Geography Lessons Plans

When my older three children learned states and capitals, they simply memorized them.  While this technique was effective in learning them, they all found it boring and monotonous.  Therefore, when Finn reached third grade, (the year we learn states and capitals), I decided I needed to create a more interesting unit, one in which he would not only learn the states and capitals, but he would also learn a little about each state.  Finn loves maps, so I also wanted to incorporate a map in the project as well.

After seeing this post from Jessica about her state scrapbooks, I decided to create a similar idea.  I ended up scheduling this unit over two years (3rd and 4th), so the student could use a week for each state.  That gave extra weeks in case we had shortened weeks of school or some other unexpected event occurred.

Resources for the unit

• Each state book by Sleeping Bear Press--I found all of my books used online; they can be purchased very inexpensively this way through Amazon or Ebay.
• A is for Aloha (Hawaii)
• A is for Arches (Utah)
• B is for Badger (Wisconsin)
• B is for Big Sky Country (Montana)
• B is for Beaver (Oregon)
• B is for Blue Crab (Maryland)
• B is for Bluegrass (Kentucky)
• B is for Buckeye (Ohio)
• C is for Centennial (Colorado)
• C is for Cornhusker (Nebraska)
• C is for Cowboy (Wyoming)
• E is for Empire (New York)
• E is for Enchantment (New Mexico)
• E is for Evergreen (Washington)
• F is for First State (Delaware)
• G is for Garden State (New Jersey)

• G is for Golden (California)
• G is for Grand Canyon (Arizona)
• G is for Granite (New Hampshire)
• H is for Hawkeye (Iowa)
• H is for Hoosier (Indiana)
• K is for Keystone (Pennsylvania)
• L is for Lincoln (Illinois)
• L is for Lobster (Maine)
• L is for Lone Star (Texas)
• M is for Magnolia (Mississippi)
• M is for Maple Syrup (Vermont)
• M is for Mayflower (Massachusetts)
• M is for Mitten (Michigan)
• M is for Mountain State (West Virginia)
• M is for Mount Rushmore (South Dakota)
• N is for Natural State (Arkansas)
• N is for Nutmeg (Connecticut)
• O is for Old Dominion (Virginia) 
• P is for Palmetto (South Carolina)
• P is for Peace Garden (North Dakota)

• P is for Peach (Georgia)
• P is for Pelican (Louisiana)
• P is for Potato (Idaho)
• R is for Rhode Island Red (Rhode Island)
• S is for Show Me (Missouri)
• S is for Silver (Nevada)
• S is for Sooner (Oklahoma)
• S is for Sunflower (Kansas)
• S is for Sunshine (Florida)
• T is for Tarheel (North Carolina)
• V is for Viking (Minnesota)
• V is for Volunteer (Tennessee)
• Y is for Yellowhammer (Alabama)
• American Grub by Lynn Kuntz and Jan Fleming
• Mary and the 50 States by Brenda and George Nippert  
• Complete Book of Presidents and States
• The Young People's Atlas of the United States

I also created this two-page document, like a notebook page, for my son to fill out as he learned.  You can download it for free for your personal use.

Originally I found all of the necessary pictures or information (state birds with the state flower, state flags, state coins, state origin, state abbreviation, state insect, meaning of the state name, state mineral/rock, state license plate, state map, state seal) and put all of it in a binder.  I planned to print the pages for him to cut out and glue on the correct space.  However, he loves to draw and asked if he could simply draw the items needed.  I happily agreed, and I look forward to seeing his drawings each week.

At the end of each year, I assign a final project.  Finn chooses one state that he really enjoyed studying, and he writes a brief report on it with a visual aid.  We also cook the food suggested in American Grub.  (In fact, I think the state he chose last year was primarily based off the food for that state :)

He has learned so much from this unit and really enjoyed completing it.  He is finishing up his final state this week!

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Weekly Lesson Plans
**We chose to learn states in order by geographical location, beginning with the Northwestern United States.  I think I chose this way simply because those states/capitals are generally easier to learn than the East Coast.

Monday--**Assign State Notebook Pages (always due on Friday).  Read page(s) for the state of the week in The Young People's Atlas of the United States.  Begin Sleeping Bear Press state book. (We read a few pages each day.  While we read, Finn would fill in information on his Notebook page worksheets).

