Cub Scout Journal

When I mention David's Cub Journal this is what I'm talking about:

Knowing that I wanted to incorporate our Cub stuff with home schooling I decided that David needed a specific journal just for Cub Scouting. I covered a composition notebook with blue paper, then put the Tiger Cub sticker on the front. The scout shop had a set of nifty stickers that included the Tiger, Bear, Wolf, and Bobcat diamonds. They measure about 4"x4" and made the perfect addition to the front of David's book.

David will use his journal to write about his activities, to document his progress, and to complete character connections. Since I have the other stickers as well I will make journals for each year. On the inside front cover I've included a picture of David in uniform from his first pack meeting. On the back cover I'll put a picture of him when he has received his Tiger Cub award. Every year I'll take "before and after" shots of him to inclue in each journal. I think it will be fun to look back at all of his activities and to watch his progress over the years through these journals. I think it will also be a lot of fun someday when he gets his Eagle to have his journals out at his Court of Honor. :)

+ Six

Much to David's joy a member of my home school forum posted that she had tadpoles to give away. They'd been on the cover of her neighbor's pool. He was trying to open is pool for the summer and didn't want to kill the tadpoles. So instead he sought out new homes for the little guys. We came home with six, and I don't think David could be happier.

They are tiny right now, barely an inch long. But already we've noticed that they've gotten bigger in just the day that we've had them.

Of course I got the bright idea that this could take care of some Cub Scout stuff while at the same time giving him some fun school work to do every day. So here's the plan:

Using his own library card,  David will check out several books from the library about tadpoles and frogs. He is part of the summer reading program at the library, so this will fit in perfectly with that program. We'll read the books together, and he'll report to me what he's learned. We'll record all of that in his Cub journal. He'll write a report and short stories about his tadpoles and how he's taking care of them.

Next, I'll teach him about the different features of my camera and how to use it. I have a diagram that David will fill out, and he'll record what he's learned in his journal. We'll discuss how photography helps us and has contributed to our lives and to the world at large. Then he'll teach his dad about what he's learned. Under close supervision he'll take pictures of his tadpoles and chart their growth and development.

When the tadpoles are ready we will release them into the swamp behind the house. At that point the bulk of the project will be finished and we'll start in on a book about his tadpoles. Using his pictures and journal entries we are going to make a scrapbook about our adventures with the tadpoles. It will include a table of contents, index, and glossary, all of the pictures he's taken and the posters he's constructed, and other tidbits of information we collect along the way. David will design a front cover for his book then we'll print it off. Walgreens has a great paperback book option that is rather inexpensive, though if I find a good deal we'll do a hardbound book. David will take the book to a pack meeting read his book and share what he's learned and our experiences with the pack.

Here is what he will earn:

• Tiger Elective 31: Learn about animals.

• Tiger Elective 14 : Together with your adult partner, read a book or magazine.

• Cub Scouts Academics and Sports Program: Pet Care Belt Loop
• Care for your pet for two weeks. Make a list of the tasks that you did to take care of your pet. 
• Read a book... about your pet. List three new interesting facts that you learned about your pet.
• Make a poster about your pet. Share your poster with your den, pack, or family.

• Cub Scouts Academics and Sports Program: Photography Belt Loop
• Point out the major features of a camera to your den or family and explain the function of each part.
• Discuss with your adult partner the benefits and contributions photography makes to modern life.
• Using a camera, take at least 10 pictures of your family, pet, or scenery; show these to your den.

• Cub Scouts Academics and Sports Program: Reading and Writing Belt Loop:
• Visit a library and get your own library card. Check out and return a book.
• Write a letter or a short story. Read it to your den or family.
• Keep a diary of your activities for one week. Read it to your den or family.

• Cub Scouts and Academics and Sports Program: Reading and Writing Pin:
• Requirement 1 - Locate and identify the following parts of a book: title, author, spine, cover, table of contents, and index.
• Requirement 3 - Participate in a school or community organized reading program. : We have David signed up in for the reading program at the library.
• Requirement 5 - Create a bookmark that you can use, or design a book cover.
• Requirement 7 - Write a poem and read it to a family member.
• Requirement 8 - Write a short report about something of interest to you. Read your report to your den or family.

• Cube Scouts Academics and Sports Program: Computer Belt Loop:
• Explain the parts of a personal computer.
• Demonstrate how to start up and shut down a personal computer properly.
• Use your computer to prepare and print a document.

This will also be a great opportunity for us to continue some schooling through the summer. Reading and writing, science, and math will all be included in this big project, and I think it will give him some focus to the school work and make it easier for him to finish.

I'm hoping it works out well!

All around the mulberry bush

A week ago the kids came marching through the front door with deep purple on their faces and all over their clothes. I was certain they'd gotten into some sort of fist fight and clobbered each other. But not really. They'd just discovered the berries on a mulberry tree down the way.

So for the last week any time the kids are hungry and I won't give them a snack they sneak off to this tree behind the house and eat berries until they're satisfied. Stinkers.

 I finally had enough with the stained clothes and mess an told them they weren't allowed to eat anymore or sit around that tree. Then I told them that they could pick the berries and we'd do something special with them.

 Andi has been happily picking away with our garden basket in tow. She forgot her shoes, though...

That's all berry juice. Post bath. Stained into her feet. I guess you only get to be a kid once. She's better than me, I wandered through a chicken coop without shoes until I was a teenager.


SO! FHE tonight. And we're doing something new. And since I'm fairly certain I'll have a few more cub scouts go through the program I'm going to document everything we do here so I can come back and remember how I did it with David.

Jonathan taught the lesson. We pulled out the Family Proclamation and read that, then asked David about what a family is and what the purpose of a family is. We explained that families are supposed to teach us how to be better, responsible people.

I then asked what sort of responsibilities we have in our home, and who takes care of them. I asked David to list all of the things that have to be done in a day and pointed out to him that each of us do something to help the family run smoother. David picks up his toys so Peter doesn't choke and so we don't step on them and break them. I cook dinner so everyone is fed and healthy. Daddy studies hard to provide for our family. Andi helps put away the dishes so we have clean dishes and a place to put the dirty ones. Peter is happy and smiles, so he makes everyone happy. :)

We talked about having a positive attitude as we worked. We want a positive attitude for several reasons, but mostly so that it is easier to do the work and so that we can have a spirit of peace in our home.

After making our list of duties in the home we divided them up amongst ourselves. For a week we're all going to focus on three chores around the house and finish our tasks cheerfully (that's the idea at least). Tomorrow I will do one of David's chores with him, and at the end of the week we'll talk about how we did and how it helped our family.

This takes care of several things:

• Tiger Cub: Achievement 1, Family Activity - Think of one chore you can do with your adult partner. Complete it together.
• Character Connections will be discussed and David will write his thoughts in his cub journal
• Fun for the Family Award: Building a Family Team - M. Job Chart
• Made the chart, discussed having a positive attitude, and we'll refer to our chart this week.
• Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program: Citizenship belt loop
• Made a list of jobs to do around the home, charting progress for the week in his cub journal
• Make a poster showing things that you can do to be a good citizen; included in our chart we discussed how families strengthen us and help us to be good people. We discussed our responsibility to help our community
• Family service project - we're cleaning the church building on Saturday

So that is our project for this week. I'm hoping the positive attitude sticks. ;)