Preserving Homeschool Memories With a Yearbook

At the end of third grade, my parents removed my sister and me from the private Christian school we had been attending and began home schooling. While I eventually grew to like being at home, I still to this day enjoy looking at my old school year books from the private school. I'm sure I would enjoy looking at my home school year books as well, but there aren't any. Nor are there any pictures. Not one single photo to prove that I ever attended school after the third grade. So, when I was paging through an old Teaching Home Magazine and read about the yearbooks someone else had done, I knew this was a tradition I was going to start.

Memories created while learning at home are just as important as those created in a traditional school environment and have just as much right to be preserved. Just because you are a home educator doesn't mean you can't have a school yearbook. Making a homeschool yearbook is easy and it's almost as much fun as looking at one.

How Do You Make a Home School Yearbook?

Making a home school year book is a little more complicated than making a yearbook for your average school. There are no pages of class pictures to fill it with. There's few athletic teams and such. Instead, there are your children. That's wonderful, ofcourse, but it does require a little more creativity. It requires you to think about the things your children will want to remember from their school years and to be active in documenting them. Meaning, whatever they are doing, remember to take pictures.

Things To Include:

*Class pictures - I put a family picture on one page along with our theme verse for the year. I also do a separate page for each child. Some years I take a posed picture of each of them, some years I just put in few pictures I have taken throughout the year. Some years we include their signature, hand prints, lists of favorites, things they've learned, reduced copies of art work. One year I pasted pictures of their heads onto bodies cut from magazines to make caricatures.

*Sports - if your child plays organized sports, make a page or two for that. Add team photos, pictures of games, or a picture of them hanging out with friends after the game. If your home school group has a field day, scrapbook that. Or take pictures of your kids riding bikes, playing tag, and shooting hoops in the driveway.

*Clubs - Our kids are in AWANA, so we always include a couple of pages with pictures of cowboy night, crazy hair night, grand prix, closing program, etc. If your children are in a church program or scouts or such, make pages for those.

*Extra curricular activities- co op classes, library or museum programs, music classes, their Sunday school class. Field trips, vacations, special occasions (weddings and holidays) The arrival or first birthday of a younger child.

*Academics - I do a page for each subject with pictures of the kids working or doing projects or holding their books or dressed in costumes (for history or geography). Sometimes I've also put reduced copies of notebook pages or added journaling about what we've studied. I also have done special pages for things like "________ learns the alphabet" and "We like to listen to stories" (with pictures of friends and family reading to them.)

*Friends - we always include a page with pictures of friends and family. The definition of "friend" can be as broad as you want to make it. The librarian, the mailman, the kids next door? If it is someone your kids may remember years from now, they would probably enjoy having a picture of them. And years from now when that person is no longer around you may be thankful for the pictures you have of those people you now take for granted. A signature page is also a fun way to collect remembrances.

The Benefits of a Homeschool Yearbook

While our school year books are primarily for my children's benefit, they also have some extra advantages. They are a great way to share our lives with our family and friends. They are a great way to show doubters what a wonderful education our children are receiving. They are a good way for me to exercise my creative talents. And looking through books from past years is wonderful encouragement for me as a teacher. It is also a nice review for my children.

I would encourage you to start this practice in your own home. Sure, it takes a little time, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. I work on ours a little here and there as I have time. I don't try to make it perfect, so my cuts aren't always straight and I may have smudges here and there, but no one really notices. The important thing is just to have something, so put into it as much or as little as you are able.

How To Do A Geography Based Unit Study {free printables}

Bringing the World to Your Living Room

So, you've made the decision to do a geography unit study. You've finally let go of your boring (but safe!) textbooks and made a trip to the library. But now what? Just follow these easy steps and soon you will find yourself touring the world from the comfort of your own home.

