Dear homeschooling champions, I am so proud of you! Lots of folks are discovering the joys (and yep, challenges) of homeschooling right now. In fact, many educators design character-building into all their lesson plans. Thus, Week 4 No-fail Lesson Plans focuses on the character quality of self-sacrifice.
Since this completes our set of a month’s free lesson plans, I decided to make you an offer. If you want to talk personally, just contact me via my website. From there, we can set up a personal visit. Happily, there’s no charge, just a lot of love and encouragement!
Fortitude, Perseverance, and Sacrificial Love: Your Awesome Character!
Above all, your fortitude, perseverance, and sacrificial love for your kids inspire us! With your good character in mind, Week 4 No-fail Lesson Plans focus on inspiring character qualities in your children. Plus, there’s a little personal inspiration for celebrating a reflective sabbatical. (For the printable verse cards we’re using, click here.)
After that, we ramp up the fun with our family’s favorite scavenger hunt: The Egg Snatcher Strikes Again. But first, The Road to the Resurrection.
The Road to the Resurrection
Lately, we’ve enjoyed seeing so many people out walking in our neighborhood. In honor of our neighbors, we created a little treat along the path in our front yard. Perhaps you, too, may want to create a little DIY meditation path (complete with 6-foot spacing) for those out walking in your neighborhood.
Remember when social distancing used to be called a sabbatical? Since current social norms prompt the resurgence of some beautiful old Christian disciplines, consider meditation. For instance, the Stations of the Cross are a simple way to meditate. Tenderly, each station focuses on an aspect of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
First, to keep our project simple I just printed out Life Your Way’s printable resurrection eggs to use as our verse cards for each station. Second, I wrote an explanation. Third, we laminated each card. Finally, with a few numbers, some tree stumps, a staple gun, some ribbon, and voila! (You can find my explanation here to cut and paste for your project.)
From the bottom of our hearts, we hope you’re finding ways to pause and ponder. Certainly, Christians before us have done so for centuries. Seriously, our Christian forebearers knew how to make self-sacrifice and self-learning a daily part of life. So, we are in good company! Week 4 No-fail Lesson Plans focus on the character quality of self-sacrifice.
The Greatest SuperPower in the Universe: Self Sacrifice
In addition, this week might be a great time to reflect on how our uniquely democratic blessings reflect a cultural commitment to sacrifice. Nearly all Americans’ background includes immigrant forebears who came to this country due to various distresses. Whether it was religious persecution, slavery, famine, political strife, or other hardships, people still seek Lady Liberty’s protection here. Sometimes, we forget to count the blessings of living in a country where the sacrifice of others has secured our freedom. (For more on raising liberty-loving kids, click here.)
For Christians, sacrifice becomes especially poignant when we consider a Savior who gave His life to gain our entry into eternity with God. When we receive the sacrifice He made, our access to eternal life is granted. (If you wonder if God could care for you, please click here.)
Week 4 No-Fail Lesson Plans
Monday—
1) Memory Work: First, review your memory work from the first four weeks. Then, today is a good day to introduce another kind of memory work: singing. By choosing a beloved hymn or putting a favorite poem to a familiar tune, you free the creative side of your kids. Indeed, memory work can be as easy as singing together.
2) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math): After that happy start to your day, review your kids’ math flash cards. Now that you’re acing this whole homeschool thing, set some serious goals about working through resources in books or online. Because school was interrupted this year, you may consider going throughout the summer with Math. For many homeschooling families, a year-round approach to Math works well. (Remember to check out all the inexpensive, effective resources at Mentoring Minds. Don’t miss their individual assessment testing.)
3) Language Arts, History: With anticipation, keep reading your classic chapter book. To spark up the fun, let older kids anticipate your next family book together.
4) Innovation, Ingenuity, and Stewardship: To encourage your children to love writing, help them transcribe the video they made last week. Later in the week, they can email their video report—along with the video, of course—to a grandparent or friend. (With her hilarious personal touch, Anna shared some terrific ideas about encouraging kids to love reading here. Plus, Sandra Merville Hart offered terrific suggestions to spark a love of writing here. )
5) Emotional Intelligence: Now encourage your children to create their own DIY meditation path outside or meditation space in their room. (Click here for instructions and a picture of the first stop on our meditation path.)
