What would happen if you take Marvel’s most optimistic, youthful, plucky superhero with a strict moral code and plop him into the world of film noir where fatalism, cynicism, and moral ambiguity rule? Spider-Noir does just that and the result is captivating. Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse (2018) first introduced him to us onscreen but this limited series takes it further. And makes him more real, moodier, and darker. But the show is funny, too. It has been a very long time since I’ve been hooked on a show that I can’t stop talking about or thinking about. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close. And the best part about it is that it’s introducing generations to the world of film noir (or noir in general as it’s also a book genre.)

From the get-go, Spider-Noir had me hooked with is incredible camera work and lighting. What kept me is that it followed the film noir rules and stayed true to the genre. The angles are jarring and unconventional; everything feels shot in extremes to create disorientation and imbalance. Utilizing chiaroscuro lighting (high contrast between light and dark shadows) sets the tone for a dark and moody tone. The geometric patterns created by the angles and lighting is pure magic. You have the option to watch it in black and white or color. I highly recommend following the guide put out by the show and watching episodes 1-3 in black and white, 4-5 in color, and 6-8 in black and white. The black and white experience is just that: an experience. The angles and lighting just feel right in black and white. It’s just really beautifully shot.

Set in a city, Spider-Noir is all about urban indulgence. City streets, neon signs, and dark alleys, and the slums create a world that is entirely true to film noir and a playground for the cinematography team. Most of the time the outdoor setting is dark from rain or because it’s taking place night. The more shadows the merrier. But unlike modern filmmaking, it never feels dark or dull. The shadows and darkness merely set the tone for the show to create a very vivid atmosphere that feels alive. The visual style and cinematography of Spider-Noir feels fresh, modern, and innovative yet respectful to its origins.

Now that the stage is set, let’s get to the characters. Oh, they are good. Ben Reilly is the cynical private eye antihero. He is exactly what you’d expect of a film noir protagonist: world weary, a war veteran, a bit washed up, and ordinary guy. Nicholas Cage is excellent; he was made for the role. He’s got the voice and inflection of the sarcastic 1930s wise guy which he hams up to perfection.

As with any film noir, you’ve got a femme fatale: a mysterious, seductive, ambitious woman who you can’t quite trust. Cat Hardy walks into Ben Reilly’s office and has a fatal encounter, the catalyst for everything that follows. Cat is all glamour. She’s dressed to perfection with perfectly tailored and expensive dresses and suits. She lives in a glamorous apartment and is the headline singer for a nightclub owned by the notorious crime boss, Silvermane. Brendan Gleeson seems to be having the most fun playing the Irish gangster and he’s a joy to watch. But he’s not the only corrupt figure. As you would expect, there’s no shortage of corruption in a town run by mob boss, Silvermane. It’s his town and he plans to keep it. There’s a “mad scientist” which allows for an exploration of psychology which was prevalent in the 1930s. To round out the film noir cast are Janet Ruiz, Ben Reilly’s loyal secretary, and Robbie Robertson, Ben’s old friend and intrepid down on his luck newspaper reporter. They represent the safety, stability and even redemption in a cynical and dangerous city.

Now here’s where the old ideas meet the superhero universe. This is not your ordinary Spider-Man and that is exactly why it feels so new. This Spider-Man is desperate, cynical, and reluctant. He’d rather be sitting at a bar drinking than swinging by his webs. He is not interested in giving second chances or redeeming bad guys. Haunted by his past and a bit of fatalism, about the only thing this Spider-Man has in common with the one we know is his quick tongue. And it works. And of course, we need a few super villains. We’re introduced to them quickly but their stories are connected and it the mystery unfolds slowly. And it’s so good! You have the villain that’s pure evil (he lives up to the perception of “monster”), the guy that’s good at heart but chooses the wrong side, and the overall good guy trapped in a bad situation. All of these characters lend themselves to common film noir themes of moral ambiguity, paranoia, alienation, and the exploration of free will, past mistakes, inevitability and inescapable doom.

This is film noir. With Marvel characters. And it’s amazing.

I mentioned earlier it’s not perfect. Unfortunately, the ending betrays some of the fundamental rules of film noir. Not everyone gets what’s coming to them. And that’s where the modern philosophy of morality enters. Circumstances dictated decisions rather than personal responsibility. As long as there was a reason for your bad behavior, then forgiveness is granted without consequence. It breaks the rules of film noir and traditional morality. Yes, many of those rules were put in place by the Hays Code, a self-imposed censorship rulebook for moral requirements including standards for living and crime rules stating one could never sympathize with bad guys and wrong doing (so bad guys always got their due.) Call me old fashioned but I wish Spider-Noir had adhered to those same rules. Even with its deviation from noir conclusions, I loved it.

I think what I really loved about Spider-Noir is that it’s more noir than Spider-Man. It explores the noir side of things more than the familiar superhero side of things. The Marvel characters never felt like an add-on or shoved in, it was a seamless marriage of the two very different genres without sacrificing one for the other. It was smart, funny, and clever. There’s a mystery as with many noir stories but when it gets solved, you realize there’s a bigger problem that will then center around the super powers and the show slowly shifts into resolving it. Part of that problem is balancing a fatalistic antihero Spider-Man with being the hero the city needs. In a brilliant flip, Uncle Ben’s famous quote gets flipped on his head as Spider-Noir admits he no longer wants to be a hero. I’m telling you, this show is the most creative and innovative show I’ve seen in a while. Old visuals, old narrative crafting, old characters all made new with the inclusion of a superhero. It doesn’t rely on action but rather smart storytelling and interesting well-rounded characters.

Have you seen it? What did you think? Will you give it a try now based on me being pushy and telling you to do just that? It was so hard to not give all the spoilers so I could actually go into it because like I said, I can’t stop thinking about it and talking about it! So what do I do now that it’s over? We watch old film noir movies and appreciate those who created Spider-Noir and introduced my kids to the dark, moody, and smart world of noir.

When I started homeschooling, I didn’t read books on homeschooling. I didn’t know I was supposed to (you’re not and that’s not a bad thing.) I didn’t even know there were homeschool books available to read! But what I had was instagram. Not the instagram as we all know now and loathe (I jest—there are something I still enjoy about instagram.) It was a world where most homeschoolers just shared what they were doing in their homeschool rather than hawking which curriculum to use. Moms just shared the books they read, enjoyed, and made an impact on their lives. It felt less prescriptive and much more like checking in on what your besties-you’ve-never-met-and-don’t-know-you-exist were up to while you sipped your coffee. And it was through these instagram accounts that I began to read homeschool books. These 12 books describe who I am as a homeschool mom and how we homeschool. They are the ones I recommend most often.

1. 8 Great Smarts by Kathy Koch

   I love this book. I’m so glad I read this book when my kids were young and I was just beginning to homeschool because it helped me value each and every way my kids are smart. Public schools tend to value the measurable smarts: word and logic smarts (reading, writing, and math.) But there are other smarts equally valuable: nature smart, self smart, people smart, music smart, and picture smart. Without Dr. Kathy’s book, I’m not sure I’d have recognized these characteristics as actual intelligences. This book helped me to value how God made each child instead of worrying myself sick about their reading and math scores. This book doesn’t suggest you ignore their weaker intelligences and stop nurturing them, but rather it’s a reminder that we all have God-given strengths and perhaps we should recognize them for what they are and how they help us become who God created.

2. Awakening Wonder by Sally Clarkson

   I recently had the chance to meet Sally Clarkson (I know, right!?) This is what I told her: “When I read Awakening Wonder, my first thought was that I wish this book had been around when I first started homeschooling because it very much encapsulated what I had discovered through hard won experience. But what I came to realize is that it was just as helpful as a “pat on the back” for the work I had already put in and all the things I had figured out. It was like receiving a warm hug from you and hearing you whisper, ‘Keep up the good work.’” Awakening Wonder is a great book to read if you’re just starting out and looking for someone to show you the way. But it’s also affirming and reassuring if you’ve been in the trenches a while. Rather than a prescriptive formula with curriculum recommendations, it’s like sitting down with a friend who’s been there. Her wise counsel to make time to know your children’s and your Father’s hearts, prioritize character over academic, and pray without ceasing is the best advice you’ll get.

3. The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart

   Here’s another book I wish I’d had when I was starting out. Listening to the Brave Writer podcast when I first started homeschooling helped me to create a rich and meaningful homeschool lifestyle. The Brave Learner was another book that felt like it was high fiving me as I put many of her ideas into practice and learning felt magical. Following interests, making meaningful connections, using one thing to teach anything, and adding in experiences just made sense to me. I saw how much my children loved learning in this way. Without reliance on any particular curricula, The Brave Learner is another great introduction to a homeschooling lifestyle.

4. The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

   I’d been listening to The Read Aloud Revival podcast for years so when this book came out, I snatched it up. Read aloud is the ONE thing we make sure to do every (most) days. Sarah Mackenzie describes the importance of reading to your kids, how to create a book culture, and many of the benefits. She also dispels certain myths about what it is and what it isn’t. Full of recommendations and practical advice, The Read Aloud Family is a must have for your shelf!

