Week 21

It was a very interesting Monday for our class, we had lots of visitors (people and animals) and students suddenly dropping like flies.  It makes an exciting day and I would have to say that I am very proud of all of you for handling it well and pushing through.

Thank you Mr. Boyer for introducing to Claude Debussy and the ocean... if you want to learn more about Debussy and La Mer, you can go to this site. This is a good site too. If you want a summary, try this site.  Have fun... I will give you a handout about him next time we meet (Sorry, it did not make it this week).

Presentation was super fun.  I enjoyed it too much.  I think everybody did really well inspite of the chaos that is happening around us. Next time we meet, the Presentation is memorize and recite the lyrics to a hymn or a praise song that you like (or you can sing it to us).  Tell us why you like it and why it is meaningful to you.

Thank you Mr. Herson for expounding more on probabilities. See the post last week for activities on probabilities.  Thank you for the chocolate chips, Mr. Herson.

New Grammar
Timeline: Song - CC CD
We sang through the song and did the hand motion taught during opening ceremony. 

History: Song - CC CD
I briefly told them that during the Cold War (coinciding with Timeline...Hooray!), the Soviet and the US are also having a space race.  Soviets were first sending a man to orbit the moon in 1961, but the US was first in landing man on the moon in 1969. This is an easy to read site about the landing on the moon. We sang through the song a couple of times and did the following hand motions:
 astronauts -right "R" hand shoots up past left palm in flat hand 
 N. Armstrong - A-hand
 E. "B" Aldrin - B-hand (for Buzz, his nickname)
 first - one hand then twist
 walk on the moon - right index and middle finger walk across the left palm down S-hand

It was indeed "One small step for man, a giant leap for mankind."

Science: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy
I briefly told them that this belief states that what happened in the distant past also operate today. I mentioned the name James Hutton who first said that the earth was transformed not by unimaginable catastrophes but by slow changes.  I believe, Charles Lyell is also popular for this theory as well.  The handouts I gave you is a little more for older kids but can be simplified for younger kids... it is more Hutton than Lyell.  If you want to read more on Uniformitarianism, you can go to this site.  This theory will be differentiated with next week's Catastrophism. We sang through the song and did the following hand motions:
 belief (believe) - right index finger move from forehead then clasp both hands together
 earth - thumb and third finger wriggle on opposite wrist
 past - wave the right palm behind right shoulder
 changes - right fist on top of left fist with wrist touching then twist to reverse hand position
 explain - both F-hands alternate moving forward and back
 current (now) - move both Y-hands down a few inches with palms facing outwards

Math: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy
I am still amaze why we are teaching this property ahead of the commutative property but I briefly told the kids that in addtion and multiplication, however you interchange the numbers around, the answer will end up the same.  We sang through the song a lot of times even while we were trying to write out the formula on the board. The worksheets I gave out should help them with the formula.  Have fun! 

English: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy
We reviewed that the clause has a subject and verb.  And the independent clause expresses a complete thought.  I wrote some examples on the board. We chanted through the definition a lot of times.

Latin: Song - Opening Ceremony Song
We finished John 1:6. And the signs we did today include all the words - whose, name, was, and John. As always, we were able to sing from the beginning of the song, stressing on the last two weeks. 

Geography: Song - CCC NoGreaterJoy
I gave out handouts today (Ruthie, I'll give you yours next time we meet), because the area that we are looking at is not really in the black and white map.  To learn it at home you have to use the trivium table with color or the one on the Foundations Guide page 231. In the map California and Great Basin are separated, but in testing, it will be together.

Review Game was Easter egg hunt.  I was not able to explain to the kids why I chose this game because of time constraint.  But do tell them the importance of Easter is not the bunnies, the eggs and the chicks but that Jesus rose from the dead leaving an empty tomb.  I love Easter because I am always reminded that I believe in a Risen Savior!  Such comfort... Congratulations to all the kids for answering all of your questions.  Keep on reviewing at home.  For those doing Memory Masters, you should be really quick in answering the questions.  Parent proof is due in two weeks.

Book Recommendations
The books I found at the local library are as follows:
Days of Change Man Walks on the Moon by Valerie Bodden
Neil Armstrong: Space Pioneer by Paul Westman (soory, I can find the book cover online)
Buzz Aldrin: The Pilot of the First Moon Landing by Amy Sterling Casil
Earth Science The People Behind the Science by Katherine Cullen
Addition Made Easy by Rebecca Wingard-Nelson
Multiplication Made Easy by  Rebecca Wingard-Nelson
Claude Debussy by Wendy Thompson
Lives of the Musicians Good Times, Bad Times (And What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull (this is a funny one and really exciting read... also available as an audiobook)
             


Have a wonderful Easter and enjoy the week off.  Take Care!

Miss Zabrina