Roadschooling at Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources

While we were visiting and worshiping with Duck Dynasty at their church in West Monroe, LA we found an awesome state park to stay at only 45 minutes north with free laundry facilities, free Wi-Fi, and full hook-ups. Since we were so close to Arkansas, we figured, why not add another state to our US map? We took a day trip to Arkansas State Museum of Natural Resources.

We enjoyed learning about Arkansas history, the 1920s, and how the discovery of various natural resources shaped our country's development. All of my children have an "easy peasy" notebook, which they use for their online studies, and a "travel" (composition-type) notebook, which has a hard cover so they can use it while we drive or walk. They must record facts that interest them at each place we visit as well as record any questions they have. The littles (beginner readers) are required to draw pictures and copy titles of whatever they drew. Since I have 8 children (currently), each "little" has a "big" partner to help with recording, spelling, or just to converse with about what they are viewing.

We learned about the work camp conditions at various camps. Sure made us realize how blessed we are to have so many conveniences!

We learned about petroleum and how different density separates layers of matter.

We learned how pressure in the Earth's crust produces some of the resources we drill for.

And where the starting materials come from for fossil fuels.

My children are very engaged in their learning most of the time. They do read a lot. They've learned to because their mama reads a lot and, if they don't read, they just end up standing around waiting for mama forever while she reads everything. To make better use of their time, they just read everything, too.

 

They enjoyed the jail cell in the mock village ... because you always have a few rebels.

We learned about a "goat woman" who lived in an RV after quitting the circus life. Looking at this early 1900s RV was interesting. Check out that rudimentary plumbing in the kitchen!

This "goat woman" played many instruments, all at once, even.

Interesting woman.

We enjoyed the hands-on displays.

And we spent much time in the tinker room building things.

We also did some learning at the state park we stayed at by following educational trails, adding drawings and notes in our notebooks about the ecology of the area, and visiting the nature center.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20