Aug. 15, 2009
A Wolf at the Library Door
Posted in Group Activities
Our library had a special visitor yesterday. He hasn't been here for a few years, and since it is a popular program, I was fortunate to get Sierra in to see Atka the Arctic wolf.  Atka was visiting with some friends from the Wolf Conservation Center. From their brochure: The center was founded to promote wolf conservation by teaching about wolves, their relationship to the environment and our role in protecting them. The Wolf Conservation Center participates in the Species Survival Plan and Recovery Plans for the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf and red wolf. Right now, the center is home to 28 wolves, but they will be getting some more soon, including three red wolves. They already have one red wolf, so this addition will give them two mating pairs. We also saw pictures of some of their successful Mexican gray wolves. A pack was released into the wild last year (in New Mexico? I forget. I should have taken notes!) Since most of their wolves are being bred to return to the wild, they are not given a lot of human contact. That is why it is nice to have Atka. He is a teaching wolf. He was raised with a lot of human contact, so he's pretty laid back around people. As an ambassador wolf, Atka has traveled quite a bit, teaching people about wolves and busting some myths about the species. 
Some facts about wolves that we learned: -A pack is made up of an alpha pair and their children. -Wolves communicate through marking, body language and howling. -Wild wolves live from 6 to 8 years. -Wolves are very shy and avoid human contact. -Gray wolves come in many colors. Arctic wolves are a species of gray wolf.  We also learned that Atka loves water fountains. He took full advantage of a low water fountain in the multi-purpose room. Sierra and I loved the wolf program. If you want to find out more about the center, they have a website: www.nywolf.org  |
Apr. 23, 2009
Starting a Storytelling Group part 2
Posted in Group Activities
|
Twice every year, I put together a storytelling workshop for our group. I do this as a refresher course for my core group and to help draw out children who want guidance before reading in front of our group. The following are activities and games I've done with the group. I usually do six or seven activities/games per workshop. Introductions: I start off by having us all introduce ourselves. I begin with my name, the next person says my name and then his name, and it continues around until we come back to me and I impress them by repeating everyone's name. We go around a second time, adding a word in front of our names that starts with the same sound (Crafty Cristina, Musical Mary, Exciting Eric, etc.) Vocal Warm-Ups: I use tongue twisters. The point is to say them as fast as you can clearly. These are done to warm up the voices and to relax everyone. I explain about projecting as well. Imagine you are speaking to a person at the far end of the room. You need to be loud, but you shouldn't shout, because this is still a library. I also have my core group demonstrate the warm up they do at the beginning of every story time: What a to do to die todayTelephone: This is a fun one. You whisper a simple sentence to the first child, they whisper it to the next, and so on. If there aren't a lot of children, add parents. I explain about the how the early storytellers would go from place to place, spreading news and stories. The group is going to be storytellers. They get to hear the story once and tell it at the next village to the next storyteller. Once they turn to the next person, they've gone over the mountain to the next village and there won't be time to go back to ask the last storyteller what they said. The point of this game is to show how stories change as different people hear them in different ways. Mad Libs: These are great resources. Many of them have some short fairy tales that the kids can add their own words to. This also helps them to not feel bound to the words on the page. Sometimes fractured fairy tales are more fun to do than the actual story. Using your voice/body: Whether they are reading from a book or reciting from memory, telling a story should bring it alive. I ask them to imagine what different emotions and characters might sound like. I show how you can use your body to depict different characters (stand to show a big character, shivering to show a frightened character) and pantomime actions (climbing, blowing wind, picking flowers). A good storyteller shouldn't need many props. I have one boy in my group that has told Rumpelstiltskin and Goldilocks and The Three Bears and his only props were hats. He does fantastic voices and can jump from one character to another. Props: Costumes and props are OK, as long as you've practiced with