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Book Club, Girls’ Edition: “Stealing Magic”

January 20, 2016 by Amy 5 Comments

This week the girls took their turn at Stealing Magic, the second book in The Sixty-Eight Rooms series by Marianne Malone.

While the boys read this book last week, the girls took a very different approach to it.

After discussing the story, we moved right into painting. Jack and Ruthie traveled to Paris in 1837 during one of their visits to the Sixty-Eight Rooms, and so we focused on Parisian culture during this meeting.

Each girl brought a canvas to the party. We covered our kitchen table with a bright purple tablecloth and got to work. We painted Eiffel Tower backlit with a sunset. I loved listening to the girls compliment each other’s work throughout this process. They also all chose to put their own unique spin on it. Some went for heavy texture while others worked for smooth, realistic colors. Their paintings turned out great!

By the time we finished painting, everyone was hungry. We broke out the crepe supplies and mixed up a batch of Creative Crepes. Everyone chose to make two, and they all made their own. These girls have skills – they flipped wonderful, thin, round crepes!

It’s hard to top strawberries, chocolate, and whipped cream – and so that’s how we topped our crepes.

Afterwards, we headed outside since the weather was pretty warm. I showed the girls how to roll newspaper into short, medium, and long tubes, then asked them to build a kid-sized Eiffel Tower. Although they rolled lots of tubes, they ran out of time before they were able to finish. Judging from the huge amount of rolled newspaper still in my house, however, this project was a hit – and My Big Helper continues to plan new structures.

There are many opportunities for learning within the pages of Stealing Magic. We tapped only one avenue of this – there’s so much more to explore. Give Stealing Magic a try – it’s definitely worth the read.

What are your kids reading this month?

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Book Club, Boys’ Edition: “Stealing Magic”

January 13, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

I was really excited about this month’s book pick. I love when the kids love a particular book enough to request the next in the series, and that’s how we ended up reading Stealing Magic. The second in The Sixty-Eight Rooms series by Marianne Malone, this story continues Ruthie and Jack’s adventures in this famous museum exhibit.

We started out by summarizing and discussing the story, and this one is ripe for great discussion. We talked about heroes, idols, and what happens when those people fall off pedestals. We talked about what trustworthy means and how we can tell who is. Lastly, we talked about what the Bible has to say about the goodness of people and who He finds to be trustworthy.

Deep stuff, right?

Then we got our hands dirty. We headed to the kitchen and made crepes since one of the places Ruthie and Jack visited through the Rooms was Paris in 1837. We mixed up the crepe batter together and the boys cleaned and capped strawberries. Each kid made his own crepe and topped it with his choice of fresh strawberries, chocolate ganache, and whipped cream.

The boys made small crepes, but apparently they had big flavor – every boy had seconds (also made himself).

Sticking with the Parisian theme, I challenged the boys to build the Eiffel Tower – out of mini marshmallows and spaghetti noodles. They were pretty excited about this, and each team tackled the challenge a different way. Some tried to stay very true to the shape of the Tower, while others just attempted to build structures. It was fun to watch the excitement on the boys’ faces, and I love seeing how their spatial skills came into play with this activity.

Stealing Magic is a great book, and in the end the boys requested the third one in in the series, so we’ll be tackling that one soon. In the meantime, come back next week to find out how the girls interacted with this same book!

Book Club, Boys’ Edition: “George Washington’s Socks”

October 28, 2015 by Amy 2 Comments

I have been so excited about this month’s book club event, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

We’re studying the American Revolution right now, and so the boys read

They set up camp first. There were three dads, six book club boys, and one little brother. They pitched four tents and gathered firewood, and then we settled down to discuss the story. The boys had lots to say about who the villains were in the story. Woodruff does an excellent job of portraying the humanity of the soldiers in each army, and the boys caught that information. They chose sticks to whittle for roasting their hot dogs for dinner and went on a long hike.

They spent a lot of time at the water – throwing in sticks, rocks, and whatever else they could find. One mom rented a canoe and a kayak, and the boys took turns paddling around this part of the lake.

There was a lot of running around and yelling and playing-with-sticks and general boyish craziness, too. It all resulted in lots of fun.

I think this is one book club event that will be remembered for a very long time.

What are your kids reading right now?

Book Club, Girls’ Edition: “Toliver’s Secret”

October 23, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

We’re studying the Revolutionary War era right now, and so this month our girls read

After reading the story, we jumped right into it. I taught the girls a new code, and they used their books to write out their own messages. The girls got really into it and spent a long time writing out detailed messages. Then I divided two big batches of bread dough between all of the kids, and they formed their own loaves of bread around the messages, just like Ellen’s grandfather did in the story.

