Here's my randomness for the week:
I finally finished a craft project yesterday. Only 50 million left to go…
Is May homeschooling fatigue a thing? I think I’ve got it.
Started planning our fall road trip (rescheduled from summer 2020) and I’m super excited about the possibilities.
Need to pick a dessert to make, maybe Andes Mint Cupcakes?
Next up on the TBR pile:
Reading: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. Book club needed something a little more light and fluffy.
Watching: J got me started watching Hustle. I know he had me watch the first episode years ago and then we moved to something else and never continued. It’s entertaining in a light way. Con of the week style episodes. We’ve been alternating between Hustle and S3 of Star Trek: Voyager this past week.
Listening: Not much music this week, but I have been catching up on Bookend Homeschoolers podcast. Not every episode is super useful to me, but many of them have great nuggets of advice.
Making: I’m finally getting back to my December Daily album for 2020. Here’s hoping I finish before the end of the month.
Feeling: So very tired. Q has been getting up at 6:30am usually by screaming or crying. It’s taking a toll on my sleep to be woken up so abruptly.
Planning: To travel or not? I’m thinking about the summer months but also our road trip. We might be able to do the road trip in fall (like late September) and I need to start planning it.
Loving: I’ve been making fruit smoothies for breakfast on and off for the past two months. Big hit over here! I now have a stack of like 20 different recipes that we cycle through.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Literature and Poetry
We started reading The One and Only Bob. I really like Bob as a character, but I think The One and Only Ivan was better told. We’re halfway through the book and things have gotten very intense.
The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
Rainbow Soup by Brian P. Cleary (poems)
Clark the Shark: Tooth Trouble by Bruce Hale (Arthur Read)
Math
Another week of review and games. Arthur progressed in his Khan Academy lessons. We review some concepts. Arthur and Quentin both did some math with gummy bears and then with Skittles. They definitely enjoyed eating our manipulatives afterward.
Social Studies
We covered two more lessons about the American Revolution: Loyalists and Assistance from France and Spain. Getting close to the end of the war!
Mary Geddy’s Day: A Colonia Girl in Williamsburg by Kate Waters
Fight for Freedom by Benson Bobrick
Revolutionary Friends: General George Washing and the Marquis de Lafayette by Selene Castrovilla
Science
See unit theme
Art
Nothing formal, but Arthur had some fun drawing sea creatures. I grabbed a few “how to draw” books from the library and he’s been doing that during free time.
Music
We progressed with our study of American folk music. We covered the early years 1920s-1950s including the country side. We started with The Carter Family and the Weavers; not huge fans. Arthur did not like Johnny Cash or Jack Elliott but did like Bill Monroe. Guess he falls on the bluegrass side which is fine by me. For movie night, we watched O Brother Where Art Thou? J and I love the Coen Brothers and this is one my favorites. We talked about the fact that the movie is a version of the Odyssey and enjoyed the music. I didn’t think he liked it, but afterward Arthur told me he was going to watch it again.
Unit Theme
Our ocean study focused on exploration, fish, and sharks this week! We learned about Marie Tharp, Sylvia Earle, and Jacques Cousteau. Then we moved on to all the different species of shark! Arthur’s been loving the YouTube channel Brave Wilderness for great animal encounter videos. We found some that apply to the ocean!
Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems by Karen Coombs
Oceanography: The Study of Oceans by Susan H. Gray
The Undersea World by Tamra B. Orr
Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman
Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Early by Claire A. Nivola
Marie's Ocean: Marie Tharp Maps the Mountains Under the Sea by Josie James
Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea by Robert Burleigh
Ocean Speaks by Jess Keating
DK: Fishy Tales (Arthur read)
Goby Fish and Snapping Shrimp by Kari Schuetz
What's It Like to be a Fish? by Wendy Pfeffer
DK Oceans
Nat Geo Ocean Animals
Manfish by Jennifer Berne
The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho
Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World's Coral Reefs by Kate Messner
Nat Geo Kids: Sharks (Arthur read)
Sharks by Valerie Bodden
Sharks Have Six Senses by John F. Waters
Slickety Quick: Poems About Sharks by Skila Brown
Smart About Sharks by Owen Davey
DK Eyewitness: Shark
Great White Sharks by Nico Barnes
Hammerhead Sharks by Nico Barnes
Blacktip Reef Sharks by Grace Hansen
Nurse Sharks by Grace Hansen
Basking Sharks by Nico Barnes
Whale Sharks by Nico Barnes
Mako Sharks by Nico Barnes
Zebra Sharks by Nico Barnes
Misc. - Random picture books read
Norman The Slug with the Silly Shell by Sue Hendra
There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell! by Lucille Colandro
Iced Out by CK Smouha
Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni
Shark Dog by Ged Adamson
The Ocean Story by John Seven
Shark Dog and the School Trip Rescue by Ged Adamson
I'm a Shark by Bob Shea
How to Spy on a Shark by Lori Haskins Houran
The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist
Perfect Square by Michael Hall
Blue on Blue by Dianne White
Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson
Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman
We had a lovely park playdate with three other coop families on Tuesday. The weather was perfect!
On Thursday, we went to the zoo. Haven’t been there in a few weeks and it was nice to go when the weather was nice. We had to check in with Marshall the rhino. He’s getting so big! He’s about 18 months old now.
Apparently everyone went ot the zoo on Thursday along with at least 8 buses full of school kids. it was crowded and people were not masking. I really dislike going when it’s so crowded. Hopefully next time we go it will be less people. The kids were super whiny the entire time (tired, warm weather, lots of people, probably contributed) and make me regret trying to go and do something fun. It was a long day…
Next Week
We should finish our read aloud next week. Guess I need to line out our next couple. We are going to continue covering the oceans (rays, dolphins, and whales), folk music (getting to the 1960s!), and the American Revolution (ending the war). I think we need to pull out some board games for math to supplement our review. Plus we have two park playdates scheduled.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Literature and Poetry
We finished reading Nim’s Island and then had a movie night on Friday. The book was pretty good; a slim adventure story. And the movie actually held up. Decent! For a related art project, Arthur had to make his own island map. It’s a little hard to read in places, but he made sure to label everything.
Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr
Rainbow Soup by Brian P. Cleary (poems)
Sea Sheep by Eric Seltzer (Arthur read)
Math
We are officially done with Singapore Math 2! We’re not going to move into 3 until August. Until then, we will be doing some review, catching up on Khan Academy, studying coding again, playing math games, and probably doing a unit on nature math (golden ratio; Fibonacci).
Social Studies
We are back into the American Revolution covering female patriots (Rebecca Stillwell Willets was Arthur’s favroite), spies (love the Culper Ring!), and life during the war.
Fight for Freedom: The American Revolutionary War by Benson Bobrick
Great Women of the American Revolution by Brianna Hall
Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies by Cokie Roberts
Patriots and Petticoats: Heroines of the American Revolution by Shirley Raye Redmond
If You were a Kid During the American Revoluion by Wil Mara
Life During the Revolutionary War by Bonnie Hinman
Revolutionary Rogues: John André and Benedict Arnold by Selene Castrovilla
A Spy Called James by Anne Rockwell
Anna Strong by Sarah Glenn Marsh
The Scarlet Stockings Spy by Trinka Hakes Noble
Science
See Unit Theme
Art
Nothing formal
Music
We started our big unit on American Folk Music! I’m super excited about this one. We started with a short random documentary I found from the 1970s. It’s dated, but does an amazing job of tracing a few folk songs from England to today. From there, we did a few days with Woody Guthrie (not Arthur’s favorite). On the way back from the Treetops, we listened to a Smithsonian compilation album of Children’s Folk Music. They actually really enjoyed it! There is hope!
Passing the Music Down by Sarah Sullivan
This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie
Unit Theme
Continuing with oceans! We will be in this unit for the entire month of May. This week we studied coral reefs, the open ocean, and the deep. We watched a great episode of Blue Planet about coral seas and an episode of NOVA about Reef Rescue.
One Night in the Coral Sea by Sneed B. Collard III
Nat Geo Kids: Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs by Precious McKenzie
Coral Reefs by Gail Gibbons
Nat Geo Kids: Ocean Animals
Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman (I really need to just buy this one!)
DK Ocean
Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems by Karen Coombs
W is for Waves by Marie and Roland Smith
Seashells: More Than a Home by Melissa Stewart
Deep in the ocean by Lucie Brunelliere
The Deep, Deep Ocean by John Woodward
Into the Deep by Annika Siems
Deep Oceans by Ellen Labrecqu
Exploring the Deep Dark Sea by Gail Gibbons
Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barb Rosenstock
Down Down Down by Steve Jenkins
Journey into the Deep by Rebecca L. Johnson
Misc. - Random picture books read Lots of ocean themed reading for nighttime.
The Mermaid by Jan Brett
Sandy Feet! Whose Feet? Footprints at the Shore by Susan Wood
A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer
Field Trip to the Ocean Deep by John Hare
Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick
Little Turtle and the Changing Sea by Becky Davies
The Specific Ocean by Kyo Maclear
Gone Fishing: Ocean Life by the Numbers by David McLimans
Dive In: Swim with Sea Creatures at Their Actual Size by Roxie Munro
The Nice Dream Truck by Beth Ferry
Love is by Diane Adams
Over int he Ocean in a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes
Red by Michael Hall
Hello Ocean by Pam Muñoz Ryan
The Little Fish that Got Away by Bernadine Cook
Our trip to Arbor Day Farm and the Treetops Village on Friday was delightful! It wasn’t too busy even with a few school groups. The weather was cooler but sunny. And the forest was in bloom! We did all the things and wore ourselves out. I even jumped on the trampoline (and fell over a few times). Lots of fun was had!
No one showed up to our park playdate on Tuesday. The boys had fun playing at the playground by themselves, but it would have been nice to have some friends. We cut our park trip a little short and I took them to Build-a-Bear to make a new stuffie. (I was planning on going there something this month, but hadn’t told the boys beforehand.) Arthur built a Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon and Quentin made a Chase from Paw Patrol. The day was salvaged but still a bit sad.
Next Week
We are starting a new read aloud (The One and Only Bob!), playing some math games, and doing some review. We will be continuing with the Revolution, the ocean, and folk music. Plus we have a park playdate schedule and a field trip day to find all the Bees of the Heartland down in the Auburn area.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
I need to put a visit to a local farmer’s market on my calendar. Hoping we can get some good local produce to supplement the meager grocery store offerings.
Very excited about the free resources available for teacher appreciation week. Homeschool resourcing has become more challenging as we are recalibrating for next year.
So excited to get my permanent bridge put in today. I might be able to eat correctly tomorrow or Saturday.
I’m not sure what I’ll be eating tonight for dinner…
I think my mint plant died… possibly from shock (the temps have been all over the place this past week). The flowers look okay, and the tomatoes seem to have started growing, but I’m concerned still.
Next up on the TBR pile:
We had three days of outings this week. On Monday, we went to the garden center. On Tuesday, we visited Gifford Farm and got to see the new baby animals. The new baby cows were my favorite. And the slide barn was open so we got to play a bit more. The boys even helped feed the bunnies. On Wednesday, we wen to the park for a playdate.
Literature and Poetry
We started reading Nim’s Island to go along with our Ocean theme! So far, so far. Arthur’s excited to finish so we can watch the movie version.
Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr
A First Book of the Sea by Nicola Davies
Math
We finished Unit 11 in Singapore Math. That leaves one more unit to finish the book.
Social Studies
We covered our last chapter in History Quest Ancient Times focusing on Arabia and the rise of Islam. We read some of the tales from the Arabian Nights. We wrapped up the week with a documentary about the ancient city of Petra.
A is for Arabia by Julia Johnson
The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan
Science
Our unit theme of oceans takes care of our science, but we did spend most of Monday at the garden center and then planting our purchases. The plants are in a bit of a shock, but they’re slowly acclimating.
Art
Nothing formal
Music
Nothing formal
Unit Theme
We started our month long study of ocean. We began with a review of the ocean basics before moving on currents, tides, ocean layers, the food chain, and the shoreline. Along with our regular books and videos, we started watching Blue Planet. We’ll continue through the first and the second series over the course of the month. We also found a great YouTube channel featuring a man who explores the water.
The Earth is Mostly Ocean by Allan Fowler
Ocean by Stacy McAnulty
Oceans by Cathryn Sill
Ocean Seasons by Ron Hirschi
Oceans by Peter Benoit
Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman
DK Ocean
Discover the Oceans by Emily Rose Oachs (Southern, Pacific, Indian, Atlantic)
Oceans by Precious McKenzie
Bill Nye’s Big Blue Ocean
How Deep is the Ocean by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Gone Fishing by David McLimans
Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plant Feed the Seas by Molly Bang
Shells by Cassie Meyer
A Nature Walk at the Beach by Louise and Richard Spilsbury
Along the Shore by John Woodward
Tide Pool by Louise Spilsbury
DK Shell
Misc. - Random picture books read
Violet and Victor Write the Most Fabulous Fairy Tale by Alice Kuipers
Grandpa’s Garden by Stella Fry
Ocean by Britta Teckentrup
The Water Dragon by Li Jian
These Seas Count by Alison Formento
The Big Beach Cleanup by Charlotte Offsay
The Three Little Pigs Count to 100 by Grace Maccarone
Boats on the Bay by Jeanne Walker Harvey
Blue Floats Away by Travis Jonker
Where is Spring by Yang-Huan
Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert
Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez
What’s Inside a Flower by Rachel Ignotofsky
Sea Bones by Bob Barner
Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi
Someday, Narwhal by Lisa Mantchev
Seagrass Dreams by Kathleen M. Hanes
We had such a fun time playing with our new friends. After a year in quarantine, it’s been nice to get out even a little bit. We are still masking up and keeping our distance, but park playdates and other outside activities are on our schedule.
I hadn’t planned on spending all Monday doing gardening activities. Arthur enjoyed the gardening, but it pushed back all of our schooling.
Next Week
We’re continuing oceans and Nim’s Island. We’ll be starting an American folk music unit for music and finishing Singapore Math 2B. As for outings, we’ll b doing a park playdate and visiting the treehouses at Arbor Day Farm.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Week 7: Breakfast Milk Tea and Honey Pound Cake
This was decent, although a bit too dense. I am going to have to try it again sometime.
Recipe used from Lady & Pups
Week 8: Apple Butter Crumble Cake
Nice recipe, but a bit too dry and crumbly. Maybe another recipe.
Recipe used from Inside the Bru Crew Life
Week 9: Marble Pound Cake
Delicious! I really really loved the taste of this one, even if it didn’t look very pretty.
Recipe used from Munaty Cooking
Week 10: Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Oh so incredibly good! Definitely making this one again.
Recipe used from Shutterbean
Week 11: Orange and Cardamom Muffins
Definitely landing on our Top 10 for the year! We loved these not super sweet muffins.
Recipe used from The View from Great Island
Week 12: Ina Garten’s Brownie Pudding
As long as you add some ice cream, this is delicious. Definitely cannot eat this plain.
Recipe used from The View from Great Island
Week 13: Maamoul (Arabian Date Filled Cookies)
Did not turn out correctly at all, but the taste was good. If we get a new oven, I’ll try this one again.
Recipe used from Curious Cuisinière
Let’s check in on May goals and my progress:
Read 15 books, including 5 unread shelf reads ✓ - I ended up reading 17 books with 6 of those being from my unread shelf!
Walk at least 15 miles on the treadmill - Fail. Health issues.
Work on my December Daily project - Fail
Make 4 52 dessert recipes ✓ - I managed to just get over the line the last week of the month.
Weekly field trips ✓ - We’re been at the park every week. Carrying this into May.
Plan out the rest of spring homeschool weeks ✓ - I’ve got a plan in place!
May’s Goals: Mostly I’m just going to be repeating some goals.
Read 15 books, including 5 Unread Shelf reads
Make Four 52 Dessert Recipes
Weekly Field Trips - We have a bee scavenger hunt, Platte River State Park, Dreamland Playground, and Arbor Day Farm all on the calendar. I’m attempting to transition us to a four day homeschooling week with one field trip day.
Create a summer bucket list - I missed creating a spring bucket list. Hoping to resurrect this one for summer.
Finish the Laundry Room - We had to get a new washer dryer set and we took the opportunity to make some basic renovations. We need to paint, install the set, and put some new shelving in.
Try two new dinner recipes
Next up on the TBR pile:
Apparently, I took no photos this week except my post-vaccine picture and a few at the park on Thursday…
I had multiple dentist appointments and my second vaccine appointment, so I decided on a 1/2 week. We cut out history and unit themes to focus on ELA, math, and science (Earth Day and climate change). It worked really well to balance all of our families needs.
Literature and Poetry
We finished Pippi Longstocking and watched the 1988 movie version for family movie night. Arthur actually really liked Pippi and I didn’t mind reading it at all! We also did a bit more of the poentry unit that we didn’t finish last week.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
The Year Comes Round: Haiku Through the Seasons by Sid Farrar
The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales by Dawn Casey and Anne Wilson
The Earth is Painted Green: A Garden of Poems About Our Planet edited by Barbara Brenner
Math
We wrapped up Unit 9 and 10 in Singapore Math 2B. We’re on track to finish the book in about two weeks.
Social Studies
Nothing this week
Science
We celebrated Earth Day but learning about the various ways we can help the Earth. Later in the week, we did a mini study on climate change along with a couple of good NOVA documentaries about the topic.
Storybots: The Amazing Planet Earth (Arthur read)
Celebrating Earth Day by MJ York
The Earth Gives More by Sue Fliess
One Earth by Eileen Spinelli
Thank You Earth by April Pulley Sayre
Does Earth Feel? by Marc Majewski
My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan
Our Earth Helping Out by Peggy Hock
On Earth by G. Brian Karas
Earth Hour by Nanette Heffernan
Dear Earth… from Your Friends in Room 5 by Erin Dealey
Our Gift-Filled Earth by Eun Hee Na
Heal the Earth by Julian Lennon
Climate Change by Peter Benoit
The Magic School Bus and the Climate Change by Joanna Cole
Art
Nothing this week
Music
As we got behind last week, we finished listening to some of Alexandre Desplat’s movie scores. Arthur really enjoyed his Wes Anderson movie scores and the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 score. The more serious movies, he did not enjoy but I did.
