Homeschool Highlights - Week of Dec 26, 2010 and Jan 2, 2011

 Weekend Schooling: 

• Playing outside.  Sledding.  Up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill.  (phys ed)
• Playing new Christmas games (Guess Who? Apples to Apples - both of these are new favs)
• Building with Legos (fine motor, imagination)
• Made a felt snowman craft (art, fine motor)
• Art:  Made a scented gingerbread man.  Cut sandpaper in shape of gingerbread man.  Rub cinnamon stick over and decorate. 
• Colored with markers in the "big books."  (fine motor, art)

• Read Aloud:  The Value of Kindness:  The Story of Elizabeth Fry.  We learned about how this woman singlehandedly bringing about prison reform.  (social studies)
• Art/Bible:  Made a paper plate clock from Christian Crafts from Paper Plates. 

all the days of my appointed time will I wait...Job 14:14

Monday:

Read aloud:  The Value of Giving:  The Story of Beethoven.  (social studies, geography, music)

Phys Ed:  More sledding.  I sure wish it would warm up so we could spend some outdoors time building a snowman.  Something a little less strenuous than climbing the sledding hill a hundred and one times a day.  LOL!

Reading:  Open Windows:  Something to Wait For, One Little Indian, Enough for Everyone, Mother's Helper - Father's Helper, Who Gets It?

Played learning games - Guess Who?  Old Maid, Go Fish, Barbie Memory Matching

Tuesday: 

Read Aloud:  The Value of Dedication:  The Story of Albert Schweitzer.  We also finished reading Hopscotch magazine.

Happy New Year!  Our family celebrated the New Year by playing board games.

As we got closer to midnight, Shayla and mom got tired of playing Monopoly.  Mom went bankrupt after landing on Morgan's hotel.  In the end, we called it a tie between Shayla and Morgan.  Shayla had all the cash and utilities, Morgan the hotels. 

Then we all gathered around the tv to see the ball drop in Time's Square. 

*Wes has still not gotten used to the fact that we take a lot of photographs in our home. 

Sunday:

Attended worship services.  Shayla really enjoyed today's message about moving beyond our kindergarten faith. 

Shayla has been saying that she doesn't want to grow up and she shows it.  She is unwilling to try anything new.  I believe this is because of the perfectionism in her.  She is afraid to fail.  This trait became apparent at a young age.  As a toddler, she did not try to learn to walk by holding onto her parents' hands, she waited until she was 15 months old and just took off by herself. 

Back to Sunday's message, Pastor Jeff started out his sermon with a humorous, short clip about a 40 year old man that was still in kindergarten. 

It brought a lot of laughs and discussion for the day in our home.  :)

Monday: 

Happy 17th Birthday, Morgan!  Where has the time gone?
Bible:  Jonah.  Jonah Disobeys God.  Jonah 1:1-7, 1:15-16

Devotions:  The Path to Take.  Psalm 119:1-8, 105

Kings Kids program started again after Christmas break.

Reading:  Kind & Brave (Book 1:7)  Goose-Goose and Pig-Pig, Sunshine and Rain

Read Aloud:  The Value of Learning: The Story of Marie Curie. (geography, science, social studies)

Tuesday:

Bible:  Jonah is Inside the Fish.  Jonah 1:17, 2:1, 2:10

Devotions:  It's Not Fair.  Revelations 21:3-5

Reading:  Kind & Brave:  Ready to Go, Mr. Rabbit and Tar Baby, Mr. Rabbit Gets Away

Language/phonics:  Lesson 79

Math:  Lesson 89.  Done quickly and painlessly, as a reward we played math war addition card game. 

Spelling:  Test.  Wrote the words on white board 100% correct.

Science:  Wheels. 

• Read Wheels section in Discovering God's World
• Read book Wheels and Axles
• Discussed what would happen if wheels were a different shape
• Moved a box on the floor across the room by pushing
• Moved the same box across the floor using a wagon.  How do wheels and axles make movement easier?
• Built a wheel and axle using spools and a pencil.  Identify parts by name.
• Demonstrate that the wheels will not turn if the axle does not turn.

Wednesday: 

Specials day!

Thursday: 

Field Trip:  Children's Theater Foundation's presentation of Harold and the Purple Crayon. 

Computer:  Played various educational computer games.

All subjects:  Played board and card games.

Friday: 

Bible:  Jonah Obeys God.  Jonah 3:1, 5, 10

Devotions:  Help for Tina.  Romans 8:26-28

Reading:  Kind and Brave:  Grandmother's Path, Why Jimmy Did His Work

All Subjects:  Played board games.

Math:  Lesson 90.

Social Studies/Read aloud:  Read The Value of Imagination:  The Story of Charles Dickens. 

Science:  Inclined Plane/Ramps

• Read Ramp Section on page 41 of Discovering God's World
• Read Inclined Planes and Wedges
• Read Simple Machines: Ramps
• Using Toy cars learn about inclined planes.
• Give a stack of books, a think flat board and a toy car.  Move the car further and short distances by raising and lowering the height of the stack of books. 
• Discuss how the simple ramp made work easier.  The force in this case is provided by gravity.
• Explore changing the motion of a moving object using the ramp.  Place sand paper, wax paper, or cloth on the ramp.  How does that ffect the motion of the car?
• When student leans a board from a high level to the floor, the board becomes an inclined plane that may be useful in lifting objects.  Name some other examples of inclined planes.  (Ideas:  conveyor belts, wheel chair ramps, delivery or moving van ramps)