Volume 3 - Edition 8 - May 2007
Historica Fairs – Could you? Should you? Why would you?
by Pat Mackesy
Historica Fairs – Could you? Should you? Why would you?
Don’t you love it when it turns out you were right? Especially when you’re the teacher! With permission, I’d like to share one family’s journey to Historica Fair:
You’ll catch on to the thread in our emails: blue is the parent’s (Cecile), red is the teacher (Pat Mackesy)
Re Historica -
I guess I just feel "overwhelmed" by PLO's at the moment and am thinking along these lines - "How in the world am I going to get it all done!" Maybe I'm just focusing on the big picture and forgetting to focus on little steps....sigh...
Taking part in Historica takes us on a side trip on the journey - but it really is a part of the journey!! (The side trips are often the memory makers in life, don't you find?) The things they would learn about learning are far more valuable than the bits of curriculum we might have to sacrifice. Do not "add" Historica to your day - subtract some of the great-but-not-essential bits for a while.
We are still trying to come to a decision whether or not Kevin will participate in Historica
and 2 months later:
Wow, what a night! The boys had a blast and they interacted A LOT with the people interested in their display. What a positive, positive experience - it was so enjoyable and well worth all the effort they put into their project. They will be moving on to the Regionals.
Anyway, I thought that you may want to read the judges comments (the judge was VERY positive and spent A LOT of time speaking with both the boys. Kevin and Daniel looked so neat in their coats and boots - we glue gunned the "fur" on rubber boots...well worth the effort! It may get a little warm for the May fair
I'm grinning from ear to ear! Too bad more home schoolers don't partici pate. They are missing an awesome opportunity .
and after the Regionals:
Historica was quite the experience - what A LOT of organization to pull an event like this together.
Kevin has learned A LOT from the Regional Fair - what a great opportunity for learning and interacting with others, especially the judges.
Have I caught your interest? Everything you need to know about Historica Fairs is available at http://www.histori.ca/
Let me address the FAQ’s
Could I?
Historica is open to students in grades 4-10. At first the whole project sounds overwhelming – as you saw in Cecile’s first email. As a teacher, I too felt, “This is too big a thing to take on.” the first year I considered trying it in the classroom. However, in truth, it is NOT too big if you begin early enough, integrate your topic with your curriculum – Kevin was already studying Arctic Exploration for extreme environments (gr. 6 , and Daniel did Arctic animals for habitat and food chains. Because any topic related to Canadian heritage is accepted, the range of curriculum connections is endless! Local history, family heritage, Canadian history, Canadian heroes… Wow!
If you would like support, I have a “Steps to Heritage Fair” project sheet which I’d be happy to share with you! pmackesy@onlineschool.ca
Should I?
As you can see, Cecile thinks you should, and so do I! She agrees with me that the experience goes far beyond the facts learned on the topic! These Fairs take place across Canada, with the Regional winners given the opportunity to attend an all-expenses-paid Social Studies camp somewhere in Canada, supervised by teachers. Being the Regional winner, is not, however why you should do it. Giving your children the opportunity to research, write, publish, produce a finished display, talk to others about their subject, see other students’ work, and become passionate about a topic reaps invaluable benefits.
Why Would I?
At HCOS, we desire to see students grow and excel, not because growing and excelling glorifies us, but because this is Our Father’s World, and we are His children! We want to tell the world what He has done, how we see all of life through the lens of Scripture and faith. We want to raise disciples who can speak and write and think, draw and model and display the knowledge of His Story in every aspect of life – yes, in Canadian History!
Want to ask questions? I’d love to hear from you!