American History: Week 22-26

We have moved on towards the Civil War....

these past few weeks we have studied:

Texas revolution and entrance to US
adding of new territories and states

The Missouri Compromise of 1820
The Missouri Compromise of 1850
The Kansas/ Nebraska Act
presidents- Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan and Franklin Pierce
abolitionists
Dred Scott case
Harriet Tubman
Levi Coffin and the Underground Railroad
The Fugitive Slavery Act
The beginning of the Supreme Court
The Know Nothing Party, the Free Soilers Party, the Whig party and how they all became the Republican Party (not the one we know today!)
secession

We have studied the beginning of the Oregon Trail
Pioneers, with food, activities and books.

and we began reading Uncle Tom's Cabin (abridged version)

Whewww.   :0)

Weekly Wrap up---week 40

Monday---

We started off with our State Study- we are focusing on Iowa today. We learned that Iowa is the Hawkeye state- named for Hawkeye from the Last of the Mohican's.

Kate and Matt are reading the Great Illustrated Classics book... we weren't quite ready for the other!

We learned that Grant Wood the artist who painted American Gothic was from Iowa and painted what HE knew- which was farmers- in fact he started an entire style of painting called All American. We used our Great American Artist book

 to learn more about Grand Wood and the painting. It led us to a website called Brightring.com... which is a great art sight with many free prints! We printed out a photograph of the farmhouse and the kids drew their own people to stand in front of it.

I always thought it was a husband and wife farmer! It was actually a farmer and his daughter and he used his family dentist and his daughter as models!

The kids did math, we baked and they spent part of the afternoon just reading and watching a movie about Jesse James....

Tuesday---

We did Bible-- still working on Psalms 23.  We listened to praise and worship songs that are PSALMS... the kids like recognizing the scriptures in the songs.

the kids did math and their handwriting

Emily and I played the Time game.

We worked on our state study-- Minnesota.
We learned that clear tape, like Scotch tape was made in Minnesota!

We read the Willow Tree Loon-- about a loon, Minnesota state bird, who got caught in an oil spill and the people that helped take care of them.

We worked on our states and capitols and presidents. 

During lunch the kids watched the rest of their Jesse James movie...

Kate is reading Annie Oakley who is from OHIO, one of our Midwestern states.

Matt is up another book on Sacajawea.

Emily is reading Thomas Jefferson.

We did All About Spelling  STEP 4

Wednesday----

The kids did math, actually they worked on correcting math I had checked.  We fixed some issues and moved on!

We watched and Esther Williams film-- it was stupid and had like 8 minutes of synchronized swimming!  I thought it would like most of the movie.  Any suggestions on one of her shows that has a lot of synchronized swimming?

We did history-- simply finished up our Lewis and Clark and got all our papers in our folder.  We also reviewed our history cards up to this time.

We begin talking about the Northwest Expansion Act, the building of The Cumberland Gap and westward expansion....

Thursday---

The kids went through the president cards--- Emily said George Washington was her favorite president but that Woodrow Wilson was her 2nd favorite president.  I asked her why he was her second favorite president.  She said, I like the name.  :0)

We are still working on the 23 Psalms.

We learned about Proverbs and had some really good conversation today!  We wrote down a list of the 7 things that God hates.  One of them being lying about another person, so we talked about the word slander.  Matt said Annie Oakley dealt with slander.... A girl who smoked and drank got arrested and when arrested and asked her name she said she was Annie Oakley... The real Annie Oakley spent years working on clearing her name and reputation!  I was so proud of Matt for putting that together! 

We listened to our Chopin CD again.  On one sonata I said it sounds like he is happy.  I asked Emily to use another word to describe how the piano piece sounded--- she said EXCITED.  I was excited that she came up with such a great descriptive word for the piece!

Did you know that although Chopin was born in Warsaw Poland he lived most of his life in Paris after the war.  He died in Paris but had dirt from Poland poured on top of his grave.  But the gross part is that they removed his heart and had it put in an urn to take back to Poland and it is in the Holy Cross church in Warsaw.  

We also did math and copy work.

After that we went swimming!  Good day--- not an over amount of school work but we had a GOOD learning day and that doesn't always happen!

Friday---


We started with reviewing our science review cards.  We worked on finishing up the Whale chapter.  The kids did their crossword puzzle... we did all our note booking activities and the kids watched
OCEAN ODYSSEY a journey of a sperm whale

We also finished Step 5 for Spelling and also Step 6! 


We went over our Midwestern states and capitols.

and we did Math and copy work.

NOW we have a four day break!!!! WHOOP WHOOP!  No school till next Wednesday!

