5 Suреr Quаlitiеѕ Mаth Tеасhеrѕ Shоuld Have

Considering Becoming a Math Teacher?

Hey homeschoolers, what will you become? Deciding you want to teach is an easy decision, but what should you teach? What are your best qualities? What is your favorite subject? If you're considering become a math teacher, consider these qualities that every math teacher should have.

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Studеntѕ аrе ѕеriоuѕlу influenced bу thе ԛuаlitу оf thеir tеасhеrѕ. Nоt оnlу dо thеу intеrасt with tеасhеrѕ еvеrу dау in thе сlаѕѕrооm, but thе ԛuаlitу оf thаt intеrасtiоn mаttеrѕ fоr ѕtudеntѕ’ futures. It hаѕ bееn оbѕеrvеd thаt thе diffеrеnсе bеtwееn a gооd аnd a bаd tеасhеr саn bе a full lеvеl оf ѕtudеnt асhiеvеmеnt in a ѕinglе ѕсhооl уеаr.

Hоwеvеr, оnе thing thаt rеmаinѕ unchanged iѕ thаt all gооd math tеасhеrѕ hаvе сеrtаin ѕuреr ԛuаlitiеѕ thаt diѕtinguiѕh thеm frоm оthеr teachers. Thеѕе ѕuреr ԛuаlitiеѕ mаkе thеse teachers рrоduсе еxсеllеnt rеѕultѕ nоt only fоr thеir ѕtudеntѕ but аlѕо fоr thеmѕеlvеѕ. Thе fоllоwing are thе fivе ѕuреr ԛuаlitiеѕ a gооd math tеасhеr ѕhоuld hаvе.

5 Super Qualities of a Good Math Teacher

• Exсеllеnt Knоwlеdgе Of Mаthеmаtiсѕ 

A gооd math tеасhеr is оnе with аn еxtеnѕivе undеrѕtаnding of mathematics. Hаving undеrgоnе a thоrоugh trаining рrосеѕѕ in a rесоgnizеd inѕtitutiоn of higher learning whеrе thеу асԛuirе thе knоwlеdgе аnd ѕkillѕ rеԛuirеd tо tеасh ѕtudеntѕ еffесtivеlу, which inсludеѕ knоwlеdgе оf аrithmеtiс, gеоmеtrу, аlgеbrа, ѕtаtiѕtiсѕ аnd саlсuluѕ. Thе еxсеllеnt knоwlеdgе they get from thеѕе inѕtitutiоnѕ givеѕ thеm thе соnfidеnсе tо еxрlаin сlеаrlу аll thе mаthеmаtiсаl соnсерtѕ tо their ѕtudеntѕ аnd ѕоlvе еԛuаtiоnѕ еаѕilу. Gооd math tеасhеrѕ dо nоt соnѕult аnѕwеrѕ аt thе bасk оf thе tеасhеr’ѕ guidе bооklеt. Thеу hаvе аll thе solutions аt their fingеrtiрѕ аnd саn hеlр ѕtudеntѕ ѕоlvе рrоblеmѕ immеdiаtеlу.

Bоth рrоgrеѕѕivе аnd соnѕеrvаtivе еduсаtоrѕ ѕреаk about thе imроrtаnсе оf undеrѕtаnding thе соntеnt. Thеу emphasize the imроrtаnсе оf knоwing the ѕubjесt уоu teach. Evеrуоnе аgrееѕ that gооd teachers роѕѕеѕѕ a ѕоlid соmmаnd of соntеnt, whеthеr thеir еxреrtiѕе liеѕ in thе knowledge оf rеаding in thе еаrlу еlеmеntаrу grаdеѕ оr a ѕеriоuѕ соmmаnd оf mathematics аt thе high ѕсhооl lеvеl.

• Diffеrеnt Teaching Strаtеgiеѕ 

Studеntѕ lеаrn in divеrѕе mаnnеrѕ, аnd a gооd mаth tеасhеr knоwѕ thаt. A gооd math tеасhеr kеерѕ uр with the bеѕt рrасtiсеѕ in mаth еduсаtiоn and rеgulаrlу inсоrроrаtеѕ thеm intо his inѕtruсtiоn tо hеlр аll оf his ѕtudеntѕ learn. Hе аlѕо undеrѕtаndѕ thеrе mау bе multiрlе wауѕ tо ѕоlvе рrоblеmѕ аnd uses thоѕе аltеrnаtе ѕtrаtеgiеѕ tо hеlр struggling ѕtudеntѕ grаѕр difficult соnсерtѕ. Hiѕ lеѕѕоn рlаnѕ еngаgе ѕtudеntѕ аnd hеlр thеm fееl соnfidеnt in thеir mathematical аbilitiеѕ.

