Homeschool Our Way...

After the first few years of homeschooling and trying to stick to the schedules and routine of different curriculum's, we have moved into a very eclectic style of homeschooling. We've used many different resources and methods from different curriculum's and styles of homeschool. We have tried just about everything. Which as busy as it made our homeschool at times, we have also learned what works and what does not work for our kids. I have also found that I have a hard time sticking to another's set schedule or curriculum plans. Call it the rebel in me, but I'm not the best at following rules or plans of another. So we have gone from a strict curriculum schedule to a Charlotte Mason style, to unschooling, to unit studies, and everything else in-between.

 In this journey of discovery, I have found that we do best with a unit study style of learning. Meaning, that we pick a topic or time in history and focus much of our attention on that topic. Wild Thing especially learns much better this way, since he typically hyper-focuses on one topic at a time anyway. I feel that when we are able to dig deeper into one area of study and not have to divide our attention into many other areas of study, the kids and I all learn a great deal more. Yes, I am learning right along with my kiddos.

In December we decided to start, in January, a unit study based on Colorado history, important people of Colorado's history, and mining in Colorado. I spent quite a bit of time researching the books at our library to see what we could use. I also planned out a few field trips that would go along with our unit study, and some hands-on activities as well. We will read through many of the books, or skim through them, and use any other resources we can come up with.  My mom even joined in and has begun the process of gathering items and planning for us all to build a model of an old mining town.

With such a great library system here, I was pleased at how many books I ended up finding for our unit. One of my favorite books so far is a book of photographs dating from the late 1800's to the early 1900's in Cripple Creek and Victor. It has some amazing old photos and writings explaining mining and life back then. It's great for the kids to be able to see these photos as the towns looked long ago so that when we travel there in a few weeks, they will be able to have a visual comparison of the town then and now. Another favorite so far is a book of important people in Colorado's history. It has just a few pages about each person, so instead of trying to pick one person to focus on this time we are learning little bits about many people.

Along with the books, I have been looking for some documentaries on mining and life during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. So far I have not found what I'm looking for but I have found a few short videos online about mining during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. Wild Thing also found a series on Netflix about gold mining in the Bering Sea. Which was interesting to watch, as I had never thought about mining from the sea floor. . This is the part I enjoy, where the kids are able to learn from so many resources; videos, fiction and non-fiction books, trips, internet, and even family members. True learning at it's best.

Along with building a model of an old mining town we will be taking a trip to a mining museum here in town. We will possibly re-visit the Ghost Town museum that is near by as well. Then, at some point we hope to sit down with my grandpa and great uncle who worked in a mine years ago, and listen to their stories and ask some questions. This will count not only for school history, but it will be a great lesson in family history as well.  In a month or two from now, we have plans to travel to Cripple Creek and enjoy a personal tour with a worker from one of the active mines.  A tour, I will add, that may include watching one of their mining explosions. We are all excited to see something, even if it is the side of a mountain, get blown up. Not that I'm all that happy with the mining process, but it is still part of  our life history and future and I think it would be good for the kids to really understand where some of our society's resources come from.

That, not in a nut shell, is a bit about our homeschool at the moment.
I did not intend on writing a book, but if you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed learning a little about our homeschool. I will post pictures soon of our different field trips and hands-on projects.