Advent and Antarctica: Week 2 Peace

Advent

Week 2: Peace

Readings and Prayer: The Journey

Hymn: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear


Bible Reading Schedule/Activities:

Celebrate the Advent Season

Memory Verses:
Micah 5:2-5
Seeds Family Worship: To the Ends of the Earth

Jesse Tree Readings:

Ann Voskamp: Unwrapping the Greatest Gift
Ann's Peace Sunday Candle Lighting

The kids are working on their Bible Quizzing verses, we find this audiobible helpful: http://www.biblica.com/bible/online-bible/niv/luke/11/

Reading

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens ( read for free on Gutenburg or download Audible version with Tim Curry)

Other choices, free on Gutenburg:
The Night Before Christmas and Other Christmas Stories
Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
Short Stories by Lucy Maud Montgomery
A Budget of Christmas Tales by Charles Dickens and Others

Antarctica

Interactive website we are having fun with: http://discoveringantarctica.org.uk/

These first two videos are about the discovery of the South Pole, from last week.

Glory and Death: Amundsen and Scott's Race to the South Pole



Race to the South Pole: Tragedy at the South Pole
We watched this last week, very good.


The Secret of Antarctica


 
On Netflix:
Encounters At the End of the World
Frozen Planet

We will be doing more microscope labs this week and taking a trip to the Zoo to learn about animals in winter.  


Other resources:
http://lima.nasa.gov/
http://mamaofmanyblessings.com/arctic-antarctic-unit-study-ideas.html
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/icebridge/

November Week 3

Hymn of the Month

Be Still My Soul

Written by Katharina A. von Schlegel, 1752
Music: Finlandia by Jean Sibelius, 1899
Classics for Kids, Jean Sibelius

Bible Readings 

http://www.amblesideonline.org/Biblesch.shtml
2 Samuel 11
2 Samuel 12
Psalm 51
Luke 4: 16 - 31
Mark 6: 1 - 7

Bible Memory Work

Mark 12: 31-31
Seeds Family Worship: Seeds of Purpose vol. 4 

Language Arts

The kids and I are writing books this month. We have monthly and daily word goals. 

Nanowrimo.org 

Learning to Read

All in One Homeschool

Starfall

Maybe try: http://readingeggs.com/


History of Language
NativLang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0jqMO63SUg&list=PLc4s09N3L2h3HtaAYVqOVKGt2h6wRasw2 

The Writer's Workshop - Ted Ed
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJicmE8fK0Eib5y-bh4RVFvg492OIwpg8 

Foreign Languages

 
 

Social Studies

180 Days Around the World

Australia

Gov of Australia
http://splash.abc.net.au 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yXNrLTddME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqkgKkW8o6E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyFFfKfgcbc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyf7hxVpI-Y

Current Events:
http://www.cnn.com/studentnews 

New Zealand Trek: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/science-expedition-new-zealand-teaching-guide

Science:

Earth Science 

Classical Conversations Cycle 1 App, starting in week 13

YouTube Channels: 
SciShow Kids
Crash Course Kids 
Magic School Bus Earth Science
    Watch episodes on Netflix



   




 

Week 19, Cycle 3 Classical Conversations

Week 18, Cycle 3, Canadian Classical Conversations

Classical Conversations Memory work, Cycle 3, Week 17

First Twelve Elements of the Periodic Table

You can use these as flash cards or play games with the terms. Have fun! Sing along to the elements song: at about 54 seconds: Here is a fun song with the names of all the elements:

CC Cycle 3 Week 16, Canadian

CC Cycle 3 Week 16 Canadian History Sentence Actions

These are the actions I am using, based mostly on ASL. The links take you to demo videos.

CC Cycle 3 Week 16
“Responsible government” is a government that is responsible to the representatives of the people, not to the monarch. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland welcomed Canadian government control in the mid-1800s.



Responsible: Two flat hands tap the dominant shoulder.

 https://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/RESPONSIBLE/4359/1

Government: The G-hand makes a twisting motion at the temple.

https://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/GOVERNMENT/1416/1

Responsible: as above

Represent: Index finger points at the palm of the non dominant hand and moves forward.

https://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/REPRESENT/2332/1

People: Both P-handshapes move forward towards the body in alternating circles.

https://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/PEOPLE/316/1

Monarch: put on crown

I am just using first letters of each Island

https://www.signingsavvy.com/wordlist/fingerspelling

Canadian: right a hand taps right chest, then both open hands come down in front of body

https://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/CANADIAN/3089/1

Government: as above

1800: thumb rubs middle finger for 18, then C for hundred

Video password is week16



cc cycle 3 week 16 from Mighty Mama on Vimeo.

New Website!

