homeschool

A Roarin’ ’20s Book Club: “Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter”

February 17, 2017 by Amy Leave a Comment

Some books just scream out for a special event, and that’s exactly what happened when I read Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter. I knew it would make a fantastic book club pick – not only because it offers myriads of possibilities for a special event, but because Fantaskey did an amazing job writing a book that highlights the danger and turmoil of the 1920s while keeping it kid-friendly and fun.

Yes. It’s about murder and mayhem, but it’s kid friendly and fun.

Yes, those things are complete opposites. No, the danger and depth of the topic is not downplayed, and no, I don’t know how she did it, either. She’s that good of a writer.

So what’s Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter all about? Check it out:

It’s 1920s Chicago—the guns-and-gangster era of Al Capone—and it’s unusual for a girl to be selling the Tribune on the street corner. But ten-year-old Isabel Feeney is unusual . . . unusually obsessed with being a news reporter. She can’t believe her luck when she stumbles into a real-life murder scene and her hero, the famous journalist Maude Collier. The story of how Isabel fights to defend the honor of her accused friend and latches on to the murder case makes for a winning middle grade mystery.

With the 1920s as our theme for the evening and murder and mayhem the idea, I set out to create an unforgettable book club experience, and, as soon as My Big Helper started to read the book, she joined in the fun.

The girls arrived mid-afternoon with lots of gear in tow, prepared for an all-night book club event (because it just seemed wrong to talk about Isabel’s adventures in broad daylight when so many of them occurred at night). They immediately changed into dresses and strands of pearls, then were made over by local high school students did their hair and make-up in perfect ’20s style. With old showtunes playing in the background, they giggled and styled their way through updo’s and mascara until they rivaled Maude Collier for fashion flair.

Then, with glass goblets of Kool-Aid clutched tightly in their hands (because Kool-Aid was invented in the 1920s, didn’t you know?), we talked about the book, focusing on the plot, the fate of Isabel, the role of friendship throughout the story, and how the girls felt about the events of the era. All the while, they munched on the snacks researched as time-period friendly by My Big Helper: salted nuts, carrots and celery, and cheese.

Next, the girls broke into teams for a rousing game of Pictionary. I prepared the materials ahead, with all of the items to be drawn chosen from the book and written on slips of paper. I tucked these into a Mason jar, and, armed, with white boards and markers. the girls tried to draw each one.

They really got into this game. They played for a long time, until they had drawn out every slip of paper, sometimes asking me for more information about the buildings or terms from the story. Some laughed until they fell over, and the competition of the game fell by the wayside as they giggled their way through drawing things like ‘crutches’ and ‘the Chicago-Tribune Tower.’

After a short break, they moved to the kitchen for dinner. Again, my Big Helper had planned the menu after researching popular foods of the era, and while this meal wasn’t something eaten by Isabel in the story, we think she would have enjoyed it. The fancy dinner she planned required similar decoration, and so, with the incredible help of good friends, the girls ate under black and gold streamers, with gold lame curtains in the doorways, foil confetti on the tables, candles everywhere, and jazz playing softly in the background. We served baked ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, Jell-O salad, and bread with peach butter. The giggles continued as the girls pretended to be Maude’s counterparts but couldn’t look at each other without bursting out into laughter. Dinner wasn’t over quickly, but it was a most enjoyable meal.

Afterwards the girls got down to business. With full tummies and the fall of night, it was time to be like Isabel and solve a murder mystery. After so much time researching, planning, and prepping, my brain was exhausted by this point – and so I purchased a for-kids mystery online. The girls broke into two teams and scoured fact sheets to find clues. They answered questions, made charts, and came up empty – so they shared their information, and, as they talked it out, they solved the mystery.

That success deserved a treat, so we served dessert next – ice cream sundaes with warm chocolate sauce and chocolate sprinkles – because, you guessed it, they were popular in the 1920s! Having a kid who loves research is a beautiful thing. The giggling continued as they downed the ice cream and moved to the living room, where they settled in to watch the original Cheaper by the Dozen.

