Refreshing the Morning Basket

A couple of years ago, I posted about our Morning Basket and how much we enjoyed our together work which we keep in this family basket.  I thought I'd share again about our Morning Basket.  It seems to grow and change with our family and our family needs as they differ from year to year, so I hoped to show how the Morning Basket might change for your growing family over the years, as well as the ways it has stayed the same.

Initially, I conceived the idea of having one point in the day (morning) that we could get some shared work done.  With growing children, I longed for a common point from which the day could spring, a point which was beyond grade levels and resisted defining in those standard this-book-is-only-for-this-grade way.  In a family with multiple ages and grades, a home educating mom will often look for ways to steward time in efficient ways so that the day runs smoothly.  The Morning Basket became my answer to efficiency while also addressing a need I had to combine some subjects across ages.  It has long functioned as our common beginning, and is a delight for us.  

In a Charlotte Mason education, a variety of subjects are provided.  This ensures a varied and rich feast of ideas as part of their education.  Part of the challenge of arranging a Charlotte Mason day (and beyond that a term or year) is in providing the feast of ideas in ways that are manageable and inviting without being overwhelming.  Add multiple children and a span of ages and this challenge of providing a rich variety begins to strongly suggest that you combine a few subjects, allowing the different ages to plumb the subject to different depths.  The Morning Basket is an answer for our family in providing a nourishing variety of living ideas and experiences, with each child taking and enjoying the feast to the extent they are able.  It is rich for all.

Our Morning Basket could really stand alone, rich and full of history, art, music, liturgical and faith reading, virtue and character education, culture, and natural history.  Perhaps the Morning Basket could be considered the rich appetizer, whetting the appetite for the feast of living books and ideas to come in the day!  Sometimes (not always, you wouldn't want to make a habit out of this), if an appetizer is rich enough, you can make a meal out of it and it can sustain you for a time, can't it?  Which means, if the day is full of outside the home activities, or contains an unavoidable interruption, the Morning Basket can stand alone for our day if needed.  Isn't that a consoling thought?  One hour of richness that lives in the morning hours.  It's simple, collected and varied enough to provide quite a rich feast of ideas throughout the week....just from the Morning Basket of work.

::  The Practical Stuff  ::

I have learned that I like keeping a simple chart (I print on photo paper/cardstock) of the weekly plans for the Morning Basket.  No need to hunt down a list of what we're doing each day - I keep this handy chart tucked in the back of the Morning Basket.  Can you see the light blue top of it peeking up over the books in that picture above?  Below is what the little chart detailing our Morning Basket looks like:

(You can view or download a copy of the Morning Basket chart here.)

In the morning, I simply remove my little chart and assemble the books from the basket that we'll be reading from for the morning.  

It couldn't be simpler!

::  Morning Basket Resources  ::

Shall we talk about some of the resources in this term's Morning Basket?  I'm really excited to share some of them with you because they are such treasures!

~  Nurturing Character Formation, Faith and Growth in Virtues  ~

• Morning Exercises for All the Year by Joseph Sindelar - (You can find a free copy for your ebook here.)  This is one of my favorite treasure-finds for this year!  The book is arranged one day at a time for the entire school year.  Each day contains a little poem or thought/quote that exemplifies a virtue or noble habit being fostered for the day.  Following that are any significant historical anniversaries.  Some days, there are excerpts or stories that illustrate the historical figure whose anniversary (of his/her birthday) is that day, and that also exemplifies the virtue being introduced for the day.  The daily selections are short and sweet, but I am hooked!  They're perfect for starting the day in the Morning Basket!
• Going His Way by Father Gerald Brennan - this is one of the original Angel Food books which remains out of print (originally Volume III).  I found it in a thrift store a year ago and quickly grabbed it!
• Conferences to Children on Practical Virtue by Father Abbe Vetre - I am sure I must have mentioned this little gem here before.  Have I?  This is an old title, written directly to the child but not at all in a dumbed down, silly way.  Recently reprinted, I have been reading through it very slowly with my children for a bit now.  It is full of practical and spiritual direction for children to assist them in growing in virtue.  
• Courage Stories Every Child Should Know collected by Helen Ferris, illustrated by Marguerite de Angeli - I discovered this book quite by accident.  We were enjoying Marguerite de Angeli books at the time and I was looking around and found this book that she illustrated.  When I saw that Helen Ferris (Treasured Poems Old and New) edited it, I was hooked!  It's full of fantastic stories that my children really enjoy!  And of course they each convey courage in its most noble forms!

• Lives From Plutarch adapted by John McFarland and Pleasant and Audrey Graves - I'm relatively new to reading Plutarch; it's something I've only recently (the last two years) added to our lineup.  Could it really be all that I asked myself?  Reading PLUTARCH????  I have to tell you, he's quite enjoyable, and the stories are completely understandable.  Don't read Plutarch with the purpose of acquiring Greek and Roman history (though you will certainly become acquainted with some culture through his writing).  Do read Plutarch to enjoy the little mini-biographies that convey a sense of character through actions.  Prepare for rich discussions.  (Note: there are many versions of Plutarch available for reading with children.  My absolute favorite for lovely typeset, quality paper and a very good adaptation is Hillside Education's version.  We also have all of Plutarch's Lives as contained in The Great Books of the Western World.)

~  Natural History  ~

• The Living Year: A Naturalist Explores the World Outside Your Door by Richard Headstrom - This is a wonderful book to read aloud throughout the seasons.  The book has 12 chapters, one for each month.  Mr. Hedstrom writes in an engaging way as he explains about various insects, birds, animals, plants and flowers and their habitats.  I particularly enjoy the wonder he invites.

• Nature Friend Magazine - an old friend of ours arriving in our mailbox faithfully every month for the last 9 years, this is our favorite natural history magazine for all ages.
• Nature Walk time - do you always find this time elusive?  Does the idea of a regular nature walk sound great, but it never seems to show up with regularity in your days and weeks?  Pin it somewhere!  It works great in our Morning Basket time, and giving a full measure of time to it means the children aren't rushed - they are inquisitive and relaxed as they enjoy the time out of doors, bringing in treasures to sketch and investigate.  Your best location for a nature walk are the gardens and outdoor spaces right around your home.  Make this simple!  You don't have to get in a car and go anywhere - just put on jackets and go outside!

Photo credit: Sweet Pea  :)

~  The Arts: Music  ~

The nitty-gritty-how-to-of-it-all: 

As noted on our Morning Basket plans: read from a living book introducing the life of a composer.  There are many good choices for this, some I'll recommend below.  The child adds the composer to his book of centuries.  Throughout the term we listen to recommended pieces and works from the composer during our quiet work times.  We often choose works that are recommended or mentioned in our living book reading.

• Discovering Music: 300 Years of Interaction in Western Music, Arts, History and Culture by Professor Carol Reynolds - I was looking for a music history course for my high schooler when a friend (thank you, Maria!) recommended this amazing course, and we're eager to start it.  (You can read an enormous number of details as well as viewing and downloading samples from website.)  When I played the sample video for myself, all my children came from different parts of the house, completely engaged and excited, asking for more.  I was sold when I saw it, too, especially after scrutinizing the content.  Fantastic!  We're going to begin viewing and enjoying the course as a family immediately, carrying it over into next year for two terms and then picking up Professor Carol's Exploring America's Musical Heritage lecture/DVD series from there.  I'm particularly excited about this series, and how it weaves culture, history, art, poetry, even some sciences into the lectures.  Far from being static, the lectures are dynamic and engaging - a superior living lecture series!

Here are some of our favorite resources for specific composer study:

• Minute Sketches of Great Composers by Eva Hansl and Helen Kauffman is a favorite resource of mine (not pictured), and is an excellent book for giving a brief and very child-friendly overview of the most popular composers.
• The Gift of Music: Great Composers and their Influence by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson is another excellent resource I highly recommend.  The historical and biographical information is sound and quite detailed.  I really enjoy reading this as part of the introduction to the composer.  Of particular help to us are the end of chapter recommendations, especially the recommended listening list which is our standard when we build our composer repertoire for the term.
• Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great by Elbert Hubbard (you can find the entire 14 volume set free for your ereader through Project Gutenberg, or free for your Kindle at Amazon) - Some of you may have heard of this set before; they're suggested in Ambleside's curriculum as a resource for reading about artists in upper years.  If you use this series, or you're considering it, and you'd like a copy of the index that references all the mini-biographies included in this series click here.  I like having one in my home education notebook to use for planning.  

In 1894, Elbert Hubbard began his series, Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great.  Once a month, for 14 years, he wrote a new "little journey".  There are 180 of these mini biographies of those men and women who, "transformed the thought of their time, changed the course of the empire, and marked the destiny of civilization."  The collection of mini-biographies were published in 1928, by Elbert Hubbard's son, Bert.  Hubbard describes himself as an anarchist and a socialist, so some care should be taken with respect to some of these biographies.   

I came across Hubbard's 14 volume set over the summer, and have skimmed a few biographies, but I'm only just beginning to make use of the mini-biographies.  Perhaps I can review it again more thoroughly at a later time.  I do find Hubbard's engaging and descriptive style to be quite captivating and give a wonderful mental picture of an artist's life, and their culture.  For this term, Hubbard's books contain selections for all three men we're studying (though we may not read from Hubbard as our primary source on each artist).

~  The Arts: Picture Study and Artist  ~

The nitty-gritty-how-to-of-it-all: 

We try to read from the life of an artist, again from living books, becoming familiar with their life.  We add an artist to the Book of Centuries (along with the poet and composer - did I mention that?).  Each week, I choose one of that artist's work and print it out for picture study.  You can usually find a good selection of art prints to print on your home computer at the web gallery of art.

Picture Study:

• Give the art print/picture to the children to study.  Try to do this at a quiet time, or at least a time with as few distractions as possible.  
• Encourage the children to bring their full attention to a painting, paying attention to colors, shapes.  Often an artist will hide something unexpected in a corner or in the background - look for all the details in the painting.
• Allow the children to study the picture for a few minutes.  No talking or sharing together during this time.
• After about 5 minutes, take the picture from the children and ask them to narrate, or tell, what they remember from the painting.  No interrupting.  Children take turns adding observations.
• Look at the picture again to see if any other details are noticed.  We do this together.  Be sure to correctly identify the name of the painting as part of the discussion.
• Using a resource like Signs and Symbols in Christian Art by George Ferguson, look up any objects that you found in the picture, especially if you're studying sacred art.  Often plants and flowers have a particular meaning, as do the placement of gardens, etc.
• Encourage imitation of the style of the artist during the week.  Allow the children opportunities to express themselves creatively.
• Study one painting a week.  Display the painting in a prominent place after picture study.

For this term we are studying Jean Francois Millet.  Our resource for reading and studying Millet this term:

• Jean Francois Millet: A Collection of 15 Pictures and a Portrait of the Painter with Introduction and Interpretation by  Estelle Hurll  (free ebook available here) - this book offers some excellent context and understanding for some of Millet's more famous paintings.  I like to read from this after the children study a picture and give their narration of it.

~  The Arts: Poetry  ~

The nitty-gritty-how-to-of-it-all: 

As noted on our Morning Basket plans: We read from the life of a poet, again from living books, becoming familiar with the poet's life, his inspiration, the times and culture from which he writes.  We choose unabridged works of poetry and read his poetry, choosing a couple of poems to memorize each term.

• Prose and Poetry for Appreciation edited by Ansorge, Lucas, McCoy, Tower (copyright, 1942) - I found this little gem in our local thrift store for a quarter and took a chance on it, and boy have I been delighted!  This is a fantastic book that could stand alone as a poetry appreciation course for  any student 8th grade+.  There are a few other titles in the series that I'd like to collect.  The book is divided into sections or themes (Action and Adventure, Nature, Men and Women, Work and Service, Make Believe) and under each section a poet or author is chosen.  A significant portion of an author's work is excerpted, or sometimes a full piece is given, and following are questions and reflections about the piece.  If you know me, you know I'm NOT a fan of reading comprehension type questions, preferring narrations of a work, but the questions following these selections are quite good and can prompt some good discussions with an older student.  Some of the follow-up reflections include some very interesting context for the piece presented.
• Edited After the Original Post:  A very dear friend of mine wrote to let me know that the Prose and Poetry series actually has a Catholic version.  The covers look similar, but the editors are different.  The Catholic series editing team includes Julian Maline, S.J. and William McGucken, published by Harcourt, Brace and Ward.  There are similar titles as far as I can tell, too.  You can find them searching in a few different ways.  (The following links will be to Amazon, but I'm sure you could also find them at other used book vendors.)  
• Prose and Poetry Catholic edition
• St. Thomas More Series (Prose and Poetry)
• Julian Maline, S.J.
• The Oxford Book of English Verse and Norton Anthology of Poetry are two good collections of poetry to have on your shelf, and for younger children I still use my old friend, Favorite Poems Old and New edited by Helen Ferris.  I have found another useful general poetry book that I really like: The Family Book of Best Loved Poems, edited by David George, copyright 1952.

In addition to our more general poetry books, we always choose a particular poet's works to study for a term and over the years have collected some gems, like Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese and The Poetry of Lucy Maud Montgomery.  For this post, I'll give you our current term's poet resources:

• Walt Whitman - 
• I reviewed Walt Whitman: Words for America for you here.
• Poetry for Young People: Walt Whitman edited by Jonathan Levin is a picture book which includes a good overall biography of the poet at the beginning of the book (covering the first 5 pages).  On the following pages, poems are reproduced (some abbreviated of necessity) and some of the words are defined at the bottom of the pages.  Occasionally, a poem's context is explained at the top of the page.  (It's a nice book, but if I could only choose one picture book, it would be Walt Whitman: Words for America)
• Whitman: Poetry and Prose (Library of America edition) - this is a good and complete collection of Whitman's poetry.  

::  Tea Time Reading  ::

An addition to our Morning Basket isn't really in our Morning Basket at all, it is our Tea Time reading, but it helps me to consider this and organize it as part of our shared and common time.  At this point I have two younger children and two older children.  Part of the very natural evolution of our Morning Basket time has been to read aloud more mature books to my older children.  I began reading lives of the saints to them during an afternoon teatime and from there the time presented itself as full of more possibility.  I really haven't done a good job of keeping up with our tea time reading lately so it was helpful to consider it afresh for this new term of work.  These selections change each term, and it may be helpful to know that tea isn't always consumed with tea time reading (oh dear!  is that scandalous?). Well, picturesque visuals of our family drinking tea and reading aside, tea time may consist of lemonade or milk and usually some small snack....or none at all, but always, always a cafe'-au-lait for me!  :)

• Liturgical Reading is chosen to coordinate with the liturgical year, and usually one of the lives of the saints.
• Because the country is now remembering the Civil War as part of the Sesquicentennial, I find that this is a good place to incorporate some excellent living books on the Civil War.  Right now, we're reading Hands of Mercy: The Story of Sister-Nurses in the Civil War by Norah Smaridge, copyright 1960.

• Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices by Theoni Pappas - This is a fun little book that is really intended to be read aloud and recited by two people!  Hence the name!  If you have an older student (or two) for whom math is not a relished subject, you need to introduce this little book!  It's a lot of fun for us!

• Each child reads one of Shakespeare's plays on their own, as independent reading, but this term we're starting Marchette Chute's novel, Shakespeare of London, together.  I really do want to incorporate more Shakespeare readings as part of our Tea time reading (where we each take a part and read aloud).  We may start off reading aloud from Marchette Chute's Stories From Shakespeare just to refresh ourselves on a play.  And as an aside, doesn't Shakespeare's Flowers by Jessica Kerr look interesting?  I found a used copy to highlight some of our Botanical studies and cross-connect to Shakespeare!  Gotta love it when books are that efficient!

This term (our 3rd and last of the year....who can believe it?), I wanted to carve out a little area for visual displays for our Morning Basket studies.  I wanted to hang a portrait of the three artists we are studying for the term, and I also wanted a place to display the picture (art print) we're studying for the week.  It was an easy little vignette to set up, and I quite like the uncluttered feel of it.  It communicates exactly what I wanted it to in very simple terms!

I change the focus of the Morning Basket each term as we investigate a different composer, artist and poet.  This term we're studying Walt Whitman as our poet, Jean-Francois Millet as our artist, and Richard Wagner as our composer.  I printed a simple picture of each of the men, adding their names and date of birth/death so the children could see the men as they become familiar with them (I added the text to the photos in iphoto in case you're wondering - I don't have a fancy editing program).  To the right of Millet, you'll see his piece of art we're studying as part of picture study for the week.  Each week, there is a new art print and this week we're studying Spring.  How appropriate!

::  ::

After completing our Morning Basket work, the children are ready to move on to the rest of the rich feast of books that awaits them in their day!  We usually spend from 30 minutes to an hour working and reading from the Morning Basket each day.

Well, I think I can safely say that it takes us less time to complete our Morning Basket work than it probably took you to read this long post ABOUT the Morning Basket!  :)  I hope revisiting the Morning Basket was enjoyable and do let me know if you do something like the Morning Basket in your home, and if you have a neat resource to share, please do!!  I'm always keeping my eyes open!

Walt Whitman :: Words For America

Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,

Missing me one place search another,

I stop somewhere waiting for you.

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, from "Song of Myself"

There are perhaps other books, even other picture books, to use in introducing American poet, Walt Whitman to your children, but I'm not sure any can come close to the deeply rich account of his life as given through the words and illustrations in Walt Whitman: Words For America.  It will, at once, touch your heart, as well as rekindle memories of historical events that you perhaps had not at first connected with Whitman, such as his deep involvement in the Civil War.  

This picture book may best be enjoyed in two sittings since its coverage of Walt Whitman's life is full, but it is not dry or dull in the least.  Beginning with the introduction to Whitman's love of words, the book moves through some of those things which Whitman found inspiring.  I particularly enjoyed the description of how he collected a few sheets of paper, securing them with a ribbon, to make his own tiny little notebooks.  

Working as a printer, Whitman began to write poetry, but unlike the current poetry of his day, his poetry was free, unmetered and boundless in scope and imagination.  He wrote of his beautiful America: open, spacious and robust, and he wrote of himself (Song of Myself, Leaves of Grass) and the ordinary heroes he saw within that sweeping country.  

In the second half of the book, Whitman's own story intersects with one of the most gripping American stories, that of the Civil War.  And it intersects in a way that is quite personal, beginning with his frantic search for his younger brother, a soldier for the Union army who was wounded.  After a heartfelt reunion with his brother, Whitman found himself anchored to those men who were wounded and dying in hospitals during the Civil War.  His compassion and care of those wounded knew no boundaries; he tended them all regardless of their color, rank, or their Union or Confederate alliance.

With each life lost, Walt mourned.  Unable to leave those fallen soldiers that were dying, Walt often chose to stay by their side late into the night just so they would not have to die alone.  A letter written to the Haskell family after Walt sat with their mortally wounded son, Erastus, as he died, conveys the depth of his heart when it came to these dying men:

...I write to you this letter, because I would do something at least in his memory...He is one of the thousands of our unknown American young men in the ranks about whom there is no record or fame, no fuss made about their dying so unknown, but I find in them the real precious and royal ones of this land...

During the Civil War, Walt Whitman worked and lived in Washington D.C., and often passed by President Abraham Lincoln who was out riding in the mornings.  The war weighed heavily on both of these men, and it seems that Walt could see in the president's eyes the depth in which it affected him.  He saw "Lincoln as a captain, guiding his ship through troubled waters, and wrote in his notebook:

'...his face and manner...are inexpressibly sweet...I love the President personally.'"

