Programming for Kids

Scratch Logo

A few years ago (boy time flies), I wrote that I planned for my kids to start programming lessons at about age 9.  I planned to use the LOGO language, which was designed to be easy to learn for children.

However, as Delta turned 9, it seemed to me that we just had so many things going on, the thought of adding another one just seemed like too much.

But - about a month ago, Mike was on the computer and found an article about how programming really should be taught it school.  It lead him to this site, with a great video - which lead him to a great free programming system .  (There are also some free basic lessons on this site with other programming languages.)

Well, we downloaded Scratch, (the programming system), and showed it to Delta.  And, I have been amazed so far.  I haven't played with this language/system personally - but Delta, Echo, and even Foxtrot have.   Scratch works really well for developing the logical thinking you need to program.  There isn't a lot of typing involved, you drag and drop the commands from lists of commands.

From what I've seen - Delta started off working with some of the built-in programs, making a few modifications.  He then discovered how to record sound effects with the microphone, and how to make things happen based on what keys he presses.

From that, he drew a couple of space ships, could move them on the screen with the keyboard, and press a key and one would blow up!  Ok, not the most sophisticated program, but it is still real programming.

This afternoon, he has been busy creating a 2-player game.  It is fairly simple - you control a mouse/cursor/pen (not sure if he named it - it is a coloured rectangle on the screen...) - and it leaves a pathway behind it.  Each person's mouse and pathway is a different colour.  If your mouse touches the other colour - you lose.  He has worked on it for a while, and has had to do some debugging as well (for a while blue couldn't lose).

Again - it isn't the flashiest game out there - but it is, in my opinion, a great start for a 9 year old.  And the best part?  He is doing this on his own time, because he wants to!

RightStart Math Organization

The question comes up over and over - how do you store all the manipulatives you get with RightStart?   After discussing my method on the RightStart Yahoo Group, I decided that pictures would demonstrate my method much easier than mere words.

Note that I store the math balance and drawing tools/drawing board separately, so I haven't shown them here.  The math balance is on top of our "homeschool shelf", and the drawing board and tools are stored in their bag on a shelf.  I'm hoping to improve the storage of the drawing board and tools.  There is a "mini-math balance" for sale at a few homeschool suppliers that is a lot smaller.  It would probably fit in my box - but we already have the bigger one.

So here are the manipulatives I'm storing.  I think I have everything for the levels, except possibly a couple of things for Level D and E....

Right Start Manipulatives

And I store them in a simple File Box with a handle.  The Box goes at the bottom of our homeschool shelf.  We used to stack the books on top, but the covers were coming off - so I've recently taken a 1/2 size file box and store the books and workbooks in it, in hanging folders.   I like to have all the manipulatives together, as I have 4 children - 3 currently doing math, within 2 different levels.  I just want to be able to grab the box and have whatever I need, instead of trying to figure out beforehand what will be needed.

As you can see above - the file box I have has a pencil case area.  The Calculator goes in here, as well as extra pencils, erasers, a die, and any loose parts found on the floor (a tile here, a tally stick there)....

Inside the box, at the back, I store the Appendixes for A and B (in a folder), and the geoboards.  They don't get used often, but can be grabbed easily.

Next I store the bag of 3d-shapes.  These are hardly ever used (in edition 1), so they got assigned the bottom.

Then all the smaller pieces are in plastic pencil case boxes I got from the dollar store.  

Box 1 has the wooden 1 inch cubes and the plastic Centimeter cubes.

Box 2 is the main one that gets used the most.  It has the Tanigrams, the Tally Sticks, the Base 10 cards (we have 2 sets), and the Place Value Cards.  Each are in their own ziplock bag (mostly the snack size.)

Box 3 is the abacus tiles, so they don't get squished or wrecked.

These boxes get placed beside the shapes, in front of the geoboards.  The one is sideways because my file box isn't large enough for all 3 to go in front of the geoboards.

Now the tiles are placed on top of the shapes.  They don't fit in one of the cases, so they are in a large freezer ziplock.  These get used a LOT, so I keep them easy to grab.

