Homeschool Crumbs

Week 14 Review

2009-11-07T08:21:00.003-06:00

Our week in review:

Language Arts: Ryan is finally writing his story (Young Writers Program). He has blazed through a thousand words already, so he is well on his way to accomplishing his goal. Nathan has started his short story as well. David completed a grammar and vocabulary lesson. He also continues to practice for the ACT test he will take later this year.

Literature: This week they read/covered: Our Country's Presidents (John Quincy Adams), Amazing Impossible Erie Canal, Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille, My Side of the Mountain and Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is finishing a paper on The Last of the Mohicans.

History: I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered John Quincy Adams and Political Realignments.

Science: Nathan and Ryan attended Co-op this week. You can see what they did here. At home this week, they continued studying Module 3 and are finishing the study guide. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.

Math: Nathan and Ryan are working on a couple of small math projects and playing fraction games. David is continuing to work through his Algebra II lessons.

4-H projects: Nathan and Ryan are working on finishing their projects for 4-H this week. The farm city poster project and woodworking project are both due.

Outdoor Pursuits: The boys have been playing with their friends and riding their bikes. Plus they have been blowing and raking leaves. We have a lot of large maple trees in our yard, which are beautiful, but there are SO many leaves.

This was the first week that we have worked with a project style schedule. The boys seemed to enjoy it, so I feel it will be a good change up that will keep us busy until the holiday break.

Chemistry Labs, Week 10

2009-11-06T05:47:00.008-06:00

This week the kids completed two experiments:

Experiment 4.4: The Kinetic Theory of Matter
MicroChem Experiment 2: Melting Points, Super Cooling

Christmas projects

2009-11-05T09:37:00.007-06:00

I'm starting to assemble a list of possible holiday projects and gift ideas that I can make for Christmas. So far this is what I'm considering:

I also need to pull out my craft box with my holiday stationary supplies so I can start making my Christmas cards {it takes me forever to finish, so I have to start early}.

November Gratitude Challenge

2009-11-04T11:29:00.003-06:00

The point of this challenge is to blog about something your grateful for. So, here are my top 6:

Grace ~ Thankful and grateful to God for everything
My family ~ A great husband and three wonderful and rambunctious boys
My friends ~ A great group (many are homeschoolers as well)
Homeschooling ~ I have an opportunity to learn with my children & spend lots of time outdoors
Household ~ I'm very grateful to have everything I need and the ability to be content
Chocolate ~ Everything goes better with chocolate!

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Another lovely day, another clean slate!
Another day to work on an already full plate.
What will we do first? Reading, Writing, Math?
What if something unexpected shows up in our path?

Another lovely day, another quandary arises,
How do we teach these children of different shapes and sizes?
Shall we follow Book A, or Idea B, or the voice of the "pro?"
Can we follow our hearts on which way we should go?

Little Suzy wants to make a pattern for a doll,
but she's "behind" in algebra, and can't spell much at all,
And little Johnny is working on a project made of wood,
but what about his "social studies?" And other things he "should...."

Grandma needs some help, but our workbooks are a-waiting!
There are other shut-ins with a visit anticipating.
And what about that neighbor with the baby on the way?
Can our "studies" suffer if she needs our help today?

There are many things that pull us daily
this-a-way and that,
And we can get so sidetracked, that our accomplishments fall flat.
The path is bright and our feet will go, if only we will pray,
And listen to the voice of God, who leads us the right way.

Relationships are more important, inside our homes, and out,
and how we treat each other is what homeschooling is about,
It's not wrong to be good spellers, but if we lie and cheat and steal,
And if we hate our brother, good grades are no big deal.

So dear homeschool Mom, don't worry and don't fret.
If little Johnny can not read as well as you think, yet,
and little Suzy will learn her math, while baking for the neighbor,
and friendships formed inside your home will strengthen, so don't waver!

If you will pray and seek His face for each question on your heart,
And read His word, and know His voice, you will know right where to start,
Don't be tossed to and fro by this world's ideas and plans,
Listen to your Lord, your lives are in His Hands.

Written by, Nancy Baetz

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NaBloPoMo

2009-11-04T06:40:00.004-06:00

NaBloPoMo ~ National Blog Posting Month:

I signed up for this in the hopes that I will start blogging daily. lol. I'm not sure if it will work or not, but maybe it will serve as the motivation I need to stay on track. I always have good intentions of blogging every day and usually even start an entry, but then I have to stop and clean something, do laundry, cook, teach, or go somewhere. Oh well, we will just have to see how it goes...

Co-Op Week 11

2009-11-03T16:22:00.005-06:00

This week my 5th and 6th graders are working on completing Module 3. We went over the first half of the study guide. I also introduced Module 4 and the kids completed an experiment involving pulleys. They lifted a bag on a pulley and then a series of pulleys (block and tackle) to get a feel for the mechanical advantage.

My 7th and 8th graders have just completed Module 5 and are starting Module 6 this week. They completed an experiment that I borrowed from chemistry, because most of the experiments in this module take a full day or days to complete. So, I had to find something that would work in a classroom environment.

They completed experiment 4.2 from chemistry: Distinguishing Between Chemical and Physical change. This is the experiment where you dissolve an egg shell in hydrogen chloride (toilet bowl cleaner). It just happens that this ties in with their study of physical and chemical weathering.

Get Ready... Set... Write!

2009-11-02T08:44:00.008-06:00

It's November, so it must be time to write. Ryan has registered to participate in NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program. He is working on a novel with a goal of writing between 3,000 and 5,000 words. He hopes to finish by the end of the challenge, which is at the end of the month. Nathan does not want to participate in the writing program, but will be writing a short story this month.

Young Writers Program Manifesto...

Advent Conspiracy

2009-11-02T08:44:00.006-06:00

This would be great for a small group or family Bible study leading up to the holidays.

"Each year Americans spend billions of dollars on material items at Christmas. That is a pretty weird way to celebrate the birth of Jesus, who gave up all of his riches to save the world. Christmas for Christians can be a time, however that is not a contradiction. It can be a time of worship, meaning and giving that is prophetic, powerful and transformative. In celebrating Christmas in the way of the story Christ followers are taught how to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all this Christmas and every Christmas."

I haven't read this book yet, but I'm hoping to get my hands on it, because it looks wonderful!

Fall Into Reading ~ Review: Green

2009-11-02T08:32:00.005-06:00

O.K., I know I'm really behind... but I've finally finished reading Green, by Ted Dekker. This is the fourth book of a previous trilogy. Confused? Well, the fourth book is actually the end and the beginning of the story, making the series a circle - and yes, the name of the trilogy is The Circle Trilogy. So, I guess it does make sense after all.

I absolutely loved the books in the trilogy when I first read them a couple of years ago and anxiously awaited for this new book to be released. I'm not disappointed. It was fabulous. If you like Ted Dekker, you should definitely read this series. Even though it is a circle and you could technically start with Green, I would start with Black and progress through Red, White and finish with Green. I think it makes more sense that way, but that could just be me.

This story is filled with betrayal and hope, the Apocalypse and great redemption, expressions of good and evil, hate and love. Love being the central theme of all the books. It was an action packed, heart pounding, fast paced adventure that alternates between two realities. With all of the twist and turns, I'm sure you will be reading late into the night like I was.

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 10

2009-11-02T07:11:00.015-06:00

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 10: John Quincy Adams and Political Realignments

Key Facts:

1. John Quincy Adams
a. Election of 1824
b. Inaugural Address
c. Tariff of Abominations

2. Louis Braille
a. Childhood/ education
b. Valentin Hauy/Charles Barbier
c. Reading with Braille

3. The Erie Canal: A Journey Through Time
a. 363 miles/ built in 8 years
b. Connect the Great Lakes and create the largest (at the time) canal system
c. It paid for itself in less than 10 years

Activities: Make a pine cone bird feeder

Geography: Map of Erie Canal

Unit Projects: Add information on John Quincy Adams to unit display board

Digging Deeper:

Charles Grandison Finney

Videos:

John Quincy Adams: National Portrait Gallery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXA734Tuv4o&feature=related
Magic Touch - The Louis Braille Story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO3S9lwJDgg
The Erie Canal Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT78NL34k0c
The Canal Diggers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcDJ5hmTkpo&feature=related

Reading:

The Amazing Impossible Erie Canal
Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille
Our Country's Presidents (John Quincy Adams)

Halloween

2009-11-02T07:11:00.012-06:00

Friday, Nathan and Ryan carved pumpkins and decorated the front porch for Halloween. I made a big pot of chili (an annual tradition) for Saturday night so they would have something hearty to offset all of the candy.

Nathan's pumpkin:

Ryan's pumpkin:

The weather forecast called for rain on Saturday. Thankfully, the rain did not come, and the weather was cool and dry. David went up to church to help out with a carnival while Nathan and Ryan went around the neighborhood trick or treating. Nathan dressed up as a bandit and Ryan was a rock climber. We also had some friends come by with their boys who like to go around the neighborhood with ours. Everyone had a great time.

I usually stay on the front porch and hand out candy. But, since it was quite cool outside, I decided to stay inside by the fireplace, watch football, socialize with our friends and just answer the door. The reason that I usually stay on the porch is because we have so many kids come by. We will normally have between 400-500 hundred kids. {I wish we had been warned when we bought our house} There is always a traffic jam on our street with cars, trucks and tractors pulling trailers full of hay and kids :)

Week 13 Review

2009-11-02T07:10:00.004-06:00

Our week in review:

Language Arts: This looks just like last week - grammar, vocabulary, spelling, handwriting, writing and reading lessons. Ryan is still finalizing his story/novel outlined for next month (Young Writers Program). Nathan is still busy outlining his ideas for his short story. David completed a vocabulary lesson and continues to practice for the ACT test he will take later this year.

Literature: This week they read/covered: Frankenstein, Simon Bolivar: Statesman and Liberator, In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and It's People, Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma, Our Country's Presidents (Monroe) and Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is working on a paper on The Last of the Mohicans.

History: I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered Monroe and the American Hemisphere.

Science: Nathan and Ryan attended Co-op this week. You can see what they did here. At home this week, they continued studying Module 3 and are working through the study guide. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.

Math: Nathan and Ryan are still working through a unit study on fractions. We are almost done with it and I'm gathering resources together for several math projects to work on for the next few weeks. David is continuing to work through his Algebra II lessons.

Other: Continued working on logic worksheets, a Latin and french lesson.

4-H projects: Nathan and Ryan are working on a farm city poster project and a woodworking project that are both due in next week. Yikes!

Field Trip: We took a field trip to Burritt on the Mountain for hiking and mining. I blogged about this field trip here.

Outdoor Pursuits: The weather is still a bit rainy, so the boys have been playing with their friends and riding their bikes. Sunday, we went hiking because the weather was gorgeous!

