Week 13: Dinosaurs

Well, I finally think me and (mostly Lily)
are ready to begin our weekly topic lessons...
I knew it was time when Lily said,
" Mommy, what are we going to learn this week...."
and I was like,
" That's a really great question... I have no idea!"

I asked Lily what she would like to learn about,
and I pretty much knew the answer before she even said it....

DINOSAURS!

Before bed at night and at naptime,
my husband or I tell Lily stories
either from when we were little,
or completely ridiculous made up stories...

Sometimes I like to combine them.... for example:
eh' hem
Once when I was a little girl, I found a big egg in my closet...
I brought it to my daddy and asked him if I could keep it.
He let me keep the egg in my closet under a lamp.
About a month later, it hatched and it was a dinosaur!!

A Pterodactyl to be exact!
( In all honesty, I don't even think the Pterodactyls are actually dinosaurs, but hey, its a fictional story right?)
And Pterodactyls can fly!
When the pterodactyl grew up, it would take me for rides over our neighborhoods. I could see over the tops of trees, and even flew over the ocean once!

Blah blah blah, the story goes on...and every day I would switch what kind of dinosaur it was that hatched in my closet... ie- stegosaurus which helped me climb up things because he was like my personal ladder, or the brontosaurus who was like a walking slide because I could slide from the top of his head to the bottom of his tail....(she loves that one!)

Anyway, there is my long winded(written) explanation of why I knew Lily would want to learn about DINOSAURS (You can imagine me roaring everytime you read that :)

Ok, now onto what we will actually do to learn about dinosaurs...this is kind of refreshing getting back into it...I feel recharged!

Side Note: My goal is to teach Lily about Dinosaurs from a Christian perspective ie- "Creation" Here are some resources for you if you are interested in teaching the same!

Christian Answers.Net- Great resource for lessons about dinosaurs

Clarifying Christianity- Great resource for you, the teacher to catch up on Christianity and Dinosaurs

Answers in Genesis- A Woman's Testimony about her journey to God through Dinosaurs! Pretty Cool!



DINOSAURS! ROAR!!

Books:

No T Rex in the Library! by Buzzeo, Toni


Dinosaurs Love Underpants! by Freedman, Claire



Have you seen my dinosaur? by Surgal, Jon


Buying, training & caring for your dinosaur by Rennert, Laura.


The super hungry Dinosaur by Waddell, Martin.



Boo's surprise by Byars, Betsy Cromer.

Skippyjon Jones and the big bones by Schachner, Judith Byron.



T. Rex and the Mother's Day hug by Grambling, Lois G. ( Had to do this one....since Mother's Day is coming up!)


Resources from the Library:



Crafts for kids who are learning about dinosaurs by Ross, Kathy

Sesame Street. Dinosaurs! [videorecording (DVD)] Full screen ed.

Crafts: Click links to see sources


Dinosaur Feet- How to Found over at Danielle's Place- Just because they are fun, and I can incorporate make believe!!






Paper Mache' Dinosaur Hat from Enchanted Learning



Shape- A -Saurus- when you combine 8 shapes, you can make a dinosaur!


Songs (Source)

FIVE ENORMOUS DINOSAURS
Five enormous Dinosaurs letting out a roar
One went away and then there were four...
Four enormous Dinosaurs munching on a tree
One went away and then there were three...
Three enormous Dinosaurs didn't know what to do
One went away and then there were two...
Two enormous Dinosaurs having lots of fun
One went away and then there was one...
One enormous Dinosaur afraid to be a hero
He went away and then there was zero...

DINOSAURS OF LONG AGO (Action Song)
The Dinosaurs lived long ago,
And walked like this, and that. (Walk heavy like Dino's)
Some were large (Stretch arms apart.)
And some were small. (Squat down.)
Some liked water (Swimming motion)
And some liked land (Stomp feet.)
Some had wings that flapped and flapped. (Flap arms)
Some had long necks that stretched and stretched (Put hand above head)
The meanest, rudest one of all was ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex
These were the Dinosaurs of long ago.
Goodness gracious! Where did they go?

Snacks

Dino Dig Cupcakes- Found at Homemaking Fun- Have the children go on a dinosaur hunt inside the cupcake!! Awesome idea!

A Needed Break....& A Much Needed Book

Many of you know from my other blog, or from me talking to you that I recently was in the hospital with viral meningitis...you can read (if anyone at all cares) about my exciting March on my other blog here.

If you are visiting here often, you will find that I haven't posted in a long time. I have been trying to recover, and in doing so, basically let go of everything except taking care of my family. I did however during that time, purchase a book for Lily that we have been enjoying very much.

One of my biggest fears when it comes to homeschooling is..."Will I Be Able to Teach My Child to Read?" Then I was talking to some other homeschooling friends, and they mentioned this book:

Its called Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann. I would highly recommend this book for a Preschooler if.... and the key word here is if....

1. They have an attention span large enough where they can sit for at least 15 minutes and concentrate on one thing.

2. They already have a strong desire to read.

3. They don't get easily bored by repetition.

4. You have the patience to do this EVERY day.

The lessons are definitely repetitive, and pictures don't start until I think around lesson 18. All in all, I truly think the method of this book works for the right child.

Ok, if this is you and your child, read on!

I also purchased the BOB books seen here. These books have been TREMENDOUS in helping Lily to read. They give her confidence, and they fit in almost perfectly with the sounds she is learning in the Lesson book. Lily and I are on Lesson 14 of the other book, and she is already reading the first 3 BOB books on her own.

So, for now, I am still taking a break on creating weekly lesson plans, although looking back at this blog, I am definitely itching to get back into it...and I am sure Lily is too.

Thanks!