Five days after the end of the Civil War, Walt was stunned to hear of President Lincoln's assassination.  Hearkening back to his memories of the war, the tumult, the suffering, and the burdened but resolute heart of the man who would lead the country through those dark days, Walt penned one of his most haunting and memorable poems offering his own tribute to Lincoln:

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, 

The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.  

I found this picture book to be most touching as well as realistic as it conveyed the historical events of Walt Whitman's life.  The book includes a smattering of his poetry, but if you are at all familiar with Whitman's poetry you know it's very long, so some of the poetry included are excerpts.  

The author's writing is engaging and deeply stirring, an excellent match for Brian Selznick's extraordinary and evocative illustrations.  So deeply touching!  You will not be able to read this book without entering in, in a sense, to some of the dark pain of the Civil War, the families that suffered, the compassion that was offered, as well as the joys and lightness Whitman felt as he embraced the openness, the vast rolling expanses of this country, penning them, line after line, in his poetry.

Walt Whitman is the poet we are studying as part of our third term of work and I found this book as I was searching for books to read in introducing the poetry of Walt Whitman.  What a treasure!  If you choose to continue studying Whitman and his poetry, I recommend the book we're using, Whitman: Poetry and Prose, edited by Justin Kaplan, the Library of America edition.  The Library of America edition is the most comprehensive edition of Whitman's vast poetry collection, containing both versions of Leaves of Grass that Whitman penned as well as his other books of poetry, including Drum-Taps, his collection of Civil War poetry. 

...I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,

I effuse my flesh in eddies and drift it in lacy jags.

I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love.

If you want me again look for me under your bootsoles...

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, from "Song of Myself"

For the Young Lady at the Bend in the Road

“…my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend…”
Anne of Green Gables, chapter 38

For my daughter's 8th grade year, I undertook a booklist with a different vision, one which had as its heart a feminine spirit.  This is that book list which for my daughter and I, represents a year full of cherished memories and delightful acquaintances.

Using the Anne of Green Gables books as its inspiration, this study provides for a young lady (of middle school/early high school) a booklist of direction and inspiration in developing in the many feminine virtues and domestic skills, so often belittled or eschewed in our current culture.  Toward this end, the booklist offers literature from the Victorian and Edwardian period that accompanies Anne most naturally: friends such as Jo and Beth from Little Women, and the poetry of Ms. Montgomery herself, which is such a strong and utterly delightful support in this study.  Following Anne through the books and through the year, my daughter found a quiet and very comfortable companion for "the bend in the road."  As Anne matures, her rich and ebullient life provide much for mother and daughter to discuss; it is a time to be cherished, and if you have not read these books yet dear reader, it is time to introduce yourself along with your daughter.

As the booklist naturally evolved, subjects connected themselves quite naturally so that this particular year looked more like a unit study if you are familiar with that style of learning.  The literature, the history, even the Botany which emphasized naturalists from the period, all spring from the same lovely time in which Anne found herself singing off those pages as Ms. Montgomery penned her.

In addition to books, many wonderful movies and programs are listed as a suggestion to be enjoyed alongside this plan (and it is understood that families will exercise prudence in choosing to view any movie listed).

As part of this study, an emphasis on developing virtues, each represented by a different flower, is presented using The Catholic Girls Guide by Father Lasance.  Additionally, reading from the lives of saints representative of the virtues discussed in Father's book is listed. References to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible are provided to further guide virtue development as well as apologetics of particular teachings pertaining to the virtues being studied.

The year and booklist seemed to ask quietly to be contained as flowers do, in a lovely way, fitting a young lady.  So, I organized it into baskets (and as you know, I do love baskets!) named for the flowers that Father Lasance offers as representatives of the virtues discussed in The Catholic Girl’s Guide.  Since I've been asked several times lately for these plans, I decided I'd post them here for you to see, enjoy, and perhaps they'll inspire a year of delight for your young lady.

Book List for the Bend in the Road - Year 1

Sunflower Basket
Ivy Basket
Peony Basket
Rose Basket

....and because the science, which focused on Botany for this year, is such a particular delight, I've decided to post those plans in a separate format in case you'd like to use them:

Botany & Natural History plans (suitable for a high school program)
Botany & Natural History booklist and resource list

With this booklist, I hope I've drawn out the best and loveliest from this period which might be suitable, even inspiring for a young lady, intentionally choosing to point out the good and beautiful while sharing Anne with my daughter as a companion throughout the year.

I hope you and your daughters will enjoy this study and that time spent at the "bend in the road" as my daughter and I have.  It has been two years since we completed this booklist and began to journey and look beyond that fascinating bend together, and we cherish our memories of the year.  I pray that in sharing it with you, it is as much a blessing as it has been for us.

