Gator or Croc? Homeschool Learning in the Everyday
One of the joys of traveling on the Great Loop as a family is the ability to take advantage of learning opportunities in ordinary situations. We often practice math when calculating time or distance or trying to time our arrival in a waterway with the tide. We also learn about the local ecosystem and history from park signs. Journaling about our time in a national park at a recent stop gives us practice with writing skills.
One of our recent impromptu homeschool lessons was learning how to research and identify this modern dinosaur:
The local “modern dinosaur” that hangs out in the marina we’ve been staying at in Southport, NC.
The picture above is the first alligator (or a crocodile?) we've encountered on our Loop, now that we're almost too far north to see them. He's been hanging out at the marina where we've stayed while Chris travels for business.
We were excited to spot this guy, get some pictures, and then heavily debate whether he was an alligator or a crocodile.
The kids had the assignment: research alligators and crocodiles on the internet and write out five supporting facts for why they think it is one or the other.
Both kids (ages 9 and 11) did great with the assignment. They practiced reading and researching from credible sources, typing and using search engines, finding supporting facts, learning about regions that animals live in, finding ways to identify through snout shapes and colors, and more. The opportunities to learn, grow, and be challenged in healthy ways while Looping are endless!
Despite their sleuthing, there's still a disagreement about what this guy is.
What do you think? Comment below!
