Dawn K Homeschool

Download digital copies of the following magazine issues for free  here . APPLESEEDS only  - ages 7 to 10 COBBLESTONE only  - ages 9 and up; American History CALLIOPE only  - ages 9 and up; World History FACES only  - ages 9 and up; World Cultures ODYSSEY only  - ages 9 and up; Science DIG only  - ages 9 and up; Archaeology

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 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 .

Quickly, I'd like to share some books we read or began reading today. History First, we read our third book in the "Adventures in Colonial America" series, Seventh & Walnut   and I just loved it! It was so much fun to read aloud, and it was so informative yet enjoyable.  The entire story is told from the perspective of the city's night watchman or town crier. Art Appreciation -- Impressionism Continuing with out introduction to Impressionism, I read  Charlotte in Paris  which is set up like a series of diary entries complete with watercolor paintings and scrapbook memorabilia.  Many French words are introduced along with French culture. Literature Read Aloud I am delighted we began  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang  -- the original book by Ian Fleming.  We only read one chapter (I'll read more tonight at bedtime), but so far, we are thrilled with it.  As is customary with books made into films, it is already astonishingly different!  Now, I d...

So, we started school again yesterday.  Phew!  What a year this is going to be.  I think it is taking so much more time because I added in new programs (including  Latin for Children  and  IEW -- Student Writing Intensive ). So far, the Latin program is leaving me dazed and confused.  It just seems like so much is thrown into the first chapter. The boys adore Andrew Pudewa.  Seriously, they would ditch me in a heartbeat in favor of him as their teacher. He IS refreshingly humorous and empathetic. We are continuing with the following since they work: Saxon Math (using the older textbooks) Rod and Staff English (omitting the writing exercises) Daily Grams (I love this program!) Megawords for Spelling (I love this approach!) Currently, we are using  A Child's Introduction to Poetry: Listen While You Learn About the Magic Words That Have Moved Mountains, Won Battles, and Made Us Laugh and Cry  twice a week for poetry study.  We've ...

You must, must read Peter the Great  -- especially if you are studying world history!  This is one of my absolute favorite history reads this year.  If you are familiar with Diane Stanley, then you know you're in for a treat.  Seriously, the illustrations are amazing, the book reads so smoothly, and it is packed with such interesting information about such an amazing -- such a GREAT person! For more information told by an equally amazing author, read the pages about Peter the Great from  The World of William Penn  by Genevieve Foster.  No study of world history is complete without her books!  I enjoyed everything about this book.  In addition to learning about William Penn, you learn about the world in which he lived and the following notable people: Marquette and Jolliet (French explorer) La Salle (French explorer) King Louis XIV Shah Jahan (Mogul emperor) Aurangzeb (Mogul emperor) Sir Isaac Newton Edmund Halley Robert Boyle K'ang-Hse (Manch...

We read  Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude   by Louise Borden yesterday.  It is simply a must-read for science and history. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, Longitude , so I looked forward to reading this book to the boys.   I would like to caution you that there is a scene during a party of full front female nudity, so you may want to preview it.   I thought the book was just perfect for their ages -- 9 and 11.  I really enjoyed reading it aloud, and I have to admit that I got teary at the end (like I do when concluding most biographies).  I am always just in awe of persevering, intelligent, passionate people. There is a longish picture book on the same subject that I checked out from the library --  The Man Who Made Time Travel (Orbis Pictus Honor for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children (Awards))  -- but I found the Sea Clocks book to be so fabulous that I couldn't imagine needing it.  The illustrations are lovely, and just thumbing thr...

I am taking a few minutes to put recently bookmarked links into their appropriate folders, so I thought I would share them with you! Genetics Resources This  is actually a teacher's packet about biodiversity, but I really like their genetics resources.  You can also find online games for the same resource here .  Both are World Wildlife Fund projects. Here  is another interactive game, Genetics Kids Style. Though this  teaching packet is intended to accompany a film, it works great as an independent resource.  You will find worksheets and activities. A hands-on heredity unit can be downloaded here .  It includes a family tree activity using one trait that the student chooses.  The best part of this unit is the "Alien Genetics Activity" which "gives students the chance to construct a model “alien” with hereditary traits following classical or Mendelian genetics." Crafts for Studying Japan Yamaha Motor company is offering some wonderful crafts ...

I stumbled upon this study which targets high school students, though I think it can be used with middle school and younger.  It is titled " A Case Study of Tokugawa Japan through Art: Views of a Society in Transformation ." To access the main page, click here .  I will give a quick overview of what this section offers. Teachers should read the background information on  this  page.  View the lesson here .  Essentially, the student will learn about social and economic changes in Japanese society during the Tokugawa period by studying woodblock prints by Hiroshige.  The student will make inferences about society based on these art images.  This study provides the images, handouts and an answer key. The entire lesson (excluding the images which can be found on the main page) can be downloaded in pdf format here . You will find similar resources for other time periods in Japan's history.  Access the home page with other time ...

