What We Studied

Sickness derailed our activities plans, but it did allow for us to get a ton of school work done. This leaves us with more time for activities in the next few weeks.

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 finished our read aloud. Arthur enjoyed it even with the 19th century language. .

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. Quentin finished his read aloud, loving every page of it. We’ll have to work in the last book in the series at some point this year.

Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry
The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown
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 continued 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 finished a chapter about Capacity.

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. We covered two sections: one on European Nationalism and one on Slavery and the American Civil War. We are officially caught back up to where I thought we would be when I planned the year back in July.

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
Stories of the Spirit of Justice by Jemar Tisby
Louisa May's Battle: How the Civil War Led to Little Woman by Kathleen Krull
To the Front!: Clara Barton Braves the Battle of Antietam by Claudia Friddell
Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom by Connie Schofield-Morrison

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. In fact, we wrapped up our big unit this week. After we com back from our Flex Week, we will be diving into the European invasion of North America. We also continued watching the documentary series Native America. We have two episodes left that we will hopefully watch next week.

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

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. Arthur covered the chapter on sedimentary rocks with a focus on fossil fuels. While much of it was review, we did go deeper in how fossil fuels were formed. And we covered a chapter about relative dating in geology focusing on big concepts. My favorite part was the Famous Science Series on Yellowstone. We also watched a documentary: Inside Planet Earth.

RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)
RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)
DK Eyewitness Energy
The Sun and Renewable Energy by Kaitlyn Duling
Making Cities Green by Jeanette Leardi
All About Green Tech by Clara MacCarald
Volcano Dreams: A Story of Yellowstone by Janet Fox
Welcome to Yellowstone National Park by Teri and Bob Temple
A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the World's First National Park by Erin Peabody
Yellowstone National Park by Chris Bowman
Earth's Incredible Places: Yellowstone by Catherine Ard

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 Newton’s Laws of Motion this week. Taking baby steps through this curriculum.

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
Understanding Newton's Laws of Motion by Barbara Martina Linde

Enrichment STEAM Co-op

We’ve entered into the last four weeks of Co-op which means the lessons are focused on math and art concepts. Arthur’s class covered fractals and Sierpinski triangles. Quentin’s class covered Seurat and dot paining.

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. As we are ahead, we did not do art or music this week.