Next go a ziplock with the reflector and geoboard elastics, and the clock.  They just sit on top, and get moved to one side or the other to get at the other things.  The folding meter stick fits in the front of the box

Throw the 2 abacuses on top, and it is ready to close.

Then there are the cards - I keep them separate, so we can choose to play a game easily.  (Note my kids also have smaller homemade abacuses they keep in their own homeschool boxes.  They prefer the "real" ones, but if we play a game, they can use the homemade ones.)

For this, we use a little box that we have owned for probably about 15 years - it looks like a little briefcase.  I have each deck type in a ziplock bag, and the multiplication cards in the envelopes.  It is a bit of a tight fit, but it works.   I've been tempted to buy card holders for each deck - the dollar store has some for card collections - but I figure the chances of them fitting the cards nicely, and the boxes fitting in my holder.... well, lets just say I haven't bothered to spend the $1 each....

And this is the main items stacked up - not including the books.  I use a little white board, and it stays outside the math box as we use it for other subjects.

I hope this helps!

Week so far

Hey everyone - just wanted to mention that I'm feeling a bit better since the other day.  The week is almost over, and tomorrow is our light day (just a few light subjects, and then timelines, picture study etc.)

Monday - well, I guess the April fool was on me, as I came down with a bad cough and cold that has kept me fairly miserable all week. I am hoarse, and overall sound and feel awful.   Delta was also not feeling well and didn't do school or swim lessons.    Echo worked on math practice sheets, spelling, and a reading or two.

Tuesday - I'm still sick - but Delta seems to be better.  We started with Reading Bears Fast-Track - which I've heard has done well with many kids to improve reading.  The rest of the day went about like normal.  Delta moved into the next step of All About Spelling 1.  I think Tuesday is also when Foxtrot finished Level A of RightStart Math  (or now that I think of it, that might have been last week....)

Wednesday - Yup, I'm still sick.  But as I've been asked to be a Cub leader again, I needed to go to the police station to order a Criminal Record Check to give to Scouts Canada.... so I declare a field trip.  We take the bus downtown, go to the police station, and take the bus back.  That counts, doesn't it?

Thursday - today. - Ok, I'm tired of being sick.  We did fairly full day, although we didn't do foreign language at all (or at all this week), and I didn't do copywork either.   I'm almost at a loss about what to do about copywork right now.  Delta avoids it if at all possible.  He does like it more if it is from his school work (quotes from Burgess Animal Book or Robin Hood) - but it does get tiring looking for quotes for him.   And Echo is making most of her letters wrong again, and I just haven't had the heart to get ready to start from scratch - which it looks like we will need to do....    I almost wish I could buy some copywork books for them  (maybe the Getty Dubay series....).

Sometimes Wonder

I don't know if it is just my personality, or perhaps it is just a hazard of homeschooling - but it seems like I question myself a LOT about what we are doing.   And sometimes I feel sorry for Delta, otherwise known as "Guinea Pig"....  because he of course is the main person to try out everything....

I love Charlotte Mason homeschooling.  I admit that I like the ideal, and our homeschool doesn't often look like the idea.   But I'm starting to wonder a little on a couple of things.....

Delta is struggling with a few things.  I strongly suspect he has dyslexia, but am finding roadblocks everywhere to getting him tested, and even bigger roadblocks for finding things to help.  So, of course, I am doing what research I can on my own.  And of course, there is conflicting information out there, which doesn't help.

So I question my methods - because that is what I do....   I taught him to read with phonics - moving then into readers - the Dick and Jane readers, the Treadwell readers - then into just doing various readings....  last with us buddy reading Harry Potter together.... and this last year I have just done some letting-alone while he did his work with audiobooks.   And really, it seemed like he got to so-far, and then just stalled.  He isn't reading well enough to do his school work if there isn't an audiobook.  So here is what I wonder.  Would he be reading better if we had done true CM style reading lessons (very basic phonics, word families, and then learning whole words that MEAN something...?)  Or would that have made things worse.  Or maybe that is close to what happened anyway.  (He certainly has forgotten the phonics he learned....)    OR, maybe I should have done a more complete phonics program... which is what tends to be recommended for dyslexics....

