Week 24

Congratulations everyone! We all made it through the year with flying colors.  Hooray for a job well done.  Thank you so much to everyone for making this school year an amazing one.

We reviewed Igor Stravinsky for our Fine Arts and we even made the sound of the rain.  Thank you Mrs. Armentrout.

Presentation was interesting.  I told the kids that narrating a story from a picture book will help them learn to teach their younger brothers and sisters and will prepare them to teach Sunday school in the future.  The kids had a wonderful time listening to each others' stories.  We even have a special Science presentation. Congratulations for a great year of presentation.  My take away for the kids - As homeschoolers, we don't have a lot of opportunities to do a presentation.  When you have the chance, take it and prepare and learn to embrace the process.  It will definitely help you in the future.  

New Grammar
English: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
The seven sentence patterns, which the kids know by heart.  Make sure kids know what the abbreviations stand for, e.g. IO - indirect object.

Science:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5

I briefly discussed how Scientific experiments are done and replicated to test for accuracy.  Good science is our goal... the search for accurate, non-biased information.

Math:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5

The identity law is easy and the kids know it well. When you add zero to any number, you get the same number.  When you multiply 1 to any number, it is the same number. 

Timeline: Song - CC CD

The Presidents... The kids know the President song and to make it challenging, I asked them who is the 25th President? Who was the President before...?

History: Song - CC CD
We learned the Bill of Rights. We discussed a little bit about each bill, and the discussion was indeed interesting.  To read more about each bill, check out this site.  Make sure the kids know the Rights and their corresponding numbers, e.g. 1 - Freedom.

Latin:  Song - Opening Ceremony Song
Hooray, we finished the whole passage in Latin and English! Make sure the words are pronounced correctly.

Geography:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5

We learned five more prominent features and reviewed all ten prominent features.  The kids submitted most of their maps, but some of them forgot to bring their files.  I gave them Week 24, so they still have a chance to submit all their remaining drawings on the day we meet for Memory Masters.  Thank you everyone for making this project a reality.  If they are missing some more map tracing and still want to finish it, let me know and I will send the map to you.  

Review
Before our final review, we had the chance to answer the "two questions" - 1. What is your favorite memory of the class.  2. How can you be the best "you" you can be for God's glory?  Ask them what they said and you'll be so proud of them.  We were able to review the last six weeks' materials, too. For those who are doing MM, keep practicing... you have two more weeks.

Science Experiment
We learned about median, mode and mean.  If you want to learn more, check this out.  Thank you, Mr. Herson.

It has been a wonderful privilege to have the opportunity to tutor your kids.  I've learned so much from them, and I hope that they will continue to give their best for God's glory.  Congratulations, dear teachers!

Sincerely,
Zabrina

Week 23

Fine Arts is a review of Tchaikovsky and Debussy and the Romantic music transition to Modern music.

Next week's presentation is Narration: Narrate your favorite children's picture book while showing the pictures.  Have fun preparing.

New Grammar
English: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned about the four sentence structure.  The kids should know this by heart having been in Essentials for a number of years.

Science:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned about Natural Selection.  If you want to learn more, I enjoy reading from this site because it makes me think and process how to explain things in class.

Math:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned about the Distributive Law.  Make sure the kids are thinking about what they are saying.  This is usually the most confusing of all the laws, so be careful.

History: Song - CC CD
Check this site out for more details about the Preamble of the Constitution. Be sure to be careful with the pronunciation of the words.

Latin:  Song - Opening Ceremony Song
Continue on memorizing the John 1 passage in Latin and English.

Timeline: Song - CC CD
The end of the Timeline. Make sure you know the markers... it will help you with what comes next.  Keep practicing with what is before...? just for the fun of it.

Geography:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
Learn about the prominent features... we will continue to learn more next week. I hope the kids were able to gather all their tracings and are ready to hand them to me on Monday.

Thank you very much to Mrs. Johansen for subbing for me in class. I am sure you are in your best behavior. I hope to see you next week, Lord willing...

Have a wonderful week.

Sincerely,
Zabrina

Week 22

Fine Arts was super exciting. We met Mr. Igor Stravinsky. It was interesting to meet someone in a different time that has some similarities in our lives.  Thank you, Mrs. Herson.

