October Theme Ideas
2008-10-01
by D.E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, MDiv
This is the first installment in a new monthly feature at HomeschoolBenefits. Each month will feature a list of themes, holidays and teaching resources for the month.
Holidays/Special Days/Birthdays
I have provided a theme for most days of the month. Also, include is a lesson idea, teaching tip or suggestions.
Oct 1: Homemade Cookie Day -- Math Lesson Idea: Bake cookies. Cooking is a great practical math lesson. It is a fun way to teach measurements and fractions.
Oct 2: Farm Animal Day -- Take a field trip to a farm.
Oct 3: Music Lover’s Day – Study a famous composer. Attend a concert or better yet put on your on concert. For added fun try making your own instruments
Oct 4: Golf Lover’s Day – For P.E. play a round of golf, par 3, mini-golf or even Frisbee golf. Another idea would be to study the history of golf.
Oct 5: Do Something Nice Day – This is a great way to encourage your children to think of others first. If you have middle or high school age students potentially this could be a way to get community service hours.
Oct 6: Mad Hatter Day – Great literature tie-in with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland be sure to make or find silly hats and have a crazy tea party.
Oct 9: Yom Kippur (Date for 2008) – In Judaism, Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement is the holiest day of the year.
Oct 10: Wildlife Day -- Take a field trip to a zoo.
Oct 11: Eleanor Roosevelt born in 1884
Oct 12-18: National Food Bank Week -- Participate in a food drive or volunteer at your local food bank.
Oct 12-18: World Rainforest Week – For science this week study rainforest.
Oct 13: Columbus Day – Theme tie-in with a unit on explorers.
Oct 13 (2nd Monday of October): Canadian Thanksgiving Day -- For Geography or World History do a mini-unit on the history of the Canadian Thanksgiving
Oct 14: William Penn’s Birthday
Oct 15: National Poetry Day: Celebrate by reading, writing and sharing poetry.
Oct 16: Dictionary Day: Include dictionary skills lessons as a part of the days English/grammar lessons. To make it more exciting hold a Dictionary Olympics. Game ideas:
- Dictionary Races: Each team is given a list of words to look up and write the page number for each word.
- Dictionary Drills: Similar to Bible Drills. Group lines up and have call out words to look out.
- Word Game: Select words form the dictionary that your group is not likely to know. Before the game begins write each word and its meaning on an index card. To play read the word to the group. Every person will need index cards or small pieces of paper for each round and a pen or pencil. Players come up with a meaning for the word and write their name or initials on the bottom but do not show it to others. Collect meanings and read them to the group, including the real meaning. The group must vote on the meaning. The author of the winning meaning gets one point. Anyone who selects the real meaning gets a point as well.
Oct 18: Alaska Day -- Celebrates the day in 1867 that Alaska became a U.S. territory.
Oct 19: Evaluate Your Life Day – Take some to explore careers and education. For teens take some time to actually research career options and plan for the future.
Oct 24: United Nations Day – Research the UN and find out what they actually do.
Oct 25: Make a Difference Day (4th Saturday of the Month) – Great opportunity to get your kids involved in helping the community. For older teens, it is another way to get community, service hours. Many colleges look at community service during the admission process now.
Oct 28: National Chocolate Day – Do I need to say any more about this one. Celebrate by eating something chocolate. I suggest making Aunt Ruby’s chocolate pudding.
Oct 30: John Adam’s Birthday, 1735.
Oct 31: Halloween or if you prefer Reformation Day – On this day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg Germany.
Themes Ideas for October
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