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marcie
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I have been reading your blogs and your posts here and I feel so inadequate........I asked for hand-holding before, now I will plead for it again.
How do you go about creating a lesson plan. My brain is just not equipped to pick apart lessons like your brains are. I guess it's because I am new to this and last year I followed a unit study. Now I am venturing out on my own and I need serious help!
I have it in my head how I WANT to homeschool next year, but when I sit down to plan I just don't know where to start.
I am in the process of getting some books suggested earlier to me by some of you, but I want one that will guide me step by step and teach me how to create rabbit trails and projects and such.....is there such a thing??? You know..like Homeschooling for Dummies or something to that effect! 
Thanks!
Marcie~
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Marcie Melancon
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 9:43am | IP Logged
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What type of planning do you want to do? Are you trying to put together your own unit studies? If so, why don't you post your ideas here and we can help you flesh them out. I LOVE planning units.
What if we help you plan out the first month or so, then you can see how it goes and take it from there?
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Theresa
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 9:44am | IP Logged
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Okay.. first -- BREATHE. Take a deep breath and relax.
Next -- Do you have the book Real Learning yet? If so, flip to the book list at back. If not, you can see it here. Pick a month or year -- any month or year that looks interesting -- and gather the books for that month. Check the library. Go to Amazon.com and read the blurb about each book to see what it's about. Add to your library list any books that your library carries (picture books, chapter books, science, sometimes you can even find a craft or math or poetry book). Head to google and search for a topic or two to see if you get any nice websites. You've got the beginnings of a rabbit trail! All you need it to add children.
If you feel unsure, then just check out one or two chapter books or picture books. Begin reading and create the rabbit trail as you go. We did this with Charlotte's Web. Even though a rabbit trail on spiders is obvious with that read, I didn't assume that the boys would want to follow that trail. We read and I suggested that we could look at pigs, spiders, farm life, and I can't remember what else in more depth. They chose spiders and I ran to the library catalog. Once I have a stack of books, I can look through them to see if they look boring or not. Are they well illustrated? Too long? Too basic or in-depth?
Relax! And if you choose a theme (any theme ) or a month from the book list you can post it here and we can help you build a unit. There's nothing like experience -- your own as you stumble along, and that of others who have been there and can walk with you.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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marcie
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 10:14am | IP Logged
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Thanks...........I am breathing....I am relaxing....
O.K., let me see if I can put this into words. I am wanting to plan my own unit study using Charlotte Mason. I guess I am just so full of unorganized ideas that I don't know where to start. I want to be like Theresa and Liz and all of you who have put together these beautiful, fun unit studies!! This is a whole new world to me and it is one I want to bring into my son's education.
I think I am more excited about it than my son. I think it is something I want to do for ME too!!
We really didn't do any real history this past year and I want to get started with that but I don't want to over whelm him. I used CHC last year and I found their history lesson a bit over whelming for me, but maybe I could use it this year, now that I have more of a handle on what I want to do. We focused more on math, reading, and spelling this past year. It's just about all I could manage.
I have come to realize that this is a family changing activity. It involves everyone and it involves your whole day.
I hope I am making some sort of sense in my own sort of cajun way!!
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Marcie Melancon
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marihalojen
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 10:22am | IP Logged
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Today as I was cruising the blogosphere I found a great horsey thing at
Among Women. A nice relaxed approach...
Another amazing example that I was soo impressed with is here on our own 4 Real Learning Forums.
There are lots more examples out there, these are simply two recent ones.
Various nice planning sheets of all sorts are at Donna Young's site.
Maybe this will help?
P.S. There is a book Homeschooling for Dummies also the Complete Idiot's Guide to Homeschooling
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
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marihalojen
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 10:24am | IP Logged
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Oops! Cross-posted with ya! 
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 10:31am | IP Logged
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marcie wrote:
| I want to be like Theresa and Liz and all of you who have put together these beautiful, fun unit studies!! |
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Remember that change takes time, and you should start small so as not to get overwhelmed. Don't focus on "family-changing" or your "whole day." That puts a lot of pressure on you! Focus on one thing. One unit. One theme.
