Sonlight Core B (Core 1): Week 7

Hmmm - so I'm not very good at updating our Sonlight hands-on activities! Sorry. Miss Precious, though small, has caused my free time to shrink to almost nothing.

Here's what we did for week 7:

Animals of the World

• Listen to rainforest sounds
• Watch video of Anteaters
• Giant Anteaters mini book
• Walk on our knuckles: Anteaters walk on knuckles
• Try to get candy out of bottle using our tongue. Now try again with straw: Anteaters’ nose allows them to go deep into the ant nest
• Blindfold and look for something by smell: Anteaters find things by smell; eyesight is not good
• Read Soaring with the Wind by Gail Gibbons
• Do Eagles Nest & National Symbols minibooks from HSS

Houses and Homes

• Try handwashing some socks or other items of clothing like the Indian women did.
• Do the Follow thePlan activity
• Read Alphabet City and A Year in the City
• Make our own city
    

Akebu to Zapotec:

• Locate Papua New Guinea on the map. Do minibook
• Talk about how the Elkei people live in the jungle. Color some jungle pics
• Color flag and put on poster
• The country has amazing butterflies. Make a butterfly craft

Sonlight Core B (Core 1): Week 5

We're having so much fun in our Sonlight journey! One of the most successful aspects of my pre-planning has definitely been the Notebooking pages. The girls love their notebooks and love adding to it each week. Soon I'll do a post about Sonlight Notebooking and how we've implemented it. Now here's the extras for Week 5:

Houses & Homes:

• Try to do some school using walkie-talkies, just like farm kids in Australian outback
• Watch Farm Dog Martha
• Have other farm books to look at, as well as activities from theNC Dept. of Agriculture Coloring Book
• Use wikistix to build reed house frame, then do some paper weaving to make the walls.
• Look through The Ultimate Building Book together and find a project or two to tackle next week.

World of Animals:

• Animal Match game
• Read I See a Kookabura
• Do the “Animal Cracker” biome project
• Read Will We Miss Them?

Homer Price, Chps 1-3
Before sharing the extras we're doing with Homer Price, I've got to give credit to where credit is due. I got my ideas from a very creative homeschool mom who posted them on her blog as part of their FIAR study. Check out her full list of Homer Price activities.

• Find Ohio on the map.
• After reading, come up with our own “spoonerisms”
• WatchThe Case of the Cosmic Comet
• Watch /span>Donut Making video and this Krispy Kreme video
• Either make some donuts or go buy some!
• Take a field trip to a donut shop and learn how they make these tasty treats!

Sonlight Core B (or 1): Week 4

Why did Sonlight have to change core names on me? That's so confusing...though I'm sure there's a method to their madness. Well, whatever the case, here's my list of hands-on activities we'll be doing for Core B's fourth week. (And I should note, I'm using the 5 day schedule, but only schooling for 4 days each week. Thus, ever so slowly, my weeks are becoming different than Sonlight's weeks!)

Peoples of the World / Houses & Homes:

• During breakfast, listen to a variety of world music and discuss the different sounds! Spanish guitar, Arabic Ud, Sitar, Bagpipes, Indonesian xylophone, African drums
• Watch video of flamenco dancing.
• Notebooking: Put different types of houses on the timelines.
• Use modeling clay and construct some houses for show & tell!
• Mud is everywhere! Easy for anyone to build with. Create some mud bricks in ice trays. Put them in the sun to dry. Later, use them to make a structure.
• As we learn about tents in Houses and Homes, we can also read this go-along - Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping  

Animals of the World

• Watch video about baby loggerhead turtles
• Read One Tiny Turtle
• Give each girl 8 cards, each containing one of the living things from the science game below.
• Play Food Chain Game. Let them both click on the living things.
• Then, as read about each of the animals, have them lay out their cards to represent who eats who in the food chain. Then finish the online game. 
• Play Camouflage game

Creating a Circle Time Board

As part of our morning routine during kindergarten/preschool, we would fill in dates on a calendar, look at our art picture of the week (from Artistic Pursuits) and memorize a Scripture verse. I transferred this to our bulletin board eventually and it became a mini-circle time.  The girls enjoyed this morning ritual, and the routine of it got us all into "school" mode.

