Homeschool W27: Two Weeks of Relaxed Yet Productive School

A’s ELA, Math, and Science

What We Studied

This post actually contains a Flex Week and a regular week. We’re definitely getting to the point in the year when our schooling rhythm changes once again. We took advantage of some outside exploration and fun with friends. We also didn’t stress about the curriculum, but made sure that we were plugging away.

Q’s Math and ELA

A’s WWII Unit

Literature and Poetry

Arthur continued and then finished our current read aloud. I absolutely loved it. He was a much harsher critic. For this one, I bought a new-to-me ELA curriculum unit and tried it out. The unit focused on paragraph writing and analysis of text. I’m really liking it. It’s not fancy or colorful, but has worthwhile activities. I think I’m going to pick up a few more lit studies for other books we are going to read. We continued the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• My America poem collection

• Reading Explorer 1

• Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston

Checking out the Dinos at Lauritzen Gardens

Quentin finished two read aloud this past two weeks. We covered a bunch of short stories with Frog and Toad. I even added on some language arts activities to expand. From there, we started and finished a short read aloud. Bonus points as it’s our next coop book club selection.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel

• Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

• Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel

• Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel

• Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr

Math

Arthur moved into looking at averages, line graphs, and plotting. We will definitely be finishing 5B by the end of this “school year.”

• Singapore Common Core 5B

• Orbiting with Logic

Quentin got back into Singapore with a unit on multiplication and division concepts. He then started on 2 and 3s.

• Singapore Common Core 2A

Park Exploration - Levi Carter

Social Studies

Arthur wrapped his study of World War II. We also snuck in a documentary about The Manhattan Project. I’m super excited to get into the Cold War era this week.

• 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

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK History

• DK Eyewitness World War II

• The US Navy in World War II by Peter Benoit

• The US Army is World War II by Peter Benoit

• Big Battles of World War II by Peter Benoit

• The Great Depression and World War II by Susan E. Hamen

• Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm

Park Exploration - Elmwood

Quentin covered the African kingdoms of Aksum and Kush. He then started his two-part unit on Ancient China. We’re still moving through our Ancient Times curriculum.

• 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

• Ancient Worlds

• A Journey Through Art by Aaron Rosen

• Ancient China by Dale Anderson

Q’s ELA

A’s ELA and Math

Science

I taught our chemistry lesson about acids and bases. I even created my own homemade indicator paper for the experiments. And then we had a break week. Only three more Chemistry weeks to go for the year! We made sure to read more 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 started the Plant Kingdom section of his curriculum. We talked about the basics of plant life and flowers.

• RSO Life

• An ABC of Flowers by Jutta Hilpuesch

• Flowers by Gail Gibbons

• Flowers by Grace Hansen

• Flowers by Jennifer Colby

• Fantastic Flowers by Susan Stockdale

• Have You Ever Seen a Flower by Shawn Harris

• The Flower by John Light

• Bloom Boom by April Pulley Sayre

• Flowers by Elaine Pascoe

• What are Flowers by Kelley MacAulay

• Tell Me Why Flowers Bloom by Nancy Robinson Masters

• Flowers We Eat by Katherine Rawson

Park Exploration - Flannagan Lake

STEAM Coop

We had one coop meeting inside at one of the local libraries and one outside at a park (finally!). For Arthur covered the last two weeks of Spring Growth by creating a composter and sun prints. Quentin focused on botany with a seed planting and flowers.

Q’s ELA

A’s History Unit

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We covered oil painting the Frederic Chopin this week.

• 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

Q’s Math and ELA

A’s Math and ELA

Field Trip

We had a lovely field trip to Lauritzen Gardens (our local botanical garden and conservatory). I got to hang out with the littles class where we did a lot of plant observation as well as enjoyed the dinosaurs models made out of Lego. Arthur’s class got to learn about the evolution of plants from prehistoric times until now. This past Friday, we had a free explore day at Arbor Day Farm with lots of coop friends. When we go, you better believe that we spend all day there! It’s great. I even convinced the boys to do the trail around the back when their friends left.

Q’s Science Unit

High

We are trying to complete the Omaha Parks Challenge. They give us 10 parks to visit and take pictures. Completing a certain number gets you a goody bag and another number gets you entered into a drawing for pool passes. We have until May 12th to complete our visits. So far, we’ve hit three parks, but we have two more parks this week on our schedule. Some of these parks I didn’t even know existed! It’s a great way to explore.

Fun at Arbor Day Farm

Low

The wind and cold temps made coop (and then book club on Saturday) not a hugely pleasant experiences. In particular, we attempted a new-to-us park and had to leave after 15 minutes. The 30mph wind gusts on top of low 40s temps pushed us back into our cars and home. Oh well. We do live in the Midwest!