I'm still looking forward to the change up next week. I think the boys will really enjoy their projects.

Chemistry Labs, Week 9

2009-11-02T06:32:00.005-06:00

This week the kids performed the experiment 4.2: Distinguishing Between Chemical and Physical Change.

The kids dissolved an egg shell with hydrogen chloride (toilet bowl cleaner). The reaction is awesome, but beware - it stinks! Make sure you have good ventilation in the room.

American Heritage Education Foundation

2009-10-29T13:13:00.007-05:00

The American Heritage Education Foundation believes that “Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility are ideals that are rapidly declining or disappearing in their [our children’s] teaching and learning not only in our K-12 public and private schools but also in our colleges and universities of higher education. A nation built on these ideas and theories cannot possibly survive if those same philosophical and historical principles are not studied, taught, learned, practiced, and reinforced in our schools and institutions attended by the next generation of young people.”

To counteract the lack of knowledge regarding the foundation our country is built upon, American Heritage Education Foundation developed a supplemental curriculum that is designed to address these very issues. The purpose for the lessons are not simply to offer the students basic information; but to provide activities and projects which emphasize the significance of the events that led to the formation of our country’s early beginning, and the major documents that set the United States apart from any other nation.

The AHEF resources are divided into three levels; which touch upon all, or some of the four themes (Freedom, Unity, Progress and Responsibility) vital to this curriculum:

Elementary
Middle Grades
High School

Originally designed for the public school classroom, homeschooling families can easily adapt the material to fit their needs. Each level provides an ample selection of lessons to choose from. For those families with a wide range in ages, the units can be used in conjunction with each other. They have enough similar content, but with slightly more difficult material for older children; so that the whole family can easily study it at the same time.

The AHEF had made this material free for all to use. You can download right from their site as needed, if you have good internet access. You may also request their free CD (good for those with dial-up) which contains all 3 levels, or their printed version for a fee of $19.50 [per level]. There is a wealth of information provided in these lessons, which are presented in an orderly, and easy to follow fashion.

I ordered the free CD (which I just received in the mail today) and am excited to see how I can incorporate these lessons into our history studies.

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Unit 2

2009-10-29T08:00:00.005-05:00

Looking ahead to Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Unit 2 - I'm compiling a list of additional books and resources that I'm considering using to help round out our studies.

Time Travelers: The Early 19th Century ~ The first part of this would be a review of Unit 1 and the rest seems to line up pretty well with Unit 2. We used the American Revolution study last spring, and it was a lot of fun. So, I think this will add a lot of interest to our studies.

Other Resource books:

Out of Darkness, The Story of Louis Braille, Russell Freedman

Amazing Impossible Erie Canal, Cheryl Harness

Their Off! The Story of the Pony Express, Cheryl Harness

The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone, Cheryl Harness

A Day That Changed America: The Alamo, Shelley Tanaka & David Craig

The Trail of Tears, Deborah Kent

A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840

Great Pioneer Projects, Rachel Dickinson

Hands-On History Pioneers, Michael Gravios

The Oregon Trail, Blashfield & Jean F.

Samuel Morse and the Telegraph, David Seidman

Gold Fever!: Tales from the California Gold Rush, Rosalyn Schanzer

Birmingham Museum of Art ~ History Exhibit

2009-10-28T06:05:00.008-05:00

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: American Art from the Yale University Art Gallery offers an unprecedented opportunity to experience American history through more than 230 masterpieces from one of the finest and oldest collections of American art in the world. From the arrival of the first European settlers to the Gilded Age, this major exhibition tells America’s story through paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, furniture, silver, and ceramics from Yale University’s renowned collection.

At the heart of the exhibition is a group of early American portraits and history paintings by John Trumbull, including the original version of the iconic The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, which has graced the pages of nearly every American history textbook and the $2 bill. This is the first time these paintings have traveled as a group since the artist presented them to Yale in 1832.

Among the exhibition's painted treasures are two versions of Edward Hicks's "Peaceable Kingdom;" rare portraits by John Singleton Copley, Charles Willson Peale, and Thomas Eakins; stunning landscapes by Albert Bierstadt and Frederic Edwin Church; and captivating scenes of American life by Winslow Homer, Frederic Remington, and many others. Decorative arts highlights include silver crafted by Paul Revere, the earliest pair of American silver candlesticks, a gold sword owned by 19th-century naval hero Stephen Decatur, and flamboyant silver objects made by Tiffany & Company. Superb examples of 18th- and 19th-century furniture add to this rich survey of the history of American artistry and craftsmanship.

I'm hoping our local homeschool Co-op will get a field trip together for this exhibit. We discussed it briefly this week, but don't have any dates or details nailed down yet.

Field Trip ~ Burritt on the Mountain

2009-10-28T06:04:00.005-05:00

Our field trip to Burritt on the Mountain revolved around the theme "Mining on the Mountain." We learned about mining (past and present), hiked to an abandoned coal mine, picked up pieces of coal (that had washed out of the mine) and had fun sluice panning for rocks and minerals. We also learned about the use of our natural resources and how those resources impact our lives.

It was a little cool this morning, but overall the weather was pleasant for our hike {at least it wasn't raining}. I think Nathan and Ryan enjoyed this more than they thought they would. They even spent some of their money to purchase additional sand with minerals/gemstones to sluice at home.

All in all, it was a great field trip. Although, I forgot my camera - again.

Co-Op, Week 10

2009-10-28T06:03:00.004-05:00

This week, my 7th and 8th graders are completing module 5. They will be taking the quiz and test for this module in our online classroom (virtualhomeschoolgroup).

My 5th and 6th graders are continuing to work through module 3. They are finishing up the On Your Own Questions and starting on the module review.

Both classes completed the same experiment:

Cotton Ball Catapult: measuring the distance of a cotton ball, using a plastic spoon as a catapult. Then we added experimental variables of rubber bands and tape. Needless to say the kids enjoyed this one!

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera this week, so I don't have any pictures :(

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 9

2009-10-25T09:02:00.010-05:00

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 9: Monroe and the American Hemisphere

Key Facts:

1. South American Geography
a. Brazil
b. Suriname
c. Guyana

2. James Monroe
a. Last American President of the "Virginia Dynasty"
b. Era of Good Feelings/ Panic of 1819
c. The Missouri Compromise
d. One political party transitioning to two political parties

3. Monroe Doctrine
a. Pressured Spain into selling Florida to the United States
b. America would resist European intervention in the Western Hemisphere
c. Cornerstone of American foreign policy

Activities: Make a clay pot

Geography: Finish map of South America

Unit Projects: Add information on James Monroe to unit display board

Digging Deeper:

Adoniram Judson
Democracy in America

Videos:

The Presidents: Part 1: George Washington to James Monroe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGu-fkNeRvY
The History of the Monroe Doctrine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38cyHchHPhI
Monroe Doctrine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1G4hPck__c&feature=related

Reading:

Frankenstein
Simon Bolivar: Statesman and Liberator
In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and It's People
Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma
Our Country's Presidents

Week 12 Review

2009-10-25T09:01:00.005-05:00

Our week in review:

Language Arts: We wrapped up another week of the usual grammar, vocabulary, spelling, handwriting, writing and reading lessons for the week. Ryan is finalizing his story/novel outlined for next month (Young Writers Program). Nathan will write a short story next month, and he is busy outlining his ideas. David took his PSAT test last week, but continues to practice for the ACT test he will take later this year.

Literature: This week they read/covered: Frankenstein, Simon Bolivar: Statesman and Liberator, In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and It's People, Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma, Young Abe Lincoln and we are still slowly reading (savoring) Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is finishing up The Last of the Mohicans.

History: I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered South America in Transition.

Science: Nathan and Ryan attended Co-op this week. You can see what they did here. At home this week, they took the quiz and test for Module 2 and started Module 3. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.

Math: Nathan and Ryan are still working through a unit study on fractions. I am still getting them ramped up for a larger cooking with fractions project. We will also be adding other projects and games in the upcoming weeks, because we will be changing to a project based schedule for a few weeks. David is continuing to work through his Algebra II lessons.

Other: We worked through a couple of logic worksheets, a Latin and french lesson this week. Things are still moving slow in this department. I'm not sure how much we will accomplish in these areas this year, but we will continue to plod through it ever so slowly.

4-H projects: Nathan and Ryan are working on a farm city poster project and a woodworking project that are both due in November.

Outdoor Pursuits: The weather has been cold and rainy lately, so the boys have been hanging out around the house and playing with their neighborhood friends. David spent all day Monday at True Adventure Sports going through an official "try-out" process to see if he is ready to be a paid part time contract worker. Up until now, all of the work he has done for them has been done on a volunteer basis. Although he would continue to do volunteer work with them, he would like to have a few paying jobs once in awhile as well.

We will be finishing up a few things this coming week and then switching to a project style schedule. I'm looking forward to the change up. I think it is just what we need to spice up our studies.

Chemistry Labs, Week 8

2009-10-25T08:36:00.005-05:00

This week, the kids performed experiment 4.1: Separating a Mixture of Sand and Salt

Co-Op, Week 9

2009-10-21T06:07:00.009-05:00

This week, my 7th and 8th graders started module 5. I gave out grades for the Module 4 test and spent time lecturing on the first half of the module 5. No experiments are scheduled for this module.

My 5th and 6th graders are starting module 3. I gave out grades for the Module 2 test and spent time lecturing on the first half of Module 3. We also performed two experiments:

Color Splash: comparing what happens to food coloring when added to water, oil, and a combination of oil and water.
Cauldron Bubbles: making bubbles out of water, oil and salt

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 8

2009-10-18T18:45:00.009-05:00

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 8: South America in Transition

Key Facts:

1. South American Geography
a. Peru
b. Bolivia
c. Chile
d. Argentina
e. Uruguay
f. Paraguay

2. Simon Bolivar
a. Review from last week

3. Abraham Lincoln - Early years
a. Youth/family/ upbringing
b. Abraham's military career
c. Careers before Presidency

4. Robert E. Lee - Early years
a. Youth/ family/ upbringing
b. United States Military Academy
c. Commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers

5. Slavery in America
a. Indentured servants replaced by slaves
b. Slavery: one of the largest forced migrations in history
c. Transatlatlantic slave trade - triangle of trade

Activities: Cooking with apples

Geography: Continue map of South America - see above

Unit Projects: Add information about slavery to the unit display board

Digging Deeper:

Adoniram Judson
McCulloch vs. Maryland

Videos:

Lincoln Portrait: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vJLJdrS_Go&feature=related
TeacherTube - General Robert E. Lee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1gXinIDTMM
The History of Slavery in America (Part 1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc1RbUxQv4E

Reading:

Frankenstein
Simon Bolivar: Statesman and Liberator
In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and It's People
Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma
Young Abe Lincoln

Week 11 Review

2009-10-18T17:21:00.005-05:00

I should have known that after getting so much done last week, it wouldn't last...