them and they don't get in your way. I knew one girl that was afraid to leave the comfort of a book until she used some toys to tell The House that Jack Built. The props helped her remember the sequence. My preference is to keep props to a minimum because they can become a distraction if there are too many things to keep track of. Retell the Tale: After we discuss playing with the story and how to use your voice and body, I sometimes play a game where I read a short tale and then pick a few kids to retell it, individually or as a group. I encourage them to tell it without worrying about forgetting parts. In fact, if they forget I encourage them to add their own parts to the story. This one can be good for improvisation. Emoting a Tale: I take a story most of the group is familiar with, like The Three Little Pigs, and have them tell it while expressing different emotions. Make it sound sad. Make it sound scary. Make it sound silly. I usually stop the tale at different points and have different children continue it with a different emotion. Improve me: This is the section where I tell a story poorly. The children tell me what I should do to improve. I might read with the book in front of my face, lose my place in the book, speak too softly, turn my face toward a wall, or speak in a monotone. I let them tell me how to improve my storytelling. Name that Character: This is a favorite with my group. I usually save it for last, because it's hard to get them to stop. I explain that the story doesn't have to come from the perspective of the main character. Imagine you are another character, or even an object. What would that character say that would tell the audience what story they are in? I usually try to have them stick to classic fairy tales, folk tales and nursery rhymes for this section, since more of our group are likely to know these characters. A child can talk about Hey Diddle Diddle from the moon's perspective, become one of Cinderella's stepsisters, the flame under Jack be Nimble. The group tries to guess who the character is. References: For story ideas and more storytelling tips and links, you can look at the website Story Arts. I also recommend the book Tell me a Fairy Tale by Bill Adler. Unfortunately, it isn't available new, but it is worth it to find used. It breaks down numerous tales with plot and character descriptions and a brief plot summary so that the tales can be fleshed out by the storyteller. Aesop's Fables, Bible stories, short fairy tales, songs and any short picture book stories are all good resources. I hope these ideas help those of you who want to try storytelling. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll try to answer it in the comments section. Remember! If a child can talk, he can tell a story. All it takes is a good memory and the courage to stand up and tell it. |
Apr. 21, 2009
Starting a Storytelling Group part 1
Posted in Group Activities
|
I had a question about my storytelling group, and since I tend to ramble when it comes to this topic, I figured I would write about it on my blog. We have always been good friends with our librarians. We frequent two libraries, but I have a soft spot for the smaller library. It's very tiny, but the librarians have always been friendly with my children and they have always been helpful when it comes to finding resources for our homeschooling. We used to attend their preschool storytime until Marina was far past the age of preschool. She was, I believe, seven at the time. Her reading skills were very advanced. This got me thinking (a dangerous pastime, I know). I asked the librarian, Theresa, if it would be possible to let Marina read at storytime. She gave Marina pointers on choosing appropriate books, how to keep the attention of the toddlers, etc. Marina would come and help Theresa almost every week. One of my proudest moments while watching her read was when one four year old burst out, "I love Marina!" in the middle of her story! I started wondering if any other homeschoolers would be interested in storytelling. At that time, Marina's best friends were Joe's oldest daughter Lucy and another girl, Maria. I didn't see myself running a big program, but I figured I could manage a couple of close friends. We would meet a couple of times per month and I would give pointers on projecting, picking books that were good for toddlers, etc. Once we had practiced for a while, I went to Theresa to propose a storytelling time so that my group could practice in front of an audience. Theresa was happy to put it on the schedule. I advertised it to the homeschooling community. Now we had a goal. Interesting side note: We ended up naming the group the Homespun Storytellers. I thought this did well combining the fact that we were homeschoolers with the idea of "spinning" tales. I later