A Deep Dive Into the Sea

Middle School is a delightful time to homeschool. The tweens and young teens in our circle are still very playful and active in the woods and at the playground. They love board games, video games, role playing games, and icebreaker games. They are learning how to cook and take care of younger children and are reasonably trustworthy to go off on their own. 

My middle schooler (currently in the sixth-ish grade) is very independent and ready to stretch his wings. I can trust him to take the bus and arrive at his intended destination. If something goes awry, he is comfortable admitting mistakes and asking others for help. I can send him to the grocery store or other little errands. He works hard at the climbing gym, helps to babysit his cousin every week, and loves going on playdates and sleepovers.

As for studies, middle school, in my opinion, should be all about solidifying your basic math skills, developing literacy and critical thinking skills, starting to write more, and exploring all the different ways there are to learn. This exploration is really fun if you can find an interest to deep dive into. For us, it's been marine biology. I can't remember when this interest began to take hold, but we went on a whale watching tour this summer and that's definitely when he started asking to do more things. We also listened to some of Rachel Carson's books, which contain amazing lyrical descriptions of sea life (highly recommend!) and are very soothing for falling to sleep.  For now he is working on a Harbor and Sprout interdisciplinary unit called Oceanography, a marine biology Coursera, an Outschool class that features two sea creatures a week in a live zoom lecture, and an online watercolor class where he is going to learn to paint realistic pictures of whales. He attended a Smithsonian homeschool lecture on marine life (a scientist was showing how they collect samples of coral to study it) and has checked out a lot of encyclopedia-type books from the library. We watch a lot of nature documentaries. There are frequently relevant articles in the National Geographic magazine subscription we receive. Recently there was a lab in his sister's high school biology course that had to do with population fluctuation. Having a partner made sense for this lab, so he stepped up to join her. There was a card game that modeled population changes, questions to answer in writing and a final project in which they designed a presentation for the imaginary city council of a coastal town. We have been to the zoo and the museum, where exhibits expand on his knowledge of the topic in new and interesting ways.

I don't know if he will actually become a marine biologist, or if this interest will fade in time. But for now, it's an excellent hook. Whereas in elementary I would have been satisfied to watch, read, visit museums, and play, the middle school level is a time to try out different ways of learning and to practice demonstrating what you have learned and what you can do. He now knows that he definitely prefers the kind of class where there is a live lecture from a knowledgeable expert. He has also learned that he can make it through a Coursera or Khan Academy course, but that he probably needs to develop some new study or test taking skills to pass the tests. 

Here are a few potential things to do next...

-Read Playground by Richard Powers and discuss with mom and dad

-Investigate summer camp options, like Sea Camp in Galveston that my cousin recommended

-Go whale watching again! We're hoping to visit Nova Scotia again and there are lots of opportunities for marine life viewing there

-Read some poems or classic literature about the sea