As we're beginning first grade / kindergarten, I've decided to take our circle time routine to the next level! I got quite a bit of inspiration for it from Jolanthe over at Homeschool Creations (And quite a bit of material from her free printables!). It took a while for me to figure out exactly what I wanted to include and what wasn't necessary for us at this time.

Once I came up with what our circle time should cover, then it was time to create! I went to Wal-Mart, bought a $8 display board (which my 6yo promptly cracked once I got home - aargh!) and some velcro stickers, then went to work. It took a while to get my layout set, but I'm pretty happy with it overall! It includes:

• Scripture memory poster (We're doing Psalm 1, per Sonlight's suggestion)
• Daily weather chart (from Homeschool Creations)
• A spot for our weekly art study picture
•  Skip-counting facts to review (again, from Jolanthe's site)
• Days we've been in school (Jolanthe yet again - this is to help my girls get a better grasp on 1s, 10s, 100s, etc)
• A spot for the poster we're going to make each week for our unit study based on From Akebu to Zapotec (Another Sonlight curriculum resource)
• Our Chinese vocabulary flashcards
• A spot for my girls to display one of their pictures from the week (they like to show off their work!)

And that's it! Anyone else do circle time? I'd love to see pics and hear more about how you've implemented this type of school routine. 

FIAR: Storm in the Night

Well, the end of my planned school year is upon us. To fill in the time between now and when we start Sonlight, I've decided to do some Five in a Row units, mainly inspired by the incredible creativity of Angela over at Kinderdays. As I looked long and hard to find ideas to to fit my girls' interests and learning level, I thought I might as well share it with all of you.

Day One:

• Read Storm in the Night
• What are the girls afraid of? Talk about, then memorize Psalm 27:1 and paste in lapbook.
• Art: Leaf through the book together and point out the blue darkness contrasted with the white raindrops. Paint different shades of blue on watercolor paper. After it dries, use white chalk to make raindrops.
• Science: Read Like a Hundred Drums & Thunder & Lightning
• Do the Lightning Experiment and the Thunder experiment
• Put the Thunder and Lightning minibook in the lapbook and have the girls tell me what causes it.

Day Two:

• Read Storm in the Night again. This time, look at the expressions on everyone’s face. What does each expression signify?
• Art: Read Walter Was Worried - Then draw our own expressions and put in lapbook.
• Science: Read Flash, Crash Thunder & Roll.
• Talk about what we should do during a thunderstorm, whether inside or out. Put our answers in minibook (on harddrive)
• Using a fan, talk about the different levels of wind.
• Make a weathervane to measure from which way the wind blows
• Go fly a kite!

Day Three:

• Read Storm in the Night. This time have the girls listen for words they don’t know the meaning of. Then we’ll write them in their book, along with a definition!
• Read The Cloud Book by DePaola.
• Make a Cloud art book: http://amy-fun4kids.blogspot.com/2009/02/weather-clouds-and-rain.html
• Talk about the age difference between Thomas and his Grandfather. What is the age difference between the girls and various adults they know? Make a minibook, and use the abacus to record the results!
• Cut out and add this aging pictures to lapbook
• Play Weather Match Three

Sonlight Core 1: Week 3

Another week of hands-on activities. Post a link to your own blog here if you're also doing Sonlight Core 1.

Peoples of the World

• Create a Batik shirt
• Look at pictures of coiled pots, then make our own!

From Akebu to Zapotec

• Locate Bhutan on the map.
• Color a picture of Bhutan’s flag to add to Bropka poster.
• Do the “Where are the Himalyans” minibook (From homeschoolshare.com)
• Show picture of plateaus farms. Then use legos build our own. Take pic and add to poster. 