Presentation was interesting and encouraging as well.  For those who memorized their poems, Congratulations! I am sure your teachers know that it will benefit you, that's why they asked you to memorize it.  Next week's presentation: Persuasion: Commercial.  Create a commercial that "persuades" your audience to buy your real or imaginary product.  Have fun preparing.

New Grammar
English: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned the "subordinate clause" which is also called dependent clause. We differentiated it with the independent clause.  Keep reviewing.

Science:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We differentiated Catastrophism with Uniformitarianism.  They both begin with the same words and it is easy to get confused.  I reminded the kids to think before saying their memory work. If you want to learn more, check this out.

Math:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
The Commutative Law is an easy one, but the kids somehow kept confusing it with the Associative Law. Again, I told them to think about what they are memorizing.

History: Song - CC CD
We briefly discussed Sept. 11, 2001.  This is the most recent of the history sentences and I told them that we are still very affected with the consequence of the incident.  Take note also that if you are using the older Foundations Guide, you will find that certain words are not the same.  Let me know if you need the exact words, I will email it to you.  if you want to learn more, check this out.

Latin:  Song - Opening Ceremony Song
We continued with the verse and the kids are doing really well, translating the verse to Latin.  They are really using the words they know and did well in trying to translate the verse.  Keep up the good work.

Timeline: Song - CC CD
We reviewed what was done during the Opening Ceremony and did the reverse order.  The kids are doing really well in thinking backwards. Congratulations!

Geography:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned the deserts and I had to use the Trivium map to show them the delineation between the Mohave Desert and Colorado Desert.  Please take note of that when reviewing. Next week, don't forget to bring pencils and color pencils for our maps.

Science experiment was about odds.  What are the odds in favor and against?  We used a coin to distinguish the odds... 50-50, they said.  Yes!  They worked as pairs and then alone.  Again, I told them that they will need a really big sample to get to the 50-50 odds.

Review darts... this time I was strict... no help from your group, and you have to answer quickly because it is really close to Memory Masters. The kids did really well. It is amazing how the kids are all ready to answer the questions even before I ask it.  Keep up the good work... I am sure you'll all do well.  I did remind them, I hope they are memorizing not just for Memory Masters but for life.

I will be away next week and I told the kids to behave and show the same respect they give me to Mrs. Johansen.  Thank you, Phoebe. 

Have a wonderful Easter!

Sincerely,
Zabrina

Week 21

Counting down the weeks... stay strong so we can finish strong.

Fine Arts
We learned about Claude Debussy and his work, La Mer (The Sea).   Our thanks to Mrs. Reeser and Mrs. Toy.  If you want to learn more, check this out.

Presentation was part 2 of last week's. The kids showed us how to make cookies, peel an egg and make egg salad, take care of cows and learn about albino deer.  Congratulations on a job well done.  Next week's presentation is Recitation: Classic Poetry about America.  Memorize and recite a classic poem about America.  Enhance your recitation with expression and gestures.

New Grammar
English: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We reviewed the difference between a phrase and a clause and learned about one kind of clause - an independent clause.

Science:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
I briefly explained the theory of uniformitarianism. If you want to read more about the theory and creation science, check this page out. I really loved how she explained it.

Timeline: Song - CC CD
We reviewed what was taught in the Opening Ceremony.  We played what is before... ? to challenge their brain. Keep up the good work.

History: Song - CC CD
I briefly told them about Apollo 11 and the three astronauts who were in the mission Yes, there were three men... Michael Collins stayed inside the Columbia.  We also discussed about NASA, the space race and JFK's 1961 goal of lunar landing, which was achieved before the turn of the decade.  If you want to read more, check this out.

Latin:  Song - Opening Ceremony Song
We translated the Latin verse to English.  We were also able to review the past few weeks verses.

Math:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned the Associative Law of Addition and Multiplication.  I reminded the kids to be thinking bout what they are saying because they know the memory work well. They sometimes might just say it out without thinking and thus confuse "plus" and "times".

Geography:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned the different Territories and Terrains. Just a note that Alaska is part of the North West Coast because as we all know, Alaska is supposed to be in that area in the real map.

