solagratiamom

I just finished a fabulous review and giveaway from Greathall Productions last week.  If you missed the review you can read it here.

Today I’d like to continue on my July Reviews and talk about a weekly teaching plan from www.Solagratiamom.com.  This plan is designed to be used with Classical Conversations Foundations program only.

*Disclaimer:  You will need to have a Foundations Guide and be a part of Classical Conversations to really get the most out of this plan….however, I guess that any collection of great online resources and ideas could be put to use for anyone.

Okay so on with the review!

First, this plan has 3 parts.  Part 1 is the “enrichment plans” or teaching plans.  These plans help you have fun while learning your memory work and topics for each CC week.  Part 2 is the Wonderful Wednesdays plans.  This will give ideas for a group of kids that could come together and do some REALLY fun hands-on activities each week.  Part 3 is the Pin Maps.

Part 1: Enrichment Plans

The plans are laid out in a table for the week.  If your CC day is different, then just adjust the calendar.  Its really not meant to be followed exactly and precisely, nor should you feel that you have to do each activity or read every resource listed. I like the way that Colleen puts it on her site:

“The Teaching Plan is meant to be a way to enrich your time through the current Cycle, providing ideas and information that allow you to increase your child’s knowledge on a given topic of the memory work rather than just adding another curriculum to run alongside of CC.” from solagratiamom.com

If you’d like to see a sample of a week’s worth of teaching/enrichment ideas, please click here

Click image for preview

As you will see, the plan consists of two days of enrichment activities and ideas (Tuesday and Thursday)  Wednesdays are reserved for Wonderful Wednesday’s which we will discuss below….and Fridays are Nature Days.  Here’s what Colleen @ Solagratiamom.com has to say about her Nature Days:

 “We can talk about history and discuss  geography  as we talk about cultures that held myths surrounding the ladybug or what ladybugs live where.  We can use skills of research and science as we take a picture and try to match the ladybug species online and discover it’s scientific name etc.  You get the point.  I think it’s an easy way to integrate subjects when you’re outside with your kid and I highly recommend it.  It is also a time to really enjoy – you have Foundation aged kids for only a short while.  This is great stuff for that age/stage of development.  There will be TONS of time to be cracking at the table with subjects for the remainder of their educational careers!” from Solagratiamom.com

#2 Wonderful Wednesdays

Wednesdays (or any day you choose) can be set aside as something totally different.  The idea is that you get together with other CC families in your area/community to do some fun, hands-on activities that relate to the CC Memory Work.

“The purpose to me of Wonderful Wednesday is to not only provide fellowship with other families in your CC Community who are working on the same memory work that week but also to step back from the normal pushed routine of a given school day and enjoy this journey and precious Foundations stage.  I hope to inspire you to create a memory that is fun and taps into your child’s world, helping you to better know and guide your student as you return to every day school work” – from solagratiamom.com

One thing that I really loved about the Wonderful Wednesday plans is how much she did to give you everything you need.  For example, there are two options for crafts, Easy and More Elaborate….you can adjust based on the ages or time schedule!  I also liked that she included snacks and even dress up ideas to go along with each week!!

The whole thing is planned and ready for you.  You have charts to help you organize what supplies you need, which review games to do, and to tell you which mom is helping with what!  Colleen goes into detail about how to use her plans, and how to set up a group with your friends! Even if you didn’t/couldn’t do these ideas with an organized group, you would still get tons of use out of the ideas.  Personally, I just can’t commit to setting up or being a part of a weekly group like this, however, I plan to use many of these weekly activities as a way to dive deeper into our memory work!  I LOVE all the human body stuff she has planned for Cycle 3…and my daughter and I can even make snacks to go along with our day….maybe I’ll let my 13 year old son take a break from Challenge A work to join us! 🙂

#3 Pin Maps

As if you even needed another reason…there’s the Pin Maps!  These are my absolute favorite!! Okay…so imagine a wall map of the United States.  Got it so far? Okay now picture these cute T-pins

Now…imagine cute little labels (of CC Geography) on each pin!  Got it?

All you do is place your map on a surface that can be pinned like a cork board.  Use the T-pins with the labels hot glued on them to find all the geography areas.  I don’t know what it is about using these pins that make Geography review so fun, but it works!!  My WHOLE family loved it.  We even had timed races with Daddy! 🙂

from solagratiamom.com – Pin Maps

 

Note: you can blow up your CC maps at an office supply store for just a few dollars then laminate for cheap at a teacher’s supply store

My opinion:

If you are looking for something that can add a little fun, direct you to places online that easily correlate to your CC topics and give you some fresh ideas, then this plan is for you.  I would not consider it a “lesson plan” it’s just a collection of enrichment ideas…..the great thing is that all the planning and match ups with each CC week are already done for you!!  I know if you’re like me you might be thinking that you’ll just do that yourself….you probably have 1,000,000 pins on Pinterest under “CC Cycle 3” already! Right?  Well, that may be true, but I just don’t have the time to match all my pins with all the CC weeks and then type it all up! That’s why this plan is great!  It’s a wonderful “go-to” for ideas! Why work hard when you can work smart!! Thanks Colleen!! 🙂 

Oh….and I forgot to mention that she also includes presentation topics each week!! Sometimes they even go with an activity that you can do that week.

You should definitely check it out and see what you think!  In the meantime, click below to register to win a FREE Cycle 3 BUNDLE!  That’s a $29.95 value!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

12 Thoughts on “Weekly Plans Review & Giveaway!”

  • I’m trying to think of my favorite resource! CC Connected is a given, but I love the great blogs out there to get ideas from, even though I choose not to implement all of them. Getting ideas to help me keep it “stick in the sand”!

    For review games, so far we’ve enjoyed doing a Timeline scavenger hunt at home to find the cards in order. At CC, my kids have enjoyed Jeapardy! Tic tac toe and Half a Hundred Acre Wood’s Wiggly Worm.

  • I used some of her resources last year. It does save a lot of time especially if you already have some of the same books she references.

  • My favorite review game is my favorite because it’s so simple and appeals to both boys and girls. I draw a dartboard on a chalkboard or dry erase board. Before I ask a review question the child throws a balled up sock (clean sock, of course!) at the board to see how many points he/she will get for answering the question correctly. The kids are in teams so I have even tweeked the game at times by allowing the child to get 1/2 the points if they need to ask a team member for help….the child gets all the points if they answer on their own.

  • I’m looking forward to using a ball and some plastic cups and bowling with my little ones as we review! Keep it simple!!

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