World of Animals

• Watch video of bees dancing
• Read The Jungle Grapevine 
• Watch video of Baby Animals
• Read Even an Ostrich Builds a Nest
• Provide the different materials that different birds use to make nests (cotton, twigs, leaves, rocks, mud, grass) Have the girls try to put a nest together using nothing but the materials and a little mud “glue”. Birds are pretty amazing! While they work, ask them questions 4-6 from activity sheets.
• Another nest craft from Chocolate Muffin Tree

 

Gardening Unit: Days 4-6

It's been a busy two weeks, so I haven't had time to get the last half of our plants & gardens unit study up. Finally, here it is:

Day Four:

• Circle Time: Look at lapbook and review what we’ve learned so far.
• Read Pumpkin Town and What Kinds of Seeds are These
• Look at pictures of various plants and have the girls circle the stems (flowering plant, herb, cactus, vine)
• Do both “Why Plants Have Stems” experiment (Evan-Moor book)
• Do the “4 Ways Seeds Travel” minibook from HSS
• Explosion: Tear or cut up pieces of scrap paper to make confetti (seeds).  Place the tiny pieces in a lunch bag or baggy or balloon.  Now hold the end of the bag almost closed and blow air into the bottom.  Hold the end closed so that the air doesn't escape.  Now pop the bag.  What happened to the seeds?
• Flying: Make a Whirlygig to show how some seeds travel
• Floating: Put sunflower seeds in water and watch them float!
• People & Animals: Put on an old pair of socks, then walk in burr seeds next door. Notice how they stick on!

Day Five:

• Circle Time: Look at 2 new flower pictures (find ones that are native to NC) and 2 new tree pictures.
• Read I Am a Leaf and A B Cedar: An Alphabet of Trees  and Leaves
• Fill out lab record from yesterday’s experiments (Evan-Moor book)
• Gather leaves from outdoors. Bring them inside and compare them. How are they different? How are they the same? Do some leaf rubbings and put in lapbook. If possible, identify the tree from which they came.
• Draw a plant with green leaves for logbook and write what the purpose of a leaf is!
• Make a seed mosaic with extra seeds. Show pics to give them ideas!

Day Six:

• Go on a nature scavenger hunt at a local park or nature preserve. Bring along a field guide and identify trees, flowers and other plants encountered. For extra fun, bring your digital camera to take pictures. Later, incorporate those picture into lapbook. 

Gardening Unit: Days 1-3

This week we've been doing a garden/plant unit study that I devised with the help of Evan-Moor's Learning About Plants (Grades K-1).  This is the first time I've attempted to do a unit study where everything wasn't already planned out and I've been very pleased with the results so far. It's been incredibly fun and the girls have been learning a lot. Plus, it's been a nice break from our normal school routine...a break I needed! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures as my husband requisitioned the camera for his own use this week.

Here's some of our activities, though I'm withholding the ones that came directly from the Evan-Moor book. (Which, BTW, is totally worth the purchase price. It's packed FULL of great lesson ideas, activities and read-aloud suggestions. It's been a good fit for my 4 & 5 (almost 6) year old, though some of the writing has been a bit much for Sweetness (the 4yo). I just have her dictate the answers to me or help her write something simple.)


Day 1:

• Circle Time: Look at pictures of state tree and state flower. Work on address song.
• Read Pearl’s First Prize Plant & The Rabbit in the Garden
• Learn about characteristics of living things
• Decorate terra-cotta plant holders to use for planting their personal flowers

Day 2:

• Circle Time: Look at pictures of state flower and state tree. Work on last name song.
• Read Sunflower (FR) and Flowers
• Look at a picture of a flower. What are the different parts? See how many the girls can name (flower, stem, leaves & roots).
• Now dissect a Lily. Point out the 4 parts of the bloom (Petal, Stamen, Pistil & Sepal).  