Where To Go For Info - A few fun places to do your research

• Countries of the World
  Facts on world and country flags, maps, geography, history, statistics, disasters, current events, and international relations. Profiles of every country include geography, maps, history, current ruler, area, population, capital, largest city, and more.
• Geographia - World Travel Destinations, Culture and History Guide
  In-depth travel destination guides to over 75 countries, culture, history, travel stories, and more.
• World Atlas
  A world atlas of facts flags and maps including every continent, country, dependency, exotic destination, island, major city, ocean, province, state & territory on the planet!

Atmosphere

Some people have really good imaginations, but the rest of us find it helpful to be looking at something. Being surrounded by a culture is also very useful for learning! Of course, you can't really set the right atmosphere if you haven't done any research, so get out some of those books and find out about this country. One of our favorite "atmosphere" projects is to make a large copy of the country's flag to hang on the wall by taping nine sheets of construction paper together. For instance, when we studied Mexico, we made a flag with three sheets of green, three of white (with the emblem copied onto the middle one and colored), and three red. This might not work for all countries, but it is great for the others. Other items which add to the atmosphere would be plants or flowers that country is known for (such as tulips when studying the Netherlands), examples of popular art styles, dolls dressed in folk costumes, paper models of buildings or animals from that country, and  any craft projects you make for this country. You could even make a paper window frame and fill it with pictures of scenery, so you could "look outside" and see the view. Music is another wonderful way to add atmosphere. Listen to recordings, or make some native instruments and play your own. Be creative (and ask the kids for help- they're good at this sort of thing.)

• Colouring Book of Flags
  This page is part of the Flags Of The World website.
• World Paper Money Gallery
  Pictures of Money and World Currency
• Paper Dolls Around The World
  Paper Dolls worksheets with doll and costume to print and color.
• Dutch Coloring Pages
  

Art and Architecture Around the World

• Painters by Country
  Painters categorized by country is a selection of International fine artists listed in the Painting section at Linkism.com
• WebMuseum
  Famous Artworks exhibition
• Buildings of the World
  Canan 3D papercraft
• Paper Toys
  3D papercraft of buildings

Music Around the World

• Mama Lisa's World
  Children's Songs and Nursery Rhymes from Around the World
• Mudcat For Kids
  Learn how to make musical instruments from everyday materials.

Science Around the World

Adding science to your geography studies is easy to do, and makes your studies even more rich and meaningful. As you study different locations around the globe, you will naturally encounter many scientific topics for exploration. The possibilities are almost endless!

Study the animals/insects/birds/sea creatures that correspond to various countries and the habitats where they live. Study climates, weather, oceans, and landforms. Study trees and flowers. Study the explorers who discovered each country and learn about navigation.

Read biographies of key scientists. When you cover Italy, study Galileo and the history of astronomy. During your study of France, read about Louis Pasteur and cover chemistry topics. In Germany, you can include a study of Albert Einstein and his many important inventions.

• Biomes of the World
  Answer the question: What's It Like Where You Live? Learn about terrestrial biomes and aquatic ecosystems.
• Biome Shoebox Dioramas
  Make these shoe box dioramas based on real dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History.

Costume

Not only do costumes add to the atmosphere, but they are also another good excuse to do some research. So, get out those books and find out about the people from this country. Most kids love to dress up, and when they dress up they often start acting out the part. This is a great way to help them internalize the information you have been reading. It also presents a great photo op. (You ARE taking pictures of all this, aren't you? Looking through the photo album is great review! And photos are an excellent way to impress those doubters who didn't think your kids would learn anything in homeschool.) Costumes don't have to be elaborate. Sometimes you don't need anything more than paper, scissors, and some markers to make a great costume. You can make Egyptian collars and bracelets from cardstock, Mexican ponchos from paper bags and sombreros from papier mâché, and Dutch shoes and hats from construction paper. Don't forget to discuss why the people you are studying might have chosen the clothes they wear.

