Living Without School: Some geography and history ideas.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Some geography and history ideas.

Or - Society and Environment ,as these combined subjects are called in Australian curriculum documents.

We attend a once a week group with other homeschoolers. We call it Group Learning but it most probably is similar to many of the homeschool co-ops mentioned in the US.

We have a theme each term and mums take turns planning and teaching on the theme. There are three age groupings - preschoolers, primary school and secondary school. Although last year we broke the primary school group into older and younger readers.

This term our group has been studying India, Kenya and children living in poverty. How we can make a difference. The group has been using the free lesson plans from the Kids4Kids site - and we have made leaky tins for water dispensers, produced our own elastic band balls, made lapbooks, tried an African stew - and many other things. Fun lesson plans, especially with the addition of library books and the use of our DK Encyclopedia of World Geography.

www.kids4kids.org.au

At home, in addition to any follow ups from our Group Learning theme, we have been into a Middle Ages rabbit trail. It started with Anthony and perhaps his interest was piqued by a documentary on Foxtel. Or perhaps it was piqued by his rpgs set in medieval times.

Regardless, the Middle Ages has been our trail.

We found many books on our shelves on this topic. We read a bit from the DK Encyclopedia of World History. I am looking for some Middle Ages related movies - we love watching DVDs together - and talking non stop!

Thomas and Anthony are making a castle out of balsa wood, using plans from the site Build Model Castles.

http://www.buildmodelcastles.com/index.html

And we wrote a Middle Ages timeline.Here is page one from Anthony's notebook. The scan is not very clear but at least you can see some of the colour in the time bands!

I am reading aloud "The Writing on the Hearth" by Cynthia Hartnett, as our "Middle Ages read aloud." I read this to the older boys when Jonathon was about eight. A good book.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: That sounds really nice! I picked up some more book suggestions :-); 1:37 pm

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Prayer of Consecration of St. Maximilian Kolbe

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to thee. I, N___, a repentant sinner, cast myself at thy feet humbly imploring thee to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to thyself as thy possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases thee. If it pleases thee, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of thee: "She will crush your head," and, "Thou alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world."

Let me be a fit instrument in thine Immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed Kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever thou enters, one obtains the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through thy hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise thee O Sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thy enemies.

Prayer of St Bonaventure

Pierce, O most Sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, with true, serene, and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for Thee, that it may yearn for Thee and faint for Thy courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste; let my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, upon whom the angels desire to look, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst after Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God.May it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, attain Thee, meditate upon Thee, speak of Thee, and do all things to the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end.May Thou alone be ever my hope, my entire assurance, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my fragrance, my sweet savor, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firmly rooted immovably henceforth and for ever. Amen.