Tuesday--Read out of the Sleeping Bear Press book; study state capitals.  Review the information on the information/picture worksheets inside of my binder.  (This is when we would discuss state origin and the meaning of the state's name, along with the other small facts).

Wednesday--Read out of the Sleeping Bear Press book.  Read the corresponding pages out of The Complete Book of Presidents and States.  (This book provided information like population and major cities.  Each day Finn recorded more learned material on his notebook pages).

Thursday--Finish Sleeping Bear Press state book; Read Mary and the 50 States.  (Today he would draw the picture of Mary from this book on his notebook page.  Other drawings/cut and paste pictures would be drawn or glued as he learns them.)

Friday--Read American Grub; finish notebook pages; study to review states and capitals.  (We reviewed all week).  

Final Project--Pick a state studied this year and write a brief report on it.  Provide a visual aid for the presentation and food from American Grub.

Final Quiz--locate and label states with their correct capitals.

 I am providing the notebook page template on Scribd for free for your personal use.  Enjoy!

God bless!

+JMJ+

The 12 Days of Christmas and Epiphany

During the 12 days of Christmas, I employed Jessica's idea from Shower of Roses to review some of the basic Catholic lists with a few of my children.  After downloading the 12 days of Christmas lapbook from Homeschool Share and making the necessary modifications that Jessica suggested to make it Catholic, I decided to continue adapting it for our own needs.  I also loved her idea of a Twelfth Night Feast based on the song, so I attempted to recreate that for our family.  We had great fun!

History

I am sure many of you have heard of the Catholic meanings behind each of the gifts in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas."  The history behind the song being used as a catechetical tool is based on the period of Catholic persecution in England from 1558-1829. During this time in history, it was against the law to be Catholic in England, and the punishment could be imprisonment or even death.  Therefore the Catholics created ways to pass their Faith to their children in secret.  One of these ways was to hide the tenets of the Faith within a song, creating a simple, but hidden way to remember these truths.  I know some people do not believe the hidden meanings are true, but I like the idea of the song being used as a catechesis tool; it makes historical sense to me.  I also think it is a fun way to teach my children truths of our beloved Faith.

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When we began studying the song and its "hidden" meanings, I added additions for many of the days.  By adding other Catholic beliefs, I am not saying I disagree with the history of the song.  I just wanted to use this opportunity to ensure my children knew more of the basic Catholic beliefs.  The ideas in bold green are the ideas I added in addition to the original ideas from Homeschool Share.  The original ideas that need to be corrected for Catholic belief are underlined.  Overall I think the kids enjoyed this simple unit.

1st Day of Christmas--Jesus on the Cross

2nd Day of Christmas--Two parts of the Bible:  Old and New Testament; the two natures of Jesus:  Human and Divine

3rd Day of Christmas--Three theological virtues:  faith, hope, love; three gifts of the Magi; the Trinity

4th Day of Christmas--Four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; four cardinal virtues:  prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance

5th Day of Christmas--First five books of the Old Testament; ***Note***I changed the label on this from Torah to Pentateuch, which is what Catholics generally call these books***; five wounds of Christ

6th Day of Christmas--Six days of creation

7th Day of Christmas--Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; seven Sacraments; seven Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

8th Day of Christmas--Eight Beatitudes

9th Day of Christmas--***I did not use the nine fruits of the Spirit here as Catholics recognize the nine fruits in the Bible and three additional ones, so I moved the fruits of the Holy Spirit to day twelve, but you could leave them here;*** nine choirs of Angels

10th Day of Christmas--Ten commandments

11th Day of Christmas--Eleven faithful apostles

12th Day of Christmas--Twelve points of belief in the Apostles Creed; twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit

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Twelfth Night Feast

Since we spent time throughout the 12 days of Christmas studying the song and its meanings, I decided a great way to wrap it all up would be as Jessica, from Shower of Roses, (she has so many great ideas!) suggested:  plan a Twelfth Night Feast, basing my foods on the song.  Let me tell you right now that was no easy task!  Thankfully I did get some ideas from Shower of Roses and Catholic Cuisine, which I will link to below, but my husband and I brainstormed other foods as well.  We had a great evening!
In retrospect, however, if I use the song as a food theme next year, I think I will try to match the food to the actual day of Christmas, rather than creating a meal out of them.  Our ideas for multiple days either included chicken, breads, or sweets.  It was difficult to create a balanced meal without repeating similar items.  In the end, however, we ate relatively healthy, saving a portion of the treats for the Epiphany.  I hope you enjoy our ideas, and if you have other suggestions for any of the 12 days, feel free to comment.  Below I will list all of our ideas for each day, but the first item listed is what we decided to incorporate.