After a much-too-short night, we served bacon, eggs, and toast for breakfast. We cleaned up quickly, because Isabel author Beth Fantaskey was available to Skype! This was a real treat. I love when authors not only choose to write quality books for kids, but they’re also willing to invest some time in connecting in a real-world way with them. The girls were nervous heading into this experience, but they had prepped questions in advance and were eager to ask them. The time delay caused by the technology threw them for a loop at times, but they persevered and asked every question. They wanted to know about writing history, story experience, personal experiences, and more. The best part – to me – was when Fantaskey shared that there might be another Isabel story in the future. As Isabel is smart, brave, and has big dreams for the future, I’d like to see another story featuring her.

Our last activity was to attempt the Charleston. While Isabel only got a glimpse into a speakeasy and didn’t live the glitzy life of the ’20s, she knew it existed and wanted parts of it for herself. Armed with a YouTube tutorial and more giggles, the girls attempted to nail the steps while understanding the gist of the whole thing. Nobody got very far, but it was fun!

Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter is the perfect book for someone teaching about American life in the 1920s. It made a great book club pick and introduction to our history unit of that time. Because Fantaskey sets the scene so well, I wrote a unit study to accompany this book. My Big Helper worked her way through that as she read Isabel, and she was well prepared for both book club and our historical studies. If you’d like more information about this unit study, can find it in my Teachers Pay Teachers store here. There’s much to be learned from this book, but it’s great fun, too, and includes many deep questions about culture, gender roles, and friendship. It’s suitable for tweens, but I can see people much older reading and falling in love with Isabel. Give it a try!

What are your kids reading right now?

Check out these resources to get your Isabel Feeney party started!

Field Work Friday: Route 11 Potato Chips

February 10, 2017 by Amy Leave a Comment

Sometimes it’s possible to stumble onto great educational experiences without really trying, and that’s what happened when we stopped in at the Route 11 Potato Chip Factory.

The Route 11 Potato Chip Company started out on its namesake road, but it has since moved to a newer, bigger location just off Interstate 81 in Mount Jackson, Virginia. The warehouse is the home to the entire company: offices, gift shop, and factory itself.

Route 11 welcomes visitors, but what makes the site really unique are the windows built into the walls of the gift shop. From that vantage point, you can look into nearly every part of the factory and see how the chips are made. On the day that we stopped in, the kind woman at the counter came out and explained the process to us. We learned about how the potatoes are purchased from individual farmers across the Eastern seaboard and how they’re turned into yummy potato chips.

The process is fascinating, and by moving from window to window you can see almost everything (the potatoes are washed and peeled in a separate room). By moving to a second-floor balcony, you can see into the seasoning room, where we watched two workers salting a batch of lightly-salted chips and turning them by hand.

The machinery that fries, flips, drains, and bags the chips were was fun to watch. Conveyor belts move the chips throughout the factory in batches, and although they start with 100 pounds of potatoes, 75 pounds of water cooks out!

The gift shop area includes a sampling table, where you can try many of Route 11‘s unique flavors. My Little Man loved that part the best! My Big Helper spent her time in conversation with our tour guide and admiring the t-shirts, jewelry, and other items on display in the shop.

Route 11 employs sustainable business practices, and this was especially interesting to us after touring TS Designs last week. They, too, recycle their frying oil. We were particularly excited about the picked-out chips, though. After frying, the chips are sent along a conveyor belt, where a worker inspects the quality of them all. If chips are found that are slightly under- or over-cooked, they’re tossed into a bucket. A nearly farmer comes by at the end of the day and collects those chips, and feeds them to his cows. I never knew that cows like potato chips!

If you’re ever driving through that section of Virginia, stop in and check out Route 11.

