Star Spangled Banner

When I was planning our Fourth of July study I found that it was more important to lay a strong foundation of the United States History for Jaxon that would lead up to the celebration.  We have only touched on presidents in the past year during Presidents Day.  I began our study when I found a great section in one of my Thematic Unit Books, My Country,  focusing on what I considered an appropriate foundation for a 1st Grader.  The section I pulled out was "The Star-Spangled Banner"  based on an amazing book by Peter Spier.  It also complemented his Social Studies book, Time for Kids Reader Fourth of July, with accompanying worksheets.  During this study we discussed the history of the National Anthem, how it made people feel, and what it stands for.  Unfortunately I have to admit my son had never heard the national anthem until this moment, nor had we discussed the pride of living in the United States and what it meant to be able to live with Freedom.  I began by downloading and discussing the music from a site that is based on learning through music called Wee-Sing.  They have created an entire album on American history.  It is a great introduction for kids to hear patriotic songs.  

I also included a range of American Symbols that represent our Country.  We read F is for Flag while studying the history of our flag and what each star and stripe represents.  This also opened the door for an entire study on learning the countries through their flags. We also read A is for America.  This book introduced so many symbols, people, places and concepts that represent the history of America.  It was a great addition to our study and complimented our Safari LTD super toob USA.  We were able to match up close to all the figures included.

We decided to expand our lesson on symbols by visiting New York during the Fourth of July.  If you ever get the chance I highly recommend it.  To have the opportunity to visit some of the most famous symbols of our country at this time of year made for the perfect American History lesson.  During our trip to New York we spent time at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

When we happened to come acrossed  a re-enactment of a Colonial Band playing the National Anthem along with other patriotic songs at Castle Clinton National Monument on the Fourth of July it was a great addition to our studies.  

Another great opportunity also included in the thematic unit was to learn the Pledge of Allegiance.  I included a book we had previously bought during this time, I Pledge Allegiance.  This book recites the Pledge of Allegiance and then explains to the child why it was created and what the true meaning behind each word and phrase means .

Since I always try to keep all of our lessons in a theme I ordered the Lego Architecture New York City Skyline Collection. This also gave Jaxon an activity when we were in the hotel room waiting for fireworks.  I was a little concerned since they suggest ages 12 and up.  Jaxon had no problem completing it on his own and loved making the connection between what he was seeing on his trip and the buildings they included.  

To try to teach a child the understanding of emotions that people feel about America is extremely challenging.  I don't think many children as young as Jaxon can appreciate or truly understand the meaning of patriotism and all it stands for.  Sometimes we as adults take for granted the country we live in and all it offers us.  I strongly believe that a child will first learn patriotism by their parents, leading by example.  As most of our children will learn a great majority of their behavior by following our example.  Our ancestors understood what freedom meant because a large majority of them experienced what it was like to lose that freedom or lived through the fear of having someone take their freedom away.  This gave them the gift of patriotism for their country.  A country that gave them the freedom to start a new life, a better life.  They also have had to fight to keep our freedom so that our children could be raised in the freedom of the United States.  I feel that most of us learn patriotism as we grow and experience things during our lifetime.  For me I always thought I understood what it meant and then on September 11, 2001 my world was turned upside down.  I had always had a false sense of safety and security in America because I had been allowed to feel that way.  We were America the country of freedom how could anything every happen to us.  Anything could happen to us any day any time.  Yet we choose to give ourselves the freedom but that does not always mean that other countries will give us the same respect.  That is when you realize so many lives people we didn't know but could so easily have been our mother, father, brother or friend are lost because someone tested our boundaries.  On this trip we visited the 9/11 memorial and I cried.  I cried for all the mothers, fathers, children and patriots who lost their lives that day.  I did not know one person personally but they were Americans who lost their lives and that is what patriotism is about.   As my son looked up at me and said "Mommy, why are you crying I had to explain to him that a lot of people lost their lives that day because someone didn't agree with our freedom!"

Statue of Liberty National Monument

We saved the best for last.  This was also Jaxon's highlight of our entire trip.  Our entire trip was planned around the Statue of Liberty Crown Access tickets.  We had tried to make a quick stop months prior on our way to Florida and quickly learned that Crown Access sells out months in advance.  Learning our lesson we actually booked our Crown Access tickets before our flights this time.  The Crown Access tickets give you access to everything you could possibly want to see the pedestal, museum, audio tour and grounds area.  These tickets are only available online.  I suggest planning way in advance to get your tickets here.  This is the only official provider of Crown Tickets.

To prepare for our trip to the statue of liberty we read L is for Liberty.  My favorite part of this book is that towards the end they celebrate the Fourth of July which really relates to our entire journey to New York.  For Jaxon's reading assignment he read The Statue of Liberty, a Step up to reading book.  I find it really takes Jaxon's reading to another level when the book focus's on something we are learning in another subject.  It then takes the focus off the fact that I am asking him to read but, that we are taking an adventure to learn about something new.

