Week In Review-Week #19

We are in Sonlight Core C week #19

Scripture memory this week:  John 1:12.

 Our read-out-loud is: The Apprentice. Aesop's Fables and A Poke in the I for our poetry.

Bug only had her regular therapy for the week and we got to enjoy a week of not running around with appointments.

Physical Education

Little Man is still learning the techniques of basketball and they did some hoops for fun.

Window on The World

We learned about the belivers in Papua New Guinea, and the tribe Minangkabua. Thus was a very interesting study learning about how they live so different from we do.

History

We have been learning about various explorers. Thus began The Age of Discovery. What is discovery without learning about Columbus and how came across the seas to land in the New World.

The kids learned about another explorer Americus Vesucci, thus the name that was the given to America after he wrote a book about the New World.

Most of the explores were seeking gold, jewels, and spices. Vasco Da Gama sailed from Europe around the tip of Africa and made it to India by boat instead of by land.

John Cabot sailed from England to North America which he claimed the New World for England.

Balboa, a Spaniard was the first person to see the Pacific Ocean. Then we learned about Magellan who began his journey with five ships for a trip around the world which took 3 yrs. Only 18 men, 1 ship survived which Magellan was not one of the survivors. Thus they proved the world was indeed round and not flat.

The Fountain of Youth which the kids thought was silly for some one to go searching for. Even the kids know that there is no such of a thing. I love the wisdom from a child's eyes. It was a sad end of Ponce De Leon who died from the Natives in Florida on his search for the fountain of youth.

One of the sad things that the kids learned about was how Hernando Cortes came to Mexico, and conquered the Aztec empire because of greed of riches-gold. They learned how advanced the Aztecs were with palaces, temples, and aqueducts, and even roads as grand as the Romans made.With the power of guns and cannons they didn't have a chance.

Peru, the Incas were about the same story as the Aztecs.

Mayans form Mexico and Guatemala we discovered that they wrote books, invented calendars,build tall pyramids, and observed the stars from observatories. Thus a sad ending for the Aztecs, Incas, Mayans that the conquistadors justified their actions claiming to evangelize the natives for Christ while taking their treasures.

The last explorers we learned about this week went to Africa. The kids touched on the Benin Kingdom and the masterpieces of art they created.

The kids filled up many pages this week stamping their passports and finding all the places on our map.

Entomology

Bug had entomology this week. She was able to pin her first bug with little help from mom. It was a large beetle called a- Caterpillar Killer. Then we added several bugs to her collection. She is hoping to be able to qualify for the county fair. If she can do well there she will be able to take a case to the state fair. We will be doing lots of bug hunting when spring comes around.

Science

We are still learning about clouds. This week we touched on why the clouds look so dark. What are the best condition for snow. What is a blizzard and how it effects life when we get a blizzard. Mom dropped the ball on making a snowflake out of Borax. I thought I had some. So I had some sad faces.

They researched how much rainfall in an average year we get. This year we are below that average.

Language Arts and Misc Studies

Bug finished her LifePac on Washington and the apple harvest. She started on the state of Oregon learning some of the vocabulary for this unit. 

Bug finished Chapter 5 in Bob Jones 3 English and Grammar and took her chapter test this week. She did very well on it. 

Little Man started on land forms in his Beginning Geography series. The kids are still working through Kansas history which is going slower than I anticipated.

Both kids are still working in All About Spelling. Little Man is picking up spelling quickly. Bug is loving AAS still. She prefers to sit at the table an use the Montessori wooden letters rather than the magnetic board.

Little Man's handwriting as been horrible lately. He likes to get through everything at the speed of light. We have been having some head butting here lately and he has had to redo somethings several times. He is just being lazy with it and needs to slow down. I know it will pass but, it sure is frustrating!

Art

We are begining to learn about the Renaissance period and some of the famous artist from this time period. Michelangelo, Leonard Di Vinci, and Raphael are the artist we just touched on. We looked at some of their famous works.

It has been a full week at school. Hopefully next week we can keep on track. We have two appointments for Bug plus her therapy. So we will see how next week pans out. Have a blessed week!