts he has given to us? (D&C 46:11)

· What did the servants who were given five and two talents do with their money? (Matthew 25:16–17.) How do you think they were able to double their money? How can hard work be a blessing to us?

· What did the servant who was given one talent do with his money? (Matthew 25:18.) Why do you think he did this? (Matthew 25:24–25.) Why do you think some people don’t develop their talents? What happens to people’s talents if they do nothing with them?

· When the master returned and asked the servants to report to him, what did he say to the servant who had been given five talents? (Matthew 25:21.) What did he say to the servant who had been given two talents? (Matthew 25:23.) How does working hard to develop talents bless us? How have you been blessed by the talents or abilities of someone else?

· Why did the master give the same reward to the servant who had earned five talents and the servant who had earned two talents? (Matthew 25:21, 23.)

· What did the master say to the servant who had been given one talent? (Matthew 25:26–27.) Why was the master angry with this servant? What punishment did he give him for hiding the talent? (Matthew 25:28, 30.) Why is how we use our abilities and talents more important than how many talents we have and what those talents are?

· Why do you think the master gave the one talent to the servant who had ten? Was this fair? Why? Explain that the more we use our talents, the more talents we develop. If we do nothing with our talents, we will lose them. (See Matthew 25:29; D&C 60:2–3.) Help the children understand that those people who seem to have fewer talents will receive every blessing if they use their talents to the fullest.

· What do you think Jesus was trying to teach us by telling the parable of the talents? Help the children understand that the Lord has given us talents, abilities, and opportunities (such as belonging to his church). He expects us to use all these things to make our lives better and to serve others. He also wants us to show our gratitude by developing our talents.

· What additional expectations does the Lord have for us because we are members of his church? (D&C 82:3.)

· How do people share their talents in the Church? How does accepting responsibilities and assignments in the Church help us increase our talents? (See enrichment activity 5.)

· When and to whom will we give a report about what we have done with the gifts and talents we have been given? What do you want to be able to report? How would you feel if the Lord said to you, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21)?

Vocabulary: Write vocab words 3x each, picture recognition for younger kids

Legends:

Ancient Chinese Dragons

Asian (or Eastern) dragons are portrayed as being benevolent help meets to mankind. They are found most often near rivers, waterfalls, streams, and lakes that hide their underwater liars. Females carry their eggs with them for protection, which look like giant pearls. Asian dragons horde treasure…but only pearls and opals. There are several different sub-species of Eastern dragon, which are classified by the number of toes they have. Japanese dragons have 4 toes, Chinese or Imperial dragons have 5. They do not have wings, but are more serpentine in shape. They are often shown with a mane of sorts around their heads. The Asian dragon is believed to have a lot of power, especially over water, and are thought to be directly responsible for rain and storms. The ancient Chinese dynasties used the dragon symbol to denote their authority over the people. They are usually depicted as being blue or green in color, unless they are Imperial dragons, and then they are red or gold.

The Dragon is the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac. In China, dragons are associated with strength, health, harmony, and good luck. During Chinese New Year, there are often parades where performers dress in giant dragon costumes and dance through the streets. During the summer solstice, there is also a Dragon Boat Festival where participants race boats that are decorated to resemble dragons.

Art: Make a Chinese dragon puppet/mask (see AngelFire, KCKPL YS, Enchanted Learning, Family Crafts, Martha Stewart {this one is beautiful}, Family Fun #1, Family Fun #2, Family Fun #3

Math: Dragon Story-Problems (you can print these up in a worksheet, or read them aloud and work them out together) Feel free to adjust to the level of your kids…these are merely some suggestions from A Unit About Dragons.

1. The dragon flew 24 miles before noon. He flew 18 miles after noon. How far did he fly that day?

2. To win his knighthood, Cedric the Page was charged with returning to the royal kitchen with 400 kilograms of dragon eggs. If one dragon egg weighs 8 kilograms, how many eggs must Cedric find?

3. The old dragon had a huge treasure. He planned to divide it among his three children. He kept the treasure in 15 chests. How many chests will each dragon child get?

4. With each blast from his nostrils, the dragon scorched whatever it hit. Yesterday he burned 27 pine trees, 15 haystacks, and 7 barns. How many things did he set fire in all?

5. 48 nights rode out to fight a dragon. 32 knights came back to the castle. How many knights did the dragon eat?

6. Org the dragon has an incredible sweet tooth. During his last raid on the village bakery, he consumed 3 dozen jelly donuts, 16 loaves of raisin bread weighing 24 ounces each, and 42 cherry pies. How many pastries did Org devour?

Journal: Introduce the Castle Story Idea Center that you’ve made. Explain how it is used, and how it can help write a story. Have the kids pick out a strip from all three sections (Characters, Setting, and Situations) and have them write a story in their journals.

Reading : Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.

Flashcards: Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills

Computer : Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites


Wednesday –

· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16

Opening exercise:

Hide several objects around the room for the kids to find. Give each child a list of the items that are hidden (you can use pictures for little ones). Explain that they are to find the items, and as they find them, they are to cross them off a list. Give them two minutes to hunt for the items. After the items have been found (or not), read off the list and have every child hold up the item if they found it. Some will have more than others. Some items may not have been found at all.

Discuss how locating these objects is similar to discovering talents.
· How can our talents be recognized?
· How could it be possible that our talents could be in plain sight without our being aware of them?

· Why might we fail to recognize a talent?
· Why can we assume we all have talents?
· Why are some talents hard to find?
· Why should we seek until we find talents?

Point out that everyone has been given gifts or talents from our Heavenly Father. Sometimes these gifts or talents are hidden and hard to find. When a talent is found, it is important to develop it, or it may be lost.

Remind the children that talents are not always obvious, are sometimes hard to find, and are sometimes totally ignored. But all talents can be useful and helpful to other people.