Which brings me to the other things.  CM doesn't have spelling until about Year 4 - when the child is about 9 or 10.  Well, I guess you are supposed to be kind of doing spelling through the word-building - and also through the child doing copywork by learning to write the copywork 1 word at a time instead of 1 letter at a time.  I tried to get Delta doing copywork 1 word at a time - but that seemed beyond me.  Was that because we did the reading a non-CM way?  or do the CM methods just not work for a child with dyslexic tendancies?   I had to adjust - we have added in All About Spelling Level 1 to our work, and I think it is helping Delta.  Echo is also doing AAS.  But I wonder - should we have been doing this all along?  I also wonder if it will help his spelling when he is actually trying to write.... some programs seem to get good results while the child is doing the program, but then they constantly misspell words they should be able to spell while writing.

About a year ago - Delta asked me to teach him to write.  I showed him that copywork is supposed to be helping with that, and that he would learn to write his narrations down when he was older - but I don't think that was what he wanted, exactly.  I have dispared at knowing how to help....  and on the CM forums the information I am told is to keep working at Oral narrations, and then eventually move to doing 1 narration a week.  But I have felt that, for Delta at least, he would need something more.... something to teach him HOW.   I have recently found "Writing with Ease" which I hope to be the key for us....  It will teach him how to move from Oral narrations to Written in a more step-by-step process.  Yes, the narrations used in Writing with Ease are more like oral answers to questions (and I won't call them narrations) - but I think it will help.  But kids doing the "Well Trained Mind" classical style of education start this around grade 1 or 2....

And - CM doesn't do grammar until about Year 4 or so either.... again when the child is about 9 or 10.  My kids know nothing about grammar because I haven't taught them any.  And I worry - is this going to end up being a problem too?  It has seemed like everything that CM says to wait until they are older, has ended up being a major problem with us having to start from scratch instead of it being more natural.   Is this because of Delta's blend of strengths and weaknesses, or is it a flaw in the method?

I know that often looking back like this isn't helpful.... except I have 3 more children that I have to concern myself with....  If this is a flaw in the method - then I don't want to repeat it and have the same problems.   It leaves me to wonder if I am doing the right things or not....

Yet, I have to say that I still love the CM method.  Delta can discuss things like Richard the Lion Heart, the Crusades, and various English kings.  He knows a lot about a lot of things.  He is enjoying books he can't read on his own - like Pilgrim's Progress, Tales from Shakespeare, and Robin Hood.  He enjoys learning about great Art and Music.

And I am faced with trying to figure out how to help him out (with apparently no help for me), with our limited budget.   I am looking at "Dancing Bears" for reading..... It is a phonics program that is simple for a parent, takes 10 minutes a day, and uses a "cursor" to help promote proper eye tracking and to stop guessing.  And, more important, I have heard good things about it from someone on one of my forums that has been using it.  They also have a "fast track" version for the older child.   I just wish I knew if it would help.

Canadian Year 2 - A few Changes

The only change from my previous version is adding in a few chapters from Great Canadian Lives, to match my Year 3 changes.  (If you are already partway through the previous Year 2 - just do the first few stories read from Great Canadian Lives at a rate of 1 or 2 a week until the first section (Mists of Time) is done).

Most of the year will be based on AO's Year 2

Booklist Change Summary:

• Remove - This Country of Ours.  (Used the D'Aulaire biographies where there is an option.  TCOO is not used at all)
• Add - Great Canadian Lives
• Add - Canadian Minutes from Historica (these are the "Canadian Minute" ads from TV - we watch them online)
• Add - The Fishing Summer (authors last name is Jam)
• Add - The Fabulous Song (authors last name is Gillmor)
• Add - Owls in the Family (Fawley Mowatt)
• Optional in Free Reads - Abraham Lincoln & Brighty of the Grand Canyon 
• Note - we also don't do Trial and Triumph
• (Add - Young Folk's History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by Nephi Anderson) 

Note - I generally tried not to add something without removing something, so as not to overburden the year. For History, that was generally easy, as we were not doing Trial and Triumph, and also removed the US History.   For Literature, I made 2 books optional in the Free Reads - and 2 of the Canadian additions are fairly "light"   I also looked at the number of readings each week, as well as chronology of the history, to determine where to add in the Canadian content.

Weekly Changes 
(I haven't noted the readings by week that you don't read from the AO schedule for the books that were removed.)

GCL= Great Canadian Lives

Week 1

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 1
• GCL - The Mists of Time (summary)
• The Fishing Summer (entire book)

Week 2

• GCL - Hoei Shin

Week 3

• GCL - Brendan the Bold

Week 4

• GCL - An Igloolik Family
• Canadian Minute - Inukshuk

Week 5

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 2
• GCL - Leif Ericsson
• Canadian Minute - Vikings

Week 7

• GCL - Gudrid

Week 9

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 3

Week 10

• The Fabulous Song (entire book)

Week 13

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 4

Week 17

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 5

Week 21

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 6

Week 23

• GCL - Dekanawida
• Canadian Minute - Peacemaker

Week 25

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 7

Week 27

• Owls in the Family Chapter 1

Week 28

• Owls in the Family Chapter 2

Week 29

• Owls in the Family Chapter 3
• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 8

Week 30

• Owls in the Family Chapter 4

Week 31

• Owls in the Family Chapter 5
• Owls in the Family Chapter 6

Week 32 

• Owls in the Family Chapter 7

Week 33 

• Owls in the Family Chapter 8
• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 9

Week 34

• Owls in the Family Chapter 9

Week 35

• Owls in the Family Chapter 10

Week 36

• GCL - Robert Thorne the Elder
• Owls in the Family Chapter 11

Canadian Year 3 - a few changes

I am afraid that I'm tweaking our planned Year 3 again....  I did warn you that I wasn't sure the last version was quite final.  I have found that finding Canadian History resources that feel just right has been difficult, and I'm still not 100% sure I'm there yet....     I just thought that my previous plan just didn't have enough Canadian content.   So, I've done some work, and this is where I'm at.  There will be a minor change to Year 2 - but I had always felt there should be a bit of Canadian History in Year 2 anyway.

Most of the year will be based on AO's Year 3

Booklist Change Summary:

• Remove - This Country of Ours. 
• Add - Story of Canada - by E. L. Marsh
• Add - Great Canadian Lives
• Add - Canadian Minutes from Historica (these are the "Canadian Minute" ads from TV - we watch them online)
• Remove - American Folk Tales
• Add - The Spirit of Canada [or other appropriate Canadian Folk Tales]
• Add - The Secret World of Og - Pierre Burton -> added as a Free Read
• Remove - Squanto
• Add - Madeleine Takes Command
• We don't do Trial and Triumph
• (Add - Young Folk's History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by Nephi Anderson) 

Note - I generally tried not to add something without removing something, so as not to overburden the year. For History.

Weekly Changes 
(I haven't noted the readings by week that you don't read from the AO schedule for the books that were removed.)

GCL = Great Canadian Lives

Week 1

• GCL - Across the High Seas (summary page)
• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 10

Week 2

• Story of Canada 1.1 - Finding the New World - Cristopher Columbus
• Spirit of Canada - Ti-Jean Brings Home the Moon

Week 3

• GCL - John Cabot
• Canadian Minute - John Cabot

Week 4

• Story of Canada 1.2 - Finding the New World - John Cabot
• Young Folk's History - Chapter 11
• Spirit of Canada - Paul Bunyan Digs the St. Lawrence River

Week 5

• GCL - Gaspar Corte-Real
• GCL - Giovanni da Verrazano

Week 6

• GCL - Jacques Cartier
• Canadian Minute - Jacques Cartier

Week 7

• Story of Canada 2.1 - The First Explorer in Canada - Jacques Cartier
• GCL - Donnacona

Week 8

• Story of Canada 2.2 - The First Explorer in Canada - The Mound-Builders and the Indians
• GCL - Marguerite de Roberval
• Young Folk's History - Chapter 12
• Spirit of Canada - Johnny Chinook

