Afternoon Occupations
By the Alveary Team
Are you enjoying produce fresh from the garden this year, whether it is your own plot or from the local farmer’s market? Perhaps you’ve even been trying new recipes to use the frequent overabundance of zucchini! Among the many wonderful benefits of gardening are the wide variety of options for getting started and the many opportunities for children to get close to nature. Whether you begin with a few pots on a patio or balcony, a small raised bed, or a large plot, there is a continuous parade of life for children to observe - including insects we’d rather not see on our plants!
Gardening is one of the occupations the Alveary encourages, suggesting books in our book list for both beginning and advanced gardeners. If you would like to begin gardening as an occupation next spring, this may be a good time to buy a few basic tools (they are often on sale this time of year) and to begin exploring what kind of garden your family would enjoy. For beginning gardeners, we recommend Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children by Sharon Lovejoy. You will find suggestions for a variety of gardens from a wheel-shaped Pizza Patch to a Moon Garden of night-blooming flowers, along with easy tips for getting started and projects to use what you grow. You might even find new uses for all that zucchini!
Not interested in gardening? That’s ok! Head to the book list and under the “Subjects” filter select “Suggested Resources” to find a collection of Afternoon Occupation resources to explore. There are books on cooking, educational puzzles, books on coding, and more. Be sure to check it out for great ideas to spark your students’ interests. Let us know what your students have been exploring lately in the comments!
SPOTLIGHT: A quick reminder for those using Syllabird: Please be sure to check the Description and Course Introduction page for all of the introductory/front matter included with the lesson plans. Also, any Teacher Notes that appear on the right side of the printed lesson plans can be found in Syllabird under the Teacher Notes tab, located next to the comment/submission button. This tab will only appear when there is a Teacher Note for that particular lesson.
NOTES:
- In the Company of Ideas: The new book list is linked in the Reflective Practice Plan Book. As you plan for your students’ growth this year, don’t forget to make space for your own. Choose something from this list, or even from the high school book list, and keep growing alongside your students.
- Wildlife Habitat Project: Join our initiative to blend nature study, community, and real-world science. From porch pots to backyard gardens, every square foot counts. Sign up here → Search “Alveary Wildlife Habitat”
- YouTube: “Do Mason’s ideas work for high school?” See responses to this question by Kerri Forney and Kathryn Avery (mother-daughter duo) in this video.
- Planning Tool: If you are experiencing issues with the planning tool please let us know through this form. We apologize for the inconvenience this is causing if you have been affected!
- Home Science Tools: Home Science Tools has made the MicroChem kit available for separate purchase. They’ll also be updating the kit page with links to individual chemicals. You can find the MicroChem kit here.
Have a wonderful weekend!