The Egg Snatcher
Next, I want to share one of the silliest things we do at our house. The Egg Snatcher is a perennial favorite with generations of Camp Krafve kiddos. Frequently, an anonymous culprit—the Egg Snatcher—makes off with our breakfast!
Is this breakfast bandit is a raccoon, a possum, or perhaps—as many of the grandchildren speculate—Poppy? Fortunately the dastardly dude leaves behind clues in Easter eggs. Yes, left over Easter eggs serve a special purpose throughout the year at our house. So far, we always find the breakfast in a picnic basket somewhere near our house. Tree forts? Pier at the lake? Tables on neighbors’ patios? Beware! The Egg Snatcher could be prowling in your neighborhood soon.
Tuesday
1) Memory Work: Begin by reviewing your memory work together out loud several times. Just for fun, sing in your loudest voices outside today.
2) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math): For a change of pace, teach your children to research great Math resources online. Together, help them set their own Math goals about what they want to learn and why.
3) Language Arts, History: Next, relax and read another chapter of your classic book.
4) Innovation, Ingenuity, and Stewardship: Today, help your children work on their video reports and send them to a friend or grandparent. Then, print out the resurrection egg verse cards and help your children mark out a path for their own meditation path. With joy, talk about how sacrifice is grounded in understanding truth. Why did Jesus choose to die on the cross? Why is He called the Savior? What does that mean for each one of us?
5) Emotional Intelligence: I am so proud of you. With perseverance and fortitude, you are making sacrifices as you educate your children. What a blessing and terrific role model for them!
Wednesday
1) Memory Work: First, review your family memory work. Additionally, take a closer look at the verse cards for Station 1-4. What does each card teach about sacrifice? How can your family learn from Jesus to make sacrifices? (For more about sparking Virtual Hugs, click here.)
2) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math): Today, sit down with each child to review the goals they set for themselves. In order to teach order and systems, help your children break their Math goals into manageable steps. What can they accomplish this week toward their goals? What will they have to sacrifice to accomplish their goals?
3) Language Arts, History: As a bonus, research other forms of meditation. With enthusiasm, take a look at tools throughout history to help people meditate. As a simple way to teach meditation, practice praying over today’s verse cards. If your children are eager to hear more of your book, read one chapter.
4) Innovation, Ingenuity, and Stewardship: Next, help your children wrap up their video report project by emailing it as an encouragement to someone else. Of course, take a moment to savor a job completed. Afterward, continue working on a meditation path or space for your family.
5) Emotional Intelligence: Truly, this week you are a champion at teaching your children to be still and know God. What a blessing! Honestly, I just couldn’t be prouder of YOU!
Thursday
1) Memory Work: First, review your family memory work. Next, take a closer look at the verse cards for Station 5-8. What does each card teach about sacrifice? How can your family learn from Jesus to make sacrifices?
2) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math): For your Math time, quickly review Math flashcards. Then, take them up. Today, focus on analysis and engineering by helping your children identify the next step in the family project you chose last week. For example, compare your family project to the DIY meditation path. How can your family work on multiple projects by sacrificing things that don’t matter? What are the differences in the cost of each project?
By the way, tomorrow is a very special surprise for your family. So Mom, don’t forget to prepare for a visit from the Egg Snatcher. Believe me, homeschool will never be the same!
3) Language Arts, History: Happily, your family gets to keep reading your chapter book. Additionally, your kids can write quick notes to family members living far away. Or, thank you notes to those who serve your family at the grocery store or other necessary services in your community. (For more ideas about how to write terrific thank you notes, click here.)
4) Innovation, Ingenuity, and Stewardship: Next, let them cut, paste, color, laminate. Whatever they need to do to finish your DIY meditation path or space. If you choose to do it outside, remember to space your stations 6 feet apart. Then, you can invite your neighbors to enjoy some solitary meditation, too.