Have the kids write in their journals under a header of “MY TALENTS” the talents they think they have. Remind them that talents can be physical things, like singing, or playing football; or they can be spiritual things, like a strong testimony, or a compassionate nature; or they can be mental things, like being good at math, or having good study habits. After they have written some talents (feel free to prompt if they are unsure), have them write down under another header “TALENTS I WANT TO WORK ON” the talents they want to develop. Talk about how they think they can develop these talents. Set a goal to work on ONE talent that they already have, and one they want to develop. Have them write down their goal and steps to achieving the goal in their journals.

Vocabulary: Use vocabulary words in a sentence; picture recognition for littles

Legends:

European Dragons

European dragons are described as ferocious, fire-breathing reptilian creatures that fly and destroy villages and eat young maidens. They are usually depicted as being green or brown in color, enabling them to blend in with forests and mountain landscapes of their home. They typically occupy mountainous caves or ruinous castles that they have overtaken. They have an obsession with treasure and horde gold and jewels. They are usually shown as having very large, bat-like wings, thick spines down their backs, scales, clawed talons, and fanged teeth. European dragons are said to have mastered many languages and are very smart, but instead of using their extreme intellect to better the world, they use it for cunning arts and to advance their own species. They are very territorial and do not take kindly to strangers. They are also supposed to know a great deal about magic.

Poetry: There is a great section of three worksheets on ABCTeach that teach three different types of poetry using dragons. You could also teach about other kinds of poetry, such as Cinquain poetry (Line 1 – one word title; Line 2 – two words describe the title; Line 3 – three words describe an action; Line 4 – four words describe a feeling; Line 5 – one word about the title) or Free Verse. Here are two dragon poems to get inspired by:

Where Did They Go?

Dragons flew over castles.
Dragons flew over clouds
Dragons gathered in flocks in the sky.
Dragons flew in graceful crowds.
I’ve searched the sky for hours.
I’ve searched the sky,
For a lifetime it seems.
I’ve looked for wisp of a tail or scale.
I’ve searched my mind –
Were they only dreams?
Where did they fly off to?
Where did they decide to land?
Where on earth – or was it beyond?
Where did they go? I don’t understand.

Leslie Tryon

Dragon
Mythical beast
Watches a passing knight
Silent death dropping from the sky
Battle

J.E. Moore


Art: Dragon bookmarks (from EasyFunSchool)

Materials

construction paper

colored pencils

felt-tip marker

jar

water

Procedure

1. Cut a strip of construction paper that is approximately one inch by eight inches for each bookmark that you are making.

2. At one end of the strip of construction paper, draw a dragon head with an open mouth. You must use the colored pencils for this drawing.

3. Inside the dragons mouth put a dot of color with the felt-tip marker. You may need to experiment to see how big the dot needs to be based on the type of markers that you are using and whether you are using a fine-tip or wide-tip.

4. Pour one half inch of water into the bottom of the jar.

5. Set the construction paper strip into the water making sure that the dragon head is in the water. As the construction paper absorbs the water, the dragon's fiery breath will appear. Different colored markers will yield different results. Experiment to chose your favorite or share them with friends. After the construction paper has been removed from the water and has had time to completely dry, you can laminate or use clear contact paper to protect your work and make it a sturdier bookmark!!

Journal: Use the Castle Story Idea Center . Have the kids pick out a strip from all three sections (Characters, Setting, and Situations) and have them write a story in their journals.

Reading : Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.

Flashcards : Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills

Computer : Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites


Thursday –

· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16


Opening Exercise: Read Doctrine & Covenants 82:18. Why does Heavenly Father want us to improve on our talents, and gain other talents? (so we can better serve Him). Why would our talents be cast into the “Lord’s storehouse, to become property of the whole church…”? (Because our talents will be used collectively to further the kingdom of God.) Does that phrase literally mean that our talents will be put in a building and stored away? (No. It just means that Heavenly Father knows of our talents and efforts to improve them , and may call on us to use our talents at any time, and we need to be ready with them).

Vocabulary: Find the vocabulary definitions on-line or in a dictionary.

Legends:

South American Dragon Legends

The most common dragon legend from South America is the Aztec legend of the god Quetzacoatl, which means “feather serpent”. Among the Aztecs, whose beliefs are the best-documented in the historical sources, Quetzalcoatl was related to gods of the wind, of Venus, of the dawn, of merchants and of arts, crafts and knowledge. He was also the patron god of the Aztec priesthood, of learning and knowledge. Quetzalcoatl was one of several important gods in the Aztec pantheon.

In the Dragonology handbook, this type of dragon is identified as an “amphithere”, a greenish, feathered, legless, flying dragon that makes it’s lair among the reeds of lakeshores or on offshore islands, has flaming breath, and feeds on large mammals such as buffalo and llama

Science: There are several different science activities you can do with dragons.

1. One is to create a Ven Diagram (a diagram where you have two circles that interlock at their edges). Label one “Dragons” and one “Dinosaurs”. In these circles, write the qualities that each have. Where the circles interlock, write the qualities that they both share).

2. Rehearse what you know about different animal families, and using all you’ve discussed and learned about dragons, decide which animal family a dragon would in fit best.


Mammals Birds
Fur or hair on body Body covered with feathers
Babies born alive Lay eggs in hard shells
Babies fed milk from mother’s body Wings
Warm-blooded Warm-blooded
Breathe air from lungs Beak

Reptile Amphibian
Covered with scales or plates Moist skin
Skin is rough and dry Cold-blooded
Most lay eggs Most lay eggs in water
Cold-blooded Live on land as adults
Breathe air with lungs Hatch from jelly-covered eggs

A dragon would be a part of the _______________________ family for these reasons:

________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

3. A Dragon Life Cycle: Imagine a possible life cycle for a dragon. Draw pictures of the different stages a dragon would go through as it grows. Use this explanation, or make up your own:

“Dragons hatch from eggs. They grow larger each day. Gradually their wings begin to grow. When the wings are big and strong, the young dragon begins to learn to fly. The young dragon also begins to learn to breathe fire. Adult females lay eggs, and the cycle begins again.”

