The Winter Olympics - a current events lesson plan
The Winter Olympics offers a great opportunity to bring current events into the lesson plan. From the history of the Olympics, to modern day sports there are many great topics to teach about!
This is a great time for a geography lesson on world countries since children will be able to link the countries with the athletes. Math lessons can also be incorporated because each event deals with speed times, first, second, third and percentages. How much faster was the first place winner, what percentage of the athletes for that country competed in that event and more. Obviously sports lessons would work with this theme as well. The rules of the sports, the safety involved, the history of the sport - plenty of lessons could apply. For older students even a lesson on drug awareness can be brought in by discussing steroids and other enhancing drugs, why they are banned, what they would do to an athlete’s body and what has happened to athletes that have been caught using them.
By bringing current events into the lesson plan, children can associate what they are learning with the world in general, and can understand better when they see the event on television or in the paper.
For some great downloadable resources on the Winter Olympics click here.
Most homeschoolers will have been asked the same questions over and over about homeschooling. Is that legal? What about socialization? How can you teach them with your education? and much more.
Here are a few answers to those frequently asked questions to help those not so familiar with homeschooling understand and to help those just starting field those ever present questions.
Homeschooling is legal. The law states that children must receive adequate education - we provide more than adequate education for our children. Each area will have different rules and regulations for those who homeschool so make sure you check those and follow them so that no issues are raised.
Socialization is not really taught in public school, but as homeschoolers we can offer a chance for our children to socialize with other children of various ages. Many areas have homeschool groups that can provide chances for socialization, chances for field trips and more. Also, there are groups like 4H, Scouting, Guiding and more that can offer more socialization experiences for homeschooled children.
You don’t need a teaching degree to homeschool your children. You need to be able to read ahead, understand the lesson and acknowledge your child’s learning style so that you can better teach to them. What is nice about homeschooling is that you can often learn along with the child on topics they may not have taught in public school.
Don’t be afraid of questions about homeschooling - be proud of your choice and answer them truthfully!
Downloadable ebooks are a great way to have instant lessons! Find the book, add it to your cart, download and print!
Downloading workbooks is time-saving, money-saving and paper-saving because you need only to print the pages you want. It gives you a great opportunity to fill in lessons with ready-made worksheets, templates and more. Even novels can be downloaded which can be great when there is a hard to find or popular book to be read for that lesson. Sometimes it is worth downloading a book to see if it is worth buying it for keeps. Audiobooks can also be downloaded to a computer or MP3 player, allowing for stories on the go, or to help the audio learner. Downloadable ebooks make quick and easy lesson plans with just a couple of clicks of the mouse!
It is hard not to hear the news about the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti and although the pictures and stories are heart-wrenching some good can come out of the devastation. This would be a great time for a lesson based on helping others.
A geography lesson could be first, acknowledging where Haiti is on a map, understanding its culture and socio-economic status. A science lesson about how earthquakes are formed could be next. It would also be good to have a lesson about the Red Cross, how and why it was founded. A discussion about the word humanitarianism could then be followed by what we can do to help.
Obviously, depending on the age of the child, the lessons will only cover what their age group could handle. The important part of the lesson is to help them learn that they can get involved in helping others. Money can be saved whenever a certain task is done, or not done. For example, everytime you get a glass of water put a penny in the jar. This money can then be donated to the cause. A child could create a poster about a bottle drive or some other fundraising activity that will help them earn money to donate. They could even write a letter to relief workers who are involved in helping the country in crisis. An encouraging letter, or a letter of thanks could be a great comfort to all those volunteers!
It is good for children to learn about disasters although they don’t need to know all the horrible details. They should understand that things like this do happen, they should have an emergency disaster plan and they should understand that even the smallest of help can be a great comfort for those suffering.
The children of today can be the future leaders of tomorrow
In this world of technology there is more instance of children playing video games than board games. And although endless hours of gaming is not a good practice there are some learning advantages to video games.
Obviously, many subjects at different grade levels are offered through computer games but regular video games can teach too. The new technology of the Wii system allows for fun, fitness and learning as well as developing hand-eye coordination. Some games require strategy and logic to advance, keeping the mind at work. Many “Sim” type games offer chances of social interaction, worldly knowledge etc. from the safety of your own home. You can learn about finances, schedules and more through a simulated character. Even games that have a child looking after a pet can help to develop responsibility. And some games offer a chance for kids to join together in teamwork in order to win the game.
Although video games can be overpowering for many children, when played in moderation, they can provide a form of education as well.
History can be a subject that is overwhelming to learn. So many names, dates and events, it can cause children to shut down and not want to learn. It is important to make subjects like this come alive so that kids can enjoy studying them!
Plan a project on a favorite topic and combine historic elements into it. For example learning about horses can encompass many eras of history including medieval times and Native American culture. Field trips are also helpful for bringing history alive. Many historic sites have costumed interpreters that help kids understand how it was back then. Some places even have programs where children can dress up and “live” in history too! Art, poetry and music contain historic references that can be developed into a further project. And don’t forget unit studies, history can be followed in a unique way through a unit study. For example, early History of Canada can be followed through forts - this would take you through the fur trade, the War of 1812 and the North West Mounted Police encompassing all of the country!
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Every New Year resolutions are made, promises are made but not always kept. The idea of New Year’s resolutions is a good start to a lesson in goal setting.
Children should learn the importance of setting goals, creating a plan and following through to complete it and reach their goal. First, they should start with a small goal, something that will take a month or less to fulfill - saving money for a small toy, completing a project etc. Once they have succeeded at reaching that goal, a bigger one can be made. Goal setting not only will help keep them organized with school work, finances and even chores but will also give them great life skills for the future. High school aged students need to plan future goals for college and career, this includes subject choices that will give them the knowledge for future classes and studies. Make sure goals are attainable and they will less likely be forgotten, like those New Year resolutions!
The holiday season can sometimes get over commercial, and focused on buying. Encourage your children to make gifts this year.
A homemade gift is not only appreciated by the person who received it but is a learning experience for the giver. Crafted tree ornaments, knitted mittens, wooden plaque and more not only allow children to give something that they created but also lets them learn in the process. A calendar of photos taken by your child is a useful, visually pleasing gift, and your child as learned photography skills, fancily decorated cookies makes a great gift and involves your child in a cooking class (math and science involved there!) Even just a homemade card can lend for a pleasant smile and a lesson in art. So have a creative class, and let your kids create!
Holiday time can be a busy time and put a strain on the scheduled school time. So why not take a break this holiday season?
Start your child on a novel study so they can read while travelling to friends and family. Give them worksheets of puzzles and games that they can do on the go. Or start a unit study that they can do on their own. Take educational board games with you when you visit so they can learn and play with friends and family. All these ideas still allow for learning but in a less structured way to allow for the breaks during the holidays.