Hello friends!
I am now blogging over at MightyMorphinMama.com, it is a work in progress, but please come and join me!
All my home education posts can be found at HomeEducationAdventure.ca
Lotsa love,
Kristen, the Mighty Morphin' Mama
xo

Keep the Crazies at bay...

The summer travelling crazies that is! Someone on Twitter today was asking for audiobook recommendations for a car trip. I can not tell you how many happy hours we have spent, listening to audiobooks on car trips, our favourites being the audio dramas, as opposed to straight reading. Focus on the Family has some of the best ever! From straight radio dramas like Adventures in Odyssey, to dramatizations of modern classics like the Narnia series, Anne of Green Gables and Father Brown Mysteries, their recordings are second to none. Love!

Other wonderful audio books are the G.A. Henty books, the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter... the list goes forever. Libravox.org has tons of Classic novels available, read by volunteers. Some are fantastic, some not so great in reading quality, but they are free! And downloadable in popular formats so you can listen on your cpu or iPod/mp3.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Morning: Bible reading in Luke 18, then a Mini and Maxi story.
History reading in Mystery of History about Elijah.
Memory work for Cycle 1 Week 20 in Classical Conversations
LA included preparing a presentation for CC on Tuesday, subject was Make Us Laugh.

Exploratory: Science
I set out many books about rocks and minerals, crystals and the earth/atmosphere as well as the laptop. I invited them to explore and to try the Usborne Quicklinks. They explored rocks and minerals, moved to Brain Pop and School House Rocks, etc on the computer. They spent the afternoon working, discovering and singing together while I cooked up a storm.

Classical Conversations and Latin

3/16/13

I can hardly believe that we are already in week 20 of our Classical Conversations year. I am just starting to wrap my head around it all and have decided that I can and should (maybe!) use our CC learning as a spine for our curriculum at home.
For example, we memorized the layers of the atmosphere this week, so we read more about that at home. We made crystals in science, so we watched a Brain Pop Video about them at home and are making our own rock candy and borax snowflakes.
Classical Conversations Cycle 1 Week 20, Science: http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/crystals/preview.weml

Last week, our History sentences were about the Anasazi, so we watched a video about them from the history channel.
Classical Conversations Cycle 1 Week 19, History:  Digging for the Truth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q1rVTvrDss (uses the word hell, somewhat sensationalizes cannibalism.)

I am also considering starting to learn Latin with the kids in a more in-depth manner, as well as French. I just found a link on the BBC with free Language lessons! http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/  

Best Language app is Duolingo, check it out in the app store!

Here is another that I have not checked out: http://www.ielanguages.com/french.html (they have Latin!)

non-classical Latin: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/latin/beginners/ 

Latin on youTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfxK6fC2v6c

Open U Latin: http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/classical-studies/getting-started-on-classical-latin/content-section-0

These language lessons are available through your local library, as well as on your phone or tablet! http://www.mangolanguages.com/

Sounds and words: http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_fr.php#
  

1st Day

I am filled with the joy and optimism promised by the first day of school. I realize that there is always a honeymoon period, and for us it is sometimes only a day. But it was a lovely day.

Our newly 15 year old started high school today. He has left our home school and headed off to a local protestant school. I must have been more fraught and anxious than I was conscience of. I could not sleep last night and early this morning I was having the most vivid dream of giant fireballs rolling down our street, the city in flames and trying to get our family out of the house to safety. In my dream, as in real life, I hadn't clean clothes for half the family, so I couldn't pack us a quick bag to take. The baby was messy and in a sleeper, my daughter hadn't had her hair brushed and I didn't have time for a shower. I was racing around trying to gather our photographs while my husband stood chatting with his mom and aunt and I could feel the heat of the flames inside the house.

Maybe I was  bit stressed!

In trying to get those tasks accomplished in my dream, I ended up sleeping in and so did the boys. I had to quickly dress, wake Superboy and we got out of the door in 10 minutes and to school in time. Phew! He had a good, if boring, first day and then football practice. I am very optimistic about his year and success, and looking forward to just being Mom to him for a while.

As for our home school, we had a fabulous day of learning new routines and habits. I want a year of productivity and less stress, and I want us to be active and enjoy our time together.

We started our day with breakfast, then I had the kids all get dressed, brush their teeth and make their beds. We sat together and read some of Luke together and then worked on our memory work of Exodus 20:1-27 (The 10 Commandments).
I gave Braeden some forms to kind of guide his own Bible exploration and seeking of God's voice in his life.

After our devotional time, I had the middles unload the dishwasher and I tidied the kitchen, wiped and started to vacuum. The kids started to bicker a bit, so I sent them out to run laps in the yard while I finished vacuuming. Then I joined them, ran my laps and we did a very few minutes of calisthenics. Then their brains were full of oxygen and we were ready for math.

