Week 6: Bison, Aztec Culture, Mandalas, Yoga, and Leesburg Animal Park!

This week our kids finished their five week session on migration with a lesson about Bison. They learned about how and why Bison migrate, and how important the Bison were to certain Native Americans tribes. The kids learned how the Bison were used for food, shelter, tools, clothing, weapons, and medicine. They also went on a walk to observe Zora and Wilma, two juvenile Bison who live at the Zoo. At the end of the day, the kids finished their mobile projects, a five week project that showcases each week of this session.

For Geography/World Culture Day, one of our parents planned a lesson about the Aztecs. The kids learned a little about Aztec culture, and then they broke into teams to build structures inspired by Aztec monuments. In the spirit of the Aztecs, the kids invented a creation myth or being (or monster truck or My Little Pony, or whomever) that might reside in their monument. After, the kids learned about Aztec codices; the kids then created their own codices based on the temples and creation myths they made.

Below are some of the monuments, pictures, and codices the kids made to repesent Aztec culture.

We love it when the younger siblings join in the fun!

For Game Day, we met at Malcom X/Meridian Hill Park. It was a beautiful day, and one of the great things about homeschooling is that you can do all of your activities outside if you choose to! One parent began by helping the kids identify the kinds of trees that were in the park, and then she showed them a video of how to make Mandalas with materials in nature. The kids collaborated to make a beautiful Mandala! You can see the video the kids watched here:

Take a look at the kids' beautiful work!

After making the Mandala, the kids relaxed and had a snack. Their Yoga teacher met us in the park, and we did some yoga and breathing exercies. What a perfect day in the sun!

Sometimes, the grass claims you.

To wrap up a fun fall week, some of the kids went to Leesburg Animal Park. They rode horses, went down giant slides, fed sheep, and drove pedal carts!