Our First Taste of Project Work
Well over the last few days I have tried really hard to work some project time into our life here. Bunny is still doing all her regular Montessori work, but we had been working on some other things too. She is still working on the ink inquiry and I even helped her ask the librarian for more information. This is something she has never done and its pretty hard for her to talk to people she doesnt know. I was proud that she was able to talk to them. We ended up having to just find information on the interent since there were no books on how to make ink. So we found this tutorial and started to make some flower petal ink. We also saw a recipe for beet ink that she wanted to try too. I am hoping (fingers crossed) that it works out. I also borrowed some calligraphy pens and tips for her to try to use. I was thinking that using feathers would be fun too. I also am waiting for the right time to mention to her that our museum has some documents that were written by monks. I thought she may like to go and see that too. Plus I have the timeline of writing that I took off the wall the other day and She said she liked it. I was thinking that she would have a better interest in it if I represent it. So I may do that later next week. Anyway, the project has been a little slow going and I dont think that this will be a long interest because is not a deep passion, but it is a great way to get out feet wet! You saw some of her work in my last post and here is the rest of it. I love that she made a paint brush out of feathers today like the ones Brother Theophane used in the book that launched this project!
Pup however is another story! She has taken off on the idea of project work and we are working, playing, and reading non stop! Her passion is Cheetahs and she is absorbing all of it! We have talked about Africa, about all of the how a cheetah lives, what a cheetah looks like, and about baby cubs! We have drawn then, sculpted them, and played with some miniature animals. When I asked her where we could learn about cheetahs, she told me we should get a nature movie we had gotten from the library a while ago. So we went to find it. It wasnt there, but we ordered it and I showed her the cheetah books and she picked out all her own! We have read a lot of them and a few of them twice, even at bedtime. She is living in her project and I have never seen her work like this. I really want to get some more things for her and I think that a trip to the zoo is inevitable (despite the fact that it is cold)! Here is her work.
So there you have our first tiny steps toward project homeschooling. I am encouraged over how this is working out and how the girls are responding. I think that this combined with our Montessori work will really make a really beautiful experience. We will see. I am excited and the girls are too. In fact I think that Pup being so excited is more surprising then anything! I hope you had a great week! Happy Schooling!
February 23, 2013 @ 12:43 pm
wow, you guys are doing some really interesting work! 😀
if you go to the pbh flickr group, some boys made oak gall ink! and i just pinned an instructable this morning for making your own waterbrushes — my 13yo son uses ink brushes that are constructed much the same way except they take ink cartridges instead of having a reservoir for water. i wonder if the cheap waterbrushes would work with homemade ink??? here’s the link: http://www.instructables.com/id/The-1-Waterbrush/#
love seeing what you guys are doing! keep sharing! and think about joining the pbh flickr group! 🙂
February 24, 2013 @ 3:16 am
Hi Lori, I will have to look into joining Flickr. It sounds like a great group! Your idea with the water brushes is a great idea. Unfortunatly, our ink didnt really do anything to color the paper. 🙁 Bunny said that it was disspointing. We bought some backberries to try a berry ink instead. I guess that learning has some not so perfect moments. Thanks for stopping by and sharing ideas!