If Route 11 isn’t available in your area, you can try them out here:

Field Trip Friday: TS Designs Makes Revolutionary T-Shirts

February 3, 2017 by Amy Leave a Comment

My husband has been fascinated with screen printing for years, and that’s why I was so excited to find that TS Designs would be open to having us come and tour their facility.

We soon learned more than we ever expected.

Eric Michel, Chief of Tech and Logistics, kicked off our tour with a history of the company. TS Designs started out as a standard screen-printing company back in the late 70s, and business was strong as they printed shirts for companies like Gap and Nike. When these major companies began taking their business overseas after NAFTA, president Eric Henry knew he had to make changes. He and fellow founder Tom Sineath changed their focus to what they call the 3 Ps: People, the Planet, and Profit. With this as their motto, they jumped on board the green movement.

That’s when the Cotton of the Carolinas line was born. This new line features cotton from local farmers, and it’s processed into shirts locally, too. Eric passed around samples of the cotton at each stage of the process so the kids could feel and examine it. There are more steps than I had imagined!

This is a really fascinating process, and TS Designs works with experts. Want to know more? Watch this clip of their UNC TV Special here.

Now printing for a smaller customer base, TS Designs no longer needed to print hundreds of thousands of shirts at a time. Instead, they needed to be able to keep a smaller amount of inventory on hand. Since most screen printers print on the color of the shirt desired, this caused a problem, as TS Designs didn’t want to keep shirts in every color in storage. Instead, they developed a new technology that would allow them to dye the shirts after being printed. Even now, they’re the only printers they know of using this REHANCE technology.

Then we were on the move: out onto the factory floor, where we learned about how the giant screen printing presses operate. In full production mode, each one takes several people to operate and can print a shirt every six seconds. Wow!

The kids were full of questions about the printing presses, the screens, and the large drying machines we saw on the floor. Who knew screen printing required so much equipment?

After that social media queen Jen Busfield took over. She taught us about the variety of ways that TS Designs employs to keep their company sustainably minded. TS Designs not only prints t-shirts that are completely local, but they use their property to benefit the community in many ways. They’re a drop-off station for fuel recycling, and they have a garden manned by the staff, too. Outside of the garden area is a bench that becomes the home for several bee hives come warm weather, and they’re tended by local beekeepers. The honey they share with TS Designs is then enjoyed by the employees. While the staff has enjoyed fresh eggs from chickens kept on the property in the past, a new local law made the hens relocate, but they have hopes of returning soon. They even have solar panels on the roof and an outside patio area for staff! It is obvious that TS Designs is working hard to be friendly not only to their customers and to their employees, but also to the planet as a whole.

I’ve never heard of a business diversifying in so many ways to be friendly to their environment. TS Designs might have started making these changes to stay afloat many years ago, but it’s obvious that it’s become a heart decision since that time, and we learned many things from them. Seeing a business care about its employees and environment in such concrete ways was refreshing.

Of course, at the very end of our tour, we headed to the Breakroom Boutique, where TS Designs sells extras and overruns for $5 each. We were able to find some great shirts – some designed by Mindful Supply, which are all super cute, and all featuring the REHANCE technology that makes even the printed area soft and pliable. This company is definitely doing good, and we’ll be hitting up this shop again.

Where have you field-tripped to learn something new?

While TS Designs is definitely the way to go to print shirts for your youth group, business, or special event, you can learn more about small-batch printing at home! Check out these resources:

Cast Your Vote for A Kid President!

December 9, 2016 by Amy 5 Comments

This month’s the boy’s book club read Dan Gutman’s The Kid Who Ran for President. It’s a hilarious take on what might happen if a kid ran for president. Throughout the story, the main character, Judson Moon, learns the ins and outs of being a part of a national election. His campaign manager, a fellow student, handles his publicity and teaches Moon about propaganda.

That’s the angle we decided to take for this month’s book choice. After the usual book discussion, we talked about a few advertisement propaganda techniques commonly used by the media. We talked about how things like bandwagon, testimonials, and glittering generalities affect the choices we make each day.