A gооd math tеасhеr uѕеѕ a vаriеtу оf tеасhing strategies that they fееl comfortable with; within thе ѕаmе ѕсhооl, уоu'll find diffеrеnt tеасhеrѕ gеtting еxсеllеnt rеѕultѕ uѕing ѕuсh ѕtrаtеgiеѕ such аѕ mini-lectures, аnd intеrасtivе lесturеѕ, соореrаtivе grоuрѕ, рrоblеm-bаѕеd learning, аnd multiрlе intеlligеnсеѕ аррrоасh. Nо ѕinglе tеасhing ѕtrаtеgу оr method wоrkѕ bеѕt fоr еvеrу tеасhеr with every ѕtudеnt.

We knоw, hоwеvеr, thаt rеѕеаrсh аnd еxреriеnсе ѕtrоnglу ѕuрроrt ѕоmе tеасhing ѕtrаtеgiеѕ оvеr others. Gооd math tеасhеrѕ ѕеlесt frоm thе ѕtrаtеgiеѕ thаt аrе wеll rеѕеаrсhеd аnd widely рrасticеd аt thеir grаdе lеvеl оr within thеir ѕubjесt аrеа аnd bесоmе аn еxреrt in thоѕе thаt fit thеir style аnd thе requirements оf thеir ѕtudеntѕ аt thаt time.

• Cоnѕtаntlу Learning Nеw Tесhniԛuеѕ 

Gооd math tеасhеrs knоw thаt thеу аrе nоt реrfесt. Thаt iѕ why thеу rеgulаrlу rеаd nеw mаtеriаlѕ, аttеnd wоrkѕhорѕ tо uрdаtе thеir knоwlеdgе bаѕе. Thеу аlѕо еnrоll fоr аdditiоnаl соurѕеѕ in thеir areas оf ѕресiаlitу tо bеttеr thеmѕеlvеѕ аnd gаin mоrе confidence in thе сlаѕѕrооm. Onсе a gооd tеасhеr lеаrnѕ аbоut a nеw mаthеmаtiсаl соnсерt, hе lеtѕ all thе ѕtudеntѕ knоw аbоut it, lеаding tо еffесtivе lеаrning аnd bеttеr grades.

• Gооd Mоtivаtоr 

Gооd math tеасhеrs knоw thаt students hаvе diffеrеnt intеrеѕtѕ. Thеrеfоrе, thеу соmе uр with рrоgrаmѕ thаt idеntifу with thе ѕtudеntѕ’ ѕоurсе оf mоtivаtiоn. Fоr еxаmрlе, thеу mау mоtivаtе ѕtudеntѕ whо want tо bесоmе ассоuntаntѕ bу giving thеm mаthеmаtiсаl рrоblеmѕ rеlаtеd tо thеir аmbitiоnѕ. Thе ѕаmе аррliеѕ tо thоѕе whо wаnt tо bесоmе ѕсiеntiѕtѕ, еnginееrѕ, dосtоrѕ, еtс. Thеу also рrеvеnt thе ѕtudеntѕ frоm lоѕing intеrеѕt bу tаlking tо thеm оn a rеgulаr bаѕiѕ to hеlр thеm асԛuirе thе ѕkillѕ аррliсаblе in thе рrоfеѕѕiоn for which they аrе аѕрiring.

• Gооd Undеrѕtаnding Nаturе 

Pеrѕоnаlitу characteristics rеlаtеd tо bеing a соmраѕѕiоnаtе person аnd hаving a ѕеnѕitivitу tо ѕtudеnt diffеrеnсеѕ, раrtiсulаrlу with lеаrnеrѕ, iѕ аnоthеr rероrtеd ѕuреr ԛuаlitу оf smiletutor.sg mаthѕ tеасhеrs.

