Half Term

We are now into the second week of half term, haven't really done any of the things we set out to do because of coughs and colds and not really feeling up to much.

Today I have started planning for the next term.  We are continuing with Egyptians, Rivers, coasts and oceans and also Victorians.   We have ditched India and replaced it with Russia, and also going to throw in some Medieval lesson plans as well.

For next week we will be studying:

Russia - The Cold War
Victorians - The Workhouse
Egyptians - Egyptian gods
Coasts Rivers and Oceans - UK seas and rivers
Medieval Times - The Crusades.

Science experiments will be fireworks in a jar - seeing as Bonfire night is round the corner.

Louise 

Over the last week.....

After spending the day in the park with friends on Friday, and having been out the day before on a Home Ed trip, Saturday was a bit of  chill out day.  In the evening though, James and I went to the Northcott Theatre to watch The Horrible Histories Awful Egyptians Show and it was great!  Not only was it very funny and entertaining but educational too.

The second part was in 3D

This Week

Victorians

We have been reading Cogheart, a Victorian Adventure

The history of airships

Spring Heeled Jack

Continued with his  DeCoupage comic book box

We also read about Victorian education methods.


Nature Study

Because of the sunny autumn weather we have spent a lot of time at the allotment gardening, going for walks 

and of course looking at the various wildlife, including woodlice babies, slow worms and  the  red spider (which actually crawled up my leg 😟)

At home in the garden, the common English spider - these are EVERYWHERE.

For those who don't like spiders - look away now

Up close lol

Louise 

Just a quick round up

We have not followed the timetable since the middle of last week because our windows were being repaired which proved to be very noisy and a bit of a distraction, but we did what we could.

We made Indian Chutney, which of course relates to our Indian project, but in fact was from the History cookbook under Victorians.

Also James started his decoupage on a shoe box using cut outs from superhero comics as part of our Victorian project and we also discussed inventions, Victorian schools, libraries, the industrial revolution, Florence Nightingale, Dr Barnardo  and did a crossword about the Victorians.

We also used the Egyptian resources that we bought from the museum

Including making a mummy

We also looked at canal boats (part of Victorians and River, Oceons and Coasts project) and worksheets on the the parts of a river.


We used the recipes from the Cricklepit Mill flour and make cookies

Because it was quite chaotic in our house due to the repairs, consequently we spent a lot of the time at Crealy, the park,  museum, the allotment and in Exeter, as well as James starting back with his rugby training twice a week.

Windows are now finished and  today we were out with other Home Educators, visiting Dartington Hall for an activity session in the woods.

Lots of nature study, making charcoal, building dens and lots of play with the other children.

Lovely day.

Louise

Experimento

Lol - because our first experiment was with diet coke and mentos

Because every other Tuesday is science experiment and cooking day.   We did three other experiments:

Cloud in a bottle

As clouds are formed when water droplets in the air cool and then collect on dust particles. In this experiment the dust particles are  provided by the smoke from the match. The air inside the bottle was cooled by releasing the pressure after the bottle was squeezed.


Tornado in a jar

The last of our experiments for the day did not work. It was making an Anemometer, to measure wind speed, what with all the high winds we have just had from Storm Helene.

Well I couldn't make it, or understand it - paper cups, pins, pencils, straws, way too technical for me, so as my eldest son was home I asked him to help.  Once made, it did not move an inch, even when placed on a high pole with the wind howling it did not budge.  A Hurricane could have swept through our town and it still wouldn't have moved. 

So no photos as I stamped on it all 😠



Louise

Indian project continues

Maths and English first things obvs.  James is using various workbooks and we usually do these for an hour in the morning.  We are currently using workbooks that are appropriate for his age, but prior to this we have  used books that have been aimed for children who are a few years younger, as our  ethos for primary education years does not follow that of the national curriculum.

As mentioned before, early years education has always been learning through play and very much child led for us, and having started more formal learning with James from age 9, (and this was done gradually) he is now on track with the current curriculum (again, I still don't follow it) but we will gradually integrate into using curriculum based learning as James nears his exam revision (from 14-15).
*So basically what I am saying, is that he did what most school children did in six years in about two!*

Moving on.

India

We read about India in general, the population, religion, rich and poor, living conditions and Gandhi.
 I then read three Indian Folk Tales, whilst James was colouring in a printable of a Peacock (the national bird of India).

