They call them 'teachable moments.' I lived for them, and at one time, I had a captive audience: my students . . . and my two daughters who also didn't have a choice to escape. They still don't.
It's at this point, you might want to just wander away unless you want to be bored with my ramblings about today's 'lesson.'
Most lesson plans require an objective that speaks to what the students will learn. That's not the case today. My objective is to create a diversion from whatever it is that's making me crazier these days.
So, for the next hour or so I'm going to immerse myself in developing a lesson plan about coyotes, of all things. If you're one of those parents whose child is virtually learning or needs a topic for some assignment, this post will follow the framework of Howard Gardner's Eight Multiple Intelligences.
Let's get started with all eight intelligences:
VERBAL-LINGUISTIC: How do you pronounce coyote?
1) kai-yo-DEE
2) kai-yo-TEE
3) kai-yoht
4) other
MUSICAL-RHYTHMICAL: How many of you have heard the song, "O, Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie?" Probably most of you are now singing . . . 'O bury me not on the lone prairie. Where the coyotes howl, and the wind blows free. In a narrow grave, just six by three. O bury me not on the lone prairie.' (Please note how you pronounced coyotes when you sang that verse.) If you have now involved your child/student, it is worth the time to listen to this and maybe introduce them to a new genre of music: Country Classic Western
Enter. Stage Right: The coyote that spent a fortune on 'Acme' products trying to feast on a skinny roadrunner could be one of the reasons so many people add that extra syllable at the end.
Wile E. Coyote. How did you pronounce that? Have you changed your mind on how to pronounce coyote yet?
Wil-EE Kai-oh-TEE or Wil-EE Kai-yoht
VISUAL-SPATIAL:
Always have your camera ready because you never know when a coyote is about to capture a 'roadrunner.'
Once again, the roadrunner escapes.
How close was I to our resident neighborhood Canis latrans?
This mammal?
This omnivore?
Is a coyote nocturnal?
Is a coyote diurnal?
Is a coyote crepuscular?
See. You can be sneaky and add vocabulary words like this.
LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL:
How far do coyotes roam ?
Mean distances traveled at night are approximately 8.24 kilometers.
Mean distances traveled during the day are approximately 6.51 kilometers.
Convert the above kilometers into miles.
What is the definition of the term 'mean' in the sentences above.
What does the word 'approximately' mean?
INTERPERSONAL:
If you were going to interview a coyote, what questions would you ask it?
INTRAPERSONAL:
Do you keep a journal?
You should !
BODILY-KINESTHETIC:
The Coyote's Dance by Austin Gilkeson
Dance of the Coyote by Bill Hotchkiss
Coyote Dance by Francesca Mason Boring
Inquisitive minds will 'Google' at least one of the above to see what the book/poem is about.
NATURALIST:
The following video has nothing to see, but lots to listen to.
As you will see hear, the coyotes were not intimidated by Stella and Peek-a-Boo's barking.
There you have it.
I hope something here might have inspired you to learn more about coyotes, regardless of how you pronounce it.
At any rate, I had fun putting together this 'lesson plan.'
One of the most important things that you can do to make children feel safe is to establish as much of a routine in their lives as possible. Not only children, but adults feel the most secure when their lives are predictable. When adults provide environments that feel safe, children learn that they can trust others to take care of them and meet their needs, so they become free to relax and explore their world.
Many parents are now finding that their usual routine of getting ready for work and their children ready for school in the morning has been drastically changed. Instead of a very structured school day, children are finding themselves probably with their parents working from home.
Enter...Stage Right: Some type of schedule for about TWELVE hours at least FIVE days a week! Impossible?
No.
Some children, and a few adults who I know, do not yet fully understand the concept of time, so they do not order their lives by hours and minutes, but rather by the events. When events happen in the same order every day, children have a better understanding of their world, and therefore feel more secure. Being at school provides this by providing a regular schedule giving children a way to order and organize their lives. When children AND adults know what to expect, they become more confident in both themselves and the world around them. For the most part, know they will not be confronted with unfamiliar tasks for which they are unprepared,
Routines also help children develop self-control because they know they have to wait until a certain time to do a particular activity. A regular schedule fosters responsibility and independence because children will be able to perform more activities on their own if they have done the same activities many times before in the same environment.
A routine is especially important during particularly difficult times such as what we are all experiencing now. It’s probably safe to say that we are all undergoing a change in our routines which may cause varying degrees of apprehension, especially for young people.
During ‘normal’ times, we probably had specific morning, after school,
and bedtime routines. But what about now? When there is a routine in place, there can be little argument because the expectations for behavior are taken for granted. Therefore, a major benefit of establishing a Monday-Friday routine is that you will cut down on stress for yourself. Keeping to a routine may sound like an impossible task when you are overwhelmed with balancing a constantly changing schedule for multiple members of your household. However, even implementing the smallest routine can make a big difference.
This is an experiment. Several of my former students have reached out and asked me to 'help' with ideas about 'Homeschooling.' First of all, I am thrilled and honored. Right now, I plan to create a blog post with each YouTube video I make. These first 'lessons' are for the parents...eventually, we may have some Zoom classes with the kiddos. I hope to FaceTime with Wyatt, Parker, Noah, Evan, Brendan, Julie, Bennett, Candace . . . and the kiddos whose names I don't even know yet. All suggestions are welcomed...actually, they are expected ! This is all new for me to 'teach' from my computer and make videos with my phone.
