Following our online Conifer Study, we had an evergreen afternoon!
We had a sample of all ten New Brunswick conifers on display.
The group then had a chance to make a conifer holiday arrangement to take home.
Very pretty!!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Linky Monday~ Conifer Study
The Holidays are upon us and the crisp smell of evergreen is in the air. A perfect time to take a closer look at the beautiful conifers that can be found here in New Brunswick.
Conifers (phylum Pinophyta) are woody plants that have thin leaves, called needles, and seed cones rather than flowers. The Conifer group of plants includes more than 550 species, ranging from tall trees to short shrubs. Conifers can be found growing in a wide range of habitats, from coastal cliffs to mountain tops. Well-known conifers include firs, pines, cedars, junipers, and spruces. (via)
Canada has a diverse forest range and New Brunswick is part of the Acadian Forest.
(via)The following conifers are found in the forests of New Brunswick~
Balsam fir, Abies balsamea
Black spruce, Picea mariana
Eastern hemlock, Tsuga Canadensis
Eastern white-cedar, Thuja occidentalis Eastern white pine, Pinus strobus
Jack pine, Pinus banksiana
Red pine, Pinus resinosa
Red spruce, Picea rubens
Tamarack, Larix laricina
White spruce, Picea glauca
Conifers
Trees of New Brunswick
Fun Stuff
Monday, November 7, 2011
Linky Monday~ Space and Astonomy
The kids (and adults) really enjoyed our outing to the observatory last week so I thought I'd put up some links to continue the exploration of space!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tracks on Tuesday
We had our first Young Naturalist meeting last week and it was all about Tracks and Scats. Here are some links if you want to do some additional learning on the subject.
Tracks
Track Activities
Scat
My sister and I were lucky enough to do some hands on track study with our families over the weekend!
Our parents have a summer place over in Parkindale and they had found some bear tracks in the woods a few days earlier. We figured it was the perfect time to do try out the plaster cast technique. They covered the three best tracks with pails to preserve them until we arrived.
A perfect specimen!
Make a cardboard frame and sink into the mud.
Mix up the plaster~ one part water, two parts plaster.
Pour it very gently into the mold.
Even it out.
Then wait.
One hour later...
Lift out the casts.
Give them a light brush to take off the mud and then voila!
Three pretty cool bear tracks!!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Linky Monday~ The Schedule Edition
The start of the year always brings with it talk of schedules and plans start being drawn up on computers and in planning books all over the homeschooling community. For the last couple of years I would basically follow the public school calendar but instead of taking the summer off we would move into a "Summer Schedule" of sorts. I basically like the idea of homescholing year round but I don't think we were taking enough time off.
This year I have decided to change things around and our new year round schedule is blocked off in terms with a week off between terms and additional weeks off at Christmas and in the summer. It ends up being the same number of days as public school but arranged differently. I have changed our daily schedule too. I used to make specific plans for each day but this year I am making a weekly plan of the things I want us to get done. I have an overview plan loosely done for the year which I broke down to the different terms. The terms are then broken down by week. Some topics are touched on daily but others are only done on a weekly or months basis. I only plan ahead a term at a time as things change and I like having our schedule open and adaptable. We'll have to see how this works.
Not all homeschooling families grapple with the scheduling dilemma but if you do these links may help you out. Keep in mind that many homeschooling families from south of the border have to report and document all their hours of schooling so some of these plans and tips reflect that.
This year I have decided to change things around and our new year round schedule is blocked off in terms with a week off between terms and additional weeks off at Christmas and in the summer. It ends up being the same number of days as public school but arranged differently. I have changed our daily schedule too. I used to make specific plans for each day but this year I am making a weekly plan of the things I want us to get done. I have an overview plan loosely done for the year which I broke down to the different terms. The terms are then broken down by week. Some topics are touched on daily but others are only done on a weekly or months basis. I only plan ahead a term at a time as things change and I like having our schedule open and adaptable. We'll have to see how this works.
Not all homeschooling families grapple with the scheduling dilemma but if you do these links may help you out. Keep in mind that many homeschooling families from south of the border have to report and document all their hours of schooling so some of these plans and tips reflect that.
Daily Schedules
Yearly Schedules
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Thinking about homeschooling? Scheduling.
So you have picked your style and settled on some ideas. Great! Now, how are you going to plan your day? Your year? How are you going to homeschool? Will you have a room? Some shelves? A cupboard and drawers in the kitchen?
These are all things to think of as being organized and having a place for everything will help everything run as smoothly as possible. Here are some links that deal with organizing your homeschooling environment.
Now that your space is organized, it is time to look at time! Just because public school runs September to June, Monday to Friday, doesn't mean that is the schedule every homeschooler needs to adopt. That may work for some families while others need a different flow. There are many things to take into account when you set out to plan a schedule, follow these links to help sort out the information you need.
This all seems very confusing and stressful at first but like everything in homeschooling such as curricula, organization and methods; schedules can be changed and altered as needed. Nothing is ever written in stone.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thinking about homeschooling? The Law.
I thought I would do some posts on getting started with homeschooling as I get a lot of questions involving what to do, where to look and how to structure your day.
First off, you should familiarize yourself with the laws regarding home education.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Summer Fun
We are getting ready to swing into our summer schedule and are excited to get Summer rollin'! We will be taking a break from anything computer related until next Fall. Wishing you all a fun and relaxing Summer.
If you are looking for some neat things to do check out these links~
Here are some Moncton area Summer Camps
Last year we had fun with Gigantic Bubbles! You can make your own SUPER WAND by checking out these links.
