Thursday, November 10, 2011

Beyond Co-op: Sarah Plain and Tall #4

I have a new computer and will post a picture when I figure out how to do that.  For now, my things are still spread between 2 computers, but I'm trying to learn how to use the new one.  (Thankfully Christopher came over last night and helped me with a few things.  Not why he came over, but it was a nice side benefit.)

We had our last co-op with this wonderful book last month, and I wanted to post on it before too many more details slip my mind.  (Umm ... a little late for that though.  If any of you co-op friends are reading this, feel free to add in details that I have missed.)

We started with a devotion and then had a lesson on leaf/tree identification.  I have been to so many of these classes over the years and yet I still have so much to learn!  I never fail to learn something new from each of them.  This was an excellent presentation!  Don't you just love this beautiful display?!

We did an experiment to learn why leaves change color.  Read more about it here  

 Each child was given a bag in which to collect leaves from various trees.
Time to explore.  It is always fun to learn what is inside seeds and nuts from various trees.

 And to find things in nature that you can actually eat.
 Thankfully our dear friend Yvette is a wealth of knowledge on leaves, trees and more so that those children who had less knowledgable moms didn't suffer.  LOL

 This is a hemlock tree.  Its the one new tree I tried to take from the day.  Lets hope it sticks.
 We headed into the woods and it was a beautiful day for exploring.
 I thought this dried up creek bed was beautiful.  I love the way the sunlight comes through the leaves of the trees.  Beautiful!
 Another fun find that had nothing to do with trees - a turtle.  The kids kept him for a short time and then returned him to his home.
 The second part of our co-op focused on writing lessons.  I'm thankful for the time Vickie has spent teaching them these lessons as this is also not one of my strong points.  Wonderful detail and descriptions of how to build good characters.  The children listened to several stories to illustrate some of the concepts discussed as well.

 This was the last co-op on Sarah Plain and Tall and it was fitting to talk about the ending of the story.  I think in some ways, this story leaves you wondering ... what is going to happen next.  I'm thankful there is a sequel and look forward to studying this in the  spring.

As always, it was a fun morning, filled with lessons, laughter, friendship and fun.  I remain thankful to be able to travel this journey with friends.

Blessings
Leslie