New Unit Ideas

This week has been really hectic. I have had two changes in my work schedule, both reducing my day time hours at home this week. Luckily we did get to squeeze in enough time on Tuesday afternoon to make it to the library, our usual Tuesday adventure.

While at the library, Q mentioned that she would like to start learning about electricity in school. Then she saw a movie about dinosaurs and thought that we could use it in school to learn about them. Then she added jazz would be a good topic to learn about. Perhaps we could learn about how bees make honey? Then at home she was looking through a National Geographic magazine and was really interested in the polar bears, and the article about a fungus that is killing frogs around the world. We used the time line to figure out when a Pharaoh, whose remains have just been identified, lived and she delighted in showing everyone the gruesome picture of the mummy and pointing out how long ago she lived. So I asked her if she was done with oceans. And yes, she is officially tired of them she said. We have a few things to finish up and she is ok with that, but what to do next? She has so many ideas she seems to be running in a million different directions at once, but it is so wonderful that she is exited to learn things. That's why we homeschool in the first place, right?

Recently I overheard her on the telephone talking to a friend she used to go to public school with. Q was telling her friend all about the ocean activities she was working on and pretty much bragging about her cursive handwriting skills. She said "yeah I know you don't know how to write cursive but I wanted to learn how so I am. I get to learn whatever I want in school now." She also added that we spent the whole day at the beach on a school day and it actually counted as schoolwork! I thought wow instead of bragging about her new designer sneakers (doesn't own them) or getting the hottest toy (doesn't own this either) or playing video games my daughter is bragging about cursive writing and field trips to the beach. Man I hope this lasts.