Merry Christmas!

Christmas Music....

'Nutcracker' Ballet at the Keller

Our study of Tchaikovsky concluded with the magic and beauty of the Nutcracker.

We loved the costumes, sets, dancing & music.  

Thanksgiving Day, 2010

God gave us a glorious day of skiing at Mt. Bachelor...

 

Dad, Mom, Abi & Aly

 

Mom & Aly

 

 Dad & Aly

 Abi & Grandpa

 Aly

 Aly

 Aly

 Abi

 Abi

 Mom & Dad

 Andrew, Mom & Dad

Andrew

SLEDDING IN SUNRIVER AT THE AMPHITHEATER

 Aly

Mom

Abi on Dad

Andrew

~Thanksgiving Resources~

I have compiled a list of resources for studying the Pilgrims, Plimoth Plantation, The Mayflower & the 'first' Thanksgiving.  My girls are early elementary age, but these resources could be used for older students as well.  We will revisit this unit study annually.  For now, we are having a ball with it.  We started this unit mid-November and will spend many enjoyable hours on these books & projects.  Please share your favorites that I have (or have not) listed.  Thank you, and...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

 

 Hands-On Activities:

History Pockets:  Life In Plymoth Colony by Evan-Moore

3-D Interactive Maps:  Mayflower by Scholastic

3-D Mayflower Model


The Story Of The First Thanksgiving by Elaine Raphael and Don Bolognese


Squidoo Thanksgiving Lapbooks

Free Internet Resources:

http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/intro.html

http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/Thanksgiving/Recipes.php

Coloring pages: here

Books

Thankfully I already own these resources as part of our American History program.

Story Of The World 3 by Susan Wise Bauer:  Ch. 6, New Colonies in the New World

Stories Of The Pilgrims by Margaret B. Pumphrey

Veritas Press Cards #8 ‘The Mayflower Lands & Plymoth, 1620’and #9, ‘Pilgrims Build Plymoth Colony, 1621’

History Of Us, by Joy Hakim, Book 2, ch 13 – 15

What Your Second Grader Needs To Know, page 126

The Complete Book of United States History, page 63-66, Squanto Helps The Pilgrims

BJU Heritage Studies 3, ch. 4, The New England Colonies

The Pilgrims Of Plimoth by Marcia Sewall

The Story Of The First Thanksgiving by Elaine Raphael and Don Bolognese

Audio/Video:

Your Story Hour audio series

Poem:  The Landing of the Pilgrims Audio File: here

Audio version of the book Landing Of The Pilgrims

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Mayflower Voyagers

The History Channel: History of US dvd:  episode 1: Rebels

Scholastic Plimoth Plantation Live Video-cast 

Hymns:

Thanksgiving Medly on youtube

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come,

For the Beauty of The Earth

For the purpose of self-education, I read these:

America’s Providential History, ch.  5, 6, 7

48 Liberal Lies About American History, ch. 34

Kitchen-Table-Science With Dad

What is dry ice? 
It can take the form of liquid, gas or solid --
all at the same temperature of -109.3° F. 

 Dad put little chunks of dry ice in a glass of hot water.

Anna dipped a paper towel in super-soapy water and rubbed it over the rim of a bowl which held a chunk of dry ice.  The film of soap held the dry ice vapor and formed a large bubble.  

 

When the bubble pops, the remaining vapor spills over.

 

 Andrew & Anna covered the bowl of dry ice in plastic wrap and kept a tight seal.

 

Eventually...Pop!

 

Next, Dad & Anna made a fog machine.  

First, Anna scooped chunks of dry ice into a pyrex pitcher.

As soon as the chunks hit the water, Dad covered it with plastic wrap.

 They let the vapors escape out the spout.

 Cue Special Effects!

 

Can't imagine more fun on a Sunday night.

Weekly Report: November 8 - 12

Week 10 was tons of fun with the girls.  

They continue to master more skills in music, reading, writing and math.  I'm in awe.  I love seeing progress.  It validates their hard work and they feel so proud of their new knowledge & talents.  

As do  I.

Aly showed us tonight that she can multiply through the 12s.  

(The skip-counting drills have paid off.) 

I found them doing math tonight at our little school desk in the kitchen. 

The sunny afternoon beckoned so they had some math to finish tonight.

 Aly presented the poem, My Shadow, to her CC class...

All in all, a fabulous week, despite hubby & Andrew being gone to a 3-day school leadership conference.  

Hoping for a 'normal' week soon....

ABI:

Bible:  CLE Bible

Hymnody:  Come Thou Fount

Math:  Singapore Math (challenging word problems, mult, place value, online class with Cybershala), TT4 (mult), MM place value & mult, Horizons 2 workbook (10 pages)

Reading:  The House At Pooh Corner, Secret Garden, Picture Bible

Read-Aloud with Anna: The Horse And His Boy

Grammar & Writing: WWE 3 daily lessons, Shurley 3 (possessive noun and pronoun adjectives)

Spelling: SWR List M-2, phonogram review

Cursive: daily copy work, narration, dictation

Shakespeare:  Hamlet

History:  Veritas Time Line Cards & Songs, Memory Sentence (CC)

Geography Memory Work (CC): Puerto Rico, Cuba

Science:  Rockets, "live" demo at CC

Piano:  lesson & daily practice

PE: Soccer

Drama: Christian Youth Theater Showcase.  Here's a pic from the big night.

Art: local art class

Composer Study:  Mozart

Classical Conversations:  Love it!

Below: Samples of Abi's SWR Primary Learning Log...

ALY:

Bible:  CLE Bible

Hymnody:  Come Thou Fount

Math: Singapore Math (adding, subtracting, making tens,), RS place value, MM place value, Horizons 1 (15 pages)

Reading: CLP Nature Reader #1, Beatrix Potter collection, Charlotte's Web (slowly)

Read-Aloud with Anna: The Horse And His Boy

Grammar & Writing:  WWE 1 daily, copywork, narration & dictation

Spelling: SWR List E, phonogram review, Explode The Code 3 (20 pages)

Cursive: daily copy work

Shakespeare:  Hamlet

History:  Veritas Time Line Cards & Songs, Memory Sentence (CC)

Geography Memory Work (CC): Puerto Rico & Cuba

Science: Rockets, 'live' demo at CC

Violin:  lesson & daily practice

PE: Soccer

Drama: Christian Youth Theater Showcase

Art: local art class

Composer Study:  Mozart

Classical Conversations:  Love it!

Below:  Sample of Aly's copywork, created on Startwrite software...

ANNA:

Bible:  Daily Bible reading

Math: Chalk Dust Algebra 1 daily lesson

Lit: Thomas Jefferson, Wuthering Heights, Anne of Green Gables (for fun)

Writing/Grammar: The Potters School English class, writing biography

History: The Potters School US History class online, study, read Thomas Jefferson

World Geography:  The Potters School online class, 1 hour daily study, read, mapwork

Science:   Physical Science class, 3 experiments, read, study

Spanish: Tutor + Spanish 2 Class, daily reading, conversation, grammar study

Music: Piano (daily practice 1 hour), Choir class w/ daily practice

Drama: Improv class at CYT

Community Service:  Keyboard for kids’ worship team, Sunday School Teacher