Unit Theme
See science
Misc. - Random picture books read
Badger’s Perfect Garden by Marsha Diane Arnold
Library Mouse: A Museum Adventure by Daniel Kirk
Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre
L is for Library by Sonya Terry
The Forever Garden by Laurel Snyder
Little Blue Truck’s Springtime by Alice Schertle
Hooray for Spring by Kazuo Iwamura
Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
The Song of Spring by Hendrik Jonas
The Not So Quiet Library b Zachariah Ohora
The Fox in the Library by Lorenz Pauli
Little i by Michael Hall
Crinkle, Crackle, Crack It’s Spring by Marion Dane Bauer
Two Shy Pandas by Julia Jarman
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña
Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock
Violet and Victor Write The Best-ever Bookworm Book by Alice Kuipers
On Thursday, we had a lovely playdate with two other coop families. I’m so excited to have a group for the kids (and for me) this coming school year. I’m already planning possible themes and field trips.
Our two NOVA episodes on energy and climate change were very interesting. I even learned some things!
Two dentist appointments took me out of commission for all of Tuesday. And Arthur and Quentin’s attitudes suffered for it. They were little bears on Wednesday. We really do love our routine in this house.
Next Week
We’re back to a somewhat normal schedule next week, although we do have multiple outside activities planned. We are going to cover the last chapter of History Quest: Ancient Times about Arabia. We will be starting our new read aloud (Nim’s Island), new science unit (Oceans), and new music unit (American folk music). I can feel us winding down a bit as the end of the year comes closer.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
Feels so weird to have a lump of concrete in my mouth where my missing tooth is. Two weeks until I get a permanent tooth.
Hopefully this week was our last frost and we plant some veggies this coming week.
I’m on a historical romance reading spree this week.
Dreaming of being able to eat substantial food again…
Next up on the TBR pile:
Literature and Poetry
We started reading Pippi Longstocking. I don’t remember ever reading this as a child (just watching the movie from the late 80s), so this is a treat. There are a few word choices here and there that are problematic, but mostly we’re really enjoying the story of Pippi.
We also started our rainbow reading challenge! Each day we read books whose titles including the color of the day. By Saturday, we had worked through the colors of the rainbow. Each day, the boys picked their favorite story to write onto our rainbow.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lundgren
Raining Cats and Dogs by Will Moses (idioms)
Ruby, Violet, Lime: Looking for Color by Jane Brocket
Goodnight, Rainbow Cats by Barbara Castro Urio
Red House Tree House Little Bitty Brown Mouse by Jane Godwin
A Fire Truck Named Red by Randall de Sève
Red by Jan De Kinder
Little Red Writing by Joan Holub
Red by Jed Alexander
Orange Peel’s Pocket by Rose Lewis
Who Eat’s Orange? by Dianne White
Black Bird, Yellow Sun by Steve Light
Yellow Kayak by Nina Laden (Tobe favorite)
Linus the Little Yellow Pencil by Scott Magoon
Hare and the Big Green Lawn by Katharine Crawford Robey
A Green, Green Garden by Mercer Mayer (Arthur read)
Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Green Pants by Kenneth Kraegel
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
Blue by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibithaj Muhammad
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Violet the Snowgirl by Lisa L. Walsh
Shrinking Violet by Cari Best
Math
We finished Unit 8 and started on Unit 9 in our Singapore Math 2B. More review, but it’s good practice to strengthen Arthur’s math skills before we move on to more difficult material.
Social Studies
We had a combo week of geography and history. For geography, we studied our last continent: Australia. Arthur really got into that continent. We kept referring back to a three part NOVA series on Australia that he watched months back independently. Some days I’m amazed at how much he retains. For U.S. History we continued with the American revolution focusing on the Declaration of Independence and Soldiers and Leaders (mostly George Washington with a side of Henry Know and others).
D is for Down Under by Devin Scillian
Australia and Oceania by Mel Friedman
Introducing Australia by Anita Ganeri
Bilby: Secrets of an Australian Marsupial by Edel Wignell
Over in Australia: Amazing Animals Down Under by Marianne Berkes
Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Sheilds
Ready to Dream by Donna Jo Napoli and Elena Furrow
Under the Souther Cross by Frane Lessac
Sun Mother Wakes the World adapted by Diane Wolkstein
Birrarung Wilam by Aunty Joy Murphy and Andrew Kelly
Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan
The Declaration of Independence by Elaine Landau
The Declaraction of Indepdendence in Translation by Annie Jane Leavitt
Fight for Freedom by Benson Bobrick
DK American Revolution
George Washington by Mike Venezia
Henry Knox: Bookseller, Soldier, Patriot by Anita Silvey
Henry and the Cannons by Don Brown
Science
For science, we continue learning about rainbows, spring, and gardening.
Who’s Awake in Springtome? by Phillis Gershator and Mim Green
Growing Season by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Curious George Discovers the Rainbow
Take a Walk on a Rainbow by Miriam Moss
The Rainbow by Felicia Law
Raindrop Plop by Wendy Cheyenne Lewison
A Peaceful Garden by Lucy London
Spring for Sophie by Yael Werber
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston
Spring Blossoms by Carole Gerber
The Seasons of the Year by Emma Carlson Berne
Plant a Little Seed by Bonnie Christensen
Spring Thaw by Steven Schnur
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
A Bunny for All Seasons by Janet Schulman
Grow Kind by Jon Lasser and Sage Foster-Lasser
Grow Happy by Jon Lasser and Sage Foster-Lasser
Quiet in the Garden by Aliki
Digger and Daisy Plant a Garden by Judy Young (Arthur read)
Springtime Blossoms by Jerdine Nolen
Art
Nothing formal
Music
We started listening to Alexandre Desplat’s movie scores, but actually only got to one this week. We’ll carry over to next week.
Unit Theme
We focused on poetry this week to celebrate Poetry Week! We read a variety of poems, including different styles, and tried our hand at writing some poetry. This theme will probably continue into next week.
Pieces: A Year in Poems and Quilts by Anna Grossnickle Hines
Handsprings by Douglas Florian
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Earth Verses and Water Rhymes by J. Patrick Lewis
Misc. - Random picture books read
If You Ever Want to Bring a Circus to the Library, Don’t by Elise Parsley
No Pirates Allowed! Said Library Lou by Rhonda Gowler Greene
Ming’s Adventure in the Forbidden City by Li Jian
The Library Book by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark
Ready, Jet, Go: Mission to the Moon!