But, for now we'll give it a go and no telling where we'll end up. Many of you already call me "MizzWinners." (Mrs. Winters from another era.) Some are calling me Gammy. Or Miss Kathy.
Whatever floats your boat is fine with me.
OBJECTIVE:
Introduce Howard Gardner's Eight Multiple Intelligences (Not to be confused with My Eight Multiple Personalities-yes I still have that warped sense of humor-just deal with it.)
ASSIGNMENT:
1) Become familiar with all eight intelligences. (There will be a test. Just kidding.)
2) Create a chart similar to the one pictured below.
Verbal Linguistic Intelligence - Word Smart:
...is the ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings. Linguistic intelligence allows us to understand the order and meaning of words and to apply mental linguistic skills to reflect on our use of language. Linguistic intelligence is the; most widely shared human competence and is evident in poets novelists, journalists, effective public speakers, etc.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence - Science/Number Smart:
...is the ability to calculate, quantify, consider propositions and hypotheses, and carry out complex mathematical operations. It enables us to perceive relationships and connections and to use abstract, symbolic thought; sequential reasoning skills; and inductive and deductive thinking patterns. Logical intelligence is usually well developed in mathematicians, scientists, detectives, etc.
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence - Body Smart:
...is the capacity to manipulate objects and use a variety of physical skills. This intelligence also involves a sense of timing and the perfection of skill through mind-body union. Athletes, dancers, surgeons, and craftspeople, etc. exhibit well-developed bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
Visual-Spatial Intelligence - Picture Smart:
...is the ability to think in three dimensions. Core capacities include mental imagery, spatial reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination. Sailors, pilots, sculptors, painters, and architects, etc. all exhibit visual-spatial intelligence.
Musical-Rhythmical Intelligence - Music Smart:
...is the capacity to discern pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone. This intelligence enables us to recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on music, as demonstrated by composers, conductors, musicians, vocalists, sensitive listeners, etc. Interestingly, there is often an affective connection between music and the emotions; and mathematical and musical intelligences may share common thinking processes.
Interpersonal Intelligence - People Smart:
..is the ability to understand and interact effectively with others. It involves effective verbal and nonverbal communications, the ability to note distinctions among others, a sensitivity to the moods and temperaments of others, and the ability to entertain multiple perspectives. Teachers, social workers, actors, politicians, etc. all exhibit interpersonal intelligences.
Intrapersonal Intelligence - Self Smart
...is the capacity to understand oneself and one's thoughts and feelings and to use such knowledge in planning and directing one's life. Intrapersonal intelligence involves not only an appreciation of the self, but also of the human condition. It is evident in psychologists, spiritual leaders, philosophers, etc.
Naturalist Intelligence - Nature Smart:
...is being sensitive to the natural world, seeing connections and patters within the plant and animal kingdoms. This intelligence allows us to observe plants and animals, collect rocks listen to natural sounds, categorize and classify flora and fauna and notice relationships in nature. Astronomers, botanists, gardeners, zookeepers, geologists, etc. fit into this category.
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Thoughts for today:
If you have just recently found yourself 'Homeschooling' your children, you are not alone !
Relax. Everyone else is pretty much in the same boat, which may seem like it's sinking fast.
Stop worrying. Most students are out of school three months during the summer. You survived that and came up with all kinds of plans for your kiddos.
Stop worrying about them regressing. We are all in this together. Your child's teachers will assess where each student is once they return to school and pick up where they left off.
Stop worrying that you can't sit in a structured setting for TWO hours and 'teach.' There isn't enough duct tape for that to happen. Besides, there's probably not any left in the stores to buy anyway.
The main thing I would like to stress is this:
Your child's emotional well-being is much more important than academic skills. They will remember how their families handled this COVID-19 situation much longer than the math lesson on Tuesday. Their feelings will be with them long after the memories of being homeschooled for a month or so have diminished. Remember this EVERY.SINGLE.DAY !
Think back to your childhood days in the classroom. My guess is you remember those negative, hurtful experiences much more quickly than ALL the positive, fun ones.
If you have created a daily routine to follow everyday, great. It can be monitored and adjusted on a DAILY basis. This M-F routine is probably a new creature in your house, but studies show that people, no matter what age, benefit from following one:
1.Helps your child get on a schedule
2. Bonds the family together
3. Establishes expectations
4. Creates a calmer household
5. Gives your child confidence and independence
6. Establishes healthy, constructive habits
7. Help you, the parent, remember important things
8. Offers your child an opportunity to get excited about what's ahead
9. Provides opportunity for special 'daily rituals'
10. OFFERS STABILITY DURING TIMES OF CHANGE OF STRESS !
(I will add more details to each of these in a later post.)
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On Monday, there will be a video, and we will start with these three the intelligences, but keep in mind, you can probably fill in some activity for each intelligence on the chart below that you've already done today.
Intrapersonal: We will start keeping a journal.
Naturalist: We will take photographs of trees, shrubs, bushes and/or flowers. After several days, we will take the same photograph, standing in the same spot of the same thing to see what's happening.
Verbal/Linguistic: We will start or continue reading a book. My rule of thumb was to add a zero to the child's grade to determine how many minutes a day s/he should read.
Fourth grade = 40 minutes !!!!
Design your chart for next week !
Thanks to Charles Schultz and the Peanuts Gang for these visuals.
One last thing...this is in no way something to take the place of a curriculum your child is working on with his/her school system. It is just another way to 'structure' your day and know that you are teaching all the time. This just helps put what you're already doing into a category. The upcoming lessons can be modified for any grade level. The sky is the limit.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
