We all have narratives that we use to weave together our beliefs and experiences in a way that feels meaningful. We can often have dominant narratives eg ‘I’m a victim’ that then influence how we r…

In this lesson students will learn how make Gustav Klimt's "Tree of Life". Lessons are step by step and designed for success regardless of the student's level. This project is designed to take 45 minutes to complete. While the sample was made with marker and collage, feel free to use other media lik...

I love teaching about trees because there’s much to discover all year, during any season. From bark to leaves, trees are amazing wonders of nature! If you’re planning on studying trees …

Zacchaeus is a real-life example of the power that Jesus has to change our hearts. The goal in this lesson is for the children to feel the darkness and ugliness of sin, and then experience the joy and miracle of forgiveness when Zacchaeus meets Jesus! Bible Truth: Jesus has the power to forgives my sin. Bible Story: Jesus changes Zacchaeus' heart. Bible Study: Luke 19:1-10; I Corinthians 5:7 teach cha-ching! To tell the story of Zacchaeus "hands-on" style gather up these items: children's picture Bible, or flannel graph scenery and characters a small bag or coin pouch loose change a cut-out of a black heart and a white heart Peak your class's interest in your lesson by shaking the bag, and letting them guess what is inside. They will probably easily guess that you have money in your bag! Pass out a coin for each child to hold throughout the lesson. (Remind them that they should never put coins in their mouths!) Read the story of Zacchaeus from a children's picture Bible, or tell it in your own words with visuals, such as flannel graph. Introduce Zacchaeus as a short man, who was a tax collector. His job was to collect money that people had to pay to the king. But Zacchaeus took more money from people than he was supposed to. If someone was supposed to pay one coin to the king, Zaccahaeus made them pay two coins, and he would keep one of the coins for himself. That is called stealing. Zacchaeus was rich and had lots of money, but nobody wanted to be his friend because he stole money from them. He had a dark sinful heart. Hold up the dark heart as you describe Zacchaeus' dark and sinful heart. Go on to tell the rest of the story of Zacchaeus meeting Jesus, as you show pictures from the children's Bible or manipulate flannel graph characters. At the conclusion of the story, talk about how amazing it is that Jesus changed Zacchaeus' heart! He used to be a man that stole people's money, but now he gives his money away to people! Jesus did a miracle! Only Jesus has the power to take a dirty, sinful heart and give us a new clean heart! Zacchaeus repented, he turned away from his sin, and followed Jesus! Hold up the white heart as you describe how Jesus changed Zacchaeus' heart. Lead the class in a prayer, asking Jesus to forgive their sin, and change their hearts so they can follow Jesus like Zacchaeus. After you pray, collect the coins from the children. Tell them that they are giving the money back just like Zacchaeus did after he repented. sing Zacchaeus (was a wee little man) is a Sunday School classic, and the perfect song to reinforce the story they just heard. Be sure to do some actions with the song! The Repent Song is the same song we learned along with the story of John the Baptist, so it's great review and repetition. Follow the link for the lyrics and actions. The Bath Song is a great song about how Jesus washes away our sin with "super soap." The "call back" format makes it really easy to sing along! craft color & paste Here is a coloring sheet from Sermons 4 Kids of Jesus talking to Zacchaeus in the tree. Cut pieces of green paper, or green tissue paper into leaves for the children to glue onto the tree. zacchaeus meets Jesus A good craft is one that helps children retell the story that they learned. This craft does exactly that! You will need: this print out in (black & white) or (color) card stock scissors hole punch yarn green tissue paper glue clear tape crayons (optional) To prepare, print the print out page onto card stock. Cut on the dotted line, and cut out Zacchaeus. Punch a hole at the top and bottom of the tree. Cut out approximately 1" x 1" squares of green tissue paper. Cut yarn into 16" lengths. In class, provide glue for the children to attach the squares of tissue paper to the tree as leaves. Lace the yarn throught the holes and tie it behind the tree. If using the black and white version, provide crayons for the children to color Jesus and Zacchaeus. Tip: Tie the yarn near the top of the page, and attach Zacchaeus to the bottom of the page. It is easier for the kids, if you let them glue on the leaves before you add the yarn. Use clear tape to attach Zacchaeus to the yarn. Tip: Set the clear tape under the yarn, sticky side up, and then press Zacchaeus onto the tape. Move Zacchaeus up and down the tree to retell the story! up and down the tree For this craft you will need: this tree pattern this Zacchaeus pattern green construction paper jumbo craft sticks yarn scissors hole punch crayons glue tape To prepare, cut out the top, leaf portion of the tree pattern, and use it to trace onto green construction paper. Cut out tree and Zacchaeus figures. Punch a hole near the top of the trees. Cut yarn into approximately 7" lengths. In class, provide crayons for the children to color Zacchaeus, and the jumbo craft stick. Help them attach the tree to the craft stick with glue. Tape Zacchaeus to the yarn, thread the yarn through the hole in the tree, and tie the yarn off in the back to move Zacchaeus up and down the tree. Find more ideas and for teaching your child at home about Zacchaeus and his encounter with Jesus, here!

Inspiring the creativity in you.

Here’s a fun science experiment that will definitely get a “wow” from the kids. Combine baking soda and vinegar to make sodium acetate, or hot ice! It crystalizes instantly when you pour it, allowing you to create a tower of crystals. Since the process of crystallization is exothermic, the “ice” that forms will be hot […]

Need to hit the reset button on your life? Here's a simple method to help you feel more rejuvenated when life gets overwhelming or unexciting!

Explore the world of sacred geometry and discover the beauty and symbolism of these ancient geometric patterns. Our in-depth article covers the history and meanings of sacred geometry art and symbols.

Life Of Cycle Butterfly Worksheet We prepared a life of cycle butterfly worksheet for kindergarten, preschool, and toddlers. With this worksheet, kids will learn how [...]

This Life Cycle supplemental resource includes fun activities to compliment your science unit. This resource includes 5 Agamographs, a Life Cycle Word Search, and 3 Life Cycle Sequencing Activity sheets. Agamographs are fun for students to make and are a great way to liven up your bulletin boards. Each Agamograph comes with a student instruction sheet, along with pictures of what their finished product will look like. Included in this resource are: • Teacher Guidelines • 5 Agamographs (including Instruction Pages for Students) • Egg/ Chick • Caterpillar/ Butterfly • Tadpole/ Frog • Seedling/ Tree • Seed/ Sunflower • Life Cycles Word Search You may also like: • Agamograph Seasonal and Holiday Craft Bundle • Glyphs Throughout the Year BUNDLE • Space Study Resource I hope you enjoy this resource! Come visit me at https://www.facebook.com/ExceptionalThinkers/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel! Follow me on Pinterest for great ideas for teachers!

We are starting our unit on Bears! Last week we read many versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Part of our work on the story i...

Inspiring the creativity in you.

Nestled amongst the cozy skeins of vibrant yarn, the Garfield amigurumi brings the sass and charm of the world's favorite orange tabby cat to life. This

Learn what plants breathe through with this easy leaf & tree science experiment as kids get hands-on with the process of photosynthesis!

Our lives have many facets. Some areas are naturally better planned out than others. Yet we want an exceptional life in all areas. Enter the 5 year plan.

Learn about amazing trees with this fun, and free hands-on unit study. Free nature unit studies for homeschooling from The Crafty Classroom.

Encourage kids to explore and discover the world around them with these free printable Vintage Inspired Science and Nature Flash Cards.

How do you start an Interior Design Project? What are the steps of the interior design process? Check out this page to start to learn.

Meanings of 16 Celtic Symbols Explained, for Self Love on Your Spiritual Journey. 1. Ailm - a Celtic Symbol for Inner Strength

Find out how to make a powerful tree root killer using rock salt, vinegar, baking soda, and Epsom salt in removing stumps and preventing tree root obstruction on your sewage and pipe system.

If you’ve ever tried to embroider a tree, you may have realized how tricky they can be to get right. I’ve been there before, and I have a few tips as well as a...

Final product wise, this might just have been my FAVORITE project this past school year. I am so unbelievably proud of the work these 5th graders did on these! I found this project here via Pinterest. Thanks a faithful attempt! I Can Statements: I Can talk about stylized art I Can use the Library resource A-Z Animals Encyclopedia to research a food chain that includes 3 or more animals I Can show a food chain mouth-in-mouth using stylized images of plants and animals Day 1: Students came in with this image on the screen... I asked them to figure out what they all had in common, eventually they ended up describing stylized without even knowing it (I love when that happens!) and I revealed the vocabulary of stylized. To better explain I showed them this awesome graphic I put together in lucidpress.... After a bit more discussion we had a "quiz" where I put up an image and they had to guess stylized or realistic. They did perfect. Then I showed them our inspiration image... They just wrapped up a science unit about ecosystems and food chains so it was the perfect project to connect to the classroom. After explaining the I Cans and the how to do the research and navigate the site they were using for research, they grabbed laptops and got to work filling out the packet below. There was quite a bit of sketching involved but it really seemed to help them understand how to break down their animals and plants. Day 2: After I approved their sketches they got to work! They had an option to draw and color with colored pencil or to collage with paper. We took about 4 class periods total on this, 1 for intro and research, and the rest were workdays. Next time I will probably have them writing something to go along with them when they are displayed. I just can't contain how happy these make me!

People belonging to a narcissistic family tree end up having hugely dysfunctional and traumatic childhoods, which haunts them even when they become adults.

How to Prune Lilacs correctly addresses the different reasons to prune. Each reason has it's own method. Learn why and how to prune lilacs!

See the best of Vancouver Island following this short 4-day itinerary from Nanaimo to Tofino and back.

Warts CAN be fixed at home, just as easily as at the doctor's office. Using essential oils for warts is an easy and effective way to remove warts at home.

Yes, you can grow a peach pit from grocery store fruit into a peach tree. These instructions also work for other cold hardy stone fruits including plum, cherry, and nectarines.

You'll have to see it to believe it!

Typically lemon trees flourish outdoors year-round in hot, sunny regions, but did you know you can also start a lemon tree in a teacup?

One of the best ways of preserving your family history and to make the most of your research is to make a family tree album that can help you preserve the information for future generations. Making a family tree album can also help to bring all the family stories and pictures together so that your

Winter is fading away and spring is upon us. Hooray! This time of year brings with it some unique opportunities for homeschoolers to create new learning experiences. All around us there are trees in bloom, birds swooping in to feed their hatchlings, and critters running to and fro. So, to […]

Learn how to organize, communicate, and manage your back to school and Meet the Teacher Night open house like a pro.

Between ancient trees, little-known monuments, and independently run shops, here's your guide to the best of hidden gems and secret spots in the Cotswolds.

Want to know how to get rid of acne overnight? Check out this collection of 12 simple yet effective natural remedies that work!

Best things to do in Gruyères, Switzerland. How to spend one day in Gruyères, one day itinerary, how to get here from Lausanne, Geneva, Bern.

Banana plantations, volcanoes, and gold sand beaches. By sharing my 5-day Tenerife itinerary I want to show you what to do and see in 5 days in Tenerife.