Next Week

• Starting a new read aloud for Quentin

• Beginning our yearly Shakespeare unit for Arthur

• Moving through the early Cold War years

• Continuing our math units

• Expanding upon chemical reactions and acids and bases

• Learning more Ancient China

• Exploring more parts of the plant kingdom

• Bringing back some art and music

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I’ve got so many plans in motion for this summer and fall. Working on my big project management charts.

• Meal planning might be my least favorite reoccurring household task. It is never-ending.

• Sometimes nothing is better than a glass of ice water.

• I need to make a watchlist for May…

• And possibly redo my TBR pile.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #6

Reading: Diving into The Housemaid by Freida McFadden for upcoming book club. It’s a thriller, but I’m actually enjoying it right now.

Watching: We’re keeping up with the currently airing Shögun series. I am really really enjoying it and super excited that they do not dub the Japanese.

Listening: I’ve dove back into Motionless in White’s entire discography and a remembering why I love them.

Making: It’s time to make grocery lists and meal plans for the next month. It’s one of my least favorite household management tasks.

Feeling: The weather took another turn to the chilly and wet again this week. I’m craving comfy sweaters.

Planning: It’s time to start seriously planning the retreat meal plan and grocery lists. It’s a big job, but I’ve streamlined the process fairly well.

Loving: I taught chemistry yesterday to three very excited students. I really love their enthusiasm.

Next up on the TBR pile:

April 2024 Life Goals

Let’s check in on March’s goals and my progress.

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Finalize Guest List for the Bookish Retreat - I ended up at 18 participants. Very good number! ✓

• Start the Homeschool Supplies Cleanout ✓

• Get New Glasses ✓

• Finalize Spring Travel Plans - Still working on this one!

April Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Pause All Library Holds (Except Book Club Selections)

• Finish Planning Ashfall Trip

• Launch Coop Summer Plan

• Start Working on Retreat Crafts

• Finish Homeschool Supply Cleanout

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W26: Activities Rearranged Our Schedule

Q’s ELA

What We Studied

Unfortunately weather caused us a few problems with this week and we had to cancel coop. Instead, we planned a few activities to fill our time. Coupled with a decent amount of school, and we had a good week.

A’s ELA and Math

Q’s Rome Unit

Literature and Poetry

Arthur finished the last bit of our read aloud and started the next one. The new one is feeling very promising. For the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills. We continued the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• My America poem collection

• Reading Explorer 1

• Sweep by Jonathan Auxier

• Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston

Quentin finished another read aloud. He absolutely loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Apparently, Dahl’s sense of whimsy and humor really appeals to him. He also worked on some basic grammar with some fun books.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Hike at Fontenelle

Math

Arthur wrapped up his unit on volumes.. We’re flying through the lessons. We also finished the Grade 4 Financial Literacy book.

• Singapore Common Core 5B

• Orbiting with Logic

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G4

Quentin took a break from Singapore to do some review math packets. I wanted a better mastery of basic arithmetic before we dove into multiplication and division.

• Singapore Common Core 2A

Social Studies

Arthur covered more of World War II. We focused on Japanese Interment and the treatment of African Americans during the war.

• 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

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK History

• The Great Depression and World War II by Susan E. Hamen

• Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind by Cynthia Grady

• Rad American History A-Z by Kate Schatz & Miriam Klein Stahl

• Fred Korematsu Speaks Up

• Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker's Story by Joseph Bruchac

Quentin finished his big unit on Rome. We had to finish out with our favorite episode of NOVA about the colosseum. Even Arthur wanted to rewatch it with us!

• 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

• Ancient Worlds

• A Journey Through Art by Aaron Rosen

• Ancient Rome by Peter Chrisp

• The Ancient Romans Cohn

• DK Eyewitness: Ancient Rome

• Stephen Biesty's Ancient World

• The Genius of the Romans

• Whole Wide World: Colosseum by Kristine Spanier

• 20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum by Drew Nelson

Obligatory neighborhood blow-up picture

A’s Math and ELA

Science

We had a break week from chemistry class, so science was light this week. We made sure to read more 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 wrapped up RSO Life’s Human Anatomy unit with a section on growth and genetics. We did a bit of big review before putting away those books. The last big section of RSO Life is all about the Plant Kingdom.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

• DK Human Body

• Know and Glow Human Body

• DK Eyewitness: Human Body

• iDiscover The Body by Carolyn Scrace

Q’s Rome Unit

Q’s Science

STEAM Coop

Coop was cancelled due to weather.

A’s History

A’s ELA and Math

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

No formal art and music this week.

• 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

Field Trip

On Friday, a fellow homeschooler organized a big group trip the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines. A group of about 20 kids and parents caravanned to the museum for a few hours of exploration. We had been once about a year ago. It was fun to revisit and re-explore. We even caught a planetarium show. After the museum, most of the families headed back home. I decided to take the kids to the Monsterama Arcade for a few hours of playtime. They have been begging to go back for months. We had dinner at the attached pizza place and played until 7pm before driving back home. It made for a 12+ hour day, but it was worth it!

