What We Studied

We had our “winter break” two weeks back. Instead of continuing our regularly scheduled studies, we focused on some side projects and other activities. Plus, we had multiple outings that week. Arthur wasn’t a huge fan of our alternative schedule, but that’s okay, it helped me catch a breath. Last week, we were back to our usual routine.

Literature and Poetry

We started our fill-in read aloud of Aru Shah. It was nice to see Arthur make some connections to our previous history units about India. We also covered Immigrant Trickster Tales. I especially loved the Creole versions of stories.

• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

• ICE! Poems About Polar Life by Douglas Florian

• Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky

• Trickster Tales

Math

We moved through 3B Unit 9 on fractions. Mostly it was a review, but at the end the chapter moved into different denominators and simplifying fractions. We are going to stay with that topic into next week. We also did some winter shape tangrams (always a hit!) and LEGO challenges,.

• Logic Liftoff

Social Studies

During break week, we learned about bit more about Black History and specifically how black people were (and still are) treated in this country. Tough subjects, but a good small introduction for the kids.

• 28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith Jr

• Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History by Scheme Williams

• Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

• The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez

This chapter of History Quest focused on the Aztec culture. Arthur really enjoyed learning more about them and what Mexico City looks like now.

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• When on Earth

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• The Aztec Empire by Sunita Apte

• The Aztec Empire by Ellis Roxburgh

• The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes by Duncan Tonatiuh

• Ancient Aztec: Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of Mexico's Past by Time Cooke

• Ancient Civilizations: Aztec, Maya, Incas! by Anita Yasuda

Arthur Independent Time

To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.

Science and STEAM Coop

For coop we finished our Black History theme with stations about some famous people and their accomplishments. Last Thursday we started our space theme and Arthur got to show off all this random space facts. The actual meeting was a bit chaotic due to other issues, but the lesson itself was great.

In our own studies, we talked about anatomy and did some basics. Quentin loved the StoryBots episodes about the human body. We will continue this a bit into next week.

Art/Music

We covered Pierre Auguste Renoir and the idea of the Impressionist movement. We looked at a ton of his paintings, read about his life, and made our own versions. Q likes looking at the art, but not really making his own.

• Katie Meets the Impressionists by James Mayhew

Quentin

I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included.

ELA

• Biscuit Visits the Big City by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Miffy Can Play by RJ Cregg (Q reads)

• Max Finds an Egg by Wiley Blevins (Q reads)

• Nick and Nack See the Stars by Brandon Budzi

• Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

• A Potato on a Bike by Elisa Gravel

• Truck Parade by Melinda Melton Crow (Q reads)

• Monkey Play by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• Nick and Nack Float a Boat by Brandon Budzi (Q reads)

• Biscuit Flies a Kite by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)

• I Like Fish by Margaret Wise Brown (Q reads)

Math

• Lollipop Logic Book 1

• Winter Shape Tangrams

Other

• The Sun is My Favorite Star by Frank Asch

Field Trip

We visited the UNO Planetarium for a private showing with our coop friends. We got to see a fun video about the Parker Solar Probe, an in-depth look at the solar system, and some constellations. I do enjoy planetariums and super excited that we got to secure a private showing for the group (and the pricing wasn’t bad).

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. During break week we watched a NOVA episode about “The Ship that Changed the World.” Fascinating look at how shipbuilding changed in the age of exploration.

Misc. Picture Books Read

• Thankful by Eileen Spinelli

• My Pet Wants a Pet by Elisa Broach

• The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera

• Arlo Draws an Octopus by Lori Mortensen

• Can Anybody Hear Me? by Jessica Meserve

• The Word Pirates by Susan Cooper

• The Zebra-Riding Cowboy by Angela Shelf Medearis

• Tad and Dad by David Ezra Stein

• Wild About Books by Judy Sierra

• It Fell from the Sky by The Fan Brothers

• What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas

• Sheep Count Flowers by Micaela Chirif

• Truck Stop by Anne Rockwell

• Wolves by Emily Gravett

• Into the Snow by Yuki Kaneko

• There was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro

• The Pied Piper's Magic by Steven Kellogg

High

• During our break week, we visited the zoo, had a park playdate, and attended the coop Valentine’s Day party. We packed multiple outings into one week! By the end we were tired, but happy.

Low

• Unfortunately, Arthur scratched his glasses during our park playdate. Not great at all. They are still under the protection plan, so new lenses have been ordered and should be here early next week.

Next Week

• Finishing 3B Unit 9 for math

• Finishing reading Aru Shah and starting our American Folk Tales unit

• Covering space for coop again

• Going south to the Andes Mountains for the Inca civilization for history

• Introducing the paintings of Rosa Bonheur

• Continuing to work on phonics for Quentin

• Fitting in one zoo, two park playdates, and a grocery run

Next up on the TBR pile: