Gettysburg Field Trip

Last Friday (which seems like eons ago what with the craziness of this week's storm!), Benjamin and I went on a field trip to Gettysburg, PA.  We had planned this trip for awhile with my sisters and their home schooled children.  Both of my sisters live overseas most of the time, so cramming U.S. History information and trips was a priority for them these last several months.  I happen to love visiting Gettysburg, but had not been there since the new visitor's center was completed.  So I was more than happy to introduce Benjamin to the Battle of Gettysburg.

After a quick stop for breakfast, we started our day at the new Visitor's Center and Museum.  It was AWESOME!  The movie they show was fantastic...so well done.  It prepared you perfectly for the layout of the museum and what you were going to experience as you walked through the labyrinth of exhibits.  From the movie we went to the Cyclorama of Pickett's Charge.  If you have never seen this, it is so worth the trip!  There are only two of these 360 degree paintings left in our country.  They used to travel with these paintings around the country before motion pictures and television in order to show people the scenes of famous battles and such.  That in and of itself was an education for our kiddos!

Since the battlefield at Gettysburg is part of a national park, we took advantage of the Junior Ranger program and Benjamin and I worked through several of the activities in the booklet we were given to help him learn the basics of the battle and life in the 1860's.  I think I get more excited about the Junior Ranger activities then Benjamin!  (It's the teacher in me!)  The booklet was geared to match the new museum and its layout perfectly.  We went through each day of the battle and looked for various items in the displays.  I learned a lot of interesting, new information.  The quantity of artifacts they have is quite astounding.  I was very impressed at how they really tried to help visitors see the faces behind the battle.  There were real people with real lives and real families who fought and died on the picturesque fields of Gettysburg those first three days of July, 1863.

After the museum and Visitor's Center, we ate a quick lunch, then headed to the wax museum where we caught our 1930's Ford Tour Car for the Kids' Tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield.  Our guide was fantastic, stopping here and there to share some "behind the scenes" tidbits for the kids...and the adults! He took us through the battlefield chronologically, which was great for the kids since we had just been through the museum which was set up chronologically.  Prior to leaving the wax museum for the tour, he also taught the kids about muskets and the nine steps to loading and shooting them.  It was amazing to think that the soldiers could shoot those three times in a minute given how difficult it was!

When we returned from our tour (2 1/2 hours...well worth it!) we took a quick trip to the cemetery where Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address.  All of the cousins know that we are related to Abraham Lincoln (actually one of his brothers) so they have a strong affinity for our 16th president.  The day was coming to an end as we quietly walked through the cemetery, looking at the hundreds of headstones representing men and women who gave their lives for our freedom throughout the history of our great nation.

I was struck again by all of the "Unknown" engravings on headstones in the section of the cemetery dedicated to those who fought and died in the Battle of Gettysburg.  Each one of them represents a family who never learned the fate of their loved one.  I can't even imagine that.

Benjamin and I parted ways with my sisters after the cemetery and headed home.  We debriefed a little in the car, and I was happy with what Benjamin had taken from the day.  His favorite part was roaming the rocky terrain of Little Round Top, darting in and out from behind the boulders which would have shielded the Union forces on that fateful second day of battle.  The views from there were amazing last week.  I heard one guide share with his group how the whole battlefield could be seen from that vantage point.  Left undefended or taken in battle by the Confederates, the outcome of the Civil War would have been very different had the Union forces not held that hill.  A sobering thought...

I couldn't help but think about the historic times in which we live today, and how we are on the eve of a very important election which has the potential of determining the future fate of our great land as I revisited the life and times leading up to the Great Civil War.  Of course a lot has changed since then, but in other ways, I can't help but feel that we have not learned the lessons that we should have as a nation.  I can only hope and pray that, in the words of President Lincoln, those "dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

God Bless America!

P.S.  You can check out my sister's post on our trip here:  http://www.garcias2chile.blogspot.com/2012/10/gettysburg.html

First Day of School

Monday was our first day of school around these here parts.  Even my ninth grader (sort of) humored me by holding a sign with his grade for the year.  Of course he then needed his "cool" photo, too.  Sophia technically started her preschool back in January, but a new year started earlier this month, so we tried to get her in on the photo action.  She didn't cooperate too well for Daddy, but later was content to push her sign around in her grocery cart...whatever works!

I am homeschooling Benjamin and Nathaniel, and so far we have completed a full five days, getting everything done that I had planned.  That's an accomplishment around here!  Sabastian is attending Blue Mountain Christian School again this year and is excited about being in high school (I think!).  Not pictured is Jonathan who is technically a senior this year, but is currently working until some issues are worked out regarding his schooling and such for the year.  So, there you have it...here's to a successful year of school!!

2012-13 Home School Curricula

On a field trip to a coal mine a bit north of where we live.

