~You can find copies of American Tall Tales here. There are also comprehension quizzes on this site.

~You can find a unit study on Tall Tales at German Town Academy.

~Tall Tales fit into a unit of study on the westward expansion. You can find general information about America in the 1800’s at this website. You will also find a host of educational resources at this website.

~Some Tall Tales are based on actual people. You can have your children research the lives of the Johnny Appleseed and Davey Crockett and compare the facts they find to the exaggerations in Tall Tales.

~You can make a lapbook on Johnny Appleseed. Homeschool Share has a free one.

~Have your children write their own Tall Tales. Remember to include exaggeration in the tales. Illustrations would complete the stories.

Photo courtesy of cliff1066

Are you studying traditional literature in your homeschool? You can engage your children in this study by diving into Fairy Tales and adding a twist to the learning experience.

• Your children might enjoy reading several versions of the same fairy tale. It is common to do a study on the Cinderella stories and compare the different versions of the tale. You can find a great lesson plan at EDSITEement. Write or act out the story from a different character’s point of view. You can even have your children write their own version of a fairy tale but from as if it is from a different culture. Research a particular culture thoroughly first and require that the story include information about that culture in the story.
• Add fractured fairy tales to your study. Read the “original” version of a tale and compare it to the fractured version. There are many great fractured fairy tales available now such as The Fourth Little Pig, Just Ella, Sleeping Ugly, and The Paper Bag Princess. Then have your children write their own fractured fairy tales. You can even incorporate persuasive essays in your study. Your children can write from the antagonist’s point of view explaining why s/he was wronged.
• Since many fairy tales were collected by the Brothers Grimm in an effort to preserve German folklore, you can do a research project on Germany.
• Study Hans Christian Anderson’s life and fairy tales. (Beware that his tales do not always have happy endings.) You can also learn about Holland since Andersen was Dutch.

Photo courtesy of g.naharro

Myths

Myths are creation tales that include supernatural activity. For a more detailed definition go to About.com.

• Spark Notes is packed with information about mythology. It can be a great resource for you as you start to learn about mythology.
• Have your children read Myths from various cultures such as Native American and Greek myths. Examine the themes that appear in those myth,s and create a grid to of those themes as a graphic organizer. You can also have your children illustrate the myths in order to help them visualize the stories better.
• Discuss the religious nature of the myths that you read. Since most myths have something to do with creation, take this opportunity to discuss creation according to the Bible. You can even make a creation lapbook with your children. I found a free creation lapbook from Lapbook Lessons.

Legends

Legends are stories partially based on fact, but have exaggerated details.

• Children of all ages, particularly boys, love legends! Who can resist the adventures of Robin Hood and King Arthur? These are great, action packed stories to read aloud.
• Write a script for a favorite legend and act it out, or simply have your children choose a favorite scene to turn into a skit.
• Since it is March, you can research the legend of St. Patrick at History.com. You can also find information about St. Patrick at RiverDeep.net
• Write a modern day Legend after examining others. Have your children include illustrations of the legendary hero and his/her adventures.

Photo courtesy of Jorge-11

Photo by baldur

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and our family is really excited! Our day will be FULL of baking, cooking, building a gingerbread house, and tracking Santa’s trip.  I’m hoping God will hold the time still so we can get it all done and savor the special moments.

The children are making zucchini bread for Christmas Day. It is one way that I hope to sneak a vegetable into their diet this week. The girls love baking breads, too. Measuring, pouring, following the directions, and watching the changes to the ingredients are all great math and science experiences. Baking together is also making memories together.

E’s cousin from Mexico is visiting us this Christmas. We plan to make empanadas with her. The kids will learn a little about their heritage through this cooking experience. They can practice their Spanish skills while we cook, and maybe they’ll hear some stories, too.

I am really excited to build a gingerbread house with the kids for the first time this year! We have seen kits in the stores, but buying one was not a priority. Today Daddy found one that was on clearance, though! The gingerbread pieces are already baked, so we just have to construct the house. We are going to have a great time getting messy and laughing together. This is definitely a photo opportunity!

A very special tradition for Christmas Eve is baking cookies for Santa. This year is no different.  He needs a snack so he has energy to deliver all of those toys!

Throughout the night we will track Santa’s trip through NORAD Tracks Santa. There are videos posted that tell where Santa is, and they give a little information about each country. It is a fun way to infuse some geography, culture, and history into your Christmas celebration!

On top of all of that we have a church service to attend. There will be a Chirstmas drama at this family friendly service. A few of our friends have children performing in it, so the kids should be excited about it!

Christmas Eve will be great!

Dancing is a great way of burning some energy on days when we are stuck inside. In order to make things a little more interesting, this past week we went to the library and borrowed some great dance music. We listened just for fun a couple of times first. Then on a day when we were stuck inside, I put on some Latin music and taught the kids the basic step for salsa. We danced for about 20 minutes. It was a really great workout for me and loads of fun for the kids!

What is it about music that brings such joy? “Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.” (Psalm 149:3" target="_new">Psalm 149:3) God created music for us, and He wants to sing and dance to praise Him. Why not enjoy this gift with your children? It is so uplifting to move your body, so when you and the kids are in a sour mood, try putting on your favorite tunes, and dance up a storm!

Dancing is a great way to enhance your physical education program as well. Starting a unit on dance will change things up a little bit, and maybe your children’s coordination will improve in the process. It is always great when you can take part in the activities that your children engage in, so learn some different dances together, especially ones that will come in handy at weddings and the like. You can also study the different cultures that the dances come from.

Music plays an integral part in dancing as well. You can teach your children about the rhythm, the particular instruments used in the music, and a little about music theory (if you can get your hands on a copy of the sheet music). Learning about the particular style of music opens a window into a culture, too. You can also study the lives of different musicians or composers known for a certain type of music. Maybe you have a budding musician or composer in your home!

Families all have something that makes them special and unique. In my family growing up dancing was that something special. My mother always wanted to be a dancer, so dancing was her passion. I have great memories of dancing with my mom. We laughed and had so much fun. It was just something that defined my family, and I cherish those memories today. Why not make a few memories with your kids?