Undеrѕtаnding thе nаturе оf ѕtudеnt iѕ a broad саtеgоrу thаt inсоrроrаtеѕ knоwlеdgе оf thе соgnitivе, ѕосiаl аnd еmоtiоnаl dеvеlорmеnt оf ѕtudеntѕ. It inсludеѕ аn understanding оf hоw ѕtudеntѕ lеаrn аt a givеn dеvеlорmеntаl lеvеl, hоw lеаrning in a ѕресifiс ѕubjесt аrеа tурiсаllу рrоgrеѕѕеѕ like lеаrning рrоgrеѕѕiоnѕ оr trаjесtоriеѕ, аwаrеnеѕѕ thаt ѕtudеntѕ hаvе individuаl аbilitiеѕ аnd nееdѕ, аnd аn undеrѕtаnding thаt tеасhing ѕhоuld bе done tо mееt еасh ѕtudеnt’ѕ needs.

So, what do you think, homeschoolers? Are you ready to pursue a career as a math teacher?

Recommended Reading:

Online Homeschool Math Lessons from Kids Creative Chaos

Our favorite Math Curriculum: Life of Fred Math Books on Amazon

Summer Camp at Home Themes, Schedules, and Tips

Themes and Activities for Summer Camp at Home

Want to give kids the experience of a great summer camp? Whether you do summer camp for your neighborhood, for a church youth group, or your local community, these summer camp at home themes, schedules, and tips will help you create the best, most fun summer camp for kids from six to sixteen! 

Post contains affiliate links.

Work in a retirement village or nursing home? Activity directors can adapt the activities for any age group. The objective is fun! Our website is full of fun, free camp activities, circle time activities, and group games. If you want everything at your fingertips (or on your clipboard) grab a copy of any of the books in our companion book series. These books are designed to help you organize and create an amazing youth group program or a simple, summer camp at home. 

Each books stands alone or get all 3 books for an organized summer camp, after-school program, or extra activities for vacation bible school. 

Our latest book, "Summer Camp at Home Handbook" has a total of five weeks of camp themes and activities. Each week includes: songs to sing, science experiments, group games, art activities, and fun themed snacks. It also includes a welcome pledge, icebreaker game, filler activities, planning calendars, printable today's birthday poster, activity schedule, daily menu poster, registration forms with allergy and photo permission features, and sample letters and forms to create a professional, organized camp program. If you want to do a full-on community summer camp, the only thing you'll need to add is insurance. Some small programs forego insurance for waivers and good luck. It's a good idea to get a short-term summer insurance policy if you plan to include your neighborhood or others outside of your close circle of friends and family.

Do you need a license to operate summer camp? That depends on your city and state. Check with your local government agencies, especially the board of health. Many churches (depending on state laws) are exempt and do not require visits from board of health or other agencies. Often, if the campers are participating in the prep of food it falls under different rules than if you are providing snacks. This is why the Summer Camp at Home Handbook includes theme snack activities and edible art. An easy way to avoid any trouble is to only provide prepackaged snacks and beverages (stay away from milk.) At the least, always have parents sign waivers, waivers, waivers. They won't completely protect you if someone decides to sue, but they do give everyone a heads up and let everyone know you are thinking ahead. Always have parents sign field trip waivers (you can make one for the entirety of camp and list out all pre-planned activities.) Also, be sure you have records of food allergies, immunizations, and authorized pick up persons. Finally, be aware of your state's childcare laws which vary based on the age of children in your care. To play it safe (when doing summer camp at home,) don't have more than five children that are not related to you in each camp session and always have another adult or camp counselor 18+ at your side.

Another thing to consider is first aid and safety training. Staff should be trained to recognize child predators in all childcare, summer camp, youth group, and school settings. In today's world, you can never be too safe or too prepared. That being said, if you are simply doing summer camp at home for your family, close friends, or homeschool group, not all of these steps may be required. However, it's better to be safe than sorry. Make sure you run background checks on anyone that will be regularly helping with your program. That includes your parents, aunts, and older children! This is a safety precaution designed to protect you in case something comes up. In your letter to parents, mention that all adults working with children have undergone a background check. Your local government probably has a background check option on their website.

A big safety consideration is water. Children may find pools and nearby bodies of water enticing. Always, always, keep count of the children in your immediate care. A good rule of thumb is to count kids every 20 minutes. If you are on a field trip or involved in a hectic group game, count them every 15 minutes. If you plan to include swimming in your camp activities or have a pool in your backyard, be aware that special precautions are needed and insurance rates will be higher.

Are you ready to get started hosting your own summer camp at home? Great! You'll want to start with our book, Summer Camp Handbook. This book is full of everything you need for five weeks of awesome summer camp.

