Lesson Planning and Assignments with Pinterest

I know I've mentioned Pinterest just a few times before.  For example, I think it's a Homeschooling Essential. You can read about why by clicking on the banner.

But today I want to share how I discovered a new way to use Pinterest -- for assigning work to Luke!

We are creating our own US History program, weaving together several programs because I haven't found any one program that provides the depth of study that I want him to have.  We have also merged the history side of his program with literature, and are studying both American authors and novels, poetry, short stories, etc. that are either written by authors during the period we are studying, or by modern writers looking back.  Pinterest has been a huge help in creating our unit studies.

First, I have each era divided onto its own Pinterest board.  They're all titled "Homeschooling US History" but then subtitled by era:

The boards are divided by era, and then I have them in chronologic order, so that I can find the current and flanking units easily.

Notice at the end the pin is titled "Philadephia's Yellow Fever..."  Next to it is my personal board with pins regarding the 1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever Epidemic.  This particular unit was a crossover history-and-literature,  with the novel Fever/1793 by Laurie Halse Andersen as the spine.  We explored the history of Fairmount Park and the Philadelphia Water Works as part of our historical study.   However, this differently-titled board is a group board.  It contains Luke's assignments.

Up until recently, I would pin a video or journal article that I wanted him to use for an assignment and write the title in his planner, but then he would have to consult me to find out where it was online.  Finally, I realized -- if he had the link, he could do it independently, but I needed it to be simpler than writing the entire URL, so I created him his own Pinboard!  I set him up with a Pinterest account, and set up a group board.  When I am searching for what I want to use in our study, I pin it to my board.  This way, I can pre-screen for appropriateness and accuracy.

Then, when I make the final assignment, I repin it to a second board, and invite him to post on that board.  He can then access the assignments without needing me to find them for him, or googling the title and hoping he finds the same link I did. 

Plus, if he was to find something that he thought went with it (another installment of a video I may have missed, or a "for more information, go to..."), he can pin it himself, and I can then check it out, again without having to make sure the other person finds the same link.

I definitely would only use this with an older student -- middle school and up.  But it's a great way to  teach a new way of researching and documenting, and foster guided yet independent study!

This post is part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew Carnival - see how others homeschool using Pinterest!

©2012- 2014 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://adventureswithjude.com