Looking Back 2012, Week: 3

2012 Week: 3

 This week has been a very exciting and still functional week!  I say that because we are good at going off onto a tangent and taking too long to get back to our schedule.  But this week, we worked hard at keeping on task with our learning objectives and it all paid off. So here's what happened with our family this week:

1. They attended their bi-monthly drama class offered for free by the public library.
2. Dominick worked well through his FLVS courses. This is his first year and our families first experience with virtual schooling. I will share our experiences for this first semester later this week.
3. The Girls:   In science, the girls completed Lesson 1 of Apologia, Zoology 1.  The quizlet flashcards proved to be successful with retention of the vocabulary terms.  I added a few more classes to extend their understanding of habitats and biomes.  They started these activities this week.  We visited the zoo and they practiced making animal observations.  Each of them picked three animals to draw and describe in detail.  They then shared their descriptions while the others guessed the animal they were describing.  After that we took the animals and practiced classifying them.  At the zoo, they also examined the various habitats that were exhibited.  They made drawings of five biomes and noted the animals and vegetation that were found in each.  Other resources:

• What is a Biome? by: Bobbie Kalman
• Creatures of the Desert World By: National Geographic Society
• Life in a Rain Forest by: Stuart P. Levine
• Savannas, Life in the Tropical Grasslands by: Laurie Peach Toupin
• Ocean by: Samantha Gray
• Ecosystem Science Fair Projects using Worms, Leaves, Crickets, and Other Stuff by: Pam Waler and Elaine Wood
• More videos on biomes 
• Geography for kids: Biomes 
• http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/ 
• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm 
• http://www.mbgnet.net/ 
• http://www.forgefx.com/casestudies/prenticehall/ph/biomes/biomes.htm 
•  http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/

In history/geography, they studied the Babylonians using chapter 7 of The Story of the World By Susan W. Bauer and page 21 of Kingfisher Encyclopedia of History as spine texts (I have various age groups studying the same topics). They added a few more figures to their timelines and worked in their history notebook section for ancient Babylon.  Their map work this week was on the political map of Norther and Western Africa.  We are still using our laminated continental maps in our Big Book of Geography.  They really enjoyed the online interactives the best.Other resources:

• The Babylonians by: Elaine Landau, pages 1-37
• Ten Kings and the Worlds They Ruled by: Milton Meltzer,  pages 1-7
• DK Eyewitness Books: Mesopotamia by: Philip Steele pages 32-40
• http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/africa.html
• http://www.yourchildlearns.com/africa_map.htm

We continued reading with James and the Giant Peach by: Roald Dahl.  We read chapters 10-17 which correspond with section two of the literature review unit for this title.  They continued working in the reading journals, noting new characters and important events.  The girls again, have enjoyed the quizlet cards for the vocabulary section.  

Horizons math is still working beautifully for them. We are also continuing with Easy Grammar and Daily Grams for language arts studies. 

  4.  I have finally begun using Pinterest and loaded up some of our favorite resources there.  Unfortunately,
       not everything could be pinned so I am keeping my sitemark account.  I also began reading   
       Homeschooling The Child With Add (Or Other Special Needs) by: Lenore Colacion Hayes.  This
       has been a difficult year for my son and I and I am hoping to get some advice from this book to help
       us improve his schooling experience.

Do any of you have experience with homeschooling a child with ADD or any other special needs? If so please share some of your experiences and tips that could help me and others.

Peace and blessings,
Dorcus Ethridge