Summer Camp Weekly Themes:

• It's all Rainbows: Rainbow Trails Song, Rainbow Snacks, Leprechaun Rainbow Skit, Rainbow Science Activities (Color and Prisms), and Get Moving Games.

• Silly Spaghetti: On Top of Spaghetti Song, Crunchy Spaghetti Recipe, Spaghetti Strength Science, Spaghetti Relays, and lots more.

• Eat Worms: Herman the Worm Song, Worm Theme Snacks, Snakes vs. Worms Game, How to Build a Worm Farm, Slurpin' for Worms, and lots more Worm Theme Games and Activities.

• Do Monkey Around: The Monkey Song, Banana Snacks, Banana Experiments, and Get Moving Games for Monkeys.

• Sharks vs Chickens: Baby Shark Song, Chicken Feed Snack, Egg Science Experiments, Shark and Chicken Hats, and lots of Games to Play as Sharks and Chickens.

With a blank, printable monthly calendar included in each weekly camp theme chapter and extra filler activities in case of a time emergency, the Summer Camp at Home Handbook is an essential tool whether it's your very first summer camp program or you are a seasoned camp director. Don't wait any longer, get on your way to the best summer camp ever today!

Our companion books are also available on Amazon in 8 x 10 paperback book format. These books give you extra credit as a camp director or activities director. Get organized with our 365 Planner. This handbook includes printable planning calendars, daily journal space with shareable quote of the day for note taking and planning, printable lesson/activity planning sheets, birthday logs, printable today's birthday poster, menu and activity schedules, and more. 

The 365 Activity Planner Journal, is a great companion handbook to Summer Camp at Home. It's also a great classroom resource planning tool for teachers. Whether you make copies of the printables to reuse again and again, or cuddle up on the sofa with the book to journal your activities, this handbook will help keep all of your thoughts and ideas organized with the added benefit of motivational quotes to keep you going strong. Get your 365 Activity Planner Journal now by clicking on the image.

And, if you are looking for fun games to play in a circle setting check out our Circle Time Handbook. This book includes 39 of the best ever games kids love. Tried and true, we played all of these games in our camp and after-school programs. This book is ideal for teachers who need to fill in some transitional time, afterschoolers who want to have a daily group rap sessions, preschool programs who realize the importance of circle time group activities, and summer camp programs who need filler material for rest breaks and other down time.

Ready, Get Set, Go! You can get all 3 books for under $40 on Amazon. 

Recommended:

Circle Time Activities on the Blog

Games for Kids

Homeschool Lessons and Activities

Free on the Blog, 50 Group Games for Preschool

Caregivers and Educators, check out Lora's Recommendations on Amazon 

and Follow us on Instagram for more fun ideas for children.

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Editable Printable Curriculum

Free Printables, Free Royalty Free Clipart and Fonts? Yes, you can!

If you are looking for downloadable editable printables for the classroom check out TeacherSherpa. It is similar to Teachers Pay Teachers, but offers so much more. The printable curriculum is editable and fully customizable. Like TPT, there are free printable downloads available every month. Whether you are a teacher, a blogger, or a homeschool parent, you'll find awesome benefits on TeacherSherpa. The most amazing feature is that you can create your own printables to sell on TPT, earn royalties on TeacherSherpa, or even sell or giveaway on your own website. Enjoy!

At TeacherSherpa, you can make your own classroom materials and editable printables for free.

Educational Videos for Kids YouTube

Watch YouTube for School!

We like technology. Whenever possible, we use it to educate. One of our favorite sources for educational videos is YouTube! We also use Nextflix to find movies and documentaries, but YouTube has great educational videos for kids that are designed for classroom and homeschool use. We often share lesson plans with links to our favorite educational videos. So, here are the videos we make sure to include in our weekly curriculum. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience*

Our favorite Educational Videos for Kids YouTube.

We stumbled through a lot of poorly animated and lame educational videos before finding a set group of YouTubers to subcribe to. The one that sold us on YouTube educational videos for kids was the SciShow.

Subscribe Here: SciShow YouTube

Hank Green is the creator of the SciShow. They talk fast, but it is entertaining. Some say the SciShow isn't designed for kids. You'll all learn something new, that's for sure. I suggest it for tweens, teens, and adults. If you're concerned, have younger kids watch SciShow Kids.

