Easy Summer Science Field Kit

summer homework teaching Jun 06, 2018

Every summer when my kids were little, they would head outdoors and investigate nature. So one summer, I made them a "field notebook and kit". Oh my goodness! Was this ever a hit in the neighborhood! 

Granted, we lived in Colorado where wildlife roamed, even through the suburbs. But my youngest still drags it out from time to time here in Florida. Your investigation site can be as small as a backyard or large as a park or beach. 

It's amazing what kids will find when they slow down and really look with an investigator's eye. These kits are easy to make and can be used with groups of students, sent home as a family project or used with your own kids. They're great for some summer learning that's still tons of fun, too. 

Here's my kit's contents:

  • Zippered (heavy duty) plastic pencil pouch

  • Local or regional field guide

  • string

  • scissors

  • baggies- various sizes

  • magnifying glass

  • colored pencils + regular pencil

  • sharpener

  • eraser

  • sharpie

  • wet wipes (a...

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Summer Homework: Fun, Realistic, Summer Slide Prevention

summer homework teaching May 09, 2018

As a teacher and a mom, I have a love-hate relationship with summer homework.

(Cue record scratching.) What?! I know, right?! But, it's true. The teacher side of me knows it's important to keep learning and staying sharp over the summer. But as a parent, I also know that family time and downtime are really important, as well. I know my kids are ready to go back to school when they finally get bored with downtime. 

Let's face it, these are kids we are talking about. First off, we know that our brains need a break. Shoot, teachers need a break by the time summer comes. Imagine what is going on in our students' immature brains. 

Have you ever felt like you just counldn't do one more thing?

My aunt used to be a long-distance runner. She told me there were times she just new she was done running for the day or the week. Literally, she couldn't take one more step. Her body and brain were done. The same is true for decision making. Some executives have a...

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Summer Fun: Rate Your Parks

Looking for some summer fun to send home with your students or to use with your own kids? Here's a fun activity for families.

Rate Your Parks

One summer when my kids were all still young, we got the neighbors together and made a plan. Twice a week, we committed to a park day. We mapped out all the parks in a 15 mile area and assigned each a day and time on the calendar.

Then, I created a park rating sheet. Each child got a copy. As we visited parks, each child went home and rated them on various criteria.

At the end of the summer, we had everyone rank all the parks. I gathered the results. The park that won overall got a last visit from us all to celebrate with a picnic! Yippee!

Get your FREE Rating Sheet here!

If you try it out with your own kids, post your results below.

Teach joyfully,

Lisa

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The Secret to Making Summer Reading Fun

summer homework teaching May 10, 2017

The Secret to Making Summer Reading Fun

A Few Tips for Summer Homework

1. Summer homework should not be so cumbersome that kids feel like they never got a break from school. They will just come back resentful. Family vacations and togetherness come first.

2. The point of summer reading should be to get kids to read, but more importantly, to help them love to read. (If reading becomes a punishment or a chore, we have just shot ourselves in the foot.)

3. Be creative. Summer reading should mesh with your curriculum for the beginning of the year, not be an extra that is out of place. (I know I am successful if kids are excited, plotting and planning for the beginning of the year.)

Here's how to make summer reading meaningful and fun.

 

Entering Kindergarten

Summer reading for incoming kindergarteners is a family affair. Parents need to participate by reading to their child. Start with the Very Hungry Caterpillar and as many other Eric Carle books as they can get their hands on over...

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