We pre-printed our Statue of Liberty Junior Ranger Activity Book.  When downloading the Junior Ranger Program this park actually has two choices. The first one is a short double-sided page meant for visitors wanting to earn their badge.  The second one was created for teachers to utilize during field trips to the Statue of Liberty.  Since we were including the book in Jaxon's "Time for Kids" Social Studies curriculum we chose to utilize the field trip based Activity Book.  We also included a short educational video by BrainPOP Jr.  Jaxon loves to watch  Annie and Moby bring topics to life through short cartoon clips.  Prior to our visit we were able to complete Activities 5,6,7,8 and 10 at home.  This gave Jaxon a great foundation of understanding the history and meaning behind such an important monument to american history. Below you can see how I took Activity 8 and expanded the topic into a small science project for a better understanding of how copper ages.  I found this great activity with the worksheet included by Buggy and Buddy. 

At the top of every Activity Page they give you a Hint where to find the answer which made it much easier to maneuver as we walked around the monument.  

Activities 1 and 2 we actually saved for last since both pages are to be completed in the information center at the same location that we would complete our Activity book and turn it in to a Ranger.  Activity 1 includes watching a video.  I would highly recommend leaving a good amount of time for these two activities, the information center is extremely small and tight.  Once you get more then one family trying to complete the same activities and meet with the rangers to sign off on the books it becomes cramped very quickly.  

The monument has an amazing children's audio tour that I highly recommend for children and adults.  It takes you on a tour through the gardens and then continues on around the entire outside grounds of the Statue of Liberty.  These tours are done at your own pace.  So you are able to listen in one area and then take your time walking until you reach the next stop.

After we returned our audio tours we quickly walked to the pedestal area where we were directed to leave all of our backpacks in a locker and only proceed with cameras that you have the ability to carry.  At this point you enter the pedestal and museum area and must proceed immediately to either the elevator or stairs during your selected tour time. We choose to take the stairs just to rule out the idea of us missing anything.  We didn't miss anything it is literally a corridor of stairs that lead you to the same location as the elevator.  At this time we met up with a Ranger who then told us how long we would need to wait before proceeding to the crown stairs.  

As we made our way to the top of the crown we were completely alone and able to climb at our own pace. 

The crown itself was so much smaller then I expected but, we have no regrets and would do the entire thing over again.  It was absolutely amazing being able to walk up the stairs and see all of her features from the inside.

After we made our climb down we headed to the museum to explore more on the history of the Statue of Liberty.

In the end after a long day of exploring the monument we all enjoyed an ice cold fresh made cup of Statue of Liberty Lemonade.  

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration

Jaxon's First grade study of Immigration took us on our journey to Ellis Island.  This was another trip inspired by Jaxon's "Time for Kids" Social Studies curriculum.  I decided when planning this trip to split up the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island so we could take our time and do both Junior Ranger Programs and not be in a hurry.  Honestly,  the last thing I wanted to happen was for all of us to be exhausted and not enjoy the exploration.  That ultimately was the best decision we made by the end of our day on Ellis Island I couldn't wait to get back to our hotel and relax.  I could never imagine doing it any other way now.  

I would like to first discuss the Junior Ranger Program.  If I could go back and do things differently that would be the one thing I would change.  I attempting to be prepared printed the Junior Ranger Booklet at home.  Which I printed immediately after booking our trip in March.  The Junior Ranger Book I printed was at least ten pages long and by the time we had made it to the third floor we were exhausted, hungry and could not easily find any of the answers.  Once we completed the third floor questions we took a break and went and grabbed lunch in the cafeteria. We then returned to the last two pages which was all located in the main entrance area.  After still having major difficulty finding the answers I opted to go to the ranger desk and ask them how many pages needed to be completed.  When I questioned the ranger he notified me that the Junior Ranger book I had printed was out of date and meant for teachers use.  The now Junior Ranger Program was two pages.  So lesson now learned going forward I will always visit the ranger desk prior to beginning our day.

One of the reasons that I always try to print the Junior Ranger Book out ahead of time is so that we can do as many of the pages ahead as possible.  This helps us lay a strong foundation for our trip and allows us a little more time to enjoy the monuments at a more relaxed rate.  On this trip we were only able to complete the first page before arriving.  The entire packet is designed to be completed at particular exhibits.  Below is an example of one page of the packet.  I then went to plan b and organized our entire day by floor and exhibit which made it much easier while traveling through the museum.