While we were watching the SciShow, we noticed another guy who sounded and looked familiar. It is John Green, wondering where you've seen him? He's a famous author! Find more about him here: John Green.

John Green wrote The Fault in our Stars* and Paper Towns*, both of which were made into movies.

Note: John Green was born in Indiana. At the time of this post, he had moved back to the Indy area. (We're in Indiana too.)

Why is that important? Hank and John created Crash Course! These are our very favorite educational videos on YouTube.

You can watch a Crash Course in U.S. History or a Crash Course in Word History or Crash Course in almost anything. They are a very entertaining way to learn about history... quickly. Subscribe Here: Crash Course YouTube for the series of all Crash Course videos.

Here is episode one, but you don't have to watch them in order.

You can  watch a Crash Course in just about anything. Here is a Crash Course in Physics. They also have psychology courses.

For younger kids, we really like Songs of Animaniacs.

We are also big fans of Khan Academy on YouTube, but if you use it to homeschool, you'll want to go to their website. You can keep track of what you've learned and what grade level you've completed. Pretty cool. Khan Academy Lessons.

Nova is awesome for older kids, but on YouTube, you'll have to pay for it. You can find older episodes on some YouTuber's channels. Best bet, search for it on Netflix.

Here's another YouTuber, that is always creating new educational videos:

If you are like us and don't get cable, you might not be able to tune into your local PBS station. Never fear, PBS YouTube is here!

If you subscribe to Education TV channel, you'll find many of the Magic Shool Bus videos on YouTube!

Recommended:

Online Lessons and Curriculum

The Fault in our Stars*

Paper Towns*

Get our Group Games Printable Book

The Magic School Bus*

ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Online History Lessons: Curriculm, Printables, and Videos

History Online for Homeschool and Classroom Curriculum

Looking for a History Learning  Site? These online history lessons include videos, printable worksheets, and free online educational games. When planning your classroom or homeschool curriculum, check here for all of your lesson plan needs. We're always adding new online lessons for students so check back often. Enjoy!

Online History Lessons:Curriculm, Printables, and Videos.

• Abraham Lincoln Online Lesson
• Ameila Earhart Lesson
• President Benjamin Harrison Lessons
• Levi Coffin History of Underground Railroad
• Who was Christopher Columbus? Did he discover America?
• Country Studies: Afghanistan
• Country Studies: China
• Country Study: India
• Fair Trade Lesson
• Helen Keller Lesson Online
• Jackie Robinson Lesson
• Jimmy Carter Biography and Craft
• Martin Luther King Skit
• Make a craft to celebrate MLK Day
• President's Day Obama Activity 
• Rosa Parks History Lesson
• Treaty of Paris

Recommended:

History Books for Kids*

Language Arts Lessons Online

Homeschool Projects

ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! 

English Verb Conjugation Practice Lesson for Homeschool

English Lesson: Verb Conjugation Practice with focus on Irregular Verbs

Verbs. In American English, they are confounding! We learn that words end in "ed" and the we go changing it. How many times have you heard a child say, "He hitted me!". We teach to add "ed" and then we make so many exceptions! This lesson for homeschoolers (or anyone interested in learning the nuances of American English) focuses on irregular verbs. Scroll down for videos, practice lessons, and free online games to help with learning proper verb conjugation. Enjoy!

English Verb Conjugation Practice Lesson for Homeschool.

What is a verb? A verb is a word that describes action. How do verbs change to tell when the action happens? Did it happen in the past, present, or future? How do you know? 

Start with this game about verbs. It makes practicing verbs fun!

The best way to learn verb forms is to practice. What better way to practice than to play a game. The next online lesson for kids is suited for grade 3: Subject Verb Agreement by Turtle Diary.

Have you learned anything yet? Test your knowledge with this Google Doc: Verb Conjugation Practice Worksheet.

Try this Jeopardy Game about Verbs.

This VIDEO on Irregular Verb Tenses is very helpful. Grab your daily journal. As you watch, pause the video at the first word, and practice writing all the tenses. Press play to see how you did! It is a fun way to test yourself.

Why are some verbs irregular?

If you are a BrainPOP subscriber, watch this video on Irregular Verbs. Not a subscriber? Try these free lessons on verbs.

Now, test yourself with this verb tense online worksheet. Check your answers at the bottom of the page.