This week looked like this:

Monday - Columbus Day: Covered short Columbus day activity and the basics (reading, writing, math, science, and history). Nathan and Ryan had music lessons then played with their friends.

Tuesday - Co-op and 4-H meeting (with photography contest)

Wednesday - David had PSAT testing all morning. Nathan and Ryan got school done early and played that afternoon.

Thursday - Field Trip to Birmingham Children's Theatre with Nathan and Ryan. David stayed home to get his work done.

Friday - Boys got the basics covered and David had a music lesson. I cancelled the chemistry lab group for the week, because I had a migraine.

Saturday - Woke up to cold weather (probably the reason for my migraine the day before) and dh starts a fire in the wood burning stove. Next thing I know, there was apparently a down draft which caused a smokey haze to fill the house. By the time the boys alert me (I had gone back to bed), the smoke was enough to set off the smoke detector - which, of course is tied in with our alarm system. This happened once last year, so I knew I had to get a fan in the hallway to clear the haze because it is the only way to get the alarm to stop blaring. The boys opened all of the windows and doors. Dh went to check on the fireplace but didn't pick up the phone when the security center called. He came upstairs and asked if I picked it up. Huh? I couldn't hear anything over the alarm. Ugh, now I have to call the company so that the fire department doesn't come blaring up to the house looking for a fire. We called in time for the fire trucks to be called off (they were on the way - oops), but the Fire Marshall did stop by to make sure everything was alright. Well, after all that excitement the rest of the day was spent with a much safer activity - watching college football.

Sunday - Quiet day, thankfully - church, chores and looking over lesson plans for next week.

Chemistry Labs, Week 7

2009-10-16T19:51:00.003-05:00

We took a break this week from our chemistry labs. {I was suffering from a migraine} So, the kids will double up next week to stay on track with the lab schedule.

Field Trip

2009-10-16T19:17:00.004-05:00

Thursday, I took Nathan and Ryan to the Birmingham Children's Theatre to see the production the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Of course to get the story told within an hour, it was highly edited. But, it was still quite good and the boys both enjoyed it.

I would have taken pictures, but flash photography was forbidden and it was quite dark inside the theatre. I was afraid the pictures would not turn out without a flash, so I didn't bother with it.

They also provide free study guides for teachers/parents for each stage production. Here is the one for this production.

I asked the boys if they would like to go back in December to see Scrooge, and they both said yes... {grin}.

4-H Photography Contest

2009-10-13T19:49:00.008-05:00

Nathan and Ryan turned in their pictures today for the 4-H photography contest. Nathan entered in one category - The World I Imagine (altered photo) and Ryan entered in two categories - The World I Imagine (altered photo) and The World I See (non-altered photo).

Ryan won first place in The World I See category.

Ryan's photo:

Nathan won first place in The World I Imagine category and Ryan placed second.

I've tried to upload their altered pictures, but for some reason I just can't get it to work :(
Oh well, they were thrilled that they placed in the contest.

Co-Op, Week 8

2009-10-13T06:05:00.010-05:00

This week my 7th and 8th graders completed two experiments and one demonstration.

Experiment 4.1: The Lever
Experiment 4.2: A Simulation of Using Multiple Pulleys

We also completed a demonstration using metal pulleys. This gave the kids an actual feel for mechanical advantage. We tried several combinations varying from one to four pulleys to lift our load (backpack).

The kids will be finishing Module 4 this week and taking the test. They will also begin on Module 5.

My 5th and 6th graders completed one experiment and two demonstrations.

Experiment 3.1: A Floating Egg?

We also completed two demonstrations about surface tension. For the first one, I filled a glass to the brim with water and asked the kids to guess how many pennies it would take to spill the water. Most of the initial guesses were in the 8-20 range. It actually took 47 pennies before the water started to spill over the edge.

For the second demonstration, I added pepper to a bowl of water until it covered the surface of the water. Then I added a drop of hand soap to my finger and put it in the water. The kids were amazed at the reaction of the pepper... the way the pepper immediately repelled from the soap.

The kids are also finishing up Module 2, taking the test (if they haven't already) and starting on Module 3.

Columbus Day

2009-10-12T07:55:00.005-05:00

I ran across this website when I was looking for a quick activity related to Columbus day, http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/. Very neat site! I've added it to my list of resources at the bottom of my blog. By the way, they also have a short article with discussion questions related to Christopher Columbus, which is what I was looking for.

This looks like a yummy recipe:

Columbus Day Spiced Apple Cheese Raisin Nut Lasagna Recipe in the Style of 1492 Cooking http://www.groundreport.com/Business/Columbus-Day-Spiced-Apple-Cheese-Raisin-Nut-Lasagn_2/2909151

Boys will be boys...

2009-10-11T19:17:00.008-05:00

While I was finishing up some chores earlier today, DH and the boys played a quick game of dodge ball (or some variation of the game).

I took these pictures while standing on the screened porch. Because, if I stepped outside, I just knew that I would instantly become a target :)

God created boys, full of spirit and fun to explore and conquer, to romp and run. ~ Author Unknown

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 7

2009-10-10T19:38:00.011-05:00

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 7: Reshaping Europe and South America

Key Facts:

1. Simon Bolivar

a. Involved with South American liberation / El Labrador.
b. Referred to as "George Washington of South America"
c. Bolivar died hated by his enemies, outlawed by his own country, but his reputation was restored after his death and grew to mythical proportions.

2. Francisco de Miranda

a. Venezuelan revolutionary helped pave the way for independence in Latin America.

b. Served as a French Revolutionary general and was jailed for suspected treason then acquitted.

c. Signed armistice with Spain, July 1812 at San Mateo.

3. The Congress of Vienna

a. Congress of European leaders met to settle the future boundaries of the continent.

b. Adopted a fair policy of no great rewards and no great punishments.

c. Adopted a policy to restore the status quo ante bellum (the situation as it was before the war).
d. Restored monarchies across Europe.

Activities: Cooking with apples

Geography: Map South America

Unit Projects: Add information about Simon Bolivar to unit display board

Digging Deeper:

Adoniram Judson
Democracy in America

Videos:

Simon Bolivar: The Great Liberator of America: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRDnNL2WhIk&feature=related
Congress of Vienna lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3igypsAnIm0&feature=related

Reading:

Frankenstein
Simon Bolivar: Statesman and Liberator
In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and Its People
Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma

New kayak for Christmas!

2009-10-10T18:17:00.008-05:00

We are getting a new whitewater kayak just in time for Christmas! Personally, I don't know much about the different models, but DH and David have been looking at the different models and styles for months now and they decided on the Dagger Mamba (pictured below).

The color of ours is called "rain" (bottom right picture)

The boys can't wait to run the local creeks and rivers this winter (like the picture below). Did I mention this is NOT my sport... I prefer to kayak in a recreational boat or an inflatable ducky :)

"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your element in each moment." Henry David Thoreau

Week 10 Review

2009-10-10T16:52:00.004-05:00

Our week in review:

Language Arts:
We worked through the usual grammar, vocabulary, spelling, handwriting, writing and reading lessons this week. Nathan and Ryan are still enjoying utilizing spelling city (online) and it makes my job a little easier.
Ryan is also getting his story/novel outlined for next month (Young Writers Program). Nathan will probably write a short story or essay next month, I haven't decided which yet. David is practicing for the PSAT test next week.

Literature:
This week they read/covered: The War of 1812: Second Fight for Independence, Our Flag Was Still There, The Great Little Madison, Our Country's Presidents (James Madison) and we are still slowly reading (savoring) Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is also working through The Last of the Mohicans.

History:
I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered James Madison and the War of 1812.

Science:
We had a break from Co-op this week because we are half way through our fall term. Even with the break, Nathan and Ryan still had science assignments to complete. This week they worked through the Module 2 study guide. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.

Math:
Nathan and Ryan are currently working through a unit study on fractions. They also applied their math skills to the test by baking chocolate chip cookies. They turned out pretty good. I am getting them ramped up for a larger cooking with fractions project. David is practicing for the PSAT test next week.

Other:
We worked through a couple of logic worksheets, a latin and french lesson this week. Things are moving slow in this department. But, there are only so many hours in a day and basics come first.

4-H Photography projects:
Nathan and Ryan are finishing up their photography projects and getting ready for the photo contest next week.

Outdoor Pursuits:
The weather has not been cooperating much lately, but DH did take Ryan out hiking in the canyon (Little River National Preserve) where they marked some waypoints on our GPS. Nathan and Ryan have both been riding their bikes quite a bit this week... when it wasn't raining outside. David white water kayaked part of Little River Canyon because the water level was very high (due to all of the recent rain). He also did a little bouldering at Cherokee Rock Village with a friend.

Even though we had a break from our Co-op group this week, we were still quite busy.

Chemistry Labs, Week 6

2009-10-09T16:13:00.006-05:00

This week the kids performed two science experiments:

Experiment 3.2 - Electrical Conductivity of Compounds Dissolved in Water
MicroChem Lab 3 - Electrical Conductivity of Several Solutions

The wire initially emanated bubbles, but after a few minutes the copper started turning into copper sulfate - CuSO4.

Personal challenge - groceries

2009-10-07T12:38:00.008-05:00

How is it that I can spend so much time researching and planning curriculum, but not have the same enthusiasm when it comes to purchasing household items like groceries? I take my time to research and find the absolute best curriculum for my kids. I try to save by purchasing what I can used or second hand. When purchasing new items I check for free or discounted shipping codes. But, somehow I don't take the time to use grocery coupons. Ugh...

I've got to become a better shopper. I'm already on a fairly tight budget, but there is always room for improvement. Especially if I start using coupons on a regular basis, shop using local sale papers, and take advantage of the Walgreen's "game". In other words, I know what I could or should be doing, but just haven't taken time for.

So this is my personal challenge for myself, to see how much I can save if I put a little effort into it. Learning the ins and outs of the savings game reminds me of how confusing and overwhelming it was when I first started looking at homeschool curriculum. But, somehow I worked my way through all of the information and came up with a plan that, for the most part, works well for our family. I need to do the same with my household purchases.

I plan on keeping an expense log to track my savings and post my results. I'm excited to see how it adds up and how much I can save by the end of the year.

30 Hour Famine

2009-10-03T12:34:00.009-05:00

David is participating in a 30 hour famine with his youth group. They will be done this evening around 5 pm. He was able to raise $180 in donations for World Vision.

In order to prepare for this, he read a book about Biblical fasting and fasted earlier this week from Sunday evening through Tuesday. I think it was quite a bit harder than he thought it would be. He really wanted to fast all week, but just couldn't do it. I believe this was a great experience for him and that he will be much more prepared for it next year.

