Thursday's Adventures

We started our day with an IMAX movie called The Octopus Challenge which was outstanding as it teaches about how an octopus uses camouflage to protect itself in both skin color and body transformation as well as how intelligent/clever an octopus is.

The octopus is a truly remarkable creature. This amusing and insightful programme shows the octopus in action - squeezing into tiny spaces, sniffing out hidden food, even opening doors. These soft-bodied, boneless molluscs appear to outshine all the other invertebrates, but are they clever or just instinctive? A BBC/Animal Planet co-production.

I thought it would be a wonderful way to jump start our invertebrate study at the beginning of June. We sat and watched it with a school field trip. We cannot escape these it seems. The next few pictures are of the kids exploring a catfish exhibition, they especially loved the huge catfish that they could internally explore.

Here at one of the kids' favorite parks that has been a "treat" for the last 4 years.

We also visited a planetarium and watched a domed show (3-D, awesome!) about the solar system and explored a neighboring science discovery center with sound, magnetism, light and mirrors. We finished our day with our last tour of the aquarium that we've enjoyed at least 6 times since we've lived here. It's amazing how much retention the kids have about what's there, Camille was identifying animals left and right. I didn't take pictures inside because I've taken so many before.

I will say one thing- it seems that after school field trips have gone through, people's patience, care, and attitudes go with them. I don't know if the school field trips are just horrible experiences for the people who work at these places or we are just at the wrong place at the wrong time but I stopped myself from telling someone today that their attitude was very poor, especially for children who WANT to learn. Any-hoo, it's one of those things that I wanted to say something and didn't so I'm writing about it here. How's that for passive aggressive?

Wednesday's Adventures

How cool, before we even arrived at any destination we saw this amazing falcon nest on a light post. I pulled over and took a bunch of pictures but only a few came out. (Reminder to self: get a better camera!)

First we went to Florence Marina State Park and had a wonderful time at their Interpretive Center. We ate our lunch in the shade of pine trees overlooking the marina and saw a Great White Heron and Great Blue Heron. Their walking trail is under construction so we went on to Providence Canyon State Park.

If you ever go to Providence Canyon and decide to walk the 3 mile trail, turn at the waterbeds because they will take you to the canyon floor. We didn't do that, because the Park Ranger on duty was overwhelmed with school children on their field trip and by the time they left- his directions to me were very rushed because he wanted to go to lunch. Today was more exercise than anything, we did 3 miles in a little over an hour with very steep inclines and declines. Danny was great, we do not have a tether. We're working together.

Then we went to Lumpkin, Georgia to see some of the historic sites there but they were closed. For what it's worth, their brochure said they would be open. We took a few pictures of the courthouse and Confederate Soldier Memorial, as well as an overview of the town.

Tomorrow we'll be at another agricultural museum with a lot more activities for the kids.
They better be open.

Tuesday's Adventures

In Alabama...

One room schoolroom.

1890's Farmhouse and garden

How cool is this!!!

Real log cabin

Spider we saw along the trails



In Georgia...

We visited this covered bridge and found an amazing creek with little waterfalls. We explored this area but since it was at the end of our day we decided to come back later and explore more. I wish I would have known about this bridge and creek last year so we could have been exploring all along. Sigh. A beautiful day and too much to tell for a tired Mama.

Tomorrow we're going to two state parks, more awesome pictures to come.
These are the days...

And we're off!

I'm a little burned out in trying to pack, clean, teach and play with my children. A wonderful friend advised me to have fun with the kids and so we're outta here this week. We're doing all the semi-local field trips we haven't done. We're going to two agricultural centers, a science museum, an aquarium and a few state parks this week. We have a place to go each day and we'll be done on Saturday if we don't run out of steam. It's a little scary driving to places I've never been but you can't have an adventure if you never get out there.

