Week 14 January 31 - February 4

Special Events this week? I always manage to forget about groundhog's day until late in the afternoon. It may be one of the holiday's worthy of forgetting, but this year, I'd like to do something a little more, like get out the googley eyes, Popsicle sticks and glue and make a groundhog popping out of his hole... I know I could use a recharge in my homeschooling ways and we always enjoy little craftiness to break up the work in our day. I like the puppet idea on this page, this way we can work on our groundhog's earlier in the week, then take them out on the big day to see if our groundhog has the same results as Puxetawney Phil. I have also been looking at some links to assist in teaching music. I found this one which has a wide range of songs, though it is for an Alto Recorder, we have a Soprano Recorder. And here is another link for Soprano Recorder. I think I like this one better for beginner's because it not only has the notes on the sheet music, but also has the fingering charts needed for that exercise at the bottom of each page. We'll try them both out and perhaps one of them will wind up on my external links list on the side bar.

Another thing I have been thinking about is scheduling our day's a little better. I think I was doing a good job of this in the past, but lately we've been just sort of cramming everything in each day and I don't think that works so well. I'd also like to start a new binder. Perhaps this weekend I can scrounge a new binder... So in an attempt to find a little more harmony in organization, here is my rough schedule for the coming week:

Monday:
   In studio from 8:30 - 11:30.
Mara - Independent reading in the morning: Silkworms, The Red Butterfly, Coloring page
Latin: activities 2 songs, 3 chants: sum, noun, verb
Elinor - Assisted coloring, playdough and have stories read to her.

**Over Lunch - Mara can narrate the things she read about in her two books. Point out the Silk Route on globe.

After lunch:
Math:: Use real money to solve problems on pages 213-215 (pull out hundred chart and shade to assist, play online counting game)
Activity: Begin puppet project:
     Supplies needed:
             Googley eyes, paper cups, popsicle sticks, construction paper, felt, scissors, glue, Markers, Paint
Writing- Next 8 letters in Cursive, Think of words using only letters learned so far. Write more silly sentences.

Tuesday:
Math, Use real money to solve problems on pages 216-218 (pull out hundred chart and shade to assist)
Music - Display EGBDF, FACE:: Watch Video. Print out fingering charts. Practice notes B, A, G. Whole notes, quarter notes. Beginner's exercise. 
History-Writing journal page on Silk Route, include the years it took place and other items that were traded along the route. Draw a map.
Reading - Pilgrim's Progress, The Interactive story of the Middles Ages
Activity: Finish Puppet
Latin/Grammar: Songs, Chants, Grammar:: Lesson 11 Imperfect, Present, Future
Finished Bedtime Book: The Silver Chair


Wednesday:
    BLIZZARD!! Studio cancelled! Mara can work on a Journaling page... A Science Journal page about Silkworms: How many of these questions can she answer from her readings. Does it have a backbone? Does it have fur? Does it have wings? What does its skin feel like? How many feet? What do they look like? How many legs? What does the body look like? What does it eat? Where does it live? How big is it? What do the babies look like? Is it wild or domesticated? Is it endangered? Draw a picture in your journal. 
Latin: 2 songs, 3 chants
***Take puppets outside to see or not to see the shadow, then find out what Puxetawney Phil saw.

**During Lunch: Discuss any problems in writing or talk about silkworms, what she has learned.


    Afternoon
Science - Wonder House: Filling one cup with snow, one with water, place a rubber band around the cup to mark the top of the H20. Use a measuring stick to tack a measurement of the height of each. Then place the cup with water in the freezer, while leaving the cup with snow on the counter. Once the snow has melted, take a new measurement and notice how the level has changed. Do the same with the frozen  water. Take time to talk about the differences and why.
Reading - Benjamin Franklin (with dad), Heraldry: Think about what a design to best represent yourself, your sister, your mom... take notes, this will be for Friday's project.
Writing - Finish any Thank you notes that still need to be written,  Mail them off.
Mathematics - Pages 219 -220
New Bedtime book: Treasure Island

Thursday:

Reading, Pilgrim's Progress, Heraldry, Choose your own adventure The Middle Ages.
Writing:: First few lines of The Nicene Creed
Mathematics, Pages 221- 222
Latin:: 2 songs, 3 chants
Music - EGBDF, FACE : Practice everything learned in Tuesday's lesson.

In the PM, Mara is with dad; topics they should be covering American History topics: pre-Revolutionary War: Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere -  and read and work on Benjamin Franklin project due March 11. (Possibly Journal a page to write key points about Ben Franklin.)

Friday:
Reading:: You choose 2 books
Writing:: continue Nicene Creed
Math, 223-224 to wrap up this Unit.
Latin:: 2 songs, 3 chants, review past, present, future
Art :: Draw Shields. Write their Blazon. Consider saving these for a paper mache and painted shield later in the term.

In the Kitchen: Mara is making chili for the chili cook-off tomorrow at Church. After her recent discovery that chili is just about one of her favorite foods... I thought this would be a great thing for her to make, you can't really mess it up :) She'll be able to chop and dice, dump ingredients, stir in spices to her hearts content and I'm sure it'll taste delicious! 

***All signed up for Swim Lessons, they begin the third week of February each Saturday for six weeks. Also signed up for the swim lessons over spring break. 10am slot.

***Great job in remembering daily chants this week. I am starting to finally feel like we're falling back into sync. Mara also did a great job this week in practicing her instrument a little each day, and I can honestly say that I have heard a huge improvement. I do believe next week in addition to adding another note, we may be ready for our first simple song.