School projects at WDW?

[DlandersinWdw]

Posted elsewhere too -
We're pulling our DS11 out of school for 2 weeks and want him to do some fun/educational projects. Does anyone have any ideas for that age group? So far we have:
Math - budget a couple of days of spending on food, souvenirs, etc and then track results against budget.
Health- track a day of nutrition for the family based on what we each eat and then calculate how many miles we walked based on step counts
Social Studies - I saw something online about creating a small book with printed out or drawn maps & flags of all Epcot countries and then ask a CM from each to answer some questions about heir homes (will CMs have time)?
General - we're traveling with two little girls and I'm going to have DS research and then create a photo scavenger hunt for them to complete.
Anything else?

 

[yaya74]

Ask your DS's teacher what subject/topics will be taught during that two weeks and see if DS can do a project on that during the trip.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

Writing: create a Disney journal and write at least a paragraph about each day

 

[lpizzuro123]

Epcot has Passport that you can purchase, it comes with stickers. When you visit each country you can get them signed and stamped and have the CM from that country write some words or a specific sentence so your child can learn how to say that word or sentence in that language.

AK has Wilderness Explorers.
Become a Wilderness Explorer—complete challenges and earn adventure badges as you work your way around the Park.

The Wilderness Must Be Explored
Follow in the footsteps of Russell and his faithful dog, Dug, from the Disney•Pixar film Up!
Follow in the footsteps of Russell and his faithful dog, Dug, from the Disney•Pixar film Up! Jaunt across jungles, furrow into forests and make way through the woods while you set out on a series of fact-finding challenges.

Think you know the wilderness? Prove it! Dozens of self-guided activities await your arrival, with missions ranging from animal observation to learning all-too-important nature skills.

Each of the challenges has been scattered somewhere altogether different, so start exploring and get ready to experience Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in an all-new way!

 

[happymommy]

Have you looked into Disney Youth Education programs? They have classes you can do at the parks.

Otherwise, honestly, I think family vacations are so underrated. I would tell the teachers you're going to spend time together as a family. He will learn something for sure while you're there, but life is short, he is young, and vacations with family are at least as important as school work.

 

[EM915]

The passports at EPCOT are fun as well. I did it when I was about your DS's age, found it with my autographs when moving 2 years ago. Was really fun to look back and read the notes.
You can also have him do something related to the Land or The Seas at EPCOT There is a LOT of educational info there as well.

I also agree with the Wilderness Explorers at AK. It is a good fun/ educational activity, and depending on the 2 other children's ages they might enjoy it too.

 

[AussieDisneyMum]

I third the vote for the Wilderness Explorers at AK.

There are other possibilities. The Disneynature documentary series comes with educational support material that would be appropriate: http://nature.disney.com/educators-guides

We like the documentaries and these are great support materials. Of course, this is more relevant to AK and its conservation themes. They are great because they include the educational mapping to show the teacher what kinds of curriculum objectives you have covered.

You can buy the EPCOT passport, or if $$ is an issue, some of the kind folk on the DISigners board have templates they offer for DISers to print their own.

Also, for the Magic Kingdom, you could select a few favourite movies that have MK rides and find study guides online for activities. There are some great resources out there. I have downloaded study guides for:

1. Beauty and the Beast
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Snow White
4. Tangled
5. Toy Story

And many others related to the other parks.

I like the creative writing idea. Can I further suggest that you provide question prompts as well?

• My favourite/least favourite/funniest thing that happened today was ____ .

The diary would become a great keepsake, too.

 

[scrapquitler]

Posted elsewhere too -
We're pulling our DS11 out of school for 2 weeks and want him to do some fun/educational projects. Does anyone have any ideas for that age group? So far we have:
Math - budget a couple of days of spending on food, souvenirs, etc and then track results against budget.
Health- track a day of nutrition for the family based on what we each eat and then calculate how many miles we walked based on step counts
Social Studies - I saw something online about creating a small book with printed out or drawn maps & flags of all Epcot countries and then ask a CM from each to answer some questions about heir homes (will CMs have time)?
General - we're traveling with two little girls and I'm going to have DS research and then create a photo scavenger hunt for them to complete.
Anything else?

It's a vacation. Don't assign projects. The truth is that your 11 year old WILL learn things while you are at Disney, and all those things that you are throwing out as ideas are things that will happen naturally, it's part of life's experiences. If you start making projects out of them, they will become a chore, and not so fun. Just go with the flow.

 

[Canooknic]

We will be taking our 8 year old boys out for 2 weeks (actually only missing 7 days of school because of teacher conference and PD day)
The teachers won't assign work for them because the school encourages family time.

However, they are in a French immersion school so we will be getting their spelling test words (they work continuously through the year with the new words they learn each week) and we have told them that when we're at Epcot they will be ordering meals and talking to the CM in France as their 'homework'

 

[thingwithwings]

My first instinct is to say "talk with your kids' teachers early on," but then I remember that when my parents did something similar with me about ~20 years ago, my teachers all shrugged loudly because their lesson plans had nothing to do with Disney World. Fortunately, I didn't miss out on much in most of my classes... unfortunately, I missed out on so much information about Charles Dickens that I failed that literature test miserably and had to spend the rest of the year working my tuchus off to make up for it.

So that said, I agree with @scrapquitler -- it's a vacation. Don't try to force it to become anything else. I'd say at most, be mindful of questions you could ask over dinner at the end of the day that will get your kids thinking more deeply about their experiences; that and maybe give them a limited amount of money to spend that they'll have to keep track of. Beyond that, though, just let them have fun.

 

[DisneyChris2016]

My son will be 11 this fall when we go (along with my daughters 6 and 8) - I'm not worried about school/educational projects at all. There are so many real world learning opportunities during a vacation like this - it would be stressful for both of us to try to enforce any formal "work". The only thing I will be encouraging for all of my kids is reading. For my son, I will check with the teacher if there is a novel they will be studying at school, and have him bring that along. A chapter a day at the pool or during quiet time is not too much to ask. They will also be participating in the Wilderness Explorers at AK which I think is great. But you can help your son learn in so many other informal ways - calculating the time it will take to get from place to place, working out how much you can fit in before an ADR, following maps and checking times guides, reading guide books, just talking in lines about what you see around you. And if all else fails, at least he's getting in his physical education.

 

[DlandersinWdw]

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Cinderella94]

Otherwise, honestly, I think family vacations are so underrated. I would tell the teachers you're going to spend time together as a family. He will learn something for sure while you're there, but life is short, he is young, and vacations with family are at least as important as school work.

Definitely this!!! I would say family vacations are definitely more important than two weeks of what, fifth grade? Sixth grade? No question.

 

[disney k family]

I totally agree with what everyone is saying about family vacations. This will be our fourth time taking our 11 year old out of school for a week at Disney World. When he was younger the teachers gave us some work sheets. The last couple trips they have just encouraged us to keep a journal while we are away. When we return home it usually requires a couple days inside at recess to catch up but it has been a very simple process. Also check with your school for on line resources. We have both dream box(math) and razz kids(reading) at our schools and these are great on the iPad. I believe the experiences and family memories we make at Disney far exceed the bit of work it takes to catch up when we come home. Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[mjkacmom]

When we took dd out when she was 11 (3 days), she wasn't given any work to do on the trip, so she had tons to do when she got back. Don't expect that the regular work will just get excused.

 

[glassslippergirl]

If you do plan these projects, do so because they are for you and your kids, not for school. I doubt any teacher will offer credit. That said, don't forget about literature. Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, Winnie the Pooh, and more are all based on classic literature that is age appropriate for an 11 yr old. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is about an 11 yr old boy's adventures. Read the book, visit the island, and compare. If these books don't match his interests, have him read the original Grimm/Hans Christian Anderson versions of classic children's stories like "Cinderella," "Snow White," or "Sleeping Beauty" from Grimm and "The Little Mermaid" or "The Snow Queen" from Anderson and compare/contrast with the Disney version. The comparing doesn't have to be formal; he could just talk to you about what he observed. Honestly, any reading that he does on or in preparation for the trip is time well spent.

 

[Nayan]

When we took dd out when she was 11 (3 days), she wasn't given any work to do on the trip, so she had tons to do when she got back. Don't expect that the regular work will just get excused.

This, and also make sure you CAN take him out for two weeks. Some school districts have really clamped down over the years as far as time missed and some even require a doctor's note for just a day's absence (and vacations are usually not a valid reason). I think it's ridiculous, but it's good to check anyway and avoid any trouble.

 

[Shughart]

Just talk to their teachers beforehand and see what can be brought with to work on. I'm pulling my 4th and 1st grader out for 5 days next month and both teachers are supportive and asked that I email them a week before to remind them and they will put together work for them to do. 2 plane rides, early mornings, and the weekend before they go back will be their time to work on school work. I had to submit paperwork to the school as well and I had spoken to their principal before the last school year even ended. I can't imagine making them do MORE work on top of what they have to make up already.

 

[DopeyDame]

I'm a huge proponent of travel as an educational experience, but not in a "do special projects" kind of way. Travel is a way for kids to learn more about themselves, their family, and the world. I try to get them to do as much as possible independently and to take charge when they can.
Some things I like the kids to learn while traveling:
1. How to navigate transportation - read a map, figure out a bus schedule, read an airport arrival and departure board, find our boarding gate/bus stop
2. How to get information you need when you are some place new - find and read brochures, talk to the customer service folks, find bathrooms
3. How to participate in the activities - buy tickets, make reservations, decide what to do and what not to do
4. How to communicate - new words in English, basic words in other languages, getting comfortable talking to adults
5. How not to kill your sibling while stuck in cramped quarters
6. How to not always getting to do what you want because we're doing what someone else in the family wants
7. How to eat food that might be new and different

All those things will be way more valuable in life than any school-like projects