In preparation for our trip we utilized BrainPOP Jr.'s short video on Ellis Island. If you have never heard of BrainPOP Jr. you absolutely need to look into it.  We pay $1.99 a month to have unlimited access to their app.  BrainPOP Jr. has six different categories science, health, reading and writing, social studies, math art and technology.  Within each of these are subcategories with endless subjects full of short educational videos that appeal to children.  There are times I can explain the same topic to Jaxon over and over and he still just stares at me completely lost.  This is when I pull out BrainPOP Jr. and all of a sudden a lightbulb comes on in his head.  There are times when he is honestly just tired of hearing my voice and that is completely understandable.  For this reason I try to incorporate all forms of education in his curriculum including educational movies and videos.

The page below was the only time I assisted Jaxon in writing in his Junior Ranger Activity Book.  I knew that this would be a huge challenge for him to sit down and write his own manifest so I interviewed him as if he was entering a real legal inspection and wrote all his answers below.  It actually made for a fun change of dramatic play during our tour of Ellis Island.

We also took the children's audio tour while on Ellis Island.  My first suggestion is to bring the children their own headphones.  They do not come with headphones and the rooms are small and can get quite loud.  We actually went back to the audio tour counter and asked if they had any we could borrow due to the volume of noise in the rooms.  The audio tour was absolutely perfect for children, a mouse who lives on Ellis Island takes you on a journey to meet some of his friends and explore their journey to the new world.  

Another great feature of the audio tour is it is enjoyed at your own pace.  Each room the tour leads you to has a plaque on the wall and the children just follow the mouse footprint numbers when they are ready to begin.

Once we had completed our Junior Ranger Program and our audio tour I took Jaxon on a more personal tour of Ellis Island.  We wandered the American Immigrant Wall of Honor in search of my Great Grandfather's name.  My Great Grandfather had traveled to Ellis Island from Belgium to start a new life for his family in America.  I wanted Jaxon to understand that Ellis Island is a historical landmark for many reasons and it is personal to every person who has had an ancestor pass through.  For if it was not for our ancestor's coming to America to start a new life we would not be here today.

Jaxon came to Ellis Island with very little knowledge or understanding of the concept of immigration and coming to america.  For a young child to learn history is one goal during most National Monuments but, to understand a concept of how we all came together to become what is now the United States of America is a little more difficult.

Clinton Castle National Monument

During our recent visit to New York we wanted to be able to do as much as we possibly could in walking distance of our hotel located in Battery Park.  While exploring Battery Park we found ourselves inside Castle Clinton National Monument.  

Castle Clinton does not have their Junior Ranger Book online so you have to pick one up once you arrive.  The rangers are walking around so you just have to stop and ask one of them.  They do not have an official area that you are able to talk to them except their private office which is the door to the left as you pass through the arch.  The book is designed for ages 4-7 to complete three pages and ages 8 and up must complete all the activities.  Jaxon was able to complete the book with little to no problems.

As we began filling out our book we did lose sight that there was an outside so I would suggest walking around outside to see the plaque at the entrance which answers some of the questions on page nine.  

When it came to the Cannons on page three we had to ask the ranger for assistance that is when we discovered that at some point in time someone had stolen their signs.  That is why we were having a difficult time finding the answers we needed to complete the book.  This is when I am happy we have technology today that gives us the ability to sit down and look up the answers.

The one area that was located inside is set up with dioramas of Castle Clinton so that you have the ability to see the transformations it has gone through over the years.  This is where we found a majority of the answers for pages 7 and 10.  The history of the building and all it has been used for was astonishing.  Technically by right it was the first Ellis Island for our country and yet somehow we never hear much about it during our Nation's history.

As we wandered around Castle Clinton Monument completing our junior ranger book we noticed out the corner of our eye that a group of men dressed in colonial day attire had arrived.  Sparking our interest we walked over to admire their amazing attire.  It was at this time we came to find out that they were going to be re-enacting a colonial band by performing patriotic songs in spirit of the Fourth of July holiday.  After studying the history of the Fourth of July prior to our visit this was an exciting opportunity for us.  To not only read, listen and discuss but now to actually see what it was like in the past to witness a colonial band playing such patriotic music was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

In the end Jaxon was very excited to receive his Junior Ranger Badge and Patch.  When we come across a location that has the opportunity to collect a patch it makes the experience extra special.  

Clinton Castle National Monument is an under appreciated National Monument that is sadly shadowed by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Islands who have taken over the gift shop, ticket stands and will call in the center.  I highly recommend taking the time to visit the location next time you are in New York.

Feathers for Lunch

We actually had an unexpected head start on our bird study when we joined the Ritz Kids at their Grand Lakes location for a bird study day.  This was our first experience joining the Ritz Kids program.  The Ritz Kids is an amazing program where not only do the kids get some freedom from their parents but they have fun learning about the area.  For this specific topic Jaxon painted a bird house while they read books and played games all revolving around Birds.

