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Hands-on Learning Involves the Whole Mind

September 17, 2015 by Meredith

telescope outside in backyard on starry night

Family gatherings provide memorable educational experiences. When my dad’s side of the family gets together, we often spend time gazing up at the night sky. It can make for a long evening, but the whole experience is worth it!

Our family scientist sets up his telescope, someone checks the weather, and another person might pull up a star map of the night sky while the rest of us get chairs and blankets to make our hours outside in the cold night air more comfortable.

Once we’re all outside, the “lesson” gets started. We take turns viewing the surface of the moon, a nearby planet, or a passing meteor shower. Conversation centers on the local weather conditions, the size of a celestial object, the color something appears to be and why, or the speed of an object moving through our galaxy. Sometimes we just sit in awe of the greatness of our Creator.

By the end of our night together, we’ve all learned something new without even realizing it because our lesson has been conducted through hands-on learning.

Defining Hands-on Learning

Very simply, hands-on learning is involving one’s whole mind in understanding a concept or principle. The end goal is for the person to be actively involved in the learning process so that he or she can make connections and remember what has been taught. So how do you get that level of engagement for your child?

Involving the Whole Mind

There are two parts to facilitating hands-on learning. They also work hand-in-hand to make learning fun and memorable!

1. The Five Senses

God gave your child different senses that communicate to his brain and define memory. It’s through these experiences of hearing, seeing, smelling, touching, and tasting that he learns. These senses work together in that when something is experienced by more than one of the senses at the same time, that thing is more defined in his mind. There are times when his senses may be hindered (such as when he has a head cold). But maybe your child doesn’t have use of all five senses even when he’s healthy. God has given him everything he needs. If your child doesn’t have use of all five senses, he most likely has one or two heightened senses that compensate for any limitation.

2. Learning Styles

There’s more than one way to learn, but your child does have a predominant learning style that affects how he filters information. It’s important to understand what your child’s learning style is so that you can customize his lessons to fit his needs. Once you know how your child learns best, you can engage him in hands-on learning.

Applying Hands-on Learning

Hands-on learning involves including the different senses and your child’s primary learning styles as you teach and introduce concepts. Making connections in simple ways through different approaches (or senses) can be applied to all academic subjects. Here are some examples.

Science—constellations

  • View the night sky with your child. Sometimes the naked eye might work best when pointing out the whole constellation, but a pair of binoculars or a telescope could also be used. Your eyes will need about thirty minutes to adjust to the outside lighting.
  • Talk about the color, size, and distance of each star. Some constellations appear rather close together, but their stars are actually far apart.
  • Make a constellation finder or plot out the location of stars on a map of the night sky.

Heritage Studies—the American flag

  • Show your child a picture of the American flag. Point out the colors, stripes, and stars. Talk about the flag’s symbolism.
  • Listen to a recording of the national anthem and sing along. Be sure to point out the words that describe the American flag.
  • Draw, paint, or color a picture of the American flag. Discuss the proper way to display it.

Math—multiplication

  • Have an equation written out for your child to see. Another helpful visual might be to use a number chart.
  • Count out loud by a factor of the equation (2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, etc.) so that your child can hear the numbers.
  • Use math manipulatives to make simple groupings. Blocks, coins, and edible treats work well and can add some excitement.

Each of these ideas is simple enough to do at home. They make the learning experience much more enjoyable and engaging for the whole family. That’s hands-on learning at its best!

Filed Under: Successful Learning Tagged With: hands-on learning, history, learning styles, math, science, senses

Remember These Dates in September

August 27, 2015 by Meredith

artwork of United States currency

September 2

The US Department of the Treasury was instituted by an act of Congress on this date in 1789. This organization does a lot more than choosing Presidents’ portraits and printing them on our coins and currency. It primarily manages our country’s monetary resources. Take the family on a virtual field trip to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing with this Field Trip to the Money Factory video. It’s amazing to see the detail artists use when creating our currency.

233825-023-reading; family reading stories of Mexico

September 8

Donate some books on International Literacy Day to a library, thrift store, or local prison. Literacy is an important key to an education worldwide. It is also a skill needed so that we can learn what God reveals about Himself to mankind in Scripture. Going on a scavenger hunt, dressing up as a favorite character, and making a comic book are all included in this list of International Literacy Day activities.

National September 11 Memorial South Pool
National September 11 Memorial South Pool by NormanB/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-3.0

September 11

You and I have memories of what happened on 9/11, but your kids probably don’t. Remember why we should always observe Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance. You might want to have a discussion with your kids about this act of terrorism and how it impacts today’s world.

