A big question I get when we talk about this trip is: what will the kids do for school?? So obviously we thought this was a must-write post for the blog…First of all, I believe that the experiences themselves are rich with educational opportunities which cannot be obtained in any classroom (traditional or otherwise). This is an opportunity for our children (and us! We are big believers in lifelong learning!) to see in 3-D, real life, the things we have previously studied in books or on maps. Seeing a spot on a map that says “Mammoth Cave” is nothing like experiencing the cool air of a real life, gargantuan cave! Regardless, here is our “plan” for school:
- We will continue to enjoy read alouds and personal reading, as well as reading up on upcoming destinations on the internet.
- Since we will not be able to spend the money on every tour opportunity that is out there, we hope to take turns learning about certain places so that the kids (or one of us) can be the official tour guide.
- The big kids will finish up their math curricula for the year.
- Each of us will aim to write/draw in our commonplace journal once a day to document our favorite sights that we experienced that day (A commonplace journal is usually kept regarding favorite/notable anecdotes from books read, but for our purposes it will be based on experiences more than books)
- We will be using a botany curriculum to study the plethora of plants, trees, and flowers which we encounter across the country.
- We will practice using field guides to identify various plants and animals along the way.
- Science and history will also be sprinkled throughout as we encounter new places.
- Our homeschool co-op covered US History and geography this year, so we are excited to actually see some of the places that were studied. Ex: Mammoth Cave, Erie Canal, Great Lakes, rivers, rainforests in the Pacific Northwest, Independence Hall, Plymouth Rock, Washington, DC, and many, many more!
Oh, love all these pictures!!!