After the bread came out of the oven, we headed out into the yard to experience Ellen’s rough spy journey. First, we played “Keep Away” with a few loaves of bread to simulate Ellen’s fight with and subsequent flight from the bullies who stole her bread. The girls laughed really hard during this game and tried hard to hold their bread tightly – they were all so excited about eating their bread that they didn’t want to risk dirtying it!

After taking the boat across the bay, Ellen had to dodge many obstacles in her effort to deliver the secret message. We simulated that with an obstacle course and races. The girls ran through the yard, circling trees, climbing play equipment, and heading up and down hills in an effort to cross the finish line first.

Weren’t they cute?

The girls really enjoyed Toliver’s Secret. I liked the fact that they were so excited to dive into the 1770s – and they had fun learning, too.

What are your kids reading right now?

Recording History with Homemade ‘Baseball’ Cards

August 19, 2015 by Amy 1 Comment

How do you help your kids understand the cause-and-effect of history?

I spent a long time trying to figure that out. I love the idea of a timeline-in-progress, but they can be difficult to work with. A visual on the wall sounds great, but who has that much space? The kind you can photocopy look professional and would be fast to use, but will the information be retained if the kids don’t actually do it themselves? I spent lots of time debating these issues with myself.

Then I remembered baseball cards. Small pieces of paper that have a picture on the front and important information summarized on the back.

We began to record our history lessons with our own ‘baseball’ cards.

I cut cardstock into 2.5″ by 3/5″ pieces. I got a simple binder for each kid, and I filled it with plastic baseball pockets.

Each time that we engage in a history lesson that involves an important person, landmark, or event, the kids each create a ‘baseball’ card for that. They draw pictures on the front of their cards and a summary of why that person, place, or event is important. When the cards are finished, they’re placed in the baseball card protectors in chronological order. The pages are placed in order of ages. We don’t stress about getting each and every card in exactly year-order, but instead in getting the cards into the proper age. The proper century or sweeping era. By doing that, they’re able to connect events easily and see how time periods flow from one to another, as well as what is happening in different parts of the world at the same time.

After doing a few of these, the got the hang of it. They now work through their ‘baseball’ cards quickly, with detailed summaries written onto the back. Their binders are slowly filling up with beautiful cards, which are great reminders of fun lessons and of important historical information.

‘Baseball’ history cards work well for us – so well, in fact, that while we do lots of hands-on projects, we take lots of field trips, and we discuss all sorts of things, we rarely do any sort of history ‘worksheet.’ These mini-reports are excellent for cementing information in our brains while giving us the freedom to dig deep into our work.

How do you keep track of your historical studies?

These are the supplies that we use.

Early American History Unit Study Review & Sale

July 15, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

I love American history, so I was excited to have the opportunity to review this new Early American History Unit Study from Kristie Mobley.

Written in the Charlotte Mason style, centered heavily around quality fiction books and copywork, there are some great activities connected with the study as well. The length of time intended for the study is loose so that you can fit your children’s attention spans and interests. Because the study is so loosely structured, you can arrange the sequence of activities to fit your family – which is a major bonus in my book.

The unit studies the Christian beginnings of the United States with the Pilgrim settlements. Their lives, beliefs, and struggles are examined closely. In today’s rocky political climate, I think it’s more important than ever that we know this history.

The study includes great links. Many are to printable coloring sheets that illustrate that day’s lesson. While there are more than we would use, these would be great for children to color while you read – or to children to make into their own books as a final project for this unit. Others are to more primary resources where you can learn additional information or see great pictures to illustrate new concepts.

The study focuses primarily on history, handwriting, and faith-based concepts, but music, religious freedom, and economics also come into play. Great discussions could be had on these topics with the thought-provoking questions included in the lesson plans.

The study comes recommended for children in first through fourth grades. I think kids in the upper end of that range might enjoy some additional reading or writing activities. The unit also does not include any creative writing. With this time period being one of my favorite to teach thus far, I’ve spent a lot of time here, and there are loads of fun creative writing activities that could be included. Perhaps that’s not very Mason-like, but our children do need to learn to write their own thoughts as well as copy others. This could be easily added to the study, however. (Want to see some of our Pilgrim study activities? You can read about them: Life as a Pilgrim: Cooking (Part One), Life as a Pilgrim: Everyday Life (Part Two), Life as a Pilgrim: Fun & Games (Part Three).)

If you’ve been wanting to try a literature-based unit study, this is a great one to give a test run. The planning has been done for you, the activities are meaningful but simple, and it includes great discussion questions. Best of all, it’s on sale for a few more days for only $3.95 when you use the coupon code ‘History.’ Read more or purchase a copy here.

* I received a free copy of this unit study from Kristie Mobley of Family Home and Health in exchange for an honest review.

