In preparation for this, I quickly made a form on the computer that just listed out different areas of study. Us perfectionists can easily spend hours creating the "perfect" form, and I didn't want making the form to take up all my time, so it's just super simple and I realized later that I had left off a couple things. But it just helps me to tie everything together for a week of study ~ such as what hands on activity to do that week, what science we hope to complete that week, if L and C will make timeline figures that week, any special books or activities for Little Man to do in kindergarten that week, etc.
This was my work area:
And this is the form I made. Click on the picture to enlarge if you want to see the details. I have to go through this stack again and add science and writing assignments, but I got all our history activities mapped out for half the year! This will help insure that the fun supplemental activities will actually be used, and the hands on activities will actually be done. Whoo-hoo!!!
I am amazed...and inspired. I opened up Year 2 to just take a glance and it overwhelmed me. I need to get moving though. We start the Tues. after Labor Day and it will be here before we know it!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know what center activities you thought of for Year 1. Or was that just center activities in general? You are inspiring me. When do you start? Are workboxes streamlining your school?
ReplyDeleteKathi ~ Year 2 was our first experience with TOG and I was completely overwhelmed when I opened the box too! Just keep plugging away a little at a time, and when it comes time, START even if you don't feel fully "ready". I guarantee TOG will bless your family and you will learn best how to tweak it for your family AS you use it!
ReplyDeleteBeth ~ We start August 23. Our virtual co-op is meeting for the first time on Sept 2 and will be discussing TOG weeks 1 and 2 combined on that day, so we have to start on Aug 23 to get all the required work in before Sept 2. The black table you see in the pictures that is currently my desk will, Lord willing, become our "center" table (I will get a new identical desk in the "new" area of our enlarged school room). I plan to alternate the center table between history activities, a science center, math center, and art center. Or perhaps a combination at one time! On my form I made this past week I just jotted down any history activities I had that could be a center activity that coordinated with that week of TOG. For instance, we have an Egypt dot to dot book, and a "Draw and Write through History" book that has some Egyptian figures in it to learn how to draw. Those would be great for a history/art center during the 3 weeks we spend on ancient Egypt. Some of the hands on activities suggested in TOG are simple enough that they could be center activities instead of teacher directed.
I am really excited to have one "center" this year, thanks to our school room enlargement, and be able to incorporate that into our workboxes. Each of the children will have a chance to visit the center table a couple/few times during the week (there will just be a card in one of their workboxes that says "center table" or something like that), and I plan to switch out the activities weekly.
In the new shelves that my desk is attached to on one side, I have several cubbies full of art and science activities waiting to use with this center this year.
Does that answer your questions?
The only thing that has overwhelmed me so far is that my Year 1 was a classic version and Year 2 is a redesigned version. There's so much more information in the redesigned! I did get past the need to "do it all" quickly during Year 1. I don't feel that guilt any more!
ReplyDeleteThat's a neat sheet. I will have to remember that when I go through and plan Year 1 Unit 1.
ReplyDelete