Homeschooling - Vacation, a Practical Study.

Practical experience – The books have been put away for two days so that we can visit family up at the beach. But certainly the learning did not stop. At low tide, as the water retreated leaving long fingerlings of seeping water trying to reunite eith the ocean. DS decided to alter nature. He made paths and channels, redirecting the water this way and that. He watched how the water pooled and erosion built mini cliffs and fjords. We discussed sea level as water began coming up from the bottom of his creation instead of brought by waves. Also, DH and DS experimented with liquefaction as they agitated the already saturated soil creating quicksand. DS & DD looked like they were making wine and stomp, stomp, stomped getting pulled deeper and deeper.

DD has been reading leisurely and is currently playing dominoes on the front porch. Her map reading could have even gotten us here 30 minutes earlier.

Both have been playing endlessly in the waves. DS has wondered why there are mover waves at low tide than high, but the waves are bigger at high than low.

We have contemplated the idea of a flat world and looked at the horizon to see where once it was though that boats fell off the edge. What bravery it must have taken to breech that edge.

Vacations, I believe, are the seed, the question, the ignition to so much learning. Vacations are a homeschoolers delight (and sine the kids around here have gone back to school it is beautifully quiet – maybe I really am for year round schooling). They are the fodder for weeks and months of future study.