Friday- Week in Review

Duncan is my 2nd grader.
Mei is my friend’s 5th grader.

Happy Halloween!

This week for memory work we continued to work on the witches’ chant from Macbeth. Next week we will add a new poem, but keep this one around. Now, if I can just find that list of poems I wanted them to memorize. Oh, also, Mei doesn’t have a black eye. She has eczema.

Our science and history memory work.
How many bones are in the skeleton of an adult?
An adult human skeleton has 206 bones.

Tell me about Constantine.
In 313A.D., Byzantine Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity.

Duncan's memory work for math and LA.
List some U.S. Customary units of length.
12 in = 1 ft
3 ft = 1 yd
5280 ft = 1 mi
1760 yd = 1 mi

Tell me about a verb phrase.
When a group of words is used as a verb, it is called a verb phrase. However, we refer to the whole verb phrase as the verb.

List the helping verbs.
am / is / are / was / were
be / being / been
do / does / did
has / have / had
may / might / must
can / could
shall / should
will / would

Mei’s memory work for math and LA.
skip count by 6's and by 7's
6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60, 66, 72
7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, 84

Tell me about a prepositional phrase.
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with its object. In a sentence a prepositional phrase acts as either an adjective or an adverb.

Language Arts
In poetry we continued with MCT’s The Music of the Hemispheres and reading from The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Duncan and Mei are enjoying Sentence Island. Duncan and I began reading Arabel’s Raven and he also began reading Four Little Blossoms at Brookside Farm on my new Kindle. This book is suggested on the Old Fashioned Education website. At my house Mei read Macbeth in Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare, a couple of fables from Why Snails Have Shells, and some more in Ballet Shoes. They both did some handwriting and some grammar (Mei- Winston Grammar, Duncan- Practice Island). Mei has created some fabulous characters for Nanowrimo which starts Monday. Eek!

Mei's main character

Math
Duncan has completed through lesson 80 in Saxon 76 and Mei has completed through lesson 43 in Saxon 65. Duncan is working in Key to Alg book1 and Mei is working in a Kumon multiplication workbook.

History
Moving on to history, Duncan and Mei covered Chapter 17 of Gombrich’s A Little History. We also read a couple of pages in Kingfisher.

Science
In science we began Great Science Adventures- Human Body! We discussed the skeleton. They watched the Eyewitness Skeleton video, looked over the skeleton section in DK’s The Human Body Book, and started a cool lapbook appropriate for Halloween time.

Duncan's left. Mei's right.

Inside Duncan's left flap.

Inside Mei's skeleton mini-book.

Other Stuff
They boogied through some Spanish in their workbooks. On the other hand Duncan didn’t even open Song School Latin. Good grief, I have fallen off the Latin wagon.

Duncan and Mei are really enjoying their Friday Arts Alive! classes. Duncan has also been going to a new violin teacher the past 4 weeks and that has really been going very well. The new teacher is Suzuki trained for books 1-3. I personally can't tell you what is different about the lessons, but I can hear the difference in Duncan's violin playing.

Read-Aloud Thursday

Just yesterday Duncan and I began reading Arabel's Raven. We are doing the I read a page then he reads a page route. I am excited to be sharing it with him, but we are not very good at completing books that we read in tandem, so we'll see how it goes. I really like the book, so I have high hopes.

Wordless Wednesday

My New Kindle!

better photo

Friday- Couple of Weeks in Review

Well, let's see. Friday 10/8 I was on the road and Friday 10/15 I was on the road, so those updates have come and gone. However, we took fall break from 10/11-10/15. Here is a quick photo overview from then until now. We had a visit from our college freshman, two birthdays, and won a volleyball tournament! This has required a drive to Memphis and back and forth from middle TN to eastern KY twice in addition to all the driving here in middle TN. 

First Cub Scout bonfire. Duncan is a wolf and at the bonfire received his bobcat badge.

Christian came home from college for a long weekend before midterms.

Mei and Duncan learned how to make balloon animals.

Mei likes her giraffe.

Grayson tries to teach tired Duncan how to play a video game.