I set the timer for 30 minutes and we began. We did skip counting and times tables aloud. 1's and 2's. I gave Girly her lesson instructions and her and Judah worked independently while I set Sunshine and Zed up with some fish crackers. We counted to 10 together and I let them eat.

Mom Fail

Yesterday I allowed the misbehavior of one child to colour our entire day and to discourage me and dictate my behavior. It was a total parenting fail. But it ended in the child picking himself up by the bootstraps and with apologies all around. Proving once again that God can redeem ALL things for good and for his glory.

Yesterday, during my devotional time with the littles, I found myself getting frustrated. Why was I frustrated? Because, once again, it was taking so long to 'get through' the reading! Because my beloved little ones kept interupting to make comments on, and ask questions about the things of God! As soon as I took a breath and asked myself why I was frustrated, I realized how silly it was. And how amazing their faith is, and how great their knowledge of the things of God and how deep their questions are.
What a blessing! And it was also a wonderful reminder that teaching and learning about God are not just another thing to be ticked off of my to do list. I am discipling my children, with every word and action, I am showing them God. And usually, I am doing a crappy job of it!
God, please give me patience and an abundance of love for these precious little lives you have entrusted to me!

Week 3

My littles have overcome my lethargy today and insisted on 'doing school'. Out came the Horizons math books. I love doing math with them, they are super enthusiastic and I think they really appreciate the quick lessons and the definite beginning and end of the work. My 6 year old is adorable as he has to add teeth or a pacman around every greater than and less than sign in each lesson!
This week is week three of our year and the first that my husband has been at work. I hate to admit that I have struggled with motivation already. I think that my constant of exhaustion due to being in the last few weeks of this pregnancy and not sleeping, is a definite contributing factor. The older boys have completed their assignments though, and the littles and I have done a little each day, as well as kept up with our reading.
I have made executive decisions to let them keep playing when they are getting along and to spend lots of time in the sun and pool while the weather allowed. Especially since it has been cold and wet, and the weekend looks to continue that trend. My husband and I both feel that this is one of the lovely freedoms that homeschooling allows. The freedom to take advantage of sunny weather and moments together. The freedom to take breaks in our days to play, chat or share a warm pot of tea. Yesterday, I took off for a mid-afternoon date with my husband as we did a little dream-building and planning. I love our home educating lifestyle!
My husband and I have also been a bit lax with our eldest two as their friends are still on summer vacation. They have been allowed lots of freedom to hang out with their friends and take part in activities. My eldest is headed off to do some event preparation work with some family friends who have a production company. If he does well, it could maybe turn into occasional work for him. And as a homeschooler he has the freedom to work when other kids have to be in classes, as long as he keeps up with his studies.
Anyhoo, I am feeling excited and hopeful as I look towards the coming months. It looks like my husband will be working close to home, teaching and therefore home every night. Meaning he will continue to be a large part of the school part of our lives and I am so thankful for this big change. It means that not all the responsibility falls on my shoulders. I can facilitate their learning and do most of the implementation, but he can help keep us accountable and even help with marking!
I am also enjoying doing Sonlight once again. Having everything scheduled out, without giving up my weekends to do that, is simply amazing. All the kids love checking off their work each day with the date stamp I bought. I think they get a real sense of accomplishment out of that. And my 12 year old is loving doing the 4 day a week schedule, because he knows if he keeps up with his work that he can take time off to do what he likes. He is doing a fantastic job.

Day 2

Awesome second day and much faster. The teens were both finished around lunch and the littles were soon after. I went over most of the bigger boys work while the littles had their morning break and then Dad went over math when he came home. We made the decision for our eldest to go back and review for the next month or two, before moving on to advanced Algebra and Trig. I have not been really great at keeping up with marking and keeping him accountable, and he has not wanted us to think he isn't brilliant and therefore he has some learning gaps. We had already made the decision to do that with the 13 year old and I think it will be great.
So thankful for my husbands involvement and interest. We need him to keep us accountable, be our backstop and our principle and it has been a role that time and circumstance have made him reluctant to take on. But he is willing now, and it is just in time.

Day 1

Well, we got the school year off to a great start. Daddy joined us this morning for Bible and he said a prayer and blessing for each child and me and for our school year. I can't think of another year when he has been with us for the first day, what a positive beginning!
With A(5) and J(6), we just did our reading this morning while E(2) climbed on us. I thought that it would be easiest to save the bookwork for E's naptime, at least for my sanity. After our reading, the littles went outside to play in the pool for a couple of hours and the big boys joined them for a break after lunch. By 1:30 we were back at the table for the bookwork portion of our day. Having Daddy home was such a blessing, he put E down while I got started on math with J. Then he came and did math with A, while I finished math with J and we got started on Language Arts. I think it is going to be difficult to balance working with the 2 of them at the same time because they both need my complete attention throughout their math and LA work. At least today, J had copywork, so I was able to start A on her LA while he laboured with the printing. We didn't make it to handwriting skills today, but that is okay, they did get some practice during LA.
The last thing I did with the littles today was science, we did some reading about animals. Good thing that was all, because they were both done.