Luna Loves Library Day by Joseph Coelho
I want a Monster by Elisa Gravel
Homer the Library Cat by Reeve Lindbergh
Do NOT Bring Your Dragon to the Library by Julie Gassman
Wild Kratts: Wild Insects and Spiders
If I Had a Raptor by George O’Connor
We had a lovely park playdate with multiple families that are interested in forming a STEAM coop for the fall. I’m so excited to be able to see other people again!
Weird attitudes from the kids. We’ve hit a doldrums. It was sunny most of the week and the kids just wanted to play outside (but not for any length of time). Everyone was in a bit of a funk.
Next Week
I have a ton of weird appointments that are going to negatively affect our school plans. So we are going to do a week of 1/2 days next week. Two of the days, Arthur will have independent packet. the other three days i hope to actually teach a bit. We are going to focus on doing math and reading every day and add in Earth Day and climate change. Plus we will probably listen to more Alexandre Desplat movie scores. That’s it. No history or formal art. I’m going to try to make it easy on me, but keep the kids engaged.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Literature and Poetry
We finished reading The One and Only Ivan. I’ll admit that I teared up at the end. I really enjoyed that story. Arthur seemed to also. We might read the sequel, The One and Only Bob, during our July break.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Max Goes to the Library by Adria F. Klein (Arthur read)
Max Goes to the Nature Center by Adria F. Klein (Arthur read)
Springtime Surprises by Anna Jane Hays (Arthur read)
Miffy at the LIbrary (Arthur read)
Pete the Kitty and the Unicorn’s Missing Colors by Kimberly & James Dean (Arthur read)
Let’s Go to the library (Arthur read)
Olivia Goes to the Library (Arthur read)
Math
We worked through Unit 7 (multiple and divide 4, 5, and 10) and most of 8 (money) for math this week. We also added in some extra math packets to review some skills and read some math books.
Corkscrew Counts by Donna Jo Napoli
Marvelous Math Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins
How High Can a Dinosaur Count! And Other Math Mysteries by Valorie Fisher
Social Studies
We covered the Byzantine Empire this week! We learned about how the Roman Empire was split, all about Justinian’s reign, and watched a NOVA episode about the mysteries of the Hagia Sophia. We also watched a NOVA episode about the prehistoric horse riders. Fascinating random documentary pick from Arthur.
Science
We continued with gardening, plants, and rainbows this week. Really diving into a gentle pace for sciences, but having lots of fun exploring. Nature science is clearly a preference for the boys.
Spring: A Haiku Story selected by George Shannon
A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox by Linda Bleck
Spectacular Spring by Bruce Goldstone
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
Can You Touch a Rainbow by Sue Nicholson
Nature’s Paintbox: A Seasonal Gallery of Art and Verse by Patricia Thomas
Gardening by Nessa Black
Gardening by the Numbers by Cecilia Linden
The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons
How Does My Garden Grow? by Gerda Muller
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Ready, Set, Grow
Try This! Gardening by Stephanie Turnbull
Color Me a Rhyme by Jane Yolen
It’s Raining by Gail Gibbons
Rainbows: Nature’s Light Show by Kristen Rajczak
A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman
Ava and the Rainbow (Who Stayed) by Ged Adamson
Art
Nothing formal
Music
Nothing formal
Unit Theme
We celebrated Library Week this week. We learned all about how to use the library including the Dewey Decimal system. Arthur learned how to navigate the online library catalog and even picked specific books to find. We did our library visit on Thursday and found our books! One Friday we focused on the variety of libraries around the world. Arthur loved learning about the alternatives to library buildings.
Jumping Off the Library Shelves: A Book of Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins
ABC Letters in the Library by Bonnie Farmer
Karl and Caroline Uncover the Parts of a Book by Sandy Donovan
A Library Field Trip by Isabel Martin
Out and About at the Public Library by Kitty Shea
Manners in the Library by Carrie Finn
Library Day by Anne Rockwell
Peppa Pig and the Library Visit
Bored Bella Learns About Fiction and Nonfiction by Sandy Donovan
Pingpong Perry Experiences How a Book is Made by Sandy Donovan
Bob the Alien Discovers the Dewey Decimal System by Sandy Donovan
Our Library by Eve Bunting
The Library Doors by Toni Buzzeo
Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children by Jan Pinborough
Library on Wheels: Mary Lemist Titcomb and America’s First Bookmobile by Sharlee Glenn
Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter
My Librarian is a Camel: How Books are Brought to Children Around the World by Margriet Ruurs
The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk
The Lady of the Library by Angie Karcher
When the Library Lights Go Out by Megan McDonald
Misc. - Random picture books read
Max and Marla are Having a Picnic by Alexandra Boiger
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
Nesting by Henry Cole
Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes
Hi Jack by Mac Barnett
Every Color of Light by Hiroshi Osada
Thank You, Garden by Liza Garton Scanlon
Sunshine Brightens Springtime by Charles Ghigna
My Garden by Kevin Henkes
We had a rainy, but fun park playdate on Tuesday with a new friend. According to Quentin, R is his new best friend.
I bought and put together a new shelf to house our homeschooling supplies. So excited to get all the stuff off my floor!
My energy level was low all week. Hoping I have more next week!
Next Week
We’ll be covering a usual amount of topics and subjects including:
Starting Pippi Longstocking for our read aloud
Poetry featuring a Shel Silverstein deep dive (It’s poetry week!)
Australia for geography
The Declaration of Independence and Soldiers and Leaders for U.S History
Continuing gardening, rainbows, and spring for science
Money and Fractions for math
Listening to Alexandre Desplat’s movie scores for music
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
88 degrees and sunny on Monday, 40 degrees and rainy today. Welcome to the Midwest!
My removable wallpaper came yesterday! So excited to jazz up our built-ins flanking the fireplace. Hopefully it will get done this weekend.
I also have a bookshelf arriving today. I need a place to store all our homeschooling resources. Piles on my craft room floor is not cutting it now.
Read a picture book last night that made me cry. Hit me right in the feels. It’s a time capsule for the first few months of the pandemic. Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
I have my first haircut in 9 months this afternoon and I’m still deciding what to do. I’m thinking a dramatic asymmetrical bob.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Beyond our usual school work, we had multiple outings this week. We started with a park playdate with potential coop families. Monday was a windy but warm and sunny day to be at the park. We found a new-to-us park that wasn’t busy (until right at noon) and has a variety of playground structures.
On Tuesday, we joined a friend and visited the animals at a farm. It was cold and windy, but the animals were fun to meet. We got up close and personal with goats, chickens (and chicks!), horses, donkeys, a llama, and two baby sheep. One of the employees gave us some important farm lessons and even got a chick out for us to pet. The boys loved feeding the baby sheep and playing in the nature classroom. We are going back in a few weeks to see the piglets and baby ducks they are getting!
Wednesday afternoon, we braved the chilly weather to go find all the easter eggs scattered about Lauritzen Gardens. We walked down almost every path and even traveled all the way to the back gate. I didn’t even know they had a back gate. I’ve never been back that far… After finding all the eggs, we explored the fantastical fairy lands in the indoor greenhouses. I loved looking at all the fairy houses.
On Friday, I (and J) got the first COVID vaccine. Someday we might actually get to have friends over for a cookout.
Literature and Poetry
We have almost finished The One and Only Ivan. I am actually really enjoying the story. Can’t wait to see how it ends next week.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Math
For math we covered Unit 7 which was multiplying and dividing by 4, 5, and 10. We also did some random math review throughout the week.
Found a snake friend outside
Social Studies
We went to ancient China for this week’s history lessons. Lots of great information and videos pertaining to Ancient China. Even I learned some things.
D is for Dancing Dragon by Carol Crane
Ancient China by Mel Friedman
20 Fun Facts About the Great Wall of China by Therese Shea
Secrets of the Terracotta Army by Michael Capek
The Ancient Chinese by Jane Shuter
Science
We counted our farm visit and garden visit as impromptu science lessons for the week.
Art
Nothing formal
Found a ton of turkeys at the gardens
Music
Our composer was Danny Elfman. I really enjoy his scores (Edward Scissorhands might be my favorite), and we listened to a few good ones for Arthur. He loved The Nightmare Before Christmas, but that’s about it. I don’t think Arthur was into appreciating music compositions this week.
Unit Theme
Instead of a unit theme this week, we just focused on Easter activities on Saturday. We colored eggs, had an egg hunt, decorated cookies, and did some games and puzzles. My favorite part was the jelly bean math. Arthur guessed that the bad held 50 jelly beans. When we counted, we found 185 jelly beans in the bag!
Easter by Elaine Landau
Turkey’s Eggcellent Easter by Wendi Silvano
Here Comes the Easter Cat by Deborah Underwood
The Littlest Easter Bunny by Brandi Doughtry
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick by Lucille Colandro
How to Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace
Misc. - Random picture books read
Bloom by Deborah Diesen
The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle
999 Frogs Wake Up by Ken Kimura
Spring Hare by Eugene Yelchin
Rabbit’s Spring Gift by Anita Loughrey
The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes
Raindrops Fall All Around by Charles Ghigna
Hail to Spring by Charles Ghigna
Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn
There’s a Monster in Your Book by Tom Fletcher
And Then It’s Spring by Julia Fogliano
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
My Spring Robin by Anne Rockwell
Good Morning, Neighbor by Davide Call
I can’t decided between the park, the farm, and the gardens. We had so much fun during this very busy week!
Thursday’s dental appointment took me out of commission for the day. We wasted a whole day…
Next Week
We’re back to more of a normal schedule. We do have a park playdate on Tuesday and a library visit on Thursday, but that’s it for outings. We will be studying the Byzantine Empire, Australia, rainbows, gardening, and libraries (It’s Library Week!). We will be finished The One and Only Ivan and Unit 8 in math.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Let’s check in on my March goals and my progress.
Read 15 books, including 5 Unread Shelf reads - 50% success. I read over 15 books, but only 2 of them were from my Unread Shelf
Layout podcast episodes - On hold… while J takes care of some other projects and tasks
Make 4 52 Dessert Recipes - Fail. I had hoped to make some more, but I only ended up with three recipes made. So close!
Walk at least 20 miles on the treadmill ✓ - I’m calling this a win even though I didn’t do all 20 miles on the treadmill. We ended up with multiple outings that included long walks.
Make eye appointments - Fail
April’s Goals:
Read 15 Books, Including 5 Unread Shelf Reads - Hoping for a big unread shelf month!
Walk at Least 15 Miles on the Treadmill - Hoping to transition from the treadmill to outdoor walks.
Work on My December Daily Projects - I will finish this at some point…
Make 4 52 Dessert Recipes - I’ve got some good ones lined up.
Weekly Field Trips! - We’ve got the ball rolling again. Still taking tons of precautions, but excited to to get a bit more out and about. I’m shooting for at least one outing a week.
Plan Out the Rest of Spring Homeschool Weeks - Gotten a good jump on this, but hoping to tidy it up soon.
Next up on the TBR pile:
**I somehow took a total of three pictures this week. Terrible on my part…
Literature and Poetry
We started reading The One and Only Ivan for our read aloud. I’m enjoying the
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Lucky Tucker by Leslie McGuirk (literature study)
Mouse Loves Spring (Arthur read)
Duck, Duck, Dinosaur: Spring Smiles by Kallie George (Arthur read)
Spring is Here by Joan Holub (Arthur read)
The Garden by Gwendolyn Hooks (Arthur read)
Poems Have Roots by Lilian Moore
Math
We covered Unit 6 in Singapore 2B. It was a bit of review for Arthur, but we got back into the hang out it. Arthur also completed another unit in Khan Academy math. I’m hoping we can get through K-2nd grade math before the end of May.
Social Studies
We covered three lessons this week: native groups of the plains, rising tensions in the colonies, and the beginning of the revolution. It felt good to get back into U.S. History for a week. I especially loved going through the run-up to the Revolutionary War. Lots of good resources out there now.