4. Check out ABCTeach for a cool Dragon habitat worksheet where you can imagine a dragons habitat and design it on paper!!

Art: Cartoon/ Comic Writing

Materials

1. Large sheets of construction paper (12x16) folded into four, six, or eight parts depending on the length of your story.
2. Clip art of dragons, princesses, knights, wizards, fairy’s…WHATEVER. Look for clipart that you can color in. OR use a fantasy themed coloring book that you can cut figures out of the pages.
Procedure

1. Make an outline of a story plot. Keep it very simple!! Plan what will happen in each box.
2. Select characters to be used from clip art or coloring books (or draw your own!!) Color and cut out characters.
3. Paste characters in boxes. Draw speech bubbles for their conversations. Add background to pictures.
4. Write dialogue in bubbles.

Journal: Use the Castle Story Idea Center . Have the kids pick out a strip from all three sections (Characters, Setting, and Situations) and have them write a story in their journals.

Reading : Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.

Flashcards : Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills

Computer : Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites


Friday –

· Start with a prayer
· Recite Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “Every Star Is Different” (CS, pg 142-143)
· Scripture, recite and memorize Matthew 5:16


Opening Exercise: Discuss this Gospel Truth from the Family Home Evening Handbook: We are given talents and gifts to help us fulfill our missions on this earth and to help us bless the lives of others. We have a responsibility to Heavenly Father, to ourselves, and to others to develop our talents and gifts as completely as we can. The development of talents and gifts requires persistence, courage, and patience, but brings great joy. (If you can, have this written on a large piece of paper that you can put up in an obvious place for the kids to see and look at every day, like a door or mirror).

We’ve talked about why Heavenly Father gives us talents, and what he expects us to do with them. We’ve talked about how some talents come easily, and how some have to be found and then developed for a long time (or in President Grant’s case…years!!) We’ve talked about why each of us are different, but how each of us are special.

Tell of a talent that you have that had to develop, or are in the process of developing. Share some of your setbacks, but highlight your successes. Emphasize how successful you feel when you master a new skill relating to that talent. Bear your testimony of how grateful you are for your talents, and encourage the kids to develop their own talents.

Vocabulary: Have a quick vocabulary test

Legends:

Dragons in Greek Mythology

There are several famous dragons in Greek mythology, probably the most famous being the multi-headed dragon Hydra that was slain by the hero Hercules. There was also the dragon Ladon, Pytho, and the dragon-like creature Typhon (who lent his name to Pacific hurricanes).

Many of our constellations come from Greek and Roman mythology, and there is a constellation in the sky named for a dragon. The constellation Draco is in the far northern sky. Its name is Latin for dragon. Draco is circumpolar (that is, never setting) for many observers in the northern hemisphere. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 1st century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations today.

Journal: Use the Castle Story Idea Center . Have the kids pick out a strip from all three sections (Characters, Setting, and Situations) and have them write a story in their journals.

Art: Remember that dragon brainstorming activity we did on our first day of dragons…where we imagined what our dragon would look like? Well…after all the work we’ve done this week, and all the things we’ve learned about dragons, I wondered if your dragon has changed. We’re going to use the computers to make a final copy of the dragon story we wrote this week, and we’re going to re-brainstorm our dragon for the story.

Imagine your own dragon, then answer these questions about it in their journals or on a separate piece of paper. Provide large pieces of construction or butcher paper for them to draw their dragon, and a variety of supplies to use, such as crayons and markers, tissue paper and foil to make scales, and glitter…or you can use regular-sized paper if you’re planning on putting these in a family dragon storybook (see below). Get creative!!

Imagine a Dragon…How Has Your Dragon Changed?

Does your dragon still have…

Scales?

Wings?

Claws? How many?

What is your dragons name now?

Describe your dragon:

Length
Width
Body Covering
Color
Age

Write a paragraph describing the special talents and characteristics of your dragon.

Making the 2nd dragon is a good way to talk about how our talents can develop/change/become better after learning and studying and practicing, just like the dragons and stories improved after studying the lessons and improving upon our knowledge. This activity helps tie together dragons, talents, and sum everything up.

Computer: Have kids their pick their favorite story from the past weeks journals. Proofread the story and make any corrections in grammar and spelling. Have the kids take turns typing up their stories. Print the stories and have the kids draw a picture that goes along with their story (see Art activity above). Display the stories for everyone to see, or make multiple copies and put together a family story book about dragons.

Field Trip: okay...honestly...I haven't the FOGGIEST idea what would fit in today as a field trip. Since we're still ding actual work today...which I usually don't do on Fridays...we might skip it.

The only thing I'm considering this week is taking them to Color Me Mine, a ceramic painting studio for kids. They could work on their "art" talent there...but we'll see!!

Books To Use This Week:

Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons (Ologies) by Ernest Drake and Dugald

A Practical Guide to Dragons by Lisa Trumbauer

How to Raise and Keep a Dragon by Joe Nigg

The Book of the Dragon by H. Gustavo Ciruelo Cabral

Puff, the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow, Lenny Lipton, and Eric Puybaret

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

The Dragon Slippers Stories by Jessica Day George

The Inheritance Chronicles (Eragon, Eldest, & Brsinger) by Christopher Paolini

Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi

The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame and Michael Hague

There's No Such Thing as a Dragon by Jack Kent

Summer School 2009 - Lesson Week One: Protecting the Rainforest

This first “unit” was chosen by my son, Brigham. All my kids have been learning about “Going Green” in school, and Brigham, who loves animals and wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up, and belongs to the Environmental Club at school, has been the most ardent about being more environmentally-friendly in our home. He originally chose the theme as “The Environment”…but I felt that it was way too broad a subject, and narrowed it down to the rainforests. I have used several outstanding web-sites to glean my plans and materials from…mainly:

Teach-nology
Learning Page
Rain Bird (the lesson plans compiled by Rain Bird were my main source of activities and info, as they had unites for EVERY GRADE…a 126 page document!! I was able to take things from ALL my kids levels to use…talk about your one-stop surfing!!)


