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What does that mean? Investigative Learning

Jul14

imagesI am a person who is curious. Curious about many things, but I am always curious about words and phrases and their origin. The word for that is called etymology. This word [etymology] is composed of two parts: the Greek word etymon, which means “the true sense of a word”, combined with the Greek element logia, which means “doctrine, study”. Combining these two parts gives us “the study of the true sense of words”, which can be said to be the ‘meaning’ of the word etymology.(source Behind the Name)

I spoke at the CHEC Orientation program yesterday and when I introduced myself I mentioned that I have a BS in Elementary Education and how I thought it strange you have 2 letters (B and S) for your degree. My unspoken thoughts were, “Why not something else? Why did they assign those letters? Why the combination of  the two words, Bachelor and Science? I didn’t even take that many courses in science!”

Why do people get a BA (Bachelor of Arts) when the only difference that I know of is that those students are required to take a foreign language. I don’t think many students who receive a BA have much more art than a BS student. I realized that was a rabbit trail, and I didn’t go down that trail when I spoke.  I am sure I didn’t clearly explain what I was thinking either! This was weighing on my mind so when I awoke today I was going to find out how exactly those letters (BS and BA) attached to college degrees actually meant.

“What is my point?”  It is this: curiosity is a good thing! It drives us to think beyond what is given to us and causes us to question and investigate. Isn’t this what we want our children to be doing as we teach them? Yes, it takes some time to go on rabbit trails, but it also what learning is about, going beyond the pages of a textbook.

So, how do you help a student who is curious about things? How do you help a student (like myself) who goes down rabbit trails easily and wanders off when work still needs to be done? How about keeping a running list of topics, ideas or words nearby so that when questions arise they can be investigated during free time. If you have a visual student you could put the list on large easel paper and put on the wall. If not, keep a clipboard near your desk and write down the questions to be investigated later. See, keeping your student on track while also validating that curiosity.

Research is an extremely important skill to be cultivated in our students, and frankly I find it makes the school day interesting. If you have younger students you may have to do the research and if there have been a million questions, pick the ones that are truly worth checking out.

What if you don’t have a student who is naturally curious? You could post a “Question of the Day” about topics you are studying. Allow 10 minutes of investigative time during your language arts class or assign it as part of their “homework” after your school day is finished.

Here are some questions to consider if your student isn’t naturally curious. Why is the sky blue? Why do we have bumps on our tongue? From where did the word onomatopoeia come? Does a house centipede really have all those legs? (eww!) Why do we yawn? How far is it to the moon? What is your name’s meaning? How far is it to Grandma’s house? How long would it take to get there if we drove, if we walked? Answering questions many times leads to other questions, which is a good thing!

Plan a time to discuss the answers that have been researched as that not only gives your student an opportunity to summarize and synthesize what they have discovered, but also sends a message that this is important in relation to life and learning. You can either makes these investigations part of your dinner conversations or as part of your school routine.

~Lisa

Okay, who is curious to know what I discovered about the academic degrees BS and BA? 🙂 I found several answers about the word bachelor.

The first answer I found was this one. eHow states, ” Initially, universities were attended by three distinct types of  individuals: attendees who listened, students who participated in discussions, and teachers who delivered the lectures. they were called scholars, bachelors, and masters respectively. Of French origin, the title is derived from knight known as, ‘chevalier bachelier” who committed himself to battle. Eventually, this phrase would designate the humblest of university students.” I love it!

The second answer I found came from elearnportal. ” Bachiler came to mean “an apprentice student,” or a student completing an initial level of training.  It was from this usage of the word that came the meaning of a young man in the service or working as an apprentice to a knight or skillsman in order to gain greater knowledge of a field.  Individuals of this status were not considered to have a mastery of the given field of study.

