Joe Feb. 3, 2014

Joe
Feb. 3, 2014

....

Core F Week 14 Jan 27-31st, 2014

Core F 

Week 14 

Jan 27-31st, 2014

February in Indiana means the return of male Robins---here they are!  It is so nice to see one of my favorite birds back in big groups flying into our yard and eating our berries!

Giz and Grampy came up from southern Indiana to watch Dd play a basketball game.  It was nice to have someone come and watch her play.

Basketball Pictures:
We are in the dark color uniform this week!

This is one of her 18 points this game.  I didn't do a very good job of taking pictures when she was shooting...I was too excited watching when things were really going good!!  So most of my pictures are kind of boring... when I was able to think of taking a picture!  Plus, I can't get my camera to take a shot when the kids are moving fast!

Dd's team-the Seminoles-won again.  They are undefeated so far this season, with 3 games to go.  They have practice on Monday's and games on Saturday's.  It is nice that the coach and his son have been with us for 3 years in a row now; and are so familiar to us.  We know 1/2 the team from previous years.

#24 is one of Dd's best buddies.  #22 is Dd in the dark blue this week.  All three players you see, including Dd are all in the same homeschool group and have been for 4 years or more.

After last weeks very productive week, we had a lot of things against us and didn't nearly get as much done academically.  We had to go to the doctor's office twice for me, had to go to the vet, the library, basketball practice, visit with good friends the LeFebvre's, basketball game, extra house cleaning for G&G coming to visit, then G& G arriving on Friday, and me having a migraine Mon.,Tues., and Wed.  So, we had quite a lot of obstacles!!!! a lot!!  I can say here, since I know only a few people actually come on here and read my blog that my wonderful boy, Joe, my cat of over 13 years is dying and I will have to put him down in the next day or so.  The vet wanted me to put him down on Tues.; but he was still doing so well that I just couldn't cut any of his days off before I cuddled him all I could.  He has really had diabetes and needs hospitalization; which would be thousands of dollars.  This has made this week extra hard for us.  He is 'my' cat; so really Dd and Dh haven't been so crushed by this as I have.  I will really miss my sweet Joe.

We got our basic's done; but not much as far as extra's.  Here is our week--at least what we got done.  If nothing else, Dd got a visit from her grandparents; which is always priceless.  I'm so glad they spend the night and give her some attention.  That is Dd's only "family" interaction.



Bible:
Veritas Press VP Card 26: completed
The Wilderness Wanderings
Numbers 9-20
Bible: Numbers 16-20
Bible Commentary: 16-20
The Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament: Lesson 52-53
Veritas Press Worksheets

Veritas Press Card 27: completed
Balaam and His Donkey
Numbers 22-24
Bible: Numbers 22-24
Believer's Bible Commentary: Num. 22-24
The Greenleaf Guide...Ch. 22
VP Worksheets

Meet the Great Composers: Book 2 (Learning Link) by Maurice Hinson

Composer of the Week
Franz Schubert
Meet the Greatest Composers Bk 2

Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection by Michael Rosen and Paul Howard

Poets of the Week
Lord Byron
Destruction of Senna Cherib

Percy Bysshe Shelley
Ozymandias

John Clare
Clock-a-Clay

Botticelli (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia

Artist of the Week
Botticelli
Getting to Know the Greatist Artist Series by Mike Venezia






Language Arts:

All About Spelling 5: 
Step 25: completed

Following Narnia
Lesson 2: Atlantis: completed
Dd did the KWO on one day, the rough draft on another day, and then on Fri. she wrote her final draft.  I am really hoping we can stick to this program and pace.  Starting next week our co-op starts back up and we will be much more busy and I HOPE we can keep our writing up!!  It is so easy for me to drop this for some reason.
They also give us "Vocabulary" with this program, so I have divided up the words so that we have 3 or 4 words per week to learn.  We did 4 words last week, and 3 this week.  This week we discussed: minion, brandish, and impertinent--which lead to impudent, which lead to insolent!  fun, fun! 

IEW's Fix-It:  completed
Step 28

Daily Grams 7:
Day 11-15 (one pg per day)


Science:
Apologia: Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
True Seals--pg. 44-47
Notebooking, drawing, and discussion on this.

Math:
Skip-Counting Family: 7's 
Math U See: Zeta: 15 A, B, C, D, F



SLOW Read Aloud's for Fun:

Our slow Read Aloud 1:
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan 
pg's 98-118


Our slow Read Aloud 2:
The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel


Our slower audio:
Captain's Couragous
we did get to listen for a while this week on our driving!

internet:
CNN Student News



Reader's:

After listening to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Dd has decided to read the books herself now.  She is almost done with Book 3 now.  She is LOVING reading the books after listening to the audio's.  I did it the opposite way, I read the books to decide if we should get into the series--then felt they were okay and checked out the audios for us to listen to.  She is doing it the opposite and finding it quite enjoyable!