Day 3:

•  Circle Time: Look at state flower & tree pics. Then see if they can describe from memory.
• Read One Bean and Paddington Bear in the Garden
• Examine roots from different outside plants.  Have the girls draw pictures of the roots and put in lapbook.
• Plant beans in clear plastic cup and watch them grow! (EMP-K; Use page 32)
• Fill pots with dirt and plant seeds.
• Make some Coffee filter flowers

Extras:

Parts of a Flower craft 

Review plant part names by playing Make a Salad

Geography Co-op: Africa

Jambo! For this month's geography co-op, we took a trip to the continent of Africa. A safari hunt, Adinkra cloth and other activities made our time fun (and educational)! Here's our schedule - feel free to make use of it for your own world exploration. Sorry about the lack of pictures. I'd forgotten to bring my camera.  :-(

• Colored maps of Africa
  
• Read “Water Hole Waiting” by Jane and Christopher Kurtz
  
• Safari Hunt: Hidden around the livingroom were various envelopes, each containing stickers for a different African animal. One of the moms would read a riddle about an animal, the children would guess, then they'd hunt for the envelope that contained that animal's stickers. The stickers were then put on their Africa maps.
  
• Adinkra Cloth: Next, the children created their own Adinkra fabric. Most of the Adinkra crafts I found online were quite complicated for a group as young as ours. Instead of dying the fabric, stamping with wax or carving our own stamps, we just allowed the kids to stencil designs using permanent markers and/or use stamp designs from a pre-made collection. They had examples of Adrinkra cloth to work from, but only a few kids chose to do organized designs! One note: the permanent marker seeped through the cloth and stained the wooden table we were using. One of the moms suggested using rubbing alcohol to wipe it off...and it worked perfectly! Yeah for good cleaning advice.
  
• Read "Honey, Honey, Lion!" by Jan Brett. As a go along to the story, the children used a variety of noisemakers to illustrate the Honey Badger's journey through the Savannah. The idea sprang from a suggestion on Jan Brett's site. I didn't end up making the exact noisemakers she recommended...I chose simpler stuff, but same noises!
  
• Finally, we learned a little bit about the Maasai people in Kenya
• Some live in huts: Make Huts out of playdoh - model around a ball, then lift off. Can also use stencils of different animals in playdoh. (We didn't do this activity...ran out of time!)
• Many villages do not have running water. Kids walk to well and then bring water back, balancing bucket on head: Have a balancing relay race. (We did this game. Fun, once the kids caught on!)

Math games for early elementary

Check out my compilation (slowly growing) of early elementary math games. I've made it a page instead of a blog post so that I can always find it when I need it. If you've got games or links that I can add, let me know by leaving a comment here. Thanks!

Valentines Day Resources

Valentine Unit from Musings of Me

 Next year, I'm definitely planning more for a Valentine's Day unit study. This post is for myself (and anyone else that's interested) of some useful planning resources:

• From one of my favorite mommy bloggers, the What's In the Mailbox Today? unit study is on my "must-do" list 
• Link-ups are always a good resource, and this Valentine's Day compilation of crafts from around the web is no exception.
• A unit study for the younger preschool set that incorporates the imagery of the holiday into a collection of learning resources. A great resource!
• Finally, FaveCrafts has a free ebook download, 21 Valentine Craft Ideas for Kids. Check it out!

Geography Co-op: Europe!

Just completed our 3rd Geography co-op meeting today and it was fun. And crazy. And hopefully, somewhat educational. We learned about the pre-Renaissance artist Giotto by reading A Boy Named Giotto. We then attempted to paint frescos (and you can find the directions for that at Art Lessons for Kids), though not quite with the same technique as our featured artist.

We learned some facts about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and then attempted to build our own architectural masterpieces with a varied assortment of blocks. Unfortunately for the tower designers, little siblings delighted in knocking down the resulting structures.

Finally, we learned about the Netherlands by reading The Hole in the Dike and then being taught some Dutch words by one of our talented Dutch speaking moms! (Oh, and I can't forget to mention the great treats she brought: Gouda cheese and some Dutch cookies whose name I can't remember.)

If you decide to try the fresco painting, e-mail me first. I can give you some good advice as to how NOT to do it! Also, if you want to get a look at what other moms have been doing with their Preschoolers, then head over to the Preschool Corner to see this week's lineup!