Find more verb games at FunBrain.com

Recommended:

208 Irregular Verbs Playing Cards with Secret Decoder*

Online Poetry Lesson

Homeschooling Lessons by Grade

15 Resources for Dr. Seuss Lesson Plans Elementary School and Homeschool

Lesson Plans for Elementary and Homeschool Dr. Seuss Curriculum

Celebrate Dr. Seuss' Birthday with Dr. Seuss Lesson Plans for Elementary and Homeschool. We've scoured the web, especially our favorite blogs and websites, for companion activities for. Dr. Seuss books. When is Dr. Seuss birthday? March 2. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links. Click and make a purchase and we get a commission.

Teacher Resources: Lesson Plans for Elementary and Homeschool Dr. Seuss Curriculum.

Dr Seuss Day Activities Teacher Resources

• Make a fake cake to celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday.
• In depth exploration of Dr. Seuss books for homeschool.
• Companion activities for Dr. Seuss books.
• Free printables for Dr. Seuss birthday.
• Daisy Head Mayzie Activities.
• Sue Snue Activities.
• Sneetches racism activity.
• Oh the Places You'll Go lesson plans.
• And to Think that I saw it on Mulberry Street lesson plans.
• Mulberry Street Coloring Page.
• Horton Hears a Who lessons.
• Free Weather Worksheets and Oobleck Printable Activities for Bartholomew and the Oobleck.
• Scientific exploration with Oobleck recipe with cornstarch.
• The Political Dr. Seuss from Independent Lens.
• Wondering when Read Across America is? Dr. Seuss' birthday, of course! March 2. Read Across America activities.

Recommended Reading:

Bartholomew and the Oobleck: (Caldecott Honor Book) (Classic Seuss)


And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street


Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Country Study Lesson for Homeschool or Teacher Curriculm: China

Teach about the Country of China in Non-Traditional Ways with your Homeschool Lessons

The world is always changing, but history is always history. For a recent history lesson or social studies or geography or art (we're homeschool, so we can call it all 4) we designed this lesson plan to teach about the country of China. We are very random in our curriculum planning and school in a fun, relaxed Montessori-style. Enjoy!

Culture: First, we ate a local Chinese restaurant where we saw some very inspiring pieces of wall art including these pandas and a Chinese Dragon.

We had to make one! There's your Art Lesson. Email lora@theplayconnection.com for free printable panda templates.

Chinese Wall Art with Pandas.

The pandas were a big hit! We bought all of our supplies at Dollar Tree. A beige placemat makes two backdrops when cut in half lengthwise. Just add felt and a twig to complete the look. See our template to trace and copy your panda and leaf shapes. I love how awesome our panda wall hanging turned out; it is giftable :)

You might also like: What Year is it for Chinese New Year?

You can also purchase our Panda Wall Art Kit for $2.50 plus postage and handling. The kit comes with felt, placemat, cardboard, and traceable templates. Want one? Drop a note to lora@theplayconnection.com we bill through Paypal only.

Then, we researched the Chinese flag and made our own out of construction paper. What does the Chinese flag look like? The Chinese flag is red with 5 yellow stars. Red is for the Communist Revolution and the yellow stars represent the unity of the Chinese people as a communist nation.

Chinese flag: The People's Republic of China.

Mayhem's interpretation of the Chinese flag with construction paper.

We searched Netflix to find some videos to use for our homeschool lesson. We found documentaries, but there are some cartoons for younger kids too.

Netflix Companion Movies

Feeding Time This Animal Planet video is for everyone. Cute animals eating their favorite foods in zoos. The Panda is adorable.

China's Terracotta Warriors This Secret's of the Dead episode focuses on Chinese history. We liked it because you can visit the Indianapolis Children's Museum (field trip) and see warrior statues exactly like these.

These Terracotta guys are coming to the Indianapolis Children's Museum in 2014. It is the only U.S. appearance, so plan your trip starting May 10.

Also find Wild China on Netflix. It is educational and beautiful, but it did not keep my kids' attention.

An Idiot Abroad Okay, this one isn't for everyone, it is rated TV 14, but we got a kick out of the visit to China, and it was actually educational. We learned a lot about Chinese culture. Definitely not for the classroom, I guess. Idiot isn't very politically correct, but the one episode I watched was just silly.

At the end of the day, my kids like to write a report. Yes, I'm for real... almost. They don't like to WRITE it, but they love to type it in a Google Doc and share it with me to show me what they learned or tell me about their favorite daily activity with an oral report. They are very competitive and rush to be the first to Google a fact about the topic. Then, they add images they find online as well. So, they aren't just getting a history, social studies, geography, and art lesson, they also practice language art skills, typing, and educational technology.

