India Unit Study is here!!!

I am so happy to announce that I've completed the India Unit Study and it is available for purchase and download.

Purchase India Unit Study by clicking on the title.

The India Unit Study is a comprehensive lesson plan for the classroom or homeschool. 

It is based on a cross-curricular approach to learning, covering topics such as geography, math, language arts, science and foreign language to name a few. 

Included in the India Unit Study are: lots of information organized by topic, detailed teaching notes, lots of vibrant photos, games, and hands-on activities. 

Kids will immerse themselves in the Indian culture.  More than 100 pages of information!

Happy Homeschooling Adventures!

Homeschooling Abroad - 15 things I've learned

 

This is our 3rd year homeschooling, 1st year homeschooling abroad.

As with all firsts, this year came with its share of challenges. First, just the challenge of getting acclimated to a new country, new city, new home, new culture. Thank goodness we didn't have to learn a new language! (although sometimes I do feel like we speak different languages). For those of you who don't know, we are in the UK. In London.

It's been almost one whole year since we first arrived and now that we've completed our homeschool year I can sit back (drink firmly in hand) and reflect.

I'm so happy and proud that we made it! That's it. We survived. All of us.

Beyond that, I have a whole new understanding of homeschooling in another country. This country. This beautiful country we're in....England.

I cannot speak about homeschooling in other countries. I have no experience.

Here's what I have learned:

1. Most Brits "unschool", so it's been difficult finding groups and other like minded homeschoolers.
2. When I say unschool, I mean they take their kids out of school and basically let them do whatever they want all week. I met an 8 year old who doesn't know how to read or write and her mom said, "she'll learn eventually". Ok
3. Libraries are not what they are in the US and they leave a lot to be desired.
4. Thanks to no. 3, we had a terrible time finding books. Once I went with Buttercup to the library with a list of about 10 books, foolishly thinking they'd have at least 2 or 3. Nope. None. Nada. We walked out empty handed.
5. Because of no. 4 there are lessons we are not able to complete or do to its fullest because we cannot get the books that accompany those lessons.
6. I've had to improvise A LOT.
7. Amazon has become my best friend. I order books and other materials online.
8. Printing is expensive so we've also improvised on that front. (Hoping to buy a printer soon)
9. Homeschooling groups are mainly "play groups". So, no formal or informal learning going on. They meet at the park.
10. I have yet to find a group that meets regularly to discuss books, to learn science, or learn art.
11. Socializing hasn't been all that easy. We've met a few people but cannot get beyond the superficial. No play dates, birthday party invitations, or anything that would resemble a friendship.
12. Everyone is cordial enough. Helpful if I ask a question, but that's as far as it goes.
13. Being in a new country has given us the opportunity to explore lots of  new things. So lot's of learning going on. Yay!
14. London Museums are FREE! We've gone to so many and they are wonderful.
15. London has a ridiculous number of parks. It will take a VERY long time to explore all of them. But we are having fun trying.

We are forging ahead and will homeschool this coming year. I'm continuing to follow my own path. That path is basically a fusion of structured homeschooling with interest led homeschooling.

Buttercup and I both need structure..............We need a schedule................But we've learned to be flexible within that structure.

Math, reading, and writing are non negotiable. The rest I take her input on most subjects like History, Art, Science, Geography and Language.
This past year we studied Ancient Civilizations, Chemistry, Bunnies, Portuguese and French. We studied Picasso, cityscapes, perspective drawing and negative space.

Buttercup is now studying Italian in preparation for our trip coming up in the Fall.

I hope to get more and more accustomed to life here in the Old Country. I hope to meet more people and make some friends. In the meantime, we are learning to live a whole new life full of challenges and adventures.


Happy Summer!                   

Happy Homeschooling Adventures!! 

How to Make a Rainstick (Easy)

We decided to make a rainstick to go along with our Lesson about Brazil (You will be able to purchase my complete lesson here shortly).

We spent a few weeks learning about Brazil.......... from the Amazon to Rio de Janeiro......

                  
                          ......from soccer to capoeira   
                                                                   
                                                  ....from folklore to real stories about famous Brazilians....
          

We had an amazing time researching, reading, exploring!       

One of our fun projects for the Brazil Lesson was to make a rainstick and it was surprisingly easy to do, so I'm sharing how we did it.


How to Make a Rainstick

Materials used:

• Glue
• Scissors
• Tape
• Paper towel roll
• Brown wrapping paper
• Beans, lentils, rice
• Aluminum Foil
• Crayons, color pencils, feathers, stickers for decorating 

Instructions:

Cut out two rounds, each a little bigger than the opening of the paper towel roll.

 Make small cuts all around the circle (this will make it easier to attach to the roll).

 

Attach one of the rounds to one end of the paper towel roll. We used tape to attach it.

 

Cut an 8 inch strip of foil and accordion fold it (do this twice)

 

Twist each strip of foil so it looks kind of like a snake, then twist the two strips together at the ends

Place the foil into the paper towel roll (this will slow down the movement of the beans making for better rain sound).

Attach the 2nd round to the open end of the roll.



This is before it was decorated

Now, let your child go crazy decorating it! Oh, you can cover the roll with paper before decorating, although we didn't do this.



Happy Homeschooling Adventures!

Russia Unit Study!

 

Here's my newest unit study - Russia!

I'm so excited about this one because it was a country that was completely new for me. Until I did this unit study I knew very little about Russia; just bits and pieces from Russian students I had in the past combined with some very basic information.

The Russia unit study was Buttercup's idea. I don't know why, but she is fascinated with Russia, so when I asked which country she wanted to study, she did not hesitate to ask for Russia.

In order to prepare for this unit study, I had to do lots and lots of research. I read books and other resource material to come up with an 8 week program that would cover enough information.

We started with some basic information about Russia; location, size, language, currency.

 

Next we read this great book "Introduction to Asia" which had lots of stuff about Russia's climate and different climate zones.

We learned about Russia's favorite pastimes and some of the foods they typically eat.

We really got into the part about music and art and I found a YouTube video of Swan Lake for Buttercup and me to watch. The video was 2 hours long and we watched in 1/2 hour increments, but Buttercup loved it. We would pause to talk about what we thought was happening based on the tone of the music, the dances, the scenery and the dancers' facial expressions. It was a lot of fun and made watching a ballet an interesting experience, that was not at all boring.

Nesting doll template included in unit study

Buttercup's nesting doll activity

 

As the end of the year approached, I was able to find a local production of The Nutcracker ballet, so I took Buttercup. My recommendation for anyone taking their children to the ballet would be to read up on the story before you go; do some activities pre-show. We didn't do that and honestly we were kind of confused about the story. I'm sure we would have had a much better experience had we done a little research prior to seeing the ballet. We still enjoyed it and will do things differently next time!

The Russia unit study is perfect for the classroom as well as homeschool. It covers most subject areas:

·        Math

·        Social Studies

·        Geography

·        Science

·        Foreign Language

·        Reading

·        Writing

You can get this comprehensive unit study right here for a small fee. I hope that by charging a small fee for some of the lessons I offer will allow me to continue to offer other things for free, like my printables.

 I want to buy the Russia Unit Study

I welcome feedback on the study units, if you would like me to add something of interest to you, please let me know and I will do my best to include it in an upgraded version.

 Thanks for your support!