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2) by Rick Riordan

1. Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan--completed

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3) by Rick Riordan

2. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan--in process (nearly done)

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling and Barry Moser

3. Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling


Core F: in Southeast Asia
Read Aloud's:

Best-Loved Folktales of the World (The Anchor folktale library) by Joanna Cole

 Best-Loved Folktales--
Why the Parrot Repeats Mans Words-Thailand
The Fisherman
The Gatekeeper
(I really liked these stories!)

The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in Vietnam (Harper Trophy Book) by Quang Nhuong Huynh

The Land I Lost--this is a very vivid book with very detailed descriptions.  Dd has had some dreams about the stories we've read.  This book is a bit scary for children; and from what I hear from people that have finished it there is a scene in the end of the book that has a monkey killing a human baby.  I haven't gotten there yet; but I plan on pre-reading that tonight to see it for myself before I decide if she will hear that section.  She already had dreams about the dogs attacking the wild boar.  That makes me think this book will affect her more than she is letting on.  I'm very much leaning towards not reading her the monkey section at this age.  ETA: I'm going to skip both chapters that have "monkeys" in the title...we don't skip much; so I'm okay with it!  I don't see that we will miss anything that the other chapters haven't already provided. ETA: We have been discussing those chapters and I'm allowing her to decide IF she wants me to read them aloud; but I've told her what happens in those chapters already....I'll update what she decides.  She wanted to read it all...and had no problems with it.

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? A Fast, Clear, and Fun Explanation of the Economics You Need For Success in... by Richard J. Maybury and Jane A. Williams

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy
We have a few pages left, one last section we were suppose to read on Fri.; but due to Giz and Grampy arriving in the afternoon we had to stop our lessons early and didn't finish it.  So, we will continue on with it one more week!

.............

Core F Week 13 Jan. 20-25, 2014

Core F
Week 13
Jan. 20-25, 2014

Dd captured a few pix of a hawk in our backyard; thought I'd share them with you all.

The nature around us this week has been spectacular.

A moment of blue sunshine during our harsh weather-

The sky had been so very blue and beautiful just 2 minutes before..then the gusty winds blew the clouds over the sky and our moment of sunshine and beauty were gone!  Right back to the winter grays...again!  The snow had been whipping around in little tornadoes for days.

Our Hawk Returns.....and I have a camera handy again!

 Here is a Mourning Dove Dd drew this week...you know that I've bought her countless sketch books right...and yet here is this great drawing on lined paper!!!!

 Dd made these arm warmers!  My mom had given us this yarn and we weren't sure what to use it for---it was very soft; I think it is alpaca or something like that.  She did a great job and we take turns wearing the pair.  She said she is going to make more pairs.

We have many weeks that aren't very productive; but this week was actually very industrious.  


Bible: Veritas Press (VP) Bible Program: Genesis Through Joshua
wrapped up from last week:
 Card 25: The Levitical Priesthood Begins: COMPLETED
Numbers 3
Bible: Numbers 3
Believer's Bible Commentary: Numbers 3
VP Worksheets

new card: this card has us researching 12 bible chapters...which is a lot for one card!
Card 26: The Wilderness Wanderings:in process
Numbers 9-20
Bible: Numbers 9-15
Believer's Bible Commentary: Numbers 9-15
VP Worksheets
The Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament (51, 52)
Journey Through The Old Testament (74,75)

Meet the Great Composers: Book 2 (Learning Link) by Maurice Hinson

Composer of the Week:
Friedrich Kuhlau
Meet the Great Composers: Book 2

Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf: With a Fully-Orchestrated and Narrated CD by Janet Schulman, Sergei Prokofiev and Peter Malone

Bonus Composer Music
Sergi Prokiev's Peter and the Wolf 

Harvi Griffin - Volume II: Contemporary by Harvi Griffin - CD

Harpist:
Harvi Griffin

Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection by Michael Rosen and Paul Howard

Poet of the Week:
William Wordsworth
Classic Poetry by Michael Rosen
"Skating", "Sonnet Composed Upon a Bridge..Sept. 3, 1802", "The Sun has long been set", and my favorite of his: 

My Heart Leaps Up

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

William Wordsworth

Artist of the Week:
George Bellows

This is the book I have--it is a very large paperback with a few hundred pages--wide range of his work throughout his life.

Paintings of George Bellows by Michael Quick, Jane Myers, Marianne Doezema and Franklin Kelly

I've decided to go through some of the artists we haven't covered well yet alphabetically.  I own lots of art books; and we refer to them often; but I wanted to systematically go through an artist each week.  So, I decided to do it alphabetically!  Although since this was our last week in Russia- I did tell her we should be studying Chagall..and showed her a quick reminder of who he is/was.




