Homeschool Update: Week of 4/12/21

Morning Time 

Poems 

From Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year selected by Fiona Waters, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon (Nosy Crow, 2018) we read: 

• "Chook, Chook, Chook" by Anonymous
• "Cuckoo" by Jane Taylor
• "Birdland" by Anonymous
• "Five Little Owls" by Anonymous
• "Voices of Water" by Tony Mitton 

I'm noticing that a whole lot of the poems in this book are anonymous and that is making me like it somewhat less. The girls especially liked "Voices of Water" and had me read it twice.  

Read-Alouds

We read all the articles from Vol. 8 No. 1 of National Geographic Explorer (Pathfinder edition): "Reef Rainbow" by Maxine Rose Schur, "Firestorm!" by Leslie Hall, "Terrific Tales" by Dana Jensen, "Wind at Work" by Beth Geiger, "The Wonder of Water" by Jim Enote. M. loved the one about wildfires, and C. liked the one about the reef.   

Art Appreciation

This week we looked at Domino Players by Horace Pippin from Come Look with Me: World of Play by Gladys S. Blizzard. 

Catechism 

This week we worked on  Lesson 21, "The Commandments of the Church: The First and Second Commandments" from The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism. 

Music 

We sang "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" (with the recording by The Highwaymen) and listened to "Viennese Musical Clock" from the Háry János Suite by Zoltán Kodály. 

Memory Work 

C. reviewed the planets, four directions, 50 states, continents, oceans, months of the year, days of the week, and marks of the church  and worked on : "The Tiger" by William Blake and the countries of Europe. 

M: reviewed the countries of Europe and 13 colonies, and worked on "Sea Fever" by John Masefield , the books of the Bible, the 7 sacraments, the monarchs of England, and six countries of Asia.   

Science 

This week we worked on Lesson C-2 in BFSU, Sound, Vibration and Energy. My husband demonstrated for the girls on his guitar and we also used a rubber band and videos from Dr. Binocs, SciShow Kids, and Operation Ouch (Measuring Sound and Vocal Cords). On Friday, M. and C. went to their friend's house to visit some baby chicks the family was renting and to help with the first stage of making violet petal jam. 

C. also did her Marble Timer Kiwi Crate, which was her favorite of the ones she has done so far.

Preschool

E. and I read a chapter from The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook each day of the week. On Friday, she wrote with chalk on the driveway and played with play dough while the older girls were out. 

History 

M. read the Land in the West section from A Picturesque Tale of Progress, including the subheadings "Adventurous Northmen," "Christopher Columbus," "The Voyage to the West." She also read about Columbus in Follow the Dream by Peter Sis and The Log of Christopher Columbus' First Voyage to America in the Year 1492 published by Linnet Books, and she also looked through Columbus by Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire, The Columbus Story by Alice Dalgliesh and Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? by Jean Fritz. She also drew a picture of Columbus and wrote a few accompanying sentences. For review, she also read A Long and Uncertain Journey by Joan E. Goodman and Tom McNeely. 

C. continued reading from D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths.

Math

C. and M. both did math facts flashcards. C. did timed two-digit multiplication and M. continued working on Singapore 3B Review 5 and 6.

Reading and Writing 

We started a new read-aloud, Peppermints in the Parlor by Barbara Brooks Wallace. M. worked on a story about pirates. She also finished reading The Road from Roxbury by Melissa Wiley and started Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace by Donald Sobol. C. is still reading Betsy-Tacy and Tib.

Physical Education

We played at the playground a few times, and M. and C. played on their friend's swing set. They also did their Ten Thousand Method exercise video on Wednesday.

Instrumental Music

M. and C. both practiced piano and recorder daily.

Field Trip

On Saturday, we surprised the kids with a day trip to meet up with Grandma and Aunt B. in Hershey, PA. We visited ZooAmerica and the Hershey Gardens. The girls saw alligators, a bear, a lynx, a bobcat, owls, eagles, and deer at the zoo and played in a wigwam and a garden inspired by The Wind in the Willows, visited the butterfly atrium, and tested out a sundial at the gardens. It was a much-needed day out for everyone.