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 6

2009-10-02T06:32:00.009-05:00

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 6: Madison and the War of 1812

Key Facts:

1. James Madison

a. 4th President of the United States; "Father of the Constitution"

b. Dolley Madison

c. Second Bank of United States chartered

2. War of 1812

a. Key events and causes

b. Battles

c. Treaty of Ghent

3. Chief Tecumseh

a. Shawnee Indian tribe; brother, Tenskwatawa - Shawnee Prophet

b. Tippecanoe

c. Indian confederacy - Native union against western settlers

4. Francis Scott Key

a. Strongly opposed War of 1812; However served briefly in Georgetown field artillery in 1813.

b. Observed bombardment of Fort McHenry

c. Poem: Defense of Fort McHenry, renamed The Star Spangled Banner / national anthem 1931.

Activities: American flag etiquette

Geography: War of 1812 battle maps

Unit Projects: Add information about James Madison to the display board.

Digging Deeper:

William Wilberforce
Democracy in America

Videos:

Restoring the home of President James Madison: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30kR0CvmQGQ
James Madison: The Father of the Constitution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuTj1BFc0jI&feature=related
First Invasion War of 1812 Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7Hh8W69cos
First Invasion War of 1812 Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In8ehVBhFCQ&feature=related
First Invasion War of 1812 Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2sXXwIEhsQ&feature=related
First Invasion War of 1812 Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmN0NA0pRs0&feature=related
First Invasion War of 1812 Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P4oubQHCVY&feature=related
First Invasion War of 1812 Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxmjD8KAl7s&feature=related
First Invasion War of 1812 Part 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-ldd5lYmU&feature=related
First Invasion War of 1812 Part 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjl10p7EQ1k&feature=related
First Invasion War of 1812 Part 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHfuZ1X-z3k&feature=related
History of the Star Spangled Banner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDKfw8nysLA&feature=related

Reading:

Wilberforce: An Activity Book
The War of 1812: Second Fight for Independence
Our Flag Was Still There
The Great Little Madison
Our Country's Presidents

Week 9 Review

2009-10-02T06:31:00.004-05:00

We have made it half way through our first semester. Yeah!

My oldest son David is working well independently (for the most part) and is currently busy getting ready for the PSAT.

In addition to his regular studies this semester, David has been active in our local Co-op with a political science class, homeschool band practice, electric bass lessons, chemistry lab group, church youth group and volunteering with True Adventure Sports. After this weekend he will probably have around 40 volunteer hours for this school year. He also completed a rappel basics course and received his drivers license. Thank goodness he can drive now, because his schedule is becoming increasingly hard to keep up with.

Nathan and Ryan have been involved with a science class with our local Co-op group, 4-H club, piano/violin lessons, Sunday school, field trips, plus plenty of free time to play and explore. Ryan also completed a kids triathlon.

I've been brainstorming this week, trying to figure out how to teach, while encouraging my younger boys to put forth their best effort (the first time), learn/work more independently, and trying to keep it some what fun. Apparently, that's a tall order. So, this is what I've come up with for the next term:

3 weeks on our regular schedule
3 weeks using a unit study/project style schedule
3 weeks on our regular schedule

I'm hoping this combination will work well for us. Of course, I might continue to tweak it as we go along. We will just have to see how it works out.

Chemistry Labs, Week 5

2009-10-02T06:30:00.007-05:00

This week the kids completed the lab for experiment 3.1:
The Conservation of Mass ~ mixing vinegar and purple cabbage juice (chemical reaction #1), then added lye (chemical reaction #2). The second reaction also created heat. The kids really liked this experiment.

Additional resources: Periodic Table Song (CD), also http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html

Whats for dinner?

2009-10-02T06:02:00.005-05:00

I hate that question! I have a tendency to cook the same meals over and over and get into a rut. So, I branched out and tried a new recipe last night.

After browsing through the recipes on Foodnetwork, I happened upon one from Ina's collection that looked really good - the Perfect Roast Chicken. Yum... and I already had all of the ingredients on hand. I ended up cooking two smallish (4 lb.) chickens instead of one, because I wanted plenty of leftovers. The house smelled wonderful and the chicken did in fact turn out perfect and juicy. My boys all loved this dish (even my picky eaters), so I will definitely be using this recipe again!

Click on the picture for the recipe.

Co-Op, Week 7

2009-09-30T07:14:00.005-05:00

This week my 5th and 6th graders are finishing up module 2 in Apologia General Science. They also created an experiment following the scientific method. They combined yeast and warm water in a bottle and then added one of three different variables: coke, orange juice and lemonade. They placed balloons on top of the bottles to measure the reactions. Then we charted the results.

My 7th and 8th graders are working on module 4 in Apologia General Science. We fell behind last week with the experiments, so we performed those this week in order to catch up. They included:

Experiment 3.2: Which "Boat" Will Move?
Experiment 3.3: What Does Soap Do To Water? - Part 1
Experiment 3.4: What Does Soap Do To Water? - Part 2

I forgot to bring my camera this week, so unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the experiments.

Next week we have a break from Co-op (half way point in our fall term). The kids still have assignments to work on and will stay connected with our online classroom (virtualhomeschoolgroup.com).

Cooking with fractions

2009-09-28T09:00:00.005-05:00

I have found a fun project that incorporates math with cooking - yum!

Here is the link: ttp://www.rivervaleschools.com/schools/holdrum/cooking_with_fractions/cooking_webquest.htm

Book Review ~ Watcher in the Woods

2009-09-28T08:59:00.005-05:00

I just finished reading Watcher in the Woods, by Robert Liparulo. It is the second book in the Dreamhouse Kings series. I pre-read the first book in the series, House of Dark Shadows before placing it in Nathan and Ryan's book basket. I wrote about this book in an earlier post.

The second book picks up right where the first book ends (or not ends). I just can't stop reading this series. The story just sucks you in and never lets go. There are more alternate worlds to explore, which adds plenty of tense action and adventure to the story.

Brothers, Xander and David King, along with their sister and parents move into a creepy old house that is chock full of secrets. First, sounds are never what or where they seem to be in the house. There is a secret portal from the linen closet to a locker at school. Then there is a secret third floor with portals to alternate worlds. If that is not enough, the house is set in a rather dense dark forest that contains a clearing where you can actually float.

A family member has been kidnapped and taken to an alternate world and the rest of the family must work together to bring them back. Now, a stranger shows up trying to get the house for himself and is willing to do anything to get it.

What can possibly happen next? I have no idea. But, I can't wait to find out.

Rock Climbing

2009-09-27T19:54:00.004-05:00

Sunday afternoon, DH and the boys enjoyed some rock climbing at Cherokee Rock Village.

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 5

2009-09-26T17:43:00.008-05:00

Week 5 ~ Jefferson and the Supreme Court

Key Facts:

1. The United States Constitution
a. The Preamble
b. Article 1 - The Legislative Branch
c. Article 2 - The Executive Branch
d. Article 3 - The Judicial Branch
e. Article 4 - The States
f. Article 5 - Amendment
g. Article 6 - Debts, Supremacy, Oaths
h. Article 7 - Ratification
i. Amendments

2. John Marshall
a. 4th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
b. Announced Washington's death, planned his monument and wrote a biography on Washington.
c. Presided over Aaron Burr vs. United States case for treason

3. Judicial Branch
a. Judicial Powers
b. Trial by Jury, Original Jurisdiction, Jury Trials
c. Treason

Activities: Activity from Wilberforce Activity Book

Unit Projects: Add information about the branches of government to the display board.

Digging Deeper:

William Wilberforce

Videos:

Drive Through History American History Series (Netflix)
Declaration of Independence - Remember This. Great Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3zr8ZY5c1c&feature=related
American Government: Origins of the Three Branches: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbfS1tSYW04&feature=related
William Wilberforce - The Great Debate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o8R9BVqQr8

Movies:

Amazing Grace (Netflix)

Reading:

Wilberforce: An Activity Book
A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers
The Supreme Court

Young Writers Program

2009-09-25T09:51:00.007-05:00

Apparently, November is National Novel Writing Month. Who knew??

NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge where you write a novel in 30 days. The word count goal for adults is 50,000 words (yikes!). But, the Young Writers Program allows participants 17 and under to set their own word-count goals.

The website also offers free workbooks (elementary, middle school and high school levels) to help walk kids through the writing process.

Ryan (my ambitious child), has decided that he would like to participate in this challenge and has set a goal of 10,000 words. Oh. My. Goodness. He might not get anything else done in November! I'm glad that he has shown interest in this, but I also hope he has the perseverance to see it through to the end.

Week 8 Review

2009-09-25T09:50:00.003-05:00

Well, we are 8 weeks into the school year and things are going relatively well. We are only off by a few days from my semester schedule. So, I should feel pretty good about our progress. But, as soon as we start to fall behind, I start feeling rattled. Hum... Maybe it's time to change things up a bit.

Just as there is no such thing as a perfect homeschool curriculum, I know that homeschooling isn't ever going to be perfect. There is no "normal" day. However, I can tell things are starting to slip - just a little (hence the stress). The initial fun factor of a new school year has worn off. Sometimes, we don't get to every lesson scheduled because the boys are dragging along. Or, the boys don't do their best, so I reassign the same lesson the next day (insert groans and complaints).

It doesn't help that we have had rainy weather for two weeks straight. The boys are literally climbing the walls. Next week the weather is supposed to beautiful. Yeah, can't wait for that!

Next week will also be the end of our first 9 weeks. So now I'm brainstorming for some ideas to liven thing up a bit. After all, learning is supposed to be fun, right?

Chemistry Labs, Week 4

2009-09-25T09:49:00.005-05:00

This week the kids completed the lab for experiment 2.2: Measuring the Specific Heat of a Metal.

We also spent time going over the math problems in the module. They are finishing up module 2, taking the module test and starting on module 3.

Field Trip

2009-09-24T07:13:00.006-05:00

We took a field trip to the Early Works Museum this morning. The exhibit was part of a Great American Series that paid tribute to Thomas Edison.

We had a lot of fun...

Co-Op, Week 6

2009-09-22T20:49:00.012-05:00

This week, my 7th and 8th graders are finishing up module 3. In class, we finished our module discussion, went over all of the questions on the module summary, and went over a few of the "On Your Own" questions.

They will be taking the quiz and test this week for module 3 in our online classroom (virtualhomeschoolgroup).

However, we ran out of time and didn't get to any of the experiments I had planned for them. Hopefully, we can complete several experiments next week.

My 5th and 6th graders are still working through module 2. In class, we finished discussing the first half of the module and went over "On Your Own" questions 2.1-2.8.

They were able to complete two experiments this week:

The first was called Drops on Coins. I handed out an assortment of coins (pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters) and each child had to guess how many drops of water they thought the coin would hold. Then they performed the experiment and we compared the actual results with their initial guesses.

