First things first.


SHAMROCK


SHAKES


ARE OUT!


This is a bad picture of inside the cup...but understand, I was going for creative photography. Unsuccessfully.

Have you heard about the 5 Finger Paragraph Rule? They've been talking about it over at Five in a Row. It's basically this: opening/topic sentence, 3 supporting/detail sentences and a closing sentence. Let me tell you...this method works wonderful for my reluctant writer! Not because he is creatively alive in his thoughts and he's on fire to get them on paper... No! Not at ALL! But rather...he knows what is expected. So far this week, he's written GOOD and ORGANIZED paragraphs on topics from his Lewis and Clark book: rattlesnakes, salmon and The Continental Divide. This may not seem like much to you... but if you knew how weak we were in writing...it's a giant step forward!

NOW MORE GOOD STUFF!

If you are a mother of a son, then you'll certainly understand how easy it is to explain The Continental Divide, the backbone of America to your BOY!!!!

Here's how I did it... go outside, straddle a rocky pile of snow, dirt, rocks, etc. Point out that the ridge is the Continental Divide. Dividing the waterway system. You can both take sticks and draw out connecting, branching rivers, streams, etc.

Meanwhile, while your straddling in your stance you can add that Antarctica is the only continent that doesn't have a divide. Tell him he doesn't need to remember this. (It's reverse psycology and believe me he'll want to know why...which will open up a window of teachable opportunity on Antarctica.) Hence, retaining it.

Okay, feet firmly planted, you then tell him that you're standing on top of the Great Divide...what? I thought it was the Continental Divide! Right. But, it can also be called the Great Divide. Teachable moment. Okay, back to the stance. You point North and tell him that the mountains run right into Canada, point South and tell him that then end in Mexico. But in United States, they start in Montana and end in New Mexico.

Tell him that if you were to straddle the ridge/peeks of the Rockies and SPIT to the left...his spit would go to the Pacific Ocean. If he spit to the right, his saliva would go to the Atlantic. Unless it got caught up in a basin (teachable vocabulary word) or although rare, it could get caught up in the desert. Now, he's going to be jumping around and wanting to take a turn at spitting. So, let him.... meanwhile you can ask him questions and explain what he's learned. Now tell me, do they do this in school? I never remember my teacher telling us to SPIT!

Give your kids a break... call a surprise trip...and head up for a SHAMROCK SHAKE!