Duncan has a birthday and turns 8!

Duncan and Mei drive through Cici's pizza.

Christian and Mei have hats.

Duncan and Mei began their Nanowrimo workbooks. Duncan's inner editor.

Mei's inner editor.

Duncan dances in theater.



My poor little camera doesn't take action shots well.






Duncan in art class.

 

Mimi has a birthday

and turns 88!



Part of the undefeated volleyball team. I didn't get a single good shot at the tournament, but in this photo the young lady in the white tank looks so happy that I chose this one to put here.





Grayson with his tournament t-shirt.



Duncan was making baskets right and left after the volleyball game.

Today art class was at the lake. See the 3 turtles sunning on the log?

The view to paint- just ignore the foreground.

Mei and Duncan painting.

As a general overview, we are plugging along in LA and math. We didn't do any new science this week and we studied Jesus in history.

Read-Aloud Thursday

Whew! This week we are trying to read Jesus by Demi. I have to say that of all the books I have read by Demi this is my least favorite. I guess she didn't want to offend anyone by abbreviating anything, so it is just many, many selections from the KJV Gospels arranged in chronological order. The pictures as always are lovely, but in order to finish this book in the timeframe that I have allowed I am doing the paraphrasing myself.

Wordless Wednesday

Mimi, my grandmother, turned 88 years old! So, just in case anyone wonders what I will look like should I make it 46 more years- here is a preview. Just color those brown eyes gray.

Read-Aloud Thursday

I have been out of pocket this past week, so I our here is our read-aloud from this week and last week. For October we are going with the Halloween-y theme of ravens.

Last week we read Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest by Gerald McDermott.

Like many other Gerald McDermott books, this is a visually stunning folk tale. This one is a retelling of a Native American trickster myth that explains how Raven stole the sun and placed it in the sky for humans. We loved it!

This week we read The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe and illustrated by Ryan Price.

As we have discussed alliteration in MCT Music of the Hemispheres, this was a perfect time to read The Raven! 

Despite the comment by this reviewer on amazon, I do think that the images in this book clearly show the sorrow of the man at loosing his love, respect the words of the poem, and clarify the meaning especially for younger readers. Mei said that the man in the book reminded her of the old man in Disney's movie Up. The pictures must be pretty clear if a 10yo got it. 

The book is filled with pictures of Lenore and the raven is drawn as a sort of macabre shadow, so that you aren't sure if he is really there. In fact after-

And the lamplight o'er him streaming

throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow

that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted -

On the last page with the single word nevermore is a drawing of the man squatting on the floor scratching the shadow of the raven, but the way it is drawn it allows you to question if he is actually tracing his own shadow. This was a wonderful purchase that I plan to keep on my bookself for years to come.

Friday- Week in Review for Grayson

Honestly, I haven't looked through Grayson's work. He says that he has completed his literature, history, chemistry, and art. I know he went to his economics group, his math tutor, and his IEW class. And I know his volleyball team is still undefeated!

I also know that he spent tonight sitting in  bed reading fan fiction on his laptop.

"Yes, I love you, too."

"Now, talk to the hand."

Friday- Week in Review for Mei

Mei is the dd of a good friend who was with us 2 days this week. Mei is in the 5th grade and here is what she did at my house.


We didn’t do any ABFIAR, except that she did finish reading John Audubon: Young Naturalist. Next week hopefully we can find the end of this rabbit trail and return to Hitty.

Mei is a hoot. Tuesday night we went to family night at a Chik-Fil-A where they have a young lady who paints little things on the children. Mei said that she wanted to get something on her face this week. Well, she definitely got something on her face.

We added the ears back at my house.

I can’t talk Duncan into a little alligator on his arm, but Mei comes back to the table painted as a dalmation!

Memory Work
This week for memory work we reviewed our material and continued to work on the witches’ chant from Macbeth (Double, Double Toil and Trouble). Science was our only new memory work this week.

