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USA History Unit Study

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USA History Unit Study We've just finished a nearly-year-long focus on Dutch history. I was impressed with the range and depth of the Dutch canon of 50 major events, which gave us plenty to explore. From the first monolithic tombs in 3000BC to artists like Rembrandt, from scientists like Christiaan Huygens to the World Wars, and from Van Gogh crafts to heavier subjects like racism- it has been a good history year! To finish up the school year, I'm planning a 6 week unit study on U.S. History. (As the kids get older we may do a full year on it, and I'm thinking of doing another round of World History in another year or two.) I wasn't able to find the equivalent of the Dutch canon, so instead I looked at broad historical eras in the USA as a backbone. Of the 9-12 most often used, I'm just choosing 6, 1 per week, based on resources and applicability to the age and level of my kids. For example we could focus on the Cold War - but that's not going to work as well a...
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Thuisonderwijs Startpakket

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Welkom bij mijn lijst voor hét volmaakte thuisonderwijs startpakket! Grapje. Het fijne aan thuisonderwijs is dat je zelf je geloof en leerdoelen mag doorgeven op een manier dat bij jouw gezin past. Er is dus geen één volmaakte manier om te starten. Maar zou je het fijn vinden om wat opties te hebben voordat je de diepe waters induikt, bij deze. [Kanttekening: ik geef voornamelijk onderwijs in het Engels. Als je denkt, zo, haar Nederlands kan echt wel beter, klopt dat ook. Maar hier hebben we over een start pakket, niet over een universiteit pakket. Dat verzin ik zonodig over 9 jaar. Wat het vak Nederlands taal betreft, heb ik uitstekende werkboeken voor de kinderen, dat ze minder gaan struikelen over het/de dan ikzelf….] Startpakket benodigdheden: 1. Liefde 2. Flexibiliteit, humeur, leergierigheid 3. (Kinder)Bijbel 4. Alfabetkaarten of poster 5. Duplo 6. Speelgoed dieren 7. Speelgoed etenswaren 8. Speelklei 9. Verf en schort 10. Internet 11. Bibliotheekpas 12. Printer Onmisbaar: li...
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History Lesson - Michiel de Ruyter (Canon van Nederland # 20)

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History Lesson - Michiel de Ruyter  (Canon van Nederland # 20) We mix and match these materials for our lesson on Michiel de Ruyter, the famous Dutch admiral. With a mix of older and younger children, it helps to have books and video clips for different ages. The main book we're using for history this schoolyear is "Over Vroeger en Nu", which has a historical fiction chapter for the 50 events of the Dutch history canon.  https://artprojectsforkids.org/how-to-draw-a-ship/ A "How to Draw a Ship" instruction page for the kids to work on during readaloud.  https://www.leukvoorkids.nl/wp-content/uploads/zeilschepen-0012.gif Also a coloring page. Probably not a historically accurate printable, but it seems that coloring pages of ships from the 1600s aren't that popular :D                                                            ...
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'Bibliotheek' Means 'Library' - 2021 Edition

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                                                                                                             When we gather up our pile of library books to return them, sometimes I remember to snap a photo. This is a handful of photos taken throughout 2021, showing the kinds of books we like. With a 10 book limit per child, we go about every 2-3 weeks,  and come home with a mix of picture books, 'educational' books, and random finds from the shelves.                         Sometimes we repeat favorites. "We eten hier geen klasgenootjes', first published in English as 'We don't eat our classmates' is one of m...
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October 2021

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 October 2021 Quick post about October to catch up on our months! We had Picasso, Tchaikovsky, and space themes. For Picasso, we read library books and did an art craft.    Picasso book For Tchaikovsky we listened to the 1812 overture (and I think the Nutcracker suite?) and wrote a report on the composer himself.  We had a mini-coop class with some fellow learners, which gave us the excuse to really have fun with the space theme. An astronaut 'hand scanner' by the door, edible marshmallow constellations, create your own planet and rocket crafts... am of course some Star Wars music playing in the background. 
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From Dinosaurs to Da Vinci (January Unit Studies)

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For the sake of planning, fun, and sanity, we're working with unit studies this year for music/Bible/art/science. Pippin still has his normal 2nd grade workbooks: Explode the Code for reading/writing, Developmental Math for math, and Thinking Skills for spatial development, as well Dutch group 3/4 workpages for language. And we have Mystery of History for history, and an ample supply of library books and chapter readers. But our electives have been more random over the last year or so, so having the unit studies planned out is extra fun for all of us. Especially now that Bloom is in preschool 3/4 and is ready for more than wooden puzzles or scribbling on coloring pages. And knowing there is a new little one on the way, it makes me feel better to be preparing easy crafts or making library lists for late-pregnancy-life or newborn-life times when I just don't have the energy to sit at the table and check workbooks.... For January, our themes were:  Bible: Creation, Adam and Eve Ar...
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Monthly Themes Printables - Science, Composers, Artists

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If you can't find something online... try making it yourself.  I love the canva.com website for making my own printables when I can't find what I need somewhere else. In this case it was all-in-one pages of 12 top composers, artists, and science unit studies for this year. I already had some printouts from various websites for those areas, but all the loose pieces of paper floating around and a lack of a central list meant that we weren't as consistent last year in our unit studies as I wanted to be. We listened to classical musical occasionally, checked out some library books on famous artists, and had nature walks and watched science movies, and that was all good! But this year, with Bloom and Pippin a year older, some extra structure should help us learn more effectively and have fun along the way. And since we're expecting a third little human to arrive at our home this summer, I am allll about organizing now while I still have energy and time! Another change I made...
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