Week in Review: August 3 - August 7, 2015 {Bigger Hearts for His Glory}

We finished our 2nd unit in Bigger Hearts today. Mercie and Eli are both loving it. Here's some of what we did this week.

In history, we finished reading about Columbus and Cabot. They had vocabulary words to define and mapped Cabot's voyage on their maps. We also did a demonstration on lunar and solar eclipses. We used a flashlight for the sun, tennis ball for the earth, and ping pong ball for the moon. It was very simple, but really helped them to picture it. Then, I had them draw a picture for their notebooks. Mikaela also had to write about how Columbus tricked the Indians by predicting the eclipse!

In science, we performed two experiments this week. First, we used tweezers, pliers, and a clothespin as "bird beaks". We tried to see which ones were better at finding food under the sand {corn meal}, on top of the sand, and which ones were best for picking up big and little food. It was fun!

{7 year old's}

 