used the same name for my comic strip. I don't remember how much of an audience we had that first time. I do remember Chase, who was four (or five?) at the time, begging me to let him read. I asked the girls what they thought and they were happy to let him. They started reading. Very softly. They were all a bit nervous. Then Chase moved center stage with his book, Dinosaur ROAR! by Paul Stickland. When Chase roared, he really roared! He was loud and clear and his energy was contagious. When Marina and her friends read their second books, they were more relaxed and their voices were much louder. From there, it grew. We noticed the local preschoolers weren't coming, so I gave the children more freedom about their picks. We eventually had so many requests from parents asking if their children could read too, that we included a guest storyteller section. This made it more popular with homeschoolers, since they were always looking for public speaking opportunities. I started encouraging my core group to put down the books and simply tell their stories and even make up their own. Eventually I began storytelling workshops twice a year to give refreshers to my group and draw out children who were still nervous about getting up and reading. If you want to start your own storytelling group, I have some tips from my 7+ years of experience:
|
Dec. 14, 2008
Keeping Busy
Posted in Group Activities
Aside from Chase's tea ceremony, we've been busily preparing for Christmas. I had some presents that need to be mailed, so I spent the beginning of December making chocolates, then cookies, then cookies dipped in chocolate. Marina and I teamed up on a present for my nephews. They like rockets, and I haven't played with my sewing machine for a while, so with old jeans in hand and some flannel, I built this soft rocket. I ripped out the stitches a number of times putting it together. I bent one needle and rethreaded the sewing machine about a thousand times, but I finished. I will reiterate that I've never done anything like this before and I was working from an idea in my head, not a pattern. My imagination likes to get me in trouble. From now on, I start these things in August. While I made the rocket, Marina knitted some aliens to ride in it. She did much better on her end of this project. Luckily, my sister never reads my blog, so I'm sure this will stay a surprise for the boys.  I've also been working on an angel sculpture made of milk gallon jugs. I just need to put a halo on her. That will happen as soon as the Trader Joe's cookies are finished. I'm pleased with how she turned out. I plan to set her up in the yard. She's about three feet high. Here is the front and back.  My vision for this sculpture was that I didn't want it to appear an angel from all angles. We don't always recognize the angels in our lives, so if she's viewed from the side she looks like this:  Clever, don't you think? I also started working on my Christmas cards. They are coming along, although I may email some this year just so they get to my family on time. If I disappear again this week, you'll know I'm licking envelopes! |
Dec. 4, 2008
I Am Not Forty Until Approximately 9:00PM EST
Posted in Group Activities
Today I will become forty. At this time, I would like to dispel all myths about myself. I am not supermom. I am not a perfect example of homeschooling. My house is cluttered. I have moments of great insecurity and I worry that I'm screwing up my kids. I didn't even like broccoli when I was a child.  Like that shot? Thank my father. He told me if I didn't finish eating, he would take a picture. You can see how I was always determined to do things my way. By the way, I do like broccoli now. After years of having this picture pulled out for the amusement of family and my future husband, I can now honestly say that the broccoli was overcooked (sorry Mom). I prefer it lightly steamed. Thirty nine has been a pretty good year. I had some work published. I won an honorable mention for my poem "Reading a Hot Drink." I am blessed with a large and supportive circle of family and friends. I couldn't ask for more, really. And I know right now some of you are thinking, "How are you holding up after 40 years?" when the question should be, "How are my kids holding up?" Let's take a look, shall we?   I would say they're holding up rather well. They're not getting any lighter though. |
Apr. 20, 2008
The Purple Trail Revisited
Posted in Group Activities
|
Quick quiz! Anyone remember where we were last year on April 19th? If you said "Lost in the woods" you know me way too well! Yes, last year, exactly a year to the day, we were lost in the woods all because I decided to take the purple trail. And yesterday was such a beautiful day we found ourselves walking those same trails that caused us so much trouble.