History in Action: Gem Mining in NC

July 8, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

We’ve been studying North Carolina – our home state – this year in school, and I was shocked to learn that this state was the site of our nation’s first gold rush back in the early 1800s! That opened my eyes to the long history of mining that this state has – which thrilled My Little Man, since he’s been wanting to go gem mining for years.

We decided to visit Emerald Village in Little Switzerland, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and near Mount Mitchell.

Emerald Village had more to offer than most mining sites. For one thing, there were a total of 12 working mines on the property at one point in history, one of which was the source of the main ingredient for Bon Ami soap. Another was its offerings. Besides mining, you could also tour an actual mine, shop, and visit 13 stories of historical displays on site. We spent hours hanging out here!

The sheer beauty of the place was impressive. The mountains featured huge rock faces everywhere you turned, and you could walk right up to the entrance of this mine. This was the backdrop of the actual gem mining operation, which made it even more exciting.

My Little Man was so excited to be on the property of actual gem mines that he kept his eyes to the ground everywhere we went. He was constantly stopping abruptly to snatch up a rock and shout, “I found something!” Considering his study of rock books over the past few years, I’m sure he’s right about some of them.

After visiting some of the other attractions, we got down to the business of mining. You can choose to pan for gold or go gem mining, but while you’re guaranteed to find gems in every bucket, there’s no such guarantee for the gold. (There are also more rustic options available, but we stuck with the simplicity.) We chose to go the gem route, although My Little Man wouldn’t mind trying his hand at gold mining someday.

After purchasing a large bucket of dirt and gems (all of this material came from the Emerald Village property), we were directed to the sluices just outside the mine entrance in the picture above. We each grabbed a sieve and began. The men working the counter directed us to let anything white or gray go down the sluice, but to keep anything of color. That was harder than it sounded, but surprisingly fun.

We found mostly smallish gems, but several were much larger, and we’re eagerly polishing our favorites. We can’t wait to see what they’ll look like when they’re cleaned up.

Gem mining was really fun! We all want to do this again, and we left with big bags of colorful gems.

The site of the sluices just outside the mine entrance.

After mining – because honestly, none of us could wait any longer to try that – we headed to the mine for our tour. It began off the gift shop in a building full of historical displays about the history of mining at Emerald Village and the Bon Ami mine. There was even a video to teach you about the mining life.

From there we ventured out to the mine – shown here behind the kids.

It was not what I was expecting; there were no dark tunnels through the mountainside, but it was well done. The tour was self-guided, and when you purchase tickets you get a booklet with numbered descriptions. Each of the displays throughout the mine have numbers to match these, and so you can walk around and read about everything at your own pace. There even museum-type displays and a phosphorescent display in the mine itself.

We had a great time learning more about North Carolina mining at Emerald Village, and the weather was absolutely perfect for it. If you’re ever in the area, this is definitely a fun place to check out.

Have you ever been gem mining?

Want to know more about North Carolina and the history of mining? Check out these books:

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Field Work Friday – Exploring Mt. Mitchell

June 26, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

This past school year we studied our home state of North Carolina. We learned about the three regions of the state – the coast, the Piedmont, and the mountains -and we studied the pre-colonial history of North Carolina, too. (Find out more about our trips to Shackleford Island, pirate book club plans, and pirate history.

Our kids have seen mountains before, but never in North Carolina. We decided to right that wrong and headed west.

We spent part of the day driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping at scenic overlooks and admiring the views. The best views by far, though, were at Mt. Mitchell.

Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi. It’s located in a state park off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and entrance is free. You can drive nearly to the very top.

From the parking lot, you walk past a small concession stand, gift shop, and museum. A paved path leads you to the very peak.

The signs at the very top made for great pictures. There was also a fenced platform with beautiful 360-degree views of the surrounding area.

Underneath the platform was the tomb of Dr. Mitchell, a long-ago scientist for whom the mountain is named.

My Little Man was excited to explore all of that.

Exploring the area around the peak itself, though, was even more exciting. Do you see just how blue that sky is?

Branching off the path to the peak was a trail that meandered through the woods. We happily followed it for about a mile. The trail was beautiful – full of ferns, fallen trees, boulders, and steep drop-offs, with a chipped path that made for easy walking. Although the temperatures were topping 100 degrees that afternoon at home, it was a beautiful 72 degrees on top of Mt. Mitchell. That’s my kind of weather!

We loved our time at Mt. Mitchell, and we all want to go back. If you’re never been to the North Carolina mountains, Mt. Mitchell should be on your must-see list!

Where is your favorite place to visit?

Can a Movie Change Your Life?

March 23, 2015 by Amy 1 Comment

Can a movie change your life?

Chad Burns sure hopes so.