The second experiment was called Baking Soda Bubbles. We slowly added vinegar to baking soda creating CO2 and then blew bubbles across the top to see the bubbles float on top of the CO2. This is because the bubbles are filled with air and air is less dense than CO2. Neat experiment!

Fall Into Reading

2009-09-21T20:57:00.004-05:00

Katrina from Callapidder Days is hosting the Fall Into Reading Challenge. Sounds like fun - I'm in!

So, I've compiled a list of books that I'm all set to dig into and read. I'm not reading them in any particular order. But, I know that I'll be starting with Green, by Ted Dekker, because it's already sitting on my nightstand.

Green, by Ted Dekker
What in the World Is Going On? 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore, by David Jeremiah
Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo
Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers
Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn
Atlantis Found, by Clive Cussler
Farraday Road, by Ace Colins
The Christmas Sweater, by Glenn Beck

Now the fun part begins... reading and checking out what others are reading.

Making geography fun...

2009-09-21T16:31:00.004-05:00

Monopolycitystreets is a free online global version of the Monopoly game. I saw this link earlier today and had the boys try it out. I figured it would be a fun way to reinforce mapping and geography skills. They thought it was great!

You start by buying any street in the world. Then you can construct buildings and collect rent. Chance cards are given out randomly and you can sabotage your friends by building hazards on their streets. All in good fun of course.

It came!

2009-09-19T19:23:00.006-05:00

Finally, the new Hunter Brown book arrived in the mail today. I had to order it from CBD because I couldn't find it available anywhere else. The boys (Nathan and Ryan) are absolutely ecstatic! It's been a long time since they have been this excited over a book series. They have always enjoyed a good story, but rarely do they share my enthusiasm for reading. I'm always on the hunt for books that will get this kind of reaction from them and get so excited when I find one. I'll write a more detailed book review once I actually get to read it. I'll also have the boys post their reviews to give their thoughts on the book.

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 4

2009-09-19T14:22:00.007-05:00

Key Facts:

1. Thomas Jefferson
a. Author of the draft of the Declaration of Independence, third President, legislator, lawyer, diplomat, architect, inventor, scientist, agriculturist and writer.
b. Monticello
c. The Louisiana Territory purchased from France for $15 million. That's 3 cents per acre
(512 million acres).

2. Meriwether Lewis
a. Personal Secretary of Thomas Jefferson
b. Corps of Discovery Expedition - Served as Naturalist
c. Governor over Louisiana Territory

3. William Clark
a. Second Lieutenant / Captain
b. Corps of Discovery Expedition - Served as Mapmaker and Mediator
c. Principal Indian agent for the Louisiana Territory

4. Sacagawea
a. ShoShone woman married to Toussaint Charbonneau
b. Gave birth during Corps of Discovery Expedition - Interpreter
c. Believed to have died after giving birth to second child

5. William Burr
a. First Vice President to Thomas Jefferson
b. Judiciary Act of 1801
c. Killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel July 11, 1804

Activities: Make a compass

Unit Projects: Add information on Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Sacagawea to the display board.

Geography: Map out Louisiana Purchase

Digger Deeper:

12th Amendment: changed Presidential election rules.
Sedition Act

Videos:

John Adams: The Sedition Act: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-2pQuR4Zy8
The Letters of Adams and Jefferson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKRZRWV7U4s&feature=related
Thomas Jefferson's Prophetic Wisdom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B93yn0O35Cw
Monticello: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP0bGckPw84
The Lewis and Clark Expedition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-FAPBc_vak&feature=related

Reading:

Thomas Jefferson
The Louisiana Purchase
The Year of the Horseless Carriage: 1801 (Read Aloud)

Week 7 Review

2009-09-19T11:35:00.004-05:00

Finally, a full week of school. Sometimes it is hard to get back into the groove after a short week, but we were ready to get back to our routine.

We accomplished our school goals for the week, attended Co-op, music lessons, chemistry labs, band practice and the first 4-H meeting of the year.

Nathan and Ryan are working on a 4-H project (photography), which will be due next month. David is enjoying his driving privileges and looking for a part time job.

I should have scanned some of their work into the computer to get better pictures, but here are a few quick snap shots of handwriting and math. I keep forgetting to do this before I grade it and file it away. Ugh...

A page from Ryan's handwriting assignments

Nathan's fraction math review sheet

The house is clean (for the most part), I have laundry going, chili simmering on the stove and college football on TV. I love fall.

So, what have I not finished this week- closets. I have started, but I'm no where close to being done. So far I have one bag of clothes that I need to give away. I will probably have at least 8-10 bags by the time I'm done. At this rate, I'll be done by Halloween.

DH and David are kayaking down part of Little River Canyon today. Nathan and Ryan had a friend sleep over last night and are busy playing. So that leaves me time to research on the computer, read, finish my lesson plans for next week and work on those closets.

Chemistry Labs, Week 3

2009-09-18T17:15:00.003-05:00

This week the kids completed experiment 2.1: Calibrating Your Thermometer
We discovered that our thermometer was off by 1 degree.

They also viewed the following websites:

Significant Figures Fable: http://chemteam.info/SigFigs/SigFigsFable.html
Powers of 10 Demonstration: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10

God's World News

2009-09-18T09:26:00.004-05:00

I've started subscribing to a new magazine this year: God's World News. I received a great rate through my local Co-op group that I couldn't pass up. So, I thought I would try it out. It comes in different grade levels, so I chose Top Story (for grades 6-9). In addition to the magazine there is a website with extra teaching material, articles and links. I have no idea how I'm going to integrate all of this great info, but it should certainly liven up our current event discussions.

Book Review ~ House of Dark Shadows

2009-09-17T11:47:00.007-05:00

I have just finished reading House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo. I was actually pre-reading this for Nathan and Ryan. They love spine-tingling mysteries, but there is a fine line between a book that is spooky or mysterious and one that is scary or terrifying. However, I think that they are really going to enjoy this series. It is a little reminiscent of A Wrinkle in Time.

In the book, the King family move from Pasadena to the small town of Pinedale. The house they move into is not what it seems. Brothers Xander and David discover a secret third floor with rooms that lead into the past. Unfortunately, most of these rooms seem to lead to life-threatening scenarios that are almost impossible to survive.

The book actually leaves you with more questions than it answers. So, if you read this, be prepared to read the entire series.

A new box of books!

2009-09-16T18:24:00.007-05:00

Getting a package of books delivered to my door always puts a smile on my face :)

I found some bargain books for the boys from Amazon and received free shipping.

Isle of Fire (Pirate Adventures, Book 2), Wayne Thomas Batson
The Final Storm (Door Within Series, Book 3), Wayne Thomas Batson
Hatchet, Gary Paulson
My Side of the Mountain, Jean Craighead George

This should keep my younger boys busy for a little while. But, I've also ordered Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire, by the Miller Brothers. When that book arrives, I'm sure it will jump to the head of the line. They love the Codebearers Series.

Birmingham Children's Theatre

2009-09-16T18:07:00.003-05:00

Two exciting upcoming productions...

I love that they offer home school days. The performances that we have attended in the past, were wonderful, and I'm looking forward to these as well.

Co-Op, Week 5

2009-09-15T17:54:00.008-05:00

My 7th and 8th graders completed module 2 last week and started module 3. This week they completed experiment 3.1: A Floating Egg?

My 5th and 6th graders completed module 1 last week and have started module 2. They completed two experiments this week at Co-op.

Experiment 2.3: The Broken Flashlight
The Lemon/Lime density experiment: Why do lemons float and limes sink? (we used oranges too)

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 3 - Continued

2009-09-14T07:49:00.003-05:00

Since last week was so short and I had a full week of history outlined, we will be continuing with it this week. If it becomes necessary, I'll condense a week or two later in the year to keep us on track. This week is full of interesting facts, stories and activities that the boys don't want to miss. Plus, after such a busy weekend, it is nice to know that I already have everything organized and ready to go.

Sunday - Race Day!

2009-09-14T06:29:00.012-05:00

We arrived shortly before dawn to set Ryan up for the race.

The Intermediates (ages 9-11) line up for the start of the race.

Ryan running from the pool into the transition area.

Ryan on the bike course.

Ryan (background) leaving transition area for the run course.

Ryan starting his run course.

The finish line is just around the corner!

The finish line.

Ryan poses for a picture with my parents.

I'm not sure the final number of kids that raced, but I know it was around 900. The event was extremely well organized and other than an initial 15 minute delay to the start of the race, the day went off without a hitch. All the kids had their name announced as they crossed the finish line (thanks to the timing chip) and received a medal.

Ryan is now an Ironkid and is looking forward to training for next year. I don't have his timed results yet (I didn't hang around to wait for them). But, they will be posted on the website so he will have a baseline to work with if he chooses to continue with this sport. I'm not sure if Nathan will train for this next year or not. He is not much of a distance runner since he broke his leg snow skiing about two years ago. I might try to find a sport or race that is more suited for his interests.

Busy Weekend

2009-09-12T07:57:00.008-05:00

We are in for a busy weekend. David will be attending a Rappel Basics Class. This is the first class in a series working towards a Master Rappel certification. He will have to wait until he is 18 to take classes 2-3 and must be 21 years old to complete the certification with classes 4-5.

David will be in class all day Saturday and plans to spend the night/camp with one of the instructors and then go to church and rock climb on Sunday.

Meanwhile, once we drop David off for his class, the rest of the family is traveling to Atlanta for the Ironkids Triathlon. Nathan has decided that he is not ready to compete, which is fine. However, Ryan feels he is ready and is very excited about the race.

We will arrive at Wills Park in Alpharetta on Saturday to check Ryan in, get his racing bib, timing chip, t-shirt, etc. We will also get course information and racing tips from the volunteers. This is great, because we are not familiar with the intricacies of this sport.

DH and I both have family in Atlanta, so we always have a place to stay when needed. However, we still have to get up before dawn on Sunday, to set Ryan up for the race.

Week 6 Review

2009-09-11T20:50:00.005-05:00

This was a short week.
Monday (Labor Day), the boys were still camping. In fact Ryan joined DH and David on the extreme night hike as a "junior helper."
Tuesday, we had Co-op classes.
Wednesday, was David's 16th birthday and I had to spend most of the morning at the DMV.
Thursday and Friday were our only normal school days this week.

We are now six weeks into the school year and I'm trying to do an early assessment of our curriculum hits and misses.

So far we are loving Tapestry of Grace, Spelling City, Khan Academy math videos (as a supplement) and Netflix. These are all new to us this year.

Rod and Staff and Vocabulary from the Roots Up are both staple items that we have used for several years and continue to enjoy.

I don't think we have really had any real misses yet, but I am reconsidering some of David's curriculum. The Apologia Chemistry is not meaty enough for him, so I'll have to work on this.

