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Homeschool Program Archive |
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Work & Play Community-based Education Ages 5—12
Below is a description and documentation on the Homeschool program.
Afternoon Program Experience all that is coming to life here at Homeadow Song Farm: We explore with all our senses the flowers, trees, insects, and animals. Older children work with field guides, while younger ones are engaged through imaginative images and play. Our outdoor experience will be enhanced and deepened through the use of story, poem, painting, drawing, clay modeling, flower press making, and more.
Pond activities: This is the season of water! Where are the ponds? What are the clues of underground water? Where is it coming from? How do we use it in our Work and Play? What animals and plants do we observe in these areas? We introduce children to our wetland area being developed into a rain garden near the children’s play area.
Plant nursery activities: Planting seeds for some of the plants we use in the fall for dying yarn and cloth, salves and feasting will bring the children’s awareness full circle. We also plant and tend plants for our rain garden. These are plants that love/seek water, are beautiful, native and attract beneficial insects and birds. The students also plan, prepare the ground for and plant a Native American “Three Sisters Garden” of corn, beans, and squash. The bounty of this garden will be used in fall season programming.
Geography/Mapmaking: “Places We Know” -- Children and teachers translate their experiences at Homeadow Song Farm into three-dimensional maps made from clay, sticks and other materials collected on the farm.
Morning Program The primary focus of this time is making a series of animal containers with clay. Most children’s clay classes are engaging and provide a taste of various techniques to make a series of objects. Our lessons build on that experience with projects beginning with the rhythmic process of creating and opening a sphere of clay held between two hands and then forming the shape from there. This helps the child gain confidence and skill with the materials; form good work habits as well as end up with a real functional vessel. Each project will be introduced by a story or fable in this way the project ‘lives’ more meaningfully within the child. Attention will be given to meet the different needs and capacities of those who attend. |
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Nature Study / Blackboard Drawing by a Fifth Grade Student, Spring 2006 |
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Homeadow Song Farm |
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Work for the Hands to do... |
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A field trip to Carol & Dale Bahr’s farm. The Homeschool Group with HSF Land Overseer Karen Egan, Fall 2006 |
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The Little Red Hen’s Early Mornings Ages 4 and up
It takes a lot of work to make a loaf of bread and it can be done with great joy and imagination! Work and play are synonymous for young children. This program will nourish the imagination as well as the senses of your child. We will grind grain – some for the chickens and some for us! We will knead dough, form it into little loaves and place it in our outdoor oven to bake. We will experience the rich vibrant color of wet-on-wet watercolor painting, enjoy a puppet story and savor the smell of fresh bread baking. We will share a lunch of wholesome foods with new and old friends, help wash up, sing, and go outdoors to play. |
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Harvesting Corn at Homeadow Song Farm, Late Fall 2007 |