Where would you like to begin in history? Chronologically or just a favorite time period? Knights and the medieval time period were discussed here. Pulling a unit together from all the ideas/books/sites mentioned might be a gentle way to begin. In her book The Ultimate Lap Book Handbook, Tammy Duby gives a nice step by step example of a medieval lapbook.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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marcie
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 10:39am | IP Logged
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I know..I know............I REALLY, REALLY know!!!
But....like most of us, I want instant gratification!! Since I don't do chocolate.....I need something else!!!
About the history though..........is it better to start chronologically or pick a favorite time period. He does like knights but I think it is mainly for the jousting! 
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Marcie Melancon
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lapazfarm
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remind me...how old is ds?
As far as history goes, there is no one best way to do it. Some like chronological, others, like me, do it in a more interest-led fashion (I call it "random history"). It really depends on how you and ds would like to do it.
We did a mini-unit on medieval times and had a blast. I'd be glad to share resources with ya!
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Theresa
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 10:46am | IP Logged
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marcie wrote:
| About the history though..........is it better to start chronologically or pick a favorite time period. |
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Oh, I've heard a variety of reasonings for both approaches. Do whatever you like. We've gone both ways, depending on my mood at the time and the children's interests! Currently, I'm "planning" on going chronologically next year, but since I fly by the seat of my pants, that plan's liable to change at least a couple of times before September! 
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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marcie
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 10:57am | IP Logged
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My son is 10 years old. He is a very immature 10 year old, which is fine with me.
He loves to draw and I would really love to incorporate that into his lessons.
I would love to use some of your ideas, Theresa! Thanks!
I think it would be a good jumping off point!
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Marcie Melancon
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lapazfarm
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Here is how we do history.
Random History
That is for when we are not doing history within a unit study.
I will get our medieval stuff together for you!
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Theresa
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lapazfarm
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Here are some links to blog entries on medieval stuff:
Illumination
Knights and heraldry This was really fun and interesting.
Robin Hood
This website Art Attack has some neat project related to medieval times, like making a gargoyle, and various castle crafts. We LOVE this site!
Ds got the "Fun with Architecture" stamp kit and stamped a gothic Cathedral (see it here) . And a castle. And a fortress...
here it is
I'll post more as I find them.
Vikings unit
If ds likes to draw, this series of books is great. We used this one for drawing a gothic cathedral and a castle.
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Theresa
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Sarah
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Marcie,
I think you are thinking it has to be more than it does. I am the queen of that same thing.
A lesson doesn't HAVE to be written down minute by minute.
You can still have a great lesson by having an idea and a basic plan and then let it unfold.
For example, let's say you're studying bees.
By the end of the month you want ds to:
1-know the parts of a bee
2-know how they live in a hive
3-know how they gather it from flowers (I just quickly threw these out there are better ideas than these for bees, I'm sure)
These points that he MUST know are the BIG UMBRELLA. Other parts will fall into place.
You check on this forum and other sites for book recommendations BEFORE the bee lessons begin and you get those books at the library or buy them.
Then you can decide whether he is doing writing in other areas. With my 10yo I aim at some sort of writing each day, whether its copywork, a little paragraph, a letter, a recipe, etc.
You use the books to discuss some of the main points that you want him to learn, spread it out over a certain time frame (flowers one week/day, honey the next week/day, etc) and away you go. . .
I hope this is making sense.
Then in the middle of all this it might occur to you to buy some seeds/plants that attract bees and plant them together. Then you might see several flavors of honey at the store. . .and look! this jar has the honeycomb in it! You'll take that home for some further examination and this triggers you to remember beeswax candles so you buy or make some. . .or you remind the kids that on the altar at Mass are candles made of beeswax because God made bees and its fitting that we use His beautiful wax for the Holy sacrifice of the Mass. Before you know it the kids are on these tangents as well, you provide the markers, magnifying glasses, paper, empty notebooks and you have officially completed a Rabbit Trail.
