Merry Christmas!

After the games, the stories and studies on how other countries celebrate Christmas, 

we ended with the perfect art project....the true reason for the season - the reason we celebrate. 

Merry Christmas!!!

We took a break from our typical history studies for this fun Christmas history unit: 

Christmas Around the World Scrapbook. 

A great unit study available from: 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Christmas-Around-the-World-Scrapbook-167242 

 ¡Feliz Navidad! 

Our first passport stamp was in Mexico where we learned 

about Las Posadas and the Legend of the Poinsettia.

Happy Christmas! We also "traveled" to England where we learned all about English Christmas traditions with fun, brightly covered tubes called Crackers. Each student holds an end, pulls, and a loud CRACK sound is heard. Inside each Cracker is a paper crown, a small toy, and a "pun" joke. 

Q : What was Jack Frost's favorite class?

A: Snow and tell!

God Jul! The Swedes celebrate St. Lucia day on December 13th, in honor of St. Lucia who wore a crown of candles on her head at night and took food to the persecuted Christians who were in hiding.

Today the oldest daughter of each family wakes up early, wears a 

crown of candles, and serves her family breakfast in bed. 

Thanks to a certain mom for providing this scrumptious snack!!!

Students were introduced to power point during this study and learned how to pay attention to new information and fill in blanks in their scrapbooks while being taught. Students "visited" 7 countries, learned all about famous monuments, read books, drew pictures, and sang Christmas carols. At Global Treehouse one of our goals is to develop the "whole"child by teaching appreciation for other cultures, beliefs and traditions. Christmas Around the World was a great start for these first graders.  

Inquisitive kids want to know all about microscopes! 

Who knows, maybe one of these two will discover a cure for cancer.  

You never know, but if the resource is available, learning will happen! 

Grinch Day!

"Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store," he said, 

"maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more."

Borax + green glitter glue + water = 

Grinch Grime: instant science experiment. 

We do sit still. We do study. We do things that we might not like so much. We do grow. We do learn.

When it comes to a friend: age, height, maturity and sidewalk space doesn't really matter. 

Kids are sometimes the best teachers. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Autumn Adventures

Last year the middle school students learned about their world through Sonlight's Eastern Hemisphere, but finding an interesting curriculum for younger grade levels posed a problem.  Until, that is, we discovered History Pockets.  Sometimes teaching "facts" day after day is just too boring! We changed to a curriculum that gives students the same learning opportunities as the original curriculum, but with a hands on approach. Teaching time takes twenty minutes, and coloring and crafts takes much longer, but when you double this class with the reading of a Magic Tree House book related to your pocket, you have a couple of VERY happy students. Best part of all? After each book study, students have a finished project with everything they've learned.

We just finished our Ancient China study. This was one of my favorite pockets, especially when it gave a student an opportunity to lead. She was very happy to be "teacher" for History this day.

Teaching us how to count to ten in Mandarin. 

Serving Jasmine Tea

Now why is it they listen closer, give their full attention, and enjoy class so much more when they teach themselves?! Hmmm....maybe I should give them leadership opportunity more often? 

Real life experiences. Real tea parties. Real China.

Working on contractions at Global Treehouse combines visual learning with the rules of spelling! 

Not to forget Science! Yes, we study science in first grade; doesn't everyone? What better way to make the study of deserts come alive than a field trip to the Botanical Gardens? 

Learning happens even during recess!

Science was taught and the students had questions to answer.  The life skill here is the ability to go back and review the lesson and find the answers to those tough questions.

Our Halloween Treat! 

Ghost Bananas and Clementine Pumpkins!

Art Class: Crayon Resists Spider Webs

We were too busy creating spiders out of random art supplies to get pictures of the finished product. Too bad, because their creativity and imagination created fantastic spiders.

A game of math facts was a welcome break from the book! 

Knowing this is a "standard fall picture" doesn't take anything away from the joy these children experience on a warm autumn day between the concentration and the challenges they must overcome in class. (If you haven't taken one of these pictures for awhile, don't miss your opportunity!) 

Fall Fun

Visual Behavior Chart 

This has to be one of the most useful tools I have ever used in school. If students are having a particularly hard day, their clothes pin is moved to orange or red. This gives them a visual warning, and they typically change their way of doing things and move back up without me having to tell them to "stop" or "no". 

Our class pet for the day apparently hitched a ride from piano lessons! 

A tin home provided an interesting opportunity of nature watching. 

If we study volcanoes in science, 

you better believe we are going to do the volcano science experiment!

I expected teaching first graders how to weigh an apple on a triple beam balance scale to be challenging. 

It took one lesson and they mastered it! 

It's Fall Y'all! 

 Peel off the paper on our crayons, 

make some leaf rubbings and turn leaves 

into different kinds of creatures using markers!

After enjoying this book, 

we decided to do an owl art project. 

Oh to have the eyes of a child again...where every idea is a masterpiece, 

every finished project, an accomplishment. 

Creativity at its best!

Each new season brings interesting topics to study. 

Fall's subjects so far: apples, leaves and owls! 

Let's take this pellet apart and see what this owl had for dinner!

Owl pellets are fascinating examples of nature. 

Does the owl really digest everything except the bones?  

It looks that way to Global Treehouse students. 

Wait...give me that magnifying glass again!

Keeping track of our studies and learning to organize ourselves through the use 

of a schedule is perhaps one of our most important and useful skills.