Take the Challenge :: Go Clean Out a Drawer

I challenged myself to do one small thing: clean out my desk drawer.  I have one very useful desk drawer with my desk, and it had become a conglomeration of a mixed number of useless items layered in and amongst needed tools.  So....I emptied the drawer, sorted items, added back only what was needed, and challenged myself to organize with ONLY those little bins, boxes and tools I could find around my home, and put the drawer back together.  Much better!

I thought I'd share a few pictures....because a small thing like cleaning out a desk drawer can really be inspiring!  And it really does contain some of my favorite tools!

Post-it Notes.  What can I say?  I use them everywhere!  In planning, to leave myself notes on my planner, as book tabs.  Post-it notes have endless uses!  Here are a few of my favorite Post-it notes:

• Scroll Shape - I love these, and I've been using them everywhere.  These are the post-it's you see pictured in the foreground of the above picture.
• Label Pads
• Sticky Notes on Grid Paper
• Tab labels - blue and green, coral and yellow
• File Tabs
• Page Markers - goodness, I use these everywhere!
• Not a note, and not in my desk drawer...but ever so handy (and pretty) - the Post-It Pocket

Alright, before someone calls the Post-It Note intervention hotline, let's move on.  :)

• Book Darts - these were a gift one year and I really like using them.  They are especially useful in marking pages and catalogs that I might want to tuck into a bag or purse because of their diminutive profile.
• Corner-rounder Punch - mine is an old Creative Memories Punch and is hard to punch.  I really like the leverage and ease of use of the Martha Stewart punch. 
• Victorian Clips - VERY heavy duty clips and the little hole on the back allows me to hang them on a nail or hook to hold a large group of papers.  They're more useful around here than I would have ever thought!

• Bulldog clips - favorite multi-purpose clip (mine are x-acto, #2)
• Rubber bands and rulers - both indispensable
• Assorted thin masking tape in various colors and widths.  I've had these for years.  We use them for everything....including lines of demarcation on tables:

This is a good top down view of my desk drawer - LEFT SIDE:

And RIGHT SIDE:

• Stapler, hole punch, staple remover
• Little round container of random junk that ALWAYS seems to float in my drawer and now has a place to land.
• Various tapes (acid free transparent and double sided are always in my drawer)
• Highlighters
• Calculator
• Bone folder
• And those little brass items (5 of them) between the "random stuff" bowl and the staple remover....those are holy card holders! 

I use them to display a holy card on our feast table or my desk.  Very handy to have, and I picked them up at a Catholic book store years ago and have never been able to find them since.  If you know where to find holy card holders - please link in the comments!!!!  {Edited to add a link to the holy card holder! Thanks to a reader of mine, Lori, for seeing them and linking to them in the comments.  They're $1.00 for a holder at Leaflet Missal.}

Now.....don't laugh.....

• Individually wrapped alcohol wipe squares.  Just plain 'ol alcohol wipes.  You can pick these up very inexpensively the next time you're at the market - they're tucked away in the pharmacy section.  These are quite possibly the handiest tool to have in the home!  I keep a box in a drawer in my kitchen, several tucked in a small bag in my purse, and always have a stocked box in my learning room!  An alcohol wipe will do the following and more:
• Clean pencil and pen marks off of virtually any surface
• Clean crayon marks
• If you get to it fast enough, it will remove Sharpie marker from a surface...but you have to be fast.  I'm just sayin'. 
• Remove sticky residue - my sworn enemy
• Disinfect and clean a glass microscope slide
• Clean your laptop keyboard, kindle keypad, any keyboard/pad....and especially that little trackpad where icky-fruit-snack-fingers have been cruising.
• Clean a hand lens/magnifying glass
• Clean the backside of a dusty CD or DVD
• Remove residue from a dry erase board (only in a small place with the little alcohol square, but a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a paper towel will clean your dry erase board to sparkling-fresh-newness!)
• Cleaning the residue and gunk left on scissor blades thus rendering them ineffective, blunt and frustrating - just {carefully!!!} wipe with an alcohol wipe and voila!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little tour of my clean desk drawer!  I used non-slip shelf liner to line my drawer, and it is such a help in keeping things from sliding around!!!  I found a stash of it with my husband's garage tools.  Isn't he generous with me?  :)  I wish it were a prettier color besides....black.  Mental note: I must speak to my husband about prettier color choices in his garage!  Where is the turquoise?  The coral?  Heck, I'd be happy with white!  But, I did challenge myself to use what I had - so....black it is.  :)

This little clean-up and re-org took me a grand total of 30 minutes from dump to closing the drawer!  I'm challenging you!  Pick one drawer today and go clean it out and re-organize it!  Use only those things around your home to help you organize.  It's a little thing, completely do-able, and very refreshing!


Happy drawer tidying!  :)

Toward the Sciences: Considering the Lilies and Setting Their Feet In a Very Large Room

I'm often asked, "How do you DO science in your home?  Especially in the early years?  What do you use?"  I can certainly tell you what we enjoy, and give you some ideas, but it may not be the tidy, wrapped-in-a-bow package you're looking for.  

