As a writer, I have developed a way to incorporate the tools of my trade into my role as parent and teacher. One of the best resources I have found is the annual Chase’s Calendar of Events. This guide provides a daily chronicle of what happened during a given year. It’s a great resource as a homework helper and idea generator for reports and projects.
It’s an expensive guide, running almost a $100, but you can probably find a coppy at your local library’s reference department. I lucked out and bought an old guide at the library book sale for $.25! Even the older guides have enough information to spark creative ideas that can be used with your children. The guides are HUGE. The copy that I have has over 12,000 entries! The guide can be used for parents who homeschool, but all parents are teachers and could benefit from using the guide.
If you are the type of parent who plans activities based on special holidays and celebrations, then this is the guide for you. You can take a festival, custom , etc. and expand upon it. Most of the entries link to a website for additional information. There’s tons of information about customs from around the world as well as brief bio’s of famous people, international and American holidays and important historical milestones. You can even find out the birthdate of your favorite celebrity. What’s also great is that the later versions come with a searchable CD.
Some of the entries are fun. Today , for instance, is Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbors Day. Yes, that one day of the year when we should wave at all our neighbors. Go ahead, for the rest of the day, wave at all your neighbors.
Some of the entries I have used as teaching tools include entries on the Chinese New Year, the Ice Man and the Earl of Sandwich. The latter was not only a learning experience, but I was able to turn the information into a sale to a children’s magazine. After reading about the Earl in Chase’s, doing additional research online, and seeing how much Tyler enjoyed learning about him, I figured other kids might also want to learn more. So, I turned the information into a short piece and sold it within a matter of days. Tyler was especially excited when he saw the finished article in the magazine.
When you are looking for ways to teach your kids or find interesting activities, don’t overlook the obvious. See what tools you use in your occupation; you just might find a teaching tool lurking there.
See also:
Using The Comics As A Teaching Tool