__Due to ongoing health issues, the Special Needs Homeschool site has not been updated. The resources here are timeless and I hope you continue to visit and share! I am hoping to get back here as soon as the dust settles to update and revive SNH. In the meantime, the SNH Facebook page and group are hopping with resources and support.
To visit SNH's Facebook page for links, freebies, blog feeds, or to just share YOUR links, blogs, resources, and help related to special needs or homeschooling, click here: https://www.facebook.com/specialneedshomeschool
Do you have a textbook or a curriculum guideline put out by your local school board? We have access to our entire curriculum guideline here, online or you can order the books. If you have one, open up the grade level and what you are studying, let's pretend its grade 4 chemistry for the sake of argument:
Now grade 4 chemistry is the study of matter, how do I know? I googled "grade four chemistry" (you don't even need a textbook or guideline! Just Google!) and got this:
Compare samples of like materials using appropriate tools to measure, estimate, and calculate size, capacities, masses and weights.
Cite evidence that supports the statement, "All matter takes up space and contains a certain amount of material."
So, lesson 1: Google is your best friend.
Now it's science, ALWAYS start with a question! What is matter?
Matter is anything that has volume or mass. Sounds easy enough, one problem, what does that mean to a 10 year old? Absolutely nothing. That's why the textbook doesn't always work unless you got that blessed left brain learner (and I'm jealous if you do).
The objectives of learning about Matter in grade 4 is "Identify properties of matter". Well that's everything you see, touch, feel, and taste. Everything that has volume, is matter. So if it weighs something, then it has matter. Air is even matter because you use helium to prove it is lighter than air which means, air is heavier then helium. In more advanced grades you learn one pound of feathers is the same as one pound of gold but which is denser? Gold. Why? Because the matter is more condensed.
Experiment! Now I do NOT advise inhaling helium because it's dangerous and does nothing to prove the point. What I do advise is go down to a place that sells balloons and fill one with helium and then when you walk outside, let it go. Simple but affective! Other experiments with Matter:
and Krampf (my all time favourite website for science), scroll and see the list of Matter experiments that can be done around your house or just watch on the videos.
Ok, so you've done a bunch of experiments and discovered that through them, you ended up covering other objectives:
Describe and compare the physical properties of samples of matter.
Strength
Hardness
Flexibility
Ability to conduct heat
Ability to conduct electricity
Ability to be attracted by magnets
Compare samples of like materials using appropriate tools to measure, estimate, and calculate size, capacities, masses and weights.
Cite evidence that supports the statement, "All matter takes up space and contains a certain amount of material."
Wait, you have covered all the objectives because Krampf's site covered all of the objectives! (I love this guy's newsletter too and this is NOT a paid advertisement!)
Lesson 2: The library is your second best friend!
Go to the library (YES ITS FREE! WHAT A NOVEL IDEA!) and find books on Matter. Don't worry about grade level. What your child can read, he will read. What he can't, you can read to him. If he's interested, then let him do it. Who knows? He may surprise you on learning way above grade level! Also, you will find books AT THE LIBRARY THAT ARE FREE (sorry, just rubbing it in) that have experiments that you can do at home! The book "1001 Science Experiments" comes to mind.
Now let's pretend he's done. He doesn't want to learn anything more about Matter or better yet, he now wants to know about planets. So he says, "I'm done learning about Matter. I don't care how much I weigh and that the water in the mayo jar has volume. I want to learn about planets."
Go back to step 1, ask a question.
How much do you weigh on other planets? Does Matter change on other planets? Does volume change on other planets?
Next lesson, gravity...
See? In two months time, you have completely ditched the curriculum guideline and he's suddenly on FIRE to learn!
Light the fire!
You haven't spent any money. You have just taught your child the value of research, formulating critical thinking skills with the library and the internet, how to ask questions and find answers, how much fun learning can be, and you did it all easily! More importantly, you did it all FREE!!
Between Internet websites, and the library, books at garage sales, etc...you have everything you need!
Here's the theory (that is more like a fact, I've seen it succeed hundreds of times), if you have a child that doesn't naturally learn through textbooks (again, if you do I'm jealous), then doing textbook work is just filling a pail with water. Once the pail is full, it's done. The only place for the water to go is out. So the pail is poured and is ready to be refilled. So the child is filled with all the knowledge and it's just there, stagnant. Not steamed, or boiled or going through the water cycle, just there. Then it's poured out and lost. So you fill it again.
A fire breathes, grows, eats, devours. A fire is alive. Light the fire!
It's not WHAT they learn, it's HOW they learn.
Part 2 Some of the ladies had asked some questions and that got me motivated to write a part two:
How do you pull out the other subjects when studying only one?
We've already established how homeschooling can be done for free. I'll continue with grade 4 Chemistry-Matter as our focal point, just because I'm lazy. I'm just kidding, sort of...I'll start there because it just makes sense to continue from the previous section.
I'll break it down into subjects.
History:
History is defined as the study of the past through written records that are compared, placed in chronological sequence, and interpreted.
So studying Matter and History together, always start with a question! Who discovered Matter? Or what is the history of the discovering of Matter? Try to get the 'who, what, why, where, and how' out of every lesson and you will naturally get all the subjects in!
Then Google it..remember, Google is your best friend!
That brings us to the discovery of the Nucleus, which was discovered by Geiger and Rutherford at Manchester University.
Always click on 'videos' in the top left of google search to check if there lessons there, especially if your child is that type of learner. You can find other videos (not just from youtube) from websites like teachertube and individual websites that way.
If your child is all 'googled' out then head down to your local library and pick out books about the discovery of Matter, the discovery of the Nucleus, biography on Geiger and Rutherford.
Questions like, what era was that in? What year? How was it discovered?
If you're really blessed, then you have a science or history museum that covers these topics in your area! Field trip!!
Geography:
Where did Geiger and Rutherford live? Where is Manchester University? Trust me, that will lead to questions such as, how many states are there? How far is that from here?
Don't let any limitations stop you. If your child wants to draw a map, even if it comes out horribly, let them! What a great way to learn! If they come up with ideas on how to learn, by golly, you're making fantastic progress and go for it!
That incorporates theory, map studies, problem solving, strategic thinking and math.
Math:
Use the Legend to read your map. Use the Kilometers (miles for you Americans) to find out the distance between the places of Geiger's and Rutherford's birth place and your house. Between the University and your house, the University and their birth places. How old were they when they discovered it? Where are they from? How far have they traveled? Why would they want to do that?
Measuring, formulas, map reading, strategic thinking, word problems, problem solving, comprehension, and more!
Language Arts:
Well you've already covered new vocabulary (including Part 1 of this email): Matter, University, Substance, Legend, conduct, heat, chemistry, attracted, repel, magnets...
You've already utilized Whole Language skills by asking those questions, having the child ask questions, discussing, reading, researching, and utilizing word problems.
Sentence structure, naturally through reading, and done through any means you and your child decides to display what you've learned. Some ideas are: lapbooking, notetaking, bristol board display, journal, blogging, putting it up on website, emailing it to grandma and grandpa, experiment sheets, presentations at your local group, slide show, video, or anything that is at your child's level.
Comprehension just naturally appears in all the subjects because the child has to take what they have learned and bring it a step further through conversations (oral comprehension) or doing the sentence structure activities (written comprehension), and sequencing (through step by step experiments-mathematical equations-writing out their report), and all the activities that are done with you or other children is easily transformed into a group project and utilizes teamwork.
Health:
What did they eat in those days? How has food changed? What type of exercises did they do back then? What can we do not to be healthy? How can we stay healthy?
Art/Music/Drama:
Re-enact the discovery of Matter or make a presentation the team may have made at the University. Make a presentation on a bristol board of an experiment you completed. Draw a sequence of events of an experiment or a pictoral biography of the discoverers. Google "Matter songs" and hit 'videos' in google search.
ALWAYS preview before showing your child because search engines are mysteriously screwed up sometimes, safety first!
Point out the rhythm, the beat, the melody, sing along, dance around, have fun with the songs, who knows? Your child might be a future musician!
What type of music was there during the time of Geiger and Rutherford? How did it differ from today? (This is History also!)
I want to take a moment to point out a very important component in your child's learning. If your child isn't interested, don't push it. If your child loses interest, don't push it. If your child wants to do something else, that's great!
After all, what are your goals for your child?
Our goals for our sons are: independence, thinking on their own, problem solving, research skills, utilizing their strengths to enhance their weaknesses in an environment that is non-condemning but supportive, enhance memory skills, comprehension, communication in an affective way through written and oral language, not just knowing the what but the how, life skills, peaked curiousity and encourage questioning, debating skills, developing their own thoughts, opinions, and ideas.
For character development: compassion, teamwork, a working attitude, responsibility, kindness, gentleness, loving, caring, giving, patience, joy, and peace.
I think the way we home learn, teaches to those goals.