Ryan found an interesting Caterpillar in the yard and took this photo. I believe it is a Polyphemus Moth. They like to feed off hardwood trees, and we have several large maple trees in our yard.

The boys play a friendly game of airsoft.

Chemistry Labs, Week 2

2009-09-11T14:37:00.004-05:00

The kids completed two experiments this week.

Experiment 1.3: Comparing Conversions to Measurements - math based experiment
~and~
Experiment 1.4: The Density of Liquids - classic density experiment with math & measurements.

Kayak Roll Class

2009-09-10T16:33:00.006-05:00

True Adventure Sports held a kayak roll class in our pool last night. Although we hung out with the class, we didn't participate. The teacher, Cal Breed, owns a local glass studio (Orbix Hot Glass). I'll have to keep this in mind for a future field trip.

Sometime later this week or next, we will be closing our pool for the winter. For some reason, the original home owner decided to plant pecan and maple trees in the backyard - with an inground pool. The combination can be a maintenance nightmare. With pecans already starting to fall, I know it is time to close it down for the year.

09/09/09

2009-09-09T06:01:00.003-05:00

Today, is David's 16th birthday!

We spent about two hours at the local DMV so that he could take his road test. Thankfully, he passed. Yeah... or should I say yikes! Now, I'm a nervous wreck every time he leaves the house. Well, at least I have someone who is willing to do errands for me :)

Co-Op, Week 4

2009-09-08T20:07:00.007-05:00

Each of my classes completed an experiment this week.

My 5th and 6th graders completed a water density experiment. They changed the density of water by adding various amounts of salt to the solution.

We also spent time reviewing Module 1. They will be taking the Module 1 exam, in our online classroom (virtualhomeschoolgroup), this week.

My 7th and 8th graders completed experiment 2.3: The Broken Flashlight.

We also spent time reviewing Module 2. They will be taking the Module 2 exam, in our online classroom (virtualhomeschoolgroup), this week.

Just plain silly

2009-09-07T21:17:00.003-05:00

Here is the original video that inspired David and his friends to create a spoof video...

Here is their video - a spoof of a spoof...

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 3

2009-09-06T16:32:00.006-05:00

Week Three: The focus this week is on the Early Industrial Revolution.

Key Facts:

1. Industrial Revolution
a. Started in Europe/Great Britain
b. Machines and Factories
c. Inventions

2. History of the Telegraph
a. William Sturgeon/Electromagnet
b. Joseph Henry & Charles Wheatstone
c. Samuel Morse/Morse Code

3. Eli Whitney
a. The Cotton Gin
b. Eli Whitney Armory/Production of Muskets
c. Machine Tool Industry/Interchangeable Parts

4. Robert Fulton
a. The Steam Engine
b. Steam Warship
c. Commissioned by Napoleon/Designed Submarine (Nautilus)

5. Francis Cabot Lowell
a. The American Textile Industry
b. Power Loom
c. Active Lobbyist/Protective Tariff

Activities: Make a Battery, Make a Cardboard Loom

Unit Projects: Add information on Eli Whitney, Robert Fulton and Francis Cabot Lowell to the display board.

Geography: Labeled map of the British Isles

Digging Deeper:

Napoleon Code
Immanuel Kent

Videos:

Industrial Revolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO3AW0JAHmU&feature=PlayList&p=FCFEC9A4EA49374D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4
The Industrial Revolution - The Golden Age of Steam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0ANJEpj79o&feature=related
Industrial Revolution in pictures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb4ut4xLEJA&feature=related

Reading:

A Head Full of Notions
Swiss Family Robinson
The Year of the Horseless Carriage: 1801 (Read Aloud)

Truly Blessed

2009-09-05T06:22:00.006-05:00

I was planning on posting pictures of our camping trip. I even had a great opportunity to take a great close up picture of a deer. He must have thought I had food, because he came within five feet of me. I reached for my camera and then realized that the memory card was at home! My camera does not have any internal memory... ugh.

Nathan and Ryan enjoyed playing Frisbee disc golf at the campsite and going on spider hunts. Despite the rain, they found ways to stay occupied. They even ran experiments on the best method of roasting marshmallows.

Meanwhile, David was a volunteer worker with True Adventure Sports yesterday. He worked 14 hours straight and didn't even have time for any meal breaks. He worked with rappelling and rock climbing tours from early morning until mid afternoon. Then he worked with a cave tour and finished up just before 10 pm. He came back to camp exhausted and dazed. What I didn't realize until this morning, was that on the way back to camp, he and another volunteer were in a slight car accident. They were not traveling fast. But, as they were going down a hill and around a curve the driver hydroplaned and hit a small tree on the side of the road. I know that they were not traveling fast, because the only damage to the car was the front fender. The air bags did not deploy and the tree only lost the outer layer of bark. It could have been much worse. Especially considering that they were traveling on the canyon rim road (Little River Canyon National Preserve) and the tree they hit was on the canyon side. If they had been speeding, they could have gone over the edge and ended up at the bottom of the canyon. Although I would never want anyone to be in an accident, this was a good lesson for David. Even though he wasn't driving, he now knows that a small amount of water on the road is all that is needed to loose control and hydroplane . The roads were wet because it had been drizzling and softly raining off and on all day. However, I truly feel blessed that he and the other volunteer were not hurt and the damage was minimal. Hopefully, this is a lesson that David will carry with him as he takes his driver's license road test later this week.

David and DH are both volunteering with True Adventure Sports tonight. They are working on an extreme night hike at Cherokee Rock Village that begins at midnight and will go until the wee hours of the morning. I think David will have plenty of volunteer hours for awhile.

Week Five Review

2009-09-04T06:34:00.004-05:00

Although we are on our regular school schedule now, we did not complete everything on our list this week. Somehow, we didn't get to our Latin lessons - at all! I had them scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. I figured they could do their Latin lesson and attend Co-op on Tuesday. In my mind, I felt that it should work. However, I now know that the lesson needs to be done before we leave for Co-op. Because, by the time we get home from Co-op on Tuesdays, they are eager to go outside and play. I don't normally have a problem with getting lessons done on Thursdays, but I had to move David's chemistry lab group from Friday afternoon to Thursday afternoon this week because of a conflicting field trip. So, Latin got dropped because I needed to get the kids started on their chemistry labs. Hopefully, I've got this figured out now and we will get to our Latin lessons from now on.

What else did I not get to? Well, I have not started cleaning out the closets. I really need to since summer is quickly coming to an end and fall is almost here. But, somehow it was all I could do this week to get the school work (minus the Latin), basic house cleaning, laundry and cooking done.

I would like to think that next week will run more smoothly, but I know better. Monday is a holiday (Labor Day) and on Wednesday, my oldest son David, turns 16! So, at some point we will need to go down to the DMV so he can take the road test and (hopefully) get his drivers license.

Also, David has informed me that one morning this week, he along with one of his homeschool friends and church youth minister are being interviewed live, via Skype, on Fox News in Cleveland, Ohio. Apparently, they made a funny (spoof) video to one of their news stories and they want to interview them. I don't know which day it will be yet, but David said it will be early, around 6 am. (yikes!)

This weekend, we plan to go camping. We will probably do some rock climbing or rappelling if the weather holds out. I'm going to try to enjoy the long weekend because I know this week will be a busy one.

Chemistry Labs, Week 1

2009-09-03T06:13:00.005-05:00

This week, the kids performed two chemistry experiments:

Experiment 1.1: Air Has Mass: The yardstick balances with two uninflated balloons. Once one balloon is inflated, the yardstick tips in that direction. Indicating that air has mass.

Experiment 1.2: Air Takes Up Space: After placing the glass upside down in a sink of water, the paper towel is still dry.

Training for a triathlon

2009-09-02T15:59:00.014-05:00

Nathan and Ryan continue to train for their upcoming triathlon. Today, I took them up to our local recreation center to run on the track. I don't think they are worried about any of the individual events (swimming, biking and running). But, after doing all three events back to back to back, I know they will be exhausted! They are somewhat competitive with each other, but are not trying to break any records. Their goal is just to finish the race. Plus, it is something that their older brother has never done. So, that alone seems to be enough incentive for them - along with the t-shirt and medal everyone receives for finishing the race :)

David can't participate in the race because he is too old. His birthday is four days before the cut-off date.

Countdown to race day: 11 days (September 13th)

Co-op, Week 3

2009-09-01T15:10:00.007-05:00

We completed two more experiments this week:

Experiment 2.1: How Does Weight Affect the Speed...

What falls faster, a book, a rock or a cork?

Experiment 2: Dancing Raisins (another look at density) - raisins, craisins, pasta and dried beans bobbing up and down in clear soda (CO2)

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 2

2009-08-30T15:05:00.012-05:00

Here is an overview of my history plans for Nathan and Ryan this week.

Key Facts:

1. Louis XVIII
a. Palace of Versailles
b. Spent 23 years in exile and was exiled again with the return of Napoleon from Elba.
c. Charter of 1814 - France's new constitution.
d. Last French monarch to die while reigning.

2. Horatio Nelson
a. Joined the Royal Navy at 12 years of age.
b. Over the course of his navy career, Nelson contracted malaria, dysentery
and suffered from seasickness.
c. During the French Revolutionary Wars, Nelson lost an eye.
d. During an attack in the Canary Islands, Nelson lost an arm.
e. Battle of the Nile.
f. Battle of Trafalgar was Nelson's greatest victory and where he lost his life.
g. Famous last words: "Thank God I have done my duty. Kiss me, Hardy."
h. Famous Monuments.

3. The Continental System
a. Starving Britain of money.
b. Destroying British trade, particularly the re-export of colonial goods to Europe.
c. Berlin and Milan Decrees.
d. The Continental System backfired on Napoleon.

4. The Third Coalition
a. Britain, Austria, Russia, Sweden and some German states - striking back at France.
b. Napoleonic Wars.
c. Napoleon on the verge of being master of Europe.

5. Napoleon's Coronation
a. Elaborate ceremony lasting more than three hours.
b. Notre Dame Cathedral.
b. Two brothers (Lucien and Jerome) were banned from the service.