We also like to add a word of the day for each country we study. Learn the proper pronunciation, write it out, and share the meaning.

Recommended Reading:

Country Study Homeschool Lesson on Afghanistan

Grandma Panda's China Storybook: Legends, Traditions and Fun

Children Around the World

Flags of the World

Homeschool History Lesson: Levi Coffin House and the Underground Railroad Indiana

Take a Field Trip: Tour the History of the Underground Railroad and Levi Coffin in Richmond, Indiana

Our latest history homeschool adventure included a field trip to the historic, Levi Coffin House near Richmond, Indiana. It is said to be part of the Underground Railroad.

An eight-room, Federal-style, brick home near Richmond in Newport (Fountain City), Indiana became a safe haven to thousands of escaped slaves on their journey to Canada. The home of Levi and Catharine Coffin, North Carolina Quakers who opposed slavery quickly became the most well-known stop on the Underground Railroad.  During the 20 years they lived in Newport, the Coffins helped more than 2,000 slaves reach safety. Read More About it: Levi Coffin House

Learn about the Underground Railroad with a trip to Levi Coffin's Indiana home.

Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous story, Uncle Tom's Cabin is based on, "Eliza" one of the many slaves who hid in the Coffin home. Scholastic offers a great companion piece for an Underground Railroad Lesson. Myths of the Underground Railroad. A good story for younger children is Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky.

A story of the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman.

Nineteenth century wooden rocker cradle in the Levi Coffin house.

The tour guides at this historic site are very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Prepare to spend at least an hour learning the Coffin family history. On our visit, we were not prepared expecting only a quick walk through the house. Our little one (pictured above) was not up to the challenge. However, rather than becoming irritated at her outbursts the tour guide began speaking directly to her and encouraging participation by pointing out kid friendly historic facts and interesting artifacts like the horse hair poking out of the wall which was used to reinforce and bind the plaster.

Levi Coffin.

Two handled "shovel" for scooping grain.  A chore for children.

Sewing bird to help hold fabric.

Rocking bench with baby guard.

Iron handcuffs.

Stairs to the attic.

Catharine Coffin's Wardrobe.

Room where runaways (often children) spent the night.

Underground Railroad = Secret attic access slide bed over to hide the door.

Field Trip Ideas for the Underground Railroad

For older students, I encourage you to visit Conner Prairie's immersion history program, Follow the North Star in Indianapolis, Indiana. As an interpreter at Conner Prairie, I participated on both sides portraying a woman who helped runaways find their way to a nearby Quaker family and as a tour guide/runaway experiencing the journey first hand leading a group of runaways thru the prairie at night. Nothing will help your student understand the importance of this historical event like Follow the North Star.

Another great place to visit is The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Slavery Lesson Plans for Elementary and High School

Recommended Reading:

Black History Expressionist Artist Alma Thomas

Reminiscences of Levi Coffin

Who Was Harriet Tubman?

Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times, with 21 Activities (For Kids series)

Anime Art Lessons and Curriculum for Homeschool Elementary Cartoon Animation Keroro

Homeschool Elementary Art: How to draw Cartoon Animation

Allow your kids to watch cartoons on tv with sketch book. Here is our favorite anime character Keroro. The kids study the drawing style and copy it. Try different cartoons for different techniques.

Homeschool Art Lesson with Anime Cartoon Drawing and Keroro.

If your kids are like mine they love to watch cartoons. My kids love the obscure cartoons found on Netflix. One of their favorites (which is questionable if you pay close attention) is the Japanese Anime cartoon, Sergeant Frog or Keroro. For Wikipedia Description Click Here


He says lots of wacky stuff. Luckily, most of it is difficult to understand, and it rarely makes sense. I'm not advocating watching the program, but I am advocating allowing them to watch cartoons while working on an ART LESSON.

Sgt. Frog a.k.a Keroro

When I was a kid, I wanted to become a SPECIAL EFFECTS ARTIST.  My younger cousin wanted to become a VIDEO GAME DESIGNER both of us were shot down by parents, teachers, and principals. Who said things like, "Do you know how many people want to be that and how many people actually are?" or my favorite from my high school principal, "Well.. they told Johnny Cougar he'd never make it and he did, but still I don't think you should drop Band for more Art classes." Say what?