 This time, we were able to enjoy the quarry. And we brought hubby along to ensure that if we got lost, we would all be lost together.  I like to think of these quarry walls as the Cliffs of Insanity. Hubby called them the Cliffs of Mental Distress (they weren't high enough to be insane)  It was nice to come without being lost. We were able to explore more. This small lake is hidden in the old quarry.  Here we have hubby reliving his theatre days. I assure you they are not far off the ground!  Without last year's nor'easter, the waterfall is not nearly as impressive, but it is still lovely.  And this time we even found some wildlife! This is a young snapping turtle that was pretending to be a rock in the path. My kids know better than to touch this little guy. His neck can stretch at least as long as his tail, and they aren't called snapping turtles for nothing! |
Apr. 12, 2008
Birds of Prey Sightings
Posted in Group Activities
We were at the nature center twice this past week. We helped clean up one day and went to our regular homeschooling class the other day. We love the nature center because we are always able to see some neat bird or critter. This week we saw some early butterflies, a mourning cloak and sulpher butterfly fluttered near as we loaded branches onto a truck on Wednesday. Over the field, a kestrel hovered as it searched for crickets. It's very cute to see. They look like they are pretending to be giant hummingbirds. This was the best picture I could get of it when we returned the following day with a camera. I had much better luck with a long-eared owl that was sitting in a clump of pines.  Here is a close-up of this owl. Isn't he gorgeous?  |
Mar. 29, 2008
The Cloisters
Posted in Group Activities
 I didn't get a chance to post these because of all of the activity around Easter. Two weeks ago, we took a trip to the Cloisters at Fort Tryon Park. This is my favorite museum for many reasons. I like medieval art and architecture. The Cloisters gives children a guide for looking at the artwork, engaging them by having them find the many beasts and monsters carved in stone and playing across tapestries.  Speaking of tapestries, this museum is the home of the Unicorn Tapestries, which is probably the best reason to visit. It's slightly unnerving with young children, but mine were very well behaved and didn't touch anything. I was a bit nervous taking pictures, but they said I could as long as I didn't use my flash. Flash photography can cause fading. I wanted to try to take pictures of the Book of Hours in the treasure room but my camera kept shining a red light on them, even with the flash off. I was certain a security guard was going to yell at me. Can a red light cause fading?  Outside is a cloistered garden. We need to go back when everything is green. I love this espaliered tree. I wonder if I could make one of those in my yard?  It was a wonderful visit, and I was thankful to have my mother along as I tend to get confused driving there. Too many twisty roads and turns to get me lost. Here is a nice shot of my mom with the kids. |
Feb. 9, 2008
What a Relief!
Posted in Group Activities
I have been having a lot of fun with my homeschooling art class. It's been a challenge to keep everyone interested, since they range from 3 to 14 years old. I highly recommend bas reliefs for anyone doing a group like this. Bas relief is a form of sculpture designed to be viewed from the front. It usually rises from a flat surface, like a wall, creating interest when light and shadow fall across it. They are often used in architecture. You can read more about it here. Our bas reliefs are made using Crayola Model Magic. The great thing about Model Magic is that it dries quickly. The bad thing about it is that it dries quickly. I've learned to keep some plastic baggies handy to wrap the extra clay in, so that it doesn't dry out before they think of what they want to make.  Every child came up with interesting ways of using the clay. I encouraged them to incorporate textures and color into their sculptures. I use watercolor or water based markers on Model Magic before it dries. I learned it holds the colors better that way. Just don't use too much water, or it will take days to dry. These reliefs were set on paper for photographing. Bad idea. Wax paper would have been a better choice because when they dried they needed to be peeled away from the paper.  As you can see, we had an wide range of ideas. Sierra was one of the kids that made lots of valentine hearts. Marina's is on the lower left corner of this picture. Chase's is above hers. It didn't film well because of the lighting and the dark color. It's a really nice bat in a cave. I'm proud of all the homeschoolers. They did a wonderful job! |
Jan. 31, 2008
SUCCESS!!!!
Posted in Group Activities
The eagles and our camera were finally in the same place at the same time! This incredibly patient pair waited for Chase to walk up for a closer view. They both cooperated by turning their heads toward the camera, unlike last week when the only stationary eagle was facing away and refused to lift its head. The eagle on the right eventually flew, but not before Chase snapped four pictures. He's been trained well. Never assume the first picture came out, just keep photographing while you have the chance. |
Jan. 24, 2008
Birdwatching Photo-Op
Posted in Group Activities
|
Today was a cold day at the Nature Center. Perfect for eagle spotting along the Hudson. And one of these days we will actually get a good shot at one. Our usual reaction goes like this: "Gaahhh! Bald Eagle!" We fumble with the camera, try to find the bird in the viewfinder, realize we have the camera on the wrong setting, readjust the camera, zoom in...and the eagle flies. Seeing an eagle soar is an incredible sight. It makes you realize why this bird was chosen as our national symbol. Photographs do not do justice to its size and majesty. But I would still like a picture. In the meantime, I will have to satisfy myself with the more patient birds. Here are some photos we took of other feathered visitors to the Nature Center. Have I mentioned that I love my camera?  |
Jan. 17, 2008
Picture Time!
