WHAT IS AN EXPLORER JOURNAL?

What is an EXPLORER JOURNAL?




Each of my KIDDOS have one of these Binders in our classroom.  We call them Explorer Journals.  

Inside you will find several plastic sheet protectors that we place our activities in with each lesson. 



























Just a reminder, each of our lessons are a two week lesson.  The first week we introduce the lesson, learn the songs that goes with the lesson, teach the memory verse, do a take-home (craft style) project, and play a review game.  


























The second week of the LESSON is when we REVIEW.   This week is important as it gives me opportunity to correct any misunderstandings.  It  also, gives opportunities for the KIDDOS who missed class the first week to "CATCH UP."  

This is also the week that the KIDDOS say their SAY the MEMORY VERSE from MEMORY and we do an ACTIVITY we add to the KIDDO'S EXPLORER JOURNAL.

The EXPLORER JOURNALS stay in the classroom for the duration of our topic. 

By collecting their activities in an EXPLORER JOURNAL it give the KIDDOS a special BOOK to look back through and remind them of all the LESSONS they have learned. 





























If their activity has a moving part, a textured part, etc. I will cut the plastic sleeve so that the KIDDOS can make their activities still do what they did prior to placing them in a plastic sleeve.   






























I enjoy presenting the KIDDOS their EXPLORER JOURNAL at the end of our topic in a special way.  I love to invite the parents to our classroom for a "conference."  During this time we show the parents the KIDDOS EXPLORER JOURNALS and the KIDDOS get to tell their parents all about what they made and what the LESSONS were all about!!  The parents seem to treasure these EXPLORER JOURNALS and those activities did not end up lost, torn up, left behind in the building, or ruined in the floorboard of the car. 























I feel these EXPLORER JOURNALS are a very special addition to our KIDDOS learning and retaining the LESSONS learned.  

BTW, this EXPLORER JOURNAL belongs to one of my KIDDOS.  I LOVE looking back at all the different activities we have done!!  Today, I had a spare moment and had her walk through the entire book with me...she was able to recall EVERY STORY!!! 

Hope you consider making some sort of Journal for saving your KIDDOS handiwork. 


Blessings,

Ronda

Cain and Abel Story Telling ACTIVITY

I wanted to SHARE with you all one more "FUN" activity we did with the KIDDOS, while teaching the story of Cain and Abel.  

I have noticed that whenever the KIDDOS are having to LEARN multiple names and they happen to be the same gender, it gets kinda confusing.

So, we came up with an idea...

We had the KIDDOS pick a VEGETABLE and a SHEEP.  The sheep are puppets (I bought them a few years ago at the Dollar Tree--during the SPRING/EASTER season.) They WORE the SHEEP on one of their hands and held their VEGETABLE in the other hand. 

Then as we told the story they would RAISE up the SHEEP if we said, "ABEL" and RAISE up their VEGETABLE when we said, "CAIN."   It was a great way to get the KIDDOS actively participating in the story.  It also helped with the confusion of:   WHO was a farmer?  WHO was a shepherd?  

This worked out so well and the KIDDOS enjoyed it so much, I thought I would share it with you all.  

Blessings,

Ronda 

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Cain and Abel

We are making progress.....we are learning about Cain and Abel. We are a bit behind, due to weather.  We have NEVER had to cancel services....but, a week ago we were covered in ICE.  It made for extremely dangerous driving conditions.  So, our elders decided it would be best to cancel services.  With that being said, I feel like I am behind....but, really it is all gonna be OK.  

Here is our DO YOU KNOW? Wall...I feel the KIDDOS really "GET" the lesson when they are able to answer these IMPORTANT Questions.  Who? What? When? Where? Where in the Bible? Why? and HOW is this IMPORTANT to ME?

We have a "NEW" card on our GOD'S AWESOME PLAN FOR MAN...timeline. It is CAIN and ABEL. 

Our MEMORY VERSE for this Lesson is Romans 12:1.  We sang it to the tune: "Oh Come All Ye, Faithful."    

I want the KIDDOS to understand that GOD WANTS our BEST...and we MUST GIVE HIM NO LESS!!!!!!

This is the SONG for this lesson.    However, while preparing this lesson, I came up with another song...we will be singing it, too!!  

The NEW song is sung to the tune:  BINGO.

Eve and Adam had a son and CAIN was his name.

He was a farmer. He was a farmer.

He was a farmer, he raised vegetables.

Eve and Adam had a son and ABEL was his name.