And then things got real. The kids split into groups and nominated candidates. They chose names, so as to remain anonymous online, and began using the propaganda techniques we’d learned to create campaign posters. They also designed their own platforms and a short commercial.

They want to hold their own election – and that’s where you come in. I’m sharing their campaign poster pictures and videos below. We’d be honored if you’d check out their work and comment on the person you’d vote for below. Please consider the names that they chose, their platform, and their enthusiasm when you make your choice.

These are kids, though, so if you comment beyond the name of your choice, please keep it kind.

Choice A: Victor

This is Victor with his campaign manager. You can watch his campaign video here.

Choice B: Ray Price

This is Ray Price with one of his opponents. You can watch his campaign video here.

Choice C: Justin Jay

This is Justin Jay. You can watch his campaign video here.

So who has your vote? Remember to comment with the name of your favorite candidate below by December 15th. Thanks for helping to teach our kids about the election process!

See the Light Art Sale Ending Tonight!

November 28, 2016 by Amy 2 Comments

See the Light is my FAVORITE packaged curriculum, and that’s why I look for it every time I’m planning future lessons. Right now it’s on SALE!

See the Light is a DVD art curriculum taught by real artists. There are different styles of art available, such as drawing, chalk pastels, or creative lettering, and you can purchase these materials in different ways. Some DVDs have collections of one type of instruction, like all drawing lessons, while others include lessons with a variety of art styles around a common theme – like Christmas or Easter.

A few years ago we worked our way through the ‘Art Class’ DVDs, which contain drawing lessons from Master Artist Pat Knepley. I loved watching my kids gain confidence in their artwork. Their entire approach to art changed, as well, as they went from whining, “I can’t draw that!” when I suggested an art project to picking up their pencils confidently and eagerly. The difference in their artwork is amazing, even though they were both in mid-elementary school at the time. This bird – the one above? My daughter sat and sketched that one day for fun – and she’s still sketching years later. She even created a coloring book entry for the North Carolina State Fair this year and won first place!

The art projects are great for learning about specific types of art, artists, and art history. Each one features a particular work by a famous artist and then, in a series of lessons, teaches you how to create your own version. I love that one series of lessons incorporates multiple subjects and leaves you with a beautiful piece of art.

See the Light has been bringing out a new line of unit studies, too, and one is now available about Van Gogh. We haven’t used this one yet, but we’ll be trying it out after Christmas.

See the Light doesn’t hold sales often, so if you’ve been wanting to try out their products, this is the perfect time! Hop over and check out their selection now – and remember to use BLACKCYBER for 20% off and free shipping!

Book Clubbing in the Wild West: Climbing Mountains

November 15, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

I love being able to make hands-on plans for book club. I love that we’re not only about books and discussion but about really getting into the books with all of our senses. That’s why I was so excited for the kids to read Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach this month, and just like Henry and his friends, we climbed a mountain.

On a warm Saturday morning, we met at Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury, North Carolina for a mountain adventure. After quickly discussing the role of the dangerous Superstition Mountain to Henry, we set off.

Although our group set a brisk pace at the beginning, it wasn’t long before we slowed down considerably. While the park service ranks the main Hanging Rock trail as a moderate one, the first half is very steep, and the second half requires climbing up rough, rustic rock steps.

We paused for a picture before heading up those steps. Where were we going, exactly?

We were going to the top of this!

We stopped along the way to play in some neat rock formations. The kids loved climbing into fissures, small craggy areas, and mini caves, then posing for pictures everywhere they went. It was fun to see them enjoying it so much.

After lots more climbing, we made it to the top! We stopped for a picture before scattering to the far corners of the large rock on top of the mountain.

So where were we, really? My husband and My Big Helper ventured out onto Hanging Rock itself, but it was so crowded that they didn’t stay long. They said that it felt too much as if a random elbow-bump could knock one off. Given that, they didn’t hang around. There were other places that were just as pretty ….

