What should my mom teach?

[lgliser]

My parents come once a week to teach. My dad does science. My mom has done something different each year. Cooking, health, our state history...random things.

We are trying to think about what she could do next school year. Maybe like every week (or month?) she could teach them about someone in history. Like Helen Keller...

Any other ideas?

[OneStepAtATime]

Besides tapping into ideas here at WTM, I'd be asking:

 

What does she have a passion for?  What has she always wanted to learn but never did and might like to learn alongside her grandkids?

 

What do they have a passion for?  Could they have input in what they would like learning from Grandma?

 

What do you hate teaching but feel is important?

 

And for additional help on this thread is there anything Grandma HATES teaching, has no desire to teach, wants to avoid like the plague?

[Jess4879]

I don't have any suggestions, really, just wanted to say I love this!  I wish I had family close enough to do this.  :)

[mom2bee]

What an amazing opportunity!

What does Grandma hate to do? Avoid that.

 

Have the kids make a list of things that they'd like to learn about that they never really have enough structure or time for.

Maybe they can study a foreign language together.

 

Does Grandma have any manual skills that she doesn't use much any more? This could be a great opportunity to pass on a skill. Can she sew knit, crochet, etc?

 

 

[Carol in Cal.]

Family history.

History of your country of origin.

History of her state.

Music theory--circle of fifths

Poetry writing module

Literary elements in the context of story telling

The scientific method

Shakespeare plots using other books 

One really classic but accessible poem, by heart, and also the context and meaning of it.  Maybe Oh Captain, My Captain with a module about Lincoln and/or the Civil War.  Maybe the entire "I heard the bells on Christmas Day" ditto.

Ocean and river science with water experiments, using a combo of "Awesome Ocean Science" and the LHS module on how rivers form--that would be perfect for summer weather!

Color Theory and Weaving, using Kids' Weaving as the book for the weaving part.  No idea what for the color theory part, but for color mixing she could use Mouse Paint--it's cute--and homemade playdough in black, white, red, blue, and yellow.

 

 

Shoot.  Why don't I have grandchildren?  I'm getting all excited!  

 

 

[kiana]

Cooking that goes with your history.

 

http://cookingwiththebible.com/recipes.aspx

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/233472.html

 

Or cooking that goes with your geography -- google a country and make a recipe. 

[Carol in Cal.]

Or basic cooking--using the More With Less cookbook to learn basic plain cooking, and then moving into the main French sauces and such from there.  Bonus--dinner for the family one night a week, getting better and better as the year progresses!

[lmrich]

I second the cooking. 

 

Does she like to garden? So much of my life science class in middle school (or at least the botany section) would be so much richer if kids had gardened in the past. 

 

Needle or handwork also teaches patience and precision which is super helpful in the upper level maths. 

 

Can they also play games with the kids, that would be so much fun and educational for all. 

[kristin0713]

If I had this option, I would have grandma teach cooking and art, at her house. Those things give me anxiety with my kids regarding the mess and clean up.

[Rachel]

If it was my grandma I'd have her teaching the kids to sew, cook, knit, or do cross stitch. Those are things she is really good at and enjoys.

 

If it was my mother in law, I'd have her teaching science or how to care for farm animals. Basically I'd have her teach something she enjoys.

[2_girls_mommy]

That is so cool that you have this opportunity. I hope I can do that for my grandkids someday.