Thank you, Ellen, for your fabulous website.  Seriously, you NEED to check out  this fantastic website because it has some of the most innovative projects for all subjects.  It is perfect for traditional teachers and home educators. Today, John was home from work due to the rain, so he joined the boys in a wax resist watercolor map of Japan project.  The boys were able to learn more about Japan's geography while learning a new art technique.  To download the files for this project, click here . Ben's Nathan's John's

We have been reading The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Patterson .  Amazon's product review reads: Who is the man called Sabura, the mysterious bandit who robs the rich and helps the poor? And what is his connection with Yoshida, the harsh and ill- tempered master of feudal Japan's most famous puppet theater? Young Jiro, an apprentice to Yosida, is determined to find out, even at risk to his own life. Meanwhile, Jiro devotes himself to learning puppetry. Kinshi, the puppet master's son, tutors him. When his sheltered life at the theater is shattered by mobs of hungry, rioting peasants, Jiro becomes aware of responsibilities greater that his craft. As he schemes to help his friend Kinshi and to find his own parent, Jiro stumbles onto a dangerous and powerful secret.... We are enjoying the book, though I must confess some of the theatre scenes are a little drawn-out. I think the book could be just as effective if the scene detail were more limited. This project from the webs...

After reading the book Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain , the boys and I watercolored some black and white line drawings of "Pagoda of Zojoj" created in 1857 by Hiroshige.  We tried to paint one of Hokusai's, but we all messed up, so we chose this one instead. Other books worth reading are: One Day in Japan with Hokusai  (I just ordered this one from Amazon) The Old Man Mad about Drawing: A Tale of Hokusai  (This is a longer chapter book.) See which one your local library has.  You can find this and other drawings to color or paint here . Here are our completed projects. Mine Nathan's Ben's 

During our study of Japan, we have been reading about and practicing the art of origami.  Here are some books we have read: The Origami Master Yoko's Paper Cranes Fold Me a Poem Spread Your Wings and Fly: An Origami Fold-and-Tell Story For practicing origami, I have found  this website to be the mose useful.  It has the easiest origami I could find.  I also bought these  easy origami that have folding lines and eyes printed on them.  You can buy them and various origami paper at your local A. C. Moore and Michaels. The book  is a wonderful book for teaching origami. The ABC's of Origami: Paper Folding for Children

A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home We all enjoyed this book about a mouse named Celeste.  It was really more of an introduction to John James Audubon and his teenage assistant Joseph Mason. The afterword includes fascinating information about both artists and their techniques (which would be considered animal cruelty these days, so please be aware that these methods are mentioned in the book). Here  is a study guide for the book. For more about Audubon, see here .  For other fabulous resources about him including coloring pages and other recommended literature for children, click here .

As you know, we have been studying Japan -- specifically during the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868).  We read the following books about haiku. One Leaf Rides the Wind by Celeste D. Mannis The Cuckoo's Haiku and Other Birding Poems by Michael J. Rosen What is the Moon? Japanese Haiku Sequence by Ruby Lytle Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho by Dawnine Spivak (About a poet in the 17th century, Basho, who traveled through Japan) Includes several haiku and beautiful art work. See here  for more information about him. Cool Melons -- Turn to Frogs: The Life and Poems of Issa (Another poet in the 18th century who traveled and wrote Haiku. Today and Today -- Haiku by Issa In the Eyes of the Cat: Japanese Poetry for All Seasons by Demi Though not exclusively haiku, we also read Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George .  Afterward, the boys made some of  these  simple origami.  A teacher's guide to accompany the ...

We spent the day listening to Japanese music and making arts and crafts reflecting Japanese culture.  We have been studying the Shogun period of Japan, and today was a fun day to reinforce what we have been learning. While making these projects, we listened to  Traditional Japanese Koto Music .  While I would like to say it was enjoyable, I must admit it made me feel stressed, but we finished seven of the tracks. The first project we made were paper lanterns.  I found the directions here .  I found the same origami paper at both Michaels and A. C. Moore; it was considerably cheaper at Michaels ($2.49 vs $3.99). We then made these wooden frames with the same pack of origami paper.  Directions can be found here .  The boys picked out their stickers at A. C. Moore.  The origami elephant you see next to the frame is from this pack  which both Michaels and A. C. Moore carry. Finally, we read the book A Carp for Kimiko  and made paper carp ki...

I have been collecting resources for our first few weeks of homeschooling, and I've spent part of the weekend looking through our read-aloud books for science, history, artist study and composer study. I just love this part of homeschooling -- learning along with the boys! So, I was trying to figure out how much time I wanted to devote to reading about Venice since we are studying Vivaldi this year. The Classical Kids teacher's guide for Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery (which you can and sample here ) stresses the fact that V stands for Vivaldi, Violin and Venice. After reading that, I decided I wanted to spend a little time learning about Venice. We have encountered the importance of Venice several times when studying Marco Polo, the Renaissance, and this year Monteverdi and Vivaldi. One book I have considered is Vendela in Venice .  I have really enjoyed reading it so far.  I have been learning so much about its culture, history, art, food, transportation, architecture, etc....

Home Page You can listen to over two hours of music here . Here is a wonderful composer gallery. And this link defines Baroque music.