Dawn K Homeschool

So, we've been studying Impressionism starting with Claude Monet (remember, my Impressionist Artists Study can be downloaded here ). After reading several books and watching a few videos about him and his art, I decided today was a good hands-on day.  Ben and I tend to enjoy crafty things in our free time, but I don't schedule enough of this artistic time into the school day. Today was an exception.  We followed an art project from pp. 50-51 of  The Usborne Art Treasury . We all had so much fun.  I just love projects with tissue paper!  We also used  Modge Podge Sparkle  to give it a shimmery effect  Sure, Monet didn't create art with tissue paper and glue, but that's okay. :) Ben's  Nathan's  Mine PS.  Thanks to  http://satorismiles.com/  for blogging about this project.  It inspired us!

Let me say it again.  I love  Exploring Creation with Botany .  Being hands-on has never been so easy!  Today, we learned the parts of a flower part by part by dissecting a lily.  Here are the finished results.  Nathan's Ben's

So, we've been actually using a science textbook, Exploring Creation with Botany  (which I bought  here ), for the first time, and I have to say I really like it.  It has a very conversational tone, which I appreciate, yet still presents necessary vocabulary and information.  I also bought the corresponding, pre-assembled  botany lab kit  from the same place.  Yes, you can gather the items yourself for quite a bit less, but I spent so much time planning over the summer that it was freeing to just buy the kit and go.  I have to admit it has made our year easier so far. We finished Lesson 2 on seeds today, but I felt my boys (and I) needed extra review because the germination process is rather complicated, and the vocabulary is plentiful. Worksheet #1 The other day, the boys completed this labeling exercise from a workbook I own: Worksheet # 2 Everyday, we review what three things are necessary for a seed to germinate (warmth, moisture and air)...

I was searching for a favorite multiplication or times table chart to print out for my youngest to consult when he is frustrated.  He still has difficulty memorizing them, and though we are working on securing them to memory, this chart helps him when he is stumped during a long multiplication problem.  I thought I would share some of my favorites. 12x12 with apple decor 12x12 color with safari theme 12x12 simple black and white 12x12 pastel with stars 10x10 with various animals 10x10 with various animals (blanks to fill in) 10x10 simple black and white 9x9 simple black and white Facts listed by factors rather than grid WorksheetWorks.com  is my favorite multiplication drill worksheet creator! While you are waiting for those math facts to stick, play  Timez Attack for free . If you are looking for other online games which reinforce multiplication, here are some suggestions: Solo Games Balloon Pop Multiplication Station (Easy) Multiplication Station (Advanced) Car Was...

Scholastic  is offering a free longitude and latitude game titled "Message in a Bottle."  It is a sample from their book  Great Map Games .  You can download the entire book for $1.00 for a limited time. Click  here  to download. A precipitation map exercise is available  here . Here  is an online game where you have to place the state puzzle piece in the correct spot, and then the name fo the state appears.

I just realized that I never posted photos from Aaron's graduation from the Marine's Officer Candidate School.  We love you, Aaron and are so proud of your accomplishments there!

I finally chose a writing program that excites me -- Student Writing Intensive -- Level A  by the Institute for Excellence in Writing.  Both the boys adore Andrew Pudewa! Nathan is a natural writer who could use some practice in more expository writing, while Ben is a reluctant writer very much in need of a highly-structured writing program.  While Nathan works nearly independently, I am next to Ben every step of the way.  I thought I would share our first two writing assignments with my readers.  Below are the assignments "Sea Snakes," "Tarantulas," and "Pillbugs." Ben's Nathan's

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We read  The Printer's Apprentice  by Stephen Krensky to learn more about Colonial America and the events leading up to the American Revolution. We are only half-way through the book, but so far we have learned about the printing press, paper manufacturing, the politics of the time, the geography of New York, Colonial apprenticeships, Benjamin Franklin, the fire department, and much more.   Even the foreward was wonderful! Most importantly, it provided a great opportunity to discuss the right to freedom of the press. Upon conclusion, the boys completed a worksheet identifying main features of a printing press, and then we discussed Thomas Jefferson's quote on censorship in light of this book: “No government ought to be without censors; and where the press is free no one ever will.”

I know this probably seems silly, but my boys outgrew the cheap children's hangers, and their clothes were always slipping off the hanger. I bought a case of 100 of these for $21.45 plus shipping (mine was $9.75 for UPS ground shipping). They were speedy in shipping too.  I know it's more expensive than the Dollar Tree, but I finally took the plunge and fixed the problem!  No more frustration. Junior Dress Hangers They fit my boys who wear 7x to 8 and will definitely fit through more years.

We've been working on organizing and redecorating the boys' playroom.  The boys have oodles of Playmobil and Lego magazines which had been stored in Sterilite drawers.  I wasn't happy with this solution (frankly, we needed the drawer space for Legos), so I searched www.amazon.com  and found with these. I am thrilled with them.  They lie rather flat against the wall as opposed to many of the racks I considered and are much less expensive than the comparable wooden ones. Each slot holds 25-30 Lego magazines. Wall Magazine Rack - Mesh Basket Ladder (Silver) (37 1/4"H x 10 1/4"W x 3 1/2"D)

My son, Nathan, has been begging me for a thesaurus.  I donated ours years ago because it was never used.  They are just so bulky, and if you are a bibliophile or homeschooler, you know how precious bookshelf space is.    Michael Clay Thompson of Royal Fireworks Press recommended buying an electronic thesaurus. I bought  Sharp Electronics PW-E550 Electronic Dictionary , and Nathan has been using it regularly.  He has taken it in the van with him, into restaurants, and used it when typing on Microsoft Word.  It also contains a dictionary which is a bonus!  I like the fact that it is small and super portable -- it can be brought into the kitchen for writing class, back to his room during his creative writing time, or even in a restaurant without much hassle.

I have been committed to reading poetry to the boys since they were old enough to be read to. Some of our favorites over the years have been: Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes (Beatrix Potter) A Child's Book of Poems A Child's Garden of Verses A Child's First Book of Poems Eric Carle's Animals Animals Nursery Rhymes Puddle Wonderful: Poems to Welcome Spring Poems and Prayers for the Very Young Poems to Read to the Very Young Cotton Sailboats Poems for Little Children Over in the Meadow (and all other similar books) Kate Greenaway's Mother Goose (Huntington Library Children's Classics) The Random House Book of Poetry for Children We also read several books of haiku which I blogged about  here . One of the most hilarious encounters we've had has been with  Favourite Poems for Children (Classic Literature with Classical Music) .  We listened to this CD on our way to and from piano lessons.  One of the make narrators also narrates  Aesop's Fables (Junior C...

Papa Haydn's Surprise: The Life and Times of Haydn Set to Music  by Ann Rachlin was surprisingly wonderful!  My ten-year old son exclaimed twice while listening to is, "This is really interesting, Mom."  This audio download (which I copied to a CD and played in the van) presents a biography of Haydn along with stories of some of his most notable pieces all narrated by Ann Rachlin while Haydn's music plays in the background.  Oh, and see how cute the vintage recording is!    These are very similar to the Classical Kids audio presentations but, in my opinion, less involved and chaotic due to fewer sound effects and characters. According to her website ( http://www.annrachlin.com/ ), "Ann held her popular Fun With Music sessions in London for forty years where thousands of children from all walks of life, representing more than 24 nationalities, were introduced to the wonders of classical music through her imaginative storytelling set to the music of the great...

The  Impressionists Sticker Book by Usborne  is a must-have for student studying Impressionist art and artists. We started using ours today, and both the boys enjoyed them.  We are currently reading the information on pages pertaining to the movement as a whole, but when we study each artist more in-depth, we will place the appropriate stickers. First, we read  The Impressionists (Usborne Young Reading: Series Three)  which is simply a fabulous introduction to the time period, the art movement and those who made it happen.  The following artists are introduced within the context of a wonderfully-woven story: Pissarro, Cassatt, Degas, Morisot, Monet, Renoir and Sisley. The sticker book provides an interactive and visually appealing response to the book. There are coordinating Impressionist Paintings Activity Cards   which will be released in June 2012.  I previewed them on the Usborne website, and they look like a great product.  Each card con...

I cannot believe I overlooked this. Hands on History -- American Revolution  from Scholastic.   Click here to order it from  Amazon. It is an incredible book with lots of fun printables/paper crafts. I am actually centering my entire American Revolution study around it. Twelve dominoes serve as the framework for this book signifying the domino effect which led to the Revolution.  I am using this book along with The American Revolution (History Comes Alive Teaching Unit, Grades 4-8)  to spend quite a bit of time on the Revolution this year.  In fact, we'll start in a few days, and I plan to blog about it. I'm trying to blog about everything we're using throughout the week to give reviews and recommendations.

Here are some we have used: If you want to make a lapbook or notebook for exploration, this book is incredible! Hands on History -- Explorers This is a fabulous unit (I'm using it this year) for the American Revolution: History Comes Alive These maps are great fun: Interactive 3-D Maps -- American History as are these: Life the Flap Timelines -- American History This activity book is great for a Colonial America study: Easy Make and Learn Projects -- Colonial America (all of the Easy Make and Learn books are fun) *********************************** For science, this book is incredible on the human body: The Body Book as is this one: Easy Make and Learn Projects -- Human Body These units on specific animals are fantastic! bats sharks reptiles frogs penguins

I've been reading aloud two to three chapters a day from  If You Were There in 1776  by Barbara Brenner.  So far, we have enjoyed learning what they ate, how they dressed and how the children played.  We also read about the farmers and planters and the differences between the northern and southern colonies.  Today, we read about some of the larger cities and how they were similar and different. The writing style is very fluid, conversational and enjoyable.  It also includes several direct quotes and primary source references.  At times, it's quite humorous.  Her style reminds me quite a bit of Joy Hakim's.  There is also a prequel,  If You Were There in 1492: Everyday Life in the Time of Columbus .