Homeschooler Savvy

Ever wondered HOW a scout is trained to Be Prepared?

The scouts who recently lived through the tornado were praised for their for their preparedness.  For those of you not in scouts I thought it might be enlightening to see exactly what 9 and 10 year old boys are taught in the Webelos Scout Program.  These boys are still cub scouts, around the end of Grade 5 they can transition into the boy scout program.  Emergency and First Aid training are taught to all ages of scouts.  Below is the program for the Webelos Readyman badge (courtesy of the USScouts.org site).  For those of you not enrolled in scouting - these make excellent homeschooling tools.

               Readyman

Webelos Activity Workbook

Scout’s Name: ________________________   Pack: ________   Activity Badge Counselor: ___________________________

Do all of these:

1.___ With your parent, guardian, or Webelos den leader, complete the Courage Character Connection.

a. Know: Define the importance of each courage step:

Be strong; _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Be calm; _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Be clear; _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Be careful. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain how memorizing the courage steps helps you to be ready. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Commit: Explain why it is hard to follow the courage steps in an emergency. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Tell when you can use the courage steps in other situations (such as standing up to a bully, avoiding fights, being fair, not stealing or cheating when tempted, etc.) ______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

c. Practice: Act out one of the requirements using these courage steps: Be strong; Be calm; Be clear; Be careful. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

2.___ Explain what first aid is. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

           Tell what you should do after an accident. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.___ Explain how you can get help quickly if there is an emergency in your home. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

            Make a "help list" of people or agencies that can help you if you need it.

            Post it near a phone or another place with easy access. __________________________________________________

4.___ Demonstrate the Heimlich maneuver and tell when it is used. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

5.___ Show what to do for these "hurry cases":

● Serious bleeding _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Stopped breathing _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Internal poisoning  _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Heart attack  _______________________________________________________________________________________________

6.___ Show how to treat shock. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

7.___ Show first aid for the following:

● Cuts and scratches _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Burns and scalds _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Choking _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Blisters on the hand and foot _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Tick bites _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Bites and stings of insects other than ticks _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Poisonous snakebite _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Nosebleed _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Frostbite _______________________________________________________________________________________________

● Sunburn _______________________________________________________________________________________________

8.___ Tell what steps must be taken for a safe swim with your Webelos den, pack, family, or other group.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

            Explain the reasons for the buddy system. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

And do two of these:

c 9._ Explain six safety rules you should follow when "driving" a bicycle.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

c10.Explain the importance of wearing safety equipment when participating in sports activities (skating, skateboarding, etc.)__________________________________________________________________________________________________

c11. Make a home fire escape plan for your family. _______________________________________________________________

c12. Explain how to use each item in a first aid kit. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

c13.Tell where accidents are most likely to happen inside and around your home.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

c14.Explain six safety rules you should remember when riding in a car.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

c15.Attend a first aid demonstration at a Boy Scout troop meeting, a Red Cross center, or other community event or place.

                               

Do your kids know this stuff?  Boy Scouts and Girl Scout learn this.

Just remember, it might be you they have to help!!!  Be selfish and teach them all about it!

Here's another option to help you be prepared!  I live with mine on my hip during tornado season.  They stay off until a warning is issued for your area and then they beep loud enough to wake you up, and issue the weather warning statement for your specific area. 

Aussie Kim

Baby Mockingbird pretenting to be made of stone

I walked all the way around this little fellow, and he remained motionless.  Quite amazing.

There is a game called Predator - Prey you can play with kids.  One child is the predator, and the rest are the prey.  The predator goes out of the room while the kids hide (in full sight) by assuming frozen positions.  The predator walks around and sees if he can spot any movement.  Whenever he does, that person is caught, eaten and then becomes the predator.  This goes on until there is no more prey left. 

 To add some interest - let the kids act as specific animals.  You can also explain to them that this is the best defense if they ever happen to be in the woods and meet a bear......

Photo from the front

Photo from the side

Photo from behind

Back round to the front again - he still hasn't moved!

I wonder how close we can get............

Closer?

Closer?

OK, I zoomed in, but at this point Melvin the Mockingbird decided to run...the camouflage works just as well as his freeze position!

Where? Right there...........

I outlined him so you could see better..................

Happy birdwatching!

Aussie Kim

Poison Ivy Identification (or, We're off to Summer Camp)

Poison Ivy is endemic in the Mississippi Delta.  It's just here and in your face (or on your legs, hands....), most of the year.  As a community service, here are some photos from the many poison ivy plants emerging or leafing back out within a 2 minute walk of our house. 

