Anyone work special events into lesson planning?

[annlaura]

I'm thinking about such events as special/visiting exhibits at museums, for example. Do you try to work these into your plans and include studies around them, even if it means a detour or break from your curriculum? Or do you just go to the event and recall the visit when related material comes up in your regular plans?

[MorganClassicalPrep]

Well, I generally plan our events around our curriculum, and not the other way around. :tongue_smilie:

 

But we have been to a number of "educational" events that weren't related to what we were learning about at the time. I usually like to let them stand on their own, with some discussion before/during/after, but if it is a particularly interesting topic I will plan more lessons around it. Of course, up until now I've been putting all my own lessons together, so it's pretty easy to adjust!! :D

[Firestar Academy]

I'm thinking about such events as special/visiting exhibits at museums, for example. Do you try to work these into your plans and include studies around them, even if it means a detour or break from your curriculum? Or do you just go to the event and recall the visit when related material comes up in your regular plans?

well, this is our first year homeschooling, so I have no real experience to draw on.'

 

we will do the 2nd choice. go to the event and then recall the visit later.

 

although, we are doing apologia swimming creatures and got a membership to the aquarium. Does that count??

 

robin in nj

[annlaura]

I imagine I will plan our events around our curriculum too for the most part, and am seriously looking forward to it. :) But what if when you're schedule lands on Vikings, a travelling Pompeii exhibit will be in town? Pompeii is my example because I'm still affected by the exhibit from my childhood, so I certainly believe just having the experience separate from studies is worthwhile. But I can also imagine making a really fun unit from the experience for a few days. I wonder if it would it be too disruptive though?

 

And yes, aquarium membership definitely counts. Aquariums always count in my book. :D

[GoVanGogh]

We are on our fourth year of homeschooling, but fairly relaxed.

I plan our curriculum around events. And I plan events around our curriculum.

 

For starters, I look over upcoming art exhibits, plays and concerts and incorporate those into our studies.

Ex: If "The Secret Garden" is playing at a children's theater, then we will read the book before we see the play. Most of our bedtime reading is centered around plays we will be seeing in the near future.

We will soon be reading about Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams before we go to see art exhibits of their works.

Likewise, if we are going on vacation and find ourselves near - say - The Pony Express Museum (St. Joseph) then we will read a book or two about The Pony Express.

I don't find this disruptive to our schedule at all because I allow for this in our schedule. I don't get into the filing and major lesson planning because I want to allow time to explore other topics. I don't view learning as a linear process that must be done in a set order, so we meander through life, learning as we go.

 

On the flip side, I do plan events around our curriculum. This fall, we will be reading Famous Men of Greece and I plan to hit a local art museum that has a large college of Greek art.

This museum also happens to have a new exhibit opening on African art, so we will probably read a geography book or two on Africa either before or after going.

See? It all just flows together.

[angela in ohio]

It depends on the event.

 

In general, I plan our outside events around what we are already studying.

 

But if something comes up that is too good to miss, I will handle it by grabbing a few library books on the subject the week or two before. I add them to the "free read" pile, and the dc all read them. Then we usually go to lunch/dinner afterwards (often with other friends who attended) and discuss. I don't rearrange any lessons for the event, other than scheduling that time off.