Robin Hood, King John and the Magna Carta - Another Great Co-op!

Our co-op this month was based mainly on the Magna Carta and King John with a little of Robin Hood thrown in!

First I had our students shout out what they knew about Robin Hood and King John. Then I gave them the sheet of paper below to work on. They got into groups and discussed, looked up verses and determined as a group if they felt that Robin Hood was justified in stealing. We had some amazing points come forward from these students, and they really thought about this dillemma - what a great group of kids they are!!

 

We then moved on to the Magna Carta. I chopped it up and each of the children read about points from the Magna Carta. 

I then highlighted areas that were important to us today. I asked some “what if” questions as well, just getting our students thinking what would have happened if the Magna Carta was never signed.

I then had the kids number off and play the King John Decision Game.

It was so great to hear the discussion from the groups as they were challenged to make the most “kingly” decisions that would further their Kingdom. After we went through the decisions that they made and whether they would lose crowns or not for them. They started with 10 crowns and the team with the most crowns in the end “won”. I used this graphic for the crowns.

I love hearing the discussion amongst these students. They didn't just answer anything, they engaged in the process. They thought critically about the implications of their decisions.

After lunch we had another amazing drama written by our drama mom. This one was during the time of the Black Plague. 

They did a run through and then performed for us once again! These plays are history lessons in themselves!! 

After drama time it was off to the gym for European Handball. We didn’t know about this game so we watched this you tube video and this one sent by our PE dad. 

We are so blessed to have this kind of variety in our Co-op. It is a long day from 10 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon, but all the kids seem to leave with smiles on their faces. 

Such a blessing!!

Natalie

Trello - Time to get Organized

I have a new Techie Tool for you today that is amazing!! This is so awesome that very quickly I have managed to set up 5 boards and have them working for me already. 

Trello is a visual To-do list that is flexible and has many features that are perfect for keeping track of assignments, weekly schedules or even a year’s worth of learning outcomes.

There is an ability within Trello to add checklists, attach files or photos, make comments, invite others to join in your board and so much more. This is a wonderful way to organize your year. You have the option to add dates or assign “cards” or leave them open for you to complete as needed. 

First, you set up a board, then start adding cards. You can move the cards around by dragging them and dropping them where you would like them. 

On the back of the card you can include checklists, or comments. You can attach files or photos to the cards. 

This is an amazing program!! I am so glad that I came across it! It is helping me in my next year’s planning already!!

Blessings, Natalie