Here is THE rule:  Leaves of 3 let it be, Leaves of 5 let it thrive

Here are some other rules: 

Leaves of 3 let it be, leaves of 4, give me more

Leaves of 3 let it be, leaves of 5, you can jive

OR, more to the point :  Leaves of 3, You'd better flee!!!!

Not everyone is allergic to poison ivy, some people have not been exposed to it, and others just never developed allergies to it.  I never really knew what poison ivy was (growing up in Australia where it does not exist), except for THE famous camp song by Spike Jones (Hello Mother, Hello Father) .....

Hello Mother, Hello Father lyrics

Spike Jones

Hello muddah, hello faddah, Here I am at Camp Granada. Camp is very entertaining, And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining!   I went hiking with Joe Spivey, He developed poison ivy. You remember Lennard Skinard, He got tomain poisoning last night after dinner!       All the counselors hate the waiters, And the lake has alligators! And the head coach wants no sissies, So he reads to us from something called 'Ulysses'.   No, I don't want this should scare ya, But my bunkmate has malaria! You remember Jeffrey Hardy, They're about to organize a searching party! Take me home, oh muddah, faddah. Take me home, I hate Granada. Don't leave me out in the forest, Where I might get eaten by a bear!     Take me home, I promise I will not make noise, Or mess the house with other boys, Oh please don't make me stay; I've been here one whole day!     Dearest faddah, darling muddah, How's my precious little bruddah? Let me come home if you miss me; I would even let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss me!     Wait a minute; it stopped hailing. Guys are swimming, guys are sailing. Playing baseball, gee that's bettah. Muddah, faddah, kindly disregard this letter! When we get into poison ivy by accident, suspect we may have been near poison ivy, or breakout in a rash, we take a shower with Tecnu Skin Cleanser 32 Ounce. This adheres to the poison when you lather it on your skin and poison and all goes down the drain with it when you wash it off.  It's also not a bad idea to squirt some in the washing machine with your contaminated clothing.  You can get it in small quantities from some of the drug stores, or walmart, but for some reason the bottles seem really small.  Way too small for Mississippi anyhow - I get the bulk size online. Often, poison ivy is transfered all over your body by scratching the first spot where you got some, getting the poison on your fingers and then scratching somewhere else.  Another way to get poison ivy is from patting your pets after they have been rolling in the stuff (usually doesn't affect them!).  Happy Camping! Aussie Kim

The Story of the Climb (Crossover ceremony for cub scouts)

I came across a message yesterday which has a universal moral that I think would be good for all kids to hear.

I got the chance to be a visitor at the crossover ceremony for a very well organized cub scout pack.  This is where the cubs move from one rank to the next, it is an annual event.  The parents are recognized as well since that the boys DO need their help and encouragement to get through these ranks.  Sometimes I think that they should have a ceremony where the parents of school kids are given an award (or at least positive recognition) for all those hours of help they give their kids during the school years!

I loved the story which was read at this ceremony, I found it on the website and I copied and modified it to that which was read at the ceremony for all to see.  Originally this came from the indians.org website - which has a neat section on Indian Literature where the Climbing the Mountain story came from.  Of course this story applies equally to both indians and squaws!!!!!

The Story of the Climb

One night, during the Fall season of the year, the Chief called all the boys together and said to them, "Now, boys, you are of the proper age to accept this challenge, and you may now all go out tomorrow and seek to climb that mountain with my blessings. Start right after breakfast, and each of you, go as far as you can, and, when you are tired, come back, but you must bring back a twig from the place where you turned."   The boys were so excited they could hardly sleep that night.   The next morning, away they all went, full of hope and dreams.

Soon a very young boy come slowly back, puffing and sweating all the way. As he stood before his Chief, he showed in his hand, that he held a piece of green Beavertail Cactus. "My boy," the Chief smiled, "I can see you reached the foot of the mountain. This is from the desert at the mountain foot.  You have done well."   THESE ARE THE TIGER CUBS

Another hour passed, and a second boy returned. He held a young Cottonwood sapling. "Good work," said the Chief, "you climbed the mountain up as far as the springs! Very good!"   THESE ARE THE WOLVES

Later in the afternoon, one arrived with an Incense Cedar frond. "Well done, my boy," said the Chief. "You made it half way up! You have seen the heart of the mountain. Very good job."  THESE ARE THE BEARS

An hour after that, one came with a branch of Ponderosa Pine, and to him the Chief said, "Good job. You went to the third life zone. It looks like you made it three quarters of the way. I bet if you keep trying, next year you will undoubtedly reach the top!"   THESE ARE THE FIRST YEAR WEBELOS

The sun was low, and even the Chief was starting to worry a bit. There were many pitfalls on that mountain to overcome, and the last of his boys was still outside of camp. Could a Grizzly Bear have ambushed him? Or maybe he fell off a tall rock facing somewhere, never to be heard from again ? Maybe he had lost his way, or ran out of water.

