Homeschool Highlights - Week of June 20, 2010

What a week!  We took a break from our traditional schooling for some "fun-schooling."

Sunday:

Theme:  Tea Party.

• We read Fancy Nancy Tea Parties and Shayla read Our Tea Party.
• We made fancy butterfly shaped invitations for several dolls.  The idea was taken from another Fancy Nancy book.
• We made paper fans for table decorations.
• 
  
  Originally, we dressed in fancy clothes, but since we had it outside, we decided to change back to our summer clothes!
• Our snack was fruit kabobs served with some delicious tea water.

(reading, writing, art, life skills - preparing simple foods and pouring)

Monday: 

Shayla had her annual assessment by a certified teacher (thanks, Charlene)  to meet our state's homeschool requirements.  At the last minute I was busy putting together a portfolio of her written work, as well as a scrapbook of many of the projects we do. 

It was encouraging to see the progress made since the beginning of last fall.  I'm sure she'll continue to progress. 

Water Works program:  theme:  What Do You Know About Water?

Left:  Station 1.  Bubble painting.  After last week's failed attempt, they tried again this week - with more bubbles and paint.  It worked well this week!

Right:  Station 2.  Does Water Mix.  We did several experiments here.  First we added salt to water and let it sit.  Later we put an egg in it.  The salt in the water caused the egg to float. 

Experiment 2:  Mixed oil with water. 

Experiment 3:  Floating or sinking.  We added objects to the water/oil cup (legos, balls of clay, mushy grapes, etc)

Station 3:  No pictures.  We counted as David added 19 drops of water onto the top of a penny. 

Station 4:  Forms of water:  Solid, liquid, and gas. 

Experiment 1:  We looked at ice - solid.  For fun we were given string to try to find a way to pick up the ice with it.  We found that as the ice melted we could pick it up a little by leaving the string on the ice.  We sped up the process by putting salt on the ice.  As the salt melted the ice the string picked it up.

Experiment 2:  We each had two quart jars.  One had hot water, one cold.  We added three drops of food color to each one.  The food color was supposed to disperse in the cold water faster, but ours didn't work like that. 

Experiment 3:  Steam.  We put hot water in plastic cups and put a plastic cup overtop.  It created steam inside. 

Tuesday:

Swimming and Cloverbud meeting.

Wednesday:

Passport to Fishing Program at the State Park.

Shayla was one of the few that caught a bluegill!

At the end of the program, each child received a fishing licence and their own fishing pole to take home.

Summer Reading program at the library:  Paul Merklein Draws Big Faces.  This talented artist drew famous people (and cats) from literature and audience members!

Thursday:

Spent the day on the road.  Morgan had to take her driver's licence test today.   She passed the driving, but unfortunately, has to go back and take the parking portion again. 

 

Friday: 

Ballet.


Saturday:

Nature Detective Program at the State Park.  Topic:  Birds of a Feather.

Shayla and the kids were able to see (upclose) real, stuffed birds.  They were not allowed to touch the birds because they are getting so fragile.

Not much book learning went on in our homeschool this week, but there was no break in learning!