Dinosaur project by Sam, age 4
“Go to the doctor for a checkup. Upon leaving, tell the receptionist that you'd really prefer a dinosaur sticker to the cartoon character she is offering you. Receive a handful of dinosaur stickers from her … Immediately flip through the stack of stickers and discover one that you don’t know (called Herrerasaurus). Clap your hands in delight and drop all the stickers on the floor. Put Herrerasaurus on your shirt and struggle with the pronunciation by reading it upside down all the way home. (There are just so many ‘R’s’ in that word.)
Upon arriving home, demand to use the iPad to look up Herrerasaurus. Work through naptime and into dinnertime reading about this creature. Pull out the globe to find out where South America (specifically Argentina) is so you can draw a map of it. Draw a map of Argentina in your notebook and put a picture of Herrerasaurus next to it…then add two other dinosaur species that you know came from Argentina.
Move all your stuff from the living room floor to the laundry room because your little sisters are ‘distracting’ you. Jot down as many facts about the species as you can find in the margins of the picture. Pull your dad away from his dinner to show him your maps and facts.
Begin making plans to make a big map of Argentina with all its dinosaurs on it, ‘way bigger’ than your notebook...then decide you will make a similar map of China, then Africa, then the WHOLE WORLD with dinosaurs all over it occupying the modern-day countries where their fossils have been found.
Reluctantly agree to go to bed (late), then stay up way past bedtime reading a dinosaur reference book by the glow of a tiny nightlight at the head of your bed. Come running out of your room screaming and waving the book when you find an entry on Herrerasaurus hidden in the middle of its pages. As you are being tucked back in, tell your awestruck mother that your brain ‘is going to explode with happiness about Herrerasaurus because it is just…so…exciting.’”
Read more at Surviving Our Blessings: Project-based homeschooling: My conversion moment