learn BEACH-SCHOOLING HOMESCHOOL CORNER
BY TARA GRIFFIN
When I was in school, and the weather was too pretty to be sitting in a classroom...once or twice, I skipped school and went to the beach. (Shhh...don't tell my mom!) What is WAY better than truancy? School at the beach!
Homeschooling isn't always at home!
Whether you're a homeschooler who likes to hightail it eastward when the days are long and the sun is shining...or you are trying to entertain your kids on summer vacation, there are some amazing learning opportunities that can happen where the sky meets the water and the sand meets your toes. Here are some of my favorites: ii ART
t Do a hands-on investigation of the art of shell printing, shell sculptures, shell pictures or shell painting (use watercolors— they’ll wash right off in the next tide) and make sea glass necklaces.
t Study the sand drawing and sculpting of Jamie Wardley. He's amazing. Then make your family out of sand.
t Study the history of bathing suits and beach fashion. Decide which era "suits" you best.
t Paint an original scene inspired by a famous seascape from: Katsushika Hokusai, Édouard Manet, William Merritt Chase, August Renoir, Edward Hopper, Claude Monet, Paul Signac, Winslow Homer, Eugène Boudin or Childe Hassam. Even an amateur can create brilliance with the colors of the sea.
ii SOCIAL STUDIES t Enjoy historical details? Check out the local historical museum, fort and coastal railway. Photograph your favorite parts.
t Love design? Study boatbuilding, lighthouses, coastal architecture and building codes. Design your own seaworthy craft.
t Crave adventure? Study major storms, pirates, sailing, navigation, history of surfing and watersports. Write an epic tale that incorporates your new seaknowledge. ii MUSIC G-Love, Sublime, Jimmy Buffett, Donavon Frankenreiter and The Beach Boys and then write your own island-inspired tunes.
Learning a full day's worth at the beach!
t Have lunch somewhere that a performer is playing steel drums. t Listen to the music of the ocean inside an empty shell. FOR EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BEGIN HOMESCHOOLING IN ALACHUA COUNTY, VISIT: sbac.edu
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Photos courtesy of Tara Griffin.
t Get in the mood. Listen to Bob Marley, Jack Johnson, Matt Costa,