Language Arts:

Following Narnia: Writing Lessons in Structure, Style, and Grammar (Student Book only) by Laura Bettis

Now, for my heart---this is my weakest area.  I spend way too much time on LA each day.  And I have not been doing a good job in teaching or having Dd WRITE.  So, last May I purchased IEW's "Following Narnia" set (teachers manual and student book).  We did the first two steps, the KWO(key word outline) and the rough draft and stopped.  Then a few months back we came back picked up the books again....and redid those 2 steps on Lesson 1...and put it down again!!!  Well, I am really going to make this apart of our weekly lessons now.  I've actually gone through my IG and written it down on every single page!! This Monday I had her look over the first 2 steps on Lesson 1 and I read aloud to her all the teachers pages...why should I suffer alone?!!!  and then had her write the Final Draft.  Then on Wednesday, after 9 months, we moved to Lesson 2! We did the KWO, Thursday the Rough Draft, Friday the Final Draft.  I am letting all know that I am going to do better at teaching writing!!!!  

Daily Grams: Guided Review Aiding Mastery Skills : Grade 7 by Wanda C. Phillips

Daily Grams:  grade 7
Days 6-10 (a page each day)

All About Spelling 5:
Step 23: Passed
Step 24: Passed
(for the record this is Dd least favorite subject this year)



IEW: Fix - It
Week 27:completed


 Sonlight's Core F LA:
I'm going to use SL's LA - we went through week 1&2 this week.  We aren't going to do the writing assignments necessarily; but read the pages and glean what we can.  




Odds:

Computer Programming:
 2x Code.Org @ 30 min each

Rosetta Stone: French
1 x 30 minutes

CNN Student News:
http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/
Dd has finally hit her limit on BrainPop & BrainPop, Jr. and not wanted to watch, so I'm glad we've found something new to start our day.



Exercise:
Dd worked out with me 3x this week
(Leslie Sansone dvd's)
Monday Dd had basketball practice--they run hard!
Saturday Dd had a basketball game; and they won again!!  They are undefeated!  Dd is really getting in much better shape.

Scrambled States by Gamewright

Board Games:
Still not as much as Dd wants...but we did play 2 days
Scrambled States of America



Math:
Math U See: Zeta: 14 D, F, Test 14 and random questions from previous lessons for reviews.

Skip Counting Family:
6 family this week

Science:

Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day (Young Explorer Series) (Young Explorer... by Jeannie Fulbright

Apologia: Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day:
pg 41-43 and notebooking

Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics (Young Explorer Series) by Jeannie Fulbright

Apologia: Exploring Creation with Chemistry & Physics:
15-22 no note-booking, we are just reading for now.  To be honest, *I* did take notes but I actually LIKE taking notes.




Dd reads a LOT; but here are her 2 assigned Readers: Reader's:

The 100-Year-Old Secret (Sherlock Files (Quality)) by Tracy Barrett

Sherlock Files by Tracy Barrett: completed
My Dd LOVED this book so much that on the second day of reading it, she couldn't stop reading it!  She finished it on the second day!  And had me request the sequels from our public library.  Barrett, the author, has written books 2,3,and 4 already.  Amazon says:
Xena and Xander Holmes think living in London will be boring. But one afternoon they’re handed a cryptic note that leads them to a hidden room—and a secret society. When they discover they’re related to Sherlock Holmes and inherit his unsolved casebook, life becomes so much more exciting. The siblings set out to solve the cases their famous ancestor couldn’t, starting with the mystery of a prized painting that vanished more than a hundred years ago. Can two smart twenty-first century kids succeed where Sherlock Holmes could not?

Tales of the Greek Heroes (Puffin Classics) by Roger Lancelyn Green and Rick Riordan

Tales of Greek Heroes by Roger Lancelyn Green, Dd really likes this book.  She has a lot of options for Greek hero stories, but she likes this book - and the one by Edith Hamilton best so far.  The reason is that these are the FULL (unabridged) stories, not edited down "children's" versions.


Read Aloud's:

The Pilgrim's Progress (Dover Thrift Editions) by John Bunyan

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger by Lee Strobel

The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel

Audio:

Charlie's Choice : Lamplighter Theatre (Dramatic Audio) by M.L. Nesbitt and John Rhys-Davies (2009) - Audiobook

Lamplighter--Charlie's Choice: completed
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone-in process

Core F stuff:

Best-Loved Folktales of the World (The Anchor folktale library) by Joanna Cole (Aug 9, 1983)

Best Loved Folktales of the World--Russia

Praying through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window by YWAM Publishing, C. Peter Wagner, Stephen Peters and Mark Wilson

Praying Through The 100 Gateway Cities--Russia

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? A Fast, Clear, and Fun Explanation of the Economics You Need For Success in... by Richard J. Maybury and Jane A. Williams

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy
(Dd is really NOT liking this book.at.all...still reading it!)

I added in:

How People Live by DK Publishing and Dena Freeman

How People Live-DK (not the Mongolian family, the Russian)

Material World: A Global Family Portrait by Peter Menzel,

Material World--looked up the Russian family 

Eyewitness - Russia (00) by Murrell, Kathleen Berton [Hardcover (2000)] by Murrel (2000)

Russia-Eyewitness Book- we went over this book again, we read most of it our first week doing Russia, and again on Friday, our last day studying Russia.  It made a lot more sense the second time through!

...