I hope to post pictures each day but we'll see how that goes. I think we'll also pick up a tether for Danny. Another new thing happening around here is that I plan to make this week's dinners in the crock pot. We had Sloppy Joes tonight which were very tasty! I hope this will be a winner and actually be easier for me.

He's A Runner

Problem:
I got the car stroller at the mall, he loves cars but not today. My adorable boy has learned how to unattach the buckle and take off quicker than I can realize what's happening. I stopped to get us a drink and he was GONE, I found him spoke firmly to him and yet it kept happening.

We do not live close, I cannot just punish him by saying that's it, we're going home, home is 40 minutes away from any type of stores. He has a one-track mind, whatever it is he thinks he wants. He is loud and can get physical when I try to restrain him.

I've used gentle diversions, today while Camille was getting her haircut I played with him with various little games in my lap. Pretending he was an airplane, ride the little horsey, told him stories, etc. That didn't stop him from fighting me to get down, he wanted to sit in one of the swirl chairs which is against the rules. I got two fat lips b/c he headbutted me in his attempts to get out of my grasp.

My boy went out of my sight 5x today and blasted if I didn't think for a second that I should try to scare him into thinking he'd lost me. He has no understanding of physical boundaries although until about now he's always been right THERE with ME. He fights to be put into buggy seats, we have a battle of wills just to hold my hand to cross the parking lot. I stand there saying we're not going anywhere until he holds my hand. He relents but MY GOODNESS it takes 2-3 minutes. It's only by the grace of God that he hasn't gotten a bee in his bonnet to run to the door of the store by himself, ignoring any and all traffic.

I explain that cars cannot see him, I explain, explain, explain. So tell me, do I tether him? Leaving him at home is not a solution, babysitters are not a solution. I think after we move we will put him in preschool 1 or 2 days a week so that he has to listen to another adult. I'm his solitary caregiver/disciplinarian, DH is not really involved b/c of his work/school schedule. I have no angst against DH, I just want to find some way to take my boy to public places safely and without raising my blood pressure through the roof!

This does not happen EVERY time, it's only when we're not going someplace HE wants to go. If a child-oriented place is on the horizon and he gets threatened not to be able to go, he straightens right up.

Solutions to try:
1. In stores, give him a task to do or play a game to keep him close and engaged.
2. Child safety harness (tether), I will try the others before this
3. Train him in a safe public place about holding on to a shopping cart, and how far away from me is too far for places that do not have shopping carts like the mall.

He's about to be 4 and I know there will be a huge awakening to the realization of "danger" by the time he's 5 but I don't think I can go through another public outing like yesterday.

School 1957 vs. 2007

I rarely post this stuff but this is special because my dh sent it to my email box. I claim no responsibility for it.

Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario: Joh nny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbour's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007 - BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess an d scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a s#xual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

No More Training

Wheels that is! Woo-Hoo, go Danny, go!




First WITH one training wheel, we noticed he wasn't really using it so...
then I took the other training wheel off and there he goes!


Danny is about to turn 4 on May 20th. He amazes me everyday.

Picture Time

One Year Ago (above) and just this last week (below)

In both pictures, Danny has an ice cream face, hmm. Man, their legs have gotten long!
When did I blink?

Not sure but we think this is a Green Heron

Nature study within the animal park...this red faced lizard was just roaming around.

Northern bald ibis

Dh and I took the kids to an animal park last Friday (May 2) because it is one place we have really enjoyed while living where we are. I forfeited lessons to have a family day and I was glad to do so. With dh's recent surgery, things have been very stressed and he wanted to take the chance of causing pain by doing too much to spend time with us. He's doing much better now, by the way.

Danny's town, he's actually saying "cheese!" when I snapped the picture. What a ham. :) Camille and I will be identifying the birds, we sat and watched the flamingos for about 20 minutes until dh said, "okay, time to move on". Lol. It was neat to be able to talk about the animals!

Invertebrates Lessons

Spines:
1. Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife

2. Any non-fiction book that focuses on invertebrates, for this we have two books:

Encyclopedia of the Animal World: Simple Animals 0-8160-1968-1
Encyclopedia of the Animal World: Insects and Spiders 0-8160-1967-3
both are out of print

Living Books
The Burgess Seashore Book for Children (Dover Storybooks for Children)
Insect Folk by Margaret Morley (OOP, free text-linked to Gutenberg)
Children of Summer: Henri Fabre's Insects by Margaret Anderson (OOP)
The Cheerful Cricket and Others by Jeanette Marks (OOP, free text-linked to Gutenberg)
All other books mentioned are the books we own, they are not recommendations for the best book on the topic.

Activity Books:

Giant Science Resource Book: Grades 1-6
The 100+ Series Life Science Grades 5-8
All other books mentioned are the books we own, they are not recommendations for the best book on the topic.

Projects:
Consider what living experiments or dissections may be appropriate during the study. Order ahead to ensure timely delivery.

From HomeScienceTools.com:
Pocket Microscope 100x
Elementary Slide Set
From Carolina Biological Supply:
exclusively from Carolina
Life in a Rotting Log Kit, $34.25
Young Scientist's Starfish Dissection Kit, $6.95

Free helps for projects:
Build A Wormery
Build Your Own Ant Farm

We also intend to go beachcombing and explore what we're learning in our environment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Week 1 Introduction to Invertebrates
Teaching Focus
A. Explain differences between vertebrates/invertebrates

Group of animals that have no backbone, jaws, or bony skeleton

1. Hydrostatic skeleton, hard plates, spicule skeleton, shells
Hydrostatic: water-filled balloon

B. Overview of invertebrate classification
C. Define bilateral and radial symmetry
D. Metamorphosis
E. Herbivores and Carnivores

1. In water invertebrates filter feed
2. On land, invertebrates forage for food

Books
DK Animal, pg. 524-527
Simple Animals by Stidworthy, pg. 6-9
Benny's Animals and How He Sorted Them by Selsam (Independent)
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker, pg. 38

Experiments/Activities
Giant Science: Ocean Invertebrates, Sorting Cards, Land Invertebrates
The 100+ Series Life Science (Grades 5-8) by Daryl Vriesenga
- pg. 43, Backbone or No Backbone
- pg. 76 Metamorphosis
- pg. 36 Symmetrical Critters


United Streaming
Animals Around Us: Invertebrates, What Are They?
Animals Without Backbones: The Invertebrate Story



Week 2 Sponges (Porifera)
Teaching Focus
A. Immobile (sessile), attached to solid surfaces
B. Filter feeds & excretes
C. Most are marine, few are freshwater
D. Illustrate the anatomy of a sponge

Experiments/Projects/Activities
EnchantedLearning.com Sponge Anatomy or
The 100+ Series Life Science (Grades 5-8) by Daryl Vriesenga
- pg. 79 Label the Sponge

Books
Secrets of the Animal World: Sponges, Filters of the Sea
Simple Animals pg. 14-15
DK Animal pg 528

United Streaming
Porifera

Suggested approach for the week:
Day 1- Do overview of DK Animal, Read Simple Animals
Day 2- Read Secrets of the Animal World: Sponges, work on worksheet
Day 3- Finish Day 2 focus and watch Porifera



Week 3 Cnidarians (Sea Anemones, Corals, Jellyfish)
Teaching Focus
A. Symmetrical body
B. Tentacles around mouth, stinging cells (cnidocytes)
C. Most marine, few freshwater
D. Polyps, Medusae (venn diagram comparisons)
E. Carnivores

Experiment/Project:
Giant Science; Cnidarians

Books
Secrets of the Animal World: Jellyfish, Animals with a Deadly Touch
Simple Animals pg. 16-23
DK Animal pg 529-532
A Jellyfish is not a Fish by Waters
Coral Reef Hideaway by Boyle
Burgess Seashore Book:
The Queer Jelly, pg. 123, R.F. sees Queer Garden, pg. 129

United Streaming
Animal Life in a Tidepool
Animals Around Us: Invertebrates: What are they?

Suggested approach for the week:
Day 1- Do overview of DK Animal, Read Simple Animals, do worksheets
Day 2- Read half of Secrets of the Animal World: Jellyfish, A Jellyfish is not a Fish (Ind.), BSB: Queer Jelly
Day 3- Read 2nd half of Secrets of the Animal World: Jellyfish, Coral Reef Hideaway (Ind.), BSB: Queer Garden
Day 4- United Streaming



Week 4
Flatworms (Platyhelminthes)
Teaching Focus
A. Bilateral symmetry

Segmented Worms (Annelids)
Teaching Focus
A. Divided into a series of linked by partly independent sections,
each section has independent organs
B. Burrowers

Roundworms (Nematodes)
Teaching Focus
A. Free living or parasitic

Experiment/Project:
Comparison worksheet: Sponge, Cnidarian, Flatworm, Roundworm
Segmented Worms worksheet

Books
What's Eating You? Parasites
Simple Animals pg. 24-29, 34-35
DK Animal pg 533-535
Life in a Bucket of Soil pg 23-35: Earthworms and Roundworms
Wiggling Worms at Work

United Streaming
Animals without Backbones: The Invertebrate Story
Animals Around Us: Invertebrates: What are they?


Week 5-6 Mollusks
Teaching Focus
A. Includes gastropods, bivalves, cephalopods, chitons and less familar mollusks.

1. Oysters, clams, mussels, snails, slugs, octopus, squid

B. All mollusks have one or all of the following:

1. Horny, toothed ribbon in mouth (radula)
2. Calcium-carbonate shell
3. Mantle or mantle cavity with gill
4. Live on land, water or parasite

C. Most consist of 3 parts: body, head and muscular foot

Experiment/Project:
Giant Science: What is a Snail?, Mollusks (w/one, two, no) shell(s)
100+ Series Life Science: pg. 77, Clams

Books
Simple Animals pg. 60-75
DK Animal pg 538-544
Life in a Bucket of Soil: Snails & Slugs pg. 36
Biography of an Octopus by Hopf
Burgess Seashore Book: Collars of Sand, pg. 92, Clams 31,37, 170-177, Squid pgs. 158-164

United Streaming
Oceans Alive: Mollusks
Science of the Sea: Marine Marvels


Week 7 Echinoderms
Teaching Focus
A. Marine invertebrates: starfish, brittlestars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers
B. Typically spiny and divided into 5 equal parts arranged symmetrically around a central point
C. Skeleton made of calcium-carbonate plates
D. Unique water-vascular system
E. Mobile, bottom-dwelling

Experiment/Project:
Giant Science: Echinoderms
Glencoe: How do Echinoderms Move? worksheet
Dissect Starfish

Books
One Small Place by the Sea by Brenner (Ind.)
Simple Animals pg. 76-85
DK Animal pg 529-532
Starfish by Edith Thatcher Hurd (Ind.)
Burgess Seashore Book: 72-78, 99, 135

United Streaming
Echinoderms
Animals Around Us: Invertebrates: What Are They?


Week 8-12 Arthropods
Teaching Focus
A. Largest phylum
B. Exoskeleton covering a segmented body w/jointed legs in pairs
C. Only invertebrates capable of powered flight
D. Essential to world's ecosystems

Weeks 8-10
Teaching Focus
I. Mandibulates
The Mandibulata distinguishes those arthropods, such as insects and crustaceans, that posses biting jaws (mandibles), from the chelicerates which developed pincers instead (e.g. spiders). Specifically, the mandibles of the mandibulates are derived from the legs of the third or fourth segment. In addition, all mandibulates have groups of eight cells in the retinula of the compound eye, if one exists. They may be uniramous or biramous (one or two pairs of legs per segment), one or two pairs of antennae, and two or three main body segments.

A. Hexapods- a consolidated thorax with three pairs of legs

1. Insects

a. 3 pairs of legs
b. wings, powered flight
c. ecosystems are highly dependent
d. segmented body: head, thorax, abdomen
e. simple eyes (ocelli) and compound eyes
f. Life cycles: Ametabolous development, Incomplete Metamorphosis, Complete Metamorphosis

Bristletails
Silverfish
Mayflies
Damselflies and Dragonflies
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Crickets & Grasshoppers
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Stoneflies
Rock Crawlers
Stick and Leaf Insects
Earwigs
Mantids
Cockroaches
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Termites
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Web-Spinners
Angel Insects
Barklice and Booklice
Parasitic Lice
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Bugs
Thrips
Dobsonflies and Alderflies
Snakeflies
Antlions, Lacewings and Relatives
Beetles
I like Beetles by Conklin
Stresipterans
Scorpionflies
Fleas
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Flies & Mosquitoes
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Caddisflies
Moths and Butterflies
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Know it all Butterflies
How to Hide a Butterfly by Heller
Bees, Wasps, Ants, and Sawflies
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Honeybees
Honey in a Hive
How Bees Make Honey
The World of Ants
Ant Cities
Amazing World of Ants

B. Myriapods
Centipedes and Millipedes

Books
Insect Folk by Margaret Morley (190 pgs.)
- covers most of the insects above

Children of Summer by M. Anderson (92 pgs.)
- fictional account of Jean Henri Fabre's children

The Cheerful Cricket and Others by Jeannette Marks (75 pgs.)
- short, informative reads on variety of insects (Ind)

Encyclopedia of Animals: Insects & Spiders
An Insect's Body by Joanna Cole
Life in a Bucket of Soil- covers Bristletails, Mites, Bees, Ants, Centipedes, Woodlice

Experiments/Projects
100+ Life Science:
- pg. 62 Classes or arthropods
- pg. 72-73 Grasshopper
- pg. 74-75 Moths and Butterflies
Giant Science: Various

United Streaming
Junior Zoologist: Insects
The Incredible World of Insects
Exploring the Diversity of Life: Insect Diversity
Magic School Bus Gets Ants in Its Pants, The
Butterflies and Bees
Bees and How They Live
Magic School Bus in a Beehive, The


Week 11
C. Crustaceans

Branchiopods
Copepods & Barnacles
Malacostracans

Shrimp, Crayfish and Prawn
Crabs
Lobsters
Woodlice, Beach Hoppers

Books
Burgess Seashore Book for Children pgs- 17, 25, 48-65, 152-157, 190-196
Simple Animals pg. 36-59
DK Animal
Life a Bucket of Soil, Woodlice

United Streaming
Seahouse: Crabs, Lobsters, and Shrimp
Animals without Backbones: The Invertebrate Story
Ocean Habitats: Shoreline and Reef


Week 12
II. Chelicerates

A. Sea-Spiders
Burgess Seashore Book: pg. 135
B. Horseshoe Crabs
Burgess Seashore Book 105-110
Horseshoe Crab by R. McClung
C. Arachnids

Scorpions
Ticks and Mites
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
Spiders & Tarantulas
Secrets of the Animal World: Spiders, The Great Spinners
Wolfie by Janet Chenery

Books
Insects & Spiders
DK Animal
Life a Bucket of Soil, Spiders

United Streaming
The Incredible World of Spiders
Magic School Bus Spins a Web, The
The Life of a Forest: A Forest Grows Old

Just Moving Along, Singing my song...

Busy, busy, busy!

We are now into the month before moving and I am working on multiple things at once. I'm finalizing our invertebrates study for science which will occur June-August this year. Although I'm tickled to have a personalized science approach, it does make it more labor intensive for me. I think the fruits will be worth it though and we'll actually do the lessons because the approach is personalized. This month we're finishing up our study of birds which involves a lot of reading and nature study.

We are in the middle of watching Winged Migration and other online videos at United Streaming about birds, their habitats and behaviors. Friday, dh and I whisked the kids away from the house to go to an animal park where we observed flamingos, ostriches, and other birds with new eyes. Being able to SEE a turaco and actually observe how its front two toes can reverse themselves is completely different from just reading about it. I'll share photos in the next post.

History was sort of light this past week, I have pictures of a diorama we built.

I'm distracted. I'm overwhelmed but I'm just trucking along trying to get everything done. Laundry, organizing books to pack, etc. We have purged a lot of items from our house and there is still more to do. I become paralyzed as I think about sorting through the closets in our home, how I want items packed for easy unpacking or for storage if the case need be. I'm desperately trying to separate the books we'll need for our lessons immediately and I want to finish TOG Year 2, Unit 3 before we move so I can just have Unit 4 ready to go after our break.

Lots of organizing, thinking, and streamlining happening around here.

Our Bird Poster

We used DK Animal for the bird classification, I created the little rounded boxes of information for each order. These are able to be flipped up to reveal more information underneath, which we haven't done yet. In the blue on the left bottom is comparisons of different feet and beaks and their uses. We're only halfway done with our bird study, but it has been a lot of fun. We may be making our own posters from now on, it was so educational to do it this way.

Year at a Glance: 2008-2009

We have 4 weeks of play time, I do not want to extend 40 weeks and I know things will happen during the year where we'll need to take time off. Another concern I have is whether each quarter should have one poem eliminated but that will be determined as we go through the weeks.

I did put dates on it but I suspect these will change as we go through the weeks as well. This is working very well for me, thank you Jennefer for the inspiration- it is a HUGE blessing!

Weekly Report TOG2, Week 21

We read the Mayflower Compact this week from a reproduction (at RainbowResource.com).

Starting at Plymouth, England

Mid-Atlantic

Landing at Cape Code, Massachusetts

What is written:
The Pilgrims grew herbs, cabbages, and onions in rows inside a fence to keep animals out.
The Wampanoag grew corn, beans, and pumpkins together, fertilized by fish.

Whew! This was a week of crafts! Although we had a lot of fun, this is isn't what we want to focus on so there will be one project a week, two if time permits. Now here's what I consider the true shining glory of our week, Camille's first written book report...



Just in case it's hard to read:

George's Marvelous Medicine

George has a Grandma that told him to stop growing. He asked Grandma how to stop growing and she said ate slugs and worms.

George made a medicine that will make her nicer.

Grandma drank the medicine and Grandma got taller and taller and she went through the roof and Grandma had to have a crane to get her out. She asked for a glass of tea, so George gave her the medicine which made her very small but nice.

It is her first independent composition, I see the errors but I'm so proud of her! I told her to write a book report on George's Marvelous Medicine that included one or two sentences about the beginning, middle and end. We discussed how every story has a problem that the author is trying to solve and how the characters change because a solution to the problem requires something to change. This was the perfect book to highlight this with. Camille chose to read this book all on her own a couple of weeks ago (? or was it one week?) and I've allowed her to chip away at it, reading 20 minutes a day.

We are working on a Bird Poster that will show all that we've learned, there should be pictures next week but they will be a "work in progress". Our bird study will be over at the end of May, I think next week we're going to be examine and identify the skeleton of a chicken to understand bird anatomy. Camille is very excited, and I'm excited because she is. I love how homeschooling allows me to be the "cool" mom in my kids' eyes.

I have not included pictures for all our other subjects this week, there is only so much time I can devote to processing pictures and very soon I won't be able to do much online b/c we'll be super busy with the move.

Oh, don't forget to scroll down to the next post, Weekly Report Preview to see the diorama of the Pilgrims and Wampanoag cooking differences.