Tuesday, April 7, 2020

1st Grade Insects and Bugs

I shared what we we used for studying animals in this post, but I also wanted to share what we are using for our study of insects and bugs.  We are still using Considering God's Creation by Eagle's Wings and utilizing lessons 13-15 and my son is loving the worksheets!  We have a plethora of books thanks to Scholastic, which was a good thing because the library has been closed for a month due to the pandemic and they'll be closed for the next month too and maybe even longer.  I'm so glad I invested over the past 12 years in Scholastic books and others.  I'm also utilizing the life cycle cards I got from Scholastic a few years ago that pertain to insects and a set of insect flashcards I think I bought from the Dollar store many years ago.  Finally, we got live insect kits from Insect Lore - ladybugs and butterflies - to watch them go through metamorphosis.

We utilized the Magic School Bus DVDs we own and Z watched the insect-related episodes: In a Beehive, Spins a Web, Gets Ants in Its Pants and Butterfly & the Bog Beast.










Sunday, April 5, 2020

Homeschool Room Re-Do

We had purchased the last 2 years of homeschool curriculum for our daughter, grades 11 and 12.  I now have materials to school Preschool-12th grade in this house.  I had no idea how I was going to fit these new books on our already full shelves, there just wasn't any room.  I also have several bookshelves downstairs of non-homeschool books.  Here was the dilemma:

The new books needing a home:


The lack of space to store them:



Those toy food items with prices on them are our math "store" right now.  You can see I have no space to put anything else.  But, I knew with organization and God, anything is possible!  Prayers go a long way as you will soon see.

I also had our craft cabinet in the garage since we moved here, 3 1/2 years ago almost.  I really wanted it in the house and specifically in the homeschool room.  Just didn't think it was possible..  Well, I moved the small bookshelf beside the desk work area and them moved the easel where the bookshelf was AND my husband brought up the white craft cabinet.



Now, tell me how is it possible that I actually brought MORE stuff into the homeschool room, yet I condensed it, even have leftover empty containers AND space opened up on my bookshelves to fit the new books?  If that wasn't enough - it literally feels like we have more space in here!





There is still a lot more organizing I want to do of the things on the black bookshelves and I may even be able to bring in our science supplies that are in the garage!  I also plan to put a big bulletin board or posters on the wall by the bathroom, where I currently have the human body sticker poster.

I can take any child, any age, any grade and school them in this room!  I thank God for that ability.  I have less than 12 years of schooling for my son, 2 1/2 years left with my daughter and then hopefully more with children God will give us through adoption.  It has been a long journey since we started but the Lord has been with us all the way!  We're almost to the finish line with our daughter!