Like these huge boulders just around the corner from Hanging Rock itself. Even though we were far away from the edge, this made My Little Man nervous, and he went back to the mountain as soon as we were done. We all enjoyed snacking on the rock and enjoying the views, though.

Though the cliff side of the rocks were not his favorite thing, My Little Man loved the underside of the upper rocks. How strong would one have to be to hold this one up?

Climbing the mountain was a major adventure. It was difficult and exhausting, with a few banged knees and racing pulses. We were tempted to quit and worried about the danger from the uneven ground, 2500-foot drop, and the crowds at the top. We realized, though, like Henry, that blazing a new trail was fun. It made us feel strong. That conquering the mountain made us more observant of the nature around us and the strength within our muscles.

If you’ve never pitted yourself against a mountain, give it a try. You might be surprised at what you’ll learn.

For more mountain-climbing resources, check out these:

Studying the Wild West: Going on a Trail Ride

November 14, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

We’re studying the Wild West this semester, and it’s impossible to do so without noting the importance of the horse to this expansion. From pioneers moving west to the Pony Express, stagecoaches, and cowboys, horses played a huge role in it all. With that in mind, I scheduled a horse lesson and trail ride so that we could learn about horses firsthand.

Our lesson took place at a nearby church camp that includes stables. Chris Burtner, their equestrian director, met us on a beautiful fall morning and talked to the kids about some horse basics: anatomy, behaviors, and horse etiquette. There’s a lot to learn!

She also taught the kids about the frog, a soft, triangular part of the horse’s foot and how to care for it. While she cleaned the frogs before the students came, an important aspect of horse care, she showed them how it’s done.

Next, everyone learned about the tack necessary for basic riding: saddles, saddle pads, curry combs, bits, reins, and bridles.

When they knew the basics, the students each retrieved a basket with the necessary tools for currying their horses. Each was responsible for preparing his own horse to ride, and this gave them all time to bond with their animals.

My Big Helper especially liked this part. I think they all fell a little bit in love with their mounts during this part of the lesson.

When there was no remaining dirt that might chafe the horse after being saddled, the kids were instructed individually about that process. My Little Man was excited to learn each step of this process, and Burtner kindly walked him through it, checking behind him as he went.

He was quite proud of his accomplishment!

After everyone had curried, saddled, and mounted their horses, they headed out for a trail ride. The forest was beautiful, and while several of the kids looked scared as they held the reins for the first time, they all returned with huge smiles on their faces. Several asked immediately if they could head back out to the woods!

Unfortunately, time didn’t allow another ride, and so the kids learned how to unsaddle their horses, as well. They put away their tack and rubbed down the horses following their ride.

Since this ride, I’ve heard the kids who attended ask for more lessons. They loved it!

I’ve heard more than that, though: the kids have talked about the feel of the horse, the way it felt to ride so high from the ground, and about how it smelled and sounded. They’re using proper vocabulary when talking about the horses and equipment, and I can’t wait to read the way that their experiences factor into their stories and ideas about the role of horses in the Wild West.

Have your children ever ridden a horse?

Check out these resources for more information about horses and the Wild West:

Book Clubbing on the Orphan Train: “A Family Apart”

October 18, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

This month’s girls’ book club selection was one I’ve had for years: about twenty years, in fact. We read A Family Apart by Joan Lowry Nixon, the first in the Orphan Train Adventure series.

The story opens in New York City with an Irish family whose father has died. Ma is trying hard to keep everyone fed and clothed, but when one of the boys makes a poor choice, she gives them all to Reverend Brace-Loring, who sends them west on the Orphan Train for new homes and better lives. A Family Apart is about the adventures of Frances, the oldest sister in the family, as she struggles to adjust to life on a Midwestern farm.

Frances encounters an abundance of food not found in her New York tenement, and so we baked one of those dishes: an apple pie. We used Grandma’s recipe and made it just as she taught me – which is how her grandma taught her. Counting back all those years, that puts this recipe originating at about the same time as when Frances enjoyed it!

