MFW Adventures Week 6 - New Netherland

It was a bit harder to find a good song for this week's Bible verse but I did finally find something and because of the stomping, clapping, dancing and motioning in the video, I think the kids approved and actually enjoyed this video and song. And the second video was just another visual and audio review for our verse as well.

With our Bible topic this week being Bread, our scripture focused on the time when Jesus taught that He is the bread of life and the time he fed the multitude with a boy's small basket of bread and fish. Its a difficult concept to explain how bread and water are compared to our faith in Christ, especially because they understand it literally, but they seemed to grasp the basic of what it meant and we continued to discuss it throughout the week. Since I strongly believe we are living in the end times and the persecution of Christians is not too far in the future, I used the opportunity to explain that Jesus is telling the people that bread and water is important, but nothing in this life is as important as our faith in Him. We should always choose Christ over bread, water, persecution and even life. It brings tears to my eyes to even think about that with them, but if they learn nothing else in life I hope they remember to hold on to Jesus through everything.

Sorry - did I chase a rabbit there? So I found this Beginner's Bible animated video of Jesus feeding the multitude on YouTube. Its a very short clip, but just another way to reinforce the story that we read.

I win the "Mom of the Year" award this week for being so unprepared for our science experiments, so YouTube came to our rescue once again as we learned about how yeast feeds on sugar and releases carbon dioxide into the balloon. We found this videos helpful, the first since it appears to be a father with his young children (my kids love to see other kids around their age involved in the video) and the second appears to be a mother and her older daughters with clearer instructions, better video quality and additional information. The kids learned what they needed to know from the videos and our discussion afterward ended with Kellan recalling that at Navigators co-op last week (when he brought me home a flower he planted) he learned that plants breath carbon dioxide and make oxygen. Score! 

I was prepared to make butter - go figure I'd remember what we needed to make butter! It was in the curriculum to wait until later in the week to make butter, but as soon as we read about the how colonists made theirs the kids immediately began asking if we could make some, too. Its a good thing we had it planned and ingredients on hand already. 

I had a little help shaking and "whipping" our butter and when we got tired and needed some motivation, we found some encouragement to "whip" a little more on YouTube. Don't judge.

The week passed quickly and we were short on photos, but we had another great day at Navigators co-op at the end of the week. Kellan's class read Dr. Seuss's Hop on Pop and because it was such a beautiful day, we took them outside to hop on pictures of pop and bubblewrap. They blew and popped bubbles and went back in to eat popcorn. 

 

Sadie Quinn also had a great time playing with the boys and searching for dinosaur rocks. When it was my turn to go in her class, we practiced colors and counting 1 - 2 - 3 before moving to the next room with more toys. 

Brooklee learned more about bugs and brought home a bag of pins that we can use to pin the bugs she found to a foam board. Joy! In art she painted with crushed chalk and eggs (yuck!) and in cupcake class she made Dr. Seuss themed cupcakes. In full disclosure, I peeked in during the end of cupcake class and though she may have learned how to make a Dr. Seuss themed cupcake, I saw her eat all of her individual ingredients without making her final masterpiece but maybe if the day comes to make one she'll remember the steps? I know she enjoyed every bite and thats all that matters, right?

It was another blessed week full of fun and hard work, mixed with frustrations, celebrations and just a normal week in the life of a homeschool family! 

MFW Adventures Week 5 - Mayflower & Pilgrims

We had a lot of fun discovering the life of the pilgrims and the many hardships and opportunities they faced. Some interesting things we learned? The Mayflower only had a small amount of Separatists looking for religious freedom on it compared to the number of people who were coming for a new adventure, for the opportunity to discover new resources to make money or as sailors making the voyage. The way of life on the Mayflower for three months was rough! And the Pilgrims were blown off their intended course because of intense storms but they were able to recognized their final destination based on maps that John Smith had passed down. All very cool! 

One regret that I had about this week is that we finished Squanto last week so we don't have it to continue reading this week, thus it was easy to forget about the really cool connection between the Jamestown settlers and the Pilgrims. I did try to include him in our discussions, reminding them of how he helped the Pilgrims and the ways God had intervened throughout his life so that it could all work for His purpose in the end. I reminded the kids that even during the hard times of Squanto's life, God had a purpose and a plan and He was able to use all things for His glory. What an amazing way to see this story for the first time!

In keeping with the MFW curriculum this we learned about the way of life for the pilgrims, including how they made their window coverings. Oiled paper is a really cool concept and it was interesting to see the difference it made to apply just a little bit of oil. While outside (because we don't do messy inside) we also took time to discuss the sun, stars and Betelguese. It was eye openinging to thing about how large Betelguese is compared to the sun, especially after studying how big the sun is compared to the earth and how large the earth is compared to what we see around us. The kids LOVED the name Betelguese (pronounced beetle juice) and I loved their innocent reaction to that word since they've never heard of the Beetlejuice movies or character.