Week 9

• GCL - The Sea Dogs (summary)
• GCL - Sir Humphrey Gilbert

Week 10

• GCL - Sir Martin Frobisher
• GCL - John Davis

Week 11

• GCL - Henry Hudson
• GCL - Peter Easton

Week 12

• GCL - Port Royal
• GCL - Pierre du Monts

Week 13

• GCL - Jean de Poutrincourt
• GCL - Matthieu da Costa
• Spirit of Canada - A Fish Story

Week 14

• GCL - Membertou
• GCL - Marc Lescarbot
• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 13

Week 15

• GCL - Where the River Narrows (summary)
• GCL - Samuel de Champlain

Week 16

• Story of Canada 3.1 - Colonizers and Missionaries - The Father of New France
• GCL - Helene Boulle
• Spirit of Canada - Windigo Spirit

Week 17

• GCL - Louis and Marie Hebert
• GCL - Etienne Brule
• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 14

Week 18

• GCL - Jean Nicollet
• Canadian Minute - Jean Nicollet

Week 19

• GCL - Faith and Furs (summary)
• GCL - Jean de Brebeuf

Week 20

• Story of Canada 3.2 - Colonizers and Missionaries - Breboeuf and His Helpers
• GCL - Paul de Maisonneuve
• Spirit of Canada - The Giant Bear

Week 21

• GCL - Jeanne Mance
• GCL - Annaotaha
• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 15

Week 22

• GCL - Garakontie
• GCL - Marie de la Peltrie

Week 23

• GCL - Early Acadia
• GCL - Acadian Pioneers

Week 24

• GCL - Charles de la Tour
• GCL - Marie de la Tour

Week 25

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 16
• GCL - Nicolas Denys
• Story of Canada 4.1 - The Young Colony - The Heroes of the Long Sault
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 1
• Spirit of Canada - Big Joe Mufferaw

Week 26

• GCL - For God and King (summary)
• GCL - Marguerite Bourgeoys
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 2
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 3

Week 27

• GCL - Jean Talon
• GCL - Francois de Laval
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 4
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 5

Week 28

• Story of Canada 4.2 - The Young Colony - Laval and Talon
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 6

Week 29

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 17
• GCL - Habitants of New France
• GCL - Pierre Radisson
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 7
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 8

Week 30

• GCL - The Days of Frontenac (summary)
• Canada Minute - Governor Frontenac
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 9
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 10
• Spirit of Canada - The Cremation of Sam McGee

Week 31

• GCL - Madeleine d'Allonne
• GCL - Count Frontenac
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 11

Week 32 

• GCL - Robert de La Salle
• Story of Canada 4.3 - The Young Colony - La Salle
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 12
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 13

Week 33 

• Young Folk's History... - Chapter 18
• Story of Canada 5.1 - Frontenac and His Times - Frontenac
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 14

Week 34

• GCL - Madeleine de Vercherres
• Story of Canada 5.2 - Frontenac and His Times - The Story of Castle Dangerous
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 15
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 16

Week 35

• GCL - Kateri Tekwitha
• Canada Minute - Syrup
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 17
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 18

Week 36

• GCL - Henry Kelsey
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 19
• Madeleine takes Command - Chapter 20

Scouting in our Homeschool

Ok, I will admit to getting this topic from another blog.  But, it is one that is important to me, and I think it is worth talking about.  Warning - this is my longest post ever!

I guess I will start with a bit of background in my own scouting experience.  If you aren't interested, skip ahead a few paragraphs!

Me! - The red badge is for the Queen's Jubilee

When I was a child, way back in the 1970's, (Yes, way back then) - girls in Canada were in Girl Guides, and boys were in Boy Scouts.  In our School, Brownies and Cubs met at the school right after school.  So many kids were involved (I think pretty much all of us), that there were 2 packs for each.  So Brownies was Monday or Tuesday; Cubs was Wednesday or Thursday.  On the day of your meeting, you wore your uniform to school - so about 1/4 of the kids in your class were in uniform on almost any day.  (Guides and Scouts met nearby - I think at the nearby Catholic school - so they were in uniform too!)