Posted in Group Activities
I thought you might enjoy our Official Holiday Family Photo, complete with the 4 furballs who think they own us. And I know you are all wondering how long it took to get this amazing picture. Does life imitate comic strips in our humble home? Let me tell you. It took at least 7 shots and about 3 band-aids. And a little bit of cropping magic. Note to self: Make sure all surfaces are clean and clear when taking family photos, and make sure dirty socks are not visible. But you really want to see one of the before shots, don't you? I'll give you one.  In this picture, we just lost Merlin, who was on Chase's lap and fled in terror when he realized Rosie was behind him on my lap. Sierra decided to move to the couch so that Hobgoblin would be in the picture (He got cut off in the only other good picture.) I'm not quite sure why Marina is standing. One more photo. This is what I call Yoga Humor.  |
Dec. 18, 2007
This Old Gingerbread House?
Posted in Group Activities
|
Here is a useful site that was pointed out to me today on the 4 Real forums. Bobvila.com, well known for helping do-it-yourself-ers with home renovations, has instructions for building a gingerbread house. To coin a phrase of another famous Bob, "Can we build it? Yes we can!" We've made many gingerbread and cookie houses over the years. We even have a mold for building a chocolate house. This year, we're considering something a little rustic. Marina baked the gingerbread logs last night, so if all goes well (fingers crossed), we'll have a nice little gingerbread log cabin this year. I'll let everyone know how that works out. |
Dec. 16, 2007
Wintuk
Posted in Group Activities
|
My aunt likes to outdo herself each year when it comes to gift giving. This year, she bought tickets for my family, my parents and her family to see Cirque du Soleil- Wintuk at Madison Square Garden. Because of our circus background, we've always wanted to see Cirque du Soleil, but we always put it off because we couldn't afford it. Needless to say, this was a perfect gift for us. Everyone enjoyed the show. My one complaint is that Madison Square Garden's WaMu theater had one centralized bathroom. This meant that as soon as that curtain closed for intermission you needed to start making your way over to the bathroom. The line moved mercifully quickly considering the length of the line, but I was regretting the bottle of water I had been sipping during the first act. The show itself was spectacular. Very kid friendly with giant puppets and a young boy who leads us from scene to scene on his quest for snow. I just wish a nor'easter hadn't been forecast to arrive that night. I cringed every time he asked, "Where's the snow?" As I watched acrobats and daredevils flying across the stage on skateboards, in-line skates and bicycles in the first scene, I wondered which of my kids would be the first to try something at home (it was Chase). Also memorable were two acrobats that bounced around the stage and off of each other on large balls, and the "tribe" that did Russian bar--aerial flips on a pole held by two men. Then there were the contortionists. I don't think I'll believe any of these young women have connected joints unless I see an x-ray. The rag doll, in particular, was very rag doll-like. There was also a young woman who did a perfect ballet arabesque while twirling a hula hoop on her toe behind her head (you really had to be there). Sierra was enchanted from the first puppet dog that looked like it had wandered away from Sesame Street. If you love marionettes, this is the show to see. Things come to life when you least expect it and all were larger than life. Sadly, there was not enough juggling for my taste. One woman juggled multiple balls and did some awesome ball bounce with up to seven balls. No clubs or other paraphernalia. I just would have liked to see more. There was also a balancer who did a scary stacked rola bola (balance board). He had cylinders stacked and rolling in all different directions and did a handstand balance on top of the whole teetering pile while foot juggling. I need to say that again. HE BALANCED ON HIS HANDS WHILE FOOT JUGGLING!!!! I know that only someone in my world can truly understand how impressive that is. I always wanted to foot juggle, it's like baton twirling a long cylinder with your feet, but I never figured out the technique. And so I want to publicly thank Aunt Kathy for her excellent gift. We will remember this show for years! |
Dec. 4, 2007
It's My Birthday!
Posted in Group Activities
|
39 and still going strong...
