Have a dressed up day!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

This Homeschooling Mama's Best Friend

I love notebooking - and better than that, Izzy loves it.  I know some people's arguments, that notebooking is busy work and a waste of time;  but, to me,  it is tangible proof that my child is learning.  Maps, definitions, drawings, and oh - reports - reports are yummy to me. 

This year, with our co-op, we are studying the Holling C. Holling books through the Beautiful Feet Geography and Literature curriculum.  We have just completed the first book, Paddle to the Sea.  Someone please tell me how I accomplished eleven years of homeschooling and never knew about these books?  I love them.   Thank you, Mr. Holling Clancy Holling.  Where did you get that name?



As a supplement to the teacher's book I used Homeschool Helper's unit study.  http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/units/paddle_to_the_sea.htm 


One of the assignments through Homeschool Helper was to study the tracks of the animals Paddle encountered on his journey. Since Izzy is an animal lover she looked forward to each new chapter introducing a new animal.



Somehow growing up I failed to learn that Lake Huron resembled a trapper.  Who knew?  Not me. 



If you overlook the misspelled words, that's a pretty cool page.  Notice the !!!'s - we are still working on professionalism.  Maybe it won't take as long as breaking the "doodling of hearts" habit.



One day she and her friend Emily made beaver dams in our backyard.



Reports.  Like I said, yummy.



We briefly touched on the basics of the states that Paddle passed on his journey.



Study of Lake Superior -  which resembles a wolf.



We saved some studies for her daddy to enjoy with her, copper was one of them.  When he's not talking over our her head, He's Too Good To Me is a, well, let's just say -  he remains a teacher-in-training.  Yeah, lets leave it at that.


















Maps are almost as delious' as reports . . .



. . .  they run a mighty close second.



Izzy's Paddle. 

We discovered this short film, made by Bill Mason in 1966.  It doesn't follow Paddle's path exactly as told in the book, but we enjoyed it anyway. 


Notebooking - I love it.

Drawing of me losing my cool courtesy of budding artist, Izzy.


Have a dressed up day!


. . . put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12