"The child who sees his mother with reverent touch lift an early snowdrop to her lips, learns a higher lesson than the 'print-books' can teach.  Years hence, when the children are old enough to understand that science itself is in a sense sacred and demands some sacrifices, all the 'common information' they have been gathering until then, and the habits of observation they have acquired, will form a capital groundwork for a scientific education.  In the meantime, let them consider the lilies of the field and the fowls of the air."  (Charlotte Mason, Home Education, Vol 1, p. 63)

Science in our home is very natural, both in topic and approach.

We read, 

wonder,

observe,

ask questions, 
and explore.  

That's our syllabus!  That's our scope and sequence!  From the early years through high school. {Although the sciences in high school do begin to take on more depth, we continue to approach it in much the same way - reading, wondering, exploring.  If you're interested, you can take a look at our high school Biology notes on our blog.}

Oh dear!  I hear your panic-filled thoughts:

Is that enough?  {Yes}

Do they learn anything?  {Oh my, yes!}

How do you know what to cover?  {I set their feet in a very large room - all of God's magnificent creation.}

Let's sit down with a cup of tea and chat about nature study: share resources, follow us for a day through our science time, and share some ideas for beginning gently and simply.

Resources:

May I suggest a few resources for you?  These resources are my go-to resources for inspiration and information, and will provide a great understanding of Charlotte Mason's ideas for the importance of nature study {and really, the value of nature study cannot be understated} which lays a rich and varied foundation for investigating the sciences in later years.  Perhaps something here would be something for you to consider:

• Hours in the Out-of-Doors by Charlotte Mason, compiled by Simply Charlotte Mason - This book is really just a collection of quotes that are applicable to Nature Study, but what Simply Charlotte Mason has done is spare you the difficulty of looking all of these up in her 6 volumes.  The quotes are grouped according to topic, and really are an excellent vision of nature study, and its importance in undergirding the sciences.  
• Science Scope by Kathryn Stout - While I wouldn't say this resource is necessary, it certainly is a great help for the homeschooling mom that would like help in recording science topics covered, and science topics that need to be covered.  The book is easy to understand, simple and straightforward, and covers all the topics of the branches of science, noting the appropriate age/grade for covering a particular topic.  It's one of those books that I really like because you can put it to use the minute you open the cover - you won't have to read for two hours to get a sense of the book!  What I like about the book is that it assumes that topics will be covered again and again, much as one does in a home education setting, with each recurring introduction of a topic going a little deeper than before.  Provided in the back of the book is a very easy-to-use checklist chart for keeping track of subjects that have been introduced.  I make a copy of the chart for each of my children and keep it in my home education notebook under each of their tabs.  Then, every few weeks, I go through the chart and check the topics the child has read about.  It's a really good way to record topic coverage for each child in science. 

• Eve Anderson's Teacher Training Tools {Nature Study edition} - This is a DVD which can be purchased alone or as part of a 3 volume set.  {The 3 volume set also includes Picture Study and Narration.}  These DVD's, which offer Eve Anderson's insight, are immensely helpful if you are implementing a Charlotte Mason education in your home.  
• Reader's Digest: North American Wildlife (pictured below in this post) - If I needed a field guide and had limited space and just needed one, basic, good book to get started, this would be it.  It covers animals, plants, insects, wildflowers, trees.  The images are wonderful, quality detailed illustrations, and there is just enough information to learn a little about the object you may be looking up.  {Note: there is an updated version of this book, but the updated version is the same as the edition I linked to, save a different dustcover.  Save yourself a little money and purchase the older edition, used!}
• Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock - This is a standard in Charlotte Mason homes, and it's easy to see why.  It just contains so much information about the natural world!  Different homes probably use this in different ways, and there may be some of you that really wouldn't find this useful in your home so consider it carefully.  {Images are black and white} I'm mentioning it because it has been on our shelf from the beginning and we often look things up in it.  We use it as a reference book mostly, and really enjoy the poetry that is often included with objects.  Be sure to check out the Handbook of Nature Study blog - what a treasure of ideas and helps for approaching nature study.
• Nature Friend Magazine - We've had a subscription to this magazine for 9 years.  That about says it all, doesn't it?  Whether you homeschool or not, do consider this magazine.  You and your children will delight in reading it together, sans advertisements.  If you have older children (10+), consider the optional study guides that come with the magazine.  I don't think the study guides are useful for littler ones, who do enjoy the articles and reading from Nature Friend, but they're fantastic for older children!

Here are a few posts I've written chatting about our favorite living science: 

• The Way Things Work: Boy Meets Machine - still one of our favorite science years ever!  
• Learning About Ducks....and Discovering Smithsonian's Backyard
• Elementary Living Science Resource - the Glenn Blough books illustrated by Jeanne Bendick (favorites!  We're reading through this series this year for 2nd grade science and are delighting in the books and ideas to explore!)