My older boys worked mostly independently today. B(15) worked his way through all his Bible, Literature, History, Chemistry and Math alone. It took him from 9 until after 4, so I think this year will be quite labour intensive for him. R(13) worked until 4:30, but he did take a long bathroom break and he is easily distracted by what everyone else is doing and saying. We may need to set him up with a desk away from his siblings. And maybe some noise dampening headphones! He did most of his Bible and reading this morning and this afternoon he did Math and then we worked through his LA together. I think we will do about half of what the curriculum asks, at least at the beginning. Like one dictation a week as opposed to 2. He did work fairly diligently today though and I am proud of his effort. We do need to work Science into our day, but today was a good start.

As of today, we still have not decided what R will be doing this year. Will he home educate or will he go to Junior High? If he stays home, will we continue with a more traditional approach, like the Sonlight etc., or will we do cyber-school as he has requested? I really don't know. And I am not sure of where God is leading us on this issue. We only applied at one junior high and he was told they had no space for him. There are plenty of other schools, but I am really not sure where to even begin to look. We also have the opportunity to reapply at our first choice school, but I don't know if we should. We prayed that God would close the doors that were not His best for R. I kind of feel like God already closed that door, so do we really need to reopen it? More praying and investigation are needed to make this choice, I guess. I would really just like it to be done! I do know that I don't want to spend another year fighting with my beautiful son every day about school.

Happy New Year!

We are starting a new school year tomorrow! I am sure that my teenagers are not that excited, but my kindergartener and grade 2-er have been begging me ever since our Sonlight boxes arrived to 'do school'. I usually don't get myself and the kids really going until the end of September, but this year I want us to have a head start. We have a baby due on October 6, so I would really love to get us into a good rhythm before then. Especially so that the teens can keep themselves going when I am babymooning. I would imagine that the littles and I will do a bunch of reading and games during that period but the math and writing may get a little break.

Apparently I can no longer call myself a blogger! But I feel like writing today, so I thought I would do a little catch up here as we near the end of our year.
I have been feeling discouraged and frankly sick of homeschooling throughout the past few months. More to the point, tired of fighting with the kids about school, tired of poor attitude and tired of the endless demands that home educating and parenting 5 kids puts on me. That may have a lot to do with my husband working 100+ hours a week for the last 3 months and basically doing this all by myself. And being physically exhausted and therefore having little emotional or physical energy to put into anything. Maybe.
Regardless, we will be making changes in the fall. We may be putting one or both of our teenagers in school in the fall. At the very least, my 'soon to be' grade 8 student will be cyberschooling. I need him to be responsible to someone else for the schooling. I don't want to keep fighting with him about school every day, we have other stuff to work on and I want to keep a relationship with him!
My eldest can be quite self-reliant and I know we can successfully keep home educating through graduation, though there are many things to be said for him going to high school for a while. A different idea was presented to me today and I am really thinking that it would be a fantastic one for us. We continue to traditional home educate and he registers in a local university as an undeclared student taking one course at a time while he finishes high school! We have a couple of really home education friendly college options here in our city. I am leaning towards this option, especially since I just ordered him a Sonlight core! I ordered a ton of stuff from them this week and I am expecting delivery on Monday. Woohoo! I can't wait for 'box day'!

Mid semester check in.

Today, for the last hour, I have been hiding in my room instead of teaching school. I do need to go back down and do some math and writing with my littles, they totally deserve my attention, but I needed a break.
My twelve year old just refuses to cooperate at all and hasn't cooperated all year. I have about had all I can take and I sent him to his room. We have some ideas and I won't give up on him, but I am tired of the constant and stubborn refusal to do as he is told and the attitudes.
My 14 year old has made a big turn around this year. He is doing a great job of getting down to work in the mornings and cranking it out. Thank goodness. We have wee spots of trouble, bits of attitude, work I assumed was done but is not. Nothing too big and glaring though.
The 12 year old's attitude is unfortunately catchy. My 5 year old, an extremely eager learner, balks every time I ask anything of him. I get 'no's' and 'why do I have to do that's' and moaning and groaning and throwing one's self on the ground in tantrum if I ask the simplest thing of him. But then he turns around and begs me to do school with him.
Girly is eager to 'do school' as well, and she is pretty easy to get along with. Some whining and such, but mostly easy.
I am still finding it difficult to balance the attention my 12 year old seems to need and everyone else's needs. Especially when it comes to taking time for lessons with my littles. We are still a work in progress. sigh.