tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59183813577440438242024-03-01T19:06:10.225-06:00Pocketful of TreasuresDelighting in the simple treasures of Faith and Family!
Pocketful of Treasures is reader supported. When you buy through links on our site we may earn an affiliate commission.Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.comBlogger290125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-60813954314515290152023-08-19T14:07:00.002-05:002023-08-19T14:13:39.033-05:00Homeschooling through the Seasons<p>***Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive monetary compensation when you click on a link contained in this post.***</p><p><img alt="" id="id_6a5a_e316_5dda_222" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-yS3WVEFTzwH7RYItNyKES1cUvjYaviQe_Xsk2Cp-wDtQlccw99uY2WEU0044AIQNOtdyRKgAlveoSP080n4uEkTEFSRA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>It has been a while since I blogged, but so many fellow mamas reached out to me with questions about homeschooling and others encouraged me with their stories of how my blog has inspired or encouraged them in their homeschool journey. So, here we are starting our 11th year of homeschooling and I have a goal to document it once again. This year we will have a 9th grader, 8th grader, 6th grader, 4th grader, 3rd grader, 1st grader, pre-k 3 (or little tornado), and Lord willing a baby will be joining us! One of the things I love about homeschooling is the freedom to adjust and make course corrections through the different seasons of life. With one going into high school and a baby due in November, I knew that this year would not and could not look like other years. There are some big changes for our older girls and some smaller changes for our younger boys. We kicked off our school year two weeks ago and so far I'm loving our curriculum choices and think it will work well for this season of our life. If you are in a different seasons of homeschooling, you can check out the <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschool Tab</a> for an idea of what some of our other years have looked like. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_62ab_c9d2_69f9_c14e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-xDJPL33tgQfxSrnZl3XYAtJCFon411KQseQjwakGz_tr3ZAj1TNE-ePSD7gD2a5sTkFCEF7LcdraJ0A79YVGKfRpbc" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>So I'll start with the biggest change. For the first time I will not be teaching the girls any of their subjects. This was not an easy decision for us at all (I'm a little sad), but it is what we feel is best for them this year. I knew that I would not be able to provide the level of academic rigor I believe they need this year and they are craving social interaction with peers. We enrolled them in a homeschool academy and some online courses. The homeschool academy we chose is a once per week hybrid program, so they will take five courses there with teachers who will assign and grade assignments that are sent home to be completed throughout the week. Some of the subjects they are taking are core subjects (like history) and others are electives (including art and photography). </p><p>For math this year they will be using CTC Math. I have heard other homeschool moms rave about this program for years, and finally gave it a try. Two weeks in and I wish we switched much sooner. For the first time ever, our 9th grader who hates math is completing her assignments independently and without tears! You can pay for a family subscription, which makes this course super affordable for homeschooling families. I will likely switch the boys to CTC Math next year (thinking maybe 3rd grade and up... when they have a basic understanding of early math concepts and are able to navigate a computer independently).</p><p>Both girls will be doing their English through Apologia online. We love the teacher and book selections (many Lamplighter classics). Apologia Academy is one of the more expensive online options out there, so we likely will not continue to use them each year.</p><p>Because we were so late in signing up for the homeschool academy, the 8th grade science course was already full, so she will be taking Astronomy through <a href="https://journeyhomeschoolacademy.com/~access/a4c9596f/">Journey Homeschool</a>. The course has not started yet, but so far I am impressed by the syllabus and layout of the course. I love that they have a fill in the blank notetaking notebook to go along with the weekly videos. I think this will work out wonderfully for our daughter with dyslexia. I also like that it is biblically based science curriculum and the affordable price tag.</p><p>With the girls mostly on their own this year, it was important to me that we still start our days together as a family. After breakfast and morning zones (their chores) we gather on the couch for <a href="https://app.worldwatch.news/?referral_code=DBgHDacHFDgkeB">World Watch News</a>. This 10 minute daily newscast delivers relevant headlines and global topics from a Christian worldview. It's a great way to stayed informed and spur discussions with the kids. Afterwards, we read a chapter from Proverbs and pray together. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_bd8b_4b05_3267_70b0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-zciNuhKNHemB-kYRUkZpg3uyjWW9Fec29ljzOmXjEpOq8d4gisMJTPgoIbcDcyTCjSZPTJmL3XlUAa8ejd-cvDi_fQ" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Since it is the first year that the boys will be schooling at home without the girls, I designed the year 100% to their interests. We are going all out boy here at home! For science, I chose <a href="https://amzn.to/45EEXIJ">Masterbook's Paleontology</a> class. Our boys are wild about dinosaurs; so much so that their room is dino themed. We love Masterbooks for their biblical worldview. While I'm not usually a huge fan of student workbooks for science (I prefer <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/03/learning-through-journaling-homeschool.html">journaling</a>), for this unique course we decided to use them. We are also using the Masterbooks Academy Elementary Paleontology supplemental videos. So far the course is everything we hoped it would be and the boys are having a blast learning!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_46dd_18cd_4ea5_be3b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-zkgOU-jXXQxXOslsYTRgpJRKOztSh4wEDq9rgGPHf0FvGT25VarwYe0A52UQhAVgICcuJGozayfj8C9UyrJ602V1deaA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>For History it was time to loop back around to early American History, so we are using <a href="https://amzn.to/44dsLgJ">Masterbook's America's Story 1</a>. Instead of worksheets, we will be doing lots of hands on projects and field trips. So far this year we have already visited Toltec (Plum Bayou) Mounds State Park, made duct tape Viking Helmets, and crafted cardboard ships. Looking forward to making many memories together this school year!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_2fdb_e7ae_e769_645f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-xI3nG--1j9hr1kH2hG3P5Vfos28l2ZKcbZIwh4WC9chV0gZFy3nYLtHyCTg5BB9hm4rqIl-uauCZAnC2vNvcl3puMu" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />For Math and English the boys will be going through <a href="https://amzn.to/3E24bVp">Math Lessons for a Living Education</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/3E2Wlef">Language Lessons for a Living Education</a> (both by Masterbooks). We love the short lessons and spiral approach. This leaves plenty of time for us to play some educational games (like <a href="https://amzn.to/3QMtD94">Sum Swamp</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3QMtD94">Prime Climb</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/45xqC0z">Chess</a>) and read books together. </p><p>And while that wraps up the "book" learning, remember that a large portion of education takes place outside of the books. We will round out our days with music, sports, scouts, service, <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/09/business-101-for-kids.html">entrepreneuring</a>, and more! Are you a veteran homeschooler, first time homeschooler, or somewhere in between? I'd love to connect with you on I<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures/">nstagram @Pocketful_of_Treasures</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</span></p>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-72203983748765574182022-11-05T14:50:00.000-05:002022-11-05T14:50:13.209-05:00Construction Week: Preschool Gymnastics Lesson Plans<p> I drew up a plan for our themes for the entire year at the start of the summer, and could not have planned this theme more perfectly if I tried! It just so happened that during the two weeks I had the construction theme planned for, our gymnasium was under construction! I didn't even have to decorate, as the construction crew took care of that. Since I knew we would be changing rooms, the only decoration I hung on the wall was “Gymnastics Zone” spelled out on orange cone shaped construction paper.</p><p><img id="id_998a_9f9e_84a8_265" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Q8DKao58kWlghlVP1kHT6HERRA9cyGX87wKKnha21vOIjd5LLcwPAGQEQzlaZARjVvA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"></p><p>While our themes change twice each month, our "lesson plan" typically remains the same so you will find this lesson plan to be very similar to our <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2022/11/safari-week-preschool-gymnastics-lesson.html">Safari theme</a>. We change out some props and the narrative of the exercises to keep things fresh and fun for the littles. Boredom will definitely make your preschool program bust, so its good to change things up every once in a while. A weekly theme was too much work, as was coming up with complete new plans for each theme, so structuring our preschool program with two themes each month with generally the same lesson plans was our happy medium.</p><p>For warm up we played a fun game called builders and dozers. We broke the class into two teams (sometimes coaches versus students). One team (the builders) tries to build pit blocks in stacks of three while the other team (the dozers) crawls around and knocks down the stacks. To make it more or less challenging, we would add rules like you had to crab walk, bear crawl, skip, hop on one foot, etc. to move around. </p><p>We then made stacks of the blocks about the floor and they each had to log roll towards their stack and knock it down. </p><p>We also played a game of red light, green light (the coach is the traffic director around road construction). This game is great for helping little ones turn on their "listening ears". </p><p>The entire narrative of the warm up stretch focused on construction. Since we were under construction, we asked questions like "what are you most excited about" while we stretched, but you could ask them if they ever built things out of legos, if anyone has a family member that works construction, what their favorite construction vehicle is... you get the idea!</p><p><img id="id_8ff2_a6ba_930_ae16" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/iZ_lGhSWaV2cR3H3MVCq2yDgJXNpAuOnVO7J8hnKc0GHmmHY0dXm7wdJCTk5W-bIpaA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br></p><p>The floor setup was very similar to Safari week, but instead of hopscotch on the animal tracks, we placed <a href="https://amzn.to/3E3zFeN">directional arrows</a>. They would jump, turning either 1/4 turn or a 1/2 turn, to position their feet so they were pointing in the direction the arrows were pointing. Then they would log roll down the cheese mats, tight like a compactor, cartwheel on the cartwheel mat, jump up to a panel mat and roll off, lever down to pick up a <a href="https://amzn.to/3fIQDpf">plastic construction vehicle</a>, and then walk their feet up a wedge that was propped against the wall (handstand drill) while pretending they were a dump truck lifting its bed to dump the load. </p><p><img id="id_1b02_e4c_a978_1e02" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/m4a5xTwaV8X5OHCxmjN-7h1Imf_ATs-bwG4wPho2y-uBkB4dIu4WB8Nrbkoieqpo6vI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br></p><p>Remember our mini watering hole during <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2022/11/safari-week-preschool-gymnastics-lesson.html">safari week</a>? Well it turned into a construction site! As a side station, they could play in the construction site while waiting for their turn.</p><p><img id="id_35e3_7a2d_96ee_4fb6" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/S4zqLij0Vo_T-wp7x7PDSS4MRzcG1tolUHDRVVOwr-oxfhYv6rPQjQPdtf4A9Hfg6sc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br></p><p>For bars instead of swinging like a monkey to knock down a wedge, they stacked pit blocks and swung to demolish their building.</p><p>The swinging safari bridge became a rickety bridge under construction to walk across.</p><p>Beam also had a few transformations. Instead of a Safari puzzle, a <a href="https://amzn.to/3UaSIcy">construction puzzle</a> was used. The puzzle pieces were placed along the beam with the puzzle board at the other end. Starting at the puzzle board, they would walk out to the first puzzle piece, pick it up, turn around, and walk back to place it in the puzzle. They would continue this until they completed the puzzle.</p><p><img id="id_29c7_5be9_d2ef_707f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yjEEuSEZibWVwplbT4mZNK24v2oAc9RNlIIEHmDW3UrDXVYvZfU6fR7PF-Jx_Xtc5uY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br></p><p>Instead of crawling into the tigers den, they crawled into a mining cave. </p><p>On the third beam we placed construction cones to jump, leap, and or step over, and the follow</p><p>For the final beam station, we pretended the dots were mud and they would place their strong arms on the beam and jump from side to side on the mud splatters.</p><p>Undergoing construction was completely worth it! Check out our new preschool space where we finished up the last few days of our construction theme. </p><img id="id_a7b2_ad96_3f28_2b92" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zTvg7PwcPlUmYzpu77o_fHdokAuF7jRwwmKevnBguYQbUAOwgRa8mPthFmGUlKNsN1E" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><p>Thanks for stopping by! I hope to share more inspiration preschool gymnastics themes and lesson plans!</p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 15.84px;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.***</span></p>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-69685877796312447742022-11-05T14:01:00.000-05:002022-11-05T14:01:42.681-05:00Safari Week: Preschool Gymnastics Lesson Plans<p> It's a Jungle in Here!!! If you are looking for a roaring fun time with your little monkeys, this is the lesson plan for you! </p><p>Since my budget is essentially zero for planning each of the theme weeks, I enlist my kids to help with some DIY decorations. Thankfully I have some super crafty kids that thrive on assignments like this. They made some construction paper animals which we attached to a sign that said "It's a Jungle in Here" on large brown packing paper. </p><img id="id_824f_9da7_5d21_e07a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qtxgjMdTRkfANkvhSY6UAq23wlPHfQ1TeE-3DnvQopkrSHz-Ys-Bs5-59AUz3P_fABI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br><p>They also made some construction paper loop snakes. </p><p>For the viewing window we cut out construction paper letters and wrote "Do NOT feed the Lions".</p><p><img id="id_4af0_e6d3_9637_e03e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ycamt3toJF-kbDyChE8h4Y-qfTDpc0KBe_SykPMganPGrToo4gvx-N2GibIVt7Ka8KQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br>I then went through the home and gathered some safari themed puppets, stuffed animals, and puzzles to incorporate into the lesson plan. While we were able to gather everything we needed, I also included some links in case you fall short of supplies.</p><p>The end result was a super cute room that coupled with a creative lesson plan was wildly successful.</p><p>So let's get to the lesson plans! The key to this (and really any of my preschool gymnastics lesson plans) is to be super silly and make lots of noise. It certainly sounded like a jungle in the gym!</p><p><img id="id_2f64_d379_d513_147d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qORuCWx-0dUos05Rlt_b0s0F5DOaP0XXIc7qGq3IjXfzwjCwya3EWxnxMDmXYEc7dec" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br></p><p>My favorite part of the warm up was our Roll a Block activity. I pasted print outs on the side of a cardboard box, but you could also use a<a href="https://amzn.to/3LV6RY2"> Pocket Cube</a>. They would roll the cube and then complete the animal exercises. The activities we came up with were:</p><p>Alligator Crawl (army crawl) </p><p>Gorilla walk (squatted sideways walk, swinging arms)</p><p>Cheetah Runs (sprints)</p><p>Lion Prowl (where they would crawl slowly then pounce)</p><p>Zebra kicks (donkey kicks)</p><p>Giraffe Reach Down Stretch (reaching up and then reaching opposite hand down to opposite leg and repeating on the other side)</p><p>After we stretched and did some other warm up exercises it was time for our floor circuit. We set floor up in a large square so it is easy for the children to move from one exercise to the next and for me to easily access each of the children if they need help. </p><p><img id="id_7a13_8137_7ba4_8d64" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/vuBxmv0m5T_v_B3BxUKGsAIxBLuP597qq30_iwwXfcmkqsW-lh1ilIiIXkOCXN5gKuE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br>I taped animal tracks to dots and arranged them in a hopscotch pattern. They then log rolled down two cheese mats, jumped up onto and rolled off of a panel mat, practiced levers by picking up stuffed jungle animals, and more!</p><p><img id="id_1a12_e36f_28b0_ba9c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/W9oJO36bawekBwqQ1BbKjGssP0uguFc3FDq6UYktI1z6f3BVWmraGm4KDLLXGHYsUzM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br></p><p>I try to always have a bonus station where the preschoolers can go when it is not their turn. To go along with the safari theme I made a watering hole using the donut mat, pit blocks, and <a href="https://amzn.to/3dQrSH2">plastic animals</a>. They could join the animals at the watering hole and jump in it, walk around it, plank over it, and more! This was a huge hit!</p><p><img id="id_9f12_9a28_8de6_e485" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/VVhQ8-SkuuD02AoKKX868YYliTJA7vQCmKMu7NEJc3ZSEYGQFeT-heNBnjcejurgkXc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br>For bars, we always have one station where the bars is against the wall with a wedge mat so the children can practice walking their feet up and either candlesticks or pullovers. I made a paper chain snake and taped it above the wedge mat. The child would walk their feet up the wedge and then when they got close to the snake I'd say, watch out, its' going to bite you, and direct them to pull their feet back.</p><p><img id="id_8684_d5cd_5aba_e2b9" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/s1GZbO-xld1R9UE0fWINEiagZAoyMz1KbzZOiFD09idtaX_-OKgWjeJKmNJGA2t-S94" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br>To include the safari theme on the rest of the bars rotation, they swung like a monkey to kick down a wedge mat, swung on the rings like tarzan over a hula hoop filled with stuffed animals, walked across a swinging bridge suspended from the p-bars, and more!</p><p><img id="id_d6b6_6785_eb92_11eb" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Cg20uvWgSAAn4A_EwfGhuggjt-o1WNXI0FbmHIzWOCK5Jk7I_dVITb9m_LFzrpULRcM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></p><p>We had four different beam stations. The first was a safari puzzle walk. All of the puzzle pieces to a <a href="https://amzn.to/3FLomsQ">Jumbo Knob Safari Puzzle</a> were placed on a beam with the puzzle board at the other end. Starting at the puzzle board, they would walk out to the first puzzle piece, pick it up, hold it above their head, turn around, and walk back to place it in the puzzle board. They would continue this until they completed the puzzle.</p><p><img id="id_5f7a_a168_688c_94ba" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/M0fVEPNMxm_by6-oyoCetAc8iRr40_6y-ve4iXHLcWF25ud6rAYiZatnJWioDV0uQSE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br></p><p>For the next beam, we made a tigers den out of wedge mats and a<a href="https://amzn.to/3Wwwwvc"> tiger sheet</a> draped across. They tiger crawled (aka bear crawled) down the beam into the tigers den.</p><p><img id="id_1e4_2fe0_611f_1374" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/P8R0JagkiVYxsurUQM582KUE49vVRzDKUjwuALvULp22vdhZkIbputpkQSN0y4LxboU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br>On the third beam we placed safari animals to jump, leap, and/or step over.</p><p><img id="id_51a9_e1c1_152b_22fa" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/B2Nz5z9H8TNDy8vXKuq0fCpUBO9j2oYSNFHqR-hSvfpQ8Y-EXMGZ3hdkQToALAopUzg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 263px; height: auto;"><br>For the final beam station we placed dots with <a href="https://amzn.to/3E5XUZT">animal tracks</a> on either side of the beam and they used strong arms on the beam to jump their feet from side to side over the beam.</p><p>Thanks for stopping by! I hope to share more inspirational preschool gymnastics themes and lesson plans!</p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 15.84px;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.***</span></p>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-34445990722637730432022-03-22T18:46:00.000-05:002022-03-22T18:46:46.587-05:00Literature Based Study of South KoreaI typically thrive on planning homeschool unit studies. I love coming up with all the crafts and projects and doing all the things. Several years ago I read the book <a href="https://amzn.to/36fXbHs">Teaching From Rest</a> by Sarah Mackenzie. I was struggling with wanting to do all the things while having a new baby at home and lots of little ones in the house. I was exhausted and feeling like a complete failure. I learned then, and it’s been reinforced through the years as more babies have been added to our family, to show myself grace and acknowledge that learning is happening even when it doesn’t look like it. Sarah MacKenzie wrote another book called <a href="https://amzn.to/3twAlUL">The Read-Aloud Revival</a>. I have not personally ready that book but I have listened to her Podcasts and have made read alouds a large part of our learning experience. <div><br /></div><div>The last few weeks it was not a new baby that brought me down, but a major autoimmune flare. I felt worse than I have in ten years. So our study of South Korea was a little different and included lots of snuggles and books. If you are looking for activities and crafts you can check out our <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2016/04/quick-look-at-korean-heritage-with.html?m=1" id="id_4f5f_26d9_dacb_c880">Korean Heritage Study</a> that we did a few years ago. </div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_a915_2306_535d_6e89" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1wM7rDp9KI0Qt4aeXXu7SJR3KIHX-TM4giS10-bK-s_27-oh0asKqeP3nruFi0uC028" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Let’s take a look at our book list:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3ir2pCH">A Single Shard</a> by Linda Sue Park</div><div>The kids are always making fun of me for crying at the end of stories and this one certainly brought out the tears. Set in a 12th Century potters village, it explores the life and art of ancient Korea through the heart warming tale of a 12 year old orphan boy. You could definitely have some fun trying different pottery techniques while reading this novel.