Week of September 15, 2013

* Crazy Math on the front porch.  Caroline said the numbers as she jumped (and she and I competed getting down to the end of the porch by rolling one die and a + or – sign.  She loved it.  Then Jenna and I played, only Jenna doubled the numbers, subtracted 2, added 10, and then got to 10.  We tried to do it fast by playing Red, Red, Robin on the ipod.  Kids loved it and showed Bryan what they did as soon as he got home.  

 

1.      * Project time:  Caroline worked on taping a branch together as a whip while I wrote down Jenna’s comments on the chickens.  Typed them up for her and she added, corrected and I re-printed. 

2.       Caroline called Grandma Susie and asked to take a class with her to learn French (this was her idea).  Grandma Susie coming over tonight.

3.        

*   Girls began coloring a King Tut page Jenna spotted on pinterest.  I read to them an article about King Tut, which led to us watching several national geographic videos about ancient Egypt.  Then the girls grabbed a small book about ancient cities and had me read it.  Jenna said she wants her next project to be about mummies

*     

       Jenna went to read Nancy Drew (an old book of Lori’s she found in Pop and Gma Rita’s barn)  in the swing with the chickens around her. 

      Caroline and I made her “Whip-or-whill” with wildflowers and LOADS of tape.  I think Caroline’s project is masking tape.  J

*Word Problems:  I wrote Jenna a word problem (which she loved) about the chickens and showed her how to write the equation out.  She wanted me to keep adding to the problem.  While she wrote one for me, I made up math problems about the squinkies for Caroline.  Then, she wanted me to make up shape problems with the Math U See blocks.  Jenna had to consult the computer for the answer to her problem (it involved a number with 17 zeroes.  We found a website to look up the names of numbers that big).  Jenna’s math problem was about the smurfs and included the word “incidentally,” which was used correctly. 

 
* Read Pippi Longstocking over lunch.  Ended up in the hammock as it is GORGEOUS outside.  The kids climbed up in the tree over my head as I finished the book. 

**  Didn’t record the afternoon.  J  Jenna wrote a few sentences about the chickens if I remember correctly.  I went to the store and the kids visited grandparents.

And a picture of what was going on when I came home from the store:  :)

Tuesday, Sept 17

Project based learning Time—I made some chicken notes.  Jenna wanted another Pharoah sheet and she colored Cleopatra while I read questions she asked me about her on the iphone.  Jenna announced that her next project was on Egypt and asked for a 3 ring binder.

Caroline worked on copying her version of a drawing out of Pippi Longstocking. 

Kids went out to play and I set up Math with Manipulatives (with gems).  Kids went bonkers when they came in.  They loved them!  Jenna worked on multiples of 2, which led into multiplication (and she discovered a pattern—with a gleeful announcement—when you multiply by 2, you just double the second number).  Caroline worked on counting out gems for numbers 1-10 and then they both made patterns.  I also worked in a bit of waldorf (cause the kids loved the gnome stories so much) and drew a gnome on chalkboard and got out our stuffed squirrel.  Mentioned making wooden versions of the gnomes and the kids really want to do that. 

Ate lunch outside and started a new read aloud about a little red hen and the girls begged me to keep reading.  We laughed at the descriptions of the chicken behavior—we SO could identify with it!

Kids separated two loads of laundry and picked up a few things in living room.

2:00  Kids played House outside on the swingset while I went for  a walk around property.

4:00  Picked a sentence for dictation out of Pippi for Jenna and Carnie wrote a couple of words.  Jenna dug into a coloring math activity on her own when I set out the next workbook of Math-U-See.

Nighttime Extras—we drew some artist cards and made up names and stories about them on the back.  Also, Jenna did more math with Bryan.  

Wednesday

*Girls ran with Bryan.  Jenna ended up running a mile.

*Chicken observing and playing.

*(first Jenna announced she wanted math during project time..haha!  I told her, “later.”)

  Project Time: Jenna asked to print out more sheets for her ancient Egypt book.  She said she wanted maps and more pictures and wanted to write information about them.  I read to her from the iphone as she colored (based on what she told me to look up).  We read about how Cleopatra died and she marked a couple of things on her map and recorded what a “sarcophagus” is.  

Caroline was a bit tired and only wanted to work on a cardboard house project.  We need cardboard though.  I set out a “gem code” for her to dial Grandma Rita’s phone number and she called Grandma herself.  Caroline ended up coloring King Tut with me as Jenna worked.  

Jenna picked out some books on amazon she wants me to order from the library about ancient Egypt.  (also, Jenna became convinced one of the chickens is broody and checked on her several times).  

The cardboard arrived at the house when Daddy came home on the tractor.  Caroline began crying initially because it wasn’t the right size, but as we looked at it, she came up with a bunch more ideas, including a Barbie house (on the agenda for tomorrow).   

Jenna proudly brought Daddy in to fill him in on Ancient Egypt knowledge.

Girls played  dinosaurs with the box.  One of them is a “meat eater” and one is a “plant eater.”

Jenna asked me to look up how to mummify an action figure, which led to a website on mummifying Barbies.  The girls have been playing for the last couple of hours--mummifying their Barbies, with sale,

Yeah, the start of this year has been so, so, so sweet.  Learning and engagement going on all around.  The best yet...