We then watched a short programme about the recent floods in India, and then I read the Swiss Family Robinson while James drew the Taj Mahal with a water colour background.

Nature Study

Worms and flying ants.

Obviously didn't have any flying ants to hand so read about them in our Devon Wildlife Magazine, but we did find some worms in the garden to identify.

Tomorrow - every other Tuesday it is bush craft with his Dad, so this week its science experiments with me, with some cooking thrown in which will be related to one or more, of our topics.

Louise

*I dont usually compare home ed to schools in a bad way (well not publicly anyway) but I do feel that with all the bad press we get, especially recently, that I do now feel the need to point out the very very very good points of Home Education, against the school system*

Water wheels, WWI Hospitals and Mayors Robes

Today Mike and I took James to Cricklepit Mill,  As it was Heritage Open Days they had the ancient water wheel turning and grinding grain into flour. They had staff there to answer questions and give demonstrations which was very informative and interesting,

There were a few activities to do and we bought flour that had been milled from the water wheel which came with some recipe sheets that we are going to try.

We also joined The Devon Wildlife Trust while we were there, which came with a welcome pack.

Coffee and milkshake by the river of course.

Then Mike went off to work and James and I partially did the Exeter Woollen Trail and the City Wall Trail

After lunch, which was certainly not a McDonald's, we then went to the  Exeter Guildhall, which was open  for the Heritage Open Days.

We saw  Regalia up close and the Mayoral robes and lots of paintings and artefacts significant to the City. They had Mace Sergeants on hand to explain the Guildhall's 800 + year history.

They also had on display WW1 exhibitions including the WW1 War Hospital Exhibition.

Finished off the afternoon with a trip to the museum.

Louise

Egyptians, Lego club and an afternoon in the park

Over the years I have been asked several times if we have formal lessons, do my children sit at a desk, do we work the same hours as the schools and have the same term time.

Well James does have a desk, he uses it occasionally, but not because he has to.  

No, we don't have formal lessons, why would they need to be formal.

We don't have the same term time, we start one week later and usually finish at least one week earlier.  

As for the same hours?  Well we start at 9am and aim to finish around 3pm but that has only happened recently since we have become more structured as he has got older. 

In the times of BTC though (Before The Console) James did not have a timetable of any kind because he was mainly learning through play, which he did throughout the day until he went to bed. 

Now, because of the dreaded console time, which I feel is a problem in many a household, I need to be more structured in my approach to not only home education, but in how James now fills his time.

So having a time set, like finishing at 3pm, means that James then gets his free time, which will involve, TV, YouTube on his phone, and one hour only on the Xbox.  

Anyway, I was reminded about the question which asked if my children sat at a desk, because James did his maths and English this morning sat at the breakfast bar with a cup of tea while I sat next to him peeling potatoes for our dinner 😃

After Maths and English James asked if we could learn a bit of French as we have one big work book that covers English, maths, science and  French,   It was pretty basic but it was a start, so will get a more detailed workbook before next week.

Then we made a start on the Egyptians, with James playing an adventure tomb game on the PC which looked at Canopic jars, tombs and hieroglyphics.  He then had a go at Egyptian art, which is now on our wall display.

Coasts was just a worksheet about rivers as we were due to be at the lego club for our local Home Educators group, followed by a long afternoon in the park.

Louise

Pink Gin and Homeschool - not a good mix but I managed it lol

After a lovely evening out for a a meal with my daughter yesterday, I woke a little later than usual and a bit worse for wear (pink gin maybe I think 😉)

But we cracked on with Science, covering food webs and animal habitats.

Then  onto  Victorians and the industrial revolution, starting with canals. Started by looking at photos of pre and post industrial revolution.  Watched this video  about canals and watched an episode of Full Steam Ahead, how the introduction of steam railways in the early 19th century changed Britain, followed by Horrible Histories Vile Victorians.

Art - we looked at Coalbrookdale by night  -  The picture symbolises the birth of the Industrial Revolution in the Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire.

James also made a 3D Titanic model

India project - decorative elephants 

Louise

Bush craft and stuff

Tuesday is my once  a fortnight volunteering day so Mike home schools the morning shift.

So as well and English and Maths, today James has been fire lighting, made forks and spoons from wood and learning basic bush craft skills.

When I came home, after lunch we went for an autumn nature walk and scooter ride.

Also James finished his book challenge at the library

Tonight my daughter is taking me out for a meal 😀😀😀😀😀

Louise