The second one comes with a bubble recipe that I know works well because we have tried it. The recipe we used last Summer is the following~
Best Bubble Recipe
In a clean bucket, in the following order, stir gently:
12 cups water
1 cup of dish soap
1 cup of cornstarch
2 Tbsp baking powder
As you can see, it works very, very well!
Have a great Summer and we'll see you in September!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Linky Monday~ Homeschooling Methods~ Pt. 4
This is our last look at different homeschooling styles. Today we will be looking at the worlds of Holistic/Alternative Homeschooling in the Waldorf , Enki and Reggio Emelia methods.
Waldorf
The Waldorf Method is a fast growing international movement arising from the philosophy and methods of Rudolf Steiner who founded the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart, Germany in l9l9. Steiner's insights have lead to new approaches in medicine, architecture, the fine arts, economics, and agriculture as well as education.
Waldorf education is designed to address the whole child: the head the heart and the hands. It stimulates the mind with a full spectrum of traditional academic subjects; it nurtures healthy emotional development by conveying information experientially as well as academically; and it teachers the hands to be valued members of the child’s being through a broad range of artistic and physical activities.
Waldorf education emphasizes respect, wonder for nature and reverence for human existence. Learning becomes much more than the acquisition of vast amounts of information; rather, learning becomes an engaging voyage of discovery, both of the world and of oneself. Because it touches children on a deeper level, they remember more easily what they have learned.
(source)
Waldorf Resources
Waldorf Curriculum
Waldorf Blogs
Enki
Enki homeschooling is a curriculum which aims to join vision and practicalities into an ideal education. Each activity must be worth doing and support the overall health of the family.
Features of Enki Philosophy
- Rhythms and circle times are used to cover content areas.
- Arts-integrated curriculum is woven into family life.
- Focus is kept on the core issues of what the parent wants to bring to the children, i.e., health and happiness.
- Methods are adaptable to various learning environments.
- Sensory integration and artistic movement activities.
Other features include meeting needs for community and meeting the needs of multiple age siblings.
Content Areas
- Humanities
- Mathematics
- Science
- Projects and crafts
- Foreign language
- Visual arts
- Movement arts
- Music
- (source)
Enki Links
Enki Blogs
Reggio Emelia
The Reggio Emelia Method originated in Italy and is seen as a wonderful way to see Early Childhood Education. It is an approach more than a curriculum but it has been used in planning homeschooling.
It is fairly new this side of the world so not many resources exist. I have to admit I have not heard of it before I started researching the different homeschool methods. The method and how it has been used is discussed in the following links.
After reading about all these methods for the past month and looking at all the cool blogs filled with thousands of ideas and plans for your homeschool, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. I have about 100 blog posts bookmarked with ideas I'd like to incorporate into our day. I will probably whittle them down to 20 or so actual "do-able" ideas. This is about finding inspiration and being creative. This isn't about setting unattainable standards for yourself and your kids. Find one neat thing you'd like to try and work that in gradually. If you want to add something else a few months down the road then great! This is a great blog post that sums it up quite nicely.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Sackville Day
We had great weather for our Sackville Day which is surprising since it has been raining so much!
The group enjoyed a tour and activities at the Owens Art Gallery at Mount Allison University.
In the afternoon, the group had a very informative tour at the Waterfowl Park with a marsh dipping activity too.
Thanks to everyone who came!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Linky Monday~ Homeschooling Methods~ Pt. 2
We are continuing our look into different homeschooling methods. Today, we will be looking at Eclectic, Faith Based and Montessori.
Eclectic
Eclectic homeschooling is pretty much as it sounds. Various methods and curricula are used to "build" the ideal homeschooling experience for your family. It can be somewhat labour intensive to create as there can be lots of planning and research but there is the bonus of the freedom to choose exactly how you want to approach your schedule.
Information
Eclectic Blogs
Faith Based
Many families believe that a spiritual foundation is key to a moral education. If this describes your family's philosophy, a multitude of curricula and materials are available for your faith-based homeschool. You may use a traditional curriculum similar to the one taught in public schools, such as the suggestions noted above, and add a study unit based on your family's religious beliefs. Or you may prefer that each subject area of the curriculum incorporates your family's spiritual beliefs.
A science curriculum, for example, may be secular and focus more on an evolutionary theory, while a faith-based science curriculum may incorporate a creationist point of view. These can be important points for families to consider when purchasing curriculum and supplemental books.
Homeschool curriculums and books are available for nearly every religious belief and culture. From Catholic to Islamic, Jewish, Latter-Day Saints, or Native American, you'll be able to find resources to suit your family's homeschool style.
(via~ Sherri Linsenbach)
Christian
Other Religions
Blogs
Montessori
The Montessori Method is used primarily in Montessori Private Schools but can be adapted to fit a homeschooling environment.
Montessori (pronounced MON-tuh-SORE-ee) is a comprehensive educational approach from birth to adulthoodbased on the observation of children's needs in a variety of cultures all around the world.
Beginning her work almost a century ago, Dr. Maria Montessori developed this educational approach based on her understanding of children's natural learning tendencies as they unfold in "prepared environments" for multi-age groups (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and 12-14).
The Montessori environment contains specially designed, manipulative "materials for development" that invite children to engage in learning activities of their own individual choice. Under the guidance of a trained teacher, children in a Montessori classroom learn by making discoveries with the materials, cultivating concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.
(via NAMTA)
Homeschooling Information and Curriculum
Montessori Blogs
About Me
- MASHE
- A group of secular homeschooling families in Moncton, New Brunswick. We are a inclusive bunch, coming together for support and activities. If you are a Moncton homeschooler or plan to homeschool please contact us through our yahoo group.