Science/Nature Study Plans for 2008/2009 with 1st and PreK'er

My Spine so to speak will be My Nature Journal by Olmstead. We will enjoy nature walks, record findings in our personal nature journals, complete readings and activities in My Nature Journal, and read literature that centers around the theme we are exploring. The literature will be of varying levels so that both my 7yr. old and 4 yr. old will enjoy it. Therefore some readings will be informational and others merely storybook like. As we explore the different environments we will also learn about the animal kindgom throughout the year. We will attempt to fill out and illustrate animal fact sheets as suggested by The Well Trained Mind. My goal is for science to flow naturally through nature walks, reading, and investigating. I will have some structure as to what environment and thus what types of animals/plants we will study. I also hope to do some planting in the spring and let the kids be very hands on in this. I pledge to not let myself get overwhelmed, bogged down, or too uptight in keeping to any schedule. Like I said my goal is for the nature studies to be preplanned but free flowing. Following is a beginning outline for our nature exploration with readings, literature examples and activites. I will be adding to this post as I plan each element.

I. Woodlands/Forests: animal emphasis: Mammals Months(July-August)

First Encyclopedia of Animals: fox, squirrel, raccoon,Elephant, kids choice of mammals

Olmstead Journal: Readings and Activities
1. Woodland scavenger Hunt pp. 20-21
2. Trees pp. 22-23 draw trees pp24-25, leaf rubbings
3. Writing: If I were a tree
4. Mammals pp. 40

Handbook of Nature Study: read about Mammals and other animals, observe squirrels, rabbits,
Nature Study: observe trees in Woodlands, observe squirrels

Literature: Mother West Wind Stories/Burgess, How the Forest Grew/Jaspersohn, Raccon Moon, Where Once there was a Wood/Fleming, The Lorax,various poems about woodland animals, nonfiction books about animals of interests

Videos to chose from: Its Arbor Day Charlie Brown, Exploring the world of mammals, The Warm Blooded Sea, Elephant, Disney American Legends (Johnny Appleseed), The Lorax

Activities: Plant small trees in pots

2 Meadows: animal emphasis (insects and reptiles)Months(Sep-Oct)
First Encyclopedia of Animals: buterfly/moth, spider, turtle, snake
Olmstead Journal: 1. small things pp52-53
2. flowers pp. 54-55 draw pp56-57
3. seeds pp59-61 scavenger hunt 60-61
4. Insects pp. 63-65 draw 64-65
5. Butterfly/Moth pp. 66-67 draw
6. Spiders pp. 68-71 draw
7. Reptiles pp. 72
8. Magical Meadows pp. 73-75
Literature: On One Flower: Butterflies, Ticks, and a few more icks/Fredericks, Under One Rock, The Web at Dragonfly Pond/Ellis, Oh Beyond Bugs: All about insects?Rabe, The Carrot Seed/Krauss, Oh Say Can you Seed/Worth, Are you a Spider/Allen, Aaaarrggh Spider/Monks, Christian Liberty Nature Reader,
Other Activities: Gel ant farm, trip to butterfly house at local garden


3. Ponds/Streams: animal emphasis amphibians and birds Months (March-May)
First Encyclopedia of Animal: pick birds, frogs etc.
Olmstead Journal: 1. Birds pp98-99 draw 100-101
2. birdwatching bingo pp. 102-103
3. pond/stream observation pp. 84-85
4. amphibians and Frog cyclepp. 86-88
5. Find a Frog activity pp89
6. water insects pp90-93
Literature: Owl Moon, ...
Activities/Fieldtrips: trip to Grandma's pond
4. Twilight (to be done on summer break)

5. Seashore: only if we can find time/money to go to the beach next year


I would also like the kids to make collections from each nature study emphasis and put these in a glass like container on our coffee table throughout the year. I am also waiting for The Nature Study Handbook to arrive and see what it has in store for us.