5. The 4-Hour School Day by Durenda Wilson

   You know how sometimes you read something and you think, “they just get it?” Well, Durenda Wilson gets it. As a homeschool veteran to a gaggle of (8!) kids, you can bet she understands the worries and challenges of homeschooling. And yet she managed to tailor the learning for each of her children in a way that gave them ownership and independence. This is the book where she encourages you with practical advice to do the same. Great for the new homeschool mom or for any stage of homeschool, her laid back approach and relaxed approach is like a breath of fresh air to the weary and unsure homeschool mom. I actually think this is a great “before you kid enters high school” read to remind you to keep doing what’s working. She never says it’s easy, just that when we look at who we are homeschooling in front of us, we can begin to see what they need from us.

6. Lifelong Kindergarten by Mitchel Resnick

   I read this when all of my kids were in elementary school and I’m so thankful I did because so often I see moms who feel they need to “get serious” when their kids enter middle school. High school is on the horizon and it all feels so…scary. Choose the right curriculum and no more playing around. Lifelong Kindergarten dispels that idea and describes what a life of learning looks like: “cultivating creativity through projects, passion, peers, and play.” Just what these things look like depends on age but there’s no reason to suddenly stop what you’re doing just because your kid is in 7th grade. Should you start thinking about high school and the end? Sure. But do you need to suddenly revamp your homeschool with textbooks? No. Resnick discusses how projects teach problem-solving, a willingness to learn, research, and work hard. It’s not a homeschool book, but its lessons are easily applicable to homeschool. No need for your kids to stop playing, but the delight-driven learning will (and should) look different than kindergarten.

7. How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig

   When my kids were little, I decided they’d learn the stories of the classics and ancient myths when they were young because it was something I struggled with in high school. But I hadn’t considered Shakespeare! Thankfully this book came along in our first few years of homeschooling. What this book taught me was the beauty of Shakespeare. How it can be simple to teach your kids to love the language. How to memorize passages (which has helped us with MANY non-Shakespeare passages.) It helped explain the plays and why they’re worth teaching to your kids. Now before you assume I’ve consistently taught and memorized Shakespeare all these years, let me assure you, we’ve done it in waves. I also didn’t read this book all at once (nor have I read it in its entirety yet.) But it’s funny how you read something for a specific reason and then you watch it trickle into other areas. That’s what this book did.

8. Sharing Books Talking Science by Valerie Bang-Jensen and Mark Lubkowitz

   If you lack confidence in your science background, read this book! If you’d rather connect science to other subjects, read this book! The authors are both professors at St. Michaels College: Valerie Bang-Jensen is Professor of Education and Lubkowitz is Professor of Biology. Written for the classroom, their goal is to help you think like a scientist and recognize scientific concepts in both the text and illustrations in children’s books. If you’ve wondered, “how am I going to teach science to my kids when I don’t remember anything from high school or college?” No more worries — this is like a crash course in scientific thinking but with picture books. It’s like killing two birds with one stone; you get to read picture books and teach your kids scientific thinking on the sly.

9. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

   I think this is my favorite homeschool book and it’s not a homeschool book at all. It’s a book about Pixar from its inception to its massive success. Catmull describes the Pixar philosophy and creative process. If you read this book through the lens of homeschooling instead of filmmaking/animating, it’s a wealth of incredible insight and knowledge. But there are actually a lot of practical ways to apply Pixar filmmaking ideas with everyday homeschool life. Plus, I love a good behind the scenes book. If you have creative kids, a creative homeschool, or are craving some more creativity in your homeschool, get ready to be inspired. I love this book so much I wrote about it here.

10. Bandersnatch by Diana Glyer

    Another not-a-homeschool homeschool book, Bandersnatch reshaped my ideas on writing just as my oldest approached high school. If you’re anything like me, you might be thinking: by the time my kid gets to high school, he’ll be writing everything on his own and not need me in the process. Let me dispel you of that notion. Bandersnatch tells the story of the Inklings, the famous writing collaboration of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien among other respected writers. Here’s the homeschool connection: if Lewis and Tolkien valued creative collaboration in their writing, why wouldn’t I collaborate with my high schooler when he needs it? Why would I assume that he as somehow “made it” as a 15 year old writer and I shouldn’t help him when the authors of Narnia and Lord of the Rings needed others to create their masterpieces? The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much help my parents and older brothers gave me when I was writing essays and stories in high school. How could I have forgotten? Writing is a solitary activity but the writing process is collaborative. Partnering in the process not a sign of weakness, it’s actually just part of the process.

11. creativity by John Cleese

    creativity is, as John Cleese puts it, “A short and cheerful guide.” And he’s absolutely right. Here’s another non-homeschool book that you must read through a homeschool lens. He drops so many little nuggets on creativity such as: creativity is just a new way to think about things, slower thinking is necessary, “borrowing” an idea is a tale as old as time, and mistakes are part of creativity. If you value creativity and creativity in your homeschool, you’ll love this book.

12. The Book That Made Your World by Vishal Mangalwadi

    I just finished this book and it’s a beast in scope and breadth. I love reading authors from across the world and I think in many ways that’s what made this book stand out. A Indian man tells the story of “how the Bible created the soul of Western Civilization.” To understand the Western world, the world I live in, he takes us back in time and across the world to understand what makes Western Civilization so unique. In short, it all comes down to God and His Word. This is not a homeschool book but it has changed how I see, read, watch, and discuss pretty much everything. It’s a book that wakes you up and helps you to understand context therefore influencing how you proceed. And as I’ve already excitedly discussed what I read with my kids, it will only permeate everything to come even more.

I know my booklist is unconventional. Well, some of them you might expect, but I think as I became a more experienced homeschool mom, there seem be fewer homeschool books that inspire. And that’s when I realized, that if homeschool is a lifestyle, any book can count as a homeschool book because I can glean insights, ideas, and inspiration from anything. So if you’re just starting out, I hope you have found a few books to inspire you. If you’ve been at this homeschool gig for a while, I challenge you to find inspiration in a book that isn’t specifically a “homeschool book.” Choose one from above or just find something you’ve wanted to read and read it through the lens of homeschooling. You might just be surprised with how many connections to homeschooling you find.

Who loves a summer blockbuster? What about summer blockbusters you can use as fodder for rich and meaningful discussions with your teens. Steven Spielberg created the summer blockbuster with Jaws and perfected it with Jurassic Park. One reason these films resonate so well isn’t just because its mass appeal or spectacle but rather how they tackle universally important and timeless cultural and personal issues. This guide takes you beyond basic thematic and literary analysis, unpacking how deliberate visual messaging, cinematic techniques, and foundational film studies shape the ultimate meaning of a movie. This film guide is best for upper middle and high school students.

Join me as we dive into Jaws and Jurassic Park.

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I like a plan. I like to plan. I struggle to follow said plan. So how exactly do I plan?

Well, to be honest, it’s been a journey and my process is always evolving. When my kids were little, I tried following a curriculum plan. I bought various (pretty) planners. I followed the plan for a few days. And then I followed their interests. And then I felt bad I didn’t follow the plan. Guilt took over because now we weren’t learning what we were “supposed” to be learning through the curriculum. Knowing we’d probably never finish anything we started added to the guilt. One day I decided to ditch all of the planners and teacher manuals and go with the flow. We’d learn what we wanted when we wanted and not worry about what the curriculum creators decided we should learn and when we should learn it.

We do use some curricula: phonics and math. But I don’t really include them in the plan. I never write the next lesson on the calendar or to do list, they just do the next lesson. We don’t stick to a particular school break each year preferring to figure out what works for us that year. We begin and stop as we please (yes, we get in all the days needed, I just don’t follow a particular start/finish date.) Each year is different. For us as a military family, we’ve moved a lot and our school year start/stop depended on that. Often, the moves became roadtrips and I counted those as a field trip for school. So planning math/phonics lessons out in advance never quite worked. Not to mention sometimes you need an extra day for a math lesson and sometimes you can blow through a couple phonics lessons. I realized for us it just didn’t make sense to plan an entire school year.

I’m usually overflowing with ideas for unit studies but I stopped planning an entire unit study or year of school. I once planned an awesome unit on the middle ages and guess what? My kids were not into it. They thought it was boring. It was hard to rally the troops and I couldn’t get them excited for it. It really stinks to put lots of effort into something no one cares about or wants to do. So I decided from that point on, instead of planning and entire I’d brainstorm a few ideas to get started and see how it goes. It saved me from becoming resentful towards my kids who weren’t ungrateful for all the hard work I’d put into it but rather just weren’t interested just then. (We did circle back and had a super fun Middle Ages unit study.)

So I’d just chose a book and begin to read. As we read I tried to make connections to history, science, art, and music. Sometimes poetry fit in nicely, sometimes it didn’t and we’d add in a random poetry tea time just for the fun of it (and they are fun!). We’d create writing projects (often accompanied by art) to go with whatever book we read. Sometimes we used a Brave Writer guide/project idea for inspiration or to help with mechanics. We always did hands-on projects that related to whatever we studied. I might jot down ideas at the beginning and try to fit them in but I stopped thinking I had to do everything on the list and focused on doing what fit and felt right. I paid attention to everything my kids did on the side and took note of it along with what we actually accomplished together. I brainstormed and wrote down ideas (because it’s fun to dream and because I’m forgetful) but I held those ideas loosely and allowed my kids to actually lead based on their interests. I rarely did all the things all at once. We did not do science daily (or even weekly.) We didn’t write pages everyday. But by the time we finished the book, I was amazed to look back at my notes and see all that we had cumulatively accomplished.

So what does this look like practically? Here is a general overview of how I plan and also a few videos that show what it looks like for specific units: Victorian Poetry, Shakespeare, earth science with Journey to the Center of the Earth, forest habitat with Wild Robot pt.1, pt.2, pt.3. None of them are quite the same. Each unit I plan looks different for various reasons. My kids change and grow as do their needs and my goals for them. Seasons change and sometimes we do more and sometimes we do less. Here’s sometimes I didn’t expect: I change and I need to be willing to adapt and make sure things are working for me.

Questions I ask myself: What do I want my kids to get out of the year? Do I have any particular goals for them as a group? Goals for individual kids? Do we need to focus on math? Time management? Attitude? Writing? The answer is always yes to all of that but there can really only be one priority by definition. One thing that goes above the rest. That doesn’t mean we skip everything else, it just means in my head and maybe even on a piece of paper, I’ve got that goal in my head and I prioritize it above the rest. Here are a few examples:

One year, I prioritized science. My oldest was in 7th grade and I felt like we hadn’t done enough science (spoiler: feelings lie & we had actually done lots of science. This particular year helped me to see that.) All of the chosen read aloud books were based on animals. I added history, geography, art, music, etc to all of our units but the priority was lots of science. We learned about animals, botany, physical science, etc.

Another year, I prioritized math for a kid. If we could only do one thing that day, it was going to be math. We were going to review it all, without traditional curriculum, with lots of books, and by doing as much hands-on learning as we could to solidify elementary math so he could start pre-algebra on solid footing. And we did it.

There was the year I focused on more independent learning for a kid. More independent reading, research, writing, and projects based on his interest but the key was it’d be on his own. He learned time management, when he needed to ask for help, and how to work on his own.

One year we lived in Virginia so the priority was American History and field trips. Learn about founding fathers and visiting their homes. Discover life during colonial America and check out Williamsburg. What was it like for some of the first settlers? Read a book and visit Jamestown. We read all about the Civil War and visited as many battlefields as possible (we saw 5 in one spring!)

One of my kids seemed to be a reluctant reader so I spent a year trying to figure out what might get him reading. Turns out he’s motivated by book stacks and book challenges. Figuring out the right circumstances helped him become a reader. That same year the goal for another kid was to get them to become less resistant to the idea of getting their work done. Why this child was surprised that I expected math, phonics, and maybe 1-2 other small things was beyond me. But the one goal for that year was to acclimate that kid to daily work.

See what I mean? A priority for the year. My one caveat is that you also must be willing to pivot if needed. Don’t get stuck on what you thought the priority needed to be if, indeed, it must change. Just like I let the Middle Ages unit go, you must be willing to change. Sometimes that’s pivoting when 9th grade doesn’t work for one kid the way it did for another. We started off 9th grade with a Biology plan but it just did not work so we pivoted and figured out a new plan. Homeschooling is an exercise in flexibility for moms and you have to get comfortable with letting go of expectations and plans and trying something new. This is a never ending life lesson and I still struggle with it. However painful it may be to pivot, it’s less painful than pushing forward when something isn’t working.

Ok, now let’s talk about how I plan for high school. Once again, this varies based on child, you, your season of life, and a multitude of other things only you know.

When my oldest was heading into 9th grade, he asked for 2 things: a schedule to follow so he would never have to wait on me to figure out what he should do next and he wanted to study WWI and WWII. So the spring/summer before his 9th grade year, I brainstormed and edited, and came up with a unit study and sketched out a schedule that would cover credits for history, literature, composition, and film studies. You can find it here. And as the school year went on, I adjusted reading and assignments as necessary. What I started with looked different than what you see in the unit study guide. (Math was covered by his usual curriculum, Mr. D Math, we sorta followed a science curriculum, Guest Hollows, and he took two languages online.) That is the general method I’ve used to plan his high school years. A unit study consisting of history, literature, composition, and an elective plus his other courses online or with a curriculum.

But what works for one kid might not work for the next, which I found out during my second son’s 9th grade year. Parts of it worked well but parts of it really didn’t. Unlike my first son who preferred an independent year long schedule my second son would rather have freedom to do shorter unit studies with a bit more family learning. His interests/strengths are vastly different than his brothers and to honor that we often discuss what that could look like for his upcoming year. And while I planned an entire year for his brother, I think having ideas of a plan but much more flexibility will work better for him.

How I’m planning this year:

Each kid has their one priority that we discussed and decided upon together. We will have devotions and prayer and character is always of utmost importance. As for the rest of it…

12th grade: I asked him a while ago if he could focus on one thing this year what would it be? No strings attached just something he loved. He immediately said writing. So while he’s got his online courses still (which he chose to take) and math, he will focus on creative writing (be on the lookout as he’s looking to put his work online!). I have a short list of books I’d like him to read not just because they are classics but because I think he’d enjoy them. I’ll also have a list of books on writing for him to read and various books on Western Civilization, culture, economics, and worldview. He can work through these books as he chooses and let me know what he’s done each week.

10th grade: I will keep a running list of ideas, books, how things connect and work together for unit studies but I won’t fully plan his year. He has proven that he learns best when give space, time, flexibility and freedom to run with an interest. I’ve watched him grow and dive deep and I know it will work best for him. If this sounds scary, join the club. But this is when I remind myself it’s his education and I’ll be around to guide, help, provide resources, and keep him accountable. He will continue with his online math program and I’ve got a few other things we need to figure out/tweak.

8th grade: He’s signed up for a year long blacksmithing program. He’ll continue his math program. The rest? I have no idea. Seriously. He tends to go with the flow and can get pretty excited about whatever is going on. He works well with his brother so perhaps he’ll join in his unit studies. It’s ok to not know it all right now but that doesn’t mean I’ll stay passive and hope for the best. It means it’s ok to not have all the answers or the fully formed plan.

5th grade: And what to do with my girl? Well, I’m going to go back to choosing a book, reading it, and winging it with the rest of it. I really want her to love learning so that’s how we’ll decide how we order our days.

This is probably not the post you on planning you expected. So often,moms on Instagram are filling out a pretty planner and I wonder how they do it. (If you’re one of those moms, I salute you! It’s just never been me.) I will grab my trusty Rhodia (I’ve had the same one for a couple years now) make messy brainstorm pages which I might never look at again and hope for the best as I start back to school. We will read many fantastic books, surprise each other with projects and ideas, watch/discuss movies, and marvel at each other’s strengths. I’ll scribble notes about each kid and what they’re learning and by the end of the year I’ll realize our unconventional path has given us immense opportunity for learning that only homeschool freedom can provide.

How do you plan?

With America’s 250th birthday coming up let’s watch movies that celebrate the American spirit and character! What does it mean to be American? From underdogs to outlaws, the self-made man to the idealist fighting corruption, from beauty to innovation, the films on this list capture what it means to be American. Not every film is high art nor does it have to be, but each film is worth watching. Listed mostly chronological and including a variety of genres, these movies have the right stuff to qualify as quintessential American movies.

Most of these movies can be enjoyed together with the whole family but please, as always, do your research and use discernment when choosing a movie for your unique family. I included a handful of more mature films(*) which are notated so you can research as needed. Almost all of the movies are linked to Amazon but most can be found at your local library or other places online.

Just know it pained me that I had to leave so many amazing films left off the list. But I hope you find a few ideas for movie nights to celebrate America’s 250th!

1. *The Last of the Mohicans (sex and violence)

   Beautiful cinematography and excellent acting, this film is an excellent adaptation of the novel. Set in the French and Indian War, the last members of the dying Mohican tribe and their white “son/brother” vow to rescue two daughters of a British colonel.

2. *John Adams, especially ep.2, “Independence” (violence and nudity)

   Focusing on the life of our 2nd president, this miniseries is an excellent portrayal of early American life: the danger, the events, and the people. If you don’t have the time to watch the entire series, watch episode 2 which focuses on the signing of the Declaration of Independence. (The scene where they sign the Declaration is on YouTube and suitable for the entire family.)

