This week found us living (and learning!) in the kitchen, or so it seemed. Shaye bought a globe last Saturday and unable to find it a home due to lack of available surface space, I left it on the kitchen table. I can not even begin to mention all of the conversations it started between the girls or between the girls and myself and John. Here is just a few of the topics: the seven continents, the difference between continents, countries, states... etc., currents, tropical storms, the equator, global warming, war, third world countries, poverty, travel, "bucket lists", the difference in religions... oh, the list goes on and on. I won't be moving the globe any time soon, that's for sure! The younger girls completed almost twenty hands-on science, art/music composition, and writing activities out of the Girl Scout Try It book. Shaye baked cookies from a recipe she found herself in a book (and I gave her smaller measuring cups than necessary- just so she'd have to flex her fraction muscles). Of course we did other things, went other places, used other rooms, but if I had to label our week, I'd call it kitchen-centric learning.
20 comments:
Hmmm... Maybe you should have put out a globe a long time ago! Good for them!
Good idea. We have a map on our wall and it is amazing how many times someone will get up from dinner to go 'check' something out.
Do you have to register as a girl scout to buy the book. Sounds like a fun book!
I'm sure your girls will remember these conversations for a long, long time.
Kat, no you don't. You can buy them at your local girl scout council's store or online (google girl scouts). However, I did register Shaye as an independent- just $10 - she does everything on her home BUT she can attend any council wide events or camp IF she wants. I figured if she sticks with if, 10 years of scouting might llook good on a college app. ;)
Wendy- who knew?! The older girls have been a wealth of info for the younger ones (ie: the continet talks but even they are learning things from convos started looking at the globe.
and Kat- this may be a decorating trend throughout my home when we move, random "conversation starters" here and there!
Cool on the book. We will have to check it out. We love to do science experiments around here.
Thanks for stopping by my blog by the way. :) It's fun to 'meet' new people.
I would have loved to be in your "class" this week. I love the kitchen, and the globe...well, and cookies. ;)
Tiff
We have a wall map up in our TV room. And you are so right, it sparks lots of questions!
wonderful week, we keep maps on our dinning room wall and it does lead to conversations. We often look at where thngs in the news are, and we also useit it to track some of the stoires we read.
And we put stickers each year on the cities the Super Bowl Teams come from and one on where tis beign played:-)
I love globes!!! We play a game where you find the country. We used to find the continents when they were younger. Love it!
~Kim
Gosh, you did all kinds of cool things with the girls this week! Good for you!
Thanks guys. And yes, lessons that end in cookies are great Tif! ;)
We need a good globe. I like that you gave her smaller cups so she'd have to practice fractions. I have to do that anyway, cause mine aren't always clean from the recipe before. ;)
I am amazed at how easily kids learn things from older kids.
Cookies are always good!
Now, if only I could figure out how to make 9th grade that much fun.
(((sigh)))
I loved those Girl Scout Try-It's too. They are so much fun.
It sounds like wonderful activities! I would love to get a globe. We've been having to settle for a large world map taped to the office wall! :D
Good for you! Love it when learning just happens instead of us pulling them along.
Sounds like a great week to me!!!
That's great! I love the level of learning that can be born from natural conversation and genuine interest.
how fun!! Great blog :)
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