As it happened, just when the Chief was to send out a search party to look for the boy, he was at last returned. He was a tall, splendid boy of noble character; everyone already knew he was marked to be successful in life. He approached the Chief and held out his hand. It was empty, but his face was glowing with happiness when the boy said, "My Chief, there were no trees where I came from. I saw no twigs, no living thing up on that peak. And far away I could see the glorious sight of the sun shining off other mountains and the sea."

Now the old man's face started to glow too! He turned around, and said, "I knew it! I just knew it when I looked upon your face. You have been all the way to the top! It was written in your eyes! It rings in your voice! And it is alive in the way you carry your body! My boy, you need no twigs for token. You have felt the uplift in your spirit because you have seen the glory of the mountain!"   THESE ARE THE SECOND YEAR WEBELOS

Dearest Scouts, keep this in mind, that the badges that are offered you for your achievements, are not "prizes" to be "won".  These badges, are just tokens, of what you have done, and where you have been. Remember this, that as fun as these badges are to earn, they are just twigs collected from the trail, to show how far you got, during your climb to manhood.

This photo is the order of the arrow scout dancing in Indian Costume around a bonfire.  To the right is the arrow of light (yet to be lit) and the cross over bridge.

Aussie Kim

Pause for a peaceful SUN STUDIOS set

Keeping in the theme  of peaceful sun sets, and having just been to Graceland...here is a photo of the first record that went Gold for Elvis, recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis. If you want to do a virtual tour of Graceland, or the Jungle Room go here.

Graceland as an educational experience for kids and a badge earner for scouts

I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee.....with a bunch of cub scouts.  One day every year Graceland gives all the scouts and their families an opportunity to get a Platinum ticket for Graceland (adults normally $32, children under 12 normally $15) for $15 for all.  There are activities the scouts can complete which help them get music and art related badges and elective credits. 

It's a homeschoolers dream - integration of history, art, music, math (just how many records are needed for a platinum award, how many zeros is that?).  And it's not just rock and roll, but also country and gospel.  The thoughtful Graceland hostesses even give you a list of activities the scouts can do for each level of badges available for them.

How was it?  "Awesome" according to the boys that went.  The boys liked his gold records and his car collection the best.  Elvis had a Ferrari and a Rolls Royce, and (drum roll) the Pink Cadillac was there too.

The token sister liked the bus ride best (it's a homeschool thing).

We got to see the inside of the Lisa Marie airplane and the smaller jet.  Plush is the word we took away from the trip.  As in Plush Pile Carpet (yes, on the ceiling).

Some did you know questions: Did you know Elvis had a twin brother who died at birth? Did you know that Elvis served 18 months in the US army in Germany - he was conscripted, and rather than find some way out of it, he went and did his time.

Was it worth it?  Absolutely.

Website for Graceland.

Site info on Scout activities and badges.

Aussie Kim & LA Sue (intrepid Graceland explorers, extraordinaire!)

Solar prints for kids (and cub scouts)

One of the Bear Cub Scout requirments is to make solar prints of three kinds of leaves.

It is part of the group of activities for the Nature Crafts elective.  Other requirments include making a display of eight different animal tracks, collecting and pressing ten kinds of leaves, eight kinds of plant seeds and mounting and labeling ten kinds of rocks and five kinds of shells, building a bird caller and building a waterscope.  As you can see this really does give them a good introduction to the variety in nature.  I thought I would show what the solar prints looks like.  If I was a bit more of a dilligent unschooler I guess I could have gone into the chemistry behind it all, but I haven't...yet. 

You are supposed to be able to buy special light-sensitive paper from hobby shops or nature centers, but since I live out in the boonies, I ordered it online (I love the internet!).  Alternatively you can always use dark construction paper, but your wait time goes from 5 minutes to a day or two.

You put the leaves onto the paper, cover them with plastic or glass to hold them down, leave them in the sun for about 5 minutes or until it changes color, place them in water (to "fix") the image for a couple of minutes then lay them flat to dry. 

It is really neat to watch the paper fade, then get bright again in the water, and to watch the image change from negative to positive and back.  Of course, given a free hand the kids would have used up the entire packet.  The paper cost about $20 for sheets.

Well worth it for the experience, and neat outcome.  Of course, with digital cameras and printing photos from your home printer, this younger generation normally have no knowledge of what a negatvie is in the 1970s-90s "non digital camera" sense.  This is an activity which makes chemistry look like magic and is lots of fun.

Aussie Kim