Review
We focused our review on Geography.  We drew all the physical features in a blank US map. Congratulations to the kids, they did really well. Make sure to keep practicing the trails and the canals where they struggle the most.  I told the kids to bring color pencils, pencils and scissors next week. They should not have an excuse of "My mom/dad did not tell me."  We were even able to review Week 1-21 of History and Science.  The kids did a wonderful job. Keep up the good work!

Science Experiment was on data and probability.  I cannot imagine that adding more blueberry can excite the kids so much.  The kids worked by pairs and they did really well. If you want to replicate the experiment at home, check the Foundations Guide page 148.

Don't forget, Memory Masters Parent Proof is due next week.  I hope the kids are practicing their memory work everyday. Remember, we want to finish strong!

Have a wonderful week... enjoy the snow!

Sincerely,
Zabrina

Week 20

I can't believe it, we have four more weeks till the end of CC.  Time flies when you're having fun.  I hope the kids are having a great time in class. I know I am.

Fine Arts
We learned about Tchaikovsky in a different light.  Usually, when we talk about Tchaikovsky with kids, we talked about Nutcracker and Swan Lake. This time, it is adagio lamentoso, a slow lament. Thank you very much, Mrs. Smith.

Presentation was fun but long.  The kids had so much fun, we went beyond our recommended time.  They learned to make Caesar salad, make slime, sew buttons and draw an eagle.  The whole class enjoyed the demonstration. We all learned a lot of practical things. Next week's presenters would be Ellie, Howard, Gavin and Javan.  I told the kids, they all have five minutes each. Hopefully, we can keep our time. 

New Grammar
Geography: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned about the different canals.  I told them to look for the name of the canal and find which state it is located and they will certainly figure it out. Thank you for constantly encouraging the kids to continue with their map tracing. They will be pleasantly surprise at the end of the school year how well they are drawing the map of the United States of America. Please let the kids bring their pencil and coloring pencils for a special project for Geography.

English: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned about the phrase and the clause.  Since everyone is in Essentials, they know what the difference between the two. Just keep practicing the memory sentences because it is wordy and long.

Science:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5

We learned about the theory of evolution. I recommended using the song above because of the difficult words, but if they prefer just reciting it, it is okay.

Math:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
The last of Geometry - the circumference of a circle.  Just a quick reminder, this coming Wednesday is Pi Day.  Have fun! See last week's blog for my book recommendation for Pi.

History: Song - CC CD
I briefly discussed Brown vs. Board of Education. The kids were surprised that it is not only the Brown family who filed a lawsuit, but twelve others.  If you want to learn more, check  this site out.

Latin:  Song - Opening Ceremony Song
The kids know the passage really well... keep on practicing and keep up the good work.

Timeline: Song - CC CD
We did what was done during the opening ceremony. Keep practicing.

Science Experiment was about Possible combinations. We learned how to make different pizza combinations.  It was fun.  It would be really helpful to keep on practicing probabilities at home so they can participate better in the next few weeks' science experiment.

Review
With a little left-over time from Science, we were able to review History, Science, English, Math and Latin of the last six weeks.  We were able to do it in 7 minutes... that means the kids really know their materials. Hooray! I reminded the kids that they have to be confident in answering by themselves, without help from their friends. Keep practicing at home... focus on one subject a day. Have fun!

Have a good week!

Sincerely,
Zabrina

Week 19

Fine Arts
Our introduction to the Orchestra.  We were introduced to the different periods of classical music and to the different instrument families.  Thank you Mrs. Herson.  If you want to learn more about the Orchestra,  I like this site a lot.


Presentation was funny, and it delighted the audience.  Next week's presentation - Demonstration:Demonstrate how to do something, fix something, or use something.  Use visual aids. Allow your audience to participate if possible.  The following kids volunteered for this coming week - Ruthie, Caroline, Julia and Dawn. Enjoy preparing.

New Grammar
English: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned the predicate as part of the sentence, and we were able to review the subject.  The kids did really well.

Science:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We started learning the different theories. This week's memory work is Psalm 19:1.  The heavens declare the glory of God! Someone asked, "Is that science?" Yes, it is!

Math:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
The area of the circle. We discussed a little bit about the pi and the circle.  I recommended a book by Cindy Neuschwander's Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi.  It is a very exciting book and pi is explained very well there.

History: Song - CC CD
We briefly discussed NATO, of course with background on League of Nations and United Nations. This is a good summary of NATO if the kids want to read more.

Latin:  Song - Opening Ceremony Song
We continued the John 1 passage, and we were also able to review some of the word translation.

Timeline: Song - CC CD
We reviewed what was done during the opening ceremony.  The kids are doing well with the time markers. Keep on reviewing.

Geography:  Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned about the trails.  In the map that we are using, the trails can be really confusing. Try to practice the trails with them using the trivium table.  I will send you an email of the map with the trail highlighted.  We are almost there... six more weeks of tracing.  Keep encouraging your kids to do tracing of the maps. Finish strong!

Review
We were able to review some of the materials from the last six weeks with the game Jeopardy.  The kids really enjoy the game and I am very excited that they knew most of the answer.  I reminded the kids, after today we only have five more weeks before Memory Masters.  They should know their memory work from Week 1-18 by now with no coaching. Please encourage them to practice at home.  One subject a day would be perfect! 

Science Experiment
We were introduced to data and probability by Mr. Herson.  It was fun and the kids enjoyed the game of chance... somehow the red chips is showing off that day.

Keep up the good work everyone!

Sincerely,

Zabrina

Week 18

Hooray! Everybody is present and well. Thank you, Lord!

Presentation was fun because the kids added their own twist to it, which I really love.  I told them I enjoyed getting to know them through their presentation.  I also told them to take advantage of the opportunity in process of preparing a presentation. Being homeschooled, they may not have the opportunity to prepare for a presentation (or maybe they might). This is a great way to learn how to prepare and present and not just do something because they are required to. I applaud the kids for their effort in preparing for their presentation.  Next week's presentation is their favorite. Humorous Interpretation: Delight your audience with a funny story, poem, or narrative joke.  Memorize your story completely and use gestures or actions to enhance your presentation.  Choose your content carefully to delight, not offend your audience.

New Grammar
English: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned about one sentence part - the subject. The sentence today is sort of a tongue twister. So we went over the sentence a lot of times.  The kids did great. I am sure it would not hurt to review it at home.

History: Song - CC CD
I briefly discussed why the US joined World War II.  We even reviewed how WWII begun. The kids did wonderfully. An important note that you need to know is the word "in" is added between Pearl Harbor and Hawaii.  The end of the sentence has a tendency to be sung as WWI, so please be watchful when they are saying the sentence.

Math: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We did some application for the formula for the area of triangle. The kids did not have any problem with this.

Science: Song -CCC NoGreaterJoy5
We learned the third four elements of the periodic table. I briefly introduce the four elements and where they may be found. We were able to review the first 12 elements. The kids are doing great.

Latin: Song - Opening Ceremony Song
We were able to translate John 1:5 from Latin to English and the rule about no translation for articles was reiterated.  I believe the kids know the verse, but it would not hurt to kee practicing at home.
  
Timeline: Song - CC CD
We reviewed what was done during the Opening Ceremony. The kids know them by heart.  We practiced with the time line markers, and the kids did really wonderfully.

Geography: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy5 
We learned the Western River.  Please take note if you are using the third edition, make sure you know where the Columbia River is.  Continue to encourage the kids to do their map tracing.  I reduced the tracing to two, hope it is still helping the kids.  I am thinking of skipping the free hand draw the next six weeks.

Our last week of Great Artist, we learned about Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield.  We sort of over extended our time trying to learn to draw Garfield. We made a single comic strip of Garfield.  See their art work below.  They also created a paper craft of Garfield which they brought home. I am so proud of the amazing art work the kids created this past six weeks. I sure hope they can continue to do art at home.  As I always say, "Don't rush art, take your time and enjoy." Next week, we will embark on the Orchestra and the Great Composers.

For the fun of the art... I added my own drawing of Garfield.

We learned to make crystals with Mrs. Herson during our Science Experiment.  If you want to do it at home, the kids brought their Science paper with them or you can check out this site (Looks like fun). We were able to see the Science projects of the Challenge kids in our last few minutes.  A big CONGRATULATIONS to all the Challenge kids!

It was a fun packed morning. I promised them we will play Jeopardy for review next week. See you all then...

Sincerely,
Zabrina