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A peek at our homeschool week that was...

Monday found us very busy, our first day back-to-homeschool since our winter-holiday break.

I started the day with a walk/run, and then had the kids dive enthusiastically into the meaty part of our studies. We started the morning off with a Bible reading, then table work for all 5 kids. This Monday, table work began with Math for everyone. We use Math-U-See for all 5 kids right now. Each child opens to the next page, and I help or explain as needed. Today I had to que up the computer with a Math chapter lesson for Josie ( I love Math-U-See!, it's on dvd!!)

Next, the 3 littles (my youngest 3 students) began their handwriting work. Meg began working on her grammar, I started Josie on a writing assignment. After the writing, I worked with the 3 littles on grammar/writing from a Flashkids workbook...I have all 3 on the same page for simplicity sake. Next came the all important snack break.

After snack break, Josie and Meg took out their Sonlight assignments already put into their weeks-work binders, and they decided which books to tackle first. I began one of the boys on the computer with Explode the Code online, while the other did...I don't know what, can't remember...played with the dog maybe? Practiced the piano, possibly... I opened up Explode the code in workbook format for Amie, she prefers the workbook to online...(She did 3 pages) After 15 minutes, I switched the boys on the computer. Teddy's special-ed tutor arrived at this point, so he sat down to work with her...and I turned Demi and Amie loose to play outside.

I sat down, watched the Math dvd with Josie, who was stuck...and then explained to her how to find the area of a trapazoid. We went on a rabbit trail with avarages...since we had to first add the two bases of the trapazoid and then find the average...We completed 3/4 of the page together, then I turned her loose to finish the last 4 problems solo, no coaching. I then wrote the equation for finding the area of a trapazoid in her math notebook, and had her copy a whole page. Then I assigned a whole notebook page of a multiplication family, and then a page of area and primeter formulas for review.

Amie came inside and experimented with our new colorix colors. She did the above house painting. I began lunch prep.

Teddy's tutor left at lunch-time. While they ate, I read two poems from our Sonlight Core 2, and then after I ate my lunch, I read to them about Ethiopia from the book Windows on the World, which is also from Sonlight Core 2. We got the world map out and located Ethiopia, and reviewed our continents and Oceans songs.
Next, I pulled out A Child's History of the World(also from SL2) and read to the littles about Charlemagne while they colored a picture of his palace. I asked them some questions while I read. Meg and Josie completed a vocabulary workbook assignment. And then I turned them loose for the day, because I was done...it's been a long holiday break...

Tuesday was our Classical group day. The highlight for me was our art activity, we learned about the artist Giotto. We looked at examples of paintings he had done, and then we tried our hand at crushing up color pigments (in our case, color chalk) and mixing them with egg whites and water to make our own paint, the way many painters of old did.

Here are Teddy and Demi-Sky hard at work on their paintings. Did I mention before that I have 6 boys in my class, and 1 girl? Only half the paintings were on war themes...I was relieved.

• Relieved to be pleasantly surprised that I didn't get 99% war themes, or
  
• relieved that my two boys aren't the only ones who paint/draw constantly on this theme?...

I'll leave you to guess...

Here's a look at the time-line cards we memorized this week for the classical class. They are from Veritas press. We also did two science experiments from The Van Cleave Science book. One was about the Earth's tilted axis resulting in different seasons in the two hemispheres. I had to use a styro-foam ball and a flashlight to demonstrate this. We also did one on water molecules expanding when frozen and the effect glaciers have on rocks...that one was kind of cool to draw. I handed out lab worksheets, and spent a good amount of time reviewing the scientific method with them. These experiments are not real on the 'wow' -factor...nothing fizzing/exploding (yet), but the point really, is to teach them how to use the Scientific method.

The math that day was memorizing the formula for the area of a rectangle...Josie was pleased, since she's been writing this for weeks! :)

We arrived home from our classical group around 1 p.m. -had lunch and then everyone did Math. Then I had Amie, Demi and Josie do a pre-writing exercise for a persuasive essay due on Wednesday. I turned them loose after that...our Classical group day is kind of a heavy day, with a lot of memorization work, we are all kind of fried afterward. My friend Gracefulmom is down for the holidays from Singapore, so she came over and we hung out at the dining table, while the kids played around us/inside/outside the house. Just like old times. :)

The rest of our week, to be continued:

*part 2 can be found -here (part 2)
*part 3 can be found -here (part 3)

Labels: classical Conversations, homeschool, school year 09