Unit Projects: Continue working on display board. Add information about Napoleon and Horatio Nelson

Geography: Review latitude and longitude. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/gk2/longlat.html

Digging Deeper:

Review life and ministry of William Carey
Introduce Immanuel Kant
The Code Napoleon

Videos:

Louis XVIII video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU2Ko5ySqrk&feature=PlayList&p=C93BA1A53EF39320&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=30
The Palace of Versailles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G93EhIGlVS0
Battle of Trafalgar Documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZAapCalVKY&feature=related
Napoleon and Josephine's Coronation Scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiKdK63btw0&feature=related
Napoleon - Austerlitz 1805: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPw9oFH1zlg
Napoleon in Russia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=458Gw-Xw0u0&feature=related
Waterloo 1815: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBxbVPERZuU&feature=related

Additional Activities: Create a french meal for dinner

Apologia Chemistry Labs

2009-08-30T12:38:00.013-05:00

I'm starting a small chemistry lab group this year. David and two of his friends are going to work through their chemistry and micro-chem labs together. Although I don't really need to add anything to my plate, I absolutely love chemistry (even have a chemistry minor). So, I don't mind that they will be meeting in my kitchen each week. I'll be on hand to make sure that they don't start any fires and help if they have any questions. However, I'm hoping that it will mainly be a student led activity.

I have found a great Apologia Chemistry syllabus on Donnayoung.org, which should help keep the kids organized and on track. They will also be sharing a lab kit which will help keep it budget friendly :)

Chemistry Syllabus

They will be starting this week!

Saturday Scenes

2009-08-29T19:38:00.008-05:00

Rock Climbing at Cherokee Rock Village:

Week Four Review

2009-08-29T15:27:00.023-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been almost a month since we started school. We have been very busy. This week we added history to our studies. Did I mention that we are using Tapestry of Grace? This is the first year that I've used the curriculum. But, I finally feel that I'm at a place where I can edit or tweak a curriculum and be happy with it while not trying to do everything. Trust me, that would never work with Tapestry of Grace (TOG), because you just can't do it all.

There are a couple of free resources that we have started using on a regular basis. The first is called Spelling City. I just put in the weekly spelling list and the kids do the rest, including taking the test online. It's great for me and they are really enjoying it. Another is Kahn Academy for math. The boys have been watching short videos that correspond to their math lessons.

Next week I'll be adding in Latin and French. We will finally be schooling on our regular schedule. I think the only thing I still have left to purchase is the art book. I need to place an order for that.

Besides school work, the boys still managed to get in some play time. They are still enjoying our pool and practicing for the triathlon. This morning, we were able to get in some rock climbing at Cherokee Rock Village before it rained. Although it has been very humid here lately, there is a cool breeze in the air. I think fall is just around the corner.

Early Birthday Present

2009-08-27T14:12:00.006-05:00

My Birthday is still several months away, but my parents have given me an early present. A six month subscription to Netflix! I'm so excited. I've already lined up some movies in my queue.

I had anticipated on getting a subscription sometime this fall, and even scheduled several selections in my lesson plans. Now, I'm able to take advantage of those and plan for more.

Earlier today we watched "19th Century Turning Points in U.S. History (1800-1813)." The boys really enjoyed it.

Now, I just need to save up for a wireless network adapter for the Xbox 360. Apparently, I can stream videos from Netflix through the Xbox onto our TV. Finally, a reason to get excited about their video game system! lol.

Pillow Fight

2009-08-27T12:36:00.008-05:00

Nathan and Ryan decided to gang up on DH for an impromptu pillow fight. Well, everyone was having fun until Ryan was accidentally knocked into our bed.

A quick trip to the ER and three stitches later, he is good as new.

Early Works Museum

2009-08-26T06:21:00.004-05:00

Great American Series: Meet Thomas Edison
September 23 - 25, 2009
"Anyone can become an inventor, all it takes is common sense, hard work and stick-to-it-ive-ness!"
Meet Mr. Edison as he tells tales of his days as a "newpaper butcher" and tramp telegrapher. Discover the inital and continuing influence his inventions had on our world. Inventions such as an electrical lighting system, the phonograph and moving pictures. Send your own telegraph messages and play with a phen thistascope, the forerunner of the moving picture.

Co-op, Week 2

2009-08-25T21:48:00.010-05:00

We completed two experiments this week:

Experiment 1.2 - Atomic Motion

Mixing food coloring in hot and cold water to see the motion of atoms.

Experiment 1.3 - A Chemical Reaction

Vinegar plus red cabbage juice and baking soda equals a great experiment in chemical reactions. The kids loved this! The baking soda and vinegar mixture created the first chemical reaction, which was to bubble, fizz and inflate the balloon. The second reaction was a color change in the mixture from red/pink to blue/purple.

David flipping into the pool

2009-08-24T11:23:00.005-05:00

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Week 1

2009-08-23T14:12:00.017-05:00

Here is a quick overview of my history plans for Nathan and Ryan this week.

Key Facts:
1. George Washington

a. Political party - Federalist

b. Vice President - John Adams

c. His picture is on the quarter (since 1932)

d. Only president to run unopposed for both terms.

e. He declined to run a third term - setting a precedent.

f. Fought in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.

g. First presidential veto blocking a bill to increase the number of U.S. representatives.

h. Issued a proclamation of neutrality that kept US out of French Revolutionary Wars.

i. Put down the Whiskey Rebellion by summoning militia of several states.

j. Prevented another war with Great Britain through unpopular treaty in 1794.

k. Washington lived in New York City and Philadelphia during his presidency.

2. John Adams

a. Political party - Federalist

b. Vice President - Thomas Jefferson

c. Signed the Alien and Sedition Acts

d. Revealed the XYZ affair

e. Signed a treaty with Napoleon in 1800 preventing war between U.S. and France.

f. Appointed several conservative judges during the last hours of his presidency.

g. Adams was the first president to live in the White House.

h. His Vice President was a political rival and belonged to a different party.

3. French Revolution (1789-1799)
a. Early French revolutionaries were influenced by the American Revolution.
b. Thomas Jefferson was the U.S. minister to France and was sympathetic to their cause.
c. Before the revolution bread cost more than a normal week's wages.
d. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were out of touch with the common people.
e. During the Reign of Terror more than 18,000 people were beheaded.
f. The French Revolution marked the end of Feudalism.
g. July 14th: Bastille Day (French Independence Day)
h. There were only 7 prisoners at the Bastille when it was stormed by the people.
i. The French motto is Liberte Egalite Fraternite (Freedom, Equality, Fraternity)
j. The tri-colors of the flag: White (colour of the king), Blue and Red (colours of Paris)
k. The French National Anthem called la Marseillaise is a revolutionary song.

4. Napoleon
a. Born in Corsica
b. A brilliant military commander, known for conquering a large part of Europe.
c. Napoleon repeatedly defeated military forces superior in size to his own.
d. He created French kingdoms in Holland, Italy, Germany & Spain reigned by relatives.
e. The army assembled in 1812 by Napoleon was the largest yet seen in Europe.
f. Napoleon took Pope Pius VII's crown and put it on his own head.
g. He was defeated during the final battle at Waterloo
h. Exiled twice (Island of Elba and Island of Saint Helena)

Unit Projects: Start a unit display board. Complete presidential cards for Washington and Adams.

Geography: Make a salt map illustrating geography terms.

Writing Assignment: Write a letter with a quill and homemade ink.

Digging Deeper:

Reasons for studying history
Compare and contrast Christianity and Hinduism
Discuss the life and ministry of William Carey

Videos:

The Life of George Washington: http://www.earlyamerica.com/gwlifemovie2.htm
Mount Vernon Virtual Tour: http://www.mountvernon.org/virtual/index.cfm/ss/2/
Thomas Jefferson Talks with Napoleon Bonaparte: http://www.poplarforest.org/1806/index.html

Additional Activities: Make Hoecakes (Washington's typical breakfast). http://www.mountvernon.org/learn/explore_mv/index.cfm/pid/289/

Week Three Review

2009-08-21T20:03:00.005-05:00

Well, another week has flown by again. We are continuing to ramp up our studies. This week we added grammar, logic and science (first full week of study with Co-op class). David also started his Political Science class at Co-op. Plus, I'm working on our history lesson plans, since we will be starting those next week.

It has rained here off and on this week, so the boys haven't had the opportunity to do much outdoors. All three boys did get in a little bit of swimming in our pool, but that's about it. Nathan and Ryan are planning on competing in a kids triathlon next month, so in addition to the swimming, they have been riding their bikes around the neighborhood. At some point I need to take them up to the track at the recreation center so they can practice running. Hopefully, the weather will improve next week.

As far as my projects go, I tackled the ironing last week. I was able to finish and actually found the bottom of the basket! Hopefully, I'll be able to keep it up. Next, I need to work on cleaning out the closets. This will probably take a few weeks to complete. But, it really needs to be done. Especially with fall just around the corner. Now, I just need to get motivated...

Man vs. Wild Alabama

2009-08-19T20:20:00.005-05:00

Finally, after waiting months since production wrapped, the episode filmed in Alabama is finally airing on TV. It is fun to watch Bear "surviving" in the same areas we frequently play around in on the weekends. The canyon, woods and cave system are all familiar to us.

DH even received a souvenir from the show - a torch...

First day of Co-op

2009-08-18T17:34:00.007-05:00

Well, after spending most of the summer getting ready for my science classes, the first day of Co-op finally arrived! It was wonderful and chaotic, but the experiment was pure fun.

Our first experiment was about density in nature.

(look for the cork, ice cube, grape and rock)

I think we are going to have a great year.

Free Resources

2009-08-15T15:09:00.004-05:00

I have added new links and updated my list of free resources at the bottom of my blog. Check it out.

Week Two Review

2009-08-15T10:41:00.005-05:00

This week has flown by. In school, we continued with Bible, reading and writing while adding in spelling, vocabulary and math.

On Monday, the boys had their music lessons. Tuesday, we had our Co-op orientation meeting where I handed out the first assignment for my science classes. The assignments are to be completed by the first week of Co-op. So, Nathan and Ryan (who are both in my class) have also started their science studies this week. We are slowly but surely easing into our school schedule.

David went camping and rock climbing with some friends at Cherokee Rock Village. Nathan and Ryan have been playing with some neighborhood friends, swimming (in our pool) and playing disc golf.

While we are still schooling lite, I'm trying to catch up on some housework. At our house, as a general rule, when we get a lot of school work done, then the housework seems to suffer. And, if the house is clean, then we probably didn't get as much school work done. So, this week I've concentrated on finishing the never ending ironing basket. I feel like if I can tackle one project a week, eventually I will be caught up.

Man vs. Wild Alabama

2009-08-13T07:32:00.008-05:00

Next Wednesday, August 19th, a new episode of Man vs. Wild, that was filmed right here in Alabama, will air. This is a show staring Bear Grylls and is shown on the Discovery channel. Our friends at True Adventure Sports were actively involved with the production of this episode. My DH was even involved with some of the pre-production work.

I'm excited to watch the show to see how the story unfolds.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T19:00:00.008-05:00

National History Day

2009-08-11T07:57:00.005-05:00

What is National History Day?