This year I officially began homeschooling my first grade son, Benjamin.  One of my reasons for homeschooling was the flexibility if offered, and we have definitely taken advantage of that this year as we had many appointment for Sophia and other things that have cropped up.  We used Five in a Row materials for the first part of the year which uses a piece of children's literature as a springboard for all other subjects.  In addition, we used Horizon Math materials for a more systematic grade level approach to math.  Halfway through the year, Benjamin began receiving some tutoring in reading to help supplement and ease our frustration with each other over the subject (even though I am a certified reading specialist, go figure!).  He now sees himself as a reader and is doing much better, and I didn't have to fight him over it.  Works for me!

I have spent this past year investigating other curricula and thinking through what else I want to use to teach my children as we progress forward.  Next year I will have Benjamin in grade 2 and Nathaniel officially in Pre-K/K.  Today I took the plunge and made some decisions and purchases, and I am very excited to receive my new materials and get planning!  I have also decided to continue homeschooling over the summer months, just not as rigidly, so that we can take breaks here and there at other times of the year and also to keep our routine going.  So, here is what I have come up with:

Math - Horizons Math 2 (Benjamin) and Horizons Math K (Nathaniel) from Alpha and Omega Publications
Spelling - All About Spelling Level 1 from All About Learning Press (Both boys...it will be review for Benjamin, and new for Nathaniel...I will continue with Level 2 for Benjamin at some point in the year.)
Grammar - First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind, Levels 1 & 2 (Benjamin only)
Reading - Five in a Row (Both boys); Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K (Nathaniel); guided reading with leveled books (Benjamin and eventually Nathaniel)
Writing - Write Shop Primary (Benjamin and eventually Nathaniel); Kid Writing (Nathaniel)
Science - God's Design for Science from Answers in Genesis (Both boys)
Social Studies/History - Unit Studies based on holidays/interest; The Mystery of History, Vol. 1:  Creation to Resurrection (Both boys)
Foreign Language - Hooked on Spanish (Both boys)
Keyboarding - Typing Instructor for Kids (Benjamin first, then Nathaniel)

Additionally, we LOVE field trips, and we will participate in a home school Art class and sports locally.  Now that I type it all out, it sounds very ambitious, but I think it will be fun.  I am definitely not going to be doing every subject every day, but with a nice menu of choices, I will have plenty to work with.  Let me know what you think!!

Homeschooling Benjamin

This year I am homeschooling Benjamin for First Grade.  We have been going for almost a month now, and, for the most part, we are having a lot of fun.  We have set up shop in our dining room area, where we usually work together at the table, but Benjamin also has his own desk area, which he loves to use.

We have been using Five in a Row materials which consist of reading a picture book for five days in a row, and doing all kinds of other curricular activities that piggyback off of the book.  Additionally, we use Horizons math from Alpha and Omega, and Benjamin's Word of Life Quiet Time and memory verses for Bible.  I throw in a lot of odds and ends from my years of teaching, too, so it is quite eclectic.  This is the map we hung on the dining room wall to use of geography and also to map the settings of the stories that we read.

I have also been doing some little workbooks on basic skills with Nathaniel each day, as he never wants to be left out!  He enjoys listening to our stories, too, and is gaining a lot by just being around when I work with Benjamin.  Sophia usually occupies herself, but when she gets bored, she makes enough noise to let us know!  All in all, it has been a good experience thus far.  Benjamin is a little sponge right now, so when he gets interested in something we touch on, we can take the time to investigate it further.  Last week it was electricity, and the week before was Paris, France.  Who knows what it will be this week!  That's the fun of homeschooling!!

I'm Baaaack!

It's been four months since I took a break from blogging on this family blog.  I guess it's time to catch everyone up on our family's happenings.  Here's the bulleted version:

• The end of May Benjamin graduated from Kindergarten, and I finished my second year of teaching K5 at Blue Mountain Christian School.

• On June 9, Dave and I left for Taiwan to adopt our daughter, Sophia Elizabeth Chia-Lin Fisher!  After almost three years of waiting and praying, we finally met our daughter and began a new chapter in her life and ours!  (You can catch up on all those happenings at my other blog, Our Silk Road.)

• Since March, Dave had been commuting to Indiana for a new job.  We were scheduled to move there the end of July in order for our older boys to begin school.  Two weeks before our move, we found out that Dave's company changed their mind--we weren't moving after all!  Time to unpack the boxes and resettle in our Jonestown home!
• Due to the impending move, we didn't really take any vacation time this summer as a family.  Hopefully we will get around to that next year...I could use a vacation after this crazy year!
• The end of August brought Hurricane Irene and the beginning of the school year.  This year Jonathan is a Junior at the Northern Lebanon High School and is studying carpentry at the Lebanon Career and Technology Center.  Sabastian is in 8th grade at Blue Mountain Christian School and enjoying being back with his friends.  Benjamin is being homeschooled by Yours Truly for 1st grade...we are having a blast!  Nathaniel and Sophia, both 3 1/2 years old, are along for the ride.  My days are full!

I'm sure I've forgotten something in the craziness of the last four months, but there's a synopsis to catch everyone up!  I will attempt to post some fun photos from the summer soon...Happy Fall, Ya'll!!