Homeschool Classes

Today was our Monday for homeschool classes with our homeschool group.  For art they did a quick study of Picasso & then had to paint a self-portrait of themselves.  First they sketched it out in pencil, traced it with a sharpie & then painted it with Tempura paints.  I must say I don't think there are any budding artists in the group from what I could see, but it was fun for them.

Next was the "Think It" class.  They discussed solid shapes, like cube, pyramid, etc...then had to try & build a solid shape with nothing but straws & paper clips.  It had to be thigh-high in height & be able to stand on its own...and had to be done in 20 minutes.  I wanted to jump in ofcourse & try to give ideas on how to make it a free standing 3-dimensional object, but us parents had to leave it up to the kids to figure out.

  Our high school group was successful in doing a pyramid & the 1st graders would have done a great cube if they had not run out of time.  The rest of the kids had ideas but just couldn't figure out how to implement them...but it was a fun challange.  Afterwards we discussed with them why their design did not work & what they could do next time to make it better.

After a quick lunch we continued with our "Mystery Powders" class.  We had small groups work on seven different kinds of powders (Sugar, Salt, Cornstarch, Wheat Flour, Plaster of Paris, Baking Soda, & Quartz Sand).  We treated each powder with Water, Vinegar, & Iodine to see what kind of chemical reaction would occur if any.  We also had them do a heat test over an open flame to see if heat changed the powder or reacted in anyway.

Lastly we had the group divide into teams so that they could start working on their science fair projects.  My son's team will be working on rockets...should be interesting.  They have all year to work on them & then will have a chance to show their work at the end of the year celebration.

If you are not in a homeschool group & live in the Paulding County, Georgia area...check out Home Learners Alliance.  You can find them online. Otherwise check out different sites online for groups in your area where you live to get your kids connected to different activities that you may not be able to do on your own.   It is a great way to make new friends!

Homeschool Groups

This year for homeschool I decided to find a homeschool group for my son to participate in.  I was afraid that I would not be able to find a group with enough middleschoolers or activities that would interest him.  I searched the internet for groups in my area & found one that looked really interesting.   They are a small group with about 20 families but with a large percentage of middleschool age children.   They also have classes that are either free or just charge a nominal fee & supply costs.

Saturday before last we went to visit the group for the first time.  It was the first day of their Lego Robotics Club which will meet on a monthly basis.  It is held at the homeschool groups leader's home. When we arrived the kids in the group met us halfway down the driveway (in the rain) & made us feel very welcomed.   The boy who lived there asked Noah if he wanted to go see his room, so all the kids went off to play.

Everyone was very friendly & what I noticed immediately was the participation of the dads.  There were more fathers there than mothers which I found very refreshing.  My husband would have been there if he wasn't working so it was nice to see the same commitment from the men in this group.

Today we went to the first day of classes that will be held every other Monday.  They start at 10:00am & go to 3:00pm.   The first class was art, then they had a "Think It" class where they are given items & then have to construct something from those items.  We had a lunch break & then continued with "Mystery Powders" (chemistry), Science Fair projects, & chess club to finish off the day.  They will also have a book club the next Monday we go.

My son wasn't sure if he wanted to go to the classes, but I could tell while we were there that he was having a great time.  As we were leaving he said, "That was a lot of fun.  When is the next class time?"  We will also be going on a field trip next week to a corn maze with the group, so it will be fun. 

So if you homeschool but have never participated in a homeschool group, check out groups in your area online to see what activities they have.  The cost is usually minimal to join (mine was $20.00 for the year) & with most homeschooled families being one income families, they understand the need for low cost field trips & activities as well.