To grasp the final transformation, we must take a brief look at the common equivalent to the bachelor’s degree: baccalaureate. The term baccalaureate originated from the 17th century Latin word baccalaureus, meaning “student with the first degree.” In fact, baccalaureus is actually play on the Latin phrase for ‘laurel berries,’ or bacca lauri.   Laurel berries were presented as a prize at the Pythian Games, an athletic competition of ancient Greece.  Since this occasion, wreaths of laurels have been associated with great honor and academic achievement. ”

I also saw in my reading today that the Bachelor of Science is Bachelor of Behavioral Science, shortened somewhere along the line. Aha! This is making more sense! It doesn’t apply to “science” as I know it, no test tubes and dissections. A Bachelor of Arts degree has been shortened from Bachelor of Liberal Arts. That is probably why those who have a BA had to take a foreign language (liberal- broad) and those who did not have a BS. Now I know and you do too! I can rest easier today knowing that the letters (BS) I put down as a credential mean more than I had originally thought. 🙂 Now I wonder we get the term “degree” and why behavioral science?. ..

~Lisa

Take time for Y-O-U

Jul8

Last week was a “relax and enjoy life” week. I have been running on fumes for the past 6 months and took the advice of several wise women who told me to take some time off after our son’s wedding. It was one of the best pieces of advice I have capitalized on and I would encourage you to also spend some time on taking care of you. I know you are a great mom and have all kinds of things planned for your family, but do you have anything planned for you? When is the last time you did something just for you? Just as I suspected, you can’t remember! 🙂

So, today I want you to come up with an action plan that you are going to enact either this week or next. What is something you like to do? How are you going to see that it happens? It doesn’t have to require money or a lot of time, but plan something. After all, if you don’t take out time for you and get refreshed there is nothing for you to give to your family.

Do you need some ideas? Here are a few things that come to mind. These activities can be as long or as short as you like, but if you are going for the short side of time, please give yourself at least an  hour. I had 30 minutes down, but then I thought of how many hours are in the week and one hour is minuscule  Please feel free to share your ideas as I am sure that your ideas will go waaay beyond my own!

  • Spend some quiet time with God. Put on some peaceful music and pray. Praying is just talking to Him about what’s going on. This helps me tremendously. He already knows what’s happening, but when I talk to Him about it, I realize I am not alone.
  • Attend a bible study group.
  • Read a book.
  • Read the comics.
  • Work on a crossword puzzle or play soduku.
  • Watch a chick flick or a funny movie.
  • Grab a coffee, smoothie, soda, with your hubby. (No talking about the kids or school issues though!)
  • Grab a coffee, smoothie, soda, with a friend. Not particularly all of those, but you can if you want! (Ask your hubby to keep the kids for 2 hours.)
  • Go get an ice cream cone or low fat yogurt if you must!
  • Sit in your garden.
  • Take a walk or go for a run.
  • Ride your bike or lace up your roller blades and get going.
  • Eat cookies in the closet with the door closed. (Makes me feel daring.)
  • Invite a friend over. If it is hectic during the day, do it after the kids are in bed. Don’t feel guilty for not including the kids. This is y-o-u time!
  • Buy your favorite candy bar or try a new type of chocolate bar. Yum!
  • Try a new recipe.
  • Reorganize a closet. (NOT my idea of fun, but my sister loves doing this and it makes her happy when she is done.)
  • Crochet or knit something.
  • Scrapbook or make cards. Pick a small project if you don’t have the time. Otherwise you will just get upset and frustrated.
  • Call a friend. When is the last time you called to just chat? Set your timer if your time is limited and promise to call again- soon!

Remember, recharge your batteries and take time out for you. You are an amazing woman!

~Lisa

Summer Activities

Jun24

I had a list last summer of free activities and was going to write another post this year, but I found a great list from Freebie FindingMom. With this list you will have plenty to keep your family busy. Because I have followers who do not live in Greater Cincinnati or you may go on vacation somewhere, I have chosen to keep the non-local activities in this post. Those activities that are not local I have marked with an asterisk. Have a great time!

~Lisa

The Best Free or Nearly Free Summer Activities

Free Summer Activities For Kids

Movies make great free summer activities for kids! Let’s all go to the movies…

Movies are great low-cost or sometimes even free summer activities for kids. Here are some options for movie viewing for you and the family.

Regal’s Summer Movie Express: This summer movie program is on Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and runs for nine weeks. Admission is $1, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Will Rogers Institute. Head over here for a list of participating locations and start dates.

Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse: 10 movies for only $5. That comes out to just $0.50 per movie! In addition, you can purchase tickets the day of for just $1. The Rave Theater is now a part of Cinemark.

