OK, so am I only posting about homeschooling here now? Seems that way lately. But that could be because we had guests this week. Rockford’s sister and her boyfriend came for a visit. And by the time they left? He was her fiance! The children love him, and they’re thrilled that they’ll be calling him “uncle” in the as-yet-undetermined future.
Anywho, here’s what my l’il first-grader did this week:
- Social Studies
- This week’s “Story of the World” chapter was on the Egyptians. We started reading a book of “Egyptian Myths” — which Pete calls the “Egyptian Lips” — and my stars are they harsh. I guess most mythology has its gory bits, but I was taken aback by these stories. We were supposed to make a model of the Nile this week, but I didn’t have the materials on hand. That’s always a problem for me, and I’m trying to figure out how to fix that.
- Science
- In “R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey: Life,” we headed outside to do a plot study. We tried to find a bit of wilderness in the back yard, and we did successfully spot an ant. Poppy did an excellent job of staying focused despite the lack of wildlife. Pete very helpfully tossed a number of sticks into our designated plot.
- Art
- Artistic Pursuits arrived late this week, and Poppy was over the moon at the prospect of “doing art.” We did the first lesson, in which she drew a picture of her uncle-to-be spinning her and Pete around the room.
- And also
- “Teaching Textbooks”
- “A Reason for Spelling”
- “A Reason for Handwriting”
- “First Language Lessons”
- “A Reason for Spelling”
Some of the Story of the World things would be great for older kids/boys. Like making a chicken mummy.
Funny … Some of us are doing Egypt too. If you don’t have the supplies on hand, try something else. You can view the Nile on Google Earth, we’ve done that. Then you can also see the pyramids at Giza and the Valley of the Kings. It’s kind of neat to see the topography, housing, architecture … Etc. If you have art paper, you can have them draw an overhead view of the Nile, and fill it in with details and animals …. trying to cover the paper. I’d post a pick of the ones we did a few years ago, but they are “filed” and I can’t head down to the tombs this AM. Wilson did a fun activity last week. After identifying the 7 wonders of the ancient world, he made a list of what he thinks should be on a list of Modern Wonders. I’m sure the lack of supplies won’t be detrimental and you’ll find something. 🙂
My tried and true way of making sure I have materials on hand is to buy everything I see. ;0) Also, don’t be afraid to buy the materials “late” and spend a day or two revisiting a chapter when you have what you need to do what you really wanted. It doesn’t confuse the kids, and you don’t want to end up skipping all the fun just because you didn’t have materials at the right time. :0) LOVE SotW. The text makes a fantastic supplement for Tapestry of Grace in the grammar stages.