Cryptology 7th Grade

My oldest homeschooler has been loving her online school this year. Right now the kids are working on Cryptology as part of their social studies unit. Part of the project was to make some kind of art of their chosen Cryptid and photograph it in nature as if it was real. With a little help from Dad our Hope Pixie took her baby griffin out into the wild. A bit of photo editing added a touch of texture. Now it is in her online 3D cage that is part of her class Cryptid Zoo. Other students are working on other Cryptids and soon they will one by one pretend to be Cryptologists and introduce their amazing creatures. This will help them develop speech writing skills, show off their research abilities, and grow their public speaking experience. While I don’t love the idea of my children doing projects on mythical things as if they are real I love the imagination and creativity that is going into this project!

 So just what is a Cryptid? “In cryptozoology and sometimes in cryptobotany, a cryptid (from the Greek κρύπτω, krypto, meaning “hide”) is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is not recognized by scientific consensus.^[1] Well known examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas, the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, Sasquatch in North America, and Chupacabra in Latin America.”

 A topic that seems to come up often these days is how common core is effecting homeschool curriculum. I can’t be sure what common core points are being hit in this project, I am sure many. Here are a few I think this project works on:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1a Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1b Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

     While there are things I have read that do not approve of such as adult content in approved common core book(s) I am not all together against it. I like having the parameters and they do help me with lesson planning for my younger children. I would love to see next to my daughters online school lessons just what parts of Common Core are being covered. I know her school is common core aligned and so far I don’t have any real objections!

(image of pretend map for finding a Griffin, FUN!)