A Day in the Life:
Would you like to see a day of science unfold?  There was nothing extraordinary about this day - it played out very naturally.  The only thing "planned" was to read 2 - 4 pages in our current science living book,  Wait For the Sunshine.

After reading about the underside of a leaf, Peanut wanted to see the little openings on the bottom of a leaf.  He wondered if he'd be able to see them.  It's winter here....so we're a little short on fresh, green leaves.  I got out our basket of nature treasures which always contains a few leaves the children have collected and we flipped one over and took a look.

And he saw them!  There they were!  Just like our picture book said!  It was a thrilling discovery, and he made it all by himself!  We read about it, and he wondered aloud, asked a question, and then we explored.  And there it was!  Connection!  All his to claim!

It didn't take long for my science passionate kid to pick up on the fact that we were looking at things with our little pocket microscopes so he sauntered into the kitchen, too.  Both boys were so thrilled with the mysterious small world they could see through their microscopes, they started pulling random objects out of the nature basket to inspect.

Like this Aristolochia Swallowtail butterfly we found in our garden last summer.  The detail and pigment of his wings was extraordinary to see through our pocket microscope.

Pictured under our butterfly {above} is the Readers Digest North American Wildlife book I mentioned to you above in the resource suggestions.  I wanted you to be able to see an example of the detailed illustrations.  This is the book we used to identify our butterfly.

And the boys really enjoyed looking at the structure of this object under their mini-microscope.  This is a Praying Mantis egg sac - an oothecas.  Each fall, the female praying mantis secretes this papery substance in a bell shape on a twig somewhere and inside it she deposits hundreds of little praying mantis eggs.  In the spring, they hatch and dangle down in long strands.  We can find these all over our gardens and woods.  If you spot one, liberate the twig that is holding the oothecas from its bush and bring the twig somewhere near a window you watch regularly.  If you watch closely in the spring, as the days begin to warm, one day you may see hundreds and hundreds of little mantis hatching!  It's an amazing sight.  DO NOT bring the oothecas in your house if you find one.....lest you have hundreds and hundreds of baby mantis hatching in your home!

A quick word about our pocket microscopes: we have two Carson MicroBrite Pocket Microscopes (also available at my favorite store: Lee Valley). These are very inexpensive little tools, but so worthwhile in your nature study stash!

The pocket microscopes were a Christmas gift to the kids, and are used frequently here.  They are sturdy little scopes, easy to hold and operate, and give an amazing visual quality image!  No blurriness or frustration because you can't see something clearly.  They're quite small and take up hardly any real estate on a shelf, or in a bag if you're taking them out in the field.  This little tool is fantastic!  There is a small light in the scope that illuminates the object for better viewing, and the scope even allows you to fine tune the focus.  If your science budget is tight, and you'd like a microscope, but can't choose, and can't really afford one....spend $10 on this little item!  You'll be able to magnify between 20x-40x, which is really quite amazing and perfect for young naturalists!  The pocket microscope comes with a handy little stand {which also doubles as a foundation for viewing a slide} so that they can sit on your nature study shelf to be at the ready when an object is in need of closer inspection.  

Taking a Nature Walk:

Really, my friends....you do not have to be a botanist or a trained naturalist to enjoy a nature walk.  {But you will become a naturalist if you walk in the out-of-doors enough!}  Don't overthink this!  Just let yourself be a child again, look at nature as a child - with wonder!  Walk outside....in your own yard, around your own gardens.  Enjoy the delights of God's awesome creation.  Ask questions and let them linger without answers if necessary (this really is ok!).  Observe...really look at that little creature, or the way that plant twists up from the ground.  Learn to look for answers in a few good resources on your shelves.  Here are a few simple ideas to get started:

{and just to show you that you don't need a professional camera....I give you the ever-portable option....the phone.  All of the following pictures were taken with my iphone!}

• Try to walk once a week

• Walk primarily in your yard, neighborhood, gardens, or woods.  Many people think they need to go on a full fledged hike to call it a "nature walk".  Not so!  Your humble flower beds will provide an abundance for you to study!  Take occasional hikes to special places, but enjoy the ordinary spaces around your home!
• Get to know the seasons!  Adopt a tree or even a bush, and make seasonal visits to it.  Sketch it.  Observe the seasonal changes.

• Create an inviting yard and garden that wildlife will want to visit.  A wonderful book for learning more about this is Bill Merilees' Attracting Backyard Wildlife: A Guide For Nature Lovers.
• Don't become encumbered in deciding what to bring, or how to carry it all....just bring water, and your camera, and enjoy.

• Give yourself permission to walk without an agenda!  You don't need a lesson plan or outline for this.  Just go outside!  Challenge yourself to see something unusual, something new.  A treasure!
• Get to know your birds!

In considering the lilies, we model the skills needed to observe, ask questions, experiment, understand, and explore in more formal ways in the sciences.  We set their feet in a very large room....

"We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. 'Thou has set my feet in a large room,'(Psalm 31:8) should be the glad cry of every intelligent soul."  (Charlotte Mason, Volume 3, p. 170)