Weekly Wrap Up--- Week 38

Monday---

Donut Hole Monday!  We are starting the day a little late-- but I am up and dressed which is an improvement over the last 4 days!  So that's good... I think my antibiotics are kicking in! 

Bible: we have finished up with Elisha and gotten to the prophet Nehemiah... tomorrow we start Ester!

Math: kids plugging along
Spelling: We finished step on and finished step 2--- wow PROGRESS! 

memory work-- I REALLY need to add new work to this!  Gotta get on that!

handwriting- the kids are going between cursive and finishing up the book they are working on now- They are almost done with the current book!

Science: all the kids did today was read some different books about underwater excursions and the deep ocean...

Tuesday---

Bible- Ester... we read the story and did a hidden picture page on Ester-- we all had to work together, it was hard!
We also watched Veggie Tales: The Girl Who Would Become Queen

Spelling--

Math--I have skipped Emily ahead two pages--- Each Math U SEE lesson has Page a,b,c,d,e and f.  A, b c and d are the "new" lesson and d and f are systematic review pages.  If they do well on a, b and c with no problems I allow them to skip d and just do ONE page of systematic review. 


Science--The kids switched up the reading books and then we watched Whales: An Unforgettable Journey

History--the kids are each starting a read on Lewis and Clark, when we went to Chicago last summer we go to visit the Arch and the start of the Lewis and Clark expedition.... so we have some great pictures to help us remember what the boats were like, and visuals of the area. 

More update on what they are reading in my American history post.

Wednesday---

handwriting

math

science reading

extra chores around the house and mommy taking a much needed nap! 

Thursday---

History with Amy...

math-- Emily got to time so she also worked on some time flashcards.  She gets frustrated when she counts wrong or has the wrong time-- which frustrates me.  Trying to be patient so she will learn patience. 

The kids all three worked on Typer Island

The kids all spent time on a Wii work out

We read the story of Esther from the BIBLE-- we had some parts confused with Veggie Tales so we simply read the whole story for our self.... such a beautiful story!  My favorite part is when Mordecai says to Esther, "Maybe you were made for such a time as this..."  I pray that my children EACH seek God for what they were made for...





Friday---

We spent four hours at the Museum of Fine Arts today.... T.I.R.E.D

And that was my week---- how was yours!

American History--- Week 20

We are starting Lewis and Clark---

We watched Sacajawea: Heroine of the Lewis and Clark Journey

it is a wonderful movie... very well done.  Shows lots of scenery, adds interesting facts. 

We worked through a bunch of worksheets like question and answer about the entire journey.... I downloaded all the worksheets from Teacher File Box

We mapped out their journey....

photo credit

Next week we will put all of our worksheets and make a notebook of Lewis and Clark.

The kids read a few Non fiction books:

Lewis and Clark

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis and  Clark Expedition and Activities

They also read

The Captains Dog-- which is a wonderful book.. it is a daily journal, very well done!

Last but not least we watched two video from Netflix--- I LOVE NETFLIX!

Lewis and Clark  Great Journey West

Lewis and Clark  The Journey of the Corps of Discovery





American History-- Week 19

We had history last Friday...

We made a little book of the Bill Of Rights.

Next we used a worksheet to make sure we understand what each ammendment talks about-- the kids did really well!

We also reviewd all our cards up to this point.

We started talking about the Lousiana Purchase--- We made a notebook page from material from Enchanted Learning

We added what the Lousiana purchase was bought for, the amount of land, Thomas Jefferson being president and Napoleon being part of France--who we purchased it from.

We also spoke of the Barbary Wars-- and talked about America refusing to pay the pirates that were attacking ships money to keep the ships safe.  This ended up in two wars being faught, and American winning both!  The Marine Hymn-- where it talks about the Shores of Tripoli, refers to these wars.
We also talked about the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791

Weekly Wrap Up--- Week 36

Monday---

This week we are getting back on a better schedule- I am trying to wake up earlier and that is helping a lot!  The house is clean from having Easter here yesterday!  So nice to start out the week with everything all clean... I am going to wait a while before I start a new project- if I can help myself!  I need a little normal, a little routine and a little just every day stuff! 

We got school started....

Math- just plugging along

Bible- the kids did review cards and then we read more about Elisha

History-- simply going over review cards

Science--- We will be starting Apologia- Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day next week (May 2).  I am using this whole week to get ready for it.

Spelling--- we are working on All About Spelling--- we are reviewing all the "rules" from the last book this week and starting our new book next week.  I don't know why I can't just DO spelling!  But I got determined with science and got it done--- so I will do it with spelling too!

Literature---

Kate- is being allowed to read her Heartland Series
Matt- started a bio on Jesse James

Emily-is reading an Animal Ark--she is resisting reading anything other than simple books so I am trying to simply interest her in some chapter books so it looks like a little fluff is needed for a while!

 
Kate worked on Scripture Ty per

and Matt and Emily played Ty per Island.

We watched The Magic Flute- in English (well some of it was in English, but we got through it and the kids enjoyed the music).  This week we will finish up Mozart and next week start a new composer.

Tuesday---

Math- just plugging along!

Bible-more Elisha

History- review cards-- tomorrow we have a big history day though!


Spelling- review of spelling rules

Literature-

Kate- still reading Heartland
Matt- Henry Reed, Inc.

Emily- Pilgrims Stories (off our book list- she has had it read to her but is reading it for herself right now)


Matt had an appointment with the ENT today- it was a re check from 3 months ago.  His tonsils are still REALLY large and with his snoring and dark circles and odd sleeping habits we are going to do a sleep apnea test in May.  

Wednesday---

We spent most of the day at Bayou Bend for their Early American Colonial Day...

We were able to see a portrait done by John Singleton Copley in Ima Hogg's house... so that was a neat tie in for the kids!

The kids did do math also, but that is it!

Thursday-

Math- Kaitlin was able to skip ahead a lesson for rounding, but we are still going back and forth having some issues with division--- she just seems to be confusing herself!  So we are just going to print out a few more practice pages for additional work.

Bible- We are at the story of Joash--- which I cannot honestly say I remember much of!  In fact I don't know if I remember it at all.

History- I had the kids write 5 sentences about things they learned at Bayou Bend yesterday. 

Here is Matt making his journal at Bayou Bend yesterday, he choose to write his sentences in his journal.
 
We also started in on all the books we have for the Midwestern states!  We looked at some of the
  tornado damage in a lot of the Midwest states of the past couple of weeks.  We watched parts of
 Twister the movie- to see the destruction and talked about tornado warnings now vs. what happened
  in the 1700's and early 1800's.

Spelling- still reviewing spelling rules but actually started Step One today!  Whewww.

Literature-

Kate started Calico Bush

Matt is still reading Henry Reed, Inc.

Emily is still reading Pilgrim Stories

The kids played Rush Hour and did a few Mind Benders today also!

Friday---

I do not know that my children know ANYTHING about the said Royal Wedding, but I guess I should touch on it!  So in honor of the Royal Wedding today we all had a tea party! 

We colored the British flag and made royal crowns! 

 Here are a few other craft ideas...

We did our handwriting for the day on a Royal Frame...

and we watched Royal Wedding for fun!

It however is not a national holiday for us here in the Americas... my kid does still have to do math and everything else!

History-- while touching on the wedding and celebrating in all the realms-- we shall remember today that we are NO long a part of the realms of Britain!  We will continue our study of the Constitution and Bill of Rights

 Daddy left for a work trip- yuck!  We have a full Saturday though so I guess I will be too busy to miss him!  Nah!

Early American History

We visited Bayou Bend a historical sight, that is a part of the Museum of Fine Art. 

 It was home school day, they were portraying early American history.  It was very interesting.. they did a demonstration on the clothing of the period. 

These are some shots from the beautiful gardens, we did not spend much time as it was hot and we were all hungry!  But it is wonderful and I would love to go back soon!

American History-- Week 17

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I am so excited to enter this part of history!

We are still using this book like a spine: A Child's Story of America

Also Veritas Press Flash Cards:

In addition we are reading these books-- they will be read over the next two lessons.

George Did It

A More Perfect Union

SHHHH! We're writing the Constitution

If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution

We also are reading these books on George Washington:

continuing with George Washington's World

Famous Lives: The Story of George Washington

Mount Vernon

George Washington's Mother

George and Martha Washington at Home in New York

George Washington Wasn't Always Old

George Washington A Picture Book Biography

We are memorizing the Preamble.


We learned the rules for the convention for the 16 weeks they were working on the Constitution.

1. Each state (13) got ONE vote.
2. For something to get in the constitution, when it was voted on it had to have the majority, meaning a min of 7 votes or it was a no go.
3. Everything over the 16 weeks was done in complete secrecy--- they could not talk about it.


We learned what each article of the constitution mean.


We learned the first 10 amendments, which makes up the BILL OF RIGHTS.


We also watched a David Barton video called Foundations of American Government

BTW you might want to check out this interview Mike Huckabee did with Jon Stewart.. yes, I know!

  It was really good and he speaks a lot on David Barton, well Mike Huckabee does anyway! 

 It was a good interview!

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

there are three parts to the interview

The kids did a work sheet on the Great Seal and a few other pages from TEACHER FILE BOX

All in all it was a good lesson!  We will continue going over each of these things with our review cards each week!  We would like the kids to know each article of the constitution and the first 10 amendments.