The Pawnee: Farmers and Hunters of the Central Plains by Karen Bush Gibson
Shawnee by Sarah Tieck
Ojibwe by Torren Ramsey
Ladder to the Sky retold by Barbara Juster Esbensen
Young Jim Thorpe Bright Path by Don Brown
Our Colonial Year by Cheryl Harness
Fight for Freedom by Benson Bobrick
George vs George by
Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak by Kay Winters
DK American Revolution
The Boston Tea Party by Sarah Gilman
Let It Begin Here! Lexington and Concern First Battles of the American Revolution by Dennis Brindell Fradin
Sybil Ludington’s Midnight Ride by Marsha Amstel
Science
See Unit theme
Art
Nothing formal
Music
This week started our movie composer cycle. We listened to John Williams first. Of course, Arthur immediately recognized a lot of the pieces I pulled. And his favorite was Jurassic Park, no surprise there.
Unit Theme
The theme was all about spring and plants and growing. We’ll be continuing this through the rest of March and into April. We worked through the chapters of our Tinkeractive Books, talking about plant group, and watched a few episodes of Magic School Bus.
The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Spring is Here by Will Hillenbrand
Are You Ready for Spring by Sheila Anderson
Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson
Splish, Splash, Spring by Jan Carr
Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson
Mud by Mary Lyn Ray
The Little Red Ant and the Great Big Crumb retold by Shirley Climo
Anywhere Artist by Nikki Slade Robinson
Rain by Linda Ashman
Misc. - Random picture books read
Jack Blasts Off by Mac Barnett
I Want to Take a Nap by Mo Willems
Let’s Play in the Forest While the Wolf is Not Around by Claudia Rueda
Coelophysis by Josh Gregory
Swarm of Bees by Lemony Snicket
There’s a Dragon in Your Book by Tom Fletcher
Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda
Little Lucy Goes to School by Ilene Cooper
Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin
Pete the Cat’s Got Class by James Dean
We jumped back in and I feel so much better!
We say Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: The Musical at the Rose Theater. A lovely socially distant and masked up event!
We jumped back in and Arthur had to do some adjustment…
Next Week
We’ll be having a very strange week next week. We have a ton of outings (feels so weird to write that after a year in quarantine). Our outings are going to be a mix of educational (farm visit and botanical garden visit), playtime, and necessary errands (dentist appt and groceries). We will end up with three half days and one full day of regular style homeschool.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
Been on a huge romance binge right now and I’m totally okay with it
Finally started watching Ted Lasso and it is just what we need right now
I need to pick a new dessert recipe for this week. Maybe an orange cake?
While I love falling asleep to the rain, I’m very over the rain and need a bit of sunshine this week.
In a weird twist of life, I’m actually pretty excited to go to my dentist appointment next week. It’s a big step to fixing my teeth problems.
Next up on the TBR pile:
The past two weeks were our spring break. We didn’t leave the house much, but tried to slow our schooling pace and engage in some school field trips. We even met a new friend and hope to have more outdoor playtimes.
Literature and Poetry
We read Peter Pan over break and I forgot how muddled the writing is. I had to do a lot of editing on the fly and even skipped some sections here and there. We won’t be revisiting that one.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Snowmen at Night by Carolyn Buehner (literature study)
A Crankenstein’s Valentine by Samantha Berger (literature study)
The Popcorn Astronaut by Deborah Ruddell (poems)
Math
We did our daily (or almost daily) math pages, but also engaged in math games and fun projects. We also continued with our Lollipop Logic and a few sessions of Khan Academy.
Double the Ducks by Stuart J. Murphy
3 x 4 by Ivan Burnetti
Social Studies
We sorta celebrated St. Patrick’s day with some books and a few crafts.
The Littlest Leprechaun by Brandi Dougherty
The Leprechaun Who Lost His Rainbow by Sean Callahan
There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover by Lucille Colandro
The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School by Laura Murray
The Leprechaun Under the Bed by Teresa Bateman
Science
Instead of a formal science study, we got out into nature with some field trips. We got a free library pass to Fontenelle Forest and had a lovely hike through the forest. We will definitely be checking out that pass more often and tracking how the forest changes. On Thursday, we traveled to Lincoln to visit Morrill Hall and the natural history museum. The museum was fun even if parking was a bit of a nightmare. Afterward we had a fun picnic at a park and then stopped at the candy outlet on the way home. We also had a few park days and a trip to the zoo.
Art
Instead of a formal art unit, Arthur completed daily LEGO challenges. We had a mix of challenges and design ideas. I loved the low-key nature of the project and Arthur loved creating all kinds of fun constructions.
Music
As we were skill covering space, we studied Gustav Holst’s The Planets. Arthur liked Mars and Jupiter best. I am partial to Saturn.
Unit Theme
All about space! We continued our study of space. Lots of great library books were read! We also watched a few more NOVA episodes about various subjects including Saturn, the Ice Worlds, and Apollo 8. We did some fun free-form art projects including making a constellation poster. Finally, we had a box of fun space themed crafts
Mars’ First Friends by Susanna Leonard Hill and Elisa Paganelli
A Trip into Space by Lori Haskins Hour
Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket by Sue Fliess
Pluto Gets the Call by Adam Rex
Goodnight Astronaut by Scott Kelly
Moon by Britta Teckentrup
What Miss Michelle Saw by Hayley Barrett
My Rainy Day Rocket Ship by Markelle Sheppard
DK Space
Once Upon a Starry Night by Jacqueline Mitton and Christina Balit
What We See in the Stars by Kelsey Oseid
A is for Astronaut by Clayton Anderson
Professor Astro Cat’s Space Rockets by Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman
The Stellar Story fo Space Travel
Space Visual Catalog
The Complete Guide to Space Exploration by Ben Hubbard
The First Men Who Went to the Moon by Rhonda Gowler Greene
Daring Dozen: The Twelve Who Walked on the Moon by Suzanne Slade
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing by Dean Robbins
To the Stars by Carmella Van Vleet and Kathy Sullivan
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
Space Heroes by Hannah Dolan
You Should Meet Mae Jemison by Laurie Calkhoven
Rockets and Spaceships by Karen Wallace
The 100 Year Starship by Mae Jemison
She Caught the Light: Williamina Stavens Fleming Astronomer by Kathryn Lasky
Mars! Earthlings Welcome by Stacy McAnulty
Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet by Curtis Manley
Misc. - Random picture books read
Share Some Kindness, Bring Some Light by Apryl Stott
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Daniel Learns to Ride a Bike
Paw Patrol: Mission Paw
The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Deep-Sea Dive
Porcupine Cupid by Jason June
Spy Guy by Jessica Young
The Owl Who Asks Why by Michelle Garcia Anderson
Meet a Baby Zebra by Lisa Ownings
A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
A Thousand White Butterflies by Jessica Betancourt-Perez & Karen Lynn Williams
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
Fowl Play by Travis Nichols
Duck & Goose: Honk! Quack! Boo! by Tad Hills
Lego Ninjago Movie: Shark Attack
Can You Tell a Velociraptor from a Deinonychus? by Buffy Silverman
Shy Willow by Cat Min
Rabbids Invasion: Attack of the Zombie Rabbids
Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen
Let’s All Creep Through Crocodile Creek by Jonny Lambert
When the Wind Blew by Alison Jackson
Road Trip by Steve Light
How Tall was a T Rex? by Alison Limentani
I figured out the free library pass to Fontenelle Forest so we had a lovely morning in nature without having to pay. Definitely doing that again and hoping to use to pass for Lauritzen Gardens during their Easter Egg hunting weeks.