* Cinemaworld’s Summer KidFest 2013: FREE films, seven days a week, all summer long. Every day at 10 a.m., Cinemaworld features a family friendly G or PG rated film for your kids to enjoy, with new movies premiering on Fridays. FREE Admission for children and adult admission is just $2 or FREE with the donation of a non-perishable pet-food item to benefit the Brevard County Humane Society.

* Classic Cinemas: Check out the Wednesday Morning Movie Series – June 12th through August 7th, you can see G and PG rated films for just $1.

picture of movie screen as free summer activities for kids

 

* Marquee Cinemas: Enjoy a FREE family film each week during the summer. Go here for locations and movie details.

* Muvico Free Summer Film Fest:  At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday catch a FREE family movie. This deal runs June 11th through August 15th.

Get active!

Sunny days are perfect for helping kids burn off energy and stay healthy! Best of all, being active doesn’t cost anything, making active adventures great free summer activities for kids!

AMF: Free bowling for kids 15 and under. Kids registered in the Summer Unplugged program can bowl two games per day, every day (until 8pm).

Kids Bowl Free: Each kid will score 2 FREE games of bowling per day. Head over here and click your state on the map to find a participating location near you. Please note: Taxes and shoe rental fees apply and vary by location.

picture of kid bowling as free summer activities for kids

Kids Skate Free: Kids 12 and under can skate for FREE this summer at participating Kids Skate FREE Rinks. Go here to find a location near you and sign your kids up to snag their FREE skating passes. Hours and additional fees (including skate rental fees) vary based on location.

Be a book worm.

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program: Have your kids (grades 1st-6th) read 8 books and record them in the Reading Journal found here. Then bring the completed journal to any Barnes & Noble bookstore, and your child can choose a FREE book from their selection on the Reading Journal list. Another FREE fun summer reading option is the Barnes & Noble FREE online storytime.

Scholastic Summer Challenge: Log your reading minutes and you’ll snag some super summer prizes.

Sylvan Learning Book Adventure: Kids in grades K-8 can search for books and read them offline. Then come back to quiz themselves on what they read and earn cool prizes.

picture of kids reading as free summer activities for kids

Half Price Books Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program: Kids 14 and under need to read (or have a grown up read to them) for at least 15 minutes each day in the months June and July. After they have read for 300 minutes, they’ll score $5 in Half Price Books Back-to-School Bucks.

* TD Bank Summer Reading Program: Kids 18 and under can snag a FREE $10 by reading 10 books this summer. After they have read 10 books and recorded the names in the Summer Reading Form found here, take the form to the nearest TD Bank to have $10 deposited into a new or existing Young Saver account.

Pottery Barn  Kids Summer Reading Challenge: This summer reading program runs from May 16-August 26. After the kids read all the books on the Summer Reading list, they will score a FREE prize. Plus every Tuesday from 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. there is a Pottery Barn Kids Story Time where members receive an official Book Club Passport at their first story time, plus a special FREE gift after attending five story times.

There are tons of FREE eBooks for kids on Amazon. Head over here to check them out.

A job well done….

Chores and summer educational activities may not be the most fun free summer activities for kids, but here is a way to reward them!

Chuck E. Cheese Rewards Calendars: Reward your kids for great behavior, daily chores, reading and more with the Chuck E. Cheese Rewards Calendars. Go here to download and print the calendar of your choice and once your child has completed all the tasks on the calendar bring it to Chuck E. Cheese to be rewarded with 10 FREE tokens.

Shop till you drop!

Need to beat the summer heat? Here are some indoor shopping options for those not so great outdoor days.

IKEA: If you have the urge to go shopping, bring the kids to Ikea where your kids can test all the toys in the children’s department or have fun in the FREE supervised playroom while you shop. Free toys and free playrooms make trips to Ikea fun and free summer activities for kids, while allowing you to shop to your heart’s content. (Ask at the store about specific requirements.)

Have some DIY and high-tech fun.

Tech fun doesn’t have to be costly. With these techy low-cost or free summer activities for kids, your kids can keep entertained and learn at the same time.

Home Depot: Home Depot offers FREE workshops for do-it-yourselfers of all ages and experience levels. Head over here to review the schedule of upcoming workshops and choose a specific workshop to attend.

picture of kid painting as free summer activities for kids

Lowe’s: Bring the kids to a Lowe’s Build and Grow workshop. Go here for a list of the summer FREE clinic lineup.

Michael’s: Have your kids join the Michaels Kids Club and let them explore their creativity while you shop. Only $2 per child reserves 30 minutes for your creative kid. Sessions starting every half hour from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Plus Michaels craft stores host FREE Family Craft Time sessions so the whole family can get their craft on.

Apple Camp and Apple Youth Workshops for Families: For your tech savvy kids, have them attend an Apple Camp at a participating Apple Store. At Apple Camp, kids ages 8–12 will learn the ins and outs of iMovie and how to make their own films. The FREE three-day session leads up to an Apple Camp Film Festival where campers debut their masterpieces. Apple also offers a FREE technology session for the entire family with their Youth Workshops for Families. Youth Workshops offer families with kids (ages 6 to 13) a chance to work together to hone their Mac and iPad skills and use iLife and iWork apps to complete exciting projects. You can learn how to compose a song, build a photo album, create a compelling presentation, and more.

Microsoft YouthSpark Summer Camps: Your kids can enjoy a FREE technology class with the Microsoft Store’s 2013 YouthSpark Summer Camps where technology meets creativity for ages 8–13. Head over here to sign your child up for one of four hands on camps now before spaces fill up (YouthSpark Summer Camps are first come, first serve).

* Lakeshore Learning Crafts: FREE Crafts for Kids every Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Go here to find a location near you.

* American Girl In-Store Events: Your kids can participate in FREE American Girl in-store events that include crafts, cooking classes and tours.

Pottery Barn Kids Store Events: FREE kids activities that include events such as National Geographic Little Explorers and Celebrate Dad for Father’s Day.

Bass Pro Shops Family Summer Camp: Bass Pro Shops host FREE activities and crafts for the family. These FREE camps are every Tuesday and Thursday starting at noon and Saturday and Sunday starting at noon. Your family can enjoy FREE crafts, FREE shooting gallery, FREE casting pond, FREE family workshops, FREE make campfire s’mores, FREE photo, and FREE merit badge workshops. Please note that not all activities are available at all Bass Pro Shops.

Whole Foods Kids Cooking Classes: Do you have a little iron chef in your family? If so, then check out the Whole Foods Kids Cooking Classes for kids 5-12 years old. Pre-registration is required for all FREE cooking classes, so head over here to see what classes are coming up.

Let’s go exploring!
Exploring parks, trails and other outdoor locations are great low-cost or free summer activities for kids. Here are some options for exploring I found.

FREE National Park Days: Take the kids and head outside to explore on FREE National Park Days. Go here to learn when you can snag FREE Admission and plan your next trip to one of our great National Parks.

Use Trail Link to Discover Local Trails: Won’t be able to get to a National Park for Free National Park Days? Then use Trail Link to find local trails where you can go hiking, biking, and more.

picture of a map for scavenger hunt as free summer activities for kids

Go Geocaching: If your kids love a good treasure hunt then go Geocaching. All you need is a GPS enabled device such as your smart phone and you can play a real-world treasure hunting outdoor game called Geocaching. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using their smart phones and then share their experiences online.

Make a friend.

Write to a Pen Pal: If you Google “find a pen pal” you’ll find several sites where you can locate pen pals from all over the world to correspond with.

Give back to the community.

Kids can participate as volunteers in your local community. While volunteer activities are inspiring free summer activities for kids, the rewards are great.

Use VolunteerMatch.org to find volunteer opportunities for you and your kids.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation: If your kids want to have a lemonade stand, encourage them to donate the proceeds to charity such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation which helps children with cancer.

Explore the arts.

This summer, take your kids to community events, museums, or other local art exhibits. These low-cost or free summer activities can help kids stretch their creative minds while school is out for the summer.

Target Community Events: Target hosts a variety of events including a day of reading for parents and kids. In addition, they partner with arts organizations so you can snag FREE or nearly FREE entry to the arts in your community.

Bank Of America Museums On Us: If you are a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card holder you can score FREE admission to over 150 museums the first full weekend of every month.