Brooklee is doing a great job on her math work, learning to add money and three digit numbers. However, spelling has become a challenge for her. My struggle is finding the balance between being her teacher and being her mom when it comes to studying. Her spelling works are certainly challenging (there's no point in learning how to spell cow when she's known it for a couple of years already) but if she'd take the time to study them I think she'd do much better. But homework and studying are not something easily understood in our world yet since it seems like everything that we do is "homework" since we are at home doing it together anyways. So, we'll be learning together through trial and error how this all works and seeing if she is able to take on the responsibility of studying on her own.

Kellan is also doing great in math. This week his curriculum introduced adding 1 to each number. He already knows what 1+ any number is so this is review for him, but I thought it would be great for him to learn the method of how they will be teaching addition right now so we stuck with this week's lesson. In spelling, he also did a great job. However, in reading he struggled - not because he can't do it, but because it takes about 30 minutes of crying and frustration (and me getting aggravated) before he'll put down his mental block and actually begin to use what he knows to read a word. Once he puts his mind to it, he easily reads the word and the words that follow and his confidence soars. Its a stressful process but once it clicks, I love to see the light in his eyes and how proud he gets. The joys and frustrations of homeschooling all in one!

Of course, Sadie Quinn would never let us forget her. She wants her own set of coloring sheets, worksheets, etc. and crawls in the middle of my lap when we read books, watch videos or sing songs. She is so bright and I love to see the things she picks up from watching her older sister and brother - like how to do the pledge allegiance, how to pray before meals, and how to sit in a desk and pay attention (for a very short time span) when its time to do school.

And in case anyone wanted some entertainment:

You're welcome!

We used several awesome resources this week as we learned about God being the light, the life of the Pilgrims and the size of the heavenly bodies:

We're learning the words to America the Beautiful. This week we are focusing on the first verse, so I found this great video to use as we learn it.

Our Bible verse this week:

I am the Light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have eternal life.  John 8:12

We reviewed it and talked about it, but where my kids really learn is through learning things through song. So we found a YouTube video of the Bible verse. Not only did they learn it easily and quickly, this has become one of the videos they ask me to play first.

We found this cute little video on YouTube about a mouse who goes on the Mayflower journey with the Pilgrims. I'll have to be honest and say I was making lunch when they kids were watching this so I halfway payed attention and can't really vouch for the accuracy or educational value of the video, but I can say the kids enjoyed it and were able to visualize a little better what it was like on the ship.

And the kids watched this video of what life would have been like as a Pilgrim once they reached America. I can't say they were completely interested in this one, but they did watch it and it was educational. 

Here are some of the books we found at our local library to go with this week's studies:

If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

Sarah Morton's Day

Samuel Eaton's Day 

On the Mayflower

And one we didn't get but I wish we had (I may try to read it before Thanksgiving when we talk about the Pilgrims and Indians again):

AIO The Imagination Station - Problems in Plymouth

On Friday we wen't to Navigators co-op! The kids' lunchboxes came in so now everyone has their own lunchbox for the first time ever!  Is it silly that the kids having their own lunchboxes make me feel like a real mom and all of this feel like real school? 

Brooklee worked hard on her bug diagrams this week so she could try to remember the MANY parts to a bug. My in-laws brought her bottles full of dead bugs for her to take with her to co-op so she was excited to show them off. Unfortunately, she also came back home with them to keep in our refrigerator with instructions to catch more bugs for next week. We really should have signed up for that music class during first block - but she's loving every minute of this!

Kellan's class read Dr. Seuss's Fox in Socks today. It was a long, very complicated book for preschoolers, but they enjoyed the activities that came with it. Their teacher gave them each a bottle filled with rice and plastic bugs that they could use to play search and find games. They also had a deck of cards that gave instructions like "Find the red bug with the number 3" but Sadie Quinn helped Kellan lose those cards not long after we got home. For their notebooks the kids used their handprints to make a fox and used their fingers to paint socks on him. 

We continued our extracurricular activities and friends this week and we are starting to get a grasp (half way through September) of what our fall schedule may look like! 

First Day of Co-Op

Our first day of homeschool co-op was FABULOUS!! The kids were excited and full of energy as we got everyone dressed, packed lunch boxes, grabbed backpacks and double checked my "items to bring" list to be sure we were ready. On the way we picked up breakfast, which was a nice distraction for the overly eager kids.

