Horn homeschool: Weeks 28-29

Knowing we had an upcoming field trip with our homeschool group to a local police station, I planned a two week unit study focusing on Community Helpers. 

Our field trip was AMAZING.  The police officer giving us the tour was not busy so he spent LOTS of time and showed us every nook and cranny of the station.  Literally.  We saw the dispatch center, shooting range, detective offices, interrogation rooms, jail, locker room, and police cars.  The officer patiently answered all our questions (from both kids and mommies) and indirectly gave us much insight as to how vital his service is.


At home, Chloe and Clive and I read through MANY books on various community helpers.  We focused on police officers, firefighters, librarians, postal workers, and doctors/dentists.

In studying police officers, we made costumes (ironically, Clive refused to wear his) and role-played with walkie-talkies.  Additionally, we talked about stranger safety at length.  Unfortunately, this back-fired on me.  Instead of creating an awareness and caution of strangers in Chloe, she became transfixed with a newfound fear of unfamiliar faces.  To the point where she would hide behind me in stores and not engage in friendly banter with cashiers or bystanders in public.  It didn't help that during the police station field trip the officer showed the kids a binder full of convicts' photos.  And Chloe thought she spotted one of our local drug store clerks in the mugshot.

THANKFULLY, this intense fear has worn off somewhat.  She's back to her cheerful self and often chats with trusted folks in my presence.  Last week she proudly told the check-out librarian all about her swimming lessons.  Whew.

I didn't forget Clive in this unit study.  I pointedly chose several community helper books of particular interest to him including garbage truck drivers, snow plow drivers, farmers and construction workers.  Anyone driving a machine is very important in Clive's mind!

I really wanted to write up some thank you notes with Chloe for a few local community helpers.  Alas, my dream did not meet reality and we never got around to it.  :(  But thank you notes are never late so I'm hoping to do this with Chloe as part of our handwriting practice in an upcoming week.

There are a myriad of sites out there with valuable resources on this topic.  My faves include:

• Mrs. Kilburn's Kiddos: A wonderful list of ideas, books and linked crafts, songs and activities for this teacher's community helpers week.
• Enchanted Learning:  Enchanted Learning ROCKS MY HOMESCHOOLING WORLD.  It's been a huge aid to me when I'm scrounging for some extra sheets and activities to round out a unit study.  Definitely worth the $20 year-long membership.
• Homeschool Share: Great ideas and printables for lapbooks for community helper themed books.  My kids loved the Community Helpers A to Z book listed. 
• First School: This site is wonderful!  All the activities and crafts use every day household items.  Which is perfect for me since I usually scrounge around last minute in planning out crafts.  This site gave us the police officer costume idea.  Thanks, first school!

And thank YOU community helpers for your valuable service and sacrifice!