The Tree of Life Homeschool ~Proverbs 3:18~: Columbus Day

Blessings!

As we began our day today, the kids and I were very happy that our first holiday of our 2011 Homeschool Year had arrived!
Columbus Day =)

Christopher Columbus Day Stock Photo - 7860476

I had prepared most of the items we would need over the last few days with about 10 cups of coffee, 2 packs of ink for the printer, and many nights with projects dancing around in my head! I am so thankful to Our Father for blessing me with a creative mind and blessing others who are a HUGE encouragement to it!

While we still have much to finish up this week...here are my ideas for this project =)

~~Checking out books from our local library.~~ We are very blessed to be surrounded with SO MANY of them!
~~Reading about Christopher Columbus.~~ (Did he or did he NOT discover America...and the controversy that goes with it)
~~Searching our globe, Atlas, and maps for navigational routes~~ he took, where he was born, lived, and places he explored.
~~Watch a few videos on YouTube.~~
Create telescopes with construction paper and paper towel/toilet paper rolls.
~~Download the Google Sky" app on my cell phone~~ (this app is AWESOME and allows you to see where are star, planets, and galaxy are!
Create a 'star chart' to use as a navigation tool, as Columbus did.
Make our very own explorer hat from recycled newspaper.
~~Making table toppers of the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria.~~ (since we have 3 children, each one did a different ship)
Taking a trip to The Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Virginia. (they have a whole exhibit on Columbus)
Making old fashioned maps from brown paper bags.
Creating a lapbook as a memory of our fun day and future referrence for years to come.
~~Playing an online game at:~~ http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/famouspeople/standard/columbus/index.shtml#focus
Creating bookmarks out of foreign currency (printable worksheet of corse) then laminating for a keepsake.
~~Coloring pages for the younger ones.~~ (this keeps them busy while the olders ones work)
For the girls: Paint their nails and toes "Ocean Blue" lol
~~Check out a few Explorer movies.~~

HERE IS WHAT THEY AWOKE TOO

(Daddy is the artist in our family, but I promise I tried my best to make it look real. Not too shabby if I do say so myself LOL)

Here are a few YouTube videos we watched:

The Songs We Sang

Columbus' First Voyage

to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"

Columbus sailed the ocean blue,

Ocean blue, ocean blue.

Columbus sailed the ocean blue

In 1492.

He sailed west to reach the east,

reach the east, reach the east,

He sailed west to reach the east

In 1492.

Asian shores he never reached,

Never reached, never reached,

Asian shores he never reached,

In 1492.

Instead, a whole new land he found,

Land he found, land he found,

Instead, a whole new land he found,

In 1492.
_____________________________________________________________________

Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue

to the tune of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"

Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492.

With three tall ships, 120 men,

sailing on, sailing on, sailing on, on, on, on --

Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492.

He proved the earth was round, not flat, in 1492.

With three tall ships, 120 men,

sailing on, sailing on, sailing on, on, on, on --

He proved the earth was round, not flat in 1492.

If You Dare to Have a Dream

Sail Your Ship

to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

Sail, sail, sail your ship.

Sail it night and day.

Look for land, look for land

All along the way.

_________________________________________________________________

There Was a Man

to the tune of "B-I-N-G-O."

There was a man lived long ago,

Who dreamed a special dream --

Christopher Columbus,

Dreamed a special dream.

He dreamed that he could reach the East

By sailing, sailing West --

Sailing, sailing on,

Until he spotted land.

He left his ships and went ashore

To meet the Tainto people,

Who met him with gifts,

Who met him with gifts

Of food and birds and gold.

He thought he was in India,

The continent of Asia,

Called the people "Indians,"

He thought he had reached Asia.

Three more voyages he did make

Across the Atlantic Ocean,

Never discovering,

Never imagining,

Never even knowing

He'd found a whole New World.
________________________________________________________________

(to the tune of "It's a Small World")

When you're laying awake

And your thinking of

All the things you would do

If you only could,

Don't be fooled, don't forget,

You may be young, but yet

You can make your dream come true.

Chorus:

Work to make your dream come true.

It's a job that you can do.

If you roll up your sleeves

And determine that

You'll succeed, yes SUCCEED,

No matter what,

You can reach all your goals,

Make your dreams all come true.

All it takes is work, work, work.

__________________________________________________

Here is our trip to the Library

Each of our children picked out a book of their choice, while Mommy checked out the homeschool books=) Our girls REALLY enjoy the self checkout where they can use their very own library cards. This encourages them to be responsible, learn to act independently, and puts a smile on their hearts because now....they are big girls! As only BIG girls can have a library card =) LOL!