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3qqLcgM">So Far From the Bamboo Grove</a> by Yoko Watkins</div><div>Last year we fell in love with World War II history and spent weeks reading historical fiction novels that take place during that time period. However, there are still so many excellent books out there we hadn’t read yet so I have been trying to incorporate them into our study of countries around the world. Once again I cried while reading the parallel tales of a Japanese family escaping from Northern Korea and their return to Japan. You could follow their journey on a map.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3JAKZzf">Dear Juno</a> by Soyung Park</div><div>In this picture book, the young boy receives a letter from his grandmother who lives in Seoul. He cannot write yet, but he can draw pictures and in that way “writes” letters back and forth. You could write a letter using pictures to tell about the recent events in your life.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3woiK38">No Kimchi for Me! </a>by Aram Kim</div><div>A cute little picture book about the popular Korean food Kimchi. Of course after reading it we had to try some Kimchi (thank you Walmart food pickup, lol). You could of course try to make some Kimchi, or make the Kimchi pancake recipe that is found in the back of the book. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3Np38mb">The Korean Cinderella</a> by Shirley Climo</div><div>A Korean take on this popular fairytale, we had fun discussing the similarities and differences. You could make a Venn Diagram to compare. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3IyN7X4">The Name Jar</a> by Yangsook Choi</div><div>It is hard enough being a new girl in school, but what about being the new girl in a new country where people cannot even pronounce your name. Great book for launching conversations about identity, celebrating differences, culture, and kindness.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for stopping by! For more homeschool inspiration, check out the<a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html"> Homeschool Tab</a> at the top of the page, or follow us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures/">Instagram @Pocketful_of_Treasures.</a></div><div><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 15.84px;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.***</span></div><div><br /></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-71079868646880850982022-02-05T18:37:00.002-06:002022-02-06T15:02:12.341-06:00Iceland Homeschool Unit Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNP3p5q3VrgvM-ASHJ6u429ii9QrDFd4gz0g9kDBgXbPvbgcP--hg-gIK-Ui0HZ3gSMTwhpCQTtq69v9rS7xuIKCkT_utRSwjs42uCl-iz-OSgikuleQRe9B5SCutZwMKYoZOuxow3e1ld0cNoRQP9pjrdh-GN7kJxNF1Ebj14uIZmwqlVwq6otPxSww=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="718" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNP3p5q3VrgvM-ASHJ6u429ii9QrDFd4gz0g9kDBgXbPvbgcP--hg-gIK-Ui0HZ3gSMTwhpCQTtq69v9rS7xuIKCkT_utRSwjs42uCl-iz-OSgikuleQRe9B5SCutZwMKYoZOuxow3e1ld0cNoRQP9pjrdh-GN7kJxNF1Ebj14uIZmwqlVwq6otPxSww=s320" width="287" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We said Lehitrahott to <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2022/01/israel-homeschool-unit-study-geography.html">Israel</a> and Goðan dag to Iceland. Due to a quarantine and subsequent ice/sleet/snow storm, we found ourselves with plenty of time at home to really dig into this study. Should you choose to study Iceland, just be warned that you may find your kids asking you for plane tickets to Iceland... don't ask me how I know, lol!</div><div><br /></div><img alt="" id="id_c64e_30b3_a689_4d08" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/TYfNvyvVi__WHbDp9M138rt1WNjYxgPNSr-GfuOvZq8NlXvINZ7zOid7kkBAuvw0kXo" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><div><br /></div><div>As we "travel" around the world, we always start with our reading from <a href="https://amzn.to/3fLS96u">Passport to the World</a>. I also checked the book <a href="https://amzn.to/34ByWSA">Iceland: Enchantment of the World</a> out from the library to use as a resource, reading a chapter here and there from it throughout the two weeks. I chose several novels to use to guide our studies. The first one we read was <a href="https://amzn.to/34lgWft">The Hardy Boys Book #48, The Arctic Patrol Mystery</a>. While engaging and fun, this book actually contains a lot of facts about Iceland in it and is a great book to use for a literature based study of Iceland. I wrote a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Iceland-Literature-Based-Unit-Study-7722250">complete unit study plan</a> that includes more than 40 writing prompts and 50 activities for exploration that encompass all of the scholastic subjects that is available for purchase on <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Iceland-Literature-Based-Unit-Study-7722250">Teachers Pay Teachers</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>We studied Norse culture and made rock trolls out of clay.</div><div><br /><div><img alt="" id="id_63d5_ff98_fc2d_b0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Ca4qUuhVEogAyHPRGK7PHfY6Mw4z26qosqZCSCL0CmFs-B5bmGn7sZ9F3U8jGZfgolQ" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>We dug deeper into Geysers and how they work with this <a href="https://amzn.to/3J3wC5S">book</a>.</div><div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><div><img alt="" id="id_b8f_822d_8386_204f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ZZay8Y5ico2fSWloXIFw4XHTxZ5rdU791x3-RsisO74wgVX4S6C_vSWHhnXWHKxmOt8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>We did a little experiment to simulate a geyser using diet soda and mentos. Then we watched several YouTube videos of actual geysers in Iceland. We also watched a video of how Icelanders use this geothermal energy to bake rye geyser bread.<br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><img alt="" id="id_85e3_881c_3c2a_3274" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/GJcrTuINc_mZNSFygaHee_b_kqGRKvW-gAaQFuABFdXxoIfuGntPu6RCyIMPpxnHETI" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>We read a book about glaciers and found some of the major glaciers on a map of Iceland.</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><img alt="" id="id_b2d5_2586_564a_c7d0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8VXfPN3vM_CwM4dVv944DhWvhvk_qu2oF3iJowLfVUXFWOFcTdSP5bCttYxTmR7i7qg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Our daughter painted a scene of the glaciers against the backdrop of the Northern Lights.</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><img alt="" id="id_7e5_c02f_d295_3260" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6Nb0K85QLegZ2LizEVqh4Dm8z-8H9yVrGWB8FO_OmVPDOCLX4I5BQocnFI-2PW_P9xE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>When we read that Polar Bears occasionally cross to Iceland from Greenland on ice bridges that form, she then painted this picture.</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><img alt="" id="id_353a_ec26_427d_87ca" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/JvpDrMBnnuNmmNPu4KPyepitDcfCPBlQRvL7M30VH_uXueMdM9_imJchXcppUGVw0Yo" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>This led to a study of other animals that can be found in Iceland. Our children fell in love with the puffins and decided to draw some. They even drew entire puffin families.</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><img alt="" id="id_1a82_4512_87ad_eaa3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qEEvjpRkglQQhfpyOvclDmUieNjUZEIatcuCOjj4Z9Lj3ZEjMSQB0_p1rbJUpSndITA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>We made an Icelandic inspired meal, complete with Salmon, Kartoflusalat (an Icelandic Potato Salad recipe from the book <a href="https://amzn.to/34ByWSA">Iceland: Enchantment of the World</a>), and Piparkokur (<a href="https://veggiedesserts.com/icelandic-pepper-cookies-piparkokur/">Icelandic Pepper Cookies</a>). </div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><img alt="" id="id_57c6_79cd_f201_b71b" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/if-G1HPwU-YIlRuE0uDx1a_sEpVJa5NYSqlpOJDb9QInweiXuRA0kzfvkGNw7UuzQbY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>We have one daughter that absolutely loves horses, so we read <a href="https://amzn.to/3LbAWBW">Winter Pony</a>.</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><img alt="" id="id_28b2_87ed_fa21_9239" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XfBuLz9rf1YDjFEr5KNMiZh5BGVAmvAZ9fYZn_6JUOGFH7rxq8Z1rA97JWjNXiBJ3Bk" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then I stumbled across this gem at the library. Horse Diaries is a series of historical fiction novels, and this first one, <a href="https://amzn.to/3gqZpFf">Elska</a>, is about Iceland Circa 1000 A.D. I always try to plan learning around the interests of our children, so I used Elska to create a second <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Horse-Diaries-1-Elska-Novel-Study-Iceland-Unit-Study-7722225">literature based unit study of Iceland</a>. </div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><img alt="" id="id_da97_8556_36ee_93a5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QJy_7s-uZowF_JPRtExQsjykyuEC8O0oAuHo3FIW0VDzeSDwIYuRRhXvSmUaOUrvk5I" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Because this book takes place Circa 1000 A.D., we dove into a study of the Vikings. We read<a href="https://amzn.to/3rvkkxp"> Leif the Lucky</a> and made Viking ships. </div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_2f20_59c3_76da_8d63" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bHor32mcK7B8rh2_elM-Suvq4rZjOp55677ibdOQiczSx2mh7PdNtJFUOdoac_XMqfY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>We already read several Magic Treehouse books, including <a href="https://amzn.to/3L93pbL">Viking Ships at Sunrise</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3shT1FT">Narwhal on a Sunny Night</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/3J3BeZK">Polar Bears Past Midnight</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_f5_3a23_ba2_ed4e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cw1v6eQKnB8bF20nwhvgTfiqup8SF1qwYz4zGvUPEF-y4P0RCI7CogcAju6if22ZLac" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div>Takk (thank you) for stopping by! For more homeschool inspiration check out the <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschooling Tab</a> at the top of the page and visit us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures/">Instagram @Pocketful_of_Treasures</a>.<br /><br />***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.***<br /><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br /><br /> </div></div></div></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-7178375918316866892022-01-22T17:12:00.000-06:002022-01-22T17:12:00.523-06:00Space Coast Florida<div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">For Christmas this year we loaded up in the RV and we in search of family, fun, and Florida sunshine. We had originally planned to go to Saint Augustine, but the weather moved us further South to the Space Coast. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We were able to get last minute reservations at the Titusville KOA. This particular KOA I'd rate just as ok. We did book the sites last minute, but we booked two of the same type of sites at the same time for the same price. When we arrived, they told us they were not able to put us next to each other and one of the sites was more expensive than the other one (even though the RV park was not very busy, there were plenty of sites next to each other, and online we had booked the same type of sites at a lower price). I'm not sure if the person working there did not know how to correct it, was too lazy to correct it, or the KOA system is really that inflexible that it couldn't be corrected, but everyone in our crew was tired and not willing to fight it. The spaces are concrete and level. There was a playground and the kids did take a quick dip in the small pool. The laundry facilities were clean, but it seems to draw a lot of locals, especially in the evening. It is conveniently located though, and there is a Dunkin Donuts just across the street (and this momma runs on Dunkin, lol).</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><img alt="" id="id_e886_f64e_eaf1_563" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ghVBczgm3mQJLyK5_vDq4vq043zJtQI65BFOhXywrxKPUYsAvxKU06A8dJlYs8cfc5I" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>You are also only a few miles from the launching sites. There was a SpaceX launch at 5am one of the mornings we were there. I woke all the kids and we watched the countdown eagerly from our phones, but unfortunately it was so cloudy that you could only see a slight blob of light rise behind the clouds. You could still hear and feel the launch though, and the kiddos were still happy that I woke them up so early. We have been to the <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2017/11/us-space-and-rocket-center.html">US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL</a>, and even though I hear that all of the Space Centers are awesome and unique in their own way, we decided to skip the Kennedy Space Center this trip and wait until some of our boys were a little older, and to try a different adventure.<br /><br /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><img alt="" id="id_127a_9a02_f07_7e3c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/JLpEb0tQalAxzSeU0PJrXwTLX2BBaWgbm8YXT2X7kxKwocc8Q_l6FyyyOwuCfoHvRqA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">So what better way to celebrate Christmas than a trip to Christmas, FL for <a href="https://www.airboatridesatmidway.com/">Airboat Rides at Midway</a>. This was a fantastic family adventure! Everyone from the youngest grandchild through the grandparents was able to go and enjoy this tour together. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><img alt="" id="id_c44f_d36e_2b7d_ae9d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AO5vTZs39tP8C5GKwo8aIE6aiIvOh7QTl3zRIbQ555nb8WmuocvIuRkPEjBRN0IMdfQ" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone is provided with a set of headphones so you can hear your tour guide. The boat is LOUD and the wind was COLD, but our kids all did great and had a blast. Dress warmer than you think you need to!</div><div><br /><img alt="" id="id_54d4_e40_76ff_a921" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pLpK0Fkq2MiqFjKw1vveHeXBlJ5OBqLprOYRhjO_kowEUBBeWXPtaFw-1cIGtijs9zA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>The kids wanted to see an alligator and our tour guide made that happen. We actually saw more than one and I was surprised how close we were able to get. We also learned a lot of facts about the wildlife we saw.<br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_7da6_f68b_c904_7f47" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dmCBa8I7Vtsmd_qvpIbPFMHvA5c50Qeb7mqnUrLUx_T1BWS7fXNQnHPDewwCnQ1rZcc" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>They are located on the St. John's River. Cattle actually roam these wetlands.<br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_6a12_c582_6af0_362c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VvupLwEbHcVZ3LJqjHXOwLSLBznKs1FrkP0wMYObQPbpWuto_MaL_rH8WD8ONtwdgME" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We saw many different types of birds, including bald eagles, but our favorites were these pink Roseate Spoonbills. <br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_f482_34d4_e946_6865" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wV-CicMG1m8tSKzBku7almmjQbiuwePcSDPOoGX-NBb6nTA2y9lLhee0SOsanDKKncM" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>In their gift shop they also have animals that you can look at and interact with, including birds, snakes, their beloved pig Porkchop...<br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_331f_e225_d268_bf5e" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_9R3aE1FUM3SY6hpO5QVs5iQrntZZQai4frd_F2ENBioUzKhZiCubwEI75kTCBl9B-8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>and ALLIGATORS that you actually get to hold! This is perhaps the coolest part of the entire experience. Some of our kids were more intimidated by the alligators than others, but we all got a chance to hold one and pose for a photo.<br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_9a90_34a1_724f_d418" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/oKaEtFotCkJJC-lLGGKzbLzBM1zoxBIUz-_KtvVYdafnRCnvV7MsYOcBBRWjtuxD5OU" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Remember those Roseate Spoonbills that I told you we saw? Well after our airboat tour we headed to Merritt Island National Wildlife. The Visitor Center has some exhibits on the wildlife in the area.<br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_8c3e_5f58_f8_8122" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/D8-l7MajF8IVNwwCDNljwbuXkbJRrGDLmTtcVaiQLdLS3-pQwQR_74a023Md28pvtj4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>There is also a short boardwalk nature trail.</div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_88de_6164_c2d4_fdb8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DuvPzOG6FBO1JOSefvF_KF9MvUJK1Zp2QZkJIo-ogHhOpX7BPIE-c5njhS0_jkXIKu0" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div><br /></div><div>From there we drove out to the Playalinda Beach, which is part of the Canaveral National Seashore. You do need to have a National Parks pass to enter (or you can pay the daily use fee). On the drive we saw a couple of HUGE alligators sunbathing along the side of the road.</div><div><br /><img alt="" id="id_f94b_c144_587e_ee57" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/e0iYeNBli4ml5H3hdWQV5g6a971ks-NA-xBlRle8RnSCtnz7ukhIDcjbmMdFlIW2SwE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Be warned! Nude sunbathing is allowed at Boardwalk 13, and I have read that you can often encounter nude sunbathers at the earlier boardwalks as well. Fortunately, it was a cool, breezy day and we were one of the only ones at the beach so it was not a concern. There is RV Parking at Boardwalk 2.</div><div><br /><img alt="" id="id_42a5_b292_3afa_9fb6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/CP6vvQaBb09OgudL_IUX6CgWEObIRwSyThhjIpqEiXx6OkEeekoJtzUP2YoZqlR4sDY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />The kids did not mind at all that it was cool and breezy and loved having the beach to themselves. <br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_c411_88e4_1765_c03a" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/i1ywWfV0QhyFIrYQ7slCSJiVtYpY1ViG2VEFVInwiFLqm4fEdWdB21iYDXCLynK3w_A" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Thanks for stopping by! You can follow our adventures on <a href="https://instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram @Pocketful_of_treasures</a> or click the <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/travel.html">Travel Tab</a>.</div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-80562609375793522012022-01-22T14:35:00.004-06:002022-01-22T15:39:44.763-06:00Israel Homeschool Unit Study: Geography and Cultures<img alt="" id="id_619b_371c_a224_3e8c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/J9SzqVvUs6Q9hg-l1ppehhRfoxPJk89cuTabJwDn9CBXF7Qahc9zF6asqYnx0rMDQeU" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><div><br></div><div>Welcome to 2022!!! We wrapped up 2021 with a short unit study on Canada (sorry, no blog post yet) followed by a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Christmas-in-Germany-Homeschool-Unit-Study-holiday-traditions-and-activities-7471453">Christmas in Germany Unit Study</a>. I think it was fitting that we happened to start off 2022 with a unit study of Israel. Throughout our study of Israel we were reminded of God's provision, plan, love, and the hope we have in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. </div><div><br></div><div>We started with reading about Israel in our <a href="https://amzn.to/3fLS96u">Passport to the World book</a>, which we read in the small shelter the kids built in the woods. We are doing the <a href="https://amzn.to/3rG5Aur">1,000 Hours Outside</a> challenge this year, so you can expect to see us doing more and more of our schooling outside. Anyone else taking the challenge?!?<br><br><img alt="" id="id_553d_2d0f_e6f2_4f56" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/eTEdoLTDBbhACE-4htdIxZpnTHzv0r5NsjYBZWdUdy6p6QYzyXC1Qi_uValkfO02ELk" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""></div><div><br></div><div>I chose a few books from the library that we sprinkled in throughout the week. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Israel-ABCs-People-Places-Country/dp/1404801790?crid=1Y5G89BZFNOA&keywords=israel+abcs&qid=1642880972&s=books&sprefix=Israel+AB%2Cstripbooks%2C97&sr=1-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=homescooltrea-20&linkId=ef43a92d4f4b4bcbd67ee8f1d6cc0467&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl">Israel ABCs</a> is a wonderful book giving a broad view of the people and places in Israel. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Says-Shalom-Leslie-Kimmelman/dp/0385383363?crid=FPQ9Q9CEHDFJ&keywords=everybody+says+shalom&qid=1642881185&s=books&sprefix=everybody+says+shalom%2Cstripbooks%2C85&sr=1-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=homescooltrea-20&linkId=6c70e5f914c07721a589f536a8f8b3fa&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl">Everybody Says Shalom</a> also takes you on a tour of historical places in Israel. We pulled up some YouTube videos on some of the places mentioned in the book. We also watched "Lessons from the Land: the Gospels" by Barry Britnell on PureFlix, which took us on a tour of some of the more popular Holy Land sites. </div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Two-Brothers-Legend-Jerusalem/dp/0689319363?crid=388TZ9RNL574Y&keywords=The+two+brothers+legend&qid=1642881294&s=books&sprefix=the+two+brothers+legend%2Cstripbooks%2C85&sr=1-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=homescooltrea-20&linkId=9fdd038fa170a58bc6c82193e8142025&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl">The Two Brothers: A Legend of Jerusalem</a> is a heartwarming tale of sibling love.</div><div><br><img alt="" id="id_eeec_20de_dc43_7d79" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8rcdF0xHSGME1XgS-Li8LWzejPlB7LybUWOCyH6W2cyVAVdF3refhL_lbBVpjVU6Fwk" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""></div><div><br></div><div>The futility of hatred and power of love was one of the main themes of our main read aloud for the week: <a href="https://amzn.to/3GScsv6">The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare</a>. While this is a longer book, it was enjoyed by all our kids. This first century historical novel can be used to dive deeper and discuss other topics:</div><div>*Roman soldiers</div><div>*Zealots, Maccabees, Pharisees, and bandits</div><div>*Trades: Fishing, Blacksmithing</div><div>*The Gospels</div><div>*Jewish law</div><div>*Jewish festivals, including Day of Atonement</div><div>*Weapons and Catapults</div><div>*Family and Friendship</div><div>*Revenge vs. Love<br></div><div>*Geography of Israel</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_e581_2aaa_f02e_3535" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/qKk-8S0HL7DhwhdyFvsVUf8IIfiSZbg8mA-vbeMyE2pHtGH7J65h4GHVIrWGi0AY7CA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><br></div><div>What's better than trying out some Israeli treats while reading? The girls made these <a href="https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/heavenly-israeli-date-squares/">Heavenly Israeli Date Squares</a>. They were rich and delicious!</div><div><br></div><div><div><img alt="" id="id_7fbb_25b8_d91a_503c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DITTiXPUHw5kQux7wqWct6hGNJ2QkYu2Y-jYpewnqWytWx8ulYkyao4ZvpewC4o1Tsg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""></div><div><br></div><div>For art, we watched several YouTube videos on stone mosaics, and then each child used stones and or shells to create a mosaic in plaster of paris.<br><br><img alt="" id="id_41eb_d728_29e_5374" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6ZzsFsWFmHKUUIhS8wVpcyCcp-l6qAfH910_nCGSNGi5oDM-KVnluwfLGmtXWT0SRvc" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""></div><div><br></div><div>For more homeschool inspiration click on the <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschooling Tab</a> at the top of the page and visit us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures/">Instagram @Pocketful_of_Treasures</a>. Thanks so much for stopping by!</div><div><br></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><br> </div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-35506444947716472742021-11-23T15:08:00.005-06:002022-04-01T18:17:23.670-05:00Using Teachers Pay Teachers in the Homeschool Classroom<p>"How do you do it all?" Oh, if I earned a dollar for every time I was asked that question, I would be a millionaire! </p><p>Yes, we have seven kids. </p><p>Yes, I do a lot. </p><p>NO, I do not do it all!!! </p><p>One thing having a large family has taught me is that I cannot possibly do it all, and lucky for me I do not have to. There are so many tools and resources I use that save me time and money (and even make some money!)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1bjV8uHZZ62NUuY7QgHtKZlvxRke8ImDoxgAfRJ5x-9kraSk8DkXjYyiXsE4EnFFbjqWGdMyu8bsipB-VZpq9D5tVpLtLcG5aJfzaBp36C8u-0VIDCJ4CS3oQ_fg7GpJ1chmJx5vQ7OY/s864/Teachers+Pay+Teachers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1bjV8uHZZ62NUuY7QgHtKZlvxRke8ImDoxgAfRJ5x-9kraSk8DkXjYyiXsE4EnFFbjqWGdMyu8bsipB-VZpq9D5tVpLtLcG5aJfzaBp36C8u-0VIDCJ4CS3oQ_fg7GpJ1chmJx5vQ7OY/w266-h400/Teachers+Pay+Teachers.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p>Teachers Pay Teachers is one of those resources. I love it as a buyer. Some people are wayyyyy more creative than me and I don't know everything!</p><p>I also love Teachers Pay Teachers as a seller. I really do love, love, love to make resources to supplement our homeschool, but it does take lots of time. Being paid for that time allows me to stay home and do other fun, educational things with our children.</p><p>I also love the idea of Teachers Pay Teachers in general because I know my purchases and sales are helping out real people like me... teachers and parents that just want to provide for their family and help their students learn. </p><p>April 5th-6th Teachers Pay Teachers will be having a sale For You! Simply use the code FORYOU22 at check out to save up to 25%. </p><p>I was also awarded a $10 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card which I will be giving away. Simply visit my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Pocketful-Of-Treasures">Teacher Pay Teachers store</a> and give me a follow. Spring is the perfect time for the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Survival-Homeschool-Unit-Study-Writing-Prompts-and-Hatchet-Novel-Guide-7408078">Survival Unit</a>. I'm also working hard to add new resources every week. </p><p>For an extra entry, share any one of my blog posts on any social media platform.</p><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="516521162" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/516521162/" id="rcwidget_mfk77q8r" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><div>Happy learning friends! For more of our homeschool adventures check out the <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html?m=1" id="id_e16b_7c01_a78d_fab7">Homeschooling Tab</a> and give us a follow on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures/" id="id_1c48_35d5_6072_fb65">Instagram @Pocketful_of_Treasures</a>.</div><div><br /></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-63070810540857697032021-11-02T12:45:00.001-05:002021-11-02T14:59:38.188-05:00Tot School Tuesday: Jesus Knows Your Name<div><img id="id_ab4a_8821_efda_f1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ADZKcveCLac9-xzaGqEWxhZFlhdQWNXaRsdF4GSSoJzfhKSq9HtpBivrSyn4iUGzdME" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br></div>Looking for a fun craft preschoolers that incorporates a Bible story, leaves (fall theme), and learning names? That’s what I was searching for late last night. Just when I was about to give up and only teach a Bible story, I opened a Bible Story book to discover that Zacchaeus, the wee little man, could tie all those themes together. <div><img id="id_cb8c_efbe_fd8d_690c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KLl8_dAMuqCaojadDVSuXqw99jjOxfGLGtgX_ytseeFvbovow_FkhHrh44l2YdR_3B4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>We started our lesson by reading the story of Zaccheus from Read Aloud Bible Stories Vol. 1 by Ella Lindvall. Our bigger kids won this series when they were little from <a href="https://www.doorposts.com/blog/2014/03/11/second-place-bible-drama-video/" id="id_c3c0_afa3_4605_32">Doorposts’ Bible Drama Contest</a> and the series has been read and cherished many times since then. The stories are short, easy for little readers, repetitive, and engaging. Each story ends with a little recap of what was learned. From the story of Zacchaeus we learn that Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ name, and he knows our name too. If you don’t have this Bible Stories book, you can read any from any children’s Bible or the Bible itself about Zacchaeus.</div><div><br></div><div>After reading the delightful story, we made a craft with their name in the tree. This simple but fun craft gives the preschooolers practice in spelling their name. </div><div><img id="id_91eb_f741_2f1c_1187" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FAC-gmNLCRQSY9Eql3ulr8GoXvEWRYyGeP-f6rS8Pot08l9DT-ESxcRCjXPHIugKzng" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>Step 1: Trace arm and hand to look like a tree.</div><div><br></div><div>Step 2: Cut out leaves (I used <a href="https://www.firstpalette.com/printable/leaf.html" id="id_b38d_c2b8_ea77_3242">these Maple leaves</a> because they were the closest to a Sycamore leaf I could find for free on the Internet). If you wanted to add some sorting practice to this activity, you could print out multiple different types of leaves and have them pick out sycamore shaped leaves.</div><div><img id="id_c152_4148_8bd_6e5f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ap6T2JUSIAujFK5FPodX4wSni4nKqQ1RCdVPbjvZlh0vFCb5qaDwt8tONRLn3ONU7yM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><div>Step 3: On each leaf write one letter from their name. Depending on age and ability, you can write the letters and have them trace them. </div><div><br></div><div>Step 4: Glue the leaves on in order to spell their name in the tree.</div><div><br></div><div>Step 5: Color. </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_9d76_5e10_8d39_eb6f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wuhhpqPLeTaarzO71Hsw87wyby6GJ9ihnzEr02NU0uvvbNhpmhpm0IzaXW7EcXSEy4o" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div>Happy learning friends! For more of our homeschool adventures check out the <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html?m=1" id="id_e16b_7c01_a78d_fab7">Homeschooling Tab</a> and give us a follow on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures/" id="id_1c48_35d5_6072_fb65">Instagram @Pocketful_of_Treasures</a>.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-83920611433594037442021-10-23T11:26:00.001-05:002021-10-23T11:26:36.291-05:00France Geography and Cultures<img alt="" id="id_4c4d_7ea_566e_fa66" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PYTZXqQHXrNST2gk6TLYuEBZT0coASKXGrF_0CT9rFerdS29zt2vjH6lqFyOtCR7LTg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><p>Bonjour! Our latest world cultures unit study took us to France. The kids remembered quite a bit about France from our study of <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/03/wwii-part-3-d-day-and-resistance.html">World War II</a> last year. We had read the novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140310762/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0140310762&linkId=e498e10fa4c458366c68d997ae762681">Twenty and Ten</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547417462/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0547417462&linkId=a1f5ab5869cf7113a1c9fad8fbbd95a9">The Journey that Saved Curious George</a> and studied European geography, so they had no problem finding France on the map. Our "visit" to France this year, however, was much brighter and focused on the intricate architecture, famous monuments, high end fashion, delicious foods, and influential artist and writers.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_eabb_c795_2f0f_ffef" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jTCHOPBCM-dnmGbSk7s_c-sEpRA0ZySj9ACGWM-RvZxTkMdg8-OuTTLqC9j4Nl2FoDE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1404815686/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1404815686&linkId=e85f2d317c28cd81784bbb805621d1dc">France ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of France</a> was a fun, quick little read that gave an overview of the culture of France.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_7b87_72bf_c2fa_7109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/66n7aN_PEOXrENTgw9DPgvO68OSP7sWmtLsNOwq3PIiuFY6xtj8OBuNcs-qlMZ5zLXk" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>We then read Madeline and later watched the movie. Not only is a an entertaining children's book, but the illustrations take you on a quick tour of some of the famous Paris scenes, including the Eiffel Tower, the Opera, the Palace Vendome, the Louvre, and more.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_fb28_fe0_90a6_7ef9" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/DpRQvkQpGqkKTBX0KngNvPiXMvx1GTgCk1ExwjH6rAgqRIC0eU0aP1I-asxnwyy3sag" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Using the <a href="http://madebyjoel.com/2011/08/paper-city-paris.html">Made by Joel Paris Paper City</a>, the kids explored Paris. They had fun with these paper cutouts.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_bfc6_1d9a_7260_72d8" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JEjOGZ6ZhjfC1QLUlS6_AJ_pckDBK0amz-C6iXs7F2FpQDWISuVkf8Wx_RmrmT7N7vs" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />I did our STEM activity a little differently for France. In the past (like our <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/10/netherlands-unit-study.html">windmills for the Netherlands</a>), I have always had each of the kids work individually. For this STEM project, they had to work together. They were tasked with building the Eiffel Tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks. They soon discovered that working together was the hardest part of the entire project. Each child had his or her own opinions on how things should be done.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_71ff_2944_7053_760a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/EP0A9G3sgBU6o6ZNTQb5maV9gacCN2bUksFkvVdkmdQ2SpCmrwTfJ1vMikkBN6xHfcs" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p> It took most of the morning to resolve differences, delegate roles and responsibilities, and carry out their plan, but they persevered. In the end they decided that it should be named Baker Tower since it did not quite resemble the Eiffel Tower and topped their tower off with an American flag.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_730e_98e7_5781_7268" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bgNMG5o4QxCu7BCPsF-kbE97FiuhEia5TJr5gBo2pVmW9SG_VRGQ_fQp3gELbj4K6y4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rhyming-Poetry-ABAB-Poem-France-Writing-Around-the-World-7305808">France's Writing Around the World assignment</a> focused on ABAB poetry. Sully Prudhomme was awarded the very first Literature Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. After studying his poem "At the Water's Edge", the older kids wrote their own ABAB poem. Our younger writers filled in a rhyming poem about France, and the little ones matched rhyming words. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_edec_f028_ce1b_c3aa" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/h47Hv0-qWyI3YeZKydtmqR_TXIcfgbHVBClXpa_GraX_eln31d4zr0-7_5kEWI5Jq9g" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />As always, you can download the Writing Around the World assignment from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Pocketful-Of-Treasures">Teachers Pay Teachers</a> for free on the week this blog post is released. You can download anytime after that for a small fee which helps me continue to stay home and create homeschooling resources. Each Writing Around the World assignment includes activities for different levels of writers, so all your children can participate in the assignment together.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_b8ad_8a1f_a70a_449b" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/u0bQ8wK6lngPUfDw_MjLKRfJhDmxqPhbOShdTBWt0LK4IpPObIcqsvh6vFVVk6T28gA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>We also found a collection of poems at the library in a book called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HX38BS/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000HX38BS&linkId=a293b2e98d0909b6c7d2a544cc593f35">Poems from France</a>. We enjoyed selecting and reading a few poems each mealtime. Because these poems are written in French and translated to English, the rhyming pattern is often lost. The book contains the poems side by side in French and English, so even though we do not know French we could often find the rhyming pattern by looking at the French words.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_135f_797d_48de_b383" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lzuJHe8fQKa1Dh8bacmOxXAxJQEXb1-d-yalPk1VkKu49s-kupZaulC_bBVTsHmRQFk" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Our next study in France focused on French art, particularly Monet and the Impressionist movement that transformed French painting. We read Monet by Shelley Sateren and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525708170/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0525708170&linkId=0c309da70d9071848ffcff134a9a2cb5">Mornings with Monet</a>. Monet had painted his water lily pond hundreds of times, so we decided we would try to paint it as well. You can too!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_d768_378f_9ab9_cc31" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ntZj7iHTBLS4ZNXb63wnidlgFsx-1aLYhJSPmeC7SW1alnESKRJVdI7uPS_WgxRryjA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p> Using painter's tape, we marked off the Japanese style bridge that goes over the pond. I asked the kids to think about what time of day they wanted to represent in their photos, and to think about the light during that time of day. Is it bright or dark? Are there shadows or highlights? What colors are unique to that time of day? Then with some printouts of Monet's paintings as a guide, they set to work with short brush strokes to make their paintings. After they dried, we pealed back the painters tape to reveal the bridge.</p><img alt="" id="id_c099_23ff_ccc_136" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/mIEMedfLgx-ZQCudIHIPhwVCUQEvIagruvy5LO16yBA_13wlQ1STXlU_TdE99RB4UGw" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><p>And of course we couldn't leave France without sampling some French cuisine. French cooking is tasty! We had Quiche Lorraine for breakfast, Classic Croque Monsieur sandwiches for lunch, and Crepes for dinner... which led to a big debate in our home. How do you serve crepes? Folded or rolled? We would love for you to chime in on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram</a> and let us know!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_4b94_a11c_9f21_bc47" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NvT-XAyfJ-pjWqm4EynZngPpX1-iLouQn04kegeHXoL0sg8LJnm5W3xDqiRqr5FS6Q0" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>For more homeschool inspiration, click on the <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschool tab</a> at the top of the page (or in the dropdown menu if you are viewing on a phone). Thanks for stopping by!</p><p><br /></p>
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<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><p>***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</p><p><br /></p>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-49139687457193142592021-10-14T19:30:00.002-05:002021-11-02T18:33:09.704-05:00Bingo Bottles Craft and 6 Books for Veteran's Day<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_a2f3_6859_a5b_4c62" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/uUD2h9rqEtPOv496ss2MqLXL76cTPuV2gNwMK2lgW3ob50UI2u-nhoKmO2vhc1AtYR8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We are a proud military family and love supporting our troops and veterans! Our kids have been to a dozen or more send offs and welcome homes and enough military funerals to know freedom isn't free. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" id="id_20bb_ae60_8aa3_96e5" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnNbkwPr1ERcDtCb_LD-KGEt71oq7DDcB2XtPOJ3WGnKir5isDFBR1xoq_HDYFTL1B0YXXZGtWbKaZEkh_zDaCfZ_3QZo3sPhwS62hB65OpYx_asQx7DE2Af3gEL0_h8wJzD0qe07Uf8G/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />For this Veteran's Day we made a Bingo Bottle Poppy Craft to show our support and appreciation to Military Veterans. I love arts and crafts, but with 6 kids the mess can sometimes be overwhelming. That why I love painting with these <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005EGKQV8/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B005EGKQV8&linkId=84205658f5d254bcf15da9991a7450a2">Bingo Bottles</a> (similar to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004W3Y4/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00004W3Y4&linkId=879bc2f2791fbca22c2e789e44f6dcbe">Do-A-Dot Markers</a>). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" id="id_6155_df95_804c_157b" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtdwUL6VFjUSHF_Rp8mJXRJf8p0aJXBXUe0isbJ-U0z2CClw6zTRY6suFQbAGGRiiN734Q5wUVJfCcQOE19_QGIzqqqiEY7TCiiqv3bKDDxeVEF8V_IsxpePskBOyTVYJR8wSIoQmp46y/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />If you are braver than I, you can easily do this craft with fingerprints as well. I also have a free template on <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Veterans-Day-Poppy-Thank-You-Letter-7398175">Teacher's Pay Teacher's website</a> that you can download and paint the poppies printed on it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" id="id_e23c_226a_6c3_1a57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMkDA69UI-B-Ue_YAev5XoeL3s3wZvh2YfYqZmvgXzkw2z6afP0rY1lA8tydaHnuSLNbXac5JFG5aeJlwjwYw96-_z2o4unRam-c_63N09aoYQwfuemCy2n9VbSC1XMY9AUNTKqs71JJN/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The girls made five red dots in a circle and our older boys put a green dot in the middle to make the poppy flower. We gave our 2 year old ample paper to make a "poppy field" on. After reading Flander's Field we wrote a little poem on each of the cards.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" id="id_c382_ee04_e2ee_4b74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipH52JNCo9jwno-i87QFDL0n4cjO7ichCekWboMP5oJJj3g0h6kiMC0WuR6xP4BDgOvK4aSApQkH1dcqncCNvdLhyYRdkW0kQWujRZY2KnyXB-jznTfvmg28U71n__tyP5OIE9nqI3wtLg/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />"I have a little poppy,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As red as red can be,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To show that I remember</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Those who fought to make me free."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" id="id_616f_2163_8c2_5ee4" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_h_GvcOs3K38ltVpLlCRCUxajWJ94S9M6SNpl9vbQFEEiFZDcec0thPUgIUnAz-tgqbIjhGD9sxjjTkUtogLZZZ3Wke4Emr1gDjdChBS0GFGargmezbZooD80K0WdN1M8j2NJ0EY1MRx/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />You can drop these cards off at the local VFW, or canvas social media to find some Veteran's or local events. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxPDMRcsapMBdPLzB2Oq9PqPr_4_XURKenbj7XL8SWSgvfRYUDmKW_AoCW4DFxHx1haFWvo807GnbuKP5jCqKeAgzHBUL1zsrMBp7BD6X5rzi_pFsdPT3gmzZYfxGlIS5TFnlJxVDzeAL/s1707/Veteran%2527s+Day.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1707" data-original-width="1280" height="400" id="id_cfd0_1803_f6a7_5897" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxPDMRcsapMBdPLzB2Oq9PqPr_4_XURKenbj7XL8SWSgvfRYUDmKW_AoCW4DFxHx1haFWvo807GnbuKP5jCqKeAgzHBUL1zsrMBp7BD6X5rzi_pFsdPT3gmzZYfxGlIS5TFnlJxVDzeAL/w300-h400/Veteran%2527s+Day.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 300px;" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are some books our children have enjoyed reading about the military.<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">*<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1585362921/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1585362921&linkId=d1557dda181a743f64022c51e464798a"><u>H is for Honor</u> by Devin Scillian</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689869282/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0689869282&linkId=c4065f63d4fada937553eee1b541282c"><span style="font-family: arial;">*<u>Alpha, Bravo, Charlie</u> by Chris Demarest</span></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761457135/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0761457135&linkId=7d98f1e66d2d6c7fe70115974fa82f85">*Hero Dad by Melinda Hardin</a> (there is also Hero Mom)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590787544/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1590787544&linkId=9da746fc220e9e05fed73ef70c1e53c1"><span style="font-family: arial;">*The Poppy Lady by Barbara Walsch</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0970634102/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0970634102&linkId=b2ebc05eba009030972cca43e4babbe3"><span style="font-family: arial;">*Pepper's Purple Heart by Heather French Henry</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0395629772/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0395629772&linkId=c625771db6c0b8e511323383f7827d1c"><span style="font-family: arial;">*The Wall by Eve Bunting</span></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To all of our Veteran's, Happy Veteran's Day!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script> <div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank you for stopping by! Check out the <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschool Tab</a> at the top of the page for more of our learning adventures, and give us a follow on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram @pocketful_of_treasures</a>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</span><br /><br /></div></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-26198424498938597902021-10-09T15:43:00.008-05:002021-10-17T07:56:01.681-05:00Netherlands Unit Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_qSx28pauEQww-gIyFE_PIv8iW79uxZtnwM5hCsMOWmc86TJDjw57Q93THxytYhJm7k0ud-a0W4apt0dvUQuGw0a6gm8pNS9bw5FjqYH3lJMtncHCprhNNvf2xIIdTu3WLruZ232JUjG/s960/netherlands+thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_qSx28pauEQww-gIyFE_PIv8iW79uxZtnwM5hCsMOWmc86TJDjw57Q93THxytYhJm7k0ud-a0W4apt0dvUQuGw0a6gm8pNS9bw5FjqYH3lJMtncHCprhNNvf2xIIdTu3WLruZ232JUjG/w300-h400/netherlands+thumbnail.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p> After a 2 week break to study <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/09/business-101-for-kids.html">Business 101</a>, we are back to traveling the world! "Dag" from the Netherlands. My first time traveling out of country (many, many years ago) by myself was actually to attend a swim camp and competition in the Netherlands. I have so many wonderful memories of touring the beautiful country, and was excited to pass along some of those memories and excitement to our child.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_d59a_d79a_5570_47b9" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/I2xgvN95k4Cz-ivDkQuVJQayU2tBlhK367tG8o-dKzoXfM9pX0Dj-Pc-tEZHc_NZgsQ" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></p><p>Of course, the three things I remembered the most were the tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes. We took turns reading "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375825738/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0375825738&linkId=bc8ccb633b736c0924dcf3f6292cba8c">The Great Tulip Trade</a>", which is an easy reader and great book for your younger readers. We then watched a few YouTube videos that toured some of the tulip fields and farms.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_e6ea_9e6b_dd81_3248" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wupta1mha6AJbV84at9hYMb-6G9P4aHkht4orxAPSEoBQNyd9nxDPDnYylhkkAem3Bk" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>The main read aloud I chose for this unit study was "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZG5TDS8/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07ZG5TDS8&linkId=88a5bede25275675d1d82a92e5719bc6">When the Dikes Broke</a>". Based on the great flood of 1953, it is a heartwarming tale of a people coming together to help others in need. I could not find this book at our local library, so we listened to it on Audible. The kids were fascinated to learn that about 40 percent of the land is below sea level, and that there are 800 miles of dikes to hold back water from the seas. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_c3cd_5945_a16d_8dd3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LS-34abrvu_CmLV9jyapVoZ0idGJD0_Yd5DdCxqLxHa7GNqoQ9YakVef0xkllSUwDRo" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>While we listened to the audiobook I handed out one of my favorite treats - Stroopwafel. I shared how each evening we would walk from our hotel to the local market to get one of these. I was pleasantly surprised when I found a<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0979GP35W/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0979GP35W&linkId=7d09b23d7c8253b69dd6766d8bceff51"> gluten free version of my favorite treat on Amazon</a>, and ordered a case for the children to share. They were a big hit among everyone. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_310e_87c9_ae8_3027" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/YpqZtkGiLosOJdnY2bKYyfVF3aVXVDSeW9wcSY6jg-g45lqU8ZDQjIosMVJmHqxA5g8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Windmills are used in the Netherlands to pump water into the canals off of the land reclaimed from the sea. The children each constructed a windmill design out of an assortment of materials that I spread on the table (spoons, knifes, popsicle sticks, feathers, egg cartons, and more!). </p><p><img alt="" id="id_981_375e_c4ae_ab36" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IHtCA7Tu2hAmydQT8dBr3MdM-fa9E11UwOvaG6FkL9EOoKmjsSzkyuWDlkPJ03fOIJg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Their assignment was to create a design that would lift a binder clip when a simulated wind (fan) blew. We had so much fun with this STEM project! Even our four year old got in on the fun. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_b8a5_cda9_48e1_2cee" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/MgHYwyQN9bMn5snYfAr8A87uQ7Bg1YG8-EUHwuOuOKU4oiMaxbgVHQTNCxcP0vxveH4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_d8a3_5ac7_d8a9_50db" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Aza9PIXpUs20m6esyvIw4vA3V6t0Wb34hf18u_Y3_ovA4x_CeAC2A1v5hDedV8_m-UA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Some designs that they thought would work really well, they soon discovered did not work as planned. I actually love when this happens because it is such a richer learning experience (both emotional learning and intellectual learning). So, I welcomed these "failures" and we talked how we could turn them into "successes" with our attitude. Growth mindset is a powerful tool to teach!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_697c_f572_92a3_fcb8" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/rpMqofiuOdkpSie4Q2vOcIoP_Hrqk3f3mzMc1osw-bPCdaWweMFmo4mxL73KNPQgHPg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>While I was in the Netherlands, I also visited the <a href="https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/visit/enjoy-the-museum-from-home">Van Gogh museum</a>. We did a virtual tour of the museum online (there are lots of activities to choose from on their<a href="https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/visit/enjoy-the-museum-from-home"> website</a>) and drew our own renditions of Starry Night.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_7944_cdbd_d85f_e5a2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/0Vy5dXw3wcJUxEX14vIAAkYKPMqr0k2l_JSFEpHqWQ6q5F1AjFpmrluxXa0kd9G_3Ww" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Many famous artists have come from the Netherlands. We explored some of the works of Rembrandt, Jan Steen, Jan Vermeer, and others online. These artists painted with paint, but we explored the art of descriptive writing and painted with words. In my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Around-the-World-Netherlands-7298447">Writing Around the World</a> series, I have tried to connect a literary activity to each country that we study. This series is made with homeschoolers in mind and includes activities for little learners all the way through middle schoolers (and even high schoolers could use this series). While thinking of their favorite place, the children answered a series of sensory questions, and then thought of similes, metaphors, and onomatopoeias to describe their place. Using these, they then wrote a descriptive writing piece. The littles had similar descriptive writing activities that required far less writing, but still encouraged them to use their senses and explore adjectives.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_429_28f5_6220_706e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/h_enmdfxn6LZHfL2-cok6semZuRq_kYp5BXyCCIK_cQoMWWjxHdUOK8GNHonKYDelVc" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></p><p>Speaking of senses - oh my, the <a href="https://therockymountainwoman.com/pear-dutch-baby/">Dutch Pear Baby</a> we made was heavenly! It was a fun recipe because we were able to use pears we had collected from our pear tree, and it tasted, smelled, and looked "dreamy" just as the author of the recipe described it. It received a 10/10 from all of the children. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_230e_bf64_6768_15b8" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/eTKWLp7DEYFmiWDPv1K4lvw0PZ_gVtjoCOfW9RaAcuWZa7SXQkNoW3U08XekfWcov24" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></p><p>The final book we read for the unit was "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374309221/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0374309221&linkId=96aff4507bd40673a3f37cd5e7639ebb">Boxes for Katje</a>". We had studied the holocaust and <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/03/wwii-part-3-d-day-and-resistance.html">WWII</a> in depth last year, but this book was not on our reading list then so I wanted to be sure to revisit and and remind the children of some of the historical trials the people of the Netherlands had faced. It is an inspiring tale that will leave your children eager to make a difference.</p><p>Thank you for stopping by! Check out the <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschool Tab</a> at the top of the page for more of our learning adventures around the world, and give us a follow on <a href="https://instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram @pocketful_of_treasures</a>.</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</span></p><p></p><p><br /></p>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0Arkansas, USA35.20105 -91.83183346.8908161638211567 -126.9880834 63.511283836178848 -56.675583399999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-34946004309899400772021-09-30T14:39:00.002-05:002021-10-16T08:38:04.328-05:00Business 101 for Kids<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdL0U1qUucHGBowWdylolkF98c7oa_PyzxvQdW6fcenVAzjjeN99_ildWsgXF6_kE2xcQUY74EqdpxHZhr7wdXl2gR4OnoLIJx2RX2KYw07ycp3xGh1UAeWke6WgbVAfqSTpduNW1ep_B-/s960/Blog+Thumbnail+Business+101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdL0U1qUucHGBowWdylolkF98c7oa_PyzxvQdW6fcenVAzjjeN99_ildWsgXF6_kE2xcQUY74EqdpxHZhr7wdXl2gR4OnoLIJx2RX2KYw07ycp3xGh1UAeWke6WgbVAfqSTpduNW1ep_B-/w300-h400/Blog+Thumbnail+Business+101.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>As I mentioned in my post<a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/07/diving-into-another-homeschool-year.html"> "Diving into Another Homeschool Year"</a>, entrepreneurship and financial literacy are an important part of our homeschool learning experience. Children are never too young to learn how to make and manage money. Children are often excited about working and want to work, but we deny them the opportunities. I remember looking through the classifieds when I was about 12 years old and being crushed by the fact that I could not work. I begged my dad to walk me down the street to the neighbors with horses to see if they needed help mucking stalls (I was willing to do anything to be around horses). I was denied - too young they said. I also was never taught how to manage money, or at least not how to be responsible with money. So I learned my financial "wisdom" from credit card companies - swipe this enough times that you cannot afford to pay it off and remain a slave to the lender. A few years into marriage we found ourselves maxed out on all our credit cards and having way too many money fights. Thankfully, our sister-in-law introduced us to Dave Ramsey, and we determined then that we wanted to do better for our children. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_f77c_b10_4149_7428" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/a63b5ovUftxJxl51iMZM-znC8ilLlPBRSSrBKE7REqDJXXkoPLWlaU0evkz1Jfp28RU" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />One snide comment we often receive is, "Haven't you heard of child labor laws?" Please, listen carefully. Child labor and exploitation is WRONG and we one hundred percent are against it. Child labor and exploitation by definition "deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially, and morally harmful." (Wikipedia) Teaching your child to think, create, and use their God-given abilities is just the opposite of this. We want to enrich their childhood, enhance and personalize their education, and lift them up mentally, physically, socially, and morally. We want to teach them problem solving, goal setting, creativity, financial literacy, delayed gratification, and so much more!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_c4c7_7539_92ed_9753" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RmRwyuwBgNIoJkX1NP3mHVv9IEYcUGQp0yajvvffDBgi1pxitgdjzmwPMDzH27K8GXA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Our children have come up with several creative business ideas throughout the years, but when the opportunity presented itself for them to have a kid run booth at Quitman Fest, we decided to take a break from our usual study and dive into a two week Business intensive unit study. I could not find a workbook to use to guide us through our business study, so I created our own. My <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Business-101-Workbook-for-Kids-7261762">Business 101 for Kids workbook</a> guided them through the why of having a business, how to do a SWOT analysis to come up with business ideas, marketing and promoting, setting prices, goal setting, and more. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_4f8c_5a34_f181_d1c1" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/kz3AJQiZ50yRQyMTZvY0ck0Tf1shzmB8nzJvoDZx57_WIm9kvLtN9xqDpLy3LwPRZXI" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />In the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Business-101-Workbook-for-Kids-7261762">workbook</a> they actually do a SWOT analysis three different times. A SWOT analysis has you identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Our older girls (6th and 7th grade) really enjoyed this part and found it helpful in coming up with some new business ideas for both the vendor event and future business endeavors. Based on their SWOT analysis, all of our school-aged children came up with a product idea to make and sell. Coming up with business ideas can be the most difficult part of starting a business, so here is a look at some of the ideas our children came up with. You can also check their<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/fulloutdesigns"> Etsy</a> page. Perhaps they will inspire your little ones.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_25d2_28c4_37e7_6a1f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/rbHQHB7F22fVSFm7-h7WGfD0ccbBg73ajRF0S2TdbRDR386m6gRGBXUq3-1aXIwaTEw" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Our first grader decided to make fire starters using recycled material. He has helped me make these in the past for our personal use, and he noticed that we had a good size pile of egg cartons, a bag of old candles, and a bucket of dyer lint collecting in the laundry room. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_bc6e_b171_6639_a6d4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/q7mdFNKB6oCUd6j0QhCGT5pGffbx66HicrN_8onWMTClTW7drkbZy06fuHDZw_XGgUg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Our second grader had recently received some paracord and a book on paracord projects for his birthday. He decided to practice some new knots and make some keychains and bracelets to sell.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_a4f3_5f75_2862_b7fa" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ukpTg1ireDZ_aeYCAs_FI7BLsg9V9ny2Bwb84RLZFzR0jd1EgcEZVLvFki-1LvgLbEc" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Our fourth grader loves working with his hands. He had wanted to make some toys and birdhouses using some scrap wood, but my husband has been wanting to teach him leather making and encouraged him to make knife sheaths and gun holsters. He was hesitant at first, but once he got going he loved his new project and spending the extra time with his dad. The finished projects were gorgeous and he already invested his earnings into more leather to try to expand his skills and products.</p><img alt="" id="id_9253_fcfc_770b_bf0e" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bzGE9vf9HNaQFA-fTLvW2UFdV4gotWdWFZjG0erlVLeBlT83GnKnkKfKfp_HgylxzFw" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><div>Our sixth grader is our artist. We encouraged her several months ago to come up with ideas to turn her artwork into something useful. It was then that she started printing her drawings on notecards, and has been very successful with that. So her project was more on expanding her present business idea. She created a set of <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1069183058/happy-birthday-blank-notecards?ref=shop_home_active_4">Birthday cards</a> and is working on a set of Christmas cards.</div><div><br /><img alt="" id="id_7efd_85bd_9648_5abe" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qVcnR3NOFEtX7NMblypAvdHEjUMxYG8_ICU0G6nbPoOdHBK1xDkx0ycvTXSLJ72Nr9M" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></div><div>Our seventh grader is our girly girl who loves to craft. We grew some loofah in our garden this year, so she decided to make some loofah soaps. She also made up some different bath salts and sewed scrunchies. She described her part of the vendor table as "everything you need for a perfect at home spa day."</div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_140d_401f_f02e_a70b" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/nVocYKe3h2d4RJRedDCWLkKLLpPMXcOWf6Bj5fbVhut4TK7Ae7QHC3_540guiPgC40Q" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Teaching entrepreneurship in your homeschool classroom certainly breaks the stigma that homeschoolers are unsocialized. In one day alone they were able to capture the attention of and speak with a couple hundred people. We teach them the FORM method of communicating with others. The FORM method is simply striking up a conversation with someone by asking them questions about their Family, Occupation, or Recreation and then using the information you gathered to deliver your Message. Our daughter once used this method to sell bath salts to a man for his wife that he did not yet have! </div><div><p>If you would like to teach <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Business-101-Workbook-for-Kids-7261762">Business 101</a> to your children or students, the workbook is available for purchase on <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Business-101-Workbook-for-Kids-7261762">Teachers Pay Teachers</a>. The workbook covers FORM Communication method, SWOT analysis, goal setting, basic business plans, cost analysis, and more. I cannot wait to see the business ideas your children come up with! Be sure to follow and tag us on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram @Pocketful_of_Treasures</a>.</p><p><br /></p></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-61692566566718080402021-09-28T21:09:00.004-05:002021-10-21T08:06:37.902-05:00Bangladesh Geography and Culture Homeschool Unit Study<img id="id_3848_ef36_233_215b" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/oOjaC6LEjsSioOOvd4zdiw1Se2yxoniSFTwGOIDUVzbv1p9qk7FeAS9MJATwOOtB8CY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br>“Nomoskar” from Bangladesh. We begin all of our countries with a brief tour in our<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890515956/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0890515956&linkId=2e89dc6ddfec32628a1643fc9a8f2b9a"> “Passport to the World”</a> book and questions from Masterbook’s Elementary Geography and Cultures workbook. <div><br><img alt="" id="id_2c6_37bb_b63d_7c0d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZqVyq2MFvMF4aN5rHZGYLnasP6FfdyKzyFnPxtZ3LulbdncqacCegmmFuE1ra8_7EXI" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><div><br></div>The children each made the country’s flag and located the country on the map.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img alt="" id="id_7407_6823_2597_e2b1" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/OucNz-JwunAczuuBIFGvphfJz-0o52WGQgjKwWOFGiHb-EYFoTSsjMh_-AJMTXUDXoU" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br></div><div>On the back of each country’s flag I have the children draw something that reminds them of the country. Here, one of our girls decided to draw a rickshaw.