Satellite

A few days ago was the day "Explorer 1" was launched many years ago.

I taught my 2-year old daughter about it.

Show a picture of "Explorer 1" that you can find on the internet.

Teach all or as many concepts as you feel appropriate:

1. Satellite

2. Earth

3. Going around the Earth

4. Sending signals or information

5. Launching

6. Planet

Activities:

1. Make a satellite and the Earth from playdough

2. Imitate launching the satellite (Put the palms of your hands together by your chest - they represent "the nose" of the satellite. Make a motor sound and slowly raise your hands higher and higher until you stretch them all the way up reaching for the sky).

3. Song:

Put a ball (or something else that is round) on the floor. Ask your child to imagine that the ball is our planet Earth. Take your child's hand and going around the ball, sing the following song using the melody from "Going aroung the Mulberry bush".

Going around the planet Earth, the planet Earth, the planet Earth.

Going around the planet Earth, "name of your child" the satellite.

Sending signals to the planet Earth, the planet Earth, the planet Earth.

Sending signals to the planet Earth, "name of your child" the satellite.

Going around the planet Earth, the planet Earth, the planet Earth.

Going around the planet Earth, Mommy the satellite.

Sending signals to the planet Earth, the planet Earth, the planet Earth.

Sending signals to the planet Earth, Mommy the satellite.

Bees

Show pictures of honeybees.

You can find them on the internet. I printed a picture of a beehive and a picture of a bee on a card stock. (Use a toy if you have it).

Talk about what bees have: legs, wings, and eyes.

Books: coming soon.

Explain all or as many of the following concepts as you want

1. Insect (other examples: ants, flies, spiders)

2. Beehive (their home)

3. Honey (yummy!)

4. Stings (we don't pick them)

5. Pollination (flowers, fruits, vegetables) - explain in simple terms

Songs and activities:

1. I am bringing home a baby bumble bee

Won't my mommy be so proud of me

I am bringing home a baby bumble bee

Ouch! He stung me.

2. Here is a beehive. (hold up fist)

Where are the bees?

Hidden away where nobody sees. (shake fist)

Watch and you'll see the come out of the hive, (move head close to fist)

One, two, three, four, five. (hold fingers up one at a time as you count)

Bzzzzzz... all fly away! (wave fingers)

3. Beehive and bee coloring page can be found here.

4. Have bread and honey for a treat. (My daughter likes Honey milk - warm milk, add some honey, and mix).

5. Pretend to be bees: "fly" around the room and bzzzzz.

Mozart

Mozart's birthday is January 27th.

So we learned about him with my two-year old today.

Here is the lesson.

I showed her a picture of Mozart and asked her who it was.

I told her his name. We repeated it quite a few times.

Alisa was having a hard time with his gender. She kept calling Mozart a girl. I guess it's the hair.

Then I told her that Mozart was a composer and explained who the composer is.

I related the "writing music" part to the music she likes. I said that music to "I am a child of God" was written by a composer too.

Then we learned that Mozart was born in Austria and found it on the world map. We love Geography.

We also listened to his music (just a piano piece that I had on a CD). She couldn't handle the whole thing, but just a little bit is okay too.

The whole thing ended with a fun part - Baby Mozart.

Throughout the day we reviewed things that we learned.

1. Mozart

2. composer

3. Austria

Happy teaching, everybody!

Teaching - No greater call.

I know that there is nothing more important than teaching our children.

Teaching our children is not only about teaching them secular knowledge like math, reading, drawing, but also teaching them to become happy, compassionate, confident, kind, strong people, loyal friends, faithful spouses, honest citizens, and loving parents.

Sometimes, I get overwhelmed by the task on my plate, and those are the day that my hands fall down and I am not able to do anything.

However, when I prepared and plan ahead, I succeed and I couldn't be happier.

This blog is my attempt to get myself more organized.

I will post unit studies, crafts, activities, lessons, inspirational thoughts, book and magazine reviews.

Let the organized learning begin.