As I mentioned in the last post, we have decided to change up our homeschooling experience and going to continue with the idea of World Geography, but using literature to do it. We’ll also be focusing on “girl” books – either role models or lead female characters.  This all comes from my girls’ request that we study more “girl stories.”

From what I can tell online, there doesn’t seem to be any “female-focused” homeschool curriculum – except for the “homemaking” lessons. At best, I found a few “Women’s History Month” programs.

I feel like I need to put my own personal caveat in here. Please note this is MY personal feelings and beliefs. I am a “to each their own and to what God has called them to” kinda a gal. I have loved the opportunity to be home with my gals like I have. I also love the career that I now have, especially since it allows me to work from home and successfully build a fulfilling career. I do realize that not all women feel they are called to stay at home. I respect that God has called us all to different things. At the same time, it is evident that there is still a discrepancy for women – there are not enough of us in leadership, in the sciences, in technology sectors. I believe we all have to work to our strengths exactly where God has planted each of us to better our world and create more balance and opportunities for all. Finally, as a homeschooling mama of two girls, I feel it is my duty to prepare them as best as possible for whatever it is God might call each of them to, whatever that might be!

So after a deep long search, here are some of the best resources I’ve been able to find to support our “Homeschool Girl Power” plan! My focus has been to find good female biographies of strong female role models (taking care to evaluate them compared to our beliefs – no promoting trashy popstars just because they are girls), and also great “living books” and classic books with leading female characters.

(This year, we’ll be using the concept of studying world geography to organize our studies. So, we’ll be reading stories of females from around the world!)

A Mighty Girl  – MY FAVORITE RESOURCE!
American Heritage Girls
Secret Keeper Girl
Girls of American History
Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls
Time for Kids: World History Month
National Museum of Women in the Arts
National Women’s History Museum
Girl Museum
SheHeroes
SciGirls

I’m sure there are more, please feel free to share!

As you read in the previous post, homeschool this year really hasn’t been clicking for us.

In November, my oldest kept asking, “Where are all the girls? Why are we only reading about boy missionaries? Can’t girls be missionaries? Why are all these stories about boys?”

Wow.

I really had not noticed, but it was true. Sure, there was an occasional female in a story, but the examples in the books were primarily of boys. The missionary stories (the early ones – female stories come later in the year) were of males. And here is my 8-year-old just BEGGING for female stories, and female role models!

And no, I’m not trying to be all feminist crazy here, but isn’t my oldest right? Where are all the girl stories?

And so, I went in search of a female-focused homeschool curriculum. Not just a “Women’s History Month” or a random biography here or there, but a FULL curriculum that revolves around women’s stories and places through history.

And guess what? It really doesn’t seem to exist! (Please, if you know differently, let me know!!!)

Which of course, started me freaking out. I simply don’t have time to create the wheel from scratch! And yet, how could I do this without doing it all myself??? And what about the “world geography” focus we were supposed to be learning???

Thank you God for Facebook! I was able to get some great tips and other homeschooling mama’s calm me down. And this is when I started looking at the idea of notebooking and unit studies.

Notebooking Resources
Notebooking
How We Homeschool – Notebooking by Heidi St. John
Lapbooking Made Simple
Notebooking Fairy
Fifty Things to Put in a Notebook
Master Lapbooking List
Delight Directed Learning
Homeschool Share
Unit Study Database
EasyFunSchool Unit Study Index
Free Homeschool Unit Stories

So, after doing hours and hours of online searching I think we’ve come up with a plan. We are going to continue with the idea of World Geography, but using literature to do it. We’ll also be focusing on “girl” books – either role models or lead female characters.

Here are our first experience with this – reading Pippi Longstocking and studying Sweden! Next up, we are working our way through Heidi and learning more about Switzerland!

For science, I found this fabulous deal on Educents for The Human Body Detectives, and along with some great books that I have been collecting through thrifts stores and general book hoarding, I think we’ll really be able to do some great study work on the human body. I’m still working on ideas to really learn nutrition, etc correctly (not just the dumb food pyramid we grew up with), but I think the human anatomy stuff will last us quite a while.

Stay Tuned for for the final portion of this series, Part 4 of Mid-Year Change of Plans!