My Brownie Handbook

Ok, I admit it - I was a rotten Brownie.  But, I have an excuse - my parents were separated and involved in a custody battle over me.  This was almost unheard of at that time.  So much of the Brownie Program back then was worked on at home, and there just wasn't the support at that time for me.  For a while, I wasn't even sure how people got all those pretty badges.... each week the badge pillow was at the meeting with badges other Brownies had earned... and I remember hoping there would be one for me.  Later I learned that you needed to call a badge examiner (yes, this is the old days!) to get tested for a badge.  In any case, I sent to 2 different Brownie Packs over 2 years (I moved) - and never earned a single badge.  I didn't go for the 3rd year, and never tried Guides.

Fast forward until I'm an adult - and my Brother becomes a Blazer Scout Leader, and his wife becomes a Cub Leader.  I'm pretty interested in all they are doing, and start reading the "Leader" magazine they they got.  I still wait a few years, but decide to become a leader - but have trouble deciding between Guiding and Scouting.  With more thought (and influenced, I'm sure, by my Brownie Experience) - I become a Scout Leader.  I also am "thrown to the wolves", as I'm the Scouter in Charge of a Scout Group that is struggling to   keep going.  After a couple of years, I also join Rovers as a "Youth Member".

Scout Handbook when I was a leader

Fast forward a couple more years, and some politics happen with my scout group - and I look for other opportunities.  I have 6 different groups wanting me for a leader, but I'm a little soured on it because of the politics - so I become an assistant Brownie leader for my Rover Advisor (who is also a Brownie Leader).  After a couple of years, I add in being a Guide Leader near my house.  I step aside as a Brownie leader after another year or so - and look towards being a Pathfinder Leader as well as a Guide Leader

One of the Guide Handbooks when I was a Guider

Soon I was moving, and having trouble fitting into the Guiding community in my new city - so I'm back to Scouting....  first as a Scout Leader - then a Cub Leader.    By then, I'm married to a wonderful man who also had over 20 years of Scouting experience (which I won't go into.)

Mike - playing a game with the Cubs

Still Reading????

So now, as you know, Delta is 9, Echo is 7, Foxtrot is 4, and Golf is 2.   Beavers in Canada are for ages 5-7, Cubs are 8-10, Scouts are 11-14, Venturers are 14-17, and Rovers are 18-26.    When Delta was 5, we honestly weren't to thrilled with the Beaver program, so we went to a different organization instead.  However, there was no doubt that we would be doing Scouting.  (Guiding has changed a lot since I was a leader there, so our girls will do Scouting too!)




Once he turned 8, he started cubs.   Our Cub pack has a Beaver Colony that meets at the same time - and our first year I had to take all the kids with me, so Echo started Beavers.   So far, it has worked quite well.

New Uniform!

So - Scouting and Homeschool.  Finally, I'm getting to the point.

The Scouting program in Canada has a lot that works well with Homeschooling.... and I'm sure it does in other countries too.  Right now, of course, my kids are in Cubs - so that is where the emphasis is.  If we are doing well with our regular subjects, I have NO PROBLEM taking the occasional day to let Delta work primarily on Badge Work.  And he occasionally will chose to work on badgework on his own.  I don't generally assign badgework or anything - but follow his interests and desires.   Today, for instance, we went over some of the items for First Aid badge - which works well as a subject for "Health"...

Here is the Canadian Cub Badges - with a few notes on how this can relate to school....


Black Star Area (The Natural World).  Great for any CM Homeschooler, as Nature Study fits right in there!

• Black Star  -  (kind of a taste of various nature topics)
• Astronomer  - great nature study!
• Gardener - nature study / science (botony)
• Naturalist - more nature study - knowing about animals/plants
• Observer - more nature study - mostly ID'ing different things in nature
• Recycling - great for chores... lol
• World Conservation (old) Environment Award (new)  - learning about habitats, pollution, endangered species, etc.
• Climate Change (new) 
• Canadian Wilderness Award - having done a lot of things in Nature

In the Conservatory - Black Star

A Nature Hike - there is nature all over!

Animal Tracks.  (In our Yard!) - Naturalist

 Green Star Area (The Outdoors).  - more of a Scouting Skills area - but great for things to do outside!  