None of the girls had ever peeled an apple before, so that was our first adventure. It took some practice to get it right, but they soon conquered the piles of apples we needed.

After mixing up the crust, they took turns rolling it out and assembling the pies.

Doesn’t it look yummy?

Next we went outside to write letters to Frances’ Ma. Throughout the book, Frances is angry with her mother for ending her west, and the theme of sacrifice is discussed from many angles. The girls pretended to be Frances at the end of the story, when she has gained some understanding of this difficult concept, and wrote to Ma to explain.

Frances had a lot going on in the story, though, and missing her mother didn’t top the list. She had to learn how to live on the frontier, and for a city girl, that was difficult. One of her new chores was to milk the family cow.

The girls practiced on these gloves. They raced to see who could milk their ‘gloves’ fastest.

Then, since one of the early chores was to then carry the milk, the girls grabbed the handles of their ‘pails’ and ran it around the yard, trying not to spill any of their milk.

We also talked about the Pony Express and how it worked. To simulate that, the girls donned messenger bags, straddled bamboo poles, and formed teams to compete in a relay race, Pony Express style.

By the time they had done all of that, the pies were out of the oven and ready to eat.

It didn’t last long, though – the girls devoured that pie!

We had lots of fun celebrating A Family Apart. There are many more threads to tug if you choose to read this book. I’d love to hear what you choose to do!

Learning Leatherwork with Tandy Leather

September 27, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

Education can be found everywhere, and I love finding new avenues to learn – that’s why I was so excited to take the kids to Tandy Leather in Raleigh for a leatherworking lesson.

Little did I know just how kind and generous the store manager, Aubrin Rhem, would turn out to be.

Rhem gave the kids large pieces of scrap leather to practice with, and the first step was to dampen the leather. We took it outside and used spray bottles with water to prep it.

Rhem taught everyone how to put their leather on stone slabs so that the metal stamps could leave clear, distinct impressions when pounded with mallets.

Then the students practiced for a long time, learning how much pressure to use and at what angle to get good marks.

After stamping and staining their leather bracelets, Rhem gave the kids a tour of his shop.

They were amazed at the variety of leather available.

The same was true for this python skin! Everyone loved touching it and seeing just how long it was.

After the stain dried, Rhem sealed the leather with sealant and the bracelets dried in the sun again.

All told, we spent several hours at Tandy Leather, and I had no idea how much we would learn in that time. My kids came home, chattering about all of the new things they wanted to make with leather next. They were using new terms that they had learned that day and bouncing with excitement.

Aubrin Rhem was extremely kind and patient with our students, and Tandy Leather places a high emphasis on leatherwork education. If there’s a Tandy Leather near you, check out their class schedule. Working with leather is a relaxing, fun, and practical hobby.

Want to know more? Check out these leather resources:

NEW! Literacy & STEM Challenges for “Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics”

September 14, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

You might have noticed that we’re big fans of Chris Grabenstein’s Lemoncello books around here. That’s because they’re chalk-ful of learning opportunities. There are so many ways that you can learn with these books – and that’s why I’ve written another series of lesson plans for Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics.

These lessons are different from any of the others I’ve written: instead of being a series of multidisciplinary research projects, these are all literacy- and STEM-related. Each project can be carried out multiple ways to best fit the learning style of your students the and space available.

These projects will test your students creativity and ability to work together. They will be challenged to solve puzzles, name books, and build contraptions to solve problems. Each project is directly related to one of Lemoncello’s Olympic tests for his heroes, and the packet includes printable medals that you can copy to distribute to your students.

These projects are perfect for public-schoolers and homeschoolers alike. They would work beautifully for a book club or for literature circles. They provide a way to celebrate the book and check for learning while having fun.

Isn’t that the most engaging and memorable kind of lesson?

You can find this and other learning activities here.

If you haven’t read Chris Grabenstein’s books yet, start with these: