Butterflies and New Creations

It isn't a coincidence that our first Monarch Butterfly made it's way into the world on Easter Sunday, leaving behind an empty chrysalis home, like our Lord Jesus!

I find it amazing that the life cycle of a butterfly illustrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus so perfectly. his life (as a caterpillar) his death and pain and suffering (the caterpillar splitting his skin and becoming the pupa) and the empty Chrysalis (tomb) He left behind and continued in life!

It's also an awesome live example of the change we take on as we become Christians and live for Jesus!

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefor if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is gone and the new is here!" 

The kids brainstormed about how the life cycle of a Butterfly is like becoming a Christian....here are their answers:

• The two are different many ways, the caterpillar has to crawl around while a butterfly gets to fly!
• Caterpillars aren't very pretty, a butterfly is beautiful.
• Caterpillars eat leaves while butterflies get to drink flowers!
• If a caterpillar doesn't turn into a butterfly, it dies. When it turns into a Butterfly it gets to live! (I thought this one was very profound)
• A butterfly is a caterpillar that has "chosen" Jesus and new life!
• A Butterfly leaves behind it's old life in every way and becomes something completely different!

We've been enjoying watching the life cycles. Each time Dave finds us more Crown flowers to feed the remaining caterpillars we are gifted with a few stowaways! So far we've had 3 Butterflies let go, we have 1 chrysalis in waiting and 4 more caterpillars lunching and growing!

I love homeschooling.......I love learning right along side the kids! I'd miss this if they were in school somewhere!

Caterpillar~camo

New Life!

Drying our Wings

Captain of our Catch and Release Program

Warming up on the Plumeria Tree

Arctic Unit

We recently did a mini Unit on Arctic/Antarctic Regions~ learning about the animals and the Inuit People who live in these regions! I'll include some fun links and activities I found for this unit.

My goal for organizing these units is to keep the learning hands on and interactive. My kids love coloring and crafts, they love videos and games. They even love some worksheets. You can really personalize each Unit folder based on your child's level. Even Gracie gets her own folder with activities for her to color and cut and play!

Videos:: (my kids love the addition of videos in our learning)
Nat Geo has great links, photos and activities. This one was short and great for some basic info:

Answers in Genesis has one of the Ice Age which talks a little about how the Ice got there (from a creationist view point: 

What to know How to Build an Igloo??? This 10 minute video shows you.....seriously I never knew.....

Fun Links:: (photos, games, slide shows)

Critter Cam Arctic Game 

Explore this Website for Great info on the Tundra and other regions!

Photo Slide show with info about How Arctic Animals Camouflage themselves!

FREE Powerpoint presentations on the Inuit Tribes plus this site has all sorts of activities and links! 

Hands On Activities:: (this makes every lesson more fun!)

• Making a sugar igloo

Drying our walls halfway through

• Make your own Inuksuk
• Polar Bear Painting: Blue Construction paper, Bear shape, cotton balls, white paint. Place the Polar Bear cut out on the Blue Construction paper (tape the back to the paper) and dab the entire blue paper with white paint. Remove the Polar Bear cutout when you are done and ta-da! Snowy Polar Bear!

Resources and Activities::

A variety of books for the kids to look through and enjoy

FREE Lesson Plans! Look around this site and download all sorts of free activities and games!

Kidssoup This is a really great resource and SO affordable at $2.15 a month. I use it all the time! There are Activities, Games (printable file folder), Activites AND Resources for Bulletin Boards, felt stories etc. New units are added every month!

SeaWorld FREE downloadable lesson

ABCteach tons of freebies, you can become a member, but I just use what is free!

Worksheets included in their Unit Folders:

• Sonlight curriculum
• Map of the Arctic Tundra (color and lable)
• Color the Igloo
• “My Book about the Inuit People”
• Polar Bear Crossword puzzle (Jonah)
• AA writing practice (Ellie)
• AA Coloring page
• Arctic Report, KWL Chart (Jonah)

{Fun}day Fridays

So you've read we've been changing things up, and we did. And it was fabulous!! I think I am really going to love doing this each week. It makes Fridays so much more fun, relaxed and educational as well! (Gotta stick that in there right!?)

Our First Unit was on the Arctic/Antarctic Regions~ learning about the animals and the Inuit People who live in these regions! I'll include some fun links and activities I found for this week.

Videos:: (my kids love the addition of videos in our learning)
Nat Geo has great links, photos and activities. This one was short and great for some basic info:

Answers in Genesis has one of the Ice Age which talks a little about how the Ice got there (from a creationist view point: 

What to know How to Build an Igloo??? This 10 minute video shows you.....seriously I never knew.....

Fun Links:: (photos, games, slide shows)

Critter Cam Arctic Game 

Explore this Website for Great info on the Tundra and other regions! 

Photo Slide show with info about How Arctic Animals Camouflage themselves!  

FREE Powerpoint presentations on the Inuit Tribes plus this site has all sorts of activities and links! 

Hands On Activities:: (this makes every lesson more fun!)

• Making a sugar igloo

• Make your own Inuksuk
• Polar Bear Painting: Blue Construction paper, Bear shape, cotton balls, white paint.

Resources and Activities::

FREE Lesson Plans! Look around this site and download all sorts of free activities and games!

Kidssoup This is a really great resource and SO affordable at $2.15 a month. I use it all the time! There are Activities, Games (printable file folder), Activites AND Resources for Bulletin Boards, felt stories etc. New units are added every month!

SeaWorld FREE downloadable lesson

ABCteach tons of freebies, you can become a member, but I just use what is free!

Worksheets included in their Unit Folders:

• Sonlight curriculum
• Map of the Arctic Tundra (color and lable)
• Color the Igloo
• “My Book about the Inuit People”
• Polar Bear Crossword puzzle (Jonah)
• AA writing practice (Ellie)

• AA Coloring page
• Arctic Report, KWL Chart (Jonah)

 So How did it go???

Well it didn't run perfectly of course. But it was great. We had a nice relaxed paced day, watched videos, read books, learned a LOT.....and the best part is their unit activities can be worked on throughout the week. They can color, play a file folder game, work on the Igloo, write a report (only Jonah and more like a few sentences about Arctic Animals and People). I'm excited to see how the week looks.......and now off to build the next Unit on Ocean Animals! (that should be hard huh?living in Hawaii and all!)





I may be loading our unit find each week. I find so many cool free things, and I love sharing......