• Green Star  -  (kind of a taste of various outdoor skills)
• Camping - life/survival skills
• Cooking - Life Skills here!
• Fishing - good hobby and survival skills
• Hiking - fits in good with nature study again.... nature hikes!
• Trailcraft - what to do if lost!
• Watercraft
• Winter Cubbing  - important in Canada 
• Canadian Camper Award - quite skilled in Camping
• Canadian Heritage Trails Award - Know a lot about Hiking 

Cooking Badge

Klondike Derby (outdoor skills competition)
- Winter Cubbing, Green Star, and many others

Quinzee - A Snow Shelter - Winter Cubbing

Tawny Star Area (Creative Expression).  - here are some of those Fine Art moments in a CM education

• Tawny Star  -  (kind of a taste of various creative activities)
• Artist - Requirements work well with Nature Notebooks and Drawing forms of Narration
• Carpenter - great handicraft / life skills!
• Collector - great opportunity to learn here with stamps/coins/or whatever.  Or nature collections (leaves, rocks).  
• Computer - great skills for school!
• Entertainer - singing, folk dancing, recitation, playing an instrument - lots of great options here!
• Handicraft - obviously has great options for handicrafts for school
• Musician - also obvious
• Photographer - lots to learn about here - great for nature notebooks or other notebooking!
• Reader - there is lots of reading in homeschool - and knowing how to use a dictionary, atlas, encyclopedia, the parts of a book, taking care of a book, etc - fits right in!
• Canadian Arts Award - Knowing a lot about the Arts

Handicraft - making Wooden Models

Morse Code - Tawny Star

Kub Kar Races -
Designing and building a wood car!
- Handicraft

Red Star Area (Health and Fitness) - Having problems deciding on Health topics and PhysEd for homeschool?  Lots of ideas here!

• Red Star  -  (kind of a taste of various health/fitness activities - mostly the Health stuff is here)
• Athlete - Knowing basics on how to exercise, and demonstrate best in various activities - PhysEd!
• Cyclist - How to safely ride a bike - more PhysEd
• Skater - PhysEd
• Skier - PhysEd
• Snowboarder - PhysEd
• Swimmer - PhysEd
• Team Player - PhysEd
• Canadian Healthy Living Award - Doing quite a bit in Fitness/Health

The Effects of Smoking  - Red Star

Make an Obstacle Course - Red Star

Stretches - Athlete

Blue Star Area (Home and Community) - here is a lot of Life Skills and "Social Studies"...

• Blue Star  -  (taster)
• Disability Awareness - What is out there to help a disabled person?  (ASL works here too)
• Family Helper - Every Mom's Favourite Badge!!!!   Chore/Life skills
• Family Safety - things any child should know - Health topic!
• First Aid - things EVERYONE should know - Health topic!
• Guide - Reading maps and giving directions.  Geography skills!
• Home Repair - more great Life Skills!
• Law Awareness - social studies...
• Pet Care - "Something to Love"....
• Emergency Preparedness Award - are you prepared for an emergency for 72 hours??
• Canadian Family Care Award - skilled in Family Care skills

Sewing on a Badge - Family Helper

Vacuuming! - Family Helper

Purple Star Area (Canada and the World) - Social Studies topics!

• Purple Star  -  (taster)
• Aboriginal Awareness - some history, some social studies...
• Canadian Heritage - more history, and Canadian geography too
• International Trade - what is produce in Canada and exported?  What do we buy that has been imported?  Geography topics...
• Space Exploration - Lots of fun, with drawing, models, or scrapbooking! 
• World Religions - Social Studies...
• World Cubbing - Learning about another Country!
• Language Strip - Foreign Language study!
• Religion in Life - (requirements vary depending on your religion...)
• World Citizen Award - Current Affairs topics, the UN, and other things learned in this area...

Space Exploration - model of a space craft Delta designed

Meeting an Astronaut! - Space Exploration

And there are 2 "specialty" badges (1 for the pack, 1 for the cub) - so, once approved, you can earn a badge for work in an area not covered above.

Can't you just see a lot of possible school topics here?

Delta earned all 6 Stars!  On to the Awards!

I haven't discussed Beavers as much, as they don't have badges or a specific program.  However, in the meetings, Echo has done things like make bottle rockets, learn about simple machines, make butter, and done many other exciting things.