Monday:

· Start with a prayer
· Say Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing: “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (CS pg 231)
· Read and memorize: Doctrine and Covenants 59:20

Introduction –

Question: Let me ask you a question…What is a tropical rain forest?
Answer: A tropical rain forest is a forest that receives 4 to 8 meters of rain each year.

Question: Where are tropical rain forests located?
Answer: Rain forests are located within a narrow region near the equator in Africa, South and Central America, and Asia. (get out a map/globe and show the equator and where the bands of rainforests are)

Question: Why are tropical rain forests important to our earth?
Answer: Rain forests play an important role in the climate control of our planet by having an affect on the wind, rainfall, humidity, and temperature. Within the rain forest, water, oxygen, and carbon are recycled. This natural recycling helps to reduce flooding, soil erosion, and air pollution.

The rain forests support over one half of the plant and animal life on Earth, even though they cover only 2% of the Earth's surface.

Approximately one fourth of the pharmaceuticals (medicines) we use come from plants of the tropical rain forests. According to the National Cancer Institute, 70% of the plants from which we make medicines and that are effective in the treatment of cancer can only be found in the rain forests.

Question: What is happening to our rain forests?
Answer: 27 million acres of the Earth's rain forests are destroyed each year due to man. The activities which threaten the rain forests are: agriculture, clearing and developing of land, beef cattle ranching, logging, and the building of dams and hydroelectric plants. This results in a loss of 100 acres of rain forest per minute and 80% of the rain forests in the world are now gone. The destruction of the world's rain forests at this rate causes 10,000 plant and animal species to become extinct each year.

This is why it’s so important to protect our rainforests. Use this coloring page to show where rainforests are located.

Opening Activity - Listen to a CD of rainforest sounds. Have kids lie quietly (even get pillows and dim the lights if you need to), and put on a CD of sounds from the rainforest (check out Amazon.com or iTunes). Have them close their eyes and imagine that they are in a tropical rainforest. Try and stay as quiet and still as possible to let the full force of the sounds settle on everyone.

After a few minutes, turn off the sounds and ask the kids to open their eyes. What did they hear? What kind of place did they imagine? How did they feel?

Explain that the Earth is a wonderful and magical place that was created for us by our Heavenly Father. When he made the Earth, he created it so that everything we would ever need would be available to us. The Earth was capable of caring for us, and all He asked us to do was to take care of it. But people have forgotten how to care for the Earth, and now there a lot of special places and animals and plants that are gone forever because people didn’t follow God’s commandments. One of the many places that are in danger are the rainforests. It is important to remember that the Earth is here for us to use, but we MUST respect it and use resources wisely.

Vocabulary –Have kids write vocabulary words on 3x5 cards, and then glue pictures on the back (you can get pictures off your Print Shop, online, or cut from magazines).

· Environment, Rainforest, Toucan, Sloth, Canopy, Understory, Decomposers, Orchid, Butterfly, Equator, Tropical, Tribe, Snake, Jaguar, Capybara

Outdoor activity - Go outside and collect several different kinds of flowers from around your neighborhood. While on your walk, take time to notice the things around you…the weather, flowers, and animals. Make sure to ask before you pick flowers out of someone else’s garden!! Bring them back to the house for the following Science activity…

Science –

Materials:

Flowers brought in by kids, forceps/tweezers, tape, and construction paper.

Procedure:

1. Using tweezers, have the kids dissect the flower completely and lay out the structures on a piece of paper.

2. Secure the flower structures to the paper with clear tape, then label the structures.

3. Identify the structures by comparing to the diagram.

Now – build a flower from things at home.

Materials:

You need this pattern, 5 bendy-straws, Styrofoam packing peanuts, construction paper, tape, and glue.

Procedure:

1. Have the kids copy the Sepals pattern on green construction paper, and the petals on the color of their choice. Cut out. (page 27 and 28 at the Rain Bird Rainforest site)

2. Begin construction by securing 4 of the straws around a central fifth straw with tape. The straw in the middle should have the bendable end down while the other 4 are positioned with the bendable end up. The five straws together will constitute the stamens and pistil structures of the flower.

3. Attach a packing peanut to each of the four stamens, by simply pushing the peanut onto the end of each stamen. Bend each stamen away from the central straw.

4. Attach the fifth packing peanut, which will serve as the stigma, by gluing it on the top of the center straw, which represents the pistil.

5. Using a pencil, gently roll each petal around the pencil to give the petals a curve.

6. Place the petals (curving outward) evenly around the straws and secure with tape.

7. Place the sepals evenly around the petals and secure with tape.

Art- In this activity, making leaf and flower prints as an art project will give the students an opportunity to carefully observe leaves and flowers. Use the flowers that you have already collected.

Materials:

White or light colored construction paper sheets (any size), poster paint, a variety of leaves and flowers.

Procedure:

Caution should be taken to keep hands as free of paint as possible to avoid smearing the paint and to create sharp images of the plant material. (Yah, right!!!)

1. Using poster paint and paint brushes, paint the underside of leaves (this is where the veins are the most pronounced) and then press the painted leaves, one at a time, on the paper, being careful not to smear the paint.

2. Repeat the process with flowers. When painting and pressing the flowers, the open blossom can be painted and then pressed onto the paper, or a closed blossom can be painted and pressed, giving a "side view" of the flower.

3. Allow the prints to dry thoroughly. If the prints are made on 11" by 17" paper and then plastic laminated, they make very attractive table place mats.

Journal – Have the kids write about what they imagined during the Rainforest Sounds activity. If needed, put the CD on again, and let them listen while they write. Have them draw a picture of what the rainforest looks like in their imagination.

Reading – Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.

