"Unit" studies...for a day!

During my youth group, my 12 year old son runs a great Unit study each week. Just in case it is useful to anyone looking for ideas, I thought I would post it.

Basically, I just go to the library, pick out anything that has to do with the topic I or they are interested in (this week it will be knights and the middle ages). Then I try to tie in every game, craft, puzzle, movie that I can think of. It would probably be more effective over the course of a week or month, but a day is fun! It is also good to keep the activities short for younger participants, with lots of chances for movement, snacks, and activities. Kids will believe anything is related if you tell them so! (Space treats were crackers--dry like "space food"--and cheese--like the "moon"--.)

One week, we went down to what sounded like chaos (we had about 6 more kids join us unexpectedly, but we welcomed it!) They were all in different parts of the room, actively but purposefully planning out their own puppet "skit". I didn't know what to say but "Good work, guys!"

We have done "Bugs and Ponds", "The Ocean", "Boot Camp" (the Revolutionary War), "space", and now, the "Knights" one.

Below is an example if you'd like. This could be fun over the summer for projects when kids are out of school, or for homeschoolers alike. The first part is part of a booklet that I gave to the kids. The second part was my "instructions" for older son, the "space commander":

__________'s
☼SPACE CHASE☼
book!
Launch Date: 3.25.2010

Congratulations!
You are now authorized by Space Command to watch "The Cat from Outer Space"!!!!!!
Welcome, Star Chaser!
You have been selected to go on a mission through space!
Your journey will take you from the sun to the outer reaches of the galaxy!
To be a true explorer, take good notes of your journey in the following book.

Once you have completed the following, you will be invited to participate in a special ceremony to watch
"The Cat from Outer Space"!!!!!
Only those who have completed the following may participate. Good Luck!

Go through Astronaut Physical training: ______
Listen to The Magic School Bus & Color #1: ______
Put together space puzzle: ______
Listen to book about "The Sun" & draw #1: ______
Watch "The Star": ______
Play "Astronauts & Space Wyrms" ______
Look through space books while listening to
"Jupiter" as you quest through space: ______
Stock up on Earth for lunch: ______
Roll out space mats for quiet reading time: ______
Listen to "What the moon is like" & Color #2: _____
Watch "The Moon": ______
Pretend like you are bouncing on the moon!: _____
Return to space port & listen to "The Star People"
while coloring your own space scene: ______
Watch "Lifted" and eat space snack: ______
Write space words or trace the "space letters": ___
Listen to "Touchdown Mars" while doing your astronaut stretches" ______


Commanding Space Officer Instruction Guide:
Thanks, Commander, for accepting this commission to lead this group of bold astronaut explorers through space! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to guide by leading with encouragement the young astronauts in your charge. Some may fall by the wayside, but do your best to not lose a man (or boy or girl!) during this quest!Please refer to the following to help with each task. Good luck, and thanks again!

Go through Astronaut Physical training: turn on "Also Sprach Zarathusra" and welcome them to the space chaser astronaut training program, lead them in exercises like jumping jacks, push ups, sit-ups, and run around the yard a couple times.
Listen to The Magic School Bus & Color #1: you read the book while they color the Solar System page
Put together space puzzle: make this into a timed event; have them try three times and see what their fastest time is!
Listen to book about "The Sun" & draw #1: you read the book while they draw a picture of their own space ship, the sun, and stars
Watch "The Star": if they get bored, they don't have to finish this one to get marked off.
Play "Astronauts & Space Wyrms": try to encourage them to play well with the little ones :)...be patient!
Look through space books while listening to "Jupiter" as you quest through space: this is on the CD in the box by the books
Have an astronaut snack! (LUNCH) this is basically free time for about half an hour...too much more and you'll run out of time :)!
Roll out space mats for quiet reading time: I will try to have several blankets for them to choose from, and they can come and "check out" or rotate books through you. This should be about 20 minutes.
Listen to "What the moon is like" & Color #2: you read the book while they color the Planets page
Watch "The Moon": just like "The Star", watch as long as they are interested. If a couple wander off, you can keep watching it.
Pretend like you are bouncing on the moon!: Tramp time! Spend 15-20 minutes bouncing on the tramp.
Return to space port & listen to "The Star People" while coloring your space scene: encourage them to be creative in their art!
Watch "Lifted" and eat space snack: This is on the "PIXAR" short films,...it is the alien one, which I think is "Lifted". The snack is sliced up cheese from our house, and the *other family* are bringing some crackers and other stuff.
Write a space story or trace the space letters: You could help the older kids spell if they are doing this, while the younger ones trace the letters I gave them.
Listen to "Touchdown Mars" while doing your astronaut stretches: The "stretches" are contorting their bodies into the shapes of the ABC's for each letter that you read about.
CONCLUDE SPACE MISSION!! --Congratulate them on their hard work and tell them they are now officially Junior Astronauts! I will have some stickers for them to mark off in their books, have them put their name on the back of their books, pop popcorn and turn on movie. Congratuations, and THANKS!

Solitude and flowers

Have you ever had a time when you just wanted to be a hermit? I have been struggling with that lately! All I want to do is stay in my own, safe little world and not go anywhere, call anyone, plan anything with anyone else outside of my own little group of bodies...

Perhaps it is "nesting" with this pregnancy; perhaps it is seasonal--combining with my urge to spend hours and hours delving into the dirt in my yard--; or perhaps it is sheer laziness....who knows.

It takes so much gumption, sometimes, to go out an face others, even those we love. (yes, I am an introvert on any personality test I have taken!)

Perhaps it is just time to "seize the season", finish my commitments, and "withdraw myself from the world" for a while. :)

*******

Today I purchased flowers, annuals even. This is a first for me for many years (my last attempt to grow annuals was about 12 years ago, and a pathetic return I got for it!) I have no sense of style, organization, nor taste when it comes to selecting flowers. Unfortunately, the purple blends of petunias attracted my eye just as much as the pot of carnival-colored snap dragons (reminiscent of my dear S. Teuscher teaching my kids to "make faces" with them). We won't even go into the dahlias that my neighbor grows so well that I just had to get some, as well as the geraniums that my five year old boy fell in love with. Like I said...I don't think they will "blend" well.

However, there is good news! I have an army of flower pickers that will probably keep up with my blooms as fast as they can unfurl their little faces to the world! I probably won't have to worry about clashing colors nor styles in my yard as long as I have their help! My dear three year old daughter comes into the house so proud of herself as she methodically picks each new bulb that comes up...especially the "one of a kind" ones. *sigh* At least they last for sometime in the house, and the precious look of delight on her face with each new bloom will change as she grows older, so I guess I will settle with my indoor arrangements and the radiance of my three-year-old daughter's face :).