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Toy Story 3 and Up are two of my favorite Pixar films. They are delightful, imaginative, surprising, funny, and full of heart. The characters grow and change, the thrill and emotion are perfectly balanced, and the level of artistry is masterful. The youngest member of the family can watch them, revisiting them as they grow, and understand more of the humor, emotional depth, and creative genius. As you, the parent, grow older, these films begin to hit deeper with a new level of emotional intensity and understanding that comes only with age and maturity. The more you watch them, the more you see and learn.

Endlessly rewatchable, these films are worth revisiting over and over again. And I hope you do just that.

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I love a good art book whether a picture book biography, a historical fiction middle grade novel, or a picture book about art in some way. I love them all! Here’s my tried and true list of art books and artist biographies which is always growing as we discover more books. It wasn’t until I started this list that I realized just how many books we’ve read about art and artists! And there are even more on my TBR and wishlist. I will try to update the list as I find new gems. And as hard as I try, I will never get to all of them — sigh.

I have both read these as written and have also adapted them on the fly depending on ages and stages of the kids to whom I’m reading aloud. And I think they are all excellent. However, your kids aren’t my kids. *As always please use discernment when choosing books to read to your family and be sure they’re a good fit for your family.*

Organized as best as I could, without further ado…the ultimate art booklist!

Picture Book Biographies

Renaissance (1400-1527)

• Michelangelo: A Biography About the Brilliant Renaissance Artist Behind the Sistine Chapel for Kids (Italy)

• Putting Faces to Names: The Art of Raphael (Italy)

• Leonardo da Vinci (Italy)

• Neo Leo (Italy)

• Leonardo and the Flying Boy (Italy)

• The Kidnapping of Mona Lisa (a fun look & find story, Europe)

• Who Stole Mona Lisa? (nonfiction)

• The Renaissance Artists (Italy)

• Pippo the Fool (architecture, Italy)

• The Neptune Fountain (Borghini, sculpture, Italy)

• Margueritte Makes a Book (fictional account about the making of illuminated manuscripts)

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Baroque (1600-1750)

• The Princess and the Painter (Diego Velázquez, Spain)

• Grandma’s Gift (Diego Velázquez, Spain)

• Hana in the Time of the Tulips (Netherlands)

• Rembrandt and the Boy Who Drew Dogs (Netherlands)

• Rembrandt and Titus: Artist and Son (Netherlands)

• The Girl in the Golden Dress (Rembrandt, Netherlands)

• Anna and Johanna A Children’s Book Inspired by Jan Vermeer (Netherlands)

• The Vermeer Interviews (Netherlands)

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Edo Period (1603-1860s)

• Hokusai: He Saw the World in a Wave (Japan)

• The Great Wave (Japan)

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Romantic Art and Naturalism (1780-1850)

• The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon (America)

• Into the Words: John James Audubon Lives His Dream (America)

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In the summer of 2019 Apollo 11 celebrated its 50th anniversary and I decided it’d be a good time to teach my boys about the space race. Little did I know it would lead to an entire unit on the Cold War and communism. Maybe not an obvious choice for an 11, 9, and 7 year old but it set a great foundation for many years to come on so many topics. Now, with my almost 11 year old daughter, I’m back in space, learning about the space race (partly because it lines up with my boys’ history but mostly because she’s got an interest) but also just a good introduction to our solar system.

Here’s what we did then and are reading, watching, and doing now.

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As we entered the 1960s in our American History survey, I knew there would be mention of the space race and it would be the perfect time to supplement with movies. There are so many good films to watch when it comes to space; I’m going to highlight my favorite space movies here. I don’t often tell you the order in which to watch a list of recommendations, but I’m going to be bossy this time and recommend watching in the order listed. Each movie leads to the next and the times/characters/events will make a lot more sense watching them it this way especially if you’ve never binged space movies. I’ve included a few discussion questions for each film to get you thinking about the storytelling, themes, and film studies.

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As with most holidays, I’m hit or miss with Easter fun. Some years I’ve been on top of things and other years, not so much. Here’s a quick no-stress Easter list!

Picture Books

• Rechenka’s Eggs

• The Paintbrush Bunny (read about my love for it here)

• The Tale of the Three Trees

• The Garden The Curtain and the Cross

• The Donkey Who Carried a King

• The Prince’s Poison Cup

• The Easter Egg by Jan Brett

• The Egg Tree

• The Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes

  

Activities:

• Marble eggs When we did this activity back in the dark ages of social media, we made it into a garland and hung it for the season.

• Marble 3D eggs I don’t love dyes so I use the craft eggs method! (Just spray paint them white.)

• Tie Dye eggs (Again, if you use real eggs, don’t eat them!)

• Galaxy Easter eggs This is what we will be trying this year to go with our current space unit.

  

• Naturally Dye Easter Eggs (Might be too late for that this year, at least if you want it by Easter, bookmark it and save it for next year.)

• Easter Art with Art for Kids Hub

• Bake hot cross buns or resurrection rolls or your favorite Easter dessert

• Watch Easter Parade (if you want to expand your learning, try my film guide!)

Read some, all, or just one of the books. Pair the books with an activity or two. Or skip the activities. Don’t make it a big thing or go all out, just do what works for you in a way that doesn’t add unnecessary strain. Some years we do more but many years we just read a book or two. No matter what we read or do, I make sure it’s about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and his glorious resurrection. He. Is. Risen!

Happy Easter!

Who doesn’t love a fun and silly picture book? They are especially great for reluctant readers. Sure to put a smile on your face or cause actual fits of giggles, here’s a list of some of the silliest books I think you’ll love.

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Dragons Love Tacos & Secret Pizza Party: If you are looking for silliness, look no further. These have been favorite in my house since they were published when my kids were little. Favorite foods? Dragons? Trash pandas? Utterly ridiculous scenarios? Those are exactly the elements you want in a fun and silly picture book.

Interrupting Chicken: This series is clever, hilarious, and silly. The premise of the first book is so relatable; an exhausted parent tries to just get through a bedtime story with a child who can’t help but interrupt as he tries to spare the characters from their fates. The beauty of this series is the combination of humor, clever double meanings, and the sweet relationship between Papa and little chicken.

Imogene’s Antlers: I was first drawn to this book because of the illustrator, David Small. A children’s librarian recommended him to me years ago, adding that this particular book was her favorite. I understand why. What would happen if you woke up with antlers? Hilarity ensues as poor Imogene tries to just go about her day, horrifying her family with a set of ginormous antlers on her head. You and your kids will pour over the illustrations as you read about all about Imogene’s plight.

Wings: A Tale of Two Chickens: Honestly, James Marshall is king of silliness. But his silliness isn’t just for cheap laughs, there’s heart and wisdom in his wacky stories. In this particular tale, two chickens couldn’t be more opposite: one is industrious and wise and the other is flighty and bored. Chases, escapes, disguises and adventure make for the perfect silly story.

Fortunately: Patterned storytelling gives this story the perfect amount of silliness as absurd scenarios and unbelievable happenings occur. Alternating sentences beginning with the words, “Fortunately” and “Unfortunately” create a fun romp of crazy adventure and narrow misses.

That is Not a Good Idea (Mo Willems): Inspired by silent movies, Mo Willems has crafted an interactive book for your children with a surprise ending. It’s best to go into your first reading knowing very little so I’m not going to say more! Just know this will probably become a much requested repeat read.

When a Dragon Moves In: What happens when a dragon moves into your sand castle during your family’s beach vacation? Trouble and hilarity. Perfect for a summer read and full of naughty antics by the dragon; you start to wonder if it’s the dragon running wild or the boy’s imagination.

The Three Ninja Pigs: We love this rhyming retelling of The Three Little Pigs involving martial arts and a kick-butt attitude reminiscent of Chuck Norris. Need I say more?

Leave Me Alone: A fun story every mom can relate to highlighting that feeling of needing to get some work done but there are just too many children who need much attention! Don’t worry, despite Grandmother’s grumpiness, the ending is warm and fuzzy.

The Mischievians: You know all the things that bug, annoy, and embarrass you? Or those pesky things you can’t always explain but get blamed for? It’s the Mischievians! LintBellian, the Homework Eater, and the Dangler are just a few of the Mischievians wreaking havoc! My kids loved this book and still sometimes refer to it. It’s clever, creative, and sometimes gross—the Dangler—but also relatable.

What type of picture book should I make for our next shelf space? Sweet and heartwarming books? Nature books? Math? Authors and illustrators to binge? I’d love to hear from you!

Everyone knows I love a unit study. But sometimes, it’s just not the season for a full blown unit study. And though I was tempted to save Little House until we had the capacity to make it a great big beautiful unit, I don’t want to be a slave to my units. So instead, knowing we had a few upcoming road trips with a captive audience, I decided to just go for it and work it into life as it was happening. And I’m so glad I did. Here’s what we’ve read and done so far:

Little House in the Big Woods on audio

(Cherry Jones narrates the Little House series and is phenomenal.)

Books:

• The Little House picture books

• Sugarbush Spring

And that’s about it for the first book. It is a pretty short book and we were away from home and our norm so we didn’t add to it. It’d be easy to add in making maple sugar candies or a rag doll or a nature lesson so go for it when something inspires you!

We did quite a few fun things with Little House on the Prairie so without further ado, let’s get into it. Here’s what we did…

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When I picked up the tall tale, John Henry, I expected to see some gorgeous illustrations by Jerry Pinkney (one of the reasons why I chose it) but I did not realize I would be treated to such gorgeous writing by Julius Lester. To be honest, it’s been a while since I had been blown away by writing that exquisite. As I read it aloud to my daughter, I marveled at the beauty and wisdom of his similes which were so unconventional that I just had to pause and invite my daughter to notice them. I didn’t want her to just hear the story, I wanted her to understand the beauty of the writing itself and the unusual depth of language.

As part of our pioneer unit, we’ve been reading tall tales and discussing hyperbole. John Henry is tall tale about an African American working to build the railroad so I had thought we’d just discuss which parts of the story were greatly exaggerated. And we did. But we also noticed lush description and the most interesting similes I’ve read in recent memory. We followed this rabbit trail of language and looked for our favorite passages to copy into a notebook and draw a little illustration. You see, the words were so vivid they painted a beautifully clear word pictures in our minds’ eye that we could easily draw them onto our pages.

“This was no ordinary boulder. It was as hard as anger.”

A boulder as hard as anger. When we came across these sentences, I paused, astonished. “Hard as anger.” Oh my goodness, think of it. Would you ever think to describe a rock “as hard as anger?” I asked my daughter if that made sense to her; if a boulder could be “as hard as anger.” She thought for a moment and replied yes. When I asked why, she said, “because anger makes you stop where you are and you can’t can’t get by.” Anger is like a boulder blocking the path forward. Profound. Anger also hardens our hearts and makes it easier to dislike and proceed to contempt. We continued to discuss for a few more minutes before we continued to read until we got to this next simile that stopped me in my tracks.

“muscles as hard as wisdom”

“Wait a minute, I thought hard was for anger?” I asked my daughter. “How can it also be used for muscles and wisdom?” We sat quietly together pondering “muscles as hard as wisdom.” This question stumped her for a moment. So I asked, “How do we get strong muscles?” Exercise. Hard work. Practice. “How do we gain wisdom?” Exercise (our minds). Hard work of making good choices. Practice in everyday life. Ahhhh. Like muscles, wisdom can grow when we work at it and learn and choose discipline and self-control. Like our muscles, wisdom must be used in order to become stronger and hard. We decided “muscles as hard as wisdom” made perfect sense. Two similes that use the word, “hard” to describe two opposing ideas. Genius.

But similes weren’t the only literary element we noticed. My daughter was quick to pick up on examples of personification. Last year I introduced the idea of personification when we did a spooky stories unit. And as my son noted many years ago when he first learned what personification is, “once you learn it, you can’t not hear it.” So each time she noticed Mr. Lester using personification, she pointed it out and we talked about how clearly we could see it in our mind. Some of her favorites included,

“Folks could see that the rainbow wrapped around the mountain like a shawl”

and

“Then came the sound of soft crying. Some said it was the moon.”

My favorite happened to be:

“She saw the sun shed a tear.”

Can’t you just imagine a rainbow wrapping itself around the mountain? Like a shawl! What a great simile. And both the moon and sun crying—so vivid! When you can picture the writing so clearly in your mind it begs to be written as copywork and illustrated. What better way to truly understand personification than being able to draw it. And that’s what we did. We chose our favorite passages to copy into our notebooks and illustrate.

We also discussed hyperbole in this tall tale both in the writing and the illustrations. Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney give us a gift in this picture book. It’s a delight to read aloud with your children. And it effortlessly teaches literary elements in such a way that your children (even the most reluctant students) get excited about the beauty of language when used expertly.

When I sat down to read John Henry to my daughter, I didn’t do it to teach different literary elements. I didn’t have “LA lesson with John Henry” on my list for that day. I simply aimed to read with my daughter. And then I noticed an opportunity that would not just teach a few literary elements but invite literary analysis we talked about the writing and the story. A choice to read a picture book to my daughter led to literary discussion, sneaky LA lesson on various literary elements, awe and wonder at both the illustrations and beautiful writing, and a page of copywork and illustrations in our notebooks. Unplanned. Natural. Simple.

Do you use picture books to teach LA? What picture book would you recommend for learning like this?

Do you love a good rhyming book as much as I do? I’m a sucker for rhyming books because they are some of the most satisfying books to read aloud. When the rhythm is perfect and carefully words are cleverly matched you can’t help but smile as you read. Here’s a round up of some of our favorites.

Seven Silly Eaters: I’m not going to lie, this is a perfect rhyming book. The illustrations are delightful. The rhyme is en pointe. And it’s overall a must have for your home library (we started out borrowing it from the library which led to us purchasing we constantly checked it out.)

The Circus Ship: Another perfect book, I’m happy to report. Loosely (very loosely) based on a true event where a ship full of both people and animals shipwrecked. This book delightlyfully reimagines the event combining wonderful illustrations with the most perfect rhyming story. The illustrations invite you to pause but please take time on the “look and find” spread. This book has long been a family favorite.

Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast: I don’t even know how I came across this book but you gotta love the setting of a refrigerator and a pancake racing a piece of french toast to be the first to reach the maple syrup. They journey through produce drawers and leftovers and the illustrations match the silliness of the rhyme. I didn’t realize there are seven in this series! I can only vouch for the first couple but I do love a book series.

Wild About Books: I first read this at a base library when my oldest was less than a year old and I was hooked. It quickly became a favorite read aloud even then because of the winning combination of books and animals. Is there anything more perfect? The pictures, the rhymes, the subject matter — perfection.

The View At the Zoo: Apparently I’m a sucker for animal books that rhyme. I love the illustrations in this because paired with the rhyming text, you get a surprising double meaning on every page. Great conversation starter about manners and acceptable behavior, too.

The Three Ninja Pigs: For fans of fairy tale reimaginings and martial arts, this book is a silly combination of both! The rhyming works perfectly and the illustrations bring it to life. If you love this one, try Ninja Red Riding Hood and Hansel And Gretel: Ninja Chicks for more of the brand of fun.

One-Dog Canoe: Cute illustrations and funny story you can see coming a mile away and yet you just don’t care because it’s delightful. Your kid will love the ending. (And yes, more animals.)

Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm: And to no one’s surprise, we have more animals. These farm animals will resonate with the kids who’d prefer not take a bath. Crazy zany chaos ensues, of course, and with a fun interactive rhyme. I recently read Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Christmas at a library story time and it was a hit!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: This books is pure warm and fuzzy memories for me. When my oldest was a toddler, he was obsessed with two things: Pixar Cars and horses. This book fell into the latter category and it’s a fun rhyming romp where Wallace Bleff describes all of the fun and exciting things that happened to him during summer vacation. Buckin’ broncos, cowboys, and roping cattle, oh my! But the question is, how much is true and how much is imagined?

Quackenstein Hatches a Family/Hampire!: I love these books. They are smart (and very appropriate) retellings of classic horror literature told in absolutely perfect rhyme and exceptional vocabulary. Frankenstein and Dracula are retold through animals (*ahem*) and it’s hilarious and clever. The illustrations are fun and draw you deeper into each story. Nothing to be scared of but plenty to laugh about!

Are there other rhyming books out there? Yes. There are even more on my shelves. However, these are some of my favorites. What are you favorites?

If you’ve been around long enough, you know I love unit studies. But what exactly is a unit study? That phrase gets thrown around every which way and is used differently by different people. Is it just a focus on one broad subject like history or science? Or maybe it’s a deep dive into one topic from any different angles? Is it another way to offer a feast of a wide variety of subjects? I’ve seen unit studies described as all of above but I think each version minimizes how much you can actually do with a true definition of unit study. So how do I define it? I take my definition from the father of unit studies, a historical figure you’ve probably heard a little something about, Leonardo da Vinci.

“To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” - Leonardo da Vinci

Though da Vinci doesn’t use the modern term “unit study” to describe this style of learning, it sounds an awful lot like a unit study, doesn’t it? In fact, he simply called it “the development of a complete mind.” Studying, learning to see, and realizing that everything connects to everything else thereby taking a wholistic approach to education.

In learning through this wholistic style, we’re developing our ability to see the whole and make connections within. Show me a historical time period that doesn’t include science, art, literature, food and culture, geography, politics, or any other topic you can imagine. So why not study them all, at the same time, as they relate to each other, in order to understand the influence and impact from one thing to another. If Leonardo da Vinci subscribes to this kind of development, who am I to disagree?

A unit study can focus on a broad topic like history or science but it also integrates other subjects. It can be a deep dive into a topic and seen from different angles while making connections to other subjects. A unit study involves a wide variety of subjects as a feast, but in a way that allows for more depth and understanding and not just fragmented subjects.

What is a unit study?

A unit study is an integrated method of learning that centers on a topic while weaving together as many subjects as possible in a holistic approach to learning. It allows curiosity and exploration in depth while learning to see the bigger picture, and makes connections across subjects.

What does that actually look like?

Let’s take the topic of the French Revolution.

What historical events inspired the French Revolution? (International relations—American Revolution.) What was the state of France before the French Revolution? (Government, sociology.) Learn about key historical figures, social classes, politics, timeline of events, the role of women, etc. (Perhaps add food and cooking and feast on fish and bread.) And while we’re discussing bread, how much did a loaf of bread cost during this period? (Economics) Perhaps play the game, Mystic Market, to understand how markets work.

What other groups of people participated in the revolution? Writers, philosophers, and scientists of the day were influenced by the Enlightenment and the discoveries of the Scientific Revolution. When you look at themes of the French Revolution, you can trace origins of thinking back to those eras thus including subjects such as philosophy, science, and sociology. Read excerpts of primary documents (history/LA.)

But how do we know what the French Revolution looked like? Aside from written accounts, we have artists like Jacques-Louis David (artist study.) He painted so many of the famous events that he didn’t even finish some of them because life was changing so quickly there wasn’t time before something new happened. (History affecting art.) How did his art influence the Revolution? It was used as propaganda to stir up fervor and became political activism leading to the execution of many on the guillotine. (Art history—art influencing history.)

And then we come to the guillotine, it became the standard and preferred method of execution. How did it work? Look at the physics of the guillotine: energy, momentum, gravity, pulleys, and levers. Depending on how in depth you choose to dive, add in math with appropriate formulas. Why was it so effective? How long was it used? (Science and math.)

Before we leave the French Revolution, we must look at the aftermath. Where did it lead? Who did it influence? One such person who was profoundly influenced by the ideals of the French Revolution was composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. (Music!) Listen to his music and study how Beethoven revolutionized music by including intense emotion, drama, and structural innovation. (Composer study!) Try to go to a concert in-person to hear the emotion of his music. Another example of someone influenced by the revolution is Napoleon. He benefited post-revolution which led to another consequential period in European history. Study the relationship between Napoleon and Beethoven (how one influences the other.) And just where did all of this take place and how did it affect the rest of Europe? (Geography and geopolitics.)

Read The Scarlet Pimpernel aloud and discuss point of view, dual identity and the secret identity trope, author’s bias, descriptive language, hooks, and more! Dive deeper with copywork and vocabulary. Compare The Scarlet Pimpernel to modern comic book heroes who have secret identities. Maybe write your own secret identity story or comic book. (Language Arts/English.)

Need more? Listen to the Broadway musical, The Scarlet Pimpernel (theater, performing arts, music, and more LA/English) and watch the 1982 movie (film studies.)

You can even add in the video game, Assassin’s Creed Unity, and see how much you recognize from your studies.

One topic. Many subjects.

It’s just as da Vinci said: Learn to see how one thing connects with the rest. Follow the rabbit trail because nothing exists in isolation.

Now here’s where it gets good. Here’s the super power of the unit study: the learning sticks. By contextualizing learning and understanding how each subjects fits with each other and into the real world, the brain remembers more. I’ve seen this in my own children and even now they reference unit studies from years ago surprising me by how much they remember. They see the connections, understand them, and apply their learning in different situations.

A bonus of unit studies is how they work so well for family learning with multiple children and ages. You can keep everyone together and teach a slew of subjects at the same time. Add in hands-on learning or projects, expecting each child to work to their ability on the same assignment. Create shared memories around your studies that they will truly remember for years to come not only in relation to their learning but just because it was so much fun and they have fond memories of it.

Unit studies have changed a bit in high school but we still manage to hold fast to some subjects which we group together in a unit. This works really well with interest-led learning. My oldest had a unit study on a topic he was interested in and earned three credits for English, History, and an elective. This year, we are weaving together American Literature + Comp, American History, and Civics for 3 credits. More important than the credits is their understanding of how each subject influences and reflects the others. My understanding of each has grown exponentially and I marvel at why we don’t teach this way more often so as to give greater knowledge of of the whole and not just separated subjects.

Yes, I love unit studies. They are one of the most delightful aspects of homeschooling my children. A chance to see the world, both the big picture and zoomed in up close, and spend time following rabbit trails, connections, and interests while covering a so many subjects and practicing necessary skills. Unit studies help us to make connections between disciplines, across time periods, and most importantly, with one another—both in how we see ourselves in relation to the world and in our family dynamics.

I want to develop a complete mind. I want my children to develop a complete mind. So we study the science of art and the art of science. We learn how to see and realize that everything connects to everything else. And if that style of education worked for one of the most brilliant men of history, then it’ll work in our homeschool.

We watched many of the free online Hillsdale courses, which I highly recommend not just because they are extremely well done but also because they often include source material from the founders for you to print off and read with your own eyes. (And they ALWAYS cite everything they quote in the lecture if you want to dive deeper.) We watched lectures from various courses on each branch as well as the course on the Constitution and the history course, Land of Hope. (We won’t watch every lecture in every class, I’m kinda of hodge-podging things to work for us.) I believe true understanding of civics is a combination of examination of the historical era along with the Constitution itself and an intentional understanding of the reasoning of the men who wrote it.

But of course I added movies into the mix. We watched a movie focusing on each branch because, whether or not you like screens in your homeschool, movies are powerful. With each film, I asked them to note whether or not the founder’s vision for that branch had come to fruition—how so? why/why not? and what has changed?

Legislative: Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

“A naive youth leader is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. His idealistic plans promptly collide with corruption at home and subterfuge from his hero in Washington, but he tries to forge ahead despite attacks on his character.” - IMDB.com

• What were the founders’ goals for the legislative branch?

• What is the job of senators/representatives?

• Who do the congressmen represent?

• Why does the legistlative process take so long?

• How does the process or a person become corrupted?

• What role does the media (journalism) play?

• What has changed? (From the founders’ day to 1939 to present day)

Judicial Branch: 12 Angry Men (1957)

“The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.” - IMDB.com

While this isn’t a film about the Supreme Court, it is a snapshot of the judicial process and citizen’s role in the process.

• What were the founders’ goals for the judicial branch?

• What is due process?

• Who is afforded due process?

• What makes the judicial branch in America so unique, especially considering when it was created?

• What does “a reasonable doubt” mean? How is that portrayed in the film?

• Where does the burden of proof lie?

• What does “deliberate” mean? How is that seen in the film?

• What is mob mentality or group think? How was it seen in the film? Do you see it today? Where? When?

• What has changed? (Founders’ day to 1939 to present day)

Executive: Lincoln (2012)

• What were the founders’ goals for the office of the president?

• What are the presidential powers given by the Constitution?

• Which powers do you see Lincoln use?

• How does Lincoln, ever the lawyer, use or justify his decision in using his power? (Listen to his explanations) Do you agree with him? Is it constitutional? Why/why not?

• What are the limitations of the president?

• Does Lincoln respect the limitations?

• What has changed? (Founders’ day to 1939 to present day)

Wrap-Up

• What surprised you?

• What did you notice that has changed? What hasn’t changed? Why do you think this is?

• Why is learning about the time in conjunction with the Constitution important?

• What is unique about our Constitution?

• Why should we read the writings of the founders?

• Is the Constitution outdated? Why/why not? Did the founders understand modern time? Why/why not?

• Is the Constitution meant to be a living document that can be adapted for the time and circumstance or is it meant to be kept in its original state as stated by the founders? Why do you think that?

The focus for us wasn’t film studies but rather civics. Can you do both? Sure. But I wanted our priority to be on how each branch was portrayed and whether or not it was serving the people in the way the founders’ envisioned and if that was a good thing. We did discuss a few film studies things (because we can’t help ourselves) like how none of these films would be made today for a variety of reasons: they are slow-paced by today’s standards with absolutely no action sequences. 12 Angry Men actually is set almost entirely in one small room and the entire suspense is born from dialogue, disagreement, and reason. Lincoln and Mr. Smith expose corruption, special interests, and what the founders refer to as human nature (we are not good at heart and are prone to sin) which I don’t think is a popular perspective today. Another reason why these movies couldn’t be made a they are is that women either have a supporting role or none at all, like in 12 Angry Men. The cinematography and lighting is exquisite and worth paying attention to and the acting is top notch. Everything is held to historically accurate (as it was when the film was made) down to every detail. I could go on and on because these movies are impeccable.

Fantastic filmmaking aside, these films highlight each branch as they raise awareness of a number of issues and questions which we, as citizens, should also ask, think about, and answer.

Have you studied civics with your kids? Should I write a high school unit study for American History, Literature, and Civics? Let me know!

Jennifer Ward has long been a favorite author. My middle son loved her books and we had the pleasure of meeting her at an author event. She lived in a neighboring town so we got to see her and get to know her a bit which cemented her status as one of our family’s favorite authors. Her books are wonderful for relaxed, no-stress learning especially for younger kids and they are some of our most loved and used books.

Way Out in the Desert, Somewhere in the Ocean, Over in the Garden, Way Up in the Arctic

These books are wonderfully rhythmic, interactive, focusing on habitats, ecosystems, and the lives of the animals that live there. With its sing-song patterned language on every page, it’s a wonderful read aloud for younger children. The repetitive nature of these books is fantastic for language development and your child will eventually help “read” them with you. Every page introduces a new animal and its babies and works on counting 1-10. Vibrant and colorful illustrations draw you in as you look for the number hidden on each spread. I can’t even tell you how often we’ve read these books.

How To Find a Bird, The Busy Tree, Mama Built a Little Nest, What Will Hatch?

Homeschoolers love a good bird study so start ‘em young with Jennifer’s books! How To Find a Bird is exactly what it sounds like - a guide for observing, looking for, and finding birds. Read the book then take a walk and practice your new birding skills. The Busy Tree is perhaps one of my most favorite nature books focusing on life within a tree. Not specific to birds though it includes quite a few, explore who lives in, works in, and enjoys a tree. This book can double as a habitat book, too. Learn all about different birds nests with Mama Built a Little Nest which is one of my favorite things about birds! What Will Hatch isn’t strictly a bird book as it includes other animals who hatch from eggs but it’s a fun guessing game to learn about animals and eggs. And you could introduce a bit of animal classification. You don’t need to wait until they get “old enough” for it and doing it this way is more natural and stickier so they’ll remember.

The Seed and the Giant Saguaro, The Sunhat

Doing a study on the desert? Or maybe want to include a food chain? Or perhaps weather? Read these books. With just these two books you can learn so much science with your little one without having to buy a curriculum or open a textbook! This is what I love about the power of picture books. And Jennifer Ward books specifically. And the best part? It can be done while snuggling. It can be done while they eat breakfast or lunch (do you know how many books I’ve read to my kids while they’re busy eating and quieter with full mouths?) You can add a craft or don’t. You could grab a succulent to grow and observe. Do a nature page with No Sweat Nature Lessons or a DK encyclopedia or a nature book. And I haven’t even mentioned how Jennifer’s use of language teaches rhyming, alliteration, verse, prose, fiction vs. nonfiction, etc. You could count the number of animals. Count the different plants. Add them together. Or make a little graph or chart. Science, nature, LA, math from just two books. A few minutes together and you’ve covered a day’s learning! Who needs curriculum?

Mama Dug A Little Den, Just You and Me, Feathers and Hair What Animals Wear

With these three books, you’ll learn about animal homes, symbiosis, and animal traits and characteristics like fur, feathers, and hair. A companion to Mama Built A Little Nest, Mama Dug a Little Den focuses on homes that mamas build for their babies. But there’s more to this book — learn about protection from predators, seasons, baby animal births, and habitats. Just You and Me teaches the concept of symbiosis, how animals and plants help each other. And while you’re learning about symbiosis you’ll also learn about habitats, what animals eat, and all sorts of fun facts! In Feathers and Hair, learn about how animals are beautifully and intentionally designed. Talk about traits and characteristics and why those are unique to that animal for their environment. Take this idea and practice classifying animals. You can literally use anything to practice classification. Classify objects by color, texture, purpose, etc. Do some simple animal experiments like how oil protects a bird from getting wet and cold to how blubber and fur keep polar bears warm in the Arctic. In reading these three books together, you’ve covered a multitude of topics on a high school biology table of context. I’m not saying that it’s “enough” for a high schooler but it’s a great start for elementary students. Beginning early through gorgeous picture books like these you’ll realize they’ve learned a ton by the time they actually get to high school. My kids’s understanding of life science was formed naturally through books and fun hands-on activities, many of which we repeated throughout the years and they amaze me with how much they know!

There Was an Old Mummy…, There Was an Old Pirate…, There Was a Coyote…, There Was an Old Monkey…, There Was an Old Martian…,There Was an Odd Princess…

We love these silly books. They follow a patterned story form based off the folksong, “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.” These books are such a crowd pleaser! But there’s more to the wacky books than just silly fun. They teach patterned language, repetition, and rhyming (check out the tombstones in the Mummy books.) There Was An Odd Princess… teaches modern clichès of fairy tales, There Was An Old Mummy… plays with classic tropes of the horror genre, while There Was An Old Pirate… does the same for pirate tales. There Was an Old Coyote… and There Was an Old Monkey… take place in the ecosystem of the desert and the jungle which means sneaky science learning and plenty of opportunities for rabbit trails. And yes, these books are just plain fun and there is a lot to be said for teaching your children to love reading through fun books!

How do we love Jennifer Ward books? I’ve just counted the ways. I haven’t included every book she’s ever written but that just means more fun for you. I’ve read them when my kids were babies, I’ve read them throughout elementary school for various units and just because they want to, and I’ve used them for middle school learning. These books grow with you and your children teaching a variety of subjects in such a fun way that the concepts stick without working at it. So skip the curriculum and grab Jennifer Ward picture books for some relaxed and rich learning!

You guys. I love screwball comedies. They are cute, insanely wacky and absolutely absurd, and they’ve got the best romantic banter. A screwball comedy is basically a rom-com on speed. It was a very specific romantic comedy set during a very specific time (1930s) yet its influence is far-reaching. Many of you are probably familiar with them even if you haven’t actually watched one because the popular 2000s TV show, Gilmore girls, owes much to the screwball comedy. In this film guide, you’ll watch three screwball comedies, It Happened One Night, The Thin Man, and Bringing Up Baby, with some of the dreamiest and glamorous Old Hollywood actors and actresses as well as 5 episodes of Gilmore girls. Learn the characteristics of the 1930s screwball comedy and see how they play out on modern television.

Not only do you get thoughtful discussion questions that guide you through each film but I’ve included ideas to expand your learning across different subjects plus more movie recommendations!

As always, make sure the content of each film is a good fit for your family and use the guide in a way that works for you!

Welcome to the zany, crazy, adorable world of the screwball comedy!

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If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I don’t bother with much curriculum. I tried it. I bought lots of it. For every subject and every child. And it was stressful and boring and unfulfilling. I’m sure the curriculum was fine and did the job, but it was also life-sucking. It was too much. Especially when they were younger. When I sold all that curriculum, what was left? Books. Reading aloud was the only part of our day we enjoyed. So I clung to it. I didn’t realize that it would open up a world not just for my children, but for me.

Growing up I never would have said I liked science. No interest. No curiosity. It was something I endured.But picture books changed that for me. Now I find science fascinating. Mangroves and pine cones, animal traits and symbiosis, keystone predators and ecosystems, volcanoes and constellations, chemical reactions and states of matter — they’re all exciting. Picture books have explained concepts to me that I learned just to pass a test or thought I wasn’t “science-y” enough to get it. But when you read a picture book, it oozes love of subject. A picture book author must have a solid understanding of the concept and be able to break it down into the simplest terms for the youngest child to engage with the material in order for them to get it. But that’s not all, the illustrations are key in helping to connect the visual with the text and explain various ideas. Reading the book aloud becomes a multisensory learning experience; I’m reading the words, I’m hearing myself read them aloud, and then I’m seeing the images. Taken together, all three senses work together to help my understanding of the topic.

But picture books have done more than just explain a concept. They’ve made me curious. I see something in a picture book and for the first time as an adult I began asking “why?” My kids didn’t need me to model that, it comes naturally to them but somewhere in my education and adulthood, I stopped being curious. But picture books sparked that interest again. While reading Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, we learned about tigers which sparked so many the questions (from both me and my kids). Which tigers live in India? What kinds of forests do they live in? What is a mangrove tree? Where are mangrove forests? As we learned about mangrove forests, we stumbled upon a forest in India being wiped out by floodwaters and erosion. Wanting to know more, we read about Jadav Payeng who regrew that forest to save his home, adjusting and planting grass and fruit trees as necessary when the animals began to repopulate the area. My understanding of ecosystem truly began to take shape through that book rather than just being academic head knowledge. My learning and understanding came by reading picture books.

But it wasn’t just science picture books that contributed to my reclaiming my education. I’ve enjoyed learning so much history through picture books. I was in high school when my historian older brothers introduced me to Ken Burns’ documentaries - Baseball and The Civil War. I wasn’t sure I actually liked history until I saw those. I knew I enjoyed narrative history which reads like a story. But I had no idea you could teach history just through picture books. It was right after tossing all the curriculum and started reading books that I realized how much my kids were learning. I could see Revolutionary War heroes show up in their play. But I was learning, too. I began to notice how history and science connected and how they weren’t actually separate subjects. We began a Book of Centuries (BOC) and for the first time I understood that the Middle Ages wasn’t just knights, it was the Aztecs, Incans, and Maya. It was samurai and a technological boom in Asia, mathematics and scientific discoveries in the Middle East empires. It was Dante’s Divine Comedy and 1001 Arabian Nights. As our learning journeyed in and out of the Middle Ages and we added to our BOC, I began to see and understand history through the many picture books which covered so many topics and subjects.

Historical picture books gave me clarity on the American Civil War. All I really remember from my high school history class is that The Civil War happened, the North was doing badly until they won the Battle of Gettysburg, and then the South surrendered. I’m still kind of embarrassed to admit that that was the extent of my knowledge. There were actually two long, bloody years after Gettysburg! I was so astonished that my children questioned whether I actually had gone to school and learned anything. I wondered the same thing.

I’ve met so many heroes through picture books. Regular people, who because of the circumstances, became extraordinary heroes. They made discoveries, braved danger, spoke truth loudly, took unpopular stands against evil, made choices that went against the norm, and risked their lives to save others. Men, women, and children can do mighty things during the darkest times and when the opportunity calls. Yes, we should give our children heroes to look up to through books, let them see darkness and introduce people who fought against it. They should know evil exists but they need to know there is also good. We need to give our children stories of heroes slaying dragons. But we should also give them to ourselves. I need to remember that there have always been hard dangerous times and mothers have had families while doing brave deeds and allowing their children to take risks and be brave.

I’ve learned about the world through picture books. You don’t have to create a unit study for geography or focus solely on maps to learn about the world. Choose a country and read some picture books; note the differences between their life and yours, admire the beauty, dream of visiting. Picture books about artists and artisans from around the world are easy to find and reading them not only introduces your children (ahem, and yourself) to their art, but to their life, their home, their time, and culture. Listening to music and reading about composers, lyricists, and musicians also brings a unique aspect to geography. Adding in maps to find locations, looking at the masterpieces, trying an art project, listening to famous music or going to see a concert or live performance, and learning to play an instrument adds layers of depth that simply doing standalone subjects doesn’t allow.

I’ve learned about story structure, literary elements, grammar, plot, setting, and character arcs through picture books. Authors and illustrators need to know their craft so well as each word and picture must be carefully chosen with economy and beauty in order to convey the story. Paying attention to detail and learning to observe creates a deeper understanding of language and yes, even vocabulary. After years of reading aloud it’s easy to spot beauty but it’s just as easy to spot the mindless money grab books.

Of course I’ve read more than just picture books to my children. Middle grade fiction and nonfiction have both contributed to my education. I no longer think these books are just for kids as I’ve enjoyed them and learned so much alongside my children. Historical fiction has inspired me to dig deeper and find the picture books to accompany it and research what truly happened or how much of it is true. It’s taught me to read the Author’s Notes at the end of the book and check out the bibliography when available. We’ve watched many documentaries because we feel invested and needed to continue our learning. Learning begats learning.

All of these books have also inspired me to pick up many adult books I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. I’ve read about the wolves of Yellowstone, John Adams, various “classics,” and even commentary on Shakespeare. I’m not sure I would have chose to read any of these if it hadn’t been for a middle grade or picture book.

Picture books have expanded my world and helped me to reclaim my education. I didn’t immediately understand that power of picture books or that I was expanding my own learning and understanding. Through homeschooling, I’ve learned how to learn through picture books. I’ve learned how to teach through picture books. I’ve learned that an education doesn’t rely on “shoulds” or experts or curricula or checklists or worksheets. Don’t underestimate the power of interest, rabbit trails, simplicity, curiosity, and picture books.

Even though my kids are mostly big, I still collect and read picture books there’s plenty left to learn from picture books.

Would you toss curricula and follow interest-led learning through picture books? What have you learned from a picture book?

My daughter has always loved to write letters. As we were discussing what to learn about over Christmas break, she requested a letter writing unit. And that’s how this mini-unit was born. It’s a great opportunity to focus on LA, reading, writing, formatting letters with a touch of history and nature.

Books we read:

• The Day the Crayons Quit

• The Day the Crayons Came Home

• The Crayon Man

• The Day It Rained Hearts

• Dear Peter Rabbit

• various fairy tales

• The Gardener

• Ruby’s Hope

• Born and Bred in the Depression

• Home in the Woods

• That Book Woman

• Now & Ben

• Ride on, Will Cody!

• Mailing May

• The Everyday Journeys of Ordinary Things

• The Post Office Book: Mail and How It Moves

• The Jolly Postman (series)

• Letters from Bear

• XO, OX

Books we would have read if our library had them:

• Letters from Felix series

• A Letter to Amy

• Dragon Post

• Meerkat Mail

Activities:

1. Read The Day It Rained Hearts, The Day the Crayons Quit, The Crayon Man, Watch Mr. Rogers Crayola factory clip, hot crayon art, crayon anatomy, write a letter from a crayon’s point of view.

   

   These activities were very much of a follow-the-rabbit-trail-variety (in the order listed above) and lasted about a week. We read The Day It Rained Hearts first because my girl loves it and then crayons’ letters to Duncan which led us to learning about the man who invented crayons, which led us to watching one of our family’s most watched YouTube clips, and then I had picked out a crayon+heart activity. There are various ways to do this but I heated up a sheet pan and placed a piece of paper with a simple heart drawn on it. While the pan is very hot, she melted the tips of the crayons to make wax dots on the heart shaped until it was “colored” in. She decided to turn this heart into valentine’s cards. She copied the lyrics of “A Tisket A Tasket” (there’s a line about a letter) and we scanned it and printed smaller copies to give out on Feb. 14. But no! We are not done yet because she asked to melt a crayon. So we reheated the pan, putting a piece of parchment paper on the tray this time, and then she put her crayon down and watched it melt. The unexpected fun that happened is that we saw the various parts of the crayon separate (like color pigment and parafin wax) just like we had learned about in The Crayon Man! And to cap off this week’s activities, she wrote a letter from a crayon’s perspective. She chose to write from the point of view of the crayon she melted, outraged that she would do such a thing and she drew a cute illustration to go along with it. Adorable!

   

2. Dear Peter Rabbit + fairy tales

   Dear Peter Rabbit works beautifully for both letter writing and fairy tale units because the book blends the two perfectly! Written by various fairy tale characters to weave together a fun fairy tale world. So she decided to continue the story by writing a letter from another fairy tale character. So we read a few fairy tales and decided which ones would fit well and she wrote from the perspective of Little Red Riding Hood’s Grandmother while combining aspects from The Emperor’s New Clothes. It’s such a fun writing challenge.

   

3. The Gardener + the Great Depression (Ruby’s Hope, Born and Bred in the Depression, Home in the Woods, The Book Woman) + Nature Study

   The Gardener is set during the Great Depression and tells the story of a girl who must leave her parents and grandmother in the country to live with an uncle she’s never met in his city bakery. I love this book, it’s one of my favorites. She writes her parents and grandmother, telling her story through letters. We took this opportunity to learn about the Great Depression since it’s a topic she hadn’t learned about yet. As The Gardener is about growing flowers, we did a No Sweat Nature lesson on coneflowers (but you could do a nature lesson on any flower!

   

   )

4. History of the Post Office with Now and Ben, Ride on, Will Cody!, Mailing May

   The Everyday Journeys of Ordinary Things, The Post Office Book: Mail and How It Moves, The Jolly Postman

   After reading these books, set up you own Pony Express on bikes in your neighborhood (or on foot and run,) take a trip to the post office to mail a letter and maybe mention you’re learning about the post office and ask if they’d give you a quick tour (or maybe call first and ask.) We also made our own house mailbox so that we could write letters within the family. Using The Jolly Postman book, she chose a project from within the different mailings to recreate for someone in her family. I meant to do more of this, but…life. However, the writing little encouraging notes to one another was a big hit and my kids wrote to each other all week long.

This unit works great with Valentine’s Day! As we wrote the letters, we often wrote a draft first and then edited it and made corrections together this is a great way to practice mechanics! The reason we learn to write and use grammar and penmanship is to communicate clearly our thoughts and ideas.

I divided the unit into 4 sections which we did in 4 weeks using what was available to us, however, feel free to break it up however you’d like. Some books and activities pair well together but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix and match. You can easily add more geography into this unit as you learn about addresses or ask family and friends from around the country/world to mail letters or postcards. You could also create your own letter-writing station where you can have stationary/cards, stickers, colored pens, envelopes, and stamps ready for use (we have one!) You could even dive into stamps and stamp collecting! Or add in some math by looking at the price of stamps throughout the year. I’m sure you could find a reason for your child to write someone a thank you note like my daughter did. Another fun idea is to watch the old classic, The Shop Around the Corner, on a movie night. And if your kids are old enough, watch You’ve Got Mail (it is fairly clean with some relationship drama) and use my film guide to discuss how “mail” has changed and whether it’s for the better or not.

Follow the rabbit trails and tell me what you most enjoyed learning about!