National History Day (NHD) is a highly regarded academic organization for all students in grades 6-12. (public, private and homeschoolers)

Each year, more than half a million students, encouraged by thousands of teachers nationwide participate in the NHD contest. Students choose historical topics related to a theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews and historic sites. After analyzing and interpreting their sources and drawing conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, students present their work in original papers, websites, exhibits, performances and documentaries. These products are entered into competitions in the spring at local, state and national levels where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. The program culminates in a national competition each June held at the University of Maryland at College Park.

In addition to discovering the exciting world of the past, NHD also helps students develop the following attributes that are critical for future success:

critical thinking and problem-solving skills
research and reading skills
oral and written communication and presentation skills
self esteem and confidence
a sense of responsibility for and involvement in the democratic process

Here is a video introduction to National History Day from the History Channel.

National History Day gives monetary awards in addition to medals to the top three national winners in each category.

Gold medalists receive $1,000*
Silver medalists receive $500
Bronze medalists receive $250

National History Day also recognizes one Outstanding State Entry from each state in the junior and senior divisions.

**The gold medal winning projects in the senior division individual and group documentary categories receive The History Channel Award of $5,000 in place of the National History Day $1,000 prize.

The 2009-2010 NHD theme is Innovation in History: Impact and Change.

Book It! Program

2009-08-10T06:20:00.007-05:00

The BOOK IT! program (for grades K-6) motivates children to read by rewarding their reading accomplishments with praise, recognition and pizza. This program is sponsored by Pizza Hut.

My kids have always enjoyed this program and look forward to it each year. This will be the final year for Nathan and Ryan. It's too bad the program doesn't continue past the 6th grade.

Here is a link for the reproducibles: http://www.bookitprogram.com/teachers/reproducibles.asp

First week review and reflections

2009-08-09T14:22:00.012-05:00

We have finished our first week of school, and are doing well. We schooled lite, only concentrating on Bible, reading and writing. Next week we will add in vocabulary, spelling and math. We also have a Co-op orientation meeting on Tuesday.

Besides our academic studies, we have had plenty of time to enjoy several outdoor activities. In addition to rock climbing earlier in the week, David went to Six Flags with some friends to use his free return ticket from Homeschool Day in May. He also spent time teaching some friends how to roll a kayak in our pool. Saturday, DH took Nathan and Ryan to swim at Blue Hole in Little River Canyon National Preserve. I stayed home to finish some planning for my science class while David completed his chores. This afternoon we plan on going to Cloudland Canyon State Park to play Disc Golf.

David practicing his kayak rolls in the pool.

Video clip of Ryan on a rope swing.

Video clip of Nathan jumping from a tree.

They find this to be more fun than just going out in the backyard and swimming in our pool - go figure :)

Photo Friday

2009-08-07T10:53:00.007-05:00

A few pictures of David rock climbing earlier this week at Cherokee Rock Village:

Daily Schedule

2009-08-06T07:56:00.006-05:00

Our daily school routine is rarely the same each day, which of course, is one of the perks of being homeschoolers. But, we do have a general schedule we try to follow.

On days that we are home all day, this is our general plan: (I don't keep an eye on the clock most of the time, so these times are just a rough approximation)

7:15 - Breakfast (Nathan, Ryan and myself)
7:30 - Quick logic puzzle (just to wake up the brain)
7:40 - Bible devotion/study
8:00 - Language Arts (alternating with one-on-one time)
9:00 - Math
9:30 - Morning Break (chores and snack) / Meet with David
10:00 - History
10:45 - Languages (Latin -2x/wk & French - 3x/wk)
11:15 - Science
12:00 - Lunch
1:00 - Elective studies, independent reading & project work (Nathan and Ryan)
1:00 - One-on-one time with David
3:00 - Music practice
3:30 - Free play (Nathan and Ryan)
4:30 - David finishes school work, I finish daily grading
6:00 - Dinner

On short days, when we have outside commitments, we focus on the core studies. Everything else still gets done, because I have extra weeks built into my school year.

So, how do I create their schedules? Basically, I divide out their assignments, creating weekly and daily schedules. Although I love to plan, it's not complicated.

First I create an Excel worksheet. This worksheet is a general overview and has tabs labeled for each week of the school year (usually 38-40 tabs or pages, because I tend to "school lite" for a few weeks at the beginning of the school year). Each worksheet page serves as a week at a glance, with projected dates inserted. I have columns for each day of the week and rows listing each subject/book. Next, I look at a calendar and mark off holidays and planned vacations, so I don't try to plan lessons for those days. I also note days that will be short because of Co-op classes, field trips or Dr. appointments that I already have scheduled. This worksheet is just a guide and remains very flexible. I usually print off the current week and keep it in my master work file, just to make sure we are staying somewhere close to my overall plan.

As I purchase curriculum for the upcoming year, I divide the lessons or activities into days and weeks, then enter them into the Excel worksheet. This way I can see how the lessons are matching up with each other (common themes) and how much school work I'm trying to accomplish every day. It also keeps me from trying to schedule too much in any given day, week or month.

6th Grade Curriculum

Once I'm happy with the way the Excel worksheet looks, I input the individual lesson plans into Edu-Track (Nathan and Ryan only). I usually enter their lesson plans in 6-9 week chunks. This makes it easier to make changes as I go. Changes will happen, but I can always look at the Excel worksheet to see if I'm still on track for the year. I also print off daily to-do lists from Edu-Track for Nathan and Ryan. I place these in their weekly notebooks behind the daily tabs.

In addition to the Excel worksheet, I create two Word documents for David. The first contains a course syllabus for each subject/class. The second document outlines his weekly assignments broken down by subject/class. The weekly outline is flexible, so I only print it out one week at a time, making revisions as necessary. I only enter lessons into Edu-Track for him as he completes the assignments, because he lays out his own daily goals.

That's about it. Although I like to use several different mediums for planning and scheduling (Motivated Moms, Excel, Word, Edu-Track), I think they work well together - at least for me :)

Files, Folders & Notebooks - Organizing School Work

2009-08-05T07:42:00.014-05:00

Juggling three children and their school work shouldn't be an overly complicated task, but since I'm a little obsessive/compulsive, I tend to make it harder for myself than is really necessary. I've always enjoyed organizing my files and getting ready for each school year. However, I have delayed blogging about it because I knew if I actually wrote it all down, people might think that my paper trail is crazy. Oh well, for those who want to know, here it is...

(file cabinet)

To begin with I have a two drawer file cabinet that holds my files. In the top drawer I have files for school registration (cover school forms), progress reports, transcripts, Co-op forms, 4-H, volunteer/service hours, physical & outdoor education, field trips, college info., school orders and blank files for future use.

The bottom drawer has my weekly work files. I have a file for each week of the year. I have a master work file out on my desk at all times (because I'm constantly working from it). It holds my daily to-do check lists (Motivated Moms), weekly menus, anything I print from the computer (research, etc.), coupons, and anything else I'm currently working on. Once I finish with something during the week, it is moved from the master file to the corresponding weekly file in the drawer. Then, at the end of the year, I go back through the files making sure that I didn't forget to record something in Edu-Track (for the children's progress report and transcripts) and check for items that need to be kept for the next year. (holiday ideas, menus, vacations, wish lists, etc.)

Along with my master work file, I keep a monthly at-a-glance calendar. The calendar helps me look ahead and schedule school assignments with consideration to any outside commitments we have made. (church, Co-op, music lessons, volunteer/service projects, Dr. appointments, field trips, vacations, etc.)

(calendar and master work file)

Nathan and Ryan each have a daily/weekly notebook. Here is how it is organized for them:

In the very front of the notebook is a pencil pouch where they can keep pencils and erasers, making it very portable.
The first section holds a copy of the Mastery Club list. That way they always know where it is and don't forget about it. However, they use a spiral notebook to actually record their research activities.
Next I have a divider with a double sided pocket. In one side of the pocket they keep copies of current 4-H project paper work. In the other side of the pocket they keep current Contenders of the Faith project/badge requirement info. I have found that "out of sight, is out of mind", so I keep this information in the front of their notebooks so that they are constantly reminded of their on-going projects.
The rest of the notebook has five tabbed dividers, one for each day of the week. Behind each tab, I place any daily work that I've made copies of, or that I printed off of the computer. (This is not all of their work, only the worksheets or assignments that are not in text books or workbooks.)

They really enjoy the way this is set up. If they get stuck on something or get behind on a worksheet, they can go back the next day and finish it. On the flip side, if they finish early, they can work ahead. In the end, all of the work must be finished and turned in on Friday. I go through their notebooks every day and grade what they have completed and check to make sure that they are staying on track.

(Nathan's notebook)

Since David is in high school, his notebook is set up a little differently. I want him to be more responsible for himself and his time in completing his school assignments. Here is how his binder is organized:

The first section contains a syllabus for each class.
The next section outlines current weekly assignments per subject (Word document).
Next I add a blank week at-a-glance calendar. This way he can work out his own schedule for the week. (school assignments, Co-op, church activities, volunteer/service hours, club meetings, work schedule, etc.)
Next I added a double sided pocket divider for any on-going projects.
The rest of the binder just holds notebook paper for him to use on his daily work. Although, he uses the computer for most of his work now and backs up all of his files on a flash drive.

Every Monday morning David and I have a meeting to go over his schedule and discuss how he plans to accomplish his weekly goals. He is then on his own to get his work started. I do schedule one-on-one time with him everyday to go over discussion questions and to help him if he is stuck on anything or needs further instruction. I grade his work as he completes it and then enter it into Edu-Track.

At the end of the week, any work that the kids still need to turn in is put in their folders on top of my file cabinet (this is my inbox). This includes worksheets, reports, essays, and any other completed projects. Workbooks and research notebooks are also turned in for grading, but then I give them back so they can continue to work in them. Once all of the grading is finished, all of their work in placed in quarterly portfolio binders. I usually end up with three portfolios per child, per year. I go through all of these at the end of the year to compile one annual memory/portfolio book for each child.

(The boys files - my inbox, is in the background. A paper tray is in the foreground.)

This may seem excessive to some (remember, I warned you), but it works rather well for me. Once I have everything set up, our school year just seems to run more smoothly.

Mastery Club

2009-08-04T08:11:00.007-05:00

This is something that I started last year for Nathan and Ryan. Basically, it is a list of facts for kids to learn by researching the answers for themselves. This is the website that I ran across that inspired me to start this last year: http://www.mrsrenz.net/masteryclub.htm.

I took the original list and tweaked it for use in our classroom. Here is my list:
Mastery Club

I also printed off some of the free worksheets (see the bottom of my blog) and sorted them into a file box by category. They always had the option to pull out a worksheet, complete it and have it count towards their stars.

By completing several activities, the boys could earn a small reward. Last year they earned a prize for every ten items they completed off the list. The prize was usually something like an ice cream cone, milk shake, Redbox movie rental, or a trip to the Dollar Store. At the end of the year, I printed off a certificate with the total number of "stars" that they earned over the course of the year.