190330_03_08; illustration of grandparents with grandson who is holding a cat

September 13

Nana and Papa deserve a hug on Grandparents Day! Find ways to celebrate the influence of older generations on the lives of your kids. A homemade card, a phone call, or a quality visit can communicate that grandparents (or “grandfriends”) are loved. Spend time learning family history by completing this simple family tree.

illustration of the founding fathers of America

September 17

“We the People” have the opportunity to observe Constitution Day. On this date 228 years ago, the United States Constitution was signed, creating a stable national government for our young nation. The key principles in this document reflect the need for government because of man’s sin nature and the tendency of that power to corrupt those who hold it. Use brief biographies of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention as examples to teach your kids how citizens can serve their country.

180141p333Faraday; illustration of Michael Faraday and his invention

September 22

Celebrate the birthday of Michael Faraday (1791–1867). A Christian physicist, Mr. Faraday is best known for his work in electromagnetism. He discovered that alternating magnetic fields can produce electrical currents, an essential principle in the development of our modern electric power industry. Children have also benefited from his experiments through a series of scientific lectures Faraday started just for them at the Royal Institution of London. Conduct an experiment with the kids and make an electromagnet.

diagram of Earth rotating around the Sun

September 23

The autumnal equinox is when the sun is directly over Earth’s equator. It marks the point when the South Pole begins its tilt toward the sun. (Our planet’s axis always points in the same direction, but the inclination of the axis toward the sun changes as Earth revolves around the sun.) In everyday terms, it’s the first day of fall. I think that’s a wonderful excuse to bake these pumpkin muffins!

Subscribe to the blog to receive the next event post about dates in October.

Filed Under: Successful Learning Tagged With: activities, family, history, homeschool, science, september, United States

Dates to Remember: August

July 30, 2015 by Meredith

Most people—especially students—would agree that learning should be fun and memorable. The question is how to meet that goal? One way is to include different events in your everyday life. With this idea in mind, I’ll be putting together a list of events to watch for each month. Here are some activity ideas for the month of August. Enjoy!

wood engraving of Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key/Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

August 1

Celebrate the birthday of Francis Scott Key (1779–1843) by singing our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” He wrote the lyrics after seeing the American flag proudly wave as “the bombs [were] bursting in air” during an important battle in the War of 1812. Did you know that there are four stanzas to the song? Read all the lyrics online and then have everyone in the family pick a part to sing. If you need a soprano, let me know.

Christopher Columbus arrives in America
Christopher Columbus arrives in America by L. Prang & Co., Boston/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

August 3

“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” This little rhyme helps me every time to remember the year that Columbus came here. This day marks when Columbus left Spain on his first voyage to the New World. He and his crew would arrive in the Caribbean several months later. Columbus’s discovery changed the course of history despite the fact that he never made it to the North American continent. Don’t Celebrate Columbus Day? offers discussion points for how Christians should identify this explorer.

JourneyForth youth titles on a bookshelf

August 9

It’s officially National Book Lover’s Day. Taking a trip to the library or acting out a story are just two ideas mentioned in Summer Fun Meets Summer Reading. But if it’s a rainy day, spending time reading aloud together would be my vote.

"Composite Photograph of all visible Perseid meteor activity on August 12th 2013 from 2:28 - 3:32am, as seen from Bracebridge Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Image contains grain as a result of the high ISO and long exposure required for this type of photography.
© iStockphoto.com/SHSPhotography

August 12–13

Watch the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower from your backyard, an open field, or a campsite. The meteor shower will last all night long and is best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. Putting away electronic devices, dressing appropriately for any cool breezes, and looking at the sky for thirty minutes with the naked eye are all tips mentioned in this list of Meteor Showers 2015 from NASA.

August 13

Raise your left hand for International Lefthander’s Day! If you’re left-handed like I am, we can celebrate the fact that we’re always in our right minds. But sometimes our sanity doesn’t help when it comes to completing daily tasks in a dominantly right-handed world. We lefties often have our own “angle” for doing things as the article Tips for Teaching a Left-handed Child points out. Get out some paper and pen to see what each left hand can do; it’ll be fun, ink smears and all.

poetry in letterpress type
© iStockphoto.com/marekuliasz

August 18

If you aren’t very poetic, don’t worry because this day is National Bad Poetry Day. Maybe your family would enjoy a bad poetry competition. Share a haiku, sonnet, “Roses are red / Violets are blue” rhyme, or autobiographical poem on the BJU Press Homeschool Facebook page.

Street in Pompeii overlooking the Vesuvius. Pompeii is an ancient Roman city died from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
© iStockphoto.com/scaliger

August 24

Get ready for an explosion of volcanic proportions! On this day in AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying Pompeii, Italy.  The city remained covered up for centuries until it was discovered and archaeologists unearthed it. Make Your Own Volcano to demonstrate the force behind a natural eruption.

National Park Service
© iStockphoto.com/RiverNorthPhotography

August 25

Visit the great outdoors for the birthday of the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS is ninety-nine years old! You’ll want to start planning the trip now since this day is a free entrance day for many national parks. Get tips on preparing for an enjoyable family hike and download a hiking trail journal from Hiking—A Learning Experience.

