What We Studied
Another two weeks down! We’re getting closer to our Christmas break here. Managing to get a lot of work in during this in-between month.
Literature and Poetry
Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. We continued with our book club selection and I lined up our next read.
Poetry: Hearth & Story G6
Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll
The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan
Granted by John David Anderson
Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We continued with our read aloud, getting very close to finishing. I’ve had to slow down our reading time a bit to accommodate our general pace.
Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Math
Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We finished up our textbook for this semester and spent time catching up. We will be playing a bit of review and catchup until January. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.
Math in Focus Course 2 Book A
Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We finished up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We covered a chapter reviewing time. We still have a few short chapters left in this textbook for the semester. Hoping we can get the, finished before Christmas.
Primarily Logic
Singapore Primary Common Core 3B
Social Studies
Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself.. The last four chapters of Volume 1 are all about aspects of modern society as opposed to regional history. We covered a chapter about Inventions, one about art.
Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
A Journey Through Art
DK When on Earth
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers
Ice! The Amazing History of the Ice Business by Laurence Pringle
The Eiffel Tower by Russell Roberts
Eiffel Tower by Kristine Spanier
Now That's Big: Eiffel Tower by Kate Riggs
Action! How Movies Began by Meghan McCarthy
The Fantastic Ferris Wheel: The Story of Inventor George Ferris by Betsy Harvey Kraft
The Secret Subway by Shana Corey
Lives of the Scientists by Kathleen Krull
Who was Marie Curie? by Megan Stine
No Horses in the House!: The Audacious Life of Artist Rosa Bonheur by Mireille Messier
Paul Cezanne: A Painter’s Journey by Robert Burleigh and the National Gallery of Art
What the Artist Saw: Claude Monet: He Saw the World in Brilliant Light by Amy Guglielmo
What the Artist Saw: Paul Cézanne: He Saw the World in Spectacular Shapes by Amy Guglielmo
Sarah Bernhardt: The Divine and Dazzling Life of the World’s First Superstar by Catherine Reef
Carmen and the House that Gaudí Built by Susan Hughes
Gaudí: Architect of Imagination by Susan B. Katz
The Art and Life of Hilma af Klint by Ylva Hillström
Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the run-up and beginnings of the American Revolution.
History Quest United States History
DK When on Earth?
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
DK American History
We were There Too
Words that Built a Nation
King George: What was His Problem? by Steve Sheinkin
Science
Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We kept up with our physics prep for co-op. Arthur also covered two chapters about faults and earthquakes. Mostly it was review for him, but we watching some good videos in the process.
RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)
RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)
DK Eyewitness Energy
Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We worked through a chapter about air pressure. Beyond our RSO, we read more chapters in our Story of Science covering Alexander, Euclid, and Archimedes.
RSO Physics 1
The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim
Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner
Physics for Curious Kids Introduction
The Way Things Work Now
Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op
Oof! These two weeks were a struggle in Academic Co-op. The littles classroom was chaotic and loud. The bigs classroom was full of snark and commentary. Here’s hoping we get back on track with attitudes and behavior.
Art and Music
We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We spent one of our weeks covering Beethoven for music. The other week was spent covering frames for art.
DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge
The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak
DK Art and How it Works
13 Art Techniques Children Should Know
The Story of Paintings
Ludwig van Beethoven by Mike Venezia
Iconic Composers by Nicholas Csicsko and Emi Ferguson
Music is My Life by Myles Tanzer
Welcome to the Symphony by Carolyn Sloan
Field Trip/Activities
Arthur wasn’t feeling good the first week so we scrapped our big activity plans.
High
We are getting very close to finishing all the schoolwork I had planned for the fall semester. I love being on track!
Low
Sickness. Always with the sickness in November.
Next Week
Finishing our read aloud (Q) and starting a new read aloud (A)
Moving forward with our math chapters - Close to finishing our current textbooks
Learning about the Consumerism (A) and 1775-1776 (Q) for history
Covering volcanoes (A) and how planes fly (Q) for science
Taking a small break for Thanksgiving week
Next up on the TBR pile:
