What We Studied
Four weeks in and I feel like we are finally in the groove. I’m still a bit frustrated about some attitudes, but we got through a ton of curriculum. And we still managed to take our time and make time for friends and activities.
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. I thought I had bought the first Hearth and Story literature selection, but could not find it anywhere… Very annoying. More annoying considering the local library does not have a copy. So, I had to pivot to something else. I latched onto picking up a classic written in the late 1800s to coincide with our history lessons.
Poetry: Hearth & Story G6
Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll
The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
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 finished our reading of the Alice books.
Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry
Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton
Math
Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We started onto Chapter 2 focusing on integers. I think this book will force us to slow down a bit and take more time for mastery. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.
Math in Focus Court 2 Book A
Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We also are finishing up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We continued with our chapter about mass and weight; not quite finishing it.
Primarily Logic
Singapore Primary Common Core 3B
Weight by Julie Murray**
How Heavy? Wacky Ways to Compare Weight by Mark Weakland**
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. Our next section really moved into discussing the effects of the British Empire. We covered a chapter about India and a chapter about Australia and New Zealand.
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
The British Empire by Ellis Roxburgh
Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the indigenous peoples of the Northeast. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. We also continued watching the documentary series Native America. I love how we get to hear about the history of various Indigenous cultures and then see how they are still living today. It’s so well done! And in between the years, a second season was released. I cannot wait to rewatch Season 1 and move onto Season 2.
History Quest United States History
DK When on Earth?
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder
The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker
Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso
The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac
Native Americans: A Visual Exploration SN Paleja
Shawnee by Sara Tieck
The Story of Jumping Mouse by Amanda St. John
Brave Wolf and the Thunderbird by Joe Medicine Crow
Science
Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. The next chapter moved onto rocks and the rock cycle. It was mostly review for us, but a good review. Our Famous Science Series covered Uluru which connected nicely to our history chapters. We also watched a great documentary about caves from NOVA. Fascinating discussion about cave formations.
RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)
RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)
DK Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals
Science Comics: Rocks and Minerals by Andy Hirsch
Nat Geo Kids Weird But True: Rocks and Minerals by Michael Burgan
DK Nature Guide: Rocks and Minerals
Stories in Stone by Kevin Cuff
Sedimentary Rocks and the Rock Cycle by Joanne Mattern
Metamorphic Rocks and the Rock Cycle by Joanne Mattern
Igneous Rocks and the Rock Cycle by Joanne Mattern
Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. Well, that is our plan, but I’m waiting on the plans for Academic Co-op to be solidified before I start. There’s a possibility that the younger kid class (if we get the second classroom) will be doing Physics in a collective fashion. We covered a short section in RSO about matter, density, and water displacement.
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
Enrichment STEAM Co-op
Arthur covered his last week about knots. Overall, his class was not locked into the lesson and gave the teacher way too much sass this week. Quentin covered homemade rockets, but noped out halfway through. Neither kid was into co-op this week.
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 talked about Islamic Art and geometry. I love the styling and variety.
DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak
Field Trip/Activities
We planned a nature hike to Platte River State Park for a trip to the waterfall. Unfortunately, the waterfall trailhead was closed and the other trails are more complicated to reach the waterfall easily. We waited for the attendees to arrive, but they all ghosted us. So we picked a few random trails to follow for a bit and then visited the pond before going home.
High
We covered a good chunk of curriculum during ur home days.
Low
Being ghosted at events is a terrible feeling. I hate it. The boys hate it because they are waiting for friends to come and play. It’s a longly feeling.
Next Week
Continuing our classic (A)
Starting a new read aloud (Q)
Learning about British Empire (A) and continuing with Native Nations (Q)
Listening to Bach
Exploring Newton’s Laws of Motion (Q) and Sedimentary Rocks (A) for science
Spending more time at home
Next up on the TBR pile:
