Gearing up for Boy's Club

I'm just finishing up the final plans for this year's Great American's Boy's Club It will be lots of fun. Each month we read a Childhood of Famous American's book, discuss it, do notebook pages and a couple of activites. This year I have 13 boys- including my own Bug and Doodle. I'm looking forward to our activities. Here are the plans-

September-- Milton Hershey, Young Chocolatier by M. M. Eboch, Make Ice cream http://home.att.net/~teaching/science/icecream.pdf and ?? Chocolate Math, Get to know you games

October-- John Glenn, Young Astronaut by Michael Burgan, Make Alka-seltzer rockets http://mpassero.tripod.com/rocket/seltzer/seltzer.htm and Launch rockets

November--Robert E. Lee, Young Confederate by Helen Albee Monsell -- Make Rubber Band Guns- http://www.runnerduck.com/toy_gun.htm Leapfrog or fly kites


Jaunary--Mark Twan, Young Writer by Miriam E. Mason - make Paddle boats out of Altoids canshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Rubber_Band_Powered_Altoids_Boat/ and ??

February--George Washington, Young Leader by Agusta Stevenson ? Suggestions welcome-- I'm having a hard time with ideas for Washington

March-- John F. Kennedy, America’s Youngest President by Post Frisbee --St Patricks Day activities- Green- shamrock craft? ? Sugestions welcome!

April--Jim Thorpe Olympic Champion by Guernsey Van Riper, Jr. --Olympic events: Standing long jump, Discus (Frisbee) throw, Shot Put (softball) throw and Medals Ceremony

May- Celebration of Great Men -- Pizza Party- Eat Pizza and do oral Presentations

I'm disappointed- I'd planned on doing the book on Dr. Suess for one of our books. But after pre-reading it (and I'm glad I did) I decided against it- so we'll just take Dec. off. Why did I decide not to do dr. Suess? For starters- his family owned a brewery at the time of Prohibition- it talked all about how alcohol wasn't bad, and the prohibitionists were crazy. Then as I continued reading- Dr. Suess's wife comitted suicide. And while I feel bad for what he and his wife must have gone through- suicide and alcohol were not topics I wanted to discuss with 7-12 year old boys.