Flashcards – Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills

Computer – Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites

Tuesday:

· Prayer
· Say Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (CS pg 231)
· Memorize Doctrine and Covenants 59:20

Opening Activity -

The tropical rain forest is a cloudy place, as much rain must fall to maintain this steamy environment, which is teeming with life. Have you ever wondered how clouds form? This demonstration allows us to witness cloud formation before our very eyes!

Materials:

One liter, clear plastic bottle with cap, water, and a match.

Procedure:

1. Place a small amount of water in the bottle (just a splash is sufficient).

2. Light a match and drop it in the bottle and quickly cap the bottle.

3. Squeeze the bottle 6 or 7 times (more squeezing may be necessary) and watch the cloud form!
Resource Information:

In order for water droplets to form and make a cloud, they need particulate matter (small particles) around which to form. This is the purpose of the smoke from the smoldering match. The cloud forms when the air cools as it expands, thereby reducing the temperature in the bottle below the dew point. The moisture then condenses as a cloud. Clouds on Earth form when warm air rises and its pressure is reduced. The air expands and cools, and clouds form as the temperature drops below the dew point.

In this demonstration you were able to make the air in the bottle compress and expand simply by squeezing the sides of the bottle and increasing and decreasing the air pressure.

Vocabulary – Copy the vocab words 3x each…in cursive for my older kids, print for the littler one, and then picture recognition for those who can’t yet write

Science – Yesterday we learned about flowers and the parts of flowers. Today we’re going to learn about rain. Rainforests get over 100 inches of rain in a year.

Materials:

Ice, baking sheet, ring stand, hot plate, tea kettle (or lab glassware for boiling water and creating a stream of steam), a tray with a few potted small live plants.

Procedure:

1. About 40 cm from the tabletop, attach a baking sheet horizontally to a ring stand and cover the sheet with a layer of ice cubes. (or just hold it with an oven mit)

2. Place water to boil on the hot plate (or the stove) adjacent to the baking sheet. A tea kettle works well, or use a flask with a one hole rubber stopper and a piece of glass tubing (a sturdy plastic flexible drinking straw can be used in place of the glass tubing). Direct the output of the kettle or tubing onto the bottom of the baking sheet.

3. In a tray, place a few small, potted plants and place this tray directly under the baking sheet (see diagram).

4. Wait for rain!

Questions for Kids (to answer in their journals):

1. Describe the process you just observed. Make a list of what occurred in the order in which it occurred.

2. Where is the cool air in this set-up and what does it represent? Where is the hot air in this set-up and what does it represent? How does the warm air and the cool air come together?

3. Why did it rain?

Notes to “Teacher”:

The tea kettle or the flask represents the source of water on Earth. As this evaporates and rises up to the ice-filled tray (the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere cooled by expansion), moisture condenses on the bottom of the tray and precipitation occurs. Rain falls on the small plants, which are used to model plant life on Earth.

Now let’s learn about the water cycle with some worksheets. (Here’s one, two, three, four, and five from KidZone.com, another, and a great one for older kids, and another one I am fond of. Enchanted Learning has a great one, too…but to get it without ads, you have to be a member.)

Math – Keeping Track of the Weather and Measuring Precipitation

Make a weather chart that can glue into your journal and keep track of the weather and precipitation for 2 weeks. Compare it with the temperature and precipitation in a city/village located in a rainforest (you can visit USA Today for international weather reports. Here is a chart good for bigger kids off PBS.org, and one from Go, Diego, Go that is VERY SIMPLE and good for little guys, or you can make your own)

Art – Make a Rain Stick.

Rain sticks in the rain forest are made from dried caches plants and small pebbles or seeds, making a soothing rain sound. Today, they are widely used as a percussion instrument and represent a "back to nature" feeling.

Concepts Covered:

1. The sound of the rain forest.

2. The symbolic nature and use of the rain stick.

Materials Needed (per child):

1 cardboard tube (paper towel tubes work great)
30 stickpins (flat head)

cellophane tape

1/2 cup of rice

decorative paper

Procedure:

1. Stick all 30 pins through the cardboard tube, in 5 rows with 6 pins in each row.
2. Put a strip of tape around each row to hold pins in place.
3. Tape one end of the tube shut.
4. Pour in the cup of rice.
5. Tape the other end of the tube shut.
6. Cover the tube with wrapping paper, gluing or taping it shut at the edge. (Plain paper can be used also for the students to decorate it as they want.)
7. Enjoy!! Turn stick over slowly and listen to the rain!

Journal – Most of the journal activity was handled in answering the science questions. If you want, have the kids draw their own version of the water cycle beneath the answers in their journals. Littler ones can just draw a picture of water. OR – have kids write why they are thankful for rain? How does it help us? How do we depend upon it?

Reading – Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.

Flashcards – Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills

Computer – Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites

Wednesday:

· Prayer
· Say Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (CS pg 231)
· Memorize Doctrine and Covenants 59:20

Opening Activity – Does anyone know what the word “stewardship” means? (Give time for kids to guess)

A “Steward” is someone who is in charge of caring for something that doesn’t belong to them. So, “stewardship” is the act of caring for something that isn’t just yours. We use the word “stewardship” a lot in church when talking about our different callings…for example, when someone is a Visiting Teacher, it is her job to care for the women on her list. Daddy serves in the Young Mens Presidency, and his stewardship is to care for the boys in that program.

There is a talk about stewardship by J. Richard Clarke

Modern scripture reminds us that all things belong to the Lord. He declared, “I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine, … all these properties. …

“And if the properties are mine, then ye are stewards.” (D&C 104:14, 55–56.

