Now that we have our Inspiration for a Homeschool Study Trip down, we can begin to work on the curriculum.
What is it that you want the children to remember most about this up and coming trip? What is most important for you to focus on that will make this trip valuable for your schooling? Where do you find or create workbooks, printable sheets, and outlines?
Much of these questions depends on what your homeschool style is. I know parents who have a private school approach were the learning is very structured, but I also know parents who dabble in a bit of Unschooling and would prefer for their children to discover the place without any prior direction. We happen to fall in the middle. I have no interest in planning out our days to the minute, I want to discover as I explore. But I also want to know the rich history of the place I am going, and try the foods, and go knowing something about it.
Before the Trip
When we knew we were going to Scotland to study the Romans, we directed our study towards introducing the children to the great feats of industry the Romans were known for. Hadrian’s Wall was to be a feature of our trip, so roads, bridges, aqueducts and infrastructure is where we started.
We found whole curriculum already freely available by industrious mothers online. Lapbooks are an excellent resource, take a look at this link. We learned to pay attention in England at the very straight roads, because the chances that they were originally Roman are very high. Here is an adorable lesson building roman roads with desert! Here is one that is non edible.
Another way we prepared for our trip to Scotland was to research recipes of dishes that are well loved in Scotland. We made Square Sausage, Oat Cakes (much like pancakes, but with oats), and various other dishes we could find.
We met every Tuesday with another family, who was also going, to make dishes and discuss what we had learned so far about Scotland and the Scots. We looked up a few things we would like to see, but mostly kept that spontaneous.
We also studied maps and maps. We got to know about the names of Clans and Counties. We mapped out our trip on the wall since we were renting 2 vans for the round trip drive.
Another way to educate before a trip is to visit a local club. There wasn’t a Scottish one nearby at the time, but before we went to Germany, my husband and I visited with a local German Club and talked to many people there. That was a blast as it was also right at Octoberfest in September. They even taught us how to Waltz!
During the Trip
I love the idea of a Trip Journal.
You kind of take it for granted at the time, because it can seem tedious to write down what you JUST DID, but it is so valuable later on. You will remember you trip much clearer when you read back over it years later. Your children are the same!
Before you leave, take them to a book store and get a proper journal or over to Walmart and get a small spiral notebook. Let them choose the notebook and also the pen, this will invest them in the project. Or, being the highly creative Homeschoolers you are, you could create and bind your own book!
Regardless, every thing you do on your trip make sure to tuck something inside that journal and have them write about their day. Napkins with a cafe’s name on it, a leaf that was picked up at a castle, or a receipt from a purchase, or even a ticket to a show or museum. All of these will become treasures later on.
Try all kinds of local food with abandon
Whatever culinary delights are available at your destinations, make sure you are trying as many as you can. Even if it wouldn’t be something you would usually eat. Do some research on Hole-In-The-Wall places nearby, street food, and markets. Some of the best meals you will have are the tiny Mom and Pop shops, so seek them out. By all means, please, find a nice restaurant for once or twice on your trip for a bit of luxury. You came all this way, splurge a little. The family will learn so much of the destination by the foods they try.
Museums are your friends
This is of course a no brainer. In many places museums were private homes, palaces, or armories. The buildings themselves are rich for study. We went into an old armory in Copenhagen that now holds the Danish War Museum. You can walk through the cannon section on Google Maps. We always picture Darth Vader walking past with his cape flying.
Round Tower in Copenhagen was originally an Observatory, library and church building. The king wanted to be able to ride his horse to the top instead of walking, so they built the tower with a interior screw like ramp almost all the way up.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral is a catholic cathedral in Vienna Austria that was first mentioned in 1137. The most interesting feature, to me, is the extensive carvings all over the walls and supports, and pulpits. It is believed that Nokolaus Gerhaert, a 15th century sculptor, was the guy in charge of the team of sculptors who created all the carvings. There are a few places around the Cathedral where you can see his self portraits checking out the work. One of them is the main picture of this article, and another I am including at the bottom of the page. It is really a challenge to spot them all in the cathedral.
After the Trip
Take a week or three off from thinking about the trip or what you did in an official school manner and just let it ferment. When you come back around to the trip, pull out the journal and all the bits and bobbles that you collected. Have a family talk over everyone’s favorite food, places, events and even what they didn’t like. Have the kids write reports about the transportation methods you used and how they might change the method of travel. You could cultivate good essay writing skills by having the kids pen a narrative. Or use the trip as a spring board for creating a fictional story.
If you would like to do a Homeschool Study Trip every year, you can use this trip to build onto the next one.
I hope this article has been a help for your Homeschool Study Trip journey!
….No pun intended….
Next up: #3 Finding Deals, Things to Do, Tips on How to Afford It.
P.S. Owners of Airbnbs, Bed and Breakfasts, Inns and historic Hotels love to tell you all about their properties. Don’t hesitate to ask if they have a ghost! You might be surprised at the stories they might tell.
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“Base of stairway to the pulpit in St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna” by mjhbower is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