5) Emotional Intelligence: For a final treat, turn them loose to run outside. Perhaps they will want to work on their meditation path or create a quiet meditation space in their bedroom. Now take a moment to relax yourself.
Friday
1) Memory Work: The Egg Snatcher Strikes again! Today, breakfast is a scavenger hunt followed by a picnic. Move as much of your work outside as you can today.
First, review your family memory work. Next, take a closer look at the verse cards for Station 9-12. What do these special cards teach about the power in sacrifice? How can your family apply the truth found here?
2) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math): Gleefully, our kids and grandkids love scavenger hunts. Of course, I’m assuming yours do, too. Since the Egg Snatcher has left behind eggs with clues, why not let your children continue the fun by hiding each other’s math flashcards? Happily, laughter always makes learning easier. Lovingly, God wired our brains to learn better when we relax. How fun is that?! (Don’t forget to check out what Cynthia Tobias has to say about learning styles. Find our interview with Cynthia about strong women here.)
Possibly, your older children may want to set aside some time to see working ahead on their personal Math goals. Okay, maybe not. Still, it’s okay to take a break for fun every now and then!
3) Language Arts, History: While your family enjoys breakfast outside, read the next chapter of your book .
4) Innovation, Ingenuity, and Stewardship: Next, finish your meditation path today. With delight, take a few minutes to walk through your path, praying with your children as you go. Lovingly, you are teaching them how to meditate–how to cherish companionship with God.
5) Emotional Intelligence: Of course, you now have four weeks of homeschool under your belt! What an accomplishment!
More Help With Self-Learning
At Camp Krafve, self-learning is our passion. Naturally, you can find tons more great, relaxed ideas on creating self-learning moments with your kids on our website. Since our daughter, Anna Krafve Pierce, is an educator and a mom you search her name. With joy, she shares some terrific podcasts and blogs sure to encourage you! (If your child struggles with reading, click here. To create intentional morning rituals, here. Or cross-cultural holidays at home.)
Parents’ Self-sacrifice Pays Off
Because you committed to home educating, I am so proud of you! Clearly, we don’t have to tell YOU parents’ sacrifice pays off. Now pat yourself on the back. Best of all, you will benefit the rewards of kids who love sacrifice and self-learning as much as you do.
While you’re picking out a curriculum for your kids, don’t forget to pick out a good book for yourself. (For romance, click here. Or, historic fiction, click here. For history nerds, click here. To explore Sassy faith, click here. For inspiration in prayer, click here.)
May we pray together?
Dear good Father, Your Son’s sacrifice inspires us as we homeschool. Make us the kind of parents who teach our kids the value of self-sacrifice and self-learning. We love You so much! Thank You for trusting us with these amazing children. Thank You for the kids we love! In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.
Coming Soon
Next week, Ashley Kutach shares her story with us. Especially in this age of Corona Virus, we’re learning leaders really do need to communicate well. Lovingly, Ashley addresses how to handle it when leaders’ Blind Spots get in the way of good communication. (Click here to preview her story.)
Next up, Tammy Whitehurst’s amazing insights which we decided to call Perfectionism Ain’t Pretty! Naturally, Tammy spares no laughs as she makes us dig deep into our hearts—you’ll love what she says!
As for me—For the next few weeks I plan to finish a proposal and write the sequel to The Well, The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations. In other news, our release was scheduled for March but got delayed. Please keep praying. As soon as I find out our new release date, I’ll let you know. (For more info about The Well, click here. For more about or marriage communication book coming out next fall, click here.)
We LOVE to hear from YOU!
If your kids learned only one thing this week, what would it be? How has homeschooling blessed your family this week? How can Camp Krafve serve you in the coming weeks?
As you think about the cross, know you are loved by a Savior who gave His life for you! Then, He proved His power over death in His resurrection. And, yes, we love you, too!
Happy Resurrection Day!!
Cathy Krafve, Columnist, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, and Christian Writer, invites your stories, ideas, and questions at CathyKrafve.com. Truth with a Texas Twang.
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