Subscribe to the blog to receive my upcoming event post about events in September.

Filed Under: Successful Learning Tagged With: activities, August, English, family, history, homeschool, language arts, science

Make It a Moon Day!

July 16, 2015 by Guest Writer

American Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the moon
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the moon by NASA/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

On July 20, 1969, one man took a small step, and mankind leaped over another hurdle in its exploration of what lies beyond Earth. When Neil Armstrong set his foot on the moon’s surface, he became the first human being to ever stand on another celestial body besides our world. With some hands-on activities and interesting facts, you can make the moon landing more real and more amazing to your kids this July.

Fantastic Facts

Younger kids like my preschool-aged son appreciate the story aspect of the moon landing, while older children enjoy hearing fascinating facts. For example, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin gathered 47.5 pounds of moon objects, including rocks and other material, to bring back for scientists to study. Another key fact is that the Apollo 11 mission marked the end of the space race between the United States and Russia. Also, the mission’s command module, the Columbia, was named after the science fiction spacecraft in Jules Verne’s 1865 novel, From the Earth to the Moon.

The Unsung Hero

One astronaut on the mission never got to step onto the moon’s surface. His name was Michael Collins, and he was the pilot of the command craft orbiting the moon. He faithfully stayed at his post and waited for Aldrin and Armstrong to come back so that he could take everyone safely home. This Moon Day, let’s take a few moments to talk to our kids about Collins’s job. What was interesting and important about it? Although he didn’t get the opportunity to walk on the moon, he does have the distinction of being one of just twenty-four people who have flown to the moon.

Moon Modeling

Now it’s time to cement the facts into those young minds with a little hands-on fun! Try a moon model craft. (You’ll find a step-by-step example in the BJU Press Science 4 textbook, page 147.) For this activity, kids create their own model of the moon out of clay. Shape the clay into a ball if you want to make the entire moon, or lay it out flat if you plan to model one section of the moon’s surface. Do an online search to find a close-up of the moon. Fingers, bottle caps, and pencils are great tools for creating the pits, dents, and ridges of the moonscape. If the kids have a tiny space shuttle, astronaut figure, or US flag, they can add it to their clay moon surface.

Moon Day Snack Time

Moon pies are the perfect snack on Moon Day. With a simple recipe, you can make the cookies the day before and then let your kids help you add the creamy white filling on Moon Day. If you have no time to make moon pies, substitute round creme-filled cookies or wheat crackers and spread out a chart of the moon’s phases on the table. Your kids will have fun taking smaller and larger bites to make their round crackers or cookies match the moon’s shape in each phase.

Moon Watch

In the evening, if the night is clear, your whole family can spread out blankets in the backyard for some good old-fashioned moon-watching. Powerful binoculars or a telescope make this activity much more interesting since the children will be able to see the night sky in more detail. As our kids identify the current phase of the moon, let’s remind them of its importance to our world, reflecting the sunlight at nighttime and moving the tides back and forth as God ordained.

Moon Movie Night

If the night is cloudy or rainy and you cannot spend time moon-gazing together, consider treating your little ones to an age-appropriate, moon-themed movie that fits your family’s entertainment guidelines. Gathering around the computer and watching a video of the moon landing helps children of any age understand the event more clearly. A quick clip of President John F. Kennedy making his moon landing promise to the American people helps children understand how important the event was for that generation of Americans. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle are two classic children’s books whose gentle tone, vivid illustrations, and simple storytelling make them ideal choices to close out a wonderful Moon Day.

As we tell our kids about the moon landing, the wonder in their eyes reminds us of one reason why we homeschool─to share these special moments with them.

• • • • •

Rebecca is a work-at-home freelance writer, novelist, wife, and the mom of two bright-eyed little ones. She credits her success in writing and her love of books to her own mom, who homeschooled three kids from pre-K through high school.

Filed Under: Successful Learning Tagged With: activities, Apollo 11, history, homeschool, moon landing, moon model, moon's phases, Neil Armstrong, science

Explore a Country

July 2, 2015 by David

collage of American flag, basketball, and Empire State Building
Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

 

Yesterday was Canada Day, the day that Canadians celebrate the union of three colonies into one country. In two days, United States citizens will celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the beginning of our free country. As I was growing up and learning more about the Declaration of Independence and all the events surrounding that occasion, one of my favorite things to do was to view paintings and drawings of the people, places, and things that represent that time in American history. I especially remember being captivated by one image that I saw in my history textbook—the painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River.

History books are full of information and real-life stories about many different countries’ celebrations, traditions, and people. Exploring a country and its history is fun, and you can learn so much. Download this explore a country activity sheet and begin exploring a country of your choice!

Filed Under: Successful Learning Tagged With: 4th of July, activity sheet, country, Declaration of Independence, history

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