Now, do all kids take to the rabbit trail. No. Sometimes it nothing more than the fact that you read a few books on bees, they know the key points, nothing big ever came out of it and that's fine too. On to the next set of lessons.
Now if you all really get into something. Don't cut it off. keep it going and sneak reading, writing, listening, speaking into it and you're set.
Another example, and this is a real example from our school, is our North American Martyrs "unit" (its not technically a unit, I mean there was basically no plan, at first). It went like this:
I planned on reading books about the NA Martyrs. That was my only plan. They were a daily read aloud. We ended up looking for them on a map, learning ALL about the Iroqois, ds9 made a gorgeous book and it was his daily writing and he illustrated it. We bought those blank hardback books from Emmanual books and he filled it. It turned out that we were in time for the Novena that was being said in Canada, and we are making a family pilgrimage to the local NA Martyrs parish here where their relics are kept. It was a wonderful time. Took WAY longer than expected and after that we were sick of history novels for a while. So, we focused on some basic phonics and math.
Wow! this was a long post. I really hope it makes sense.
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Sarah
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I also want to say that I've purchased units before some worked some didn't.
My lastest flop was the Olympics this year. It just didn't take off with the kids. Our minds were elsewhere. We looked up Torino watched a couple nights of it and that was it.
Don't get so hooked on the plan that you miss the Real Learning opportunities.
And in my home, its not all fun either. Some things are not negotiable. You have to work some math problems, you have to read, you have to write, you have to listen to the read-aloud, say you prayers, etc. Most of the time its not met with resistance and when it is, it is usually because of some other reason than the work (tired, in a bad mood, just want to argue, would rather play, etc. . .)
I'm long winded today!
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lapazfarm
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Sarah is right.
Most of our units are totally seat-of-the-pants. We start with an idea. For example, ds wants to study pirates.
Then we sit and ds makes a list of things he wants to know about them-very broad topics.
I want to learn about:
1.Pirate ships
2.Weapons
3.Blackbeard
4.The Carribean
These then become our goals for the unit.
Then I spend a day or so hunting for resources covering those basics. These can be non-fiction, historical fiction, literature, websites, games, or whatever. As we read about them we come across things we want to know more about, we get ideas for projects or writing topics, etc. It just kind of flows from there. As long as you accomplish your goals, there is no end to where you can go. He ended up doing some amazing writing in that unit, which I had originally envisioned would be mainly history. Every unit ends up being different because I don't have to stick to any set plan. If I do plan, we usually end up not following them anyway!
As Sarah said, as long as you set your goals, then you can just go wherever they lead you.
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Theresa
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marcie
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| Posted: June 16 2006 at 5:09pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for all of the advice! I think I put way too much pressure on myself. I also think that my biggest problem is........I don't know how to spread lessons out over a long period. I will definitely have to work on that. Take it slow and easy. I am used to starting something and then finishing it. I have the same problem with my sewing projects. Instead of doing a little bit every day....I want to cut it out, smock it, sew it up. I think that's because when I was working, that's how I did it. DH would take the kids and give me my day to sew without interruption.
I have received wonderful advice and I will certainly be coming back here for more.
God Bless all of you!
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Marcie Melancon
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Leonie
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Marcie, I wrote about how we do our literature based rabbit trails on our blog - the plans are very simple.
HTH!
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Leonie in Sydney
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Elizabeth
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Wow! Y'all should write a book ! You're really good at this...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Meredith
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Elizabeth wrote:
| Wow! Y'all should write a book ! You're really good at this... |
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I was just thinking the SAME thing when I perused this thread  Great advice ladies, and thanks for all the links Theresa!!
Marcie, have fun with what you choose and remember to take each new learning experience with a grain of salt, some will be great and others so-so, that's just the ebb and flow of homeschooling and real learning!! Elizabeth has an amazing trail to follow here! We ALL had to start somewhere and you're on the right track!!
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