Horse unit study resources

We are ready to get back to work after a much needed break.  We will start off with our favorite animal.  You guessed it, the horse and anything horse-like.  My kiddos already know a lot about horses just because they love them and wanted to learn everything about them but we have never taken on the topic as an official school topic so at the request of C12, we are now doing just that.  They started learning about horses when they received a horse for Christmas, not only did they get one horse, they got 2 horses.  YEP!  We adopted a pregnant horse.  What are the odds of that?  The birth of little Charlie Rose was a really exciting day and a day I know my kids will never forget! 

We will be using Amanda Bennett's Horse unit study as our main guide.

Here are a few of the resources that we have accumulated over the years.

We also have almost everything you can put a horse's picture on, T-shirts, mugs, blankets, notebooks, screen savers, pencils, pillowcases, picture frames, mouse pad, and I just cannot go on.  We have a playroom full of acrylic horse, plastic horse, stuffed horses, stick horses, painted horses, horse posters and calendars,  fuzzy horses, etc............  They even have used horseshoes as decorations in their rooms.  So, I think you can conclude that we love horses.  You may have figured that out just by the name of our blog. 

This should be a fun unit to work on.  It will certainly be an easy one for me to teach. 

Free ebook

This is a great ebook from Heavenly Homemakers.  Gifts in a jar.  Please download it before it is removed. 

I*AM*THE*FULLEST*PERSON*EVER!

clipart from the web

Remember when you are gobbling up your food, to say thanks for all you have.

Camouflaged Cookie

Cookie loves to hide in pine straw and leaf piles.

So cute!

Renaissance wrap-up

We are finally nearing the end of the Middle Ages.  What a fascinating time period!  Full of plague, beheadings, and barbarians. 

The Renaissance began in Italy during the late middle ages.  Roughly from the 14th to the 17th century.  In a nutshell, the Renaissance or rebirth was all about rediscovering literature, art, philosophy, music, science,  and religion.  Humanism was also developed during the 14th century.

So, what did we cover?  A lot!  Italy, Florence, Venice, Renaissance artists and writers, science, alchemists, The Medici Family, inventions, patrons, Popes, architecture, Shakespeare, The Globe Theater, and explorers.

I am sure I am leaving a few things out.  This study could have easily taken a year or more but this is also a topic that will repeat itself in the high school days.  High school! GASP!  This is not too far awaaaaaaaaaaaaay!  

We will be taking a much needed break for the week of Thanksgiving and then we will be right back at it.  We will be working on a horse unit study which should be easy and fun since my kiddos are very horse-savvy. 

Finally, ice skates!

So, we finally broke down and bought the punks some ice skates of their very own.  YEP!  It was long overdue!  They are ice skating weekly and taking lessons and those old, clunky, brown rental skates were just not doing them any favors.  They decided to go with the basic Riedell figure skating skates.  They have a lot of padding inside for comfort. We also picked up a pair of blade protectors for the blades.  A10 chose purple and C12 chose black.  C12 is very practical that way.  The skates are very sleek-looking.

The box is even pretty.

A10's skates.

C12's skates.

I am very happy that they were finally able to get their own skates and so are they! 

Inkspell the movie countdown

We cannot wait until the Inkspell movie comes out!  Count down the days with us.

Counting down the days.

Renaissance resources

A few great Renaissance resources.

The Renaissance Connection

Usborne quicklinks

Usborne quicklinks

Heading to the Renaissance

We are still working our way through the Medieval Times, and we are finally up to the Renaissance. There is so much to cover!

So far, we learned about castles, art, food, clothing, Camelot, Joan of Arc, the plague, feudalism, the Magna Carta, Marco Polo, religion, the Catholic church, knights, chivalry, crusades, heraldry, 100 years' war, Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, Blood Mary, and Medieval science, technology, and inventions.  We also learned there was a lot of beheading going on in those days.  Off with his head!

I have always wondered why kids play Marco Polo in the pool.  Here are 2 thoughts on the subject. 

It has been said that around 1312, Marco Polo had his eyes cut out by pirate traders for allegedly insulting the ship's captain so when Marco returned to Venice, the local children made fun of him and stole his walking stick which made him chase them around.

Another thought is that Marco Polo was an explorer and kids close their eyes so they can "Explore" their pool area.

Here are a few additional resources for what we have worked on already.

Marco Polo interactive map with questions.

National Geographic website, Marco Polo. 

Interactive notebook.

My other links page.

We are having a blast with this unit!  So many interesting topics to learn about.

I love fall!

 

More cat naps

There is just something about a sleeping cat.  Yawn!  I just wish they would sleep at night instead of day. 

Dreaming of mice and birds, I am sure.

Inspiring Thought

Educating our children doesn't have to be a complicated process, it just needs to be a thoughtful process. ~ Valerie Bendt (from her How to Create a Unit Study book)

Ring Around the Rosie

Odd to think that a nursery rhyme about the bubonic plague would be a favorite of so many young children.  I remember playing and singing this when I was little but I never knew what it was about.  I liked the falling down part the best!  While studying the Middle Ages, we discovered the origins and meaning of the song.  Very interesting!

Ring around the Rosie-- refers to a red mark, supposedly the first sign of the plague.

A pocket full of posies-- people would put posies in their pockets to help cover the scent of death when they had the illness.

Ashes, ashes-- for the bodies that were burned (to ash) to stop the spread of infection. 

We all fall down-- Basically means death.  The Plague took victims who were rich or poor, young or old.

I am not a fan of the falling down part anymore!

Creativity takes courage.

Henry Matisse