He was a shepherd. He was a shepherd.

He was a shepherd, he cared for the sheep.  

The VISUALS for this lesson are very simple. My CAIN and ABEL are Fisher Price Little People. They came from their Dinosaur set...but, as soon as I saw the one with the LEAF and one with an ANIMAL BONE---I thought CAIN and ABEL.    I added some vegetable (they are erasers and came from Dollar Tree) and some home made sheep from a lesson that I had taught a LOOONG time ago. The picture in the background was "self drawn."  I just looked at a drawing and did my best to "mimic" it.  

Their TAKE HOME project is very simple....   They will color the background and add a POP UP Cain and Abel.  

The REVIEW GAME for this Lesson is a "MATCH" game...The KIDDOS will answer a QUESTION to get the OPPORTUNITY to turn over a set of cards....IF they match they will have to tell me if the cards go with CAIN or with ABEL.  

Next Sunday will be our REVIEW day...the KIDDOS will do their EXPLORER JOURNAL Activity.  For this ACTIVITY they will be adding rocks to their ALTARS and then the 3D Vegetables and Sheep.    

The vegetables are from the DOLLHOUSE section of Hobby Lobby.  The sheep are toy plastic sheep.  

I have one other IDEA to share with you....I will take PICTURES and add it to the website this next week.  Keep checking back.  :-)  

Blessings,

Ronda

 

CREATION REVIEW "TUBE"

I am so PLEASED with the KIDDOS progress on MEMORIZING the DAYS of CREATION!! They always IMPRESS me.   I decided to do a LITTLE SOMETHING extra for the KIDDOS.   This is HOW it happened.  I was at our local DOLLAR TREE, just browsing around, when all of a sudden I saw these PILL CONTAINERS.  My excitement was uncontrollable, my adrenalin was flowing and those wheels in my head began spinning!!

You see, as we work to Memorize WHAT GOD MADE and on WHAT DAY GOD MADE....We always talk about the BLESSINGS of each DAY OF CREATION!!  ---I was wanting the KIDDOS to "MAKE" something special as a REVIEW of EACH DAY of CREATION.  Well, those little PILL CONTAINERS are PERFECT!!!  They have 7 (YES 7!!!!!) little individual containers and all screw together to make 1 LARGE container.  

So, I began looking for TINY little items that would fit in the little compartments....I found erasers, stickers, cotton, flowers, etc.  and  I made a few of the items, too.  

 These TRAYS are perfect for holding the items the KIDDOS will be placing in their Pill Container turned DAYS of CREATION REVIEW TUBE.

For DAY ONE... the KIDDOS will place a ROUND LAMINATED DOT in the top compartment.  It is HALF BLACK and HALF YELLOW to represent GOD MADE LIGHT!

FOR DAY 2 the KIDDOS will add a SMALL piece of cotton (CLOUDS) to the BLUE Compartment.  

For DAY 3, I found some small TREE STICKERS, GRASS STICKERS and an artificial flower.    

For DAY FOUR the KIDDOS will get a SMALL sun eraser, a small glittery star and a FOAMY MOON sticker.    

 For DAY FIVE, the KIDDOS will get "BUBBLE" Style stickers...one with a BIRD and one with a FISH.    Because, they are stickers I attached my bird to the TOP of the COMPARTMENT and my fish to the BOTTOM of the COMPARTMENT.  

For DAY SIX the KIDDOS will get to put in two ANIMAL stickers and a SMALL PRINTED (LAMINATED) cutout of ADAM and EVE.  

FOR DAY SEVEN the KIDDOS will get to put a ROUND LAMINATED CUT OUT that has "GOD RESTED" printed on it...

THE KIDDOS will LABEL each COMPARTMENT with the CORRECT DAY of CREATION.   These stickers were made by printing the DAYS on cardstock paper and running them through the sticker maker machine.  

Here are several pics of the little items the KIDDOS will add to their "PILL CONTAINER" turned DAYS of  CREATION REVIEW TUBE.   

I know the KIDDOS will LOVE this activity.  I LOVE the 3D objects that they will get to put in their little containers....I love it when I am wanting to do something "SPECIAL" and something comes together so easily.  I suggest you wander through your local Dollar Tree and ask yourself, "COULD I USE THAT IN BIBLE CLASS?"    If BIBLE CLASS is always on your mind---YOU WILL BE AMAZED at WHAT YOU WILL FIND!!!  

Blessings,

Ronda