• Ethnic & Folk Costume
  Costuming Resources Online
• National Costume
  Pictures of many national folk costumes.
• Costume Ideas
  How to dress up in a Greek chiton, Roman toga, Sari, and Arab haik
• Egyptian Costume
  Patterns and ideas.
• Mexican Sombrero
  Make a sombrero from papier mâché.
• Inuit Snow Goggles

Crafts

If you've been following along, you've already done some crafts. If not, STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE MESS AND HAVE SOME FUN! Yes, there will be a mess, but it will clean up. Meanwhile, your kids may forget everything you teach them, but they will remember that you are the absolute coolest mom. They will remember the fun you had together and how they were more important than a spotless house. OK, so they might not actually think of all that, but I guarantee they'll remember if you make the house more important. Besides, this isn't just for them. You're supposed to be having fun here too. The arts and crafts of a country provide a glimpse of what is important to the people of that country. And imitation of those arts and crafts is a great way to learn about them. And, really, papier mâché is very therapeutic.

• Hands On Crafts For Kids
  great projects for many different countries
• Making Books With Children
  books around the world
• World Play Toys
  Each month we will share with you a new toy - directions on how you can make the toy and tell about the country from where it came.
• Kinder Art Multicultural Art and Craft Lessons for Kids K-12
  Free Multicultural Art Lessons, Ideas, Crafts and Activities for Kids of All Ages
• DLTK's Countries and Cultures Section
  DLTK's Countries and Cultures crafts, coloring and more
• Multicultural Preschool Activities and Crafts
  Multicultural preschool printable activities, crafts and lesson plans for toddlers, preschool and kindergarten.
• Paper Model of a Globe
  Print the picture (GIF) or the PDF-file.
• Geography & Maps- free downloads
  

Continent Boxes

I've often wondered where to store all the "artifacts" we create during our studies of different countries. I think I've finally found a solution in a simple Montessori inspired idea. Continent Boxes are sort of like treasure boxes- one for each continent- which contain maps, books, and artifacts from the countries on that continent. You can buy or create things specifically for your continent boxes, or you can do a "scavenger hunt" around the house to see what objects you can come up with. The boxes can be plain shoe boxes or plastic totes, or you can decorate them with a map from each continent or a collage of pictures, flags, etc. from that continent.

See my post on creating geography treasure boxes for more ideas.

Looking For Real Souvenirs and Food Items?

Here are some sites where you can order them.

• Aussie Food Express
  
  Here's where Aussies in the US find Vegemite, Tim Tams, Violet Crumbles, Cherry Ripes, Shapes and other great tastes from down under.
• ChinaSprout
  Learn Chinese, Chinese Books, Chinese Clothing, Chinese Jewelry, Moon Cakes and more.
• A Touch of Dutch
  A Touch of Dutch is a specialty gift store featuring imported Dutch Foods, Blue Delftware, Northridge Gardens massage bars, Heritage Lace, hand-made quilts, and products such as all natural and sugar free foods.

Games

You can learn a lot about a culture from the games it plays. Some games are a way for children to practice skills which will be important for them to have later in life. Most are played using materials that can be found at hand. Climate also plays into what games might be played. You don't find ice hockey in Africa after all.

• Traditional Children's Games from Around the World
  Discover how children from many countries play different versions of the same traditional games.

Field Trips

Alright, these aren't technically part of your living room, but a trip to an ethnic store or festival is still cheaper than a visit to the actual country. The best part is that someone else is doing most of the work for you. You just have to think of where you will go. Visit a pet store to look at tropical birds when you study South America. Or take a trip to the zoo and look for animals from the country you are studying. Most kids love animals and this also presents an opportunity to discuss habitats and such. I know of one woman who would research what breeds of dogs came from each country and arrange a visit to a breeder. Another would visit dance schools to view dances that came from various countries. Again, be creative.

