Showing posts with label What We Did Today. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What We Did Today. Show all posts

December on the Run!

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Posted by Kathy | Posted on 10:09 PM

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Our homeschooling month so far has been very relaxed-not the activity level, just the school work actually being accomplished. Up though last week we were busy getting ready for a homeschool Christmas play involving about 40 children and almost as many families. It went so well.

This week the two big events have been my husband's birthday, having friends over for dinner that night, and preparing for another Christmas play at our church, as well as preparing for a wedding I'm leading worship for this weekend. Shopping? When does that enter in to the picture?

My question to myself is, is it possible to still begin something like Christmas around the World? How about Christmas Around the Mall? No. It just doesn't have the same ring to it. Seriously, I want to go through Christmas and have it be a wonderful and memorable time for our children.

So, if by chance there is a reader of Field Notes out there (and that is no plea for anything other than this....), please pray for me that the Lord will help me to divide and conquer: divide the necessary from the unnecessary, the wasted time from the productive time, and let God's plan for our December be revealed. Honestly, I don't feel like I've prepared much room for Him. Scoot over calendar, scoot over responsibilites and take your position behind the one who left Glory to inhabit my spirit.

Getting It All In

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Posted by Kathy | Posted on 9:39 PM

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I had stayed up late last night finalizing some lesson plans through the end of the year. After a week off for a family and great friend campout I needed to refresh even for this week.

Before my feet hit the floor Bethany woke me up with the news that her grasshopper "Saw" had laid what looked to be eggs! Wow. School came early for me and Bethany. A few lethargic moments later I arose, and went in for the inspection. After a few minutes on Google we decided that indeed, they looked like eggs. No time like the present for a blog post!

We proceeded to craft a post. I typed what she said while Bethany went and took pictures of Saw and the eggs. After an easier than usual download, we published the post at 8 a.m.

While it wasn't what I'd penciled in for the day, we'd already accomplished Internet Research, Entymology, Photography (it's a new thing for her- even learning how to run a camera), and Writing. Throughout the day we continued our observations with a journal page in her science notebook (in came Spelling!), and a drawing (more art.)

We are reading through a great book called, "Wisdom With the Millers" during our Bible time, and we focus on the Proverb for the day. The lesson was about our words having value-how words can either add to or take away from someone. We posted a sign, "Do my words have value?" that we used throughout the day for the purpose of SELF-observation. Then I got this idea of delving further into the idea of "value." I used my drivers license, a $10 Dollar Bill, and a $35 Dooney-Bourke make-up bag as examples of things that have value for different purposes. I went so far as to say a $10 Dollar Bill in the U.S.A. does not have the value of a $10 Dollar Bill in a poor region in India, for example, if given to someone to buy food for a poor family or families. Should a missionary come to talk with the person who has just been fed, they then receive the good news of the gospel of Jesus, they get saved, and all of a sudden, the $10 Dollars becomes the most valuable thing on our list because through its' greatest use, a soul is brought to the Lord. Topic accomplished: Teaching a Biblical Worldview to my 4th grader and my 2nd grader. I had 100% participation. They even got to line things up in what they saw as most important of the 3 items, 2nd, and so on.

Then the rubber began to meet the road. I gave Daniel the big picture in Math, English, and Reading, and sent him off with a stack of things to do, and a list! He loves lists, and had every item but 2 checked off by days end. This time I had him sign it, and I'll be putting a sticker that reflects how I saw his attitude about his work. It's one thing to get it done, it's another to do it well and willingly.

During math I was loosing the audience of my daughter due to the beginning of what could have been a melt-down. I prayed instantly, and God said, "Do a U-Turn". So I pulled out the Geo-boards, the rubberbands and shapes, and made my now 2 math students shut their eyes, pull out the shape and then they had to make that shape on the geoboard. Wow....her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. I knew I had made the right decision. School was back on track.

I continued on to our lengthy Saxon Math lesson. My error was not just continuing on to Writing and Language Arts, but there was still great gain made. Besides, writing was already done as was spelling. Because of God's faithful direction we managed to get it all in as He planned it!
Tomorrow: Park Day, Soccer practice, a homeschool picnic at the park, then in the evening an event for girls and Mom's by Secret Keeper Girl, a gift from sweet friends in celebration of their daughter's birthday.

Video: Washington D.C.

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Posted by Kathy | Posted on 11:39 AM

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Today we read two chapters from American Pioneers and Patriots published by Christian Liberty Press. I think almost anything by CLP is excellent. We have used several of their books for history and science readers. These history books also have some fun hands-on acitivites and questions which conclude each chapter. It's written at about a 3rd or 4th grade level, and is written in narrative form making it very easy and fun to listen to. The children have loved it. Even though it's been many weeks since we have needed this book, they still remember the stories.

Today the chapter was on when George Washington became President. We also read a special section on the use of the fireplace, and how important it was in early homes.

To add to our historical study we watched Washington, D. C. put out by 100% Educational Videos. This is one video in a collection called Our United States. A young student and her mother narrarate the video. I found it at our local library and highly recommend it.

One of the things I learned is that the original White House burned to the ground during the 1812 War. I do not recall learning that, but I have learned it now. One of the reasons I love teaching!

Also: Lessons 106 & 107/Horizons Math, LLATL, Calculadder
Daniel: Explode the Code book 2, Calculadder, Spelling, HW
This afternoon: soccer league

What Actually Happened

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Posted by Kathy | Posted on 7:53 PM

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Make n' Break
Calculadder
LLATL-Bethany
School Pictures
Library on Geography Search-some success
Art-Daniel
Portfolio Cover Art-Bethany and Daniel

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