What We Studied

After a few weeks of light schoolwork and complete break, we were back at it last week with a full curriculum load. We had planned on chemistry class, a field trip, coop, and a nature hike, but the weather took a turn. Everything except for coop was cancelled due to two winter storms and below zero temps with whiteout conditions. So, I had to seriously modify our schedule and pulled in a lot more curriculum. Even with the heavier load, the boys ended up playing outside for hours most days. We are trying to enjoy the snow while it lasts.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur started one of my favorite childhood books. We should finish next week.. We also moved on to starting the next coop book club selection. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills. We finished the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
Reading Explorer: Intro
My America poem collection

Quentin started a very winter themed book with me. We are pushing our Blossom and Root lessons out two weeks. He also worked on some basic grammar.

Sing a Song of Seasons
Just Beyond the Very Very Far North by Dan Bar-El
Polar Bear by Candace Fleming
Polar Bear Morning by Lauren Thompson
Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson
Polar Bear Postman by Seigo Kijima
Polar Bear's Underwear by Tupera Tupera
The Little Polar Bear Tales a Stand by Hans de Beer
Polar Bear Island by Lindsay Bonilla
Once Upon a Winter Day by Liza Woodruff
My Winter City by James Gladstone
Bright Winter Night by Alli Brydon
Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes

Math

Arthur started the last unit for Singapore 5A. We covered ratios this week. We will finish this unit next week and move on to 5B.

Singapore Common Core 5A
Orbiting with Logic

Quentin started Singapore 2A with a big review of numbers to 1000. We also continued our logic book.

Lollipop Logic Book 3
Singapore Common Core 2A

Social Studies

Arthur covered two weeks worth of history lessons because of our snow days. We talked about the Progressive Era reforms as well as Teddy Roosevelt and Taft.

DK American History
We were There Too! Young People in US History
Words that Build a Nation
Heart and Soul
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
A Different Mirror for Young People
This is Our Land: A History of American Immigration
Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom
Alice Paul and the Fight for Women’s Rights
The Remarkable Rough-Riding Life of Theodore Roosevelt and the Rise of Empire America by Cheryl Harness

Quentin also covered two weeks of history with a chapter on the Hebrews and Phoenicians and a chapter on the Minoans and Mycenaeans.

History Quest Early Times
DK When on Earth?
Human Wold
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK A Child Through Time
A History of Western Art
DK Science Year by Year
DK Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories
Find the Journeys Around the World by David Long

Science

Chemistry class was canceled due to the first winter storm. Instead, we read two chapters in our Story of Science book.

RSO Chemistry
DK Super Simple Chemistry
Story of Science Vol. 2: Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim
DK The Elements

Quentin took a detour from our RSO curriculum to learn about the Arctic, Antartica, polar bears, and penguins. We talked a lot about winter and how animals survive.

The Coldest Places on Earth by Jennifer M. Besel
Plants in Winter by Jenny Fretland VanVoorst
Weather in Winter by Jenny Fretland VanVoorst
All About Winter Weather by Kathryn Clay
Why Do Bears Seep All Winter? A Book About Hibernation by Mary Englar
Polar Bears by Gail Gibbons
Nat Geo Kids: Polar Bears
Polar Bears by Valerie Bodden
Polar Bear by Dee Phillips
Do You Really Want to Meet a Polar Bear? by Marcie Aboff
Polar Bears by Elaine Landau
Polar Bear Fur Isn't White and Other Amazing Facts by Thea Feldman
The Polar Bear by Jenni Desmond
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Click Magazine: No Place Like Home
Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman & Rick Allen
Frozen Wild: How Animals Survive in the Coldest Places on Earth by Jim Arnosky
Penguins by Seymour Simon
Penguins by Ann O. Squire
Penguin Chick by Betty Tatham
RSO Life
DK Oversimple Biology

STEAM Coop

Another January, another coop semester begins. It was a little touch and go for a few days as to if we would actually have coop, but the weather settled enough to get to our meeting hall. All the levels explored Geometry and Art for their first theme. I taught the oldest class and we learned about how artists use basic shapes, played the shape game, and then made collages with shapes.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

This was another area that I pulled from later weeks to take advantage of the time. We ended up covering two artists (Picasso and Chagall) and two composers (Haydn and Debussy). This will help us when we hit a week and I cannot fit in art and music.

DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
DK Art and How It Works
Modern Art Adventures by Maja Pitamic and Jill Laidlaw
13 American Artists Children Should Know
A Child's Introduction to Art
Women in Art by Rachel Ignotofsky
Iconic Composers by Nicholas Csicsko & Emi Ferguson
13 Art Movements Children Should Know
13 Artists Children Should Know
13 Modern Artists Children Should Know
The Story of Paintings by Mick Manning & Brita Granström
Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge
Just Behave, Pablo Picasso! by Jonah Winter
Pablo Picasso by Mike Venezia
Paris in the Spring with Picasso by Joan Yolleck
Papa Chagall Tell Us a Story by Laurence Anholt
Marc Chagall by Jude Welton
Through the Window: View of Marc Chagall's Life and Art by Barb Rosenstock

Field Trip

The weather cancelled our planned field trip. Thankfully we got it rescheduled for later in the month.

High

January always makes me want to hibernate. The winter storm really added to it, but I was okay with it. The boys got to spend a lot of time playing in the snow. I got to spend a lot of time reading and drinking hot tea.