High

We managed to fit in a nature hike on Tuesday (just us) and an open bounce time at Bounce U on Thursday (with friends). Even with the activities, we had a good school week.

Low

Cancelling of coop created some frustration.

Driving a Mars rover

Next Week

• Reading more of our read aloud (A) and starting a new collection of stories (Q)

• Moving through World War II

• Continuing our math units

• Exploring some new concepts about the periodic table

• Learning more Ancient African Kingdoms

• Starting with the plant kingdom for science

• Bringing back some art and music

Arcade Time!

Pizza Time

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• The weather is just not cooperating for coop this week… We couldn’t find a place and had to cancel. The location struggle has really gotten to me.

• Think it’s time to send a reminder email for the retreat attendees.

• And I have some coop admins tasks to finish today.

• Might make some banana bread today. I’m feeling like some type of baked goods.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W24-25: Still trucking along...

What We Studied

We ended up taking a bit of a break for W24. All three of us were a bit burned out and needed to scale back our school work to reenergize. For W25, we were back to normal. All throughout, we focused on reading our read alouds and enjoying our activities.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur dove into another read aloud and enjoyed the time. We have just a little bit left to finish this week and then move into a new book. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills. We continued the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• My America poem collection

• Reading Explorer 1

• Sweep by Jonathan Auxier

Quentin started and finished another read aloud. And then we started our newest read aloud. He is very excited to read another Roald Dahl book. He also worked on some basic grammar with some fun books.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Math

Arthur moved onto a few lessons about finding volume of rectangles. We’re flying through the lessons. We also continued the Grade 4 Financial Literacy book. We have one more lesson to finish in there.

• Singapore Common Core 5B

• Orbiting with Logic

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G4

Quentin continued Singapore 2A with a unit on measurements. We also finished our logic book!

• Lollipop Logic Book 3

• Singapore Common Core 2A

A’s ELA, Math, and Science

Social Studies

Arthur covered the beginning of World War II. We discussed the political and economic situations of various countries in the 1930s and talked about the beginnings of the war. The week ended with Pearl Harbor.

• 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

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK History

• The Great Depression and World War II by Susan E. Hamen

• Dorothy the Brave by Meghan P. Browne

Quentin continued with Rome moving into the Empire. We found a good balance of videos, textbooks, and small readings.

• 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

• Ancient Worlds

• A Journey Through Art by Aaron Rosen

• Ancient Rome by Peter Chrisp

• The Ancient Romans Cohn

• DK Eyewitness: Ancient Rome

• Stephen Biesty's Ancient World

• The Genius of the Romans

• Cleopatra by Diane Stanley

• Pompeii: Lost and Found by Mary Pope Osborne

• Pompeii... Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt

Q’s ELA and Math

Science

We covered the next few lessons in chemistry. This week is a break and then we will move onto acids and bases. We made sure to read more 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 got back into the RSO Life curriculum moving into the unit on Human Anatomy. We covered the nervous system this week.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

• DK Human Body

• Know and Glow Human Body

• DK Eyewitness: Human Body

• iDiscover The Body by Carolyn Scrace

• The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers: A Tour of Your Useless Parts, Flaws and Other Weird Bits by Rachel Poliquin

• Click: The Inner You

• Build a Brain by Kirsty Holmes

• The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses by Joanna Cole

Q’s Rome Unit

STEAM Coop

Arthur continued his unit on spring growth. Their big project this week was creating a mini biome in a plastic bottle. Quentin learned about deserts and then about Emily Roebling, architect of the Brooklyn Bridge.

A’s World War II Unit

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We managed to fit in a few documentaries to complement our book work. Arthur watched one about the mystery of the Hindenburg. Quentin watched one about the mystery of Roman catacombs and one about the eruption of Vesuvius.

• 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

Q’s Math and ELA

Field Trip

For my birthday day, we ventured to the zoo. I really wanted to see the new baby elephant, but he was still sequestered in the back. We did get to the see the other four babies. And we enjoyed the jungle, aquarium, giraffes, and butterfly and insect building.

A’s Math and ELA

High

We managed to fit in a few nature hikes. Getting outside and enjoying the signs of spring was exactly what I needed to uplift my spirits.

Q’s Anatomy Unit

Low

The weather took some wild swings these last two weeks. I am not a fan.

A’s ELA and Math

Next Week

• Finishing our current read aloud and starting some new ones

• Moving through World War II

• Continuing our math units

• Exploring some new concepts about the periodic table

• Learning more about Ancient Rome

• Wrapping up human anatomy for science

• Traveling to Des Moines for a group field trip and visit to the arcade

Lovely walk on the prairie

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #5

Reading: I grabbed the new Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett and I am so in love with it! There’s an element of cozy fantasy in this series that I’m really drawn to.