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Partridge in the Pear Tree---*Lime jello with pear chunks*; Partridge in a Pear Tree Pie; Pears

Turtle Doves---*Turtle Dove Chocolates*; Turtle pie

French Hens---*Baked chicken breasts*

Colly (Calling) Birds---*Biscuits with Blackberry Jelly*; Black-eyed Peas (This was a difficult day to find foods for, but after realizing that Colly Birds are European Black Birds, I decided to use a "black" food.

Our apple swan

Golden Rings---*Onion rings*; Pineapple rings

Geese Laying---*Boiled eggs*; Deviled eggs; Eggnog

Swans Swimming---*Apple Swans*; Swan creme puffs

Maids Milking---*Milk*; Ice cream; Shakes

Ladies Dancing---*Healthy Tropical Spinach Salad with Chiquita Bananas without the salad dressing*; (I know this is a bit of a stretch, but Ladies Dancing was another difficult day.  We decided on this salad since Chiquita bananas have the sticker on them with the picture of the dancing lady.)  Gingerbread girls, decorated with fancy details,

Lords Leaping---*Gold-wrapped Rollos*, representing the Lords' crowns; (I know, again, a bit of a stretch, but it was another difficult one); Gingerbread men; Hoppin' John

Pipers Piping---*Pirouette wafers*

Drummers Drumming---*Drumstick ice cream cones*; Chicken Drumsticks; Rosemary breadsticks

I was also hoping to make the Twelfth Night Rum Cake since it looks so delicious.  However, I did not have the correct cake pan.  Hopefully next year, I can try it.  Overall we had a great evening!

Blessed Epiphany!

On the Feast of Epiphany, we attended Mass and once again did the chalk blessing for our home.  For this feast we also generally give our family three gifts in imitation of the three gifts of the Magi.  Generally the three gifts are religious based.  For example, one year I made each family member a kneeler pad for family prayer.  This year our gifts were holy cards, a new puzzle from the Vermont Company (they have great religious puzzles), and this wonderfully made Memory Saint card game, which is on sale right now for $2.95 from Fraternity Publishing.  

Before the children are allowed to open the gifts, however, they must present Baby Jesus with His gifts--again three gifts, representing gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Beginning with Christmas, we set out three small boxes under the Christmas tree. Each gift of the magi is represented by one of the boxes.  Throughout the 12 days of Christmas, we work to fill those boxes.  Each time someone does a kind deed that person writes it on a slip of paper and places it in the "gift of gold" box.  Each time someone says prayers in reparation for the sins committed against the Sacred Heart that person writes it on a slip of paper and places it in the "gift of frankincense box."  Finally each time someone performs a sacrifice, that person writes it on a slip of paper and places it in the "gift of myrrh" box.  We try to fill the gifts with as many kind deeds, prayers, and sacrifices as we can within those twelve days.  On Epiphany three children place the gifts, hopefully quite filled by now, beneath our statue of Baby Jesus.  

I really love this tradition.  It helps us remain focused on the spiritual aspect of Christmas amidst the new gifts, treats, and overall excitement.  In imitation of the Magi, we "travel" through those 12 days, working to present our gifts to the newborn King.

Three gifts for Baby Jesus:  gold (kind deeds),
frankincense (prayers), myrrh (sacrifices)

May God's blessings be upon all of you!

+JMJ+

Family Wooden Dolls

After seeing this post from Jessica at Shower of Roses, I knew I wanted to attempt painting these little wooden saint dolls for my daughter as she learned her alphabet.  As you can see, I fell way behind. (She already knows her alphabet).  However, I have plans to finish them.  So far I have completed St. Anne, St. Bernadette, and St. Catherine of Siena, and both of my daughters love to play with them.

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Once my daughter began playing with the saint dolls, I decided to paint Moira a family of dolls for Christmas based on our family.  Notice Dad and the four boys are all wearing Notre Dame attire; ND football  is very popular among our family!  Of course the little girls had to be dressed in pink and purple, their favorite colors.  :)


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When I ordered the blank wooden dolls, some of them came with a blank cardboard house, which I also painted for Moira.  The 8 family members fit perfectly within the house for storage, and my daughter loves to play with them together.  Later I added a wooden Grandma doll, and Moira has requested another addition to her family of dolls, an uncle who is a priest.  Perhaps I will get that one and some more saints completed for 2014 Christmas.  

Current Reading and a Project

I just wanted to share the books I am currently reading.  I have a habit of reading multiple books at the same time, so usually it takes me awhile to get through them.  It seems to work well for me though.

Each morning I open the book on my nightstand.  It is titled Small Steps for Catholic Moms by Danielle Bean, Elizabeth Foss, and Lisa Hendey.  This book provides a daily meditation, prayer, and item to work on that day.  It is grouped by a new topic/virtue for each month of the year.  For me, the greatest thing about this book is that it helps me stay focused; it gives me one thing to try to improve each day, rather than trying to tackle all of my weak areas at once.  One page per day to read...I can handle that.

Danielle Bean, editor of Catholic Digest, and Elizabeth Foss, an award-winning blogger, team up to offer daily doses of inspiration, wisdom, and hope for Catholic moms. Now back in print in response to high demand, Small Steps for Catholic Moms gives busy mothers a year's worth of sustenance, in the form of brief daily challenges about which to think, pray, and act. 
Small Steps for Catholic Moms offers daily prompts and suggestions--small steps--for every day of the year to encourage Catholic moms to attain that elusive balance between action and contemplation in everyday life. Each day's entry includes a short prayer from a saint, a personal prayer composed from the hearts of two mothers, and a small call to action, making this the perfect prayer companion for the busy mom looking for bite-sized spiritual nourishment.

• Explanation of the Holy Mass by Dom Prosper Gueranger  

I have been slowly working my way through this book, and it is excellent.  The explanations are based on the Traditional Mass, but many of them also pertain to the Novus Ordo Mass.  I have already learned much about the Mass that I did not realize before.

There has never been a book that so well elucidates how the active participation in the Holy Sacrifice, which is the duty of all the laity, can best be accomplished. This was written after the Liturgical Year and was the last book translated by Dom Laurence Shepard, Guéranger s disciple, before his own death.

• The Virtues by Pope Benedict XVI  is a book I have just begun, but it seems like it will be a great read.

One of the greatest teachers of our day, Pope Benedict XVI has frequently spoken about the pursuit of virtue. In these selections from homilies and addresses, the Holy Father draws on the lives of saints, the Catechism, and common experiences to bring us into a deeper understanding of the virtues and how to cultivate them in our own lives so that we can grow closer to the Lord.
Allow Pope Benedict XVI to instruct you on nurturing all the basic Christian virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity, called the Theological Virtues and Prudence, Fortitude, Justice, and Temperance the Cardinal Virtues.

• Blessed are they that Mourn by Mother Mary Loyola  is a book I was introduced to from Jessica at Shower of Roses.  I ordered it shortly after my miscarriage, and so far I am impressed.
  

***By the early years of the twentieth century, Mother Mary Loyola had cemented her reputation as one of the best Catholic writers of her generation, but the First World War prompted her to write a book of consolation for the innumerable mothers, wives and others who had lost loved ones to its ravages. Her intimate knowledge of the subject matter gave her unique insight, for she had lost so many in the course of her long life, beginning with both of her parents and two siblings when she was just nine years old, and recently including several of her own beloved students who were fighting in the trenches of the Great War. She knew only too well the need for a strong faith in these times of intense suffering and loss, and this she amply illustrates in Blessed are they that Mourn.

I also wanted to tell you that I am working on a homeschool project.  When it is finished, I will give you all the details about it.  At that point, it will be available for purchase to anyone interested.  I am very excited about using it in my own homeschool and offering it to all of you.

Coming soon...
Meanwhile, God bless!