Kindergarten Geography: Africa

The last 2 weeks we stopped some of our normal studies and took a whirlwind trip around the globe, familiarizing ourselves with the 7 continents. Our unit study was very fun - lots of reading and play. I think Africa was one of the most enjoyable continents to study, so I thought I'd share our lesson with you:

• We read  "Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears" and "Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters"
• We had our own safari.! To explore some of the amazing animals in Africa, I downloaded Discovering God's Animals from Confessions of a Homeschooler. Using the included animal pics, I hid animals all over our living room and dining room. Then my kiddos went on an animal hunt! They loved the search process. Afterwards, we looked at the pics and discussed them.
• We located Africa on a map.
• Finally, we explored some of the interesting women in Africa carry objects & babies! First, my girls wrapped themselves in large swaths of cloth. They then took their baby dolls and placed the babies in wraps on their backs. Quite fun! Second, we practiced carrying things on our heads, inspired by watching this video:
  

Around the World in 8 Meetings: Our Geography Co-op

I've wanted to join some type of PreK co-op for a while, but there's it's hard to find one. Most groups are already established, or have so many older children that the those of us with only younger kiddos can't really find a spot to fit in. And then someone suggested that I put my own co-op together. Voila! So a friend and I got together and started a geography co-op geared towards children spanning from 3-8. A bit of a big range, so most activities are geared somewhere towards the middle. 

We've only had one meeting so far, but it was fun! I wish I could post pictures, but alas, I didn't have a camera at this time (I sat on ours and broke it...) For those of you who would like to do some simple, play based geography lessons, maybe our plans will help you out:
 

Monthly Plan 1:
Theme: Maps and Continents

• Reading: As the Crow Flies - First Book of Maps
  ABCs of Geography
  
• Craft: Make a Passport
  
• Activity: Make a Map - Provide an outlined map of backyard. Children will fill out the map with backyard destinations, gluing pictures of the destinations in the appropriate places.
  
• Activity: Grocery Bag Globes - Take larger size brown bags from the grocery store and stuff with newspaper until full. Tape closed and push corners from the bottom of the bag down to make as round as possible. It won't be perfectly round but fairly close. Color blue. Then glue continents on.
  
• Music: Wee Sing Around the World, Song #1
  
• Game: North South East West!

And that's it! We're going to be studying South America next week, and now I have a camera so unless it ends up under me again, there should be pictures for the next post.

Children's Introduction to the Orchestra...and other amazing free recordings!

I just discovered the coolest site while trying to locate an introduction to the orchestra for children. I found that and a WHOLE lot more here: Artsreformation's children's record collection. There are mp3s of the Talespinners for Children collection from the 50s, selectons from the Introduction to... series, as well as much, much more. Great resource! My only caveat is I have no idea how the copyright works on this case. Okay to download? Anyone have any knowledge of this?

2nd Month of Homeschooling: Accomplished!

It's October 1st! Time to celebrate, for we've just completed another month of educational adventures. Here's the highlights and the (gasp) lowlights:

The Good:

• We've finally settled into a schedule that works, assisted by the fact that Mr. Moose decided to restart his morning naps. Why? I don't know. But it's quite nice to have him snoozing away in the other room while we read, count, discuss and engage in various other educational activities.
• I've finally gotten on top of my chores! This is a huge one for me. Ever since #3 made his appearance, I've struggled to find a way to keep our house clean while simultaneously working, caring for children, cooking and homeschooling. In the last month, something finally clicked and I've discovered a schedule of house chores that allows me to get everything (ok, well, almost everything) done each week. Part of the success has come from this excellent post on homeschool time management.
• My girls continue to love school. They're always excited to start and seem to enjoy every minute of it. 
• My friend Jamie and I have started a geography co-op for a PreK-1st grade range. The first meeting was a lot of fun, and I'm really looking forward to our next world adventure. I'll hopefully post more about that later.

The Bad:

• I'm unhappy with my preschool plans. They're just too easy for Sweetness. She is already familiar with her letters and their sounds and doesn't get excited about writing practice. I don't know what to do as she loves having the one on one time with me. I don't want to just engage in busywork that fills time. I want to create memorable learning experiences. But how? Any suggestions?
• We've gone from not having enough time to finish to getting done in an hour with another hour left over! I want to fill this time with meaningful activites, not necessarily "school" but something other than always playing "Littlest Pet Shop" together (though I do want to have time to do that! But an hour of it is almost more than I can bear!) A potential solution is to create a rotating weekly plan, sort of like with Charisa at 1+1+1 is doing. 

Well, that's my monthly wrap-up! If you want to check out what some other of my blogging mom friends who are also doing PreK, Kindergarten or 1st Grade, you can read their blogs:

• Brenda @ Unsolicited Advice
• Angela @ KinderDays

Firm Foundations 5:2

Theme: God can control nature, doing whatever He wants
"Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." (Psalm 115:3)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 139:1-3. If the weather is nice, do today's Bible lesson outside and enjoy nature as you learn about God's power over nature.

Catechism Q&A: Q.  Can God do all things? A. Yes; God can do all his holy will.

Solar Power: Read Psalm 115:3 and 135:5-7. The Lord's power is truly great. Tell your children in your own words the story of how Joshua cried out to the Lord during a battle and God stopped the sun from moving. While you tell the story, have them illustrate the battle scene with a sun. When you're done, put the illustration in square #2 of this week's notebook page.

To underscore God's power, read some books about the Sun, such as The Sun is My Favorite Star and The Sun: Our Nearest Star. It's incredible to contemplate how God has such power as to stop a massive star as the sun in its tracks! Only our Creator.

Rocketing: For a fun go-along activity, try making this cool vinegar/baking soda rocket and blasting into, well, upper space!

Firm Foundations 5:1

Theme: God Knows – All of the World’s Knowledge
“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” (Psalm 147:5)
Scripture Memory: Time to learn verse 3 of Psalm 139!

• “You discern my going out and my lying down;
  
• You are familiar (ASL Sign) with all my ways (ASL Sign).”

Catechism: Q. 12. Does God know all things? A. Yes; nothing can be hid from God.

Astronomy Unit Study, part 1: There’s nothing like the vastness of space to make us feel very small. The heavens truly do “declare the glory of God…” Throughout the week we’re going to explore some of the amazing aspects of our universe and discover more about the amazing God who created it all.

Read Psalm 147:4-5.God knows all the stars by name! To comprehend how much that is, cover a piece of construction paper with glue (you can use a paintbrush and a glue/water mix to keep the mess manageable). Then allow your children to sprinkle glitter all over the page. Once they’re done, ask them to count the glitter pieces. Can they? There are 200 billion stars just in the Milky Way galaxy. How many more in all of space? God knows EVERYTHING there is to know!

Notebook: Glue the glitter picture on to this week’s notebook page. Before you put it in, you might want to cover it in Saran Wrap so that the glitter doesn’t slowly fall on your floors every time the book is opened!

Read Along: The Magic School Bus Sees Stars or The Sky is Full of Stars

Firm Foundations 1:3

Review: Let your kids put YOUR memory to the test today! They ask you the catechism questions and you provide the answers. Is your memory as good as theirs? Take time to review Colossians 1:16 as well by singing it fast and and then singing it slow.

Creation Lesson 4:

• Read Genesis 1:24-28 and Genesis 2:1-2.
• Discuss how God made each animal according to it’s own kind. What does that mean? Using this animal matching game or your child’s collection of stuffed creatures, sort the animals in various ways, ie, by habitat, characteristics or species. On space #6, make a pocket to hold the animal matching cards.
• Create the art for the final space on this week’s catechism notebook page. Color a picture of the earth, then glue a heart in the middle of it. Talk about how God was pleased with His creation – it was good! Everything God does is good and perfect.
• Close Out this lesson with praise! Have each child think of one aspect of God’s creation they enjoy. Thank God for it together!