Friday, April 17, 2015

Week of 04/12/2015-04/18/2015


Reading/Language Arts : This week, among other things she entered into her journal, Mimzy wrote a poem!

"A Day We Can Play"
Today we can play
tomorrow the trees sway
but on Saturday 
it will be sunny again

Math : We continued focusing on the 7 times table and finished off her Star Wars workbook this week.


Social Studies : The fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" was the assignment for this week. It focuses on the importance of honesty and earning trust. We discussed the difference between fiction and lies, and she wrote about the story in her journal.

Science : There were two stories that we read this week, "Delphi to the Rescue" and "Adventures of Fuzzy Fieldmouse." We compared how the dolphins in Delphi and the mice in Fuzzy Fieldmouse interacted with humans, and also discussed their diets and habitats.

Health : We discussed the benefits of staying active, and did some activities to help her build stamina.

Art : Lots of crafts this week, including the worm farm she decided to make (after digging up the yard).

Music : We continued reviewing her flashcards.

Extra : This was Mimzy's last month having lessons in the homeschool program! During the next month she'll work on a project that she'll share in May. 


Friday, April 10, 2015

Week of 04/05/2015-04/11/2015


Reading/Language Arts : Mimzy wrote a summary of her favorite anime/manga of the moment, Naruto, and did research on the different kinds of martial arts they do. She also did some worksheets from the internet.

Math : We continued studying the 7 times table and finished up her Star Wars math book this week.

Social Studies : We read Mercury and the Woodsman, which teaches that honesty is the best policy. Then we discussed times when it has been hard to be honest (such as when she's in trouble) and why it is still best to tell the truth.

Science: Mimzy read about Life in the Sahara, and also read Rudyard Kipling's "How the Camel Got it's Hump." We did a bit more research about camels, and she drew a picture in her journal.

Health : This week we discussed the impact of technology and media, and how they affected her vision, posture, and hearing. We did some experiments regarding her hearing, including observing how our ears adjusted to loud and soft environments over time.


Art : We colored eggs on Saturday, using egg dye and crayons, and then once the eggs dried we dripped food coloring onto them to give them a tie-dyed look.

Music : We printed flashcards for various musical notations and she identified them in her music book.

Extra : Easter! We had a couple of Easter parties to attend this weekend, and Mimzy had a blast, as always.

Friday, April 3, 2015

Week of 03/29/2015-04/04/2015


We had Spring Break this week, and she went to visit her father, so no school this week! When she got back from her trip we decorated eggs for the Easter Bunny to hide.



Friday, March 27, 2015

Week of 03/22/2015-03/28/2015


Reading/Language Arts : Mimzy wrote about some of her favorite shows and manga in her journal this week, and also did worksheet pages I printed off the internet, which she found a lot of fun.

Math : Mimzy did several worksheets from the internet, and mixed math problems. We also studied the 7 times table all week.


Social Studies : We read the fable "The Fox and the Stork", and learned that we must treat others as we wish to be treated. We discussed times when she had been treated well by others, and when she had been treated ill by others. She drew a picture of the fable in her journal.

Science : Continuing discussion about how animals communicate, we discussed how domestic animals express love, and the desire for food, water, and other necessities. She observed our cat through the day and journaled about how she communicated and showed affection.

Health : We discussed safety around electricity and during inclement weather, and she drew a picture of it in her journal.

Art : Lots of drawing for other subjects this week! We also did some Easter crafts.

Music : We spent a lot of time dancing this week, focusing on rhythm.


Friday, March 20, 2015

Week of 03/15/2015-03/21/2015





Reading/Language Arts : Mimzy spent time writing in her journal about various topics and did Star Wars workbooks this week.

Math : We focused on the 6 times table more, did mixed math, and pages from her workbook.


Social Studies : We read the fable of the mouse and the Lion, and discussed how kindness can be rewarded. We discussed ways in which she had shown mercy in the past, and how it made her feel. We also discussed how others had shown kindness and mercy to her.

Science : This week we discussed how animals communicate with humans and with each other.She made a graph showing the Reason an animal was communicating, How the animal communicated, and what Senses were used to communicate.

Health : This week was a review week!


Art : This week we made rubber band bracelets and focused on color patterns.

Music : We focused on identifying instruments in orchestral music, especially the violin, which is her favorite.

Extra : The weather was nice (albeit squishy) so we spent a lot of time outside this week!

Friday, March 13, 2015

Week of 03/08/2015-03/14/2015







Reading/Language Arts : We did Star Wars workbooks, and writing in her journal. We've started focusing more on proper punctuation and capitalization.


Math : We did mixed problems in her journal and focused more on the 6 times table.

Social Studies : Continuing to focus on scarcity, this week Mimzy pretended she was given a magic wishing stone. She wrote a list of items she would wish for in her journal, getting quite creative with some of them. When she'd written down everything she could think of to wish for, I told her that she lost her wishing stone and could only keep one of the items that she had wished for. She then drew a picture of the item she chose (after much deliberation). 

Science : We discussed what animals ate. She learned to identify carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores based on several identifying characteristics, such as build and the shape of the teeth. She then entered lists of various animals as we discussed them, identifying each by the food it ate.

Health : This week we discussed sharing resources in the community, such as waterways and parks. We went on a long walk around the neighborhood and talked about community responsibility to keep places clean and free of litter. We also discussed the phrase "leave only footprints."


Art : We continued learning about how to use geometric shapes to make patterns and designs for borders.

Music : Continuing the theme from last week's concert, we listened to orchestral versions of some of her favorite songs.

Extra : This was a Zoo week, so she had her monthly homeschool lessons there. She also learned that her team had won first place at her swim meet for the relay she participated in! 

Friday, March 6, 2015

Week of 03/01/2015-03/07/2015


Reading/Language Arts : Mimzy did pages in her Star Wars workbooks, and entered writing into her journal. 

Math : We started on the 6 times tables, and skip-counting by six, and she also did Star Wars workbooks.
Social Studies : Mimzy read the story "The Movement of the Lakota Sioux", and discussed scarcity. Then she drew two pictures, one in which the Sioux had everything they needed, one in which they did not. Then we did an exercise in which she had to think about things she had that she could live without, and things she could not.

Science : We explored ways in which animals and people could help each other. She made lists in her journal of come ways we could help each other, and thought of ways she could help animals in our area. (ie : picking up litter, making bird/squirrel feeders)

Health : We discussed decision making for the individual and the group, and made a journal entry about people who were responsible for making decisions.
.

Art : This week we explored color mixing and creating geometric borders.

Music : Mimzy went to see an orchestra perform music from some of her favorite series, including Harry Potter and Star Wars!

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Week of 02/22/2015-02/28/2015






Reading/Language Arts : Mimzy decided to do mostly workbooks this week. She focused on her drawing practice book (which has step-by-step drawing instructions, then a brief story describing the subject, and room on the back for creative writing about the subject.) and her Star Wars workbook.

Math : Using a story example in the curriculum book, Mimzy and her dad learned more about "Mr. Placevalue" and his adventures in real estate. It's silly, but a really fun way to understand place values.

Social Studies : We discussed real-life examples of money exchange and bartering in the modern world, and roleplayed both.

Science : We discussed the food chain. Mimzy has done this subject before, especially during her zoo adventures, so we focused more on HER food chain than that of animals in the wild. She made a list of her favorite foods and traced the chain back to the sun, and then we made an actual "chain" of two of them (cheese crackers and juice) our of construction paper.

Health : So, I finally found her health book, stealthily hidden in the tote where I store all of her other school supplies. What? I don't even know. ANYWAY - This week we discussed challenging herself, and how it can benefit her in the future. She made a list of her talents and interests, then where these could lead her in the future. (ie : Her interest in art and creative writing could give her a career in comic books, her interest in swimming could lead to her being a world champion.) 

Art : We painted (faces, paper...) and decorated for the birthday party. Mimzy always helps me decorate for parties, it's a lot of fun for both of us.

Music : Does singing "Happy Birthday" count? haha we didn't have anything formal this week again, just music enjoyment per usual. 

Extra : Happy birthday to my little Shark! <3
We had a fun week this week. Mimzy decided to write a new game called 'The Yolk Is On You!' In it, two or more people pass a yellow ball (the "yolk") back and forth while singing a song. (Any song.) When the song is over, whoever is holding the ball has to tell a joke that makes the other person/people laugh.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Week of 02/15/2015-02/21/2015



Reading/Language Arts : Since giving Mimzy more freedom in her reading lessons, she's started loving reading again. I found her and Shark one night, well past their bedtimes, lying cuddled up in her bed with a pile of books and his toy computer. 

Math : Practicing the times table and we recently started setting a timer so she can "race" herself in completing problems. It helps her focus on actually doing the problems, instead of on everything but. We're keeping these "races" very casual and low-pressure, but it seems to work.

Social Studies : This week we learned about "ring money", the first official "money", used in Celtic Ireland. She read a story about "Erin and the 'Ring Money'" and journaled about it in her workbook. We also discussed times when using money is much more practical than trading goods directly. (ie : Carrying an entire herd of cows around with you wherever you go haha)

Science : Animal prints! This week Mimzy did several fun worksheets about identifying animal prints, including the difference between predators and prey. We found some tracks in the back yard and she helped to identify and "track" them.

Health : We did a self-esteem project! Mimzy listed several traits she considered true of herself, and then decorated the word "ME" with them. It was a lot of fun. Shark did one, as well, though I might've helped a little. ;)

Art : She did a lot of drawing for her journal and on her own. (The picture to the side her her expressing her love to Inuyasha, an anime character, and his responding (eloquently) with "What?")

Music : Nothing formal this week, we're all kind of getting cabin fever. Lots of dancing and singing to work out some wiggles, though.

Extra : We made juice-box robots for Shark's birthday party! Also, karate as usual. No more swim team, unfortunately!



Monday, February 16, 2015

Week of 02/08/2015-02/14/2015


Reading/Language Arts : Mimzy chose to copy down several poems into her reading journal, write one of her own, and did several pages in her Star Wars reading and writing workbooks.

Math : Star Wars math workbooks, online math play, reviewing 3 & 4 tables, and doing some speed sheets in subtraction!


Social Studies : We learned about silent trade in the Mali marketplace, read a story and journaled about it. We also practiced silent trade with several items.

Science : This week was all about cold and warm blooded animals! We watched several videos online, discussed what the perks and downfalls of each were, and wrote about them in her Science journal. Then she made lists of several of each type and drew pictures. 


Health : This week we studied anger management. She did a worksheet exploring her anger (how she felt, things she said) and discussed ways she could deal with it differently.


Art : We practiced origami, Mimzy painted with tempera paints, and did several other small crafts.


Music : We had fun singing the song from Potter's Puppet Pals on YouTube (The Mysterious Ticking Noise). It's a silly song, but was great for exploring timing, rhythm, and pitch.


Extra : Mimzy had her last swim meet this weekend, lost a tooth, and had her Homeschooling day at the zoo! She had a special assignment to do a "Creature Feature" for the zoo, and spent a lot of time researching for it. She chose a red fox as her animal to feature.





Friday, February 6, 2015

Week of 02/01/2015-02/07/2015

Apparently my car keys are hiding wherever the health book ended up .. again, I've scoured the house, and cannot find them. So we missed karate and swim all week due to lack of transportation. It was also my husband's birthday week!


Reading/Language Arts : Mimzy got to choose each day if she would like to write about something she watched/read, if she would like to copy down a poem, if she would like to write something original, or if she'd like to do some pages in her Star Wars Reading and Star Wars Writing books.

Math : Introduced the 4 times table and practiced mixed multiplication problems for the 3 and 4 tables. Did some pages in her Star Wars books. We also took turns measuring each other with the tape measure, and marked them on the walls.

Social Studies : A brief review of Natural, Human, and Capitol resources, she journaled about all three, offering examples of some in our everyday lives. 

Science : Discussed the differences between vertebrate and invertebrate animals at length, and journaled about it.

Health : More fun health games at Easypeasy.com! This week a game called "Food Flight", where she had to capture the healthy foods in order to feed a snowman. We also focused on staying active at home to make up for her lack of regular activities. 

Art : Since she did journal activities every day for reading, there were no scheduled arts, but of course she's always doing fun things on her own.

Music : Lots of dancing and singing together, and she played with several musical apps (piano and drum) creating her own songs.

Extra : Lots of birthday celebrations for her step-dad! 





Friday, January 30, 2015

Week of 01/25/2015-01/31/2015


Reading/Language Arts : We've had some battles with Mimzy about her reading, and so, to preserve her enjoyment of it, we decided to adjust her reading lessons away from Oak Meadow standards. Instead of reading the required reading, she is instead able to pick any book she wants and journal that. This week she chose Silverlicious to journal, and discussed her Hogwarts books with us each morning after reading them. With this method, I often found her sitting and reading aloud with her little brother, or choosing reading over playing games on her computer or tablet, so I'm quite pleased with the change thus far.

Math : We reviewed our times tables, and Mimzy also some pages in her Star Wars math book every day.

Social Studies : This week was Capital Resources in a story about Nansa : A Child of Mali. We also reviewed Natural Resources and Human Resources again, and after looking up where Ancient Mali was located, she made a list of capital resources and drew a beautiful picture of a mosque. 
Science : We discussed habitats, she did a lot of research online using National Geographic. She listed each habitat, along with some of it's features and animals (also adding her own note : what she'd most like to do there) and then drew a picture of each. 

Health : I still haven't found her Oak Meadow health book, after tearing apart the house. Sigh. So we used Easy Peasy again this week, playing more games through them, including one on sleep habits, and "Mission Nutrition".

Art : Heavy on journal activities, she also did her own report on the movie The Little Mermaid, including a summary of the story and some art.

Music : Lots of dancing time! We took time out of each day to just dance our hearts out, it was a lot of fun.

Craft :  Nothing major, much of her free time this week was spent (not) cleaning her room, unfortunately. 

Extra : Karate lessons and swim team this week along with lots of games. Splashmath, Tynker, etc. She had another swim meet, as well, and was 3 seconds faster on her backstroke!









Friday, January 23, 2015

Week of 01/18/2015-01/24/2015


Reading/Language Arts : We finished reading The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, and entering it into the journal. 

Math : Reviewed times tables, played several math games online, and practiced word problems.

Social Studies : This week Mimzy learned about Human Resources with a story about Luoyang City. She also reviewed what Natural Resources were from her story last week. She then journaled about what human resources were, and drew a picture of a busy marketplace.
Science : The cave swiftlet makes a nest out of it's own saliva that people in SE Asia and India collect and use in Bird's Nest Soup. EW! Mimzy located these places on her world map, researched all about the cave swiftlet, and drew a beautiful picture of it in her journal.

Health : I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I apparently lost her health book this week ... Uhm .. whoops. So, instead we've been using some curriculum from Easy Peasy Homeschooling for health. Mimsy really enjoyed the game they have on household hazards, and asked to play it multiple times!

Art : Heavy on journaling, and she took on a lot of projects on her own.

Music : Mimzy practiced on the recorder and keyboard this week.

Craft : She made decorations and cards for her room and her family. 

Extra : Karate and swim. She had her very first swim meet, and did three events







Friday, January 16, 2015

Week of 01/11/2015-01/17/2015


Reading/Language Arts : This week Mimzy copied two poems into her reading journal and drew pictures for them. She also continued reading The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle.

Math : Continued discussing the 3 times table, and played several math games on her tablet.

Social Studies : We started the nine-week economic block of her curriculum! This week she read the story "Deidre of Ulster: Life in Ancient Celtic Ireland" and learned about natural resources and their value in ancient times (and today.) She also learned about how people would trade these natural resources in their raw form for man-made objects of value, such as weapons and jewelry.

Science : Mimzy learned about the weaverbird of Africa, and all about how they make their fascinating nests. We also practiced weaving with yarn.


Health : We started a new block of curriculum in health covering self-esteem. This week was Good Sportsmanship, and she journaled different ways she could show good sportsmanship when losing or winning a game, and also discussed some of her favorite games.

Art : This week was heavy on drawing and journalling, so we didn't do any official art, though she's always drawing on her own.

Music : This week Mimzy and Michael covered more about rhythm, rests, and reading music. 

Craft :  She made papercraft dragons, and we also built a snow man! 


Extra : No karate lessons or swim team this week because we only had one working car! Thankfully that issue is fixed and we'll be able to go back to normal next week. She had her homeschooling day at the zoo, did splash math, and other educational games on the computer and tablet. 

Friday, January 9, 2015

Week of 01/04/2015-01/10/2015

Mimzy's extra interests have started getting a bit overwhelming! Spanish, typing, programming ... now she gets to pick one a day rather than trying to do them all at once.





Reading/Language Arts : We're now reading The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle! This week was a slow intro back into the regular routine, so she just read and didn't journal.

Math : We reviewed and wrote down all of the times tables she already knew, and started focusing on the 3 table. 

Social Studies : We talked about heritage, including where her ancestors and those of close family members came from.

Science : Mimzy got to watch and read all about birds and how they build their nests! We also used a loom to weave some potholders so she could get an idea about how some birds weaved their nests by interlocking sticks.

Health : This was just a review week! We went over the things we'd learned in previous weeks, which fit very conveniently into our relaxed start to the year.

Art : Mimzy and Shark painted with some new paints she'd gotten for the holidays, that are filled with sparkles! There were also some new paintbrushes in various shapes.

Music : This week she started learning how to read music! Her step-dad is in charge of these lessons since he's much more musically inclined than I am. All three of them (Mimzy, Shark, and Dad) had drums and learned what the different kinds of beats were, and how to keep time.
Craft : Besides making the pot-holder, Mimzy had time on her own to make crafts. She made some of her own scented hand moisturizer, put it into bottles, and distributed it to family!

Extra : Karate lessons, swim team... She also started using a new program called Tynker, which is a game that helps teach kids how to program! It was a lot of fun!