Our Bird Study began with the book Feather's for Lunch.  Which was suggested to us through a Thematic Unit on birds.  Anytime I can find a Thematic Unit on a subject we are studying I love to include them as they have creative ideas on incorporating crafts, cooking, math and writing.  This was Jaxon's first time ever learning about birds and I was not sure if we would find the study exciting.  Inside the thematic Unit they provided one single page to be used as a Bird Watching Journal.  Since we travel so much I decided to expand our bird watching on our trips and purchased this Bird Watching Journal to do so.  I also picked up a couple books to learn more about bird watching and the birds we are observing.  Feather's for lunch introduces the children to some of the most common birds found across the United States.  The only deteriant of this book is that the pictures are paintings so they do not show the children a realistic picture of the bird they are studying.  To solve this problem since I wanted Jax's to have the ability to see a photograph of each bird I searched elsewhere.  I found that the National Geographic for Kids books does a wonderful job showing the children pictures and facts about the birds.  For this study I picked up Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorer Field Guide) and National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America.  

Though the Thematic Unit suggested we raise an egg in an incubator I was not that dedicated.  So we opted to improvise by finding a nest in our yard and observing the birds through their entire cycle of life.  It added a sense of excitement each time we checked the nest.  From the beginning as we anticipated the eggs hatching all the way to the end as we were able to see the changes in the birds as they grew stronger and stronger.

So we found that sometimes nature needed some persuasion when it came to attracting the birds down to a level we could observe them better.  So we started on our adventure of making all types of bird feeders.  

As we continued our bird watching we began being able to identify birds by sight.  Jax's began enjoying the challenge of figuring out which bird was which.  As I searched for areas outside of our own yard to venture to I found a great program located just outside of San Francisco, at the Marin Audubon Society.  The Marin Audubon Society has a program for Junior Birdwatchers ranging from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade.  So we will see where this adventure takes us.  We've decided to start with the Kindergarten level so we do not miss any of the steps.  I always like to add any type of visual educational toy that can be used during our lessons.  I came across these great plush toys made by Wild Republic for the Audubon Society to help Jaxs in learning the different types of birds along with hearing their individual calls.

To end our bird study we attended the Annual Lake Tahoe Bird Festival.  It is held annually at the Taylor Creek Visitors Center by many organizations in the community to educate visitors on the local birds that migrate to the Lake Tahoe area.

The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science leads bird watches through the Taylor Creek area the entire day.  It was a great opportunity for Jax's to bird watch with a group of people outside of our yard.

Following our Bird Watch we attended a Falconer presentation at the amphitheater put on by Marie Gaspari-Crawford.  Of course these birds of prey held Jaxon's attention.

There were a long list of organizations that set up booths to help educate visitors on numerous subjects.  The boy scouts caught Jaxon's attention since he was able to build his own bird house.

Again the Community in Tahoe has exceeded our expectations.  We love how everyone in the community always comes together to pull off amazing events for our youth.  We only wish more communities would do so.

Aquarium of the Pacific

We decided to become members this year at the Aquarium of the Pacific. We found last year that almost every zoo we visited it was more worth our wild to invest in a membership rather than pay admission for the three of us.  If we visit any location more than once it pays for itself in just two visits.  

One of the great resources Aquarium of the Pacific has are these amazing Scavenger Hunts.  Anytime I do a field trip packet I always go through and pull anything that can be done prior to our visit.  This helps to introduce and lay a foundation for Jaxon to what he will be learning.  We started out with the K-2 Grade and took them with us on our first visit.  On our second trip we did the 3-5 and with the exception of a type of mad lib Jaxon was able to complete both levels.

With Aquarium of the Pacific I would suggest getting a map ahead of time and familiarizing yourself with the Aquarium.  Each Sheet has a title at the top which determines the exhibit you need to go to complete that page of the scavenger hunt.

Throughout the aquarium are stationed educators who talk to the children and teach them facts about the animals.   In this case we learned that the horse shoe crab has blue blood and is actually considered a dinosaur. 

We always enjoy having some form of a challenge to help us keep focused as we visit the aquarium.   

The Post Visit is a set of activities we did at home and a wonderful way to review what you have learned from your visit to the Aquarium. The one featured below was titled Tangled in Trash.  We stretched a rubber band across the back of Jax's hand from the thumb to his pinky.  You can twist the rubber band to make it fit tighter if you need to.  Then we explained that he was a marine animal tangled in trash.  I then asked Jaxon if he could free himself of the trash without using his mouth, other hand or any other part of his body.  This was one of my favorite activities so many projects for his age are arts and crafts that I really enjoy finding activities that make him think.

I also occasionally find great ideas on pinterest that save until I find a time that they fit in.  I had found this one and saved it for a good year now.  I found it through EAdventures with Kids.  I absolutely love her ideas and constantly find my self wandering through her pinterest.