History Projects, Musicals and More

We are still having school. Its just all over the place and a bit more random than I would like. Last week Princess Poodle spent all week in practice for her co-ops musical The Sermon on the Mound. I must give a shout out to all the moms I know that get up every morning, shower, and get their kids to school on time. Although our days here at home are planned and accomplish alot I have the joy of being able to stay in my jammies if I want to, letting the kids sleep in if they were out late, and the joy of saving so much gas money! Princess Poodle has also completed her first ever history project. She entitled it The Great Nile of Egypt. I read to her from three informational sources. She orally narrated back to me what she learned. I wrote each of her sentences word for word onto individual index cards. She had to put them in the order she thought would work best and copy them in her own handwriting. She did an amazing job and the report is a little over a page. She also did all the cutting, pasting, coloring etc. on her display board. I am very proud of how much effort she put into this project and she is only in Kinder. I will post pics of the project and paper as soon as I get a chance. This week we must make up some ground in math in order to finish at the end of April. Her reading amazes me each day and she pushes herself to read books that are on a 4th grade level. Of course she needs help with alot of words. I provide her with books on a 2nd grade level to aid in her fluency but she wants to read the books I have read aloud to them. Princess Poodle has great big vision for such a young person. She is just learning to write but has "started" what she says is a chapter book. She wants to play the piano like the great ones and dance like ballarinas that have been dancing for years. I hope I can help her see that the small steps of daily practice and discipline will pay off in her one day being able to reach her dreams and visions. Maybe a short story would be a better place to start that a 10 chapter book. I will pray about how to teach her this without crushing her spirit.

Triple H sounded out his first three letter word the other day. C A T ...he made all three sounds but couldn't blend them ..he's only 3. But I am proud of how well he is retaining his letter sounds. Next year will be a reinforcement of what he has learned this year and I will let his skill be the determining factor in how far he goes. This week..Letter M...Monkeys jumping on the bed...and you can bet we will be acting this one out.

So I am off to plan out the remaining chapters of Story of the World...Julius Caesar is next. We need to go on a nature walk this week and draw the signs of spring.
Oh and I just ordered some books for next year, science/nature study and history. Some are for the kids and some are for me. I can't wait until they get here. I am going to spend my spring reading The Nature study Handbook which is highly praised. I can't wait to see how God uses our nature studies to tune us in to not only His creation but even more importantly in to Him...the Creator of all things. Oh how I hope that my kids will learn observation skills, listening skills, even facts on how nature works from our nature studies but most importantly I pray they see me praising the Creator, our Savior, and they take away this as there fondest memory and most important lesson learned on our many adventures outdoors.

Have a wonderful blessed week and thanks for stopping by.

Wordless Wednesday almost wordless

Here's a pic I took of a clown at our church's spring festival. Think he's blown up too many balloons? ha ha

More pics from Easter Sunday

Topsy Turvy School Schedule

We spent last week covering SOTW chapters on Jesus and Christians. We continue to move along with our math and phonics and should finish our curriculums by the end of April. Most of our time has been spent on Princess Poodle's very first History Project. She is doing an amazing job. I read to her from the informational sources. She narrarated back to me and I wrote her sentences onto index cards. I had her put them in the order she liked best and then she copied them onto her report paper. She also has done all the coloring, cutting and pasting for her display board. Princess Poodle chose her own topic and named it: The Great Nile of Egypt. She will also be in the musical for her co-op and we have practice 4 days this week. Needless to say our school routine is a bit different with all these projects but what fun we are having. Princess Poodle also wants to put an oil pastel in the art fair at her co-op so we will be getting supplies for that today. Spring is here. Which for us is a mixture of beauty and sneezing! Resurrection Sunday was a great day of worship. I'll post a couple of pics of the family. Have a great day everyone.

Something to Ponder Today

"God is most Glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" John Piper

God has been allowing things in my life that give me security to be taken away lately...my husband's health, his job stability, my two close friends living next door to me, my kids closest friends....Each time this happens it feels like a lightning bolt to my heart. I came across this quote by John Piper...or it came across me...either way I know that I must find satisfaction in Him alone. In doing that I will fill my own heart with joy abundant and will glorify my God.

Just something to ponder as I go about the day.

Thanks for stopping by.

Lastest Nature Study

After a morning full of math, spelling, phonics and preK activites we headed out to enjoy the day. I chose the woods behind our church because they are only 15 minutes away, there is a bathroom in the church, and I feel safe venturing there without dh. It was a beautiful GA spring day. The weather was warm not hot, the sun was shining, the birds singing, and the sky a beautiful blue. On our walk we stopped to investigate an old stump, a piece of a fallen tree and an old spiderweb. We also spotted some nests high up in the tree but were not certain of the inhabitants. Princess Poodle chose to draw the old stump and TripleH collected some hickory nuts. After a good 15 minutes in the woods we emerged due to Triple H's hunger pains or so he declared. A picnic of hotdogs and goldfish were a perfect ending to a great afternoon outdoors. Did this 15 minute venture teach them something that will get them into a good college...no probably not. But my kids were away from the tv, surrounded by things made by God's hand, spending time with their Mommy and each other and happy. Happy...not a sensory overload Chuckie Cheese kinda happy...but more of a soul felt satisfied kind of happy. Remember the last time you felt that? I hope you can and if you can't then make a point to get outdoors and breathe in some of that happiness. I'll post pics as soon as I can. Oh and one more thing: Thank you God for your creation and that soul felt satisfied kind of happy that it imparts.