His new movie, Beyond the Mask, is a revolutionary new kind of Christian movie. It’s an action-adventure, and it has more sword fights, explosions, and chase scenes than I’ve seen in popular mainstream movies in the same genre. Beyond the Mask is jam-packed full of enough action to energize the most enthusiastic of teens but enough drama and straight-talking theology to please the pastors. It’s a mix I’ve never seen before, and I sure hope that the Burns’ have many more ideas, because we need more movies like this.

What’s it really about? Check it out:

The leading mercenary for the British East India Company, Will Reynolds has just been double-crossed and now is on the run in the American Colonies. Working to redeem his name and win back the affections of the woman with whom he’s never been fully truthful, Will now hides behind a new mask in hopes of thwarting his former employer. As his past life closes in on him, Will must somehow gain the trust and the help of his beloved Charlotte – as well as Ben Franklin – while he races against time to defuse a plot of historical proportions. Coming to theaters Spring, 2015, Beyond the Mask is a revolutionary new family film that brings history to life in a faith-filled adventure celebrating grace, liberty, and the true freedom that can only be found in Christ.

Beyond the Mask is all that and more. Set against the beginnings of the American Revolution, it’s full of fascinating historical information. No viewer will realize that he’s on the receiving end of a history lesson, though, because he’ll be too busy watching stuff blow up – and, who knew? Benjamin Franklin not only identified electricity, but he knew how to harness it and create generators – and that pyrotechnical knowledge is put to good use in this movie. You won’t find any educational video anywhere that will excite your students more.

And that’s not really the point – at least, not to educate us about history and science (although as a homeschooling mom, I’m happy to find those lessons wherever we can). The basic tenets of the Christian faith are woven tightly into every element of this movie. It’s not tacked onto the end of scenes or proclaimed in teary reunions, but instead it’s there and natural and basic.

The action makes it edgy and the drama keeps the tensions high. Unlike most of those other movies that you’ll find, though, it’s clean – completely clean. There is no foul language or smutty scenes, which I would expect from a Christian movie, but the Burns’ went a step further. They made an action-adventure movie that’s not scary or gory but will keep you on the edge of your seats from the first scene until the last. The cinematography is amazing: although you’re watching duels and death, there is very little blood. The camera chases the action but leaves the consequences of the thrusts and punches to your imagination. You see bruises and blood on fingers, filling up scratches, but no gratuitous violence.

That’s why you should see this movie. The faith lessons are vital. The educational ones are fascinating, and they’re all wrapped up in a suspenseful, exciting package that will entice even elementary viewers.

Unlike other movies, you can’t go to your local theater and purchase a ticket. Beyond the Mask is being distributed via a different marketing model, and so the only way to see it is to click here and purchase a ticket online.

Want to know more? Watch the trailer here.

The Burns’ have released a companion book called Secrets of the Past, and you can download the first chapter for free here. This book shares the backstory of the movie and tells about the Colonial American history portrayed in Beyond the Mask.

Making Holiday Cards with Illuminated Lettering

March 13, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

We make a lot of cards around here. Seriously – a lot. We send them out for most major holidays and even the ones that aren’t really major but are fun, like St. Patrick’s Day.

I use these card-making projects to teach art, and so we try not to make cards the same way too often, but to use new techniques, skills, and materials to create cards for our family.

This year, though, I’ve been really stumped for St. Patrick’s Day, and it hasn’t helped that our calendar is slam-packed full. I knew I had to get really creative, and suddenly as the kids were discussing about whether to dress up as monks for an upcoming Medieval event I knew I had it – illuminated lettering.

We had talked about this a little bit already, but read up on the Book of Kells, the most famous illuminated manuscript. Then we watched this video about the Medieval alphabet and this one about making illuminated letters. This site also contains a printable with examples of an entire alphabet illuminated different ways, which was super helpful for the kids.

Then we headed out to the kitchen table to make our own. We used regular printer paper folded hamburger style, and the kids turned their papers whichever way they wanted. We talked about boxing your first letter in versus leaving it plain, and about gold leafing and more affordable options (like metallic Sharpies).

Then they got busy.

This is my Big Helper’s creation. She chose to make a box around the first letter, to make vines growing around it with small purple flowers, and then use ‘gold leaf.’

This is my Little Man’s card. It’s hard to see, but the big, pointy, dark thing on the left is the ‘H’ for ‘Happy St. Patrick’s Day.” He worked for a long time with this and then filled his card with color.

This was a fun activity. We learned about the history of printing and art during Medieval times, all while making gifts for our far-away family. We also realized just how long this must have taken – because the kids worked for at least an hour on that one letter!

Have you tried your hand at illuminating letters?

Interested in learning more? Check out these fun resources

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