Homeschool highlights February 2018

We have been tunneled in because of the cold and snow, but these changing seasons open up new possibilities and inspirations.  We get crafty, we want to bake and to explore in books.  We have been fascinated with the winter skies this year since our beginning serious nature study.  For want of plant life we looked up and have been amazed.

 

We have been studying Constable's paintings, the marvelous sky painter.  He was the first to study meteorology and paint skies as they actually were, not copies of Italian skies, or simple backdrops for subjects but the sky in its natural awe inspiring state.  We are using it as a unit study to explore painting clouds in perspective, how light affects the color of blue in the sky, storm predicting etc... I teach Nature Study at Chicago Charlotte Mason Scholars, our co op.  I love learning with my kids and have been so into the science and art of the skies.

 

Bethan and I have finally launched a successful microscope study.   It has only taken me 10 years to figure out how to do this with my kids.   But I collected the supplies--thanks to Amazon Prime and Bethan's urge to check Craigslist and finding the perfect scope! We are using Richard Headstrom's "Adventures with a Microscope" which is old but simple and easy to use.  Each exploration is 2-3 pages.  She journals her findings and usually wants to keep going when her time is up!

 Dad rescued this old toy from the attic amid dirt and squirrel poo.  It still works and Z scored 100% on the countries of Europe.  Old toys like this keep kids from accidently clicking on crap when using computers, provides 3D learning--a nice change from pen and paper, and contains buttons--what kid hates buttons?  So thankful.