Thanks for stopping by.

Mission: General Plan for Next Year: Complete!!!

I'm done. I have ordered the curriculum. I have made many lists and then scratched those out and made new ones. I have registered Princess Poodle for co-op classes. Now I can put my energy into the next two and a half months of this year and then use May and June to organize and plan for next year. Here is layout with curriculum and hopeful general schedule. I reserve the right to freak out, change course, drop something, (not add something, I can't handle more than this)or slow way down as necessary. Let me know what you think please!

First Grade for Princess Poodle:
Math: Saxon 2 : 4 lessons a week
Language Arts: Language Lessons for the Very Young (copywork, picture study, narration, poetry memorization, basic grammar)4 lessons a week
Independent Reading, Read Alouds (from history or pleasure)
History: SOTW 3: 2 days a week:read chapters at home, maps and projects at co-op, home emphasis on Early American History with living books
Science:1 day a week at co-op,Kingfisher First Encylopedia of Animals, Animal fact
sheets/illustrations, Nature Study with Journal, 1 day a week
Art: Art class at co-op 1 day a week, Artistic Pursuits Book One:
on Fridays
Music: music class at co-op 1 day a week
Bible: dh is supposed to cover this one with Awana and other materials

Triple H: Prek4 (will have another year of preK before officially Kinder)

Language Lessons for LIttle Ones
Explode the Code: Get Ready for the Code<
/strong>Handwriting Sheets from Sing Spell Read Write Kinder level
Sit in with sister on History, Science, and Art

Bible: Cubbies at church


General Yearly Plan:
July: School starts, ease in covering math, L.A. and Science
August: math, LA, Science, Art
September: math, LA, Science, Art, History: Explorers, Bible
October: math, LA, Science, Art, History: Colonial Times, Bible
November, math, LA, Break from Science,Art, History: Colonial Times, Bible
December: mostly basics and Christmas activities
Jan. math, LA, Science: Human Body, History: American Revolution/Constitution, Bible, Art
February: math, LA, Science: finish Human Body, History: same as Jan., Art, Bible,
March: math, LA, Break from Science, History: Westard Expansion, Art, Bible,
April: math , LA, Science: plants, History:?, art, Bible,

summer break!

Wordless Wednesday : Taken by dd6

Something funny must have happened to the camera but I love how it looks like a painting.

Getting Back to Normal

Update on where we are

After three weeks of sick kids and the flu we are back on track with schooling this week. Here's an update of what we have been up to.

PreK3: Triple H continues to learn letter sounds. For the letter H we had crazy Hair day complete with colored hair spray. I even got in on the fun. Go easy on me with the pictures. This week we are studying the letter I. Maybe not politcally correct but we are reading books about Indians.




Math: In Saxon dd6 is covering counting with pennies and nickels. She is also subtracting two from a number, using her math fact wrap-ups for practice, and learning to measure in inches. We have around 25 lessons to go in Saxon 1..right on track. I have decided to drop the Meeting book for next year. We will start the day with prayer and praise song all together and then have a calendar time together. Ideas for Triple H and ideas from her 1st grade meeting book will be incorporated into calendar time.

Reading: Newest adventures Princess Poodle is reading on her own are the Nate the Great books. She can handle these pretty much all by herself except for about 5% of the words. She chose for her book challenge for book club to read a Magic Tree House book independently for the first time. We chose one that had a second grade level (she is in K) and hopefully she will enjoy her time and earn her free pizza.

History: We are studying some more about Ancient India. We read a tale from Ancient India called The Drum. DD wanted to narrate it orally and although I didn't write it down I was amazed at her retention. She must be an auditory learner..that girl doesn't forget a thing I read or say! Princess Poodle still does not like skipping around countries even though I have tried to explain the reasoning. I will definately be tweaking history for next year. We will be doing SOTW 3 but mostly focusing on American History in our home while she learns about the other chapters at co-op.

I have also ordered some curriculum for next year. Saxon 2 as well as the Get Ready for the Code and SOTW 3 books are on their way to our house. Is it horrible that I want to finish this year now so I can plan for next year and make the changes I want to make?

We haven't had a good chance for Nature Study this week. Hopefully we will have a great one next week as we are headed to the mountains...YEAH!


Thanks for stopping by.