• Nelis' Dutch Village Theme Park place to learn about the Netherlands in Holland, Michigan.
• Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia This outdoor, living-history museum currently features six permanent, outdoor exhibits comprised of original farm buildings from Ireland, England, Germany, and Virginia. The Museum's exhibits serve as the settings for interpretative and educational programs designed to increase public knowledge of the diverse Old World origins of early immigrants to America, of how these immigrants lived in their homelands, how they came to America, and how the way-of-life they created together on the American frontier has shaped the success of the United States.
• Kentucky Down Under  Have you ever met a kangaroo? Ever played a didgeridoo? Ever fed a rainbow (lorikeet)? You could travel 9,500 miles to Australia to do these things or just visit Kentucky Down Under. Nestled away in south-central Kentucky sits a little piece of Australia. At Kentucky Down Under you'll discover a hands-on family fun adventure!

Books

You've already read a lot of books which were full of great information. But don't forget to read a few just for fun. Don't just read about your new country, but read the books that the natives would read. Folk and fairy tales tell a lot about people, and they are easy to remember. Novels set in different countries or biographies of famous people are also good learning tools. Read lots and lots, but skip those books that seem to drag. Tour guides don't have to be boring!

• Travel For Kids  Places to visit, Books to read

Food

grinding corn for tortillas

OK, I admit it, it's all about the food. You can't visit a country without sampling their food, right? Which brings me to my favorite type of books: cookbooks! You can learn so much from a cookbook. But if you can't find the one you are looking for, the internet is also full of recipe sites. Ideally this should be eaten while in costume. But since we usually have our feast at the end of a study, the costumes are usually wrecked by now. So don't sweat it if your Egyptian feast is eaten in jeans and t-shirts. My kids aren't perfect either. (Not perfect. But really, really cute). Just enjoy the meal and try to remember to take this seriously. Ahem! This is research after all.

Documenting Your Unit

You've spent a lot of time on your unit study, and you'll want to remember everything you learned. Creating a lapbook or a notebook is a great way to record all those interesting facts, and a wonderful keepsake you will treasure (and review) for years to come. Of course, you can create your own from scratch. But here are some great pre-made kits if you're not that brave.

• Geography Notebook Cover
  Lilliput Station
• Geography Recipe Book
  Lilliput Station

• Country Lapbook
  Guest Hollow
• Geography Lapbooks
  Homeschool Share

Adding A Mission Emphasis to Your Study

Here is a great resource to help you study geography with an emphasis on missions.

Teaching With God's Heart for the World

This is the two-volume world missions curriculum by Ann Dunagan. The curriculum includes day-by-day teaching plans, missionary highlights, motivational mission stories, crafts, songs, prayer projects, and hundreds of ways to incorporate a passion for the lost into nearly every subject (including Bible Study, Family Devotions, Reading, Writing, Geography, History, Art, Science, and even highlights for Math). Harvest Ministry is considering republishing this out of print book. In the meantime, they are offering it as free download pdf files.

Our "Typical" Homeschool Day

7:00 We get up & dress. The children take care of their animals and we start laundry, etc. before breakfast. The house is put in order before we begin school at 8:30 or 9:00. We gather all our books and sit in the living room. I start by reading a Bible story or devotional. Then we do history or science. I read from the "textbook", then ask the kids questions. We have a world map on the living room wall, so they often climb up on the chair during our reading to find some place that was mentioned. Then we read some living books on the topic or do a project. (We read a lot of books and do lots of projects!) This takes up the main part of our day. Sometimes while I am reading, one of the children decides they want to illustrate the story, so they color as I read. Sometimes after a reading, I will give them a related writing assignment. (My kids really hate writing, so we have been kind of lazy about language arts. But I plan to do more this year. ) Then they sit at the table and do their math and phonics/ grammar assignments. We are usually done 12:30 or 1:00. Then we do afternoon chores and have some free time.

I don't follow a strict schedule for school. We have a general plan of what we want to get done, but if we don't finish we do it another time. Sometimes we "vote" to ditch something because it just isn't working, no one's really interested, or we just don't have the energy to do another project. My philosophy is that education is not about how much you learn. The human mind can only hold a limited amount of information. But if can shape our childrens' character, we will have succeeded in their education. So, the facts and test scores and such are secondary. That doesn't mean I'm not trying to give them the best education I can, but I'm not going to worry if they never get through their algebra book.

It's All (Ancient) Greek To Me

We started our study of Ancient Greece with a lot of reading. There are many books on Ancient Greece that you can read for free online. We enjoyed reading one by Helen Grueber. We also read a stack of books from our library. If you want ideas for children's literature books, check out the Travel For Kids website.

Our first project was painting amphoras. We used black acrylic paint on terra cotta flowerpots. I also found an amphora coloring page. I saw another project using scratch art to make a paper representation of an amphora. (You color really hard with red crayon, then cover with black tempera paint, allow it to dry, and then scratch your pattern onto the "pot".) I think if we study Greece again sometime, we will try this.

We also made mosaic placemats using colored paper and laminating envelopes. We were going to make frescos, but we never got around to it. But we did build a papercraft model of the Parthenon and the Lighthouse of Alexandria!

Next, we made jewelry by glueing a coil of hemp cord flat onto 1 1/2-inch circles of cardboard, painting them with gold paint, and glueing "jewels" in the centers. These were glued along lengths of cord for necklaces. Bigger circles with smaller jewels glued around the (top) outside edge were used for belt buckles on thick gold ribbons.

We also made "bones" out of Sculpty to play the game of Knucklebones.

In ancient Greece, the knuckle bones from legs of mutton, were thrown to prophesy the future. They were also used like dice for gambling and, most frequently, for playing the game which is still known today as knuckle bones.

How to Play
Knucklebones may be played by two or more children, though interest may flag if there are more than four. The game consists of performing various 'figures' -throws and catches of the bones- in a chosen sequence. The names of the figures may vary in different regions, but most of the movements are the same all over the world. A basic and ancient knucklebone figure is even depicted on a Roman fresco from Pompeii. The player tosses all five bones into the air and tries to catch them on the back of his hand. Then he throws these up and catches them again in his palm. The score each player obtains can be used to determine order of play in succeeding figures.

To play the figure called 'ones, the first player throws the bones onto the ground. He picks up a single bone, which is then called the jack': he tosses it into the air, picks up one of the bones on the ground, and catches the jack as it falls. He transfers the picked-up bone to his free hand and throws the jack again, repeating the movements until all bones are held. If he drops a bone, misses the jack, or moves another bone, he is out, and must repeat 'ones' on his next turn before starting another figure. Next, he goes on to twos, in which the bones must be picked up in pairs: 'threes, in which he picks up three bones and then one, and fours, picking up all four bones at once.

We documented our study with various coloring pages and notebook pages. And we wrote our names using Greek letters. The biggest disappointment about Greece was that we never got around to having a feast. Oh, well! There's always modern Greece!

Oh, Canada!

We just got done studying Canada and I wanted to share some of the things we did since resources on Canada seemed to be a bit sparce. 

Historica Canada

This was one of our most interesting finds. "The Heritage Minutes collection is a bilingual series of history-focused public service announcements. Each 60-second short film depicts a significant person, event or story in Canadian history. First released in 1991, the Heritage Minutes have been shown on television, in cinemas and online. They have become a recognizable part of Canadian culture." Some of them are pretty dorky, but the kids really enjoyed them.

The Maple Syrup Book 

Our next favorite find was a book called The Maple Syrup Book by Marilyn Linton which we found at our local library. Not only does it tell in detail how maple syrup is made, but it also includes some Canadian history, science, and some wonderful activities. (We made a paper model of bark baskets which the Native Americans used for carrying sap.) If your library doesn't have it, this might be one to purchase. It is published by Kids Can Press.

Inuksuk 

This is a link to a website talking about Inuksuk (or "Inukshuk"). We gathered some rocks from our yard and built some of our own. Very easy and fun!

Canadian Symbols "Quilt"

We also used a coloring page on the Enchanted Learning website as a pattern to make a construction paper Canadian maple leaf quilt. If you want something a little fancier, this is a link to a Canadian symbols "quilt" you can print and make.

