(This post shared at All Things Beautiful.)
When we decided to attend the air show last week, I knew that the kids would have a good time and even though it wouldn't be packed full of learning, I figured it was still a good experience. The Blue Angels were incredible and when we returned home we spent a little time learning more about them.
And there were these planes that were part of the Heritage Series, as they represented three different eras flown by this country, since World War II.
But the unexpected learning came when this plane flew over. The announcer had told us that we were about to see the same plane that Japan used to bomb Pearl Harbor. He asked us to be quiet so we could imagine what it was like on that morning when these planes came out of nowhere. In the hush we could hear this one approach. Can you imagine how frightening it was to hear hundreds of them coming in that morning?
And then the unexpected happened. The air show had arranged for dynamite to go off on the field just as the Japanese warplane was dead in front of the audience. The boom and plume of black smoke was not expected, and we suddenly had a small taste of the fear that was experienced in Hawaii on January 7, 1941, seventy years ago.
There are no books or videos that can fix this experience in our minds as this experience did. This was truly a hands-on learning experience and I am positive it was more productive than any classroom learning could have been that day.
When have you had an unexpected learning moment? Link up and share it below.
Here are the writing prompts for this week.
1. Unplanned Hands-On Learning Moment - Have you experienced a situation where your child had a great learning experience and it was completely unplanned? Write about it and share it with us. Reading about these episodes, helps us to remember to watch for learning opportunities.
2. Free Online Education - Have you found a new web address that provides great learning tools? Share it and tell us why you are enjoying it and how you are using it.
3. Teaching Through the Holidays - I find that it can be difficult to stay on task and not let the festivities distract from school. What tips concerning this issue would you offer a new home school family?
