FLAIR Homeschoolers

Activities  2008 / 2009

Each member commits to an active role in planning and offering activities that will encourage our children to contribute
their talents and interests, as well as learn from those of their friends.

While a number of our members travel from Houston and outlying areas, all units and park days are held in Sugar Land, TX on Monday and Tuesday mornings. We often take advantage of field trip opportunities throughout the greater Houston area.

"When we started homeschooling, I felt as though I had tucked a child under each arm and jumped off a cliff. Imagine my surprise to discover we have wings."-------Maura Seger

Activity Calendar
(activity descriptions follow below)

Activity Descriptions
(listed alphabetically by age group)

Activity Descriptions - Ages 8 and under
(Ages are offered as a guideline)

American Folklore - An important part of our history lies in stories and folklore handed down through generations. While a story about Paul Bunyan, George Washington and the cherry tree, or the legend of Johnny Appleseed are fictitious, they reflect real events or mirror important traits of our country's heritage. We will explore our US history by visiting these and other colorful characters and their stories.

Art Appreciation

Dude, That's Rude - Learn Power Words to use and P.U. Words to avoid, why your family deserves your best manners, how to yawn, how to burp, how to meet new people, how to treat a guest and be one, the right ways to use phones (including cell phones), the Top Ten Table Manners, and more.

Fun With Science - Scientists learn and discover every day and there are all kinds of scientists.  But all scientists have one thing in common -- they are irresistibly gotta-figure-it-out curious about how things work and why things happen.  Do you wonder how the world works?  Great!  Then come join us as we "play" with all things science.

How's the Weather - We will cover weather basics as we explore the seasons, the water cycle and what makes the weather. Focus will be on wind, rain, and clouds through hands-on projects and activities while reading stories.

I Can Do That - Calling all smarty-pants to come test your knowledge! We will be exploring math, science, language, social studies, and physical education using arts and crafts, creative movement, and song.

Little House on the Prairie - Take a trip back in time as we do a study of pioneer life in America, pulling largely from the "Little House" series. We will do readings from the Little House and other books, and do lots of activities to reinforce the idea of what life was like for these American pioneers. Our projects may include things such as simple sewing, "churning butter", corn-husk doll making, playing pioneer games, and more.

Mystery Mania - Clues, detective, magnifying glasses and notebooks! Create a "whodunit?" of your own. Learn about famous mysteries. Read some good detective stories. We'll do all this and more in the Mystery Mania workshop

Pizza Math - Math is everywhere, but it's especially fun when it's on your plate!

Spanish - Introduction to Spanish through songs, games and activities. We will learn basic communication skills in Spanish with visuals, music, books, conversation scenarios, etc. Children will act out scenarios (restaurant, shop, dialogues) in Spanish.

Activity Descriptions - Ages 9-14
(Ages are offered as a guideline)

20th Century America - Become actively involved in key elements of early 20th century America (1917 - 1949) including Doughboy Boot Camp, Ford Assembly Line, Lindburgh's Solo Flight, a Depression Soup Kitchen, Radio Shows, the Japanese-American Evacuation, & Levittown.

Alarming to Charming - Learn to confidently handle situations you face socially in your everyday life. Become comfortable and proficient in handling a myriad of social interactions and situations. Enjoy learning dinner etiquette and a variety of dances. Complete the unit by putting your social and dance skills to use in a formal Cotillion.

Cast Your Vote! - Using primary sources such as newspaper articles, diaries, letters, drawings, photographs, maps, government documents, radio & television created by people who experienced events firsthand, we will gain a unique view of the history of our government's campaign process. We will ask questions and analyze the process from various points of view as well as map the evolution of media's role throughout our country's brief history. Assume a job in running a campaign and supporting your candidate -- The Race Is On!

Civil Rights - We will be diving into the Civil Rights Movement, talking about segregation, separate but equal, Rosa Parks, Brown vs the Board of Education and Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech

Critical Thinking & Logic - Think logically, present well-developed arguments, and see through unsupported arguments. Develop fundamentals of logic, argumentation, and critical reading. Face real-life discussion problems to identify valid and invalid claims and arguments, sufficient and insufficient evidence, fact and opinion, generalizations, emotional arguments, inferences, deductions, and more.

DownWrite Funny - You are not alone. When you begin to write, you are in great company of all those who have written before you. We will take a peek at what writers know. Then we will have a lot of fun together while we play games and build our own masterful stories.

Environmental Science - We will study pollution, predator-prey relationships, and conduct chemical and biological tests to try and solve our environmental-damage problem.

Shogun History & Feudal Japan - Representing powerful samurai clans of the late 1500s, compete for the title of Shogun by completing a variety of activities, including writing, accounting, calligraphy, and art challenges. Success requires strategic thought, careful planning, and also luck.

Take Flight - Unfold the history of flight and plan & navigate a transcontinental journey.

Writing Historical Fiction - Assume the active role of a fictional character and communicate their personal life, viewpoints and opinions in accurate historical detail by exchanging letters with other characters who are living in the same 20th century era. Show off what you learned in Unit 2 and the history you experienced in Unit 7 in a fun collective group project fit to publish.  Note: This unit includes homework critical to the benefit of all participants.

Activity Descriptions - Ages 15+
(Ages are offered as a guideline)

Alarming to Charming - Learn to confidently handle situations you face socially in your everyday life. Become comfortable and proficient in handling a myriad of social interactions and situations. Enjoy learning dinner etiquette and a variety of dances. Complete the unit by putting your social and dance skills to use in a formal Cotillion.

20th Century America - Become actively involved in key elements of early 20th century America (1917 - 1949) including Doughboy Boot Camp, Ford Assembly Line, Lindburgh's Solo Flight, a Depression Soup Kitchen, Radio Shows, the Japanese-American Evacuation, & Levittown.

Bad Guys in Government - How do dictators and tyrants get into positions of power? We will investigate various political systems around the world and throughout history to uncover how leaders such as Hitler, Stalin, and Tamerlane gain power. Do dictators always take control by force? Why would a population allow it? Do history-making tyrants start out as a "bad guy"? Could it happen in a republic such as the US? The answers may surprise you.

Critical Thinking & Logic - Think logically, present well-developed arguments, and see through unsupported arguments. Develop fundamentals of logic, argumentation, and critical reading. Face real-life discussion problems to identify valid and invalid claims and arguments, sufficient and insufficient evidence, fact and opinion, generalizations, emotional arguments, inferences, deductions, and more.

Don't Stop the Music
Music appreciation , history, theory and more.

French Culture - C’est la vie! Travel the regions of France and discover the art, food, history, language, and culture of each. You’ll say, “Ooh, la la!” and much more on our fantastic French journey!

Political Science - We will explore the political process relating to the 2008 Presidential Election. We will take a look at the critical issues facing our country (economy, health care, & foreign policy to name a few). Research the candidates, present topics, and debate the issues.

Something Worth Fighting For - Basic study of the organization, structure, and operation of the U.S. government.

Writing Workshop 101: Reading Like a Writer - Have you ever wanted to see a story through the eyes of the author? Join the intrigue as we explore short stories and create a few of our own. Workshop sessions include games, discussions, and creative writing.

Writing Workshop 102: Writing Historical Fiction - Bring your favorite time in history and we’ll combine imagination, personal memories, and a bit of research to create stories, poems, and plays of historical fiction.  Note: This unit includes homework critical to the benefit of all participants.