</div><div><br><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">I</span> chose three books to guide our study through Bangladesh. I knew that I wanted to incorporate a study on the Bengal tigers, so first up was<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FKSE52K/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01FKSE52K&linkId=2383dbf6c35374017c9094df606bd547"> Tiger Boy</a> by Mitali Perkins. The book not only gives a lot of incidental information on tigers, the Sunderbans, geography, weather, and culture, but also encourages readers to always do the right thing. </div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_2a1d_fb8c_f979_dbfa" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eIXPZdEQKWCalPh6Fc1p0fJLfmmB--nPpH8pAwxFtNkVNEcj3d3Hra_fvo-cE75alZ4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>The <a href="https://www.sunderbannationalpark.in/">Sunderban Tiger Reserve</a> is a real place and has some excellent articles on the Sunderbans and tigers on their<a href="https://www.sunderbannationalpark.in/blog/"> blog</a>. We used <a href="https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=96E031F7C1E6EAF95FFA96E031F7C1E6EAF95FFA&q=art for kids bengal tiger&shtp=GetUrl&shid=3cb352f5-e83c-4e7a-8013-e457589b49af&shtk=SG93IFRvIERyYXcgQSBSZWFsaXN0aWMgVGlnZXIgSGVhZA%3D%3D&shdk=TGVhcm4gaG93IHRvIGRyYXcgYSByZWFsaXN0aWMgdGlnZXIgaGVhZCEgcCAoIEFSVCBTVVBQTElFUyB3ZSBsb3ZlIChBbWF6b24gYWZmaWxpYXRlIGxpbmtzKTogU2hhcnBpZSBNYXJrZXJzIGh0dHA6Ly9hLmNvLzc2VE1FcEsgUHJpbnRlciBQYXBlciBodHRwOi8vYS5jby80S3hya0JVIFByaXNtYWNvbG9yIFBlbmNpbHMgaHR0cDovL2EuY28vNmxmZEtTVSBQZW50ZWwgT2lsIFBhc3RlbHMgaHR0cDovL2EuY28vOFRVcTl2TiBQZW50ZWwgV2F0ZXJjb2xvciAodHViZXMpIGh0dHA6Ly9hLmNvLzdnUzRDOEogV2F0ZXJjb2xvciAoZHJ5IGNha2UpIGh0dHA6Ly9hLmNvL2l1TjB2UVQgQ2Fuc29uIC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=VSPts4%2BVULxXsAXH%2FX7qnbFUApV5MEA7vJQGX35eWrI%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.jYH5pOFWLPNGTWEhLgVF7wHgFo">Art for Kid's YouTube video </a>to draw a Bengal Tiger Head.</div></div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_89e0_112a_1fbf_a27" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Rm-VeV4qu6RIup9bgZx2s9IyebCak3PiL-1yiVcoJMeNVe--86JARRWYYQP46vV7a8c" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>One of the things that helped Neel, the main character of Tiger Boy, find the missing Tiger Cub was his ability to draw a map of the area and recall details of the island. We did a little test to see how much we could recall about our neighborhood by drawing a map of our area from memory.</div><div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Pocketful-Of-Treasures" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="270" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl98nnsM56KfIitG9Bnr7DSmVFOVYlciH8VvyPvhyl4YEpcjFZBY7gWA6WGBgC7ipOt9vuuYfrzXJJN8RKEjlmiJqRJqaGPknYQpphF34SzGAo9IX7_2Jyz8LnONXZEAmPE4Qq-yfZ3aR/s0/writing+around+world+bangladesh.jpg" width="270" id="id_683b_2725_24e5_2cc8" style="width: 270px; height: auto;"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The moral theme of integrity is woven strongly throughout the book. Neel's Father said, "Many things are worth more than money." Our older children used that line as the opening line to an essay, where they wrote about what in life is worth more than money. You can purchase my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Around-the-World-Bangladesh-Essay-Writing-7299451">Writing Around the World worksheets for Bangladesh</a>, which teaches how to write a five paragraph essay, from my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Pocketful-Of-Treasures">Teachers Pay Teachers Store</a>. It also includes alternate activities for little learners that may not be quite ready for writing an entire essay yet (or even writing at all!). </span></div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_d713_85f8_1225_ad7d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4fbCoX_a9jiiEscs8smnHCUDH4PlnoygAFx15C2o3GB6ajexdhNRkOU0ye1rys-R5XM" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1620142333/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1620142333&linkId=4a791780dc96571068b9bd663da760e0">Yasmin's Hammer</a> by Ann Malaspina is a motivating tale on overcoming adversity and working towards a goal. It is set on the noisy streets of Dhaka and shows city life in Bangladesh. Yasmin longs to go to school and learn to read, but instead she must work to help provide for her family. She begins working extra hard at the brickyard and earns up enough extra coins to get a book. When she brings it home, the family realizes that none of them can read and the parents determine to work extra hard so their daughters can go to school. Her father takes on extra rickshaw routes and her mom weaves baskets, which brought us to our next project. After exploring some how to videos on YouTube, we attempted to weave a grass basket. The girls quickly realized what hard work this was and how hard is is on your hands.</div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_dc9e_1b3e_abae_fd7f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7gJvjz2Rkj_vgf8mjZ-4Dtvoev_urU1MbgY59y2BuHBVBq1gy1D98IJNjGpw_lFze5U" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580893090/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1580893090&linkId=cd5decc7b8a4059dc0830460b317f569">Rickshaw Girl</a>, another book by Mitali Perkins, captures the culture of Bangladesh and addresses gender inequalities. Naima's talent for drawning alpanas helps her save her mother's golden bangle and fix her father's rickshaw. We drew some alpana like designs on paper.</div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_6ab3_bd9b_1e97_30ef" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ozn4VLfy33EUNRzzvyapfLVK8gPsXf3G10_rv3cJsioaPp0Ai7-LAPCYb-8sdd7vQr4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>We then made a rice paste to attempt to draw some alpanas on the asphalt. This, we discovered, was quite difficult to do!</div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_e8f9_5ffa_78d9_6c92" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eyUeplTYA90WxcbjLdnDCR41Ye6LY51OLHTIrAPRDOULmpHiiY4nwACydlbHxHZqNts" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br><br></div><div>Thank you for stopping by! Check out our <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschool Tab</a> for more of our learning adventures around the world, and check out our <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures/">Instagram </a>to see what we are up to now.</div></div><div><br></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;"><script type="text/javascript">
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<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script>***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-72628949571186521462021-09-03T13:24:00.002-05:002021-10-21T12:46:20.822-05:00Armenia Geography and Cultures Unit Study<div><img id="id_f915_11bb_1973_94f8" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Y5-yT1MV-4QeUih5DXWxBBcbg90tZ2h6ltlEs6jpQ4Ygz-5ZZEl3BTWF7G_Vwu1haeE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br></div>We said “sayonara” to <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/08/japan-geography-and-cultures.html">Japan</a> and “parev” to Armenia. We started with our readings about Armenia from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890517061/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0890517061&linkId=8f430fc02ce231c47894c9e26a6439d6">Children’s Atlas of God’s World</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890515956/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0890515956&linkId=2ed79e07d3f76daf5588687652352b75">Passport to the World</a> and answered the questions in MasterBooks’ Elementary Geography and Cultures workbook. We found Armenia on our map and each made an Armenian flag out of construction paper.<div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_3df4_6912_2c5b_9a05" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XVC4TCJUJzYUEf53qx4gSAAjnKpHwVfR4F60JwUONY2_UQhODQSVIoc7AXEBSa5Wun0" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><div><br></div><div>I found a free <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Welcome-to-Armenia-6948529">Google presentation on Teacher Pay Teachers </a>that had embedded videos showing an overview of Armenian culture. From it we learned that all students in Armenia take Chess, so naturally we had to break out the chess boards and play some chess.</div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_db74_8965_203d_99a0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/QfpRr_OSKxmCGlKioYguMaqjKYB1s8EmCEz2Cqn7LwXWTWtGEl0ecmu8K7iPw8Z5Lr4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br></div><div>We also decided that we wanted to make some Lavash bread, or something as close to it as we could being that we are gluten free. A google search led me to <a href="https://www.unicornsinthekitchen.com/easy-lavash-bread-recipe/">Unicorns in the Kitchen's Easy Lavash Bread Recipe</a>. I substituted <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PPPW7H5/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07PPPW7H5&linkId=7758d90043867b2281a6db4c26be904d">Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour</a>, and even though it did not rise as much as regular flour, I think the recipe worked quite well. </div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_fd89_2b84_aa76_48f5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/nSr2qYFp-KyDgT1Cwyr5O5n9jo1txdq-gTNlVaQFn6SOWjEw19Debg4L4GfCQhK70K4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br></div><div>We then brushed the Lavash with some olive oil and garlic, added some cheese and tomatoes, and baked it for our own Armenian inspired pizza lunch. It was a huge hit with the kiddos.</div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_ad76_c5f4_7abc_14b9" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/E9pYJx37WkN1bkVG_qSubeg0ATf3vP2X4BKDHASYhDATDoAhcKT7CNTxP2XBxVLp0Xs" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br></div><div><br></div><div>We read two Armenian folktales with great lessons. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979843952/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0979843952&linkId=460ffa8b583bfb976483fa7c114987a2">Once There Was and Was Not</a> is a great story warning against envy and encouraging sharing, hard work, and reaping what you sow. </div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_2cdd_f5ee_acb7_bfe9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/njCqqMMCDlAzTWgC18qSUODVk6Lf9sXOCQvXsHbo96R_diMnMe2GBPbZjxBCY3DjU0M" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>If your kiddos are complaining about why they have to do school, a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0531300536/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0531300536&linkId=8304efb391ce99c1a2846884c77f3e55">Weave of Words</a> holds the answer. It is a tale of a lazy prince that learns to read, write, and weave. In doing so he not only wins love but it also saves his life. </div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_69ac_8624_cc8b_6990" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/mQ3m_jgvNYxXlx21V0tE_Gj2u8LCL-ErQxRhQPV5tlTwXFpZfm5CMaDgNGBeMPrQ2qU" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>Inspired by the illustrations in the book and other examples of classic Armenian illustrated letters, the children illustrated their initials.</div><div><br></div><div><img alt="" id="id_6787_d2d9_89a7_5e01" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/u9DFEfUh2HWOM4unREBnI2Zxft_1W0neLDKiTvkbPTrB3tkLZWao6WZcQc2zhLDXwZo" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>I did not want to leave Armenia without studying the Armenian Genocide. As much as we would like to hide some of the monstrosities of the past, I believe it is important to study and discuss the past with our children. I chose the book <a href="<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440229170/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0440229170&linkCode=as2&tag=homescooltrea-20&linkId=c7bfae744892d208a96d4dcaaa933209">Forgotten Fire</a>">Forgotten Fire</a> by Adam Bagdasarian as a family read aloud to base our discussions of this time period off of. It is the story of Vahan Kenderian, a wealthy Armenian boy who grew up living a life of privilege until 1915 when everything is stripped from him. I often choose historical novels that are written through the eyes of a child, because I feel like it gives a more relatable experience. The Armenian genocide was a horrific time period. Adversity can either consume a person or make them stronger. Against all odds and with an incredible strength and will, Vahan survives and is stronger (like steel as he says). The recommended reading age for this book is 14-17, which is typically the age group I choose from when deciding on historical novels to read aloud to the entire family. However, you should know that this book is graphic and descriptive when describing the horrors Vahan and his family faced, so discretion is advised. There were some paragraphs that I chose to summarize as "she/he was assaulted" when reading it aloud to our children. I reminded our children as we read to "look for the helpers" (as Mr. Rogers would say) and to be mindful of the blessings. </div><div><br></div><div><p>Thank you so much for stopping by! Click on the <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschool Tab</a> for more homeschool lessons. Be sure to follow our<a href="http://www.instagram.com/Pocketful_of_treasures"> Instagram @pocketful_of_treasure</a> for our latest homeschool fun and tag us in your adventures.</p><script type="text/javascript">
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<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><p><br></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</span></p></div></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-63958971580388051202021-08-18T17:54:00.000-05:002021-08-18T17:54:24.270-05:00Japan Geography and Cultures<p><img alt="" id="id_ea8d_fdd0_f9df_78ee" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Xy88L2l8TTd5oHOWE76ifk0rg0P0gpTyTtj065Agm3ZJy5nAxHssXG7K70N93DV9EgQ" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>We <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/07/diving-into-another-homeschool-year.html">dove into another homeschool year</a> in early August with a unit study of Japan. We are using Masterbook's Elementary Geography and Cultures curriculum as our backbone for study. It uses the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890517061/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0890517061&linkCode=as2&tag=homescooltrea-20&linkId=8d8e8d5402da2b5cd638a3a8ae800502">Children's Atlas of God's World</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890515956/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0890515956&linkId=20dbf05626377226889d171d8cb30b36">Passport to the World</a> as the main textbooks. Because we operate our homeschool as a one room schoolhouse with all of our children between preschool and 7th grade studying the same subject matter for history and science, I added more hands on crafts and learning activities. One of the things I love about homeschooling the flexibility to be able to make each curriculum your own. Our plan is to study each country for two weeks and to include a country celebration at least one of those weekends during our family night. Considering that the Tokyo Olympics were being aired when we started, we decided that we would switch up the order and study Japan first. We did a brief <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2016/05/quick-look-at-japan-world-heritage-badge.html">heritage study of Japan</a> a couple of years ago in American Heritage Girls, so we revisited some of those activities and added more.</p><img alt="" id="id_7936_8e43_3abe_a86f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/MBw4duIgD4J8G8Mh2eVnbWqOuJ9mgEDRmLafK7g82XNdSKILxy5q_63GNP9rcv9PQzw" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><p>For every country we study this year we will be locating it on both our map and our globe, and crafting the country's flag out of construction paper.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_92a_614c_90e0_a8d7" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/QF4k_lj57xT-YNQbtqCr_68c7hpTuyy6X3dlaABXRgowAIT0Qa8EhmZzi3TWFXab5pg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />The first day we read the <a href="https://www.123homeschool4me.com/japan-for-kids-printable-book/">All About Japan booklet</a>, a free resource from <a href="https://www.123homeschool4me.com/">123 Homeschool 4 Me</a>. I love that this resource also doubled as a coloring book that the children could busy themselves with while I helped another child on a project.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_2f15_3e45_8710_90ec" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0QMtqsIE3yq-n7j9y5LF43rroB7KtexE3VBk7fnTi_ZfBxtvXjXFaabQDtttiY8C4po" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>I also assigned the older girls with the tasks of researching other facts on Japan and presenting them in a Kawaii style comic book. Kawaii simply refers to the culture of cuteness in Japan (think Hello Kitty or Shopkins). </p><p><img alt="" id="id_e2ca_14dc_1293_f4b5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WHa0mXMKfer5-iIHMaV6QRPScKkqpvFqdDr6NAN6qsbeLBkeQuXzbUEOZ-YE1wshxFA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_742_9ad4_f378_2930" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/VPcnw9gyPe33AvpJo0I6-tW9WtqAWTGc_ttT1su2ScFgZ6jBT1lYKximAbrA98X0mtc" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We watched several YouTube videos on Feudal Japan and read the books "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064402320/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0064402320&linkId=931ef1867aa6a5f45e04eefac3d82aaf">The Sign of the Chrysanthemum</a>" and "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068817485X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=068817485X&linkId=0b8fe3c8406815d6b7479300d4573378">Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy</a>" for a better understanding of Feudal Japan. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_5802_bdfc_7948_cadc" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Me52pPKH2pPzEQl7qk60ulgpiU_h0RrGMJQi8nGNPB2mSBD8QaATzVInfWfzat5AAYo" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_6bfa_b88d_edcc_c784" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/86M4ujVot_e3IrGY1wRDQTV6l3Zu4DtUWxfXNXStv2FzBx51JaSRE2J6D6ajS-Ld42o" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>We also braided Kumihimo cords, which is the Japanese Art of Cord Braiding. The Samari once used Kumihimo cords as laces for their armor. You can find many tutorials on YouTube, but we liked<a href="https://youtu.be/y40cudjj76o"> this one by a middle school art teacher</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" id="id_56a_39cb_a8b0_b0a7" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y40cudjj76o" width="320" youtube-src-id="y40cudjj76o"></iframe></div><br /><p>The tutorial was easy to follow and once the kids got the hang of it, they spent many hours braiding (bringing it in the car and to their beds for quiet hour). </p><p><img alt="" id="id_e870_f1db_3b05_eb97" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SVcRRqjphE4mIcVsyuZW7glWWBwIDsGOpId3eOCMuFMluhPWMI7wpDL8YPKViCRKgHw" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Our next activity explored Japanese writing. I printed out several pages of Kanji, a Japanese writing system where symbols represent words. The kids then chose a Kanji symbol they liked and wrote a Haiku about it. They then drew their Kanji and a picture onto a cardboard fan and wrote their Haiku on it.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_65da_5532_da97_5b5e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nb3lJAXL4dsivslw9QinH1GraXlzpKzfbQJeaQx77Ry9v1Xmen4l057yMNvTf4vOA-s" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Remember, a Haiku is a three line poem written with a 5/7/5 syllable pattern that is non-rhyming. Here are some of their Haiku's:</p><p>Flying in the cage<br />Holds four beautiful budgies<br />They are so pretty</p><p>The cold white snow falls<br />Falling down upon my head<br />Makes me so happy<br /></p><p>Dinosaur running<br />Running quickly after me<br />Please do not catch me</p><p><img alt="" id="id_73fb_cde_ed71_c807" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pOjHGqQvWyKUWWDGH5PA3-e3YfXEamPaGNcrYYZUEzr_523X4EaP1HkjNrpvE8TvfM" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>The second week, we focused mostly on the Ring of Fire and the many natural disasters that impact Japan. For this, YouTube was my teaching assistant. I had originally planned on more books, but did not make it to the library on time. Thankfully the internet provides a wealth of resources! </p><p><img alt="" id="id_9650_a922_a8e7_1b8d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/r-H7nVDBofYex6kADwPdPJGouDxUR0HzSN7RImD3zx3Ot8LgxPAUIoTDJ9un7X6c2FY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></p><p><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><img alt="" id="id_bd52_fc2a_71f0_2b6a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MA7gnyWVJ0pm6HmmB_94s280gdN-nuMZHxSQxcQBkx6zmZQmMUPJ6nxoWcdlJdGPsEI" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />I also wanted to add in another craft for the second week. We have made homemade volcanos many times, so in researching something different to do I came across water marbling (or Suminagashi in Japan). Thanks to Amazon (for which I am an affiliate and I so appreciate your support as it helps me continue to fund our homeschool), I had a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095844268/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B095844268&linkId=9f4989ff2fe6cb0d2dd171a39c87c366">Water Marbling kit</a> at my door the following day! This was a big hit with the kids! We also watched some YouTube videos of professional Suminagashi. Quite impressive!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_b922_bc58_1d15_b87" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/m6rKTsLirH7afU0dzLxeKfkqqnrHudjTMTijHRPkHTFvVrvTmWVCENY8ZLuSTg4wO1k" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_5145_be53_f7a5_79d9" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ByBBrJo0ltfsKKWQhKshB_bWem7urGxrgfUKAJIDdFvjX3JZEabPUggohrssiluhVOY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Then it was time to party!!! The children decorated the house with fish drawings and origami. We put a mattress in the middle of the floor which we covered to use as a "table" so we could sit on the floor and each Japanese style. I reminded them of the <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2016/05/quick-look-at-japan-world-heritage-badge.html">Japanese table manners</a> which we previously studied. I served <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DTQD7VA/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01DTQD7VA&linkId=ff2645461be9fc4412a546819961240b">Matcha lattes</a> and <a href="https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/cucumber-sushi/">Cucumber Sushi</a> with some homemade <a href="https://realhousemoms.com/yum-yum-sauce/">Yum Yum Sauce</a>. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_41e2_b2ef_a610_29a0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/u4RHn_Qp6sW3r76fSQO_jrVf9v_UR4EkpyHyUKchsNYp87inHzvjnPEbh4HgZKsnuSQ" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_2d6d_1dc0_17af_1aa9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KVvEsP-5BFciHeZv-BE32ClCzSDkb-lL1nDphzI5TjhRQB8BBo-h9oRZSayHH2wstcc" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>For dessert we made <a href="https://dailycookingquest.com/matcha-pound-cake.html">Matcha Pound Cake</a>. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_a704_209a_7c4f_f1d5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WijZsPStzVdKgpTXJZUmeRoi3i82dboVDUQKHYzkNwOyewXSBOTJWtzg0FW1JCTIH3c" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></p><p><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We ate the leftover rice the following day with some potstickers and practiced using our chopsticks.</span></p><p><img alt="" id="id_9853_a24c_7ac2_f16f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/lIsXG6DfCQdXUFSEu1xd6JnpKSnZmJox2iSbz2DQVOaUA0R0NHt9LoOJ14Eu6E8rO7M" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>We concluded the night with playing our new favorite game, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CETNKE2/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01CETNKE2&linkId=88061dd0a2a0773574741c886834a774">Go Sushi Go Party!</a> You can play with up to eight players, so our whole family was even to play. Even our four year old (even though he did not grasp the strategy of the game) was able to put down cards and be a part of family night. (If you find the directions confusing, which I did at first, watch a YouTube tutorial on game play. It is really quite a simple game once you understand how to play). </p><p><img alt="" id="id_7963_b15d_3e2b_7407" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zduJZ6DNnEmOZf5htRhWFCCJEAY6gag9B5NrdbjJFzK3Q7nFYfGPJq71cwgS0YgzWWM" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Thank you so much for stopping by! Be sure to follow our<a href="http://www.instagram.com/Pocketful_of_treasures"> Instagram @pocketful_of_treasure</a> for our latest homeschool fun and tag us in your adventures.</p><p><br /></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</span></p>