The lessons of stewardship are vividly taught in the parable of the talents (see Matt. 25:14–30). To be profitable servants, we must improve that which the Lord has entrusted to us. Stewards are managers, and sound management reduces waste and ensures an appropriate return on invested resources. How happy were the servants who could report to their lord that they had done all that was expected of them and were told, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things” (Matt. 25:21).
We are stewards of the Earth. As Heavenly Father has stated, he created all the Earth, and it is his handiwork, and we are his stewards…in other words, we are to care for the earth. Being environmental stewards can be defined as…“Environmental stewardship is the responsibility for environmental quality shared by all those whose actions affect the environment.” (United States EPA)

All of our actions effect the environment, and so we are all responsible to care for it. I have made a chart, like our chore chart, and everyone of us is going to be assigned to different activities that will help the environment. For example, there is one person in charge of making sure that all plastic water bottles get into the recycling bin. There is another person responsible for folding up boxes (like cereal boxes) and collecting paper to recycle. There is someone in charge of checking to make sure facets aren’t dripping, and someone to make sure that all the lights and electronics are off when they are not in use. I hope this help us be better stewards of the beautiful earth that Heavenly Father has given us.

Singing time - Learn the “Four Layers of the Rainforest” song

Tune: "If you're happy and you know it"

There are four layers in the rainforest.
4 LAYERS!
There are four layers in the rainforest.
4 LAYERS!
Forest floor, understory, canopy, emergent.
(as you sing the names of the layers first crouch down, then stand up and bend over a bit, then stand and put your arms over your head like an umbrella, then stand on toes and reach up high)
There are four layers in the rainforest.
4 LAYERS!

Hand out a worksheet about forest layers, like this one from Enchanted Learning.

Vocabulary – Write each word in a sentence. Picture recognition for young ones.

Science - Although abundant with life…there are a couple things that the rainforests really have to struggle to get. Can you guess what one is? It’s kind of tricky…because it seems like it wouldn’t be a problem in the hot, tropical climates where rainforests thrive. Give Up?

It’s SUNLIGHT!!

I bet you didn’t know that!! See…the sunlight rarely gets filtered all the way through the big emergent trees or the dense canopy…so the understory gets very little sunlight, and the forest floor gets almost none!! There aren’t many plants on the forest floor, except for those that are incredibly shade tolerant.

We all need sunlight to survive, but sometimes sunlight can be a bad thing too…like when we get too much. What happens when we get too much sun? (Sunburn) How do we protect ourselves from getting sunburned? (Sunscreen, protective clothing, staying hydrated).

There are many wavelengths of light, some of them visible to us and others not. Those wavelengths of light that are visible to us are not necessarily visible to all life forms capable of sight. At the same time, there are life forms other than ourselves that are capable of seeing wavelengths of light that we cannot. Ultraviolet light is an example of a type of light that humans cannot see but is important in the vision of other species.

Many flowers have markings on them that we cannot see without special equipment. These are markings that reflect ultraviolet light wavelengths. Bees can see this wavelength of light and these special markings on some flowers aid bees in locating the sweet nectar of the flower on which they feed. Bees, however, cannot see the wavelength of light that we identify as red!

In the tropical rain forests, as in other areas around the globe, plants have evolved elaborate mechanisms to entice the pollinators. Bees are one such type of pollinator needed to carry the pollen from one flower to another flower of the same species. It is the pollination process that eventually leads to the production of viable seed to ensure the survival of the species.

Another important aspect of ultraviolet light is the great hazard it presents in terms of the health of our skin. Aside from painful sunburns from overexposure to the sun, ultraviolet light ages our skin prematurely and can cause many types of skin cancer.

(The following activity uses some very inexpensive, plastic beads that are treated with a special pigment that is sensitive to ultraviolet light. When exposed to this wavelength, they change color. Don’t let the kids know what we’re doing…just follow the instructions below).

Materials:

Ultraviolet detecting beads available from Educational Innovations, 203/629-6049 (phone), e-mail info@teachersource.com, or at http://www.teachersource.com/LightAndColor/Ultraviolet/UltravioletDetectingBeads.aspx. (Allow about a week for delivery).

All of the beads are white in color, but when exposed to ultraviolet light, they turn red, yellow, orange, purple, or blue (depending on which ones you select). There are 240 beads, each about 1/4 of an inch in diameter, per package at a cost of $6.95 per package. This is more fun if you have at least 2 colors of beads.

The only other element you need is a sunny day!

Procedure:

1. While still indoors, give each child as many beads as you wish. Tell them to hold them in their hands with their hands tightly closed until everyone is outdoors.

2. Once outdoors in full sunlight, ask the students to open their hands and observe the beads. Do not tell them that the beads turn color in ultraviolet light—see if they make the connection between sunlight and the change in the color of the beads.

3. Once the connection between the sunlight and the color change is made, have the students check the effectiveness of sunglasses and sunscreen lotions that claim to block ultraviolet light. This can be done by simply holding the glasses over the beads and noting if the beads remain white or change color. Come back inside and rub the beads with sunscreen. Return outside and observe if the beads change colors.

Art –

Materials:

Ultraviolet beads
String, leather laces, or jewelry elastic

Procedure:

1. Using the ultraviolet beads, have kids make bracelets by stringing beads on elastic or string. You can also string them on shoelaces to make lanyards or on the fringes of shirts you’ve cut. Be creative. Tell them that when you put on sunscreen, to put sunscreen on the beads as well. When the beads start to turn colors, you’ll know it’s time to re-apply!!

Literature – Read “The Great Kapok Tree” and “The Shamans Apprentice” by Lynne Cherry. Discuss why the rainforest is important to us all. Heavenly Father gave us everything we need, but if we don’t take care of it, it will be gone when we really need it.

Talk about how even medicines come from the rainforest. What would it be like if Heavenly Father hadn’t given us these great gifts?

Special Snack – gather some foods (fruits, spices, roots) that we enjoy from the rainforest. Talk about them and taste them.

Journal – What are some things that we use in our home that come from the rainforest? How would our lives be different if those things were no longer available to us? Have little ones draw a picture of something that comes from the rainforest.

Reading – Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.

Flashcards – Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills

Computer – Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites

Thursday –

· Prayer
· Say Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (CS pg 231)
· Memorize Doctrine and Covenants 59:20

Opening Activity – Read about Amazon animals – give everyone a homemade coloring book about Amazon animals

(check these web-sites to print pictures of animals from the Rainforest: First School, ABC Teach, The Coloring Spot, The Learning Page, Coloring WS {but that one has a lot of ads to navigate around}, and Enchanted Learning.)

Vocabulary – Write a story about the rainforest. Include as many vocabulary words as you can. Have the little ones draw a picture of the rainforest using as many vocabulary words (pictures) as they can.

Science – Animal Reports

Have kids pick a rainforest animal that is ENDANGERED and do a report on it. Give ample computer time for research. Help them with any report form you wish.

Math – Favorite Rainforest Animals

Make a graph and poll the family about what their favorite rainforest animal is. You could include neighbor friends, and even call Grandma and Grandpa on the phone. Include the graph in your animal report.

Art – Make a poster promoting awareness of your animal and why it should be protected. You can use magazine pictures to make a collage, or draw with crayons or markers.

Journal – Your journal activity is covered by your animal report today!!!

Reading – Have kids read 20 minutes / a book / a chapter (whatever they’re reading level demands), and/or read to them out of a book you have chosen to read together as a family.

Flashcards – Have kids practice with flashcards to enhance math skills / ABC skills / color skills

Computer – Everyone gets 20 minutes computer time on EDUCATIONAL computer sites

Friday-

· Prayer
· Say Pledge of Allegiance and/or Family Motto
· Sing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (CS pg 231)
· Memorize Doctrine and Covenants 59:20

Vocabulary – have a quick vocabulary test with kids

Field Trip – Today is field trip day!! Check out your local zoo, botanical garden, or butterfly garden, or take a hike in your local nature preserve. Encourage kids to pick up trash as they go…

Books Suggestions To Use For This Week -

A Walk in the Rainforest by Kristin Joy Pratt

The Vanishing Rainforest by Ricahrd Platt

The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

The Shamans Apprentice by Lynne Cherry

Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme by Marianne Berkes

Natures Green Umbrella by Gail Gibbons

Here It Comes...

I cannot believe how FAST summer is approaching!! I am SO excited...and a little nervous that summer is just gonna' FLY BY. We have SO MANY plans...and I've been working really hard with with our summer school lessons for this year. My first couple have passed the reviews by Yaya, the retired teacher grandmother-goddess, and my good friend Melodee, the young and glamorous local teacher. I'll be posting them in just a couple weeks, and hope you enjoy them.

But before all that, I thought I would post our summer schedule.

Now - this schedule is not die-hard, but we do stick to it pretty religiously. However, I never get upset if plans change or things don't work out...we just roll with the waves round here.

We do summer school Monday through Friday. Last year we had a theme every week...this year we're only doing 4 weeks of summer school, and we'll be alternating weeks. The other things we do in the "schedule" will happen all the time...whether it is a summer school week or not. Although I plan plenty of activities to keep them busy in school alone - we don't necessarily do EVERY activity. There are days that some things get skipped or replaced (or forgotten)...and that's okay.

In addition to summer school, these are the other activities that keep us busy...

...on Tuesdays we take advantage of the free movies that our local Regal Theater shows during the summer. The movies are shown Tuesday through Thursday, and there is a G-rated and PG-rated choice every week. Sometimes, if there are TWO movies we want to see, we'll go two days and see a different movie each day...but we usually keep it to one a week. The movies are past releases, and I can guarantee that my kids have seen them all AT LEAST once (several are in our massive DVD collection)...but there is just SOMETHING about seeing movies in a theater that is fun. I pack candy and snacks in my purse, buy a large soda (free refills), and we head to the theater.

Regal theaters host free movies all over the country during the hot summer months, and its a great way to give your air-conditioning a break and still keep cool. Check out the website for participating theaters and listings in your area.

Here in South Florida (specifically in Pembroke Pines) our movies are:

June 9-11: Horton Hears a Who & Nim's Island

June 16-18: Curious George & Spiderwick Chronicles

June 23-25: Mr. Magorium & Water Horse

June 30-July 2: Mr. Bean & Madagascar 2

July 7-9: Artic Tale & Igor

July 14-16: Everybody's Hero & Kung Fu Panda

July 21-23: Charlotte's Web & Shrek the Third

July 28 - July 30: Tale of Desperaux & Bee Movie

August 4-6: Space Chimps & Alvin and the Chipmunks

On Wednesdays - we usually hit the library. Every year we take part in the Library Reading Program. My kids LOVE earning prizes, and I love getting them to read!! There are several library programs throughout the summer that we also take part in...such as story times, chess club, and drama activities. Sometimes these alternate activities take the place of scheduled summer school lessons.

On Thursdays we have a playgroup. During the school year it consists of just those littlest brothers and sisters that aren't quite old enough to join the ranks of elementary-school-big-kids. But during the summer, the WHOLE family can come to playgroup. And just in time, too...because we switch locations from our local park to our local pool. The kids get a couple hours each Thursday morning to splash and play before heading off for other activities.

Of course, Friday is our field trip day - and we usually take off for some destination or another that correlates with our weekly summer school theme. But more on that later.

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Other fun things we do...

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The first Saturday of every month is Home Depot Kids Workshop day...where Home Depot provides a free kids workshop for the kids to build something great. On the first Saturday in June, June 6, the craft is a hardware sorter. And on July 4 (Independence Day!!! Hurray!!) they are making a cute picnic caddy!!

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Also, on the third Friday of every month, our local Childrens Museum is free from 3 to 9pm. And our local childrens art museum, Young At Art, is free the first Friday of the month from 5:30 to 8:30pm.

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And have you heard about The Summer Savings Pass? If you buy one general admission ticket to either The Miami Seaquarium, Miami Metro Zoo, or Wannado City...and pay an additional $19.95...you get unlimited admission to all three parks ALL SUMMER LONG. How cool is that? The cheapest way to do it is to buy a day at Metro Zoo...where tickets cost about $16.00 a person, versus Wannado or Seaquarium, where tickets are somewhere between $30.00 and $40.00 a ticket.

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And don't forget the Kids Fun Pass...which offers discounts and deals on admission to attractions all over South Florida. There are usually LOTs of free admissions for kids!!

As you can see...we have a very busy summer planned...and I can't WAIT for it to start!!

We'll see ya'all in a few days for our first summer school weekly theme...THE RAINFOREST!!!

Educational Web-Sites I Love

So, I am getting ready to start posting my summer school lessons for 2009!!

What a job it was to make them up all from scratch! There were several bumps along the way...one was that I don't have any PDF software and can't upload my own worksheets...so instead, I just gave general ideas and offered lots of links to LOTS OF SITES that have some GREAT activities and worksheets on the subject matter. Maybe someday I'll get my own software....

The other bump is one I am currently dealing with, and it is giving me stress ALL OVER my little blog world, and that is the untimely death of my camera at Girl Scout Camporee a couple weekends ago. It causes me GREAT sadness...sniff**sniff.

So I have been in the market for a new camera...something bigger, better, and more exciting...but I'm trying to find the right balance of all the features I want, and getting more camera than I need (it's a fine line...trust me).

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Another thing has been the fact that I let my kids pick what we would be studying (what was I thinking?!?!?!)...and that has led to several headaches as a couple of them picked subjects that were not the easiest to research and build lesson plans around...especially GOSPEL-THEMED lesson plans.

But through it all, it has been wonderful and rewarding, and I am excited to post these lessons soon and hope that someone else can benefit from them...or at least watch our family have fun with them!!

Before I do all this mass posting, though...I wanted to share a few of my favorite educational web-sites. This is by no means an all-inclusive list...as I found some of my greatest resources in the least likely places (like who would've thought that I would get the majority of the material on Rainforest's from the Rain Bird Sprinkler Site?)...but is is still a good list to get most any kind of educational material...

My first favorite is The Learning Page. It is a members site...but membership is FREE!! They have a GREAT staple of basic worksheets on everything from handwriting to math, plus they have monthly theme sheets for grades Pre-K through 4. I LOVE this site.

Another great members site is Enchanted Learning. Enchanted Learning DOES have a fee...but it is only $20.00 a year, and is another great site for basic worksheets and information for research on a huge variety of subjects. You can access most of the site without paying the membership fee, but in order to print worksheets without printing ads, you have to pay the fee.

I also am in love with Teach-nology. Teach-nology is a teacher run site where teachers submit lesson plans they have created for others to use.

ABCTeach is another great teacher-run site that I have used a few times for this, that, and the other.

Do YOU have any websites that you love when it comes to your kids education? If so - feel free to share them...I'm always interested in new hits!!

See you soon, with our first Summer School Lesson Installment...THE RAINFOREST!!

Welcome to Summer School Safari

This is a picture of one of my children. I'm not sure which one...because during the summer, when they have unlimited time and less structure, they all start to morph into wild animals. Cute wild animals...but wild animals nonetheless.

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This usually results in me having a nervous breakdown by the second or third week of summer break.

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So, last summer, I decided structure was GOOD. See - I always did "summer school" with my kids...a couple workbook sheets, and some educational field trips...but summer was still pretty much a free-for-all.

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This past summer, I decided to buckle down, and REALLY do school. One reason was for my sanity, but I also wanted to spend less time yelling and more time being with my kids. And I wanted them to practice the skills they had learned the previous school year, or improve on skills they were struggling in. I also wanted to do activities that we might not have done otherwise, or go places that we may not have gone.

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The best part? My kids never said: "Mom-I'm bored." Not once. All summer long. We really had a fabulous time, and built some great memories. So much so, that when it came time for my kids to go back to school...I actually cried and tried to convince my husband to let me home school them full-time.

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That worst part? Summer went by too quickly. And I missed having some days without a schedule and structured activity...some days to just be those lazy dog-days of summer.

So this summer, I'm making lesson plans again...but not for every week. We're going to have some weeks with structured school, and then some without, where I will plan fun activities, but not lessons. We'll still read books and have limited TV/computer/Wii time...but every week won't be a full day of teaching.

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I think that this will be good - as we have a major vacation to take in July, and I can work my lessons around it.

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So anyway, I thought that I would share my summer school lessons with blogging community. Over the past summer, I e-mailed my lessons to several friends, and some used them religiously, and some used them supplementally. This way - anyone can use them however they please!!

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I designated this new site to Summer School. And it is all thanks to my dear friend Melodee Cooper, who came over and installed a nav bar at the top of my page, and taught me how to (properly) use hyper-links. I feel so very computer savvy right now!!

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There is one little setback to all this technology...

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I wanted to copy and paste the lessons I did last summer onto this site...but if I do that, it'll not only take forever, but I've erased a lot of the pictures from my hard drive. So, I think it is easier to just post links to the lessons from last year, and start fresh with the summer school ideas for 2009.

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I hope that doesn't disappoint anyone!!

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I also want you to know that almost all the lessons I used last year were ones originally thought up by Melanie over at Sugardoodle. I altered them and made them fit my family and our goals...but the ideas and format are hers. This year, I will be using the same format, but the lesson plans will be original (of my own design).

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Also - all the lessons have a gospel base. They follow our faith, which is Mormon. You can use the lessons with or without the gospel influence, but personally, I find that they're better with.

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Here you go...

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Week One: Jonah and Oceanography

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Week Two: Summer Camp "Johnson"

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Week Three: The Creation and the Solar System

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Week Four: Book of Mormon and US History/Presidents

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Week Five: Forest Life and The First Vision

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Week Six: Abinadi and King Noah and Fire Safety

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Week Seven: Our Pioneer Heritage

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Week Eight: Word of Wisdom and Health & Nutrition

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This picture represents trying to contain my children during the summer. At least...what it used to be like.
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Not anymore.