Watching: J and I started the new Shogun series. It is very well researched and extremely cinematic. We are hooked.

Listening: I’ve pushed off audiobooks in favor of podcasts lately. But I haven’t actually listened to many episodes lately. I’m just enjoying the quiet lately.

Making: I’m moving into the next phase of retreat planning. I’m taking a long look at the budget and category breakdowns. Plus I’ve sent the next email so I can start working on the grocery list.

Feeling: After my birthday day out, I’m feeling a lot better. I needed just a bit of time away to recenter myself.

Planning: I’m looking to summer and redoing our bucket list. Last year didn’t go as planned. Hopefully this year we can do some travel (locally) and visit some interesting places.

Loving: Spring is not my favorite season, but I am really enjoying spotting signs of the season while out and about. Little green shoots are catching my eye.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Two more weeks indoor for coop. I think we are all over being inside. Here’s hoping that the weather cooperates.

• Still celebrating my birthday week with random free offers and discounts.

• Diving into planning homeschool curriculum for next year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W23: Ready for a Break!

What We Studied

Our week went well and we accomplished a lot of school work. But, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we needed a bit of a break. Makes sense in the we haven’t had a real break since Christmas. We made sure to knock out some lessons so next week can be a bit of a break.

A’s ELA and Math

Literature and Poetry

This week Arthur read one of my favorite childhood books, The Witches by Roald Dahl. I don’t think he enjoyed it as much as me, but thanks okay. We did get to watch the movie version for family movie night as an extra treat. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills. We continued the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• My America poem collection

• Reading Explorer 1

• The Witches by Roald Dahl

Quentin finished another in his favorite series. We covered a few different lessons from the Blossom and Root curriculum. He also worked on some basic grammar with some fun books.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Zoey and Sassafras: Grumplets and Pests by Asia Citro

• If You were an Interjection by Nancy Loewen

• If You were a Conjunction by Nancy Loewen

• If You were an Antonym by Nancy Loewen

• If You were a Preposition by Nancy Loewen

• If You were Homonym or a Homphone by Nancy Loewen

• The Little Mermaid by Jerry Pinkney

• The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

• The Other Side of the Story

• The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen

• Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root

• The Story Blanket by Ferida Wolf

• Good Night Wind by Linda Elovitz Marshal

• Rumpelstitlskin by Paul Galdone

• The Elves and the Shoemaker

• Rumpelstiltskin

• The Elves and the Shoemaker by Paul Galdone

• The Elves and the Shoemaker by Jim Lamarche

• Frankly I'd Rather Spin Myself a New Name by Jessica Gunderson

• Rumplestitlskin by John Cech

• Rumplestiltskin's Daughter by Diane Stanley

• Rattlestiltskin by Eric A. Kimmel

• The Girl Who Spun Gold by Virginia Hamilton

• Beaver Steals Fire by Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

• The Water Dragon by Li JIan

Q’s ELA and Math

Math

Arthur finished a unit on Decimals. Most of it was review, but it was a good review for him. We’re flying through the lessons. We also dove into the Grade 4 Financial Literacy book and covered another units.

• Singapore Common Core 5B

• Orbiting with Logic

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G4

Quentin continued Singapore 2A with a unit on measurements. We also continued our logic book; almost finished with this one!

• Lollipop Logic Book 3

• Singapore Common Core 2A

Q’s ELA and Math

Social Studies

Arthur covered more about the Great Depression with a focus on the American Dust Bowl. I found some great resources and we even started watching Ken Burns’ The Dust Bowl documentary.

• 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

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK History

• The Great American Dust Bowl

• The Dust Bowl Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Helped Remedy a National Disaster by Martin W. Sandler

• A Day that Changed America: The Black Sunday Dust Blizzard by Bruce Berglund

• Voices of the Dust Bowl by Sherry Garland

• This is the Rope: A Story from The Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson

Q’s Rome Unit

Quentin began the chapters of Ancient Rome with the founding and the Republic. We found a good balance of videos, textbooks, and small readings.

