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aussieannie
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| Posted: July 16 2006 at 2:40am | IP Logged
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I have posted this here, hoping to get good exposure as I would so much appreciate lots of advise!
Well, I am finally starting out on our first 'rabbit trail' and I feel nervous. I have all these thoughts running through my head: Am I am going to help the children make the most of a rabbit trail, can I be creative and a bit more free and easy with this direction. Just the wondering of the practical ideas of a rabbit trail.
So explorers - sea explores mainly, but other types of exploring too, is what we are starting out on. World explorers and Australian explorers. On Friday, I received in our state paper and in it was a beautiful, colourful liftout of the 400th celebration of the Duyfken Voyage - European's first recorded contact with Australia (1606). I can't believe this - what good timing!! A replica ship has been built and is travelling Australia for the whole year - and it is landing in Redcliffe (we live on a Peninsula) right on our doorstep next Friday!!! It will be arriving at our local jetty (5mins drive away) and I understand that we will be able to go on board and have a guided tour.
We are definately venturing into 'uncharted waters'  I am concerned I may waste this wonderful opportunity for the children. How can we make the most of this. HELP!!!
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Spiritual Motherhood for Priests
Blessed with 3 boys & 3 girls!
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 16 2006 at 9:24am | IP Logged
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This sounds like an excellent opportunity for living history (and science).
Did the children decide they wanted to follow an explorers trail or is this something you came up with? Nothing wrong with either route, I am just wondering because sometimes my son will take an opportunity like this and run in a totally different direction than I think he will! Like instead of explorers it may cause him to want to study the ocean, or a weapons, or pirates or whatever. Explorers is a great trail, just be prepared if you end up making a sudden left turn!
Anyway, ideas to go along would be of course, explorers, sailing and ships, and oceanography (physical and biological). Other explorers to look into might be Cook, Lewis and Clark, and Shackleton because there is alot of good stuff out there on them. Mutiny on the Bounty is a great story if you can find the right version, as is treasure Island and Swiss Family Robinson.
Have fun!!!!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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ladybugs
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| Posted: July 16 2006 at 12:27pm | IP Logged
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Hi Anne!
That sounds great!
Theresa mentioned some awesome ideas and I thought, since you're on a peninsula, could your children take a sailing course? Learn how to tie nautical knots? Yachts vs. catamarans? The progression of ship building....wars of the pacific...
Just some ideas?
Oh, if you happen to veer towards pirates, Yul Brynner stars in The Buccaneer. Just listing it as a possible resource.
Have fun!
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Maria P
My etsy store - all proceeds go to help my fencing daughters!
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aussieannie
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| Posted: July 16 2006 at 4:23pm | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
| Did the children decide they wanted to follow an explorers trail or is this something you came up with? Nothing wrong with either route, I am just wondering because sometimes my son will take an opportunity like this and run in a totally different direction than I think he will! |
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No I have chosen it for them due to the newness of it all but have already decided that if they individually change different tangents to lapbook with that would be great - the idea of pirates, mythogical sea creatures, oceans, boats etc sounds exciting and I will be waiting to see where that would lead us all. But I would still be doing a unit study on the explorers - is that right? (with other tangents running along side)
I have this beautiful lift-out of the Duyfken and the website and the boat of course - so I thought we could work on a communal, large tangent with this opportunity.
I naturally feel stiff and restricted with this being our first attempt at something quite different for us, don't know how to let those creative juices go when it comes to ideas and so I thought I would ask - 'what would you do with this opportunity, if you had it?'
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Dawnie
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| Posted: July 16 2006 at 4:49pm | IP Logged
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Hey Anne!
I can't believe your good fortune!! The ship sounds like a really GREAT opportunity, and at just the right time. It sounds like God is smiling on your efforts!
We are pretty new to following 'rabbit trails,' too. My kids are younger than yours, but one thing I've learned this past year is that we don't have to do it all now. There are SO many things I want to do with them: nature books, lapbooks, notebooks, arts & crafts...like a wonderful, huge castle begging to be explored! It's okay to do a little bit at time, even if it means a rabbit trail isn't fully explored. The important thing (to me) is that the kids are enjoying learning through real life. I look at my goals for their education right now as developing a love for learning and a wonder and awe at the world around them.
If I were you, I'd make a list of goals or things I wanted to do related to the rabbit trail, and then make a realistic (but flexible) plan. For me, doing a hands-on project every day just wouldn't be realistic. Doing one once or twice a week would be. Reading aloud every day, however, would almost definately get done every day. If I start a hands-on project w/ my kids and it doesn't turn out the way I envisioned, that's okay, too. The important thing is that they enjoyed it and they learned a little bit from the process.
Hope that helps a little and enjoy your rabbit trail!
Dawn
Have fun on your exploration rabbit trail!
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ladybugs
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| Posted: July 16 2006 at 5:03pm | IP Logged
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this book list.
List of some explorers broken down by country
CORE list
Explorers of the Pacific
Diet of Endurance Crew
Australian Food and Drink of Early Settlers
Pirates of the Pacific
Weather Patterns of the South Pacific
You might want to track cyclones, decode recon flight info, create your own graphs, Mariana Trench, tectonic plates, shifting patterns, dying coral reefs, thriving coral reefs, how Cook figured out limes help prevent scurvy, leading medical science of the day...
I would talk to the kids and find out their interests and use that as a springboard. That would help narrow your scope. Of course, this exploration - forgive the pun - could lead to more rabbit trails. T'is the fun of it, eh?
These are just some ideas. I hope you are able to find them helpful.
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Love and God Bless,
Maria P
My etsy store - all proceeds go to help my fencing daughters!
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Dawnie
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| Posted: July 16 2006 at 5:05pm | IP Logged
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aussieannie wrote:
| so I thought I would ask - 'what would you do with this opportunity, if you had it?' |
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Disclaimer: this is what I would do b/c it would work w/ my personality in my house...your personality and your house may be totally different!
I would definately go on a field trip to the ship that's coming near your house. Then I would find a bunch of 'living books' that the dc could read by themselves and some that I would read aloud to all. I'd have the dc narrate. I'm sure you could work in math, too, by studying the math that sailors had to use to navigate. I'd make sure I had atlases, maps, and a globe accessible to the dc. I'd work in geography by having dc look for locations we read about on the maps. I also might look for fine art prints and music related to the rabbit trail. There's a beautiful painting by Rembrandt of Our Lord and the Apostles on the stormy see of Galilee. Here is a link to it. You're as singer, aren't you? What about learning some sailing songs? I would plan to do some kind of hands-on activity (lapbooking, notebooking, a craft project) related to the rabbit trail once or twice a week. If I planned hands-on projects every day, I just know that I couldn't keep up with it, then I'd feel guilty and start beating myself up...blah. For me, better to plan a little that I know I can accomplish.
So, there are some of my ideas...
Dawn
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Visit my blog!Water Into Wine:Vino Per Tutto!
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ladybugs
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| Posted: July 16 2006 at 5:08pm | IP Logged
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Dawn,
You gave me the idea of learning how to use a sextant.
Okay, I'll stop.
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Love and God Bless,
Maria P
My etsy store - all proceeds go to help my fencing daughters!
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: HELP! with this fortunate opportunity
