the road to inspired learning
In the last creative writing lesson, we focused on character and conflict. Short story writing continues to be the focus in this lesson as we examine point of view. Point of View Lesson Plan 1.Homework highlights: read and discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly from homework assignments. 2. Read “Point of View” by […]
When I first began crafting these creative writing lessons, it was difficult. I would only have nine weeks with my students. Just nine chances to promote a love for writing, to stretch their brains, and to pour into their creative writing cups. Fill them up but don’t drown them. I determined I would spend the […]
We’ve mastered metaphor, studied sensory details, and improved our ability to show. In this fourth creative writing lesson, students learned how to capture images. We had some poetic moments. I love poetic moments. Creative Writing Lesson Plan: Capturing Images 1. Discuss homework assignments from lesson two. We look at the good, the bad, and the […]
Showing vs. Telling in Writing In this third creative writing lesson, I used the Showing vs. Telling lesson plan to teach my students the difference between the two. A good writer doesn’t create a great tale by telling. A good writer grabs his blank paper canvas and dips his paintbrush in red, blue, and yellow. […]
The second creative writing lesson introduces students to writing with sensory details. We spent the second lesson learning about sensory details and why it’s important to include them in our writing. Writing with Sensory Details Sensory details? Who cares? Writing with sensory details is a topic that is relevant to your students. Sights, sounds, smells–these […]
I did not teach this class. I repeat: I did not teach this class. It was taught at our co-op, but (yes, one more time), I did not teach this class. I’m only posting it for those quilters out there who might benefit from the ideas and structure. All of these ideas belong to my […]
I just {heart} geography fairs! Our co-op, Treasure Seekers, had its third annual fair a few months ago. My English crew ~ a soccer fan and a king! Many countries were represented (not all are pictured): Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, England, France, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Ireland, Israel, Switzerland, Ghana, and Madagascar. Switzerland ~ sample chocolates […]
One of Simon's Five in a Row co-op classes last fall was based on Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car. We found England on the map and learned a little more about that country across the pond. Coloring maps and flags. We made trifles. Listening to Mr. Gumpy's Outing and eating the terrific trifles. A field trip […]
A few weeks ago Simon's co-op class learned all about owls. It started with a reading of Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. Salamonie Interperative Services sent us a special guest. She stunned the kids with a stuffed owl– a great horned owl. Our special guest also had a real owl. A REAL OWL. The kids […]
A few weeks ago our homeschooling cooperative had the opportunity to visit The Bone Zone at Minnetrista. We started with the Hokey Pokey. We learned all the ingredients for healthy bones– sunshine (Vitamin D), calcium, exercise, hormones, and healthy weight. We had fun exploring the exhibit! We built a skeleton. And we learned what's inside […]
I {heart} this tale– The Story of Ferdinand. We started the week at co-op. I tried to give the kids a simple introduction to Spain. We talked about kings and queens and made crowns; we practiced bowing and curtsying {which was great fun!}. We learned Spanish color words and made little books. We also had […]
A few weeks ago one of Simon's co-op classes read Boxes for Katje and packed boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Each child came to co-op with a toy for a child and ten $1 bills. There were ten stations for them to purchase items for their boxes (combs, toothbrushes, pencils, crayons, pencil sharpeners, wash cloths, […]
A few weeks ago, we rowed Harold and the Purple Crayon (FIAR Volume II). We started off the week with a co-op class. Painting the color wheel. Drawing lots of purple chalk lines. Gobbling strawberry, apple, peach-blueberry, and pumpkin goodness at our own pie picnic. We continued the learning at home. We watched a […]
Are you tired of ho-hum co-op classes? Do you need a creative class? A challenging class? A class that teaches team work? This class does all three of those–it is one of my favorites! Think! Team Building Challenge teaches kids to learn from failure, promotes creative thinking and problem solving, and helps them learn to work […]
I like to take days off. Sometimes Mondays. Sometimes Tuesdays. Sometimes Wednesdays. You get the idea. So I sneak in extra days {field trips} whenever I can (sometimes in summer, sometimes on Saturdays), and I always count them {yes, as school days}. Here are some of our sneak-in days from July, August, and September. […]
Simon's theme for school has been circus. The first book for his co-op picture book class was Mirette on the High Wire. We met at a local park, and after the story was read, we had some circus fun planned for the kids. Jumping through the flaming ring of fire! We used a hula hoop. Animal balloons […]
I had a small but smart group for Into the Wardrobe. We were truth seekers and critical thinkers as we read through the classic book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis. My lesson plans for this class are somewhat shaky, but here they are. They were really just notes for me, but […]
Fantastic books + fun food = one of my favorite classes ever. Cooking Art. You'll find the syllabus below. Click on it to read through the course description, target age, outline of classes, and supplies needed. I don't see the materials fee on this class, but I charged $12 per student for the food. My […]
I try super-uper-duper hard each semester to insure that every child in our homeschool co-op has a reason to be excited about co-op. I work even harder to make sure my own kiddos will enjoy their classes. I was already teaching my max, but I tossed the idea into the hat for a LEGO Building […]
Let's Make a Mess! Yes, that was the name of the preschool art class my friend and I co-taught at our homeschool co-op. Did the class live up to it's name? I'll let you decide. The inspiration for this class was a direct result of Mary Ann Kohl's book, The Big Messy Art Book. You will […]