Kellan (4), Sadie Quinn (23 months) & Brooklee (6)

The kids started out in assembly where one of the moms talked with them about the Fruits of the Spirit. Several of the children already knew the fruits and were able to name them, but mine had never heard of them so they listened attentively and soaked it in. I think we'll find the Fruits of the Spirit song and try to implement it into our group time each morning.

After morning assembly, all of the kids broke up into their 1st block classes. Brooklee has Bugs during her first block and she came home with a folder full of terminology and information to memorize. She learned the parts of the bug and had to label a diagram. Throughout the semester she'll be responsible for collecting bugs and bringing them in for  a bug collection.

During the second block Brooklee takes Amazing Artists, a class in which she'll learn about a specific artist and then do a painting that reflects that artist. She thinks that she remembers that Damien Hirst was the first artist they learned about, but the main thing she recalls is that they learned how to paint in dots.

Brooklee takes Creative Cupcake for her third and final block and hasn't stopped telling me about the beach-themed cupcake she made!

 

Kellan's first block class is The Sensical Side of Dr. Seuss. This class was super cute as they all got to wear Cat in the Hat red and white hats listened to their teacher read the book. Then they made the Cat's nose and whiskers to take Cat in the Hat photos and used paint to finish a Cat in the Hat photo. 

During his second block, Kellan has Natures Explorers. All he could remember to tell me was that he learned about his "body, skin and...... all the other things they talked about." His favorite class was P.E. where he was able to play games and exercise. They used empty milk jugs and put small balls inside them to toss back and forth. They also used hula hoops for a game. All I really know is that he had a blast! 

Sadie Quinn had a hard time right at drop-off time, but less than a minute after I left she was better. I am told that she had a great time and that everyone enjoyed her. She is the only girl in a class of five kids, so she's going to have to be tough to hang in there all semester. During the second block I had the opportunity to serve as the assistant in her class and was able to help teach her and the other kids some sign language and practice inside/outside with a plastic bin and plastic balls. I always love watching her little face light up as she learns new things. She's a very smart child and is determined to figure out everything around her - even to my frustration at times!

On the way home I loved hearing the kids tell me about what they did in class and what they learned. Brooklee, my social butterfly, told about her classes, the kids in her classes and how she can't wait to plan a playdate with some of her new friends. Kellan, my shy and reserved child, was thrilled to tell his sister about the Cat in the Hat craft he made. The confidence I heard in their voices and saw in their faces as they shared with pride about the projects they made, friends they met and favorite parts of the day makes any efforts it takes to get there and get our stuff together well worth it. I'm so glad that we signed up for co-op this year and I look forward to the progress and fun they'll make this year!

MFW Adventures Week 4 - Native Americans Part I

Raise your hand if you've ever been fascinated by the Native Americans!! Who hasn't? How hard it must have been for them to exist without all of the luxuries that we have today. Yet, how fun might would it have been to live a life focused on community, survival and enjoyment together! I guess there were some dark, gory parts to their existence as well but its much more fun to focus on the fun stuff!

North American Indians

We used this awesome book this week that came with the MWF curriculum to learn about all of the early Native American tribes from across the country. We learned which tribes lived in tepees, wigwams, chickees, longhouses, etc. and which ones fished, hunted buffalo or lived off the land. We learned about which ones were the first to acquire horses from the English and Spanish settlers, which ones were more prone to be war-like, and which ones were skilled in building canoes and plank houses. It was fascinating to learn together about how each group created a way of living of their own based on the land and resources they had to work with.

Using information from the book and resources that I found online, I created a document that outlined each of the tribes with pictures of each tribe's members, way of life and housing arrangements. We continued to review this throughout the week as we looked at a map of the country to point out where each tribe lived and why they lived they way they did. We were able to finish Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims and talked about what happened to his tribe and why it might have happened. We talked about people - how people have a choice in how they treat others. Its hard for even me to fathom how humans can be so inhumane sometimes. How did one even come up with the idea of making slaves out of other humans? How God must have had to turn His head away from us so many times throughout history. 

To reinforce our learning, we made wigwams and tepees to add to our Jamestown settlement. I let the kids tell me where around the settlement the wigwams would have been and we discussed how the tepees didn't belong near Jamestown as it was the Plains Indians who used tepees, not the natives near the east coast.

We didn't study about light this week but we were interrupted from our wigwam making by a nice surprise on our wall. The mix of sun and rain clouds projected this beautiful display through the window in our front door to open discussion about rainbows and how they are made. 

But science this week focused on our our solar system, the stars and gravity. We learned about the closest star to earth (hint in case you don't know: the earth revolves around it) and about constellations that we can see. One night we took a blanket outside and as a family we looked at the stars, found the constellations and speculated as to whether the moving light we saw was an airplane or the space station.

Of course we supplemented our solar system discussions with several videos this week. Magic School Bus had three episodes for us to watch (MSB Gets Lost in Space, MSB Gains Weight, and MSB Out of this World) and we used YouTube to find a few of Beakman's Worlds episodes that included portions about the sun, moon and gravity.

On Friday we took learning outside and met our Navigator friends at Fairhope for some playtime. We start Navigators Co-op next week so this was an opportunity for the kids to meet some of the kids who they'll be taking classes with. Brooklee is enrolled in Bugs, Amazing Artists and Creative Cupcake while Kellan is signed up for Sensical Side of Seuss, Nature Explorers and P.E. 

Brooklee and Kellan started homeschool swim class this week and though the first day was a challenge, by Friday's class things had gotten better. On Wednesday, Kellan was terrified of the water and it took a while for the teacher's assistant to convince him to get in the water. She worked with him one-on-one while Brooklee joined the class of kids who were all at least five years older than her (which is a pretty big difference considering she's only 6.) But, eventually Kellan began doing what he needed to do and Brooklee held her own, swimming laps back and forth in the pool for an hour straight. On Friday, there were two more kids Kellan's age in his class and he wasn't at all afraid to get in the water. Brooklee had another girl her age in her class and she was very excited after class to tell me how much fun she had. She even got to climb the rope almost to the top of the building and then jump off into the 6ft deep water where the coach was waiting to help her to the side. It was truly the highlight of her day! 

It has been an incredible, but challenging week as we are beginning to add extracurricular activities to our schedule and preparing to add co-op next week. We enjoyed learning about Native Americans and our solar system so much and felt like we weren't able to spend as much time as we wanted, so we are using next week, which is a 3 day week for us anyways, to continue learning. I am reminded every night when I lay my head down and reflect on my day of what a blessing it is to have this opportunity to learn with my children. To lead them in life as they learn and grow. To spend this time with them while they are young, impressionable and innocent (though I hesitate to use that word with them on most days) and to have the ability to use every day learning, classroom skills and Biblical teaching to raise my children in a way that I pray will result in God-fearing world changers who are ready and eager to make a difference for Christ.

MFW Adventures Week 3 - Jamestown

We had grandparents come to town last week so it was a great opportunity for the kids to show off their history notebooks and a little bit of what we've been working on. This week we had cousins come who are also doing the same curriculum as we are doing now so they enjoyed comparing what they've learned and what they've done. But before we did that, work had to be done!

The first two weeks of math were review work of the last two weeks we did before our summer break, so this week there were new skills to be learned and new tricks to master. Kellan learned how to make three digit numbers and Brooklee wokred on adding three digit numbers. One of the things I like about MathUSee is that it continually reviews the information they learn throughout the year so I feel these will both be ongoing skills that we'll be practicing for a while. 

Learning about Jamestown was interesting for all of us as we were able to read stories about some of the fictional people who told us what it was like to live in the very first colony. Brooklee loved that we included Pocahontas, a true Indian princess, in our discussion, though this week's lesson doesn't touch too much on her. We did get some books about her from the library to read more about Pocahontas together, but we never got around to reading them and have decided to save them for our Native American week.

Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims

We enjoyed reading Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims this week. We haven't finished it, as we will continue it next week, but at the end of each chapter the kids would beg me to continue. Once again, I think I may have learned more this week than they did. I'm not sure I really knew all that I have learned about Squanto and his relationship with his people, the colonists and other Indians throughout his life. We were all sad when Squanto was betrayed by the captain and sold into slavery in Spain. We can't wait to finish the book and learn how Squanto gets back to Jamestown in time to welcome the pilgrims and celebrate Thanksgiving! I'm sure glad I already know how this story ends! : )

Perhaps the best thing we did all week was build our very own Jamestown fort. The kdis were not only about to help build it and visualize what it would have looked like to live in Jamestown, the kids used the Toob Jamestown settlers and the Toob Powhatan Native Americans to play. I watched and listened to them and discovered that even in their play they reenacted some of the things that we talked about and applied all that we had learned into the setting, personalities, and happenings in their imaginary world. 

It is a blessing that in our studies we can spend time learning about Jesus, which is exactly what we did this week. The MFW curriculum led us on a journey through scripture to learn about Jesus's birth, what he was like growing up and some prophecy that was fulfilled through His coming. On just the right day, we learned about how Jesus obeyed his parents and were reminded that to be more like Jesus we should obey our parents too. We used our letter beads again to make WWJD bracelets for everyone to remember that we should try to think like Jesus in all areas of our lives.