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Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-10285392923109070052021-07-30T11:40:00.002-05:002021-10-15T07:02:40.419-05:00Quick Start Guide to Homeschooling in Arkansas<img id="id_e874_9983_7a6_bff6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3KwzWarh4sLqIT-TROmCobilS9VRjqhSNGgx8-ayR6TC6cOUdMa75Gs5JiudmJfTaqk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><p>Before we even start, let me say how proud I am of you for exploring options for you child's education! You are about to embark on one of the hardest, yet most rewarding and life changing journeys of your life."Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire." ~W.B. Yates. Let's get that fire going!</p><p><b>WHAT DOES THE STATE REQUIRE OF ME?</b></p><p>Currently the only thing you need to do in Arkansas is file what is called a <a href="https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/learning-services/home-school/notice-of-intent">Notice of Intent</a>. It can be done online in a matter of minutes. You have to do this every year by August 15th. Right now, Arkansas does not require assessments, state mandated subjects, or teacher qualifications, so it is a pretty easy state to homeschool in. However, I am not a legal expert, so please seek the help of an attorney or legal advisor if you have any questions. These requirements could also change. Here are some websites to familiarize yourself with and stay up to date with the latest requirements. </p><p><a href="https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/learning-services/home-school/notice-of-intent">Arkansas Department of Education</a><br></p><p><a href="https://arkansashomeschool.org/index.php/start-home-schooling/">Arkansas Education Alliance</a><br></p><p><a href="https://hslda.org/legal/arkansas">Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)</a><br></p><p><b>I AM NOT A TEACHER. HOW WILL I TEACH MY CHILDREN?</b></p><p>Ponder these two quotes:</p><p>"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." ~Albert Einstein</p><p>"Teaching is a function, not a profession. Anyone with something to offer can teach." ~John Taylor Gatto</p><p>You know your child better than anyone else. You know his or her strengths and weaknesses. You know what motivates your child and what he or she is passionate about. You can do this! Plus, we live in a day and age when there is literally a world of help at your fingertips. You will also be amazed at how much YOU will learn! Some days I wonder what I did in history class at school growing up, because I feel like I am learning much of it for the very first time! </p><p><b>HOW DO I KNOW WHAT CURRICULUM TO USE?</b></p><p>Arkansas has no requirements for what must be taught, so you are literally free to use whatever you want. The downside to that is that there are so many different subjects and curriculums that it can be very overwhelming for a new homeschooler to decide what to use. Here are some questions to ask as you evaluate your different choices:</p><p>What is my child interested in learning?</p><p>What do I want my child to learn?</p><p>What does my child need to learn to go into his/her desired profession?</p><p>What are my child's strengths? (If reading is not one of them, do not choose a curriculum that is heavy on reading unless there are audiobook versions)</p><p>What are my child's interests? What are they passionate about? How can I use that to help my child learn? (Did you know that there are entire courses designed around Minecraft, legos, and board games?)</p><p>What are my child's weaknesses? Will the curriculum help your child overcome weaknesses without exacerbating and frustrating him or her?</p><p>Is the curriculum visually appealing? Is the font big enough (but not too big)? Is there enough color or pictures throughout the book (but not so much that is is distracting)?</p><p>How hands on or independent do you want to be in your child's education?</p><p>What kind of learner (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) is your child?</p><p>What is the cost? </p><p>Here are a couple of things to remember:</p><p>1.If you try something, and it doesn't work for you or your child, you can always change it and try something else. You can see how our homeschool curriculum changed and evolved over the years: <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/07/diving-into-another-homeschool-year.html">(2021-2022)</a>, <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/02/teaching-our-tribe.html">(2020-2021)</a>, and<a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2018/08/it-back-to-school-with-our-2018-2019.html"> (2018-2019)</a>.</p><p>2. Remember, homeschooling does not have to be public school at home. There is so much more to an education! Ponder this quote: "Do not let schooling interfere with your education." ~Mark Twain</p><p><b>WHAT IF I HAVE A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD?</b></p><p>Congratulations! I do too! And I can tell you that homeschooling is hands down the best thing I ever did for our children. You not only see their "disabilities", but you also see their abilities. You see how incredible your child is. You know what motivates your child. You know how to get that fire burning in your child. You can move at the pace that your child needs. Homeschooling does not mean that you have to do everything on your own. Over the years we have had an incredible team of speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, Orton-Gillingham tutors (for dyslexia), counselors, and psychologists. As I learned more about my children and how to help them, I took on some of the interventions myself. We also still use some specialists. Over the years I have also learned to redefine "normal". Our children are fearfully and wonderfully made. Yes, I want them to become all that God designed them to be and help them be the best version of them that they can be, but I also understand that they are all individuals, designed by God to be different. Our one son has been very delayed in all areas and has a long list of learning disabilities, but he is absolutely brilliant when it comes to engineering. He sees things in a completely different way than others. His ability to problem solve is mind blowing to me. He would not do very well in a public school system (we actually tried when he was little for about two days because I bought into the lie that he would be best off there). However, here at home he is thriving, learning, growing, and we are finding ways to let him shine with his strengths. As a homeschooler he has the opportunity to attend homeschool programs at the local Construction and Trades academy. I am confident that because of homeschooling he will be far more prepared for adulthood.</p><p><b>HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? IS THERE A TAX BREAK?</b></p><p>In Arkansas, there are no tax breaks or state funded programs to help homeschoolers (and that's a good thing because it also means less government oversight). So, how much does it cost to homeschool? Well, that is completely up to you. If you are choosing to do a lot of co-ops, online courses, enrichment classes, field trips, tutoring, music lessons, art lessons, sports, and everything else out there, then it can cost you a whole bunch. Some curriculums cost a whole lot more than others. On a budget? Me too! Here are some helpful tips for homeschool on a budget.</p><p>1. Shop used whenever you can! I literally stalk our thrift stores all summer long. Check facebook marketplace. Go to used curriculum sales. I buy as much as I can secondhand.</p><p>2. If you buy new, see if you qualify for any discounts (teacher, military, missionary, etc.). You can get a <a href="https://arkansashomeschool.org/index.php/services/home-educator-card/">Home Educator Card </a> to use for teacher discounts. See if you can find coupon codes from other homeschool bloggers (Like my <a href="http://i.refs.cc/XvtsdQsL?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo5MzMxMDIxMzR9">$5 off Not Consumed</a>). Not only do these coupons save you money, but they also help out another homeschooling mom. Also, see if there is a rewards program offered through the curriculum. With Masterbooks and Not Consumed I can earn points on my purchases and for things like leaving a review that can be cashed in to save on my next order. </p><p>3. What can you get for free? What books would it be ok to borrow from the library? Take advantage of YouTube and other free online programs. Our daughter loves art, but she already is involved in gymnastics and plays several musical instruments. She can find lots of art classes online for free. Someday we may make the decision for her to take art classes, but for now this is an option that is allowing her to continue to learn and advance while keeping us on budget. We also use Treasure Hunt Reading, a free online reading program. There are numerous free resources like this online.</p><p>4. Shop around and take advantage of sales. You'll start learning the rhythm of different retailers and when their sales are.</p><p>5. Is what you are buying consumable or reusable? Will you be able to either sell the curriculum at the end of the year to help you out with next's years curriculum, or will you be able to save and use it for another child?</p><p>6. Be creative! You don't need the latest and greatest and fanciest. One year we chose not to get all the math manipulatives and counters. We used a lot of beans, rocks, sticks, and lego men. Guess what? They probably had more fun and were more engaged (thus learned more) than they would have with the plastic counters. Before I buy anything I always ask myself, "Do I really need this?" You may be surprised at how often the answer to that question is "No."</p><p><b>WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION?</b></p><p>Unless you live way out in the country and never leave your home, there are probably hundreds of opportunities for socialization. Are co-ops and play dates a good thing? They absolutely can be! But so can a trip to the grocery store. Teach your child to hold the door for an elderly person. To show sympathy to the mom there with a small, screaming child. To thank and make small talk with the cashier. To be able to respond to the comments of "wow, you have your hands full" and "shouldn't they be in school right now". To grab a cold fruit punch to share with the homeless man on the corner and share the love of God with him. If you pay attention you will soon realize that socialization is the least of your concerns as a homeschooler, and your child will learn to interact not only with children their own age, but also the young and the old. </p><p><b>IS THERE MORE TO KNOW?</b></p><p>Absolutely! Isn't there always more to learn? Isn't cultivating a love of life-long learning one of the great advantages of homeschooling? Life-long... that's the key. It's ok to not know everything right now. I am 9 years in and still learning more everyday. You know enough to get started. You've got this! August 15th is fast approaching so get that NOI filed today and dive in. You've got this momma! Check out my <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschooling Tab</a> for more resources, give me on a follow on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram</a>, and check in to let me know how your homeschool year is going!</p><p><br></p>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-2169460553052019762021-07-29T06:51:00.002-05:002021-07-30T06:19:52.298-05:00Diving into another Homeschool Year<p><img alt="" id="id_7f8_cbd2_aca0_9de5" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kHvbpUfaqMKbHdM1BGwouurKlgxckuEIok7Js3o7PTkK_MrkylcssGq7uWfX7Eq5DPM" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br />It is hard to believe that I am already entering our 9th year of homeschooling. This year we will have a preschooler, 1st grader, 2nd grader, 4th grader, 6th grader, and 7th grader. In case you lost count, that is SIX children that I will be guiding through their education this year. Oh, and we will have a toddler at home. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_786d_59ff_1ed_596a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mt737vQjSKg_Fq6ZPwSBTg-AbX8B17nGlv7pzlsJcNKWDOkiZqLdayQI4nD0b-rqHZA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>I admit that I may be a little crazy, but I am so excited about this year. I am also not going at it alone this year. I have Jesus and coffee 🤣</p><p><img alt="" id="id_dd55_2f82_555c_cda9" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2dSLDq7OI-4Q0z0lMSCaoKA4yWVf7t3_56ioMSC7zq2aYcx9FY5MZQQ5r6MDd9X6nAE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></p><p>Plus we decided to outsource some things this year. Our preschooler to a Mother's Day Out program two days a week, which will help him break out of his shell, give him some age appropriate opportunities for play, and allow me to focus on the older children. We will also be participating in a homeschool co-op for some extracurriculars, and our older two will be utilizing some video/virtual classes.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_a0c4_69fa_a556_1aa7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pQldxi3o4zi1RSbFBxfHxFE4eEYJ2CsII3x3HRnhWcdsrueAOZA9JmRitwMkQ0V0z04" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />(Not all school takes place in a “classroom”. We love Roadschooling and a lot of our learning takes place out in nature).</p><p> The number one question I get asked as a homeschooling mom
is, “What curriculum do you use to teach all those kids?” I will share with you
what “boxed” curriculum we use, but it’s important to know that our homeschool
does not fit inside any box. I don’t even teach neatly inside one particular
methodology. We fall someone between Charlotte Mason and unschooling with a strong
pull towards wild and free. We have two goals for our children. The first is
that they grow in their knowledge and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The second is that they develop a life long desire to learn. In everything we
do I try to connect it back to God and also to experiences. The curriculum books
we use are simply a springboard. A typical day starts in our textbooks, which
may lead to a “living book”, which may then lead to some imaginative play in
the woods, which could lead to a discovery, which then leads to a YouTube
video, which leads to a journal entry, which perhaps leads to an art, which
inspires and leads to a music, and so on. The textbooks we use to jumpstart our
learning have changed some over the years (you can see what we used in the <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2018/08/it-back-to-school-with-our-2018-2019.html" id="id_4e8_7ae1_31a5_7f8f">2018-2019 school year</a> and <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/02/teaching-our-tribe.html">2020-2021 school year</a> and check out my <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschooling page</a>), but here is what we have planned for the upcoming school year.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="" id="id_a4e1_eac7_62fd_d7b2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/z6OCsJamjka28FOgGwl85q8b2WoUE3KY1H-FStg7wiEj3aFzxW5DZEgnMh9Q8IFXxFs" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">HISTORY: Everyone (yes, our preschooler all the way through our 7th grader) will be doing World Cultures. I decided to go with <a href="https://www.masterbooks.com/r/4aPJUldU/">MasterBooks</a>' Passport to the World as the backbone. Because we have so many ages I have had to put some work into expanding this curriculum to engage all ages, but I'm really happy with the Teacher's Guide and accompanying books. I have been scouring the thrift stores on a weekly basis for picture books on the countries. We received Little Passports for a couple of years, so I consulted with those guides and other homeschool blogs to find supplemental activities. I planned a lot of crafts, sensory bins, recipes, composer studies, missionary spotlights, and more! We will also be starting our mornings with World Watch News. Be sure to follow us on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram</a> because this is sure to be a fun year!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="" id="id_b54f_5f61_b9a7_d473" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/2t4M9_x_Ouw55SuwGxWL7TreWXV2zjpadHTUyCVvMD6zDFMQYKs8DyUdNlQaYK79cSY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">(One of my thrift store hauls… everything here totaled only $6.50!!!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.apologia.com/product-category/science/elementary-science/?subject=anatomy-and-physiology&a_aid=6102053bad9a6&a_bid=e5593eda" target="_blank"><img alt="Anatomy & Physiology" height="350" src="//apologia.postaffiliatepro.com/accounts/default1/gwfkzl3b/e5593eda.jpg" title="Anatomy & Physiology" width="350" /></a><img alt="" height="1" src="https://apologia.postaffiliatepro.com/scripts/gwfkzl3i?a_aid=6102053bad9a6&a_bid=e5593eda" style="border: 0px;" width="1" />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">SCIENCE: I was first introduced to <a href="https://www.apologia.com?a_aid=6102053bad9a6">Apologia science</a> a few
years ago when I was teaching Physical Science and Physics at a co-op. I fell
in love with the curriculum and we have been using Apologia for science ever
since. This year we are studying Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology as a family. Again, I have been hitting up the thrift stores on a daily basis to add some picture books to engage our little learners. I am also putting together a sensory bin that I am pretty excited about, and added these cool finds from Amazon.</p>
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<a href="https://www.apologia.com/product-category/science/middle-school-science/?subject=general-science&a_aid=6102053bad9a6&a_bid=5731fbc4" target="_blank"><img alt="General Science" height="300" src="//apologia.postaffiliatepro.com/accounts/default1/gwfkzl3b/5731fbc4.jpg" title="General Science" width="300" /></a><img alt="" height="1" src="https://apologia.postaffiliatepro.com/scripts/gwfkzl3i?a_aid=6102053bad9a6&a_bid=5731fbc4" style="border: 0px;" width="1" /><p class="MsoNormal">Our 7th grader will be doubling up on sciences this year. Human Anatomy is the one Young Explorers textbook that she never went through. She thinks she wants to go to college for Physical Therapy or Sports Medicine so she doesn't want to miss out on this course, but she also wants to stay on track and take General Science. While I absolutely love the sciences, I do not have the time to prepare lessons for two sciences and we are trying to increase independence, so we decided the best route for her would be to use the Video on Demand General Science Homeschool Course offered by <a href="https://www.apologia.com?a_aid=6102053bad9a6">Apologia</a>. She got a head start this summer since she knows she will have a heavy load this school year, and so far she has been very happy with the videos and the course.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="" id="id_deef_f2d_bdf8_e10c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ySWf-yjSA4NK5WQwDam8KN0FZ34LGgtVN1bxpHdp6l4pE46e2g8pUW5dtG9kuxxbrA8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />MATH: We are still using <a href="https://www.masterbooks.com/r/4aPJUldU/" id="id_26de_373e_4a63_e8c2">Math for a Living Education by Masterbooks</a> with each child in their own level (with the exception of our 6th and 7th grader whom will be doing virtual math with my sister). The stories at the start of
each chapter help our children see the real world connection, plus I love how
it has character training and other subjects interwoven. A great place to teach math is in the kitchen, and boy are there some yummy recipes in the book! I'm sure we will be using some of these recipes as we travel through our World Cultures studies. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="" id="id_617a_bc53_b625_3a74" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3adojPOYSNRsmbixXT6nXGJeNWZ3Iza6Bpk_XQRxM7Yt0w5q3WVyX-r5wcE9gjyVCqY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">ENGLISH: We are also still using <a href="https://www.masterbooks.com/r/4aPJUldU/">English for a Living Education</a> for our 1st through 4th grader.
Again, I love how it incorporates bible study and character training. </p><p class="MsoNormal">We will continue with daily writing prompts, as these were a huge hit in our homeschool last year. We fell into a rhythm last year of Imagination Monday (creative writing), Tea Time Tuesday (poetry prompt), Wacky Wednesday (silly prompt), Think It Thursday (problem solving prompt), and Free Write Friday. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Visit my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Pocketful-Of-Treasures">Teachers Pay Teachers store</a> to grab your <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ant-Writing-Prompts-6616692">FREE Ants Writing Prompts</a>. While you are there be sure to click "Follow Me". More fun resources to come!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ant-Writing-Prompts-6616692" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="270" height="320" id="id_5560_fc1d_280c_e543" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGI91OwJ0VOl8vcrnYq1ev60keyUz_ldODgH_plGFcXpWZvWUhq2iq-mPruBDJgVZdJZxMt1IbcDHHKD6lFAkenO2bpmee3697nV_CdEnK9kaPqxjjm-MeZWCMWsrjvQNJ8R7dx1paetZ2/s320/ant+writing+prompts.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 247px;" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">READING: We have a few children with dyslexia, dysgraphia,
and working memory dysfunction. They were receiving tutoring until the COVID shutdown. During the shutdown we discovered Treasure Hunt Reading, which is a free program by Prenda
Learn (we did buy the workbook, but you can print yourself). Their website
describes it as following “an Orton-Gillingham, multi-sensory, systematic
approach to literacy to support learners of all levels and abilities.” Two of our boys will be working through the remainder of this program. We supplement with
lots of other hands on activities, games, and early readers. As they near the end of Treasure Hunt Reading I add in the Abeka Readers, and our elementary aged children will continue working through the Abeka Reading program at their own page. </div><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="" id="id_81e7_e3d0_3c2d_15e3" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/cZfvjhsRepox77PXlfrdxs6IpdXvLx4kxFFVEcZ0GHLKMfdZCnpi5VN61vluUj6BFjM" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> I have a fun CVC Treehouse Climb in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CVC-Treehouse-Climb-6616996">Teacher's Pay Teachers store</a> that is a fun way to get lots of practice. You can even use an army man or other figurine to climb the ladder.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CVC-Treehouse-Climb-6616996" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="270" height="320" id="id_8589_6dae_9ebf_dd40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJncsb8r9xcKKXNx8sW22VbOicOjkULVFUkiTw7sPOfUpH6-q4VoUNNOKMh0PQKk2ieky-yo5N5nWGhcGdwe6uS08WRVCKmOZoQZWV_kFvREUyEY_lMnzKc94Y3TYU4kOUGsjDhBu-jOFj/s320/treehouse+climb+photo.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 247px;" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Our 6th grader will be doing <a href="http://i.refs.cc/XvtsdQsL?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo5MzMxMDIxMzR9">To Every Nation 2 by Not Consumed</a>, which will use the 12 books from the Christian Heroes Then and Now series to tie together history, geography, language arts, and character study. (<a href="http://i.refs.cc/XvtsdQsL?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo5MzMxMDIxMzR9">Save $5 off your order at Not Consumed with this link</a>).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="" id="id_ea80_1374_e0e8_a742" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5nyhUxdEqHFdIuJ1Y5iZlu_AJ4LoBBdEnyM_tOZV3APg8lNYNpfAzfrEwU2oJ8WuuyQ" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Our 7th grader will be taking English Literature: Exploring Biblical Principles through Literature. It will be her first live, online class through Apologia. Our little extrovert is very excited about having "classmates".</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="" id="id_c0b3_2b38_eaa2_593b" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AXPxnOJbw3iiRcYHfqwtveybnnzT0-Y-YzePxmd6mT_zbT4XrG_MYeAYcxEI1NGP7zY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />TYPING: Also designed with dyslexics in mind, we will continue with <a href="https://www.readandspell.com/us/home-course?rfsn=4680935.792903&utm_source=refersion.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=refersion&coupon=JBAKER">TTRS (Touch Type Read Spell)</a>. It is a no
frills typing program but I absolutely love that I can customize and add in
their reading lists, science vocabulary words, history facts, and more. It
really helps to reinforce all of our other subjects while also teaching them to
type, which we believe is a valuable life skill. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><img alt="" id="id_aa4a_cedd_ff30_cfa" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/e4xCuv1vdu-4HMvNbhR2uOPBWfoVpyTa_csk9QMjS3wqwspeQH2Vbs1VpT1hBqykjIA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">EXTRACURRICULARS: The girls are involved in competitive
gymnastics and the boys do BMX racing. Music is a big part of their
education. They five oldest take piano lessons, and they also have started
learning ukulele, guitar, violin, and most recently added mandolin. It’s not uncommon for me to say, “Why don’t
you write a song about that.” Whether it is a history lesson, science lesson,
bible memorization, or even math facts, we have found that putting it to music
helps us learn. Our 7th grader will also be learning calligraphy and our 6th grader will focus on drawing and possibly add some watercolors this year. Which
brings me to another aspect of our homeschool - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>entrepreneurship and financial literacy. They
are never too young to learn how to make and manage money. I love seeing the
creative business plans they come up with. Check out their online <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Fulloutdesigns?ref=seller-platform-mcnav">Etsy shop</a> to see their latest projects for sale. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="" id="id_a255_a501_26e4_ddde" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XLUGpSSL8mMlJR0PAtrIIuI_50bu0LkScqkXTMxmutahOxMAV2uw8Bje0ChPYbCm_vg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">That about sums up our homeschool! Are you a veteran homeschooler, new homeschooler, or considering homeschooling? I’d love to connect with you on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram @pocketful_of_treasures</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;">***This post does contain affiliate links.*** <br />If considering TTRS, use coupon code JBAKER at checkout<br />If considering MasterBooks, please use <span face=""Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://www.masterbooks.com/r/4aPJUldU/">https://www.masterbooks.com/r/4aPJUldU/</a> <br />If considering Apologia, please use </span><a href="https://www.apologia.com/?a_aid=6102053bad9a6" style="box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank">https://www.apologia.com?a_aid=6102053bad9a6</a><br /><span style="color: #333333;">If considering Not Consumed, please use </span><a href="http://i.refs.cc/XvtsdQsL?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo5MzMxMDIxMzR9">Not Consumed Link</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p>
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***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com*** Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-67039931113725055762021-05-28T15:37:00.002-05:002021-05-28T15:37:56.920-05:00Return to Palo Duro Canyon - Lighthouse Trail<p><img alt="" id="id_b612_6bac_ca5e_e1ce" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ApBHJvtYUEyk14umPV2IM3dhut7VeRl8it102z26-KrJyh7QmeNLNOr9Ym_YXQmeIXo" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p> We went to <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2017/11/palo-duro-canyon-state-park.html">Palo Duro Canyon in 2017</a> and immediately put it on our list of places to return to. Well, four years later we finally made it back! It is still just as breathtaking as we remember. Located just 27 miles southeast of Amarillo, TX, this impressive 120 mile long and 20 mile wide canyon suddenly appears out of nowhere. It is thought to be the 2nd largest canyon in the US and is definitely the most scenic part of the Texas panhandle. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_c0c9_da1b_bf35_4e73" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/olPHisVpRFQ_iGipBt5lm9woEvyvUEY1Qtb9n4-to-_S_TaxWumi3E_oQmmzXYUJP2g" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>In 2017 we were able to just show up without a reservation, but nowadays I would not recommend that. We planned ahead this time and were thankful we did because the campground was indeed full when we arrived. Last time we stayed in Sagebrush, which is one of the first campground loops you come to and is the closest campground to the play "Texas". This time we stayed at Mesquite which is several miles more down the road at the southern end of Palo Duro. It is located closer to the hiking and equestrian trails. The Mesquite campsites all have 30/50 amp electric and water hookups, as well as a fire ring and/or grill and a picnic table. During a heavy rain, this area can get a little flooded and the red clay turns into a slippery, muddy mess. Thankfully it didn't rain until the morning we were leaving.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_9168_52a4_ba74_7f39" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kHu9rETpKYpMAY_hPC7zLC36GMOH4_zzbXXi0CxhMIJVuodaJhuGJPzXPbDPdAQCq6E" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>Palo Duro Canyon had nearly 50 miles of trails. We hiked the <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2017/11/palo-duro-canyon-state-park.html">Paseo Del Rio trail in 2017</a>, an easy 2 mile trail that follows the river and passes a Cowboy Dugout. It was the perfect trail for a quick morning hike, but we had some more time this trip and were finally able to hike the Lighthouse Trail that leads to the iconic 310 foot "lighthouse" rock formation that you'll often see on souvenirs. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_4fc9_a88c_dab1_5f3e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/MGxB1ibvvTg1wWlkuhTFYBqZqpYBQMpdNAHrYnkuUTjiuA7bXUS-4oddTkBiS5tXgLE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></p><p>There are many warnings heading into the trail about making sure that you are prepared with plenty of water and sunscreen. If you forgot sunscreen, there are dispensers by the trail head that look like hand sanitizer, but are actually sunscreen that you may use. If you have never hiked in a desert before, bring 2-3 times the amount of water you normally would (the state park recommends one gallon of water per person). There are no trees so you are exposed most of the hike. During the summer, temperatures on the canyon floor can reach 115 degrees. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_8e86_3458_2ec1_fb75" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7KXQjIr0Hdk_Ipt7xDM0JNG5WW5EyJgCgIDXR3-XRxd6aumTY_jlPF27H5AmBzDDuHE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></p><p>We had the perfect evening for a hike! The temperature was in the 60s, and the canyon walls cast some shadows on the trail. Still, we had more water than we thought we needed since we were hiking with 7 kids. I carried the baby, but this was the first long hike that our 3 year old completed by himself (and he totally rocked it). </p><p><img alt="" id="id_1d47_b3df_a212_9f3b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tB6CRbYDtdtVnjAP-_uQoKvyjcDPL7UEmguTmv1TX-CROu2lUJ4Oe73BCnAGIXGuPdI" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></p><p>The trail is 5.7 miles round trip out and back hike. The first 2.5 miles of the hike are relatively easy. There are some gentle slopes as you follow the canyon floor, but nothing crazy.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_4285_f17e_7f93_a3d2" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Pgqub0HHL4RJzxGhmsaAyCkD12asSSD2j0pGEv9m56XybnL-3_4VITCTamxWXBHkskY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></p><p> Do be aware that mountain bikers share the trail and come flying through here, so be alert and ready to move out of their way. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_3f44_ea70_3589_3bce" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/DOZdbP_iqmpACbVrItep7QO1Y5KZPuvQg4y09pwyFfVjJbH8p6YEor_pziY6uXUUCD0" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></p><p>The views of the desert and canyon walls are beautiful and you'll spy plenty of cacti, lizards, and possibly some other desert creatures along the trail.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_b6d5_898e_8747_dd2c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/u034sMvOK9Up6VgL2Bc8DMLdnQxBdRiPR_kYpeVTigBmAzt9O_NLjuHQyIHGyi0tiV8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></p><p>After about 2.5 miles the easy, sandy, flat part of the trail ends and you'll have a near vertical ascent up to the lighthouse. It is not treacherous, but it is strenuous. Thankfully it doesn't last too long and you'll soon be rewarded with jaw-dropping views. Congratulations! You made it! </p><p><img alt="" id="id_a3df_a207_1bf9_5e9e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/g_VAEAK2OS-iJVsbYvjjaql-owdQcQiiEDquPXV2-dlFzsnk4158FMwq2OmG4qAMh2Q" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></p><p>You can either return the way you came (which is what we did), or for a longer hike back you can connect to the Givens, Spicer, and Lowry Trail.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_d9df_1b57_2a81_eb7a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sS6U2wX8SKpG6YzCOnx3XLeJGs0-_osjlxdhJ1d9Jq50-9NxrG2lZp4D_vvKfb0fXxI" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></p><p>We were so proud of this little dude for hiking the entire trail himself that we rewarded him with a souvenir hat from the trading post. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_314_1d44_3a2c_e7d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Z3V-uF-gW0UxlfdDYRaiWPn26NV9hYomMwOu8Zu9OjERGzgGPSKisApqte7bdzcNP3g" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></p><p>Before leaving the Amarillo, TX area, stop by Cadillac Ranch and leave your mark! Don't forget to bring the cans of spray-paint!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_98f4_2e98_5164_e277" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7xIW0zS2nqC8ltLr-1HA00MRiHYfeAknr84BnZp9LxO4hZ_t3LA6QXLhy-ZDg7amfAI" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><br /></p><p>Roadschooling in Amarillo? You may want to also check out the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum. </p><script type="text/javascript">
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<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><p><br /></p><p>Be sure to follow us on all of our adventures on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures/"> Instagram @pocketful_of_treasures</a> and check the <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/travel.html">Travel tab</a> here on my blog.</p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com*** </span></p>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-39775728611256798892021-05-27T20:07:00.000-05:002021-05-27T20:07:30.778-05:00Splash and Relax at Galveston's Premier RV Resort<p><img alt="" id="id_f0fd_ff04_2a0e_8423" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5Av3j6qeLBq1zbUj4V1_lChQ0-mXPRAKJw6V1WEwqs7ICYnquQ_5VCHUD0EXd9__4fc" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />When I found out our daughter's gymnastics competition would be held at the Galveston Island Convention Center, I went straight to RV Parky and google to start researching RV parks in the area. I came across Stella Mare RV Resort and instantly fell in love with the pictures of the amenities - this place has it all! Heated pool, splash pad, playground, and more. I booked three nights. The "Daily Rate" listed on the receipt came up as $150ish... Ok, that may be a lot more than we typically spend at a resort RV, but this trip was doubling as our vacation and we had a lot of accomplishments to celebrate. Plus, it beat the $300 a night hotel rate at the Hilton convention center. So I went ahead and paid the $150ish deposit for what I thought was just the first night of our three night stay. Boy was I surprised (in the best way possible) when we checked in and I was informed that we were all paid up. The $150 wasn't our daily rate! It was the right for the entire 3 night stay!!! I could not believe that this gorgeous resort that we had just pulled into was about $50 a night (we did stay in the off season and had a promo code we used during booking). We have stayed at some rustic campgrounds for more than that! So if you want an affordable RV Resort with all the amenities in Galveston, this is your place! </p><p><img alt="" id="id_8f1e_8c46_13d5_8725" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dhfb7O5MAq95jmLT5zFKcSTrKbQk_KyShqFlCExnBYyGkjxeZhjVpv2uajwHtFPUszk" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />The roads are paved and the sites are level concrete pads with lush green space. The pads are plenty big to accommodate even the largest camping units and have full hook ups. Upon arrival, you will be guided to your site by friendly staff. Each site has a bench which flips up to double as a table. There is complimentary Wi-Fi (that actually worked!) throughout the park. The bathhouses are clean and spacious with laundry facilities. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_ec1c_ed9f_559f_64ec" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/abC2k0Qc-5XxPdKO6kwsfid2Za-8RUCqKsBCSRRHfAoZI4OVzY2yyxCL7xogwh6uevM" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />A 3000 square foot observation deck allows you sit, relax, and enjoy the ocean view. If you want to go to the beach, there is beach access directly across the street (it is a busy roadway, but with patience we were able to safely cross with our 7 kids).</p><img alt="" id="id_a68_d9fb_73e3_d29c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/DMZHcbCVSBFuy0gpufSiHv856mNxBi-13d7dkpmW0f1QMVyZu_mxIIQ4qUgNAjMP3Js" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><p>The resort itself offers so many water activities that our kids actually preferred to stay and play at the resort the rest of the time rather than go anywhere else. The pool is heated and offers several different points of entry, including stairs and a walk in incline that was perfect for our littles. There is also a shallow area with an in-pool lounging areas that is perfect for moms to relax while the toddlers play. You can also sit and relax under one of the poolside fountains. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_b97c_5a49_9f70_eb49" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1CIvUrRU3eCFh5pXpKaos795ODoDnm2sbDwC3GMgGkJbS5Jq1i-R--1nCO4IM6IZB54" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Nearby is a spacious splash pad - the largest of any on the island. It provided hours of fun for our kiddos. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_8698_e8cb_b859_8c60" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/76AJS5sV4ADFsdLTBQCffbujqZHj2bIew5TAxdgQWgcjjUHH1Bdio_6PYCgp1VYDaRE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />When you are ready to dry off, there is a large playground on a sand island for the kids run off any energy they have left. Nearby is a covered tiki bar and porch swings to relax on.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_1bee_2ae6_5f74_f905" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7u_A4eIdzDeYk8mJ7CnI23DgluaDgfd7znUEiPsoaRiVwVWKtiUCn9Oc_6AfUkwWTmg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We stayed on site 17, which backs up to a field with beautiful horses. One woman mentioned that they are retired police horses, but I have not been able to verify that. The horses would come to the fence and allow the kids to pet them.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_b3e7_f05f_af72_3d1f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8N-ERTjI8nuIYl-YeKON2zahkko8j9smXQOOIn2eVjRysb1zRZfJ3rJjZK33RyviY08" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />My husband ran into a buddy of his that he deployed with several years ago (small world!). He has been living at the resort for a few months as he is working in the area, and agrees that it is the best around. </p><p>If you plan to leave the resort, it is just like any other touristy beach town. There is a lot of traffic and parking is hard to find. We used Jeff's Cab and Shuttle Service. Drivers were on time and prices were reasonable. </p><p>Roadschooling in Galveston? Don't miss Moody Gardens and Anahuac National Wildlife Center. Here are some books you may want to check out:</p><p><br /><script type="text/javascript">
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<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script></p><p>Oh, and if your route to/from Galveston happens to take you through Longview, Tyler, or Marshall, Texas, be sure to check out Jucy's Hamburgers. They really are the best burgers in Texas (and the best burger we have ever had!).</p><p>For more adventure guides be sure to check out our <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/travel.html">Travel Page</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures/">Instagram @pocketful_of_treasures</a>.</p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com*** </span></p><p><br /></p>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-41987467803080651762021-05-21T12:30:00.002-05:002021-10-07T20:14:29.445-05:00Dead Horse Point State Park<div><img alt="" id="id_af68_49fc_cbb9_5d81" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Qjz98zCYCuSHsZLnWWyCr16trZNpJwVB5yn7XVshPCxRQOhcYuk7xfl4jc9cMZHQatQ" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></div>We love exploring Utah and have been to Moab several times, but this was our first time to Dead Horse Point State park. We spent 5 days here and used it as our base camp for exploring Canyonlands and Moab. There are no water hookups in the campground, so it took a little bit of logistics to plan for five days with 9 people. The air is very dry and you will need at least one gallon of water per person per day. The campground has bathrooms and a sink with cold water to wash dishes, but no showers. The closest water, gas, food, and medical care is 32 miles away in Moab, so be sure you come prepared. There was also very little AT&T cell phone coverage (occasionally we could get a strong enough signal in the early morning or late evening hours to get some text messages through). The sites are spacious, paved, mostly level, have a covered picnic area, and 1-2 tent pads. <div><br /><div><img alt="" id="id_66a_a76c_545c_644d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7zADX3eG762aXOkfAAy66yBICFfL2eIsTteLIT9-UWvfGvCWK4VJuFB-x5gEWH1jdWo" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><div>The hiking trails lead to several overlooks of the canyon. We hiked a couple of nights to Rim Overlook which was a short .7 miles from the campground (one way) to watch the sunset. There are very steep drop offs at the overlooks, so we had to watch our children closely and be sure that they understood the dangers and rules. At Rim overlook there are several boulders that our children enjoyed clinging on. They even found a geocache tucked away in one of the crevices (though nothing was in it). </div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_eb5d_fdf8_5925_8809" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_dDjEvm-0xqJUsGDFAymkwVXTttRWY-khkwYyGuey21Qtip5CbILzZNxc9S1b3skvMI" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>One afternoon we hiked Big Horn overlook, which is a 1.3 mile hike (one-way) from Kayenta campground. The kids found a boulder they thought looked like a big turtle and enjoyed surfing on its back. Like Rim Overlook, Big Horn Overlook has precipitous cliffs and it was extremely windy. We left the kids to play in the “nest” while we walked them out to the overlook one at a time. They had a blast pretending they were birdies and “flying” (or jumping) into the sandy “nest” (pit). </div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_c7df_15e4_acd6_c6e6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ECAFoMkvU9fkfsHILtf39ojek9Or4-4DSkNHbbM1WHntur30BxgHpvDcdPmBNgXNBtA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And of course we had to hike to Dead Horse Point. According to legend, cowboys would corral the wild mustangs roaming the Mesa on this point. The neck is only 30 yards wide, so it was easy to fence off with brush. The cowboys would choose the horses they wanted and left the other horses corralled on the point. The Colorado River winds 2,000 feet below, but because of the cliffs the horses were unable to reach water and died there on the point.</div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_8eed_1d57_46e9_8da" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FlmJJ6EFZHqSq1L5_ok5PKwHpYdb2S9LkbQO3HJ0_fBQQnfFBHAmsWEGQj5XWPrQ5ZE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></div><div> We hiked out to the point along the west rim trail 2.5 miles and back 1.5 miles along the east rim trail. The East Rim hugs closer to the rim so you have more scenic vistas. The trails were poorly marked and impossible for us to follow near the point, so we ended up hiking on the road past the neck before rejoining the rim trail. </div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_5504_f9ca_49a4_9d27" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/gB7ng4-5TTlnvIOcI9ueTC1KuRYdjqGxs6hoNA0DDBtrcMU18n_BUqPLAdwfz1SZ-YM" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></div><div>We chose to do the hike first thing in the morning before it got too hot, so we were done with the 4+ mile loop by 9am and celebrated with popsicles from the visitors center for breakfast. </div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="" id="id_ada0_a367_7054_4b6b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Ii4azd7GhpmzH9CB-1JsBlcpOzFTzOAzGA4VaqwtoCFSiZ3hVe0QZke7fRszNLUNc7o" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /></div><div>That’s about it as far as hiking trails go within Dead Horse Point State Park. To further explore you can ride mountain bikes on the Intrepid Trail System. We drove to Canyonlands and Moab for more hiking adventures. </div><div><br /></div><div>Be sure to follow us on all of our travel adventures on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/travel.html">travel tab</a> on the blog. Happy traveling! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-30943736287998456292021-03-23T15:08:00.001-05:002021-03-23T15:08:24.853-05:00WWII Part 3: D-Day and Resistance Fighters<p>We continued our study of World War 2 using <a href="https://www.masterbooks.com/r/4aPJUldU/">MasterBooks America’s Story 3 </a>as our backbone. Even though our focus this year is on American History, I still felt that it was important to expand upon this subject and understand what was going on in other countries as well. I decided that while we were learning about D-Day we would also read some historical fiction that focused on the French resistance.