Give your brain a workout

Printable mazes and coloring pages serve as free summer activities for kids to help them continue building their art and critical thinking skills.

Solve Printable Mazes 

Color Crayola Disney Coloring Pages including Disney Cars Maze Coloring Page, Disney Cars Race Coloring Page, Disney Cars Mosaic, Disney Princess Coloring Pages, Disney Toy Story Coloring Page, and the Disney Mickey Mouse Coloring Page.

Enjoy all the fun activities in the FREE REI Adventure Journal

Play games, read books and comics, and more all for FREE on FunBrain.com.

Visit the Nickelodeon website to play FREE online games, watch FREE online videos, get FREE kid craft ideas, kid recipes and more!

PBS Kids: FREE educational videos, games and activities.

Disney Video: Kids can watch their favorite Disney shows like Doc McStuffins, Good Luck Charlie, Shake It Up and more.

Kids National Geographic: Kids can watch videos, play games, and learn lots of cool stuff about animals and more.

Your kids can download FREE Android apps for kids on Amazon. Head over here to check them out. For iPhone and iPad users, be sure to head to the iTunes store to download lots of fun FREE apps as well.

Feeling hungry?

At lots of great restaurants kids can eat FREE, making trips to restaurants perfect free summer activities for kids. Keep checking FreebieFindingMom.com for the latest FREE food offers for kids. You can also head over to KidsMealsDeals for more places kids eat FREE.

Let’s dance!

Download FREE Music for children from Amazon. Head over here to check it out.

When all else fails…Pinterest!

Still need more ideas to keep the kids busy this summer? Then head over to Pinterest for a bounty of inspiration for free summer activities for kids to make your kids’ summer super fun and maintain your sanity.

Thanks, Care.com, The Centsible Life, Passion For Savings, The Frugal Girls for helping with these tips for free summer activities for kids.

Stop, Drop, Roll!

Jun10

imagesFire Prevention, First Aid, and Safety are areas that we are to cover in the course of our academic year while homeschooling. There are not many textbooks related specifically to this topic, so you have to “think outside the box.” Safety doesn’t have to be taught from a book, but can be topics that you need to discuss with your student. Ones that come to mind are: kitchen, food, fire,water, bike, internet, stranger, personal, and pedestrian safety. I have some resources that will help you. The only book that I am familiar with is ABeka, but according to reviews, these books look like good resources to use. If you have used a resource that you have found helpful please share! 🙂

 Books (textbooks and other books)

Health, Safety and Manners, Abeka This is a series that addresses various topics and there are books for grades 1,2, and 3.

Let’s Be Safe, P.K. Hallinan Various topics are discussed including tying shoes, safely crossing the street, and stranger safety.

Busy Places, Caroline Hardy This preschool book is colorful with rhyming text that teaches children safety by highlighting something in the picture.

Watch Out! Around Town, Claire Llewellyn Grades Preschool- 2  “Advice in this book focuses on staying in parents’ sight and avoiding getting lost when in large, busy places like stores and theaters. Kids are also instructed to observe safety rules in playgrounds, and to take extra care when encountering adults they don’t know. Clearly written in brief passages that are easy for younger children to absorb and understand, the Watch Out!series of color-illustrated books give kids safety advice that applies inside and outside the home, while they are traveling in a car, and when they are enjoying nature and having outdoor fun.” (Barnes and Noble synopsis) Another book in this series is At Home A book about safety inside and outside the home.

No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids, Jean Pendziwol A charming book that teaches children about fire safety with catchy phrases and a friendly dragon. Other books by this author include: A Treasure at Sea for Dragon and Me (water safety); The Tale of Sir Dragon (bullying issues)

Internet Resources

Study Ladder has mini books that can be read online and also offers free worksheets and activities. Grades: Preschool- 4.

Food Safety Here is a list of online games your student can play that pertain to cooking and storing food and cooking temperatures. Grades 1-6.

Firework Safety These are safety rules and games for  keeping safe from fireworks.

Internet Safety PBS has an online game that is interactive and geared toward 8-12 year olds, although I enjoyed playing too! 🙂

Playdough Mats

Jun3

This week there is a set of FREE playdough mats that introduce and review colors with simple directions. What a fun way to work on colors! Check out Curr Click’s website.

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