• 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

• Ancient Worlds

• A Journey Through Art by Aaron Rosen

• Ancient Rome by Peter Chrisp

• The Ancient Romans Cohn

• DK Eyewitness: Ancient Rome

• Stephen Biesty's Ancient World

• The Genius of the Romans

A’s Dust Bowl Unit

Science

We’re back at Chemistry class. This week they talked about the relationship between Hydrogen and Oxygen. We made sure to read another chapter 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 got back into the RSO Life curriculum moving into the unit on Human Anatomy. We covered the digestive system this week.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

• DK Human Body

• Know and Glow Human Body

• DK Eyewitness: Human Body

• iDiscover The Body by Carolyn Scrace

• The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers: A Tour of Your Useless Parts, Flaws and Other Weird Bits by Rachel Poliquin

• Click: The Inner You

• Click: Tastes Good

• Shape of a Stomach by Kirsty Holmes

• Blueprint for a Bladder by Kirsty Holmes

Q’s Anatomy Unit

STEAM Coop

Arthur started his unit on spring growth. This week they talked abut soil composition and basic planting techniques. Quentin learned about deserts and had fun making a sand painting.

A’s ELA and Math

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We covered a bit of art and music and managed to start watching a documentary. We covered frescos and etching/printmaking/woodcuts for art and Verdi and Gershwin for 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

Q’s ELA and Math

Field Trip

We didn’t have any field trips these week. But we did accomplish two nature hikes and two park playdates with friends. The weather was beautiful this past week and we took advantage of it!

Q’s ELA

High

We finally bought a membership and made it down to the Luminarium, the new local hands-on science museum. We spent a few hour after coop exploring with some friends. Even being there for a few hours, we didn’t actually get to see everything! We will definitely be back soon.

Learning about deserts at coop

Low

Nothing. We had a great two weeks!

Next Week

• Continuing our current read alouds

• Hopefully starting and finishing the coop book club selection

• Moving through the 1930s for history, focusing on the Dust Bowl

• Continuing our math units

• Exploring some new concepts about the periodic table

• Diving into Ancient Rome for science

• Hopefully heading outside for a nature walk

Art and Music

Next up on the TBR pile:

March 2024 Life Goals

Let’s check in on February’s goals and my progress.

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Relax During My Reading Weekend ✓

• Finalize Guest List for the Bookish Retreat - Still working on this one

• Start the Homeschool Supplies Cleanout

March Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Finalize Guest List for the Bookish Retreat - Still working on this one

• Start the Homeschool Supplies Cleanout

• Get New Glasses - Me and Arthur

• Finalize Spring Travel Plans

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #4

Reading: I finally got the second Midsolar Murders book, Chaos Terminal, by Mur Lafferty. I’m really digging these murders in space books.

Watching: We’re deep into another Nic Cage Quarterly. We’ve finally made it past 2000!

Listening: I took a break from audiobooks and jumped back into some of my podcasts.

Making: Book club is tonight and I’m making spinach artichoke dip. I love it so much, but definitely cannot eat an entire crockpot’s worth. Thankfully friends will be over to share in the wealth.

Feeling: I’m not sure why, but I’m feeling a bit at sea this week. I decided that we might need a bit of a break next week from school. We’ll think of it as our spring break.

Planning: Working on spring and summer plans and schedules. We’re changing things up for the coop during this summer and I’m rethinking our schedules and timelines. We’ll see how it goes.

Loving: Per the aforementioned plans and schedules, I’m really excited about a few changes with respect to the coop. The changes calmed and then excited me. This bodes well for the next six months.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W22: Two Great Weeks of School and Activities

Art and music time!

What We Studied

This post actually covers a Flex Week and a regular week. Right now, we are actually ahead of schedule for some of our curriculum and it’s really giving me life. I don’t want to push too hard, but I love having some wriggle room for more activities, games, and documentaries.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur finished a complete read aloud during Flex Week, covered another during the regular week, and even started a third. We are on a roll. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills. We continued the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith

• Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

• My America poem collection

• Reading Explorer 1

• The Witches by Roald Dahl

• Ramayana: Divine Loophole by Sanjay Patel

Art and Music

A’s ELA

Quentin finished a collection of stories from the Odyssey, completed a short read aloud, and started another in his favorite series. We are pushing our Blossom and Root lessons out another week. He also worked on some basic grammar.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Tales from the Odyssey Part Two by Mary Pope Osborne

• Ramayana: Divine Loophole by Sanjay Patel

• Zoey and Sassafras: Grumplets and Pests by Asia Citro

• 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental

Q’s ELA

Music Time

Math

Arthur continued with a unit on Decimals. Most of it was review, but it was a good review for him. We’re flying through the lessons. We also dove into the Grade 4 Financial Literacy book and covered a few units.

• Singapore Common Core 5B

• Orbiting with Logic

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G4

Q’s Ancient Greece Unit

Q and A’s ELA and Math

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

• Lollipop Logic Book 3

• Singapore Common Core 2A

• Addition on the Menu by Kirsty Holmes

• Place Value Prize by Kirsty Holmes

• Groups in the Garden by Kirsty Holmes

Q and A’s ELA and Math

Q’s Anatomy Unit

Social Studies

Arthur covered the 1920s from Boom to Bust and into the Great Depression. We covered all the high points. We even found a way to include a few documentaries.

