Summer School Safari: 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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!!

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

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.

I hope that doesn't disappoint anyone!!

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).

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.

Here you go...

Week One: Jonah and Oceanography

Week Two: Summer Camp "Johnson"

Week Three: The Creation and the Solar System

Week Four: Book of Mormon and US History/Presidents

Week Five: Forest Life and The First Vision

Week Six: Abinadi and King Noah and Fire Safety

Week Seven: Our Pioneer Heritage

Week Eight: Word of Wisdom and Health & Nutrition