Enjoying the rain image: sxc.hu

 During my substitute teaching recently, I spent three days with a second grade class,  and they were focusing on weather in reading, science, math, art  and writing. 

We read Tomi de Paola’s The Cloud Book and discussed the various types of clouds described.  They drew pictures and did a math paper about clouds.  Then they began making a cloud booklet, using worksheets their teacher had provided.    Some of the students became so enthusiastic, they wanted to create their original cloud booklet when they had free time.

We watched a video on weather, learned about tornadoes and hurricanes, blizzards, frost and snowflakes and weather myths.  (A book we didn’t read, but which I would have used if the teacher had been out longer, is Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.  This is about the man who first photographed snowflakes.)  Some of the youngsters cut out snowflakes, an activity the art teacher also did with them later that day.

I found this unit so interesting that I’m developing  one to use with youngsters when I teach and to provide material for home schoolers.

Post from: Blisstree

Weather Activities for Kids

Instead, I said, “I’ll submit this” and sat right down at the computer. Within 30 minutes, it was finished, and I hit “Send.”

Will they accept me? I don’t know. I’d love to teach at this conference. I never have before although I’ve attended and submitted proposals. However, I don’t have a chance if I don’t submit.

Also, this gave me the enthusiasm to look around and see if anyone else would be interested in such a workshop – “Children’s Stories Influenced By One’s Heritage.” This also ties in with the “Writing Your Family Stories” workshops I teach.

Take the plunge. Take the chance…and teach!

Post from: Blisstree

Take a Chance & Teach Your Craft

The Caring for Earth and Earth Day Theme Unit offers a wide variety of resources and projects for a variety of ages and grades.  These involve reading suggestions, puzzles, research of related topics, worksheets, and much more.

Post from: Blisstree

Earth Day Projects for Tots & Teens

IMG: sxc.hu

I had to explain it is a poached egg and not a Poe egg. She did argue it with me but finally I was able to get her to believe me. Isn’t it funny how kids can hear something and there is no way to convince them otherwise?

Anyone that knows me, knows that I will take this little piece of wisdom and make it into a learning experience for all the children. How does one teach their child about poached eggs at dinner? Simple and you might even want to try it out yourself.

Making a Poached Egg

-one egg
-one pot
-spatula or spoon
-one plate
-one fork

This is pretty easy for kids and parents to do together. Boil the water and have your child hand you one egg. Crack the egg, very carefully (the parent should do this not the child) into the pot/pan of boiling water, turn down the water to a simmer.  Put the lid on the pot/pan and walk away for 3 minutes.

Pop your bread in the toaster (a child’s favorite part) and slap on a piece of cheese just before your three minutes is up. This way everything is done just in time for you to lift the lid and very carefully take the egg out of the boiling water with the spoon/spatula. I do mean carefully because these little guys are slippery.

Now place it in front of your child, hand them a fork and let them cut into it and watch the yolk slide down the bread. If you have children like me, you may want to cook your egg a minute longer due to the yolk being too runny.

Here’s a recipe in case you want an easy to follow recipe with pictures.

We topped our meal off with bacon and biscuits and they were asking for more of everything. I found a meal that all of my children like, even the picky eaters.

Fun Facts:

Did you know that poached eggs were considered better than boiled eggs? Yep, back in the 16th Century the medical men praised poached eggs and boiled eggs, they believed the roasted eggs was less digestible than the others.

The practice of hard boiling eggs was popular in Tudor England: “By the later sixteenth century the boiling of eggs in their shells in water had become a common practice. Prepared thus they were more digestible that roasted eggs; but less so than poached eggs, which always earned the highest praise form the medical men.”

Activity
Course the young ones were red Dr.Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham and a few other eggy books. This was followed up (actually during) with the kids drawing/coloring pictures of eggs and meals on plates. We’ll probably use the drawings for our breakfast placemats. How involved do you get in your meals? Do your children help you cook your meals? Breakfast for dinner? If you decide to make this please comment below telling me how it turned out and what your kids thought.

Post from: Blisstree

Teach Your Child to Make Poached Eggs

 
The accompanying notice indicated these had been hand stitched by children in grades k-2.  (In this small country school, there are only 12 children total in these three grades.) 

 
The 4-patch was the design my grandmother used, when I helped her make quilts as an eight-year old.  That pattern was my introduction to quiltmaking, as it may have been to many of these children. 

 
I also have used the 9-patch design when working with a third grade class.  They cut and stitched the squares, placed them into a design, and sewed these together.  The teacher had a sewing machine in the classroom.  She and I sewed the filling and backing to the front.

 
Once you become involved in quilts, quiltmaking, and the fabric arts, you’ll find yourself encountering examples of them in some form wherever you go.  What patchwork projects have you noticed lately?

 
©2006

 
(If you have questions or information to share, e-mail me at me.allen@juno.com ; type “quilt blog” in the subject line.)

Post from: Blisstree

Student Patchwork Projects

I first quilted with a sixth grade class when my daughter was in high school…quite a few years ago, considering that her daughter now is a high school freshman.  However, this project showed me what fun it was to work with young quilters.  It happened to be spring break at my daughter’s school, so she could join me to share with the youngsters and help with the class.

Several years later, Beth and I taught a quilting workshop spread out over several visits to another school.  The theme of the quilt the coordinator asked us to oversee was based on the history of the town.  She wanted us to use pictures of the town interspersed with quilting techniques.  This was a challenging, but enjoyable project.  Beth did the designing and the youngsters contributed with the sewing and decorating.

Brainstorm about how you can use quilting  to expand your students’ knowledge of their history. 

Post from: Blisstree

Teaching Quilting in Schools