Finally, we tried the blueberry dessert recipe from Galloping the Globe and. although I thought it was a little too sweet, the rest of the family loved it. The children decided we will have to go blueberry picking this year so I can have plenty of blueberries on hand to make it often. And I know my husband liked it because he ate most of it and he's really not big on desserts. Definitely a keeper! We had pea soup too, but I followed my own recipe.

I've actually been to Canada a few times, so I was able to show the kids some pictures from the top of the CN tower. What a view! But if you ever go there, do NOT eat at the McDonalds next to it (if it's still there), unless you like your burgers extra greasy. I never though anything could be worse than American fast food. American fast food in Canada is much worse! My only memory of Canadian food is a potato and lettuce soup I had in a hotel restaurant in Toronto. It was wonderful, though I'm not sure how "Canadian" it actually was. I'm still looking for a recipe. The most interesting thing I noticed about Canada was the foreigners there had foreign accents with a Canadian accent. I'd always taken for granted that a Middle Eastern or Japanese immigrant speaking English would sound the same in any country.

Order and progress! Or Going Brazil Nuts?

We are currently in the middle of a world geography study using the book Galloping the Globe. Today we started our study of South America in Brazil. Here are a few extra resources we found on the internet:

EXPLORERS OF SOUTH AMERICA (more info)

Pedro Álvares Cabral (1467-1520) was a Portuguese nobleman, explorer, and navigator who discovered Brazil on April 22, 1500.

Dias Bartolomeu sailed near South America on the way to Africa, and spotted land in Espírito Santo in Brazil, calling it the "Land of the True Cross." Although they thought it to be an island, Dias was still among the first Europeans to see Brazil.

Vincente Pinzon sailed to the Brazilian coast in 1499; at a cape he named Santa María de la Consolación.

CRAFTS

felt llama & feathered headdress

Feathered Headdress

The Yanomami, a group of people who live in the rainforests of Brazil, use colorful bird feathers to make headdresses and armbands.

Materials needed:

Posterboard
Colored feathers
Scissors
Glue
Stapler

Cut a 1" strip of posterboard to fit around your head. Glue the feather shafts to it. Overlap ends of band and adjust it to fit. Staple together headdress and it is ready to wear!

Rainstick

According to South American legend, rainsticks are played to serenade the gods as a reminder that rain is welcomed. Rainsticks are traditionally made from hollow cactus wood, thorns and pebbles. This version is made from a cardboard tube, tinfoil and popcorn kernels. 

Materials needed:

Cardboard paper towel tube
Tinfoil
Cardboard for end caps
Popcorn kernels (1/2 cup)
Hot glue gun
Markers
Scissors

Trace around the end of tube onto a piece of cardboard. Cut out two of these circles. Glue one of onto one end of the cardboard tube. Tightly roll pieces of tinfoil into a long snake about twice as long as your tube and about 1/2 inch in diameter. Push the tinfoil snake into tube, zig zagging it back and forth to fit. Pour the popcorn kernels into the tube. Glue the second cardboard circle onto the open end of the tube. Decorated your rainstick with markers. Turn the stick back and forth. The popcorn kernels will fall down over the tinfoil and make a sound like a gentle rain.

Grass Head Clown
These are made at the spectacular Foz do Iguacu (Iguassu Falls), which sits at the point where Brazil meets Argentina and Paraguay.

Llamas

We cut llama shapes out of felt and decorated them with gliter glue.

GAMES

Gato Doente (Sick Cat)
At least 4 players are needed for this Brazilian game of tag. One player must be the cat, or gato. When the game starts the gato chases the other players. When a player is tagged by the gato he or she also becomes a "sick cat" and must hold the part that has been tagged with one hand. The "sick cats" must chase all the others until only one healthy cat remains. This last healthy cat is the winner.

MUSIC

Songs and nursery rhymes
The roots of Brazilian music

FOOD

Making brigadeiros

Recipes
Meals and Eating Habits
Feijoda