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_e805_a81d_97b4_f3cd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ElFehpnenAcOmsYmQZdmEnRBa11cFhEbtNtlh4z8Yl6uS7mspHYxWpILE2qPzcSE6H8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />The Magic Treehouse books are enjoyed by all our kids. They are quick reads and spark curiosity. The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553508857/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0553508857&linkId=5ac252f7801f34a27d789a35c417ed26">World At War Magic Treehouse Super Edition</a> was the perfect introduction to tie in D-Day and the French Resistance. The front cover shows Jack and Annie parachuting into France. So on one rainy afternoon we decided that we were going to explore paratroopers of WW2 a little bit more. We watched the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcomlNIBlIU">US Army Paratrooper training video. </a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dcomlNIBlIU" width="320" youtube-src-id="dcomlNIBlIU"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>We made paratroopers out of army men and coffee filters. And all week long the kids played on their jungle gym and jumped off pretending to be paratroopers. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_9aca_74b8_d1bc_1480" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/R433xhdlt8IrpX5ttyBucxa5uWhPpi0rGXMhA8AUoaxhYYuZZ0qoa_nytc1fE7ovsy8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_3a44_ecb7_3bd4_c68c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/82wF8NPqKcWi3CxW-olvc-sZeeN4yyGWcMWktUiVBHhrAgU4XYBHtQCiW-qk5AKVfvw" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />CREATIVE WRITING PROMPT: You just parachuted behind enemy lines... finish the story. </p><p>We then watched several YouTube videos of D-Day. On one of the videos the soldier talked about low crawling to safety once he hit the ground. We watched an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIbBEeZW5js">Army training video on low crawling</a>, and then the girls set up a low crawling training course in our bedroom.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_3878_9c42_ebf9_1635" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/u3zV9Nm6NJIFCL9e8DkF_282UfG1IZs3rvoH_tXpzXyPAjjo_fotPuuSgHRJ-xhwvdo" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We discussed couriers of the French Resistance and how sometimes you would have to quickly hide or camouflage yourself or your bike to stay hidden from Nazi soldiers. Our kids were riding their bikes in the back yard pretending to be couriers when a member of the French resistance approached them with the V is for Victory sign and warned them that Nazi soldiers were coming down the road. They quickly had to ditch their bikes and hurry into my house to hide.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_ff3e_6255_fac7_475" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FW5ZVcQt-3JhmFcwrGcSsM5lRepQ5m3aYcfxn2zNtnoRqv1W1cIlI6pRtTVMJ9IsRC0" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br /><img alt="" id="id_153c_19bb_3725_f02e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/301JKE4_gQKBRVd32LMBRKUep7zMi5Z9B0FAeOmuQWOXPwgn-ez-78SF1MVTbeEVgcU" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We discussed air raids and the<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/history-ks2-world-war-2-clips-index/zjc8cqt"> sounds of World War 2</a>. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_5a1d_40d7_ee1c_20f1" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dVG3TM0vPaLLjLJOUfix6CL-8oYY0lXkKMJgvQSHBag38P07_L_QESddZweDEL8aq0U" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140310762/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0140310762&linkId=9ca6cd7302bd27de5407ccb11ffb127f">Twenty and Ten</a>, another heart warming story of bravery and courage during the French Resistance. <a href="https://www.learn4yourlife.com/twenty-and-ten-unit-study.html" id="id_74a9_43ba_e984_4668">Learn for your Life</a> has an activity guide with some engaging activities and questions, which we used to help study the book. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_5411_39e4_434c_8b0d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7srrQXFtDnPQ6TAn8TBJ2c9OPbT_poK03opZW8gqVWib4I3L7uYTBrqGMfhroCPm2n8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Our boys are also huge Curious George fans, so we read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547417462/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0547417462&linkId=0a0eeb62b93c23bd42a11ff3e9255841">The Journey that Saved Curious George</a> and followed their travels on our globe.</p><p>I hope your little learners enjoyed these activities as much as our children did! Be sure to Follow us on <a href="http://Instagram.com/Pocketful_of_Treasures">Instagram @Pocketful_of_treasures</a> and tag us in your photos! Check out the <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschool Tab</a> for more learning inspiration.</p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7d757af7-7fff-292d-e78e-d74137a1039f"><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; white-space: normal;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</span></span></div></span>
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Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-17937702508100743482021-03-12T08:48:00.002-06:002021-07-30T06:11:58.684-05:00Learning through Journaling - A Homeschool Science Study on Trees<p> We have used <a href="https://www.apologia.com?a_aid=6102053bad9a6">Apologia science curriculum</a> for 7 years now and absolutely love it. However, a few years into our homeschooling journey we ditched the notebooks and started journaling. Please know that just because this is what is working for us, it does not make this method better or right for everyone. If you are new to homeschooling like we were 7 years ago, you may need the structure of the notebooks. You may want to do the notebooks and a nature journal. That was simply too much for me to us to keep up with and I found that less structure leads our crew to more learning. Or perhaps you use a different science textbook. The concept of journaling can be applied to other curriculums and even other subjects. So, here is what that looks like in our homeschool. This year we are studying botany, which included a study on trees.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_b21f_7645_5896_6e86" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SBl2hd-PbmskVIquJ1Q3XKIiUWO5RVcXCtbV8ML_O5NTYp5W5jZNxOh8NA6xyTdgPl4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Our kids are awesome at identifying trees by their leaves. They have done leaf rubbings in their nature journal since <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2015/07/road-schooling-nature-walk.html">2015 when were roadschooling and started keeping nature journals</a>. And while they have certainly noticed different types of barks on our nature hikes, we had never formally discussed identifying trees by their barks, which since we are in the middle of winter can be quite useful.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_3a22_288d_32f0_441f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/K2LUMAKwUyTJ1ca-4reFsjzcbka5nGpVWVvi8HhjgPKEGv3Os0uufY3DMY7kPHJWCsY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />They did several bark rubbings, taped them into their nature journals, and labelled the trees. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_8d01_1b83_1010_1ab3" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/QOk0zvrOF_6xohoaNQZGB8N2zP3xtde4sRKqo10HnY-p0q4Nh1lByQsME2nCUt1yBao" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We keep science vocabulary and definitions in our journals, so they drew a cutout of a tree and labelled the layers.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_f695_6322_5314_8e6d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lmWqtcOMbj8WDksFuCesvJHf1b49vVE4aRxL0gpE2uHG36r79ONaVvYMpxh2sokcy4g" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />Did you know that you can measure tree growth not only by its rings, but also by measuring the distance between the terminal bud scars? We did not know that before reading it in Apologia's <u>Exploring Creation with Botany</u>. We headed to the yard and measured some trees. All experiments and activities are recorded in the journals. This time we chose to graph the growth.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_bb90_25c_5b7a_9c7" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gJF7DgAMmIiG-jQW8sfin-4aaMvPmw3gmwqfz3F8JJfSVmG8Up7lRwxxn5fT2h07fQs" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />When it was clear that the trees grew the most in 2018, we headed to the internet to do some research to find out what happened in 2018. It turns out it was one of the wettest years on record!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_11a8_c0a7_7312_2505" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kdFXpAcJlhQ71JzqlR1MIy6iYnPOc4xU3SdAVK_WZG4SgW6baF_ApT_MstTW6bt8teg" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />When we read about phototropism, we went on a nature hike to try to look for examples. Guess where we drew the examples we found? That's right! In our journals!</p><p><img alt="" id="id_34bc_721f_a476_9d82" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qnXvN3wMzMRCKTbRpHrMfhmBpBWJCDdDOVHYdDtSyWxgBeSLgbakIskL_gza4U6aOuY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />I then had our little learners brainstorm some ideas about what happened to the tree that caused it grow like that. I like to tie in life lessons whenever possible, so we discussed how resilient God made trees. Sometimes when we are trying things one way and it's not working, we just need to find another way. They wrote a creative story from a trees perspective about the day another tree fell on top of it.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_8370_90fc_b35a_530a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/D4N85JhtoHkszoKKiK_B7PuuoHBY9Qz9v2eH6tNYSr9MwGs2SglUjGt3STLosGI4J60" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br /><br />We also read about the great sequoia trees. Our oldest remembered that I had been there years ago and wanted to look through my scrapbook of the trip. They were fascinated, so I kept that learning spark going and we headed to YouTube to watch more videos on the giant sequoias and even found a drawing video for their journals. <img alt="" id="id_4ef5_83c3_9ae6_a527" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JCxKSoBlcb4ue_4K7OLZUS2yU5saNuNpBcuWBXnLZiNPBAU_rNEqGgs8NxuDx2jVB-4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /></p><div>We tie in other books with the little ones. After reading <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060256656/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0060256656&linkId=789a6aee047b061f78184bec57448381">The Giving Tree</a></u> they journaled some of the ways trees benefit us.</div><img alt="" id="id_18ec_7642_a712_ddd8" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/diIPRuQDAPoBrAS48oLc8BjsTuBvBh0vbxmGKC4y64uk3fKr769UTRLtHqnsGo_P3GI" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip="" /><div><br /></div><div>The children have a journal for every year of science and love looking back through them; reliving their learning adventures again.</div><div><br /></div><div>We'd love for you to follow us on our homeschool journey on <a href="http://instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram</a>. Check out the<a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html"> homeschool tab</a> for more learning fun.</div>
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<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-427079659774453322021-03-05T17:03:00.005-06:002021-10-12T06:54:32.113-05:00WWII Part 2: Spy School<p><img id="id_37fd_5263_bf40_bb7d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PH52DGd9W4Bj-9I7DSJ2gYWKw3SQ0PTjLF13_g0WM7y5TV9_jcBzZjxwsC2g7OMj65w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br></p><p>Last week we studied <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/02/wwii-part-1-pearl-harbor-homeschool.html">Pearl Harbor</a>, so we continued our study of WWII in the Pacific Theater. We started the week by reading <a href="https://www.masterbooks.com/r/4aPJUldU/">Masterbook's America's Story 3, Chapter 11</a>. We learned that breaking the Japanese code was essential in America defeating the Japanese navy at Midway. Our kids remembered learning about the Navajo Code Talkers when we visited <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2018/10/history-lessons-at-window-rock-and.html">Window Rock</a> and talked to a Navajo guide at <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2018/10/off-beaten-path-at-canyon-de-chelly.html">Canyon de Chelly</a> a few years ago, but they did not realize that there were many different codes used by different countries during WWII. We read <u><a href="<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0873589173/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0873589173&linkCode=as2&tag=homescooltrea-20&linkId=714a3475d6a5c73970a7cfbe4c3cab42">The Unbreakable Code</a>">The Unbreakable Code</a></u> to revisit the Code Talkers.</p><p>CREATIVE WRITING PROMPT: You just broke a code that could change the course of history. What did you discover? Who did you tell? What happened?</p><p>We then did a fun Growth Mindset Escape Room from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Think-Tank">Think Tank on TPT</a> to introduce other codes. She also has a Pearl Harbor activity, but I did not know about it when I did my lesson planning. This activity was a huge hit with our three older children (2nd, 5th, and 6th grade), and really encouraged teamwork.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_f9f2_7dda_bc11_c1b7" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lQOjQRFdC6w791tWLVY6thAseJW-wgaD_9lOlJ04gxWPdK3pIWSRcGiKO5DjkMYyvyU" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>Throughout the week we read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/164611101X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=164611101X&linkCode=as2&tag=homescooltrea-20&linkId=eb1ca7e6cc8053b1c8cf07f7899b5700" target="_blank">Spies, Code Breakers, and Secret Agents: A World War II Book for Kids</a>. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_76e8_3b65_f936_7f9a" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/onN6wFVLXG7-5Z2HlzxP0wXvcfTIoBlJVvzvvzi1EtBah1TCikfzfDEVTHqRHpYDig8" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>By the end of the week, all of my kids have decided that they want to be spies. They even made up their own secret code.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_b476_6c83_8bc7_4f5a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cgHWhFvQOdrKZKXK_2kSnsTyrWnk_1GVwOWn3lxhY5KL5DK5uZTOHuNcVUshjdV3KVA" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br><a href="https://www.spymuseum.org/education-programs/educators/lesson-plans-activities/">The International Spy Museum</a> offers free lesson plans and activities. After watching many of the videos and completing the worksheets, the kids dressed up in their disguises, made some spy gadgets, and were sent to the woods on a mission. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_8f5d_e11d_713a_988" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UbEvecXlVAVCeDWIljB8B9KxWMiEEYmz5BK5omW1xEOzh9__b-L3BQI5Xy4SFHB_nTk" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br><img alt="" id="id_3416_a2e9_afd8_cdd6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LTscLXsKMDq-_higxmCqBgBAKAx51H4ESbdNXwqfUKcWdwTNHx77CeYN6aB4Hq4vkU4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""></p><p>They even made a <a href="https://youtu.be/jV9pzxpjq58">DIY Spy Gadget</a> video for their young recruits.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jV9pzxpjq58" width="320" youtube-src-id="jV9pzxpjq58" id="id_b3c0_d7a8_7d08_9937"></iframe></div><br><p>Meanwhile, I left clues throughout the woods and yard alerting them to the fact that the mission they were chasing was not the real mission, and that there was a much more important, time-sensitive mission that they had to complete. The clues led them back inside the house where the final clue was written on the white board in code. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_2d46_f019_7331_4771" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WSlIt1tuUc1DXq6mYuGLeLr9ojG0QShgMsln_ZffrdXUB5qoecZ8OjhmwdPnof1CoxE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>They recognized the code as pigpen from their escape room activity that we did earlier in the week, and were able to crack the code just in time. "If you can read this bake cookies." </p><p><img alt="" id="id_16b5_d1a1_339a_3304" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uz09ToYhkxxan36rRCgYFieEcPP3JwIDBsJMOLkxkg0xnfMmIo2cFopFsWoP6Nfijnc" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>We also learned that spies need to have an excellent memory and ability to filter out whether information could be relevant or not. To test our little learners I gave them a spy entrance exam. I filled a box with random items, including some <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025BEPUI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0025BEPUI&linkId=a1e5d2ce99159ecbe69027c0d874ea7f">WWII Replica Memorabilia</a>. </p><img alt="" id="id_3723_257d_2780_9a9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2-Ef1rkxZe-mBODVot7Z7IVjJLz5BDs7VVB9SyEjE7OJVzNR9gawFlBdbeG-Jc0kvkE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br>I marched the children into the room and told them that they were in a meeting with a high ranking military officer. The officer received a telegram and had to leave the room momentarily. They would have only minutes to check out the contents of the box. I left the room and walked back in a few minutes later. I then tested their ability to think quickly and speak smoothly when I accused them of touching the contents of the box. <div><img alt="" id="id_e45e_d32f_224f_f28c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZdhGA9s7v7G9FKduSk1K0MfIWyLutm8BjdUuWMoIrJEQKJJDlx45TBZQXwSBFubyE-4" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>We went on with our lessons and later in the day I asked them to report in with their spy agency and relay what items were in the box and what information they had gathered. <br><div><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/164611101X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=164611101X&linkCode=as2&tag=homescooltrea-20&linkId=eb1ca7e6cc8053b1c8cf07f7899b5700" target="_blank">Spies, Code Breakers, and Secret Agents: A World War II Book for Kids</a> has an entire chapter on some WWII secret agents, but I also wanted us to study Dietrich Bonhoeffer. We listened to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576587134/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1576587134&linkId=5b4b81225efc7fb023096ba6b724cab5">Dietrich Bonhoeffer: In The Midst of Wickedness</a> on Audible, and our 6th grader started reading independently <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141973265X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=141973265X&linkId=ce94de7c950e96d9ad9af0b94d0d1cf8">The Faithful Spy</a>.</p><p><img alt="" id="id_6ab4_5b3_f315_5974" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4zJP2iAnGT5pjXIuFur2huT2mxuYKu0rOE9xpicFwtSIelqsdX5ZOidM7zLuGpmCMiY" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""></p><p><br>Our boys took quite an interest in WWII planes last week, so I purchased a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081UUUK6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=homescooltrea-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0081UUUK6&linkId=af199191de88dd150a162848f68bf95b" id="id_4f7b_5e6_4c8d_b72d">Step-by-Step drawing book</a>. They turned several of their 2D drawings into 3D cardboard planes and had their own battles. </p><p><img alt="" id="id_5fe5_1c8a_1656_9354" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/agwm9yUnCpI21UzZALNWlznyKDl_c_NmTmLDxON3yd2pWqYLYLFqWezpTWJ1ve_ZGmE" style="height: auto; width: 298px;" title="" tooltip=""><br><br>We also watched videos from the <a href="https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/learn-with-us-today/">Naval Aviation Museum</a> on WWII aircraft.</p><p>I hope your little learners enjoy these activities as much as our children did! Share you pictures with us on <a href="http://Instagram.com/pocketful_of_treasures">Instagram @pocketful_of_treasures.</a> Check out the <a href="https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/p/homeschooling.html">Homeschool tab</a> for more inspiration for your homeschool.</p><p><br></p>
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***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</div></div>Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5918381357744043824.post-85778999846154371432021-03-02T15:01:00.000-06:002021-03-02T15:01:37.019-06:00Teaching your Child to Read<p> One of the most daunting tasks as a homeschooler is teaching your child to read. I was very fortunate that our oldest child learned to read very quickly and easily. We read lots of books together and we did some cute crafts with the letters, but she pretty much just started reading on her own. Easy peasy I thought. Why was there so much fear surrounding our capabilities of teaching someone to read? Well, I soon learned that she was the exception. None of our other children have taught themselves to read or have naturally picked up on it. A few of them have dyslexia, working memory dysfunction, and dysgraphia. All of them are what I would call reluctant readers. I was going to need a very systematic approach and get creative in teaching them to read. For a while, we called on the help of someone trained in the science of reading. Their teacher was absolutely fantastic and used a very structured, systematic, multisensory approach to help our next two children start to read. If you have a struggling learner and live in Central AR, I highly recommend checking out <a href="http://bridgetohopeacademictherapy.com/">Bridge to Hope Academic Therapy</a>. Our children were doing wonderful and making excellent progress. And then the pandemic hit and everything came to a halt. On the upside, instead of spending our days running from one activity or therapy to the next, we were home and I finally had time to dig in and do some research myself. I knew I could provide the multisensory experience, I just needed the structure and system. We had tried several programs in the past with little success (I won't list them by name, because while they did not work for us they may work for others and I don't want to discredit them). </p><p><img id="id_6051_da31_b214_728e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AJnHABCmtp7UmKLqQbUlSHbvRJfxAUVjce038fNe9o7wGdo5Rt43o594JYd3Yga6VUQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br></p><p>Finally, we found <a href="https://treasurehunt.prenda.co/">Treasure Hunt Reading</a> by Prenda. I could not believe that this amazing program is FREE. All of the videos for each lesson are on their website and then you can either print off the workbook for free or buy it. We started three of our children at the same time. They are going through it at their own paces, but all of them are learning to read and making excellent progress. Using the Orton-Gillingham approach, <a href="https://treasurehunt.prenda.co/">Treasure Hunt Reading</a> was just the backbone that we needed! </p><p><img id="id_1be4_a8a8_d572_92f6" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AC1HMqOob4q6qiQC9Gw3DCQTvFvg2hFxlRnMFdPMEuLoxNbGFkYG3sKIHcNfO3e09LY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br>Our sons (yes, our boys that never sit still) were so captivated by the program that they even dress up in costumes when they are watching. We do this program to mastery, meaning that we do not move on to lesson 2 until we have mastered lesson 1. For some of the lessons, completing the worksheet and watching the video is enough. Most of the time I add some multisensory activities to it. Here is what that looks like:</p><p>Writing letters or words on a tray of sand, rice, or beads.</p><p>Writing letters/words in shaving cream.</p><p>Writing letters/words with finger paints.</p><p>Writing letters/words on a dry erase board and then wiping them off with your finger. </p><p>Writing letters/words with window crayons or dry erase markers on the windows/glass.</p><p>Writing letters/words in the mud.</p><p>Writing letters/words with sidewalk chalk.</p><p>Tracing sandpaper letters.</p><p><img id="id_5051_eb43_fd31_174" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KsP09VniAoKiYudfyGmMVJ7yHZl_-UqLOtvh051e1wmlep1YH94GVRJw1dFvkc5otwk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br>Letter crafts.</p><p>Crafts grouping CVC words.</p><p>Using sticks and other nature materials to make letters/words.</p><p>Using Boggle Jr. to sound out words.</p><p>Signing sight words (American sign language)</p><p>Making up silly songs and rhymes.</p><p>Using a letter flip made out of a book of index cards.</p><p><img id="id_4a27_5131_4430_2afe" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cP-AA8fJo9_PBdL003eSCAgsBxL96kvXKZK7gJTBMsUmJXuh4UqYBcT3l3TNkoYxiZM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_ce88_249_68db_8879" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6a10f0MnJyMn6hfDb7eyj95mtB2eeay3DFCCB42O-b_jndAR6YK9EChVPj2qX2s5UPg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br>Using moveable letters on cookie sheets.</p><p>Using letter stamps.</p><p>Using alphabet blocks or tiles.</p><p><img id="id_a607_c560_e55e_a540" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/S4zSzIZsYd_rQeixbJBKtVQJD9umd5Mp5Z99_ooCnuaTWxAhRNZK33mqiyr6eM8W4O0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br></p><p>Activities like <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SWAT-Smack-the-Sight-Words-6620607">Swat! Smack the Sight Word</a> or <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CVC-Treehouse-Climb-6616996">CVC Treehouse Climb</a>.</p><p><img id="id_424b_8662_9712_a76a" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xkb_BGzB3HjNvObQ7Vay-ekUaWXHRcZiB5gA6ZGTCqgcfE0B7fK38Mt-rncpGLlF7Lw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_9830_48f6_a521_3484" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/y6LJAVlwBrCtG1zXZhiETujYFKMzODGNRfGBFhS14TzxN7JCQOb5WEQ2oQZiCI6KybE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br>Games like Sequence Letters.</p><img id="id_f46c_490_b901_3e61" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k7ecD8Mz6So4ReunYc-6_1_A9C_XaJCCCXJS5zgoWQlKPXsE9tlSbP7qPGyQBtFTAlk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br><br><p>Going on scavenger hunts to find items that being with the letter you are working on.</p><p><a href="https://www.readandspell.com/us/home-course?rfsn=4680935.792903&utm_source=refersion.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=refersion&coupon=JBAKER">Touch Type Read and Spell (TTRS)</a>, which teaches typing while reinforcing reading and spelling (you can customize this too to make typing lists of your sight words or the CVC word family you are working on).</p><p><img id="id_164a_8c7f_b921_c814" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6onGKDl3XXU0pU9RAdagBwn42rkpmqzVMhypYh7r6QIqRkkVm8M5feFCQMufu6LKJdU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 298px; height: auto;"><br></p><p>There are endless possibilities. Be creative and have fun! </p><p>Read more on <a href="http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/02/teaching-our-tribe.html">Teaching our Tribe</a>!</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.85px;">***Pocketful of Treasures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com***</span></p>
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Jessica Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13627302350163431315noreply@blogger.com0