The Raptor Refuge at Fontenelle was a delightful surprise. We got up close to many birds of prey (including the bald eagle pictured). An employee took the time to chat with us and give us much more information than what’s on the signs. Lots of fun!
The cold and rainy weather meant less park days than I had wanted.
Quentin had a random sick day the first Monday of break which meant no outside time that day (and it was gorgeous outside).
Next Week
Back to our regularly scheduled homeschool… We’ll be diving into the following topics:
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Singapore Math 2B Unit 6 (reviewing mental addition and subtraction)
Composer John Williams
Spring Equinox
Plants and Growing
Native Groups of the Plains
The Start of the American Revolution (thru Lexington and Concord)
Daily Doodling Journal
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
We’ve been on a smoothie kick lately and I’ve found some great recipes. Our favorite so far was a mango turmeric one. Oh so good!
Today is our third outing of the week. We are not used to being out of the house. I’m exhausted.
Found rhubarb at the store, which means I need to make a strawberry rhubarb dessert of some kind.
Also, I need to make a batch of gazpacho tomorrow for weekend lunches.
Totally forgot we have a virtual wine tasting tonight. I can’t wait to open those bottles! From our favorite winery, Gundlach Bundschu, of course!
Need to do some car care next week (key fobs, gas, oil change). Not my favorite thing to do.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Quentin rocking the dentist
Things did not go as planned this week. I had originally planned to do the grocery shopping on Wednesday, which takes me away from active teaching for an entire morning. Usually I give Arthur an independent packet or a project to work on. Wednesday morning, I woke up and immediately realized that none of that would be happening that day. I was hit with a vertigo-inducing migraine. I didn’t leave my bed all day and it was terrible. An entire day where no schooling was done. Then I had to push grocery shopping onto Thursday. Being sick really threw off my entire plan for the week. Thank goodness we had a normal Monday and Tuesday and we’re doing a modified schedule for Spring Break for the next two weeks.
Literature and Poetry
We ended up finishing Sideways Stories from Wayside School this week. Arthur liked some of the stories, but didn’t seem to appreciate the absurdist humor. Oh well! we still did a lot of reading both from our read aloud and independently.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll (literature study)
Math
Singapore Math 2A has been completed! Woot! We have 2B, but will be taking a bit of a break for Spring Break and get back into it in late March.
Social Studies
This week we covered two U.S. History lessons, one on Ben Franklin and one on The French and Indian War. We are slowly working our way to the Revolutionary War.
Making Thirteen Colonies by Joy Hakim (decent textbook style book)
Ben of All Trades by Michael J. Rosen
Ben Franklin Thinks Big by Sheila Keenan
Science
See Unit Theme
Art
Nothing formal, but lots of random inventions and crafts.
Music
We finished our Jazz unit. We’ve had a great time tracing jazz through the ages up to modern interpretations. Arthur still loves ragtime, swing, and big band styles the best. He hasn’t really been a fan of any of our selections post 1950s. At least he got a lot of exposure to different artists.
Jazz by Walter Dean Myers (poems)
Nina by Alice Briere-Haquet
The 5 O’Clock Band by Troy Andrews
Ruby Sings the Blues by Niki Daly
Unit Theme
We finished learning about our Solar System this week, covering the Outer Planets. We also watched a few more episodes of The Planets from NOVA. We covered Mars and Jupiter. I learned so much from the Jupiter episode. We will definitely be continuing our study of space into Spring Break.
Planet Jupiter by Ann O. Squire
DK Space
Space Visual Catalog by Sean Callery and Miranda Smith
Saturn by Elaine Landau
Planet Uranus by Christine Taylor-Butler
Neptune by Elaine Landau
All My Friends are Planets by Alisha Vimawala
Pluto: From Planet to Dwarf by Elaine Landau
Beyond Pluto by Elaine Landau
Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy
Hedgie Blasts Off by Jan Brett
Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max
Under the Milky Way by Frank Lessac
The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty
A Place for Pluto by Stef Wade
Astronaut Annie by Suzanne Slade
The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara
Garcia & Colette Go Exploring by Hannah Barnaby
Misc. - Random picture books read
Night Tree by Eve Bunting
The Shy Little Kitten by Kristen Depken
Tiny T. Rex and the Perfect Valentine by Jonathan Stutzman
Are You a Bee? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries
Good Night Little Bot by Karen Kaufman Orloff
Leaf by Sandra Dieckmann
Lego Jurassic World: Owen to the Rescue
Mickey and the Roadster Racers: Mickey’s Perfecto Day
Curious George: Lemonade Stand
In the City by Chris Raschka
Look Out! It’s a Dragon! by Jonny Lambert
Our happy place: the library!
Friday was my birthday and it was decent weather. We took the opportunity to go to the library and the spend some time at the park.
That migraine really threw me off.
Next Week
For the next two weeks, we will be having our version of Spring Break. We aren’t completely stopping school, but scaling back and focusing more on crafts and games. We are also planning on doing a few field trips (one to Lincoln!) and spending a part of almost every day at a park.
Next up on the TBR pile:
