Our Week: Insects and Getting up to Speed

We completed week 2 and things are still going well. We added some more in this week and are moving away from review and into new stuff.
I haven't gotten my workboxes organized the way I want, but just separating Colin's work into them seems to be making a difference. He's doing work more independently and without as much complaint.

An exciting thing this week was the arrival of the rest of our school material from Rainbow Resource.

 

The Three Rs

Math

Colin has been working on Basic College Mathematics for review. He did two chapters in Life of Fred. His RightStart Geometry arrived this week so he did one lesson in that.

Molly's book is still doing reviewing. She mostly worked with part-whole circles.

Caleigh started on new lessons this week. She worked a lot on multiplication.

Molly working with tally sticks

Caleigh working on her multiplication table

Spell to Write and Read

I've been introducing Molly to 2-3 new phonograms each day and having her review the others.

Caleigh started on spelling lists and is doing "My Wise Grammar Book" to go along with each list.

I've had Colin saying the phonograms, but haven't decided if I want him him to repeat more lists or what so he hasn't been doing anything else.

Writing

Molly is continuing with Handwriting Without Tears.

Caleigh and Colin finished reviewing cursive lowercase letters. I'm introducing cursive uppercase letters to Caleigh now and having Colin review them at the same time.

Colin also worked on the final chapter of Writing Tales that he didn't get to last year.

Science



We jumped to Chapter 9 in Zoology 1. We'll go back to the other chapters (about birds) in the spring. We learned how to identify if something is an insect, what cold-blooded means, and all about the different parts of insects. We did an experiment to show how an insect won't be able to move around very much if it's in cold temperatures. We also did an experiment to show how insects can close their spiracles in water.

The girls were sure I was torturing this ant by holding it under water and I had to keep reassuring them that it was fine.

Here is the ant crawling away after we completed the experiment.

The girls had found this and were very excited when we read about molting and they realized it was an exoskeleton just like we were reading about.

History

We added history in this week. We did the first chapter in SOTW 3. We learned a bit about what the world is like in 1600. We read about the Spanish coming to South America to take gold. I'm having Colin take the tests that go along with it this year.

We also started reading the series, A History of US. I'm using this chart to plan how the SOTW chapters correspond with A History of US.

State Study

I've wanted to do a state study for a while, but have never been able to find time. I'm really going to try to get started on it this year. We may not do it every week, but just getting started will be an improvement. This week's state was Maine. We actually read a few books about Maine and discussed it before we went there last month. This week, we read the rest of our books, filled out our maps and forms, colored the state symbols, and made some lobster shaped cookies. I still need to upload some pictures, but I'll have a post soon about my plans for the state studies and more about our study of Maine.

P.E.

Tennis lessons

Roller skating

Playdate at park

2 hour hockey practice (Colin)

Lots of outside time while we're having such wonderul weather



Maine Lighthouses

We got to visit two lighthouses on our trip to Maine.


Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth

Portland Head Light is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. We took the girls here one day while Colin was at hockey camp. They thought it was so nice that they insisted we take him back to see it. So we went another evening so he could see it and so we could get some family pictures. This is where all the pictures in the header at the top of the page were taken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse


We visited the beach and then walked over to see the lighthouse. The kids loved the walk out to get to this lighthouse. I think it was one of their favorite parts of the trip. It made me a bit nervous though.

 

 

Chocolate Unit Study

A chocolate unit study was a great way to start the new year. We used the Download N Go, Chocolate Challenge, and the chocolate unit study from Homeschool Share.

We read lots of books about chocolate and we listened to the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Each day we read about a different chocolatier and sampled some of their chocolate. We did some fraction math with the Hershey bars and the girls graphed using M&Ms (pictures in our weekly wrap-up).

Chocolate to sample

We talked about Brazil, rainforests, cacao trees, and the history of chocolate. The kids sampled rainforest foods, including pineapple, coconut, mango, sweet potato, limes, lemons, avocado, kiwi, and plantains. They had tried plantains raw before and didn't like them. This time I fried them and they ate the whole thing. They said it tasted like french fries.

Rainforest books and products

We ordered this kit that included ingredients to make your own chocolate.

Molly showing us the kit

Colin mixing the chocolate

Finished chocolate

The kit also included 2 cacao beans. They tried them, but quickly spit it out.

Caleigh with the cacao beans

Last month the girls got to go to a chocolate factory when we were in Maine, but Colin missed it because he was at hockey camp so we just had to go to another shop during our chocolate week. They were so nice there and showed the kids how they melt the chocolate, how they dip things in chocolate, and how they make fudge.

Outside the candy shop

Showing them how they dip in the chocolate.

Caleigh is holding the huge chocolate bars they get for melting.

Molly and Caleigh in front of the candy making area.

Waiting for the fudge to cool. It's on the left side of the table. That's peanut butter on top of it.

Mixing the fudge

Notebook pages: lapbook pieces from DNG and Homeschool Share. The orange is a piece of cardstock I had to add for an extension so we could fit it all on there.

The Cadbury Dairy Milk was Colin's favorite candy that they sampled so he put the wrapper in there. The girls both liked Lindt white chocolate truffles best. The picture of chocolates next to it is from the store where we did our field trip. On the bottom is his own candy bar creation. He had to write what he would put in it and name it. He named it The Whoo Hoo Bar. He even put a slogan on his wrapper: The candy bar that makes you go whoo hoo. Molly called hers the Whip Bar.


With the extension open

Caleigh didn't want to come up with her own candy idea, but she decided to make this cacao tree.



Those are cacao pods covering the trunk becasue we learned they grow there too.



To celebrate the end of our week, we had a little party and watched the movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We had Brazilian lemonade to drink. It was actually made with limes and the kids loved it. The whole pitcher was gone the same evening. We also had chocolate fondue with lots of yummy things to dip in it.

Brazilian lemonade, chocolate fondue, strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, graham crackers, pretzels, apples, and pound cake.

Chocolate Factory- Maine

On our last day in Maine, we had a little time to kill after lunch before picking Colin up from hockey camp. We stopped at Wilbur's of Maine Chocolate Confections to let the girls look at the candy. When we got there, we found they had an event going on where you could make your own peppermint patty bugs and butterflies. We all put on hair nets and the girls each made two different creatures.

Girls in front of the chocolate factory

Lots of different candies to make their creations

Caleigh decorating her creations

All bagged up and ready to take home

Close up of Caleigh's

Molly making her creations

Had to try a little leftover candy

All finished



Close up of Molly's