We started the school year this past Tuesday. We will be doing a co-op on Mondays and will be home schooling Tuesday through Saturday.
Our main curriculum is HOD’s Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory along with extras to beef it up for my 4th and 5th grader.
History/Geography
We studied the routes of the explorers Magellan and Columbus. We read about Pedro and Catalina in Pioneers and Patriots. It is a charming tale of 2 Spanish children leaving their home in Spain and travelling the rough voyage to the New World and settling in Florida. We will be going to St. Augustine at Thanksgiving and will get to see the fort there so the kids really enjoyed reading of how they travelled to Florida.
Science
We learned about currents and did an experiment with an index card boat and a medicine dropper.
We did an experiment about whale blubber and the elements and how it keeps whales warm. This was kind of icky and definitely not fun to clean up off 3 hands.
We are beefing up the science by adding in Zoology 1 by Apologia. It has been very interesting learning about the Animal Kingdom as well as learning how birds fly. My husband worked on jets when he was in the air force so their will be many discussions on lift, thrust, and drag to come.
This experiment was about air pressure. As you blew on the long straw over the top of the short straw, the air pressure would push down and make water squirt out of the small straw.
We were studying how air pressure helps to lift birds wings as they fly.
Math
We are working through Singapore Math with the kids. The girls are still working on memorizing their multiplication and division facts. We are using hot dots alongside Calculadder drills.
Language Arts
We are using Learning Language Arts through Literature with the kids while adding in the reading lists from Learn at Home.
This week we are reading/read:
2nd grade-A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry
4th grade-The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
5th grade-Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Poetry
We studied the poem, The Storm by Sara Coleridge
Art
We are using Rod and Staff’s Artpacs with the girls. They really teach technique.
Tadpole is working on tracing skills.
Big Sis is working on shading.
Her next art project using shading with 2 to 3 colors and outlining. She is very serious about art and working hard. She will have art instruction from a professional artist with the co-op.
Bubba did this leaf rubbing. We had a nice walk just me and him to pick the perfect leaf. I do not know if you can see it, but it turned out really good. He used about 3 colors.
Scouts
Bubba is in scouts. He is a wolf now. He looks so much bigger this year than last.
Overall, it was a very good first week.
Looks like a great first week. Our science experiments look like a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear from all the HOD bloggers this year. Thanks for sharing. I want to know more about the artpacs through Rod & Staff. I know about R&S but haven't ever heard about artpacs before.
ReplyDeleteHi, got here from WTM. It sounds like a great week. I like the art, I'll have to look into that. We've done the blubber experiment too. Even Dawn had a hard time cleaning that off their hands.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the encouragement. This year is going much better than last. I bought my artpacs from rodandstaffbooks.com. They are around $8. You will need to buy a book for yourself so that you can do the project and show them technique. I like that it is teaching art techniques and not just cutesy projects.
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