 With an occasional break...
 |
Nov. 26, 2007
Inflated Rainbows
Posted in Group Activities
|
Note: Originally posted on my other blog. I'm a little behind in dual posting. The day after Thanksgiving, I was holding a balloon sculpture workshop. I brought the girls with me. Chase opted to have some alone time with dad. Marina was there to help me. She's becoming very handy with the air pump and can teach basic dog as well as I can. What is basic dog? It's the first animal that I teach my balloon students how to make. Sierra learned to make it too. Below is her first dog, twisted with a little help.  The dragonflies above are one of my favorite balloon animals to make. The hardest part about them is the head, because you need to push the knot into the balloon and twist the first bubble to hold the knot in place. The difficulty (for me) is pulling my finger free after I've pushed in the knot. If you try to pull too quickly, you risk popping the balloon. I'm not afraid of it popping, I just prefer not to waste my expensive Qualatex twisting balloons. We did pretty well at this workshop. I don't think we had more than a dozen bursts. I've had workshops where every twist caused a pop and I spent most of my hour pumping up fresh balloons. Popping tends to be one of those things that scares people about balloon sculpture. I don't try to reassure my students. At the beginning of my workshop I tell the group that balloons pop. No one knows when it will happen, it just does. I look at it as one of life's fun little surprises. So if we get surprised, I tell them to yell something. This time it was "Zaloom!" because Beakman's World was in my head. I've also used "Ole!" No one minds a popped balloon when you're shouting "Ole!" While working with the balloons, I started thinking about all we can learn from these colorful bags of air.
|
Nov. 2, 2007
Costumes
Posted in Group Activities
|
Since I was asked... We really did do a Marie Antoinette costume 2 years ago.  I was very proud of the wigs in 2005. I made Chase's out of black felt that I attached to the bandanna. Marina's was stiff felt covered with polyfill stuffing. Marina's dress was from a thrift shop. I would like to thank all the bridesmaids that donated their gowns instead of hiding them in the back of the closet. We were able to reuse the somewhat bedraggled dress this year. Marina was Ophelia from Hamlet. I've mentioned before that she's been reading this Shakespeare folio. She used it as a reference to create the drowned Ophelia.  Chase decided on a store-bought black Spiderman costume. He has promised to create a costume next year. Store-bought costumes are too expensive for my taste.  And Sierra was a queen. I know. This was a bit of a stretch for her majesty--erm--Sierra.  They went trick or treating with a group of homeschooling friends. A great time was had by all and the children traded candy at the end of the evening so that everyone came home with treats they like. |
Oct. 18, 2007
The Blue Mountain Hike
Posted in Group Activities
 We walked... And we walked. And we walked... Then we climbed...  To the top!  |
Aug. 19, 2007
Children's Zoo, Bugs and a Camel Ride
Posted in Group Activities
Our membership card had a complete workout this past week. The zoo can get expensive if you don't have a membership. They now offer pay one price tickets for the tourists, but for those of us in the area, a membership is definitely the cheaper way to see the zoo. And pack a lunch. These collages are from the children's zoo adventures. This is where children can feel what it's like to be an animal. There are also exhibit animals like otters and the fennec fox. Those ears let the kids hear like the fennec fox.  Hard to see, but there is a wallaby behind the kids in the lower left picture above. Chase is pointing to a lemur in the lower center shot. Sierra is pretending to be a lemur on the climbing tree.  Here they are popping out of prairie dog holes, climbing a spider web and petting a goat. Yes, I know I repeated the web picture. It's been a long day...  We also visited the butterfly house and garden, then the kids took a ride on the bug carousel. Sierra is riding a firefly and Chase is behind her on a praying mantis. They also had a camel ride. For my zoo notes, click HERE. |
Aug. 19, 2007
Posted in Group Activities
|
Our membership card had a complete workout this past week. The zoo can get expensive if you don't have a membership. They now offer pay one price tickets for the tourists, but for those of us in the area, a membership is definitely the cheaper way to see the zoo. And pack a lunch. These collages are from the children's zoo adventures. This is where children can feel what it's like to be an animal. There are also exhibit animals like otters and the fennec fox. Those ears let the kids hear like the fennec fox. Hard to see, but there is a wallaby behind the kids in the lower left picture above. Chase is pointing to a lemur in the lower center shot. Sierra is pretending to be a lemur on the climbing tree. Here they are popping out of prairie dog holes, climbing a spider web and petting a goat. Yes, I know I repeated the web picture. It's been a long day... We also visited the butterfly house and garden, then the kids took a ride on the bug carousel. Sierra is riding a firefly and Chase is behind her on a praying mantis. They also had a camel. For my zoo notes, click HERE. |