What are the three main parts of a comet?
Nucleus, Coma, Tail

Math
Saxon 65- Lessons 27-31 (some at my house, some at hers)

Language Arts
John Audubon : Young Naturalist
Daily Handwriting Practice Contemporary Cursive
Ballet Shoes
Music of the Hemispheres pp.18-25
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (selections from)

History
Gombrich’s A Little History Chapter 14
assembled Panda minibooks
Great Wall of China by Adele Richardson

Science
Great Science Adventures- Lessons 19 and 20 (Comets and Meteors)
Watched comet and meteor videos at howstuffworks
Watched Bill Nye’s Comets and Meteors

Spanish
Mei also worked in The Everything Kids’ Learning Spanish Book.

Friday- Week in Review for Duncan

Duncan is my 2nd grader.
This week for memory work we reviewed our material and continued to work on the witches’ chant from Macbeth (Double, Double Toil and Trouble). Science was our only new memory work this week.

What are the three main parts of a comet?
Nucleus, Coma, Tail

In poetry we continued with MCT’s The Music of the Hemispheres and reading from The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Duncan finished Grammar Island and began Sentence Island. He also began reading Henry and Ribsy in SL LA2adv and did some handwriting. Oh, and I set up accounts for both Mei and Duncan for the NaNoWriMo Young Writer’s Program. This will be the first year that we have participated in NaNoWriMo, so we will be spending October going through the elementary workbook.

Duncan has completed through lesson 71 in Saxon 76. Today, I handed him Key to Algebra book1 and he finished the first 5 pages in 10 minutes. I am still waffling on Hands-on Equations. I may let him finish Key to Alg books 1-3 and then do Hands-on Equations.

Moving on to history, Duncan and Mei looked more at ancient China in Chapter 14 of Gombrich’s A Little History. We read Great Wall of China this week and completed a Panda mini-book from Enchanted Learning.

In science we discussed comets and meteors with Great Science Adventures Space. Duncan and Mei colored and labeled a comet. They also watched videos on howstuffworks and watched Bill Nye’s Comets and Meteors. Next week will be our last week looking at space and then we move on to human anatomy!

They boogied through some Spanish in their workbooks. On the other hand we didn’t even open Song School Latin.

Good news- today Duncan and Mei finally started their Friday Arts Alive! classes. Yay! They are both taking art and theater. Theater is a little dance, a little singing, and a little acting. Mei is with the older group and Duncan is with the younger group, so when one is in theater the other is in art. Each class is an hour and twenty minutes with a twenty minute snack break in between classes. In addition to Mei and her mom Sarah, we know a couple of other families there. I am so excited to have Duncan involved in this homeschool group that isn’t doing school work. I know that sounds funny, but do you know how difficult it is to find a homeschool group these days that isn’t trying to do school work?

The other good news- I found a drawing thing to replace The Draw Squad. I purchased Scribbles: A Really Giant Coloring Book and Duncan is drawing without becoming frustrated that it doesn’t look perfect. Woohoo!

He isn't learning to draw well, but he is learning to draw without becoming upset!

And even more good news- I think I have found another violin teacher. I haven’t heard back from him, but I am hoping that he has a slot available when we are available!

My School Log for Duncan

Memory Work
LA, Math, History- Review

What are the three main parts of a comet?
Nucleus, Coma, Tail

Poem 1
the witches’ chant from Macbeth

Math
Kumon Math (not daily)
Saxon 76- Lessons 66-71
Key to Alg Book1 pp.1-5

Language Arts
Henry and Ribsy chapters 1-3 (reader)
Handwriting Help for Kids: Create Cursive
Sentence Island pp.7-19
MCT Grammar Island pp.136-145; pp.170-172
Music of the Hemispheres pp.18-25
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (selections from)

History
Gombrich’s A Little History Chapter 14
assembled Panda minibooks
Great Wall of China by Adele Richardson

Science
Great Science Adventures- Lessons 19 and 20 (Comets and Meteors)
Watched comet and meteor videos at howstuffworks
Watched Bill Nye’s Comets and Meteors

Spanish
Perused and completed random pages in The Complete Book of Spanish

Art
Arts Alive!
Scribbles: A Really Giant Coloring Book