• 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

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK History

• Cobblestone: Hollywood and the Rise of Motion Pictures

• The Roaring Twenties by Marcia Amidon Lusted

• Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman

• Dorothea's Eyes by Barb Rosenstock

• Thanks to Frances Perkins: Fighter for Workers' Rights by Deborah Hopkinson

• The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins and Her New Deal for America by Kathleen Krull

A’s History

Quentin finished the chapters on Ancient Greece and then moved onto the chapters on Ancient India. We found a good balance of videos, textbooks, and small readings.

• 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

• Blast Back! Ancient Greece by Nancy Ohlin Pg. 1-31

• Ancient Worlds

• Ancient Greece by Sandra Newman

• DK Eyewitness Ancient Greece

• Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece by Danielle Smith-Llera

• A Child's Introduction to Greek Mythology Heather Alexander

• Ancient Greek Art by Susie Hodge

• A Journey Through Art by Aaron Rosen

Science

We were back at Chemistry class two weeks. I taught them all about liquids and density and we even attempted to make oobleck. This past week was a chemistry flex week, so we had a little break. But we made sure to read another couple of 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 got back into the RSO Life curriculum moving into the unit on Human Anatomy. We covered the circulatory and respiratory systems.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

• DK Human Body

• Know and Glow Human Body

• DK Eyewitness: Human Body

• iDiscover The Body by Carolyn Scrace

• The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers: A Tour of Your Useless Parts, Flaws and Other Weird Bits by Rachel Poliquin

• Click: The Inner You

• Parts of a Heart by Kirsty Holmes

• Lay Out the Lungs by Kirsty Holmes

A and Q’s Math and ELA

Art Time

STEAM Coop

Arthur covered geometry and art with two lessons featuring perspective and line drawing He got to play with compasses and rulers. Quentin’s class was all about magnets. He really got into the lessons these two weeks which just makes my heart happy.

Q’s Anatomy Unit

Q’s Ancient India Unit

A’s History Unit

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We covered a bit of art and music and managed to watch a few documentaries. Arthur got on an aviation history kick watching one about the Wright Brothers, one about the Red Baron, and one about the Great Air Race of 1924. He also chose a Modern Marvels episode about the building the Panama Canal. Quentin watched a documentary about Archimedes of Ancient Greece..

• 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

A’s History

A’s ELA, Math, and Science

Q’s Math and History

Field Trip

We didn’t have any field trips these week. But we did accomplish two nature hikes and two park playdates with friends. The weather was beautiful this past week and we took advantage of it!

Q’s ELA and Math

A’s Math and ELA

High

We finally bought a membership and made it down to the Luminarium, the new local hands-on science museum. We spent a few hour after coop exploring with some friends. Even being there for a few hours, we didn’t actually get to see everything! We will definitely be back soon.

Walk on the prairie at Glacier Creek

The creek at Glacier Creek

Low

Nothing. We had a great two weeks!

Next Week

• Continuing our current read alouds

• Hopefully starting and finishing the coop book club selection

• Moving through the 1930s for history, focusing on the Dust Bowl

• Continuing our math units

• Exploring some new concepts about the periodic table

• Diving into Ancient Rome for science

• Hopefully heading outside for a nature walk

Beautiful walk at Schramm SRA

Neighborhood tradition

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• My reading has slowed down a bit… probably for the best.

• The fake spring is lulling me into false sense of security.

• Nic Cage Quarterly is moving slowly. We’ve hit a string of very serious movies and just cannot watch them back to back.

• We really need to head to the library and grocery this afternoon.

• I’m doing much better with reading my own books along with the library selections.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #3

Reading: A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft. I picked up this fantasy Regency-inspired young adult novel. I’m only a few chapters in, but it is entertaining so far.

Watching: We’re back into another month of Nic Cage Quarterly. In fact, we’ve made it to the late 1990s and peak Nic Cage action movies.

Listening: I’m still making my way through the fifth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. So close to finishing this volume… And then I will one more volume that’s been published.

Making: I’m really into baking this week. I’ve made some ham and cheddar scones and blackberry coffee cake. Tomorrow or Thursday I’m going to make some banana bread (maybe chocolate chip or coconut banana bread) and maybe an orange breakfast cake.

Feeling: I have been exhausted all week. Testing negative for COVID. Just completely exhausted I guess.

Planning: We have one big weekend trip on the calendar for late April. It’s in connection with a coop field trip, but of course I added on some activities. I really want to nail down our accommodations, but need to get some more information from other families. A few of us might go in on a larger AirBNB.

Loving: I’ve really been craving quiet time lately.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W20-21: Finding Our Groove Finally!

My example project

What We Studied

We had a great two weeks of easy school and limited activities. I didn’t want to push it too much or over-schedule us. Thankfully coop events were few and far between these few weeks.

A’s ELA, Math, and History

Q’s ELA and Math

Literature and Poetry

Arthur finished two read alouds these two weeks. We wrapped a book about censorship and then finished a book mentioned in the previous. Also, we dove into the topic of death. It was a heavy read, but a good one for this age. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills. We continued the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

• Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

• My America poem collection

• Reading Explorer 1

Quentin dove into a collection of stories from the Odyssey. We are pushing our Blossom and Root lessons out another week. He also worked on some basic grammar.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Tales from the Odyssey Part One and Part Two by Mary Pope Osborne

• Winter, Winter, Cold and Snow by Sharon Gibson Palermo (Quentin read)

• If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur by Linda Bailey & Colin Jack (Quentin read)

• Lettuce Introduce You: Poems About Food by Laura Purdie Salas

Q’s History

Q’s History

Math

Arthur dove into 5B with a unit on Decimals. Most of it was review, but it was a good review for him. We’re flying through the lessons.

• Singapore Common Core 5B

• Orbiting with Logic

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

• Lollipop Logic Book 3

• Singapore Common Core 2A

A’s History

A’s ELA, Math, and Science

Social Studies

Arthur finished our study of World War I and moved onto the Harlem Renaissance. We even found a way to include a few documentaries.

• 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

• Come On I, America: The United Staes in World War I by Linda Barrett Osborne

• Knit Your Bit by Deborah Hopkinson

• Military Aircraft of WWI by Ole Steen Hansen

• DK Find Out World War I

• Unraveling Freedom: The Battle for Democracy on the Home Front During World War I by Ann Bausum

• DK Eyewitness World War I

• Fearless Flyers

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK History

Quentin dove back into the chapters on Ancient Greece. We found a good balance of videos, textbooks, and small readings.

• 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

• Blast Back! Ancient Greece by Nancy Ohlin Pg. 1-31

• Ancient Worlds

• Ancient Greece by Sandra Newman

• DK Eyewitness Ancient Greece

• The First Olympics by Lisa M. Bolt Simons

• The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky

Q’s Science

A’s History, Math, ELA, and Science

Science

We were back at Chemistry class this week. They talked and explored states of matter. The kids had fun exploring the changes by making ice cream and root beer floats. Plus we read another chapter 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 got back into the RSO Life curriculum moving into the unit on Human Anatomy. We did a big overview and then covered the skeletal and muscular system.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

• DK Human Body

• Know and Glow Human Body

• DK Eyewitness: Human Body

• iDiscover The Body by Carolyn Scrace Pg. 6-7, 14-15

• How to Build a Human Body: Set Up the Skeleton by Kirsty Holmes

• The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers: A Tour of Your Useless Parts, Flaws and Other Weird Bits by Rachel Poliquin Pg. 54-58

Q’s ELA and Math

Q’s Science

STEAM Coop

Arthur covered geometry and art with two lessons featuring tessellation and Islamic geometric art. He got to play with compasses and rulers. Quentin’s class was all about World Cultures. Each week the class covered three different countries with some information, art, and taste testing.

Q’s ELA, Math, and History

A’s ELA and Math

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We didn’t actually cover any art or music this week. But we did manage to watch a few documentaries. Arthur started and finished a long American Experience episode about Zora Neale Hurston. It was mostly about her travels and anthropology work, but also covered the Harlem Renaissance. Quentin watched two docs on Ancient Greece. One was about the Parthenon featuring the engineering aspects. The second one was all about the antikythera device, an ancient computer.

• 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

Field Trip

We didn’t have a field trip this week.

Fun at Heron Haven

High

We have started to set up a social gathering for after coop at a variety of locations. The weather was decent so we made two park playdates. It was very lovely to be out and allow the kids to run around. W also had a lovely nature walk at Heron Haven. It was the perfect weather for a little walk in the woods.

Low

I was so tired. This really took a bit of wind out of my sails.

Beautiful day at the pond

Next Week

• Finishing one read aloud and starting a new one

• Moving onto the 1920s for history

• Continuing new our math units

• Exploring some new concepts about the periodic table

• Wrapping up Greece with some myths and stories and Alexander the Great

• Taking a break for science

• Hopefully heading outside for a nature walk

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Last weekend’s reading weekend was the best idea that I have had in a long while. I completed two books and almost completed two other books.

• Nic Cage Quarterly is back this month! Hoping to watch at least 15 movies this month.

• The weather is holding out this week for more park time after coop.

• It’s looking like February is going to be another big month for reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

February 2024 Life Goals

Let’s check in on January’s goals and my progress.

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Emails for Retreats (January and June) ✓

• Finalize Coop Plans for Spring ✓

• Get Started on our 52 Hikes for the Year ✓

February Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Relax During My Reading Weekend

• Finalize Guest List for the Bookish Retreat

• Start the Homeschool Supplies Cleanout

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #2

Reading: I picked up The Last One by Will Dean for my Clock Reading Challenge. I’m not usually into thrillers, but I was intrigued by this one.

Watching: Weirdly, we fell into a Tom Cruise movie hole this week. We watched Top Gun: Maverick and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1.

Listening: Finishing out the Murderbot series on audio this week. I don’t usually got for audiobooks, but have been listening to these in the background this month.

Making: Quentin requested banana bread and I made it. So good! I might just have to make another loaf later this week for the weekend.

Feeling: The temperatures finally increased. In fact, the temps increased by almost 70 degrees. Intense! I would have been okay with temps in the 30s. Instead we are not in the 40s and 50s.

Planning: I will be teaching chemistry the next two weeks (with a collaborative teacher). And so, we are planning the experiments and procedures.

Loving: I’m leaving on Friday to spend a quiet weekend reading in a rented house with a few friends. Getting away from the family for a weekend sounds absolutely amazing right now. As such, I have a stack of 10 books that I’m taking. I need a variety of genres, book sizes, and reading levels. Super excited!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W19: Back to Normal Somehow

What We Studied

The snow storms finally calmed down and we got back outside for some activities. Unfortunately, coop was cancelled due to a scheduling issue with the city. But we did see friends at other events and got some school work completed.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur has really gotten into our read aloud. It’s led to questions about censorship and increased interest in the other books the text mentions. In fact, our next read aloud is name dropped in the book. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills. We continued the first Reading Explorer book which focuses on reading comprehension. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

• Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

• My America poem collection

• Reading Explorer 1

Quentin picked up another Zoey and Sassafras book to read this week instead of the scheduled book. That’s fine by me. I’m still really focused on Quentin’s enjoyment when it comes to literature selections. We are pushing our Blossom and Root lessons out another week. He also worked on some basic grammar.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Zoey and Sassafras: Unicorns and Germs by Asia Citro

• Little Penguin's New Friend by Tadgh Bentley

Math

Arthur dove into 5B with a unit on Decimals. Most of it was review, but it was a good review for him. We’re flying through the lessons.

• Singapore Common Core 5B

• Orbiting with Logic

Quentin continued 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 started learning about World War I this week. We did a big overview of the conflict and talked about Woodrow Wilson. Our curriculum only spends one week on the war, but I’m going to expand it out for 2-3 weeks of topics and coverage.

• 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

Instead of a big chapter on Greece, we started reading the story of The Odyssey to ease into the topic.

• 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

• Tales from the Odyssey Book One by Mary Pope Osborne

Science

We were back at Chemistry class this week. They talked and explored molecules and bonds. Plus we read another chapter in our Story of Science book. This one was about alchemy.

• RSO Chemistry

• DK Super Simple Chemistry

• Story of Science Vol. 2: Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim

• DK The Elements

Quentin got back into the RSO Life curriculum and covered mammals this week.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

• A Mammal is an Animal by Lizzy Rockwell

• Mammals by Ann O. Squire

• About Mammals by Cathryn Sill

STEAM Coop

None this week

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We didn’t actually cover any art or music this week. But we did manage to watch two documentaries. Arthur and I watched a NOVA episode about aviation during World War I. I learned a ton! Quentin and I were going to watch one about Ancient Greece, but the file was corrupted. Instead, we watched on about The Life of Mammals. The episode focused on marsupials. He actually paid attention to the documentary, so I’m calling it a win!

• 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

• Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter by Susan Goldman Rubin

• Andy Warhol Pop Art Painter by Susan Goldman Rubin

• Uncle Andy’s by James Warhola

• Uncle Andy’s Cats by James Warhola

• Fabulous! A Portrait of Andy Warhol by Bonnie Christensen

• Art is Everywhere: A Book About Andy Warhol by Jeff Mack

• Biography Book by Mike Venezia

Field Trip

Not an organized field trip, but we did spend an entire morning at the zoo with some friends. We had actually been since December, and really since October before that, so it was nice to rediscover our favorite displays. Extra fun, there were a ton of docents out and hardly any visitors, so we got to chat with a ton of people about specific animals. The desert dome was a big hit this week. .

High (and Low)

• Coop was cancelled this week due to the city basically overruling our contract and taking the space. Very annoying! We pivoted and spent three hours playing at Backyard Playworld. Sometimes it’s really nice to just let the kids engage in free play while I get to chat with adults.

Next Week

• Finishing our current read aloud

• Continuing our World War I study for history

• Moving forward into new our math units

• Exploring some new concepts about the periodic table

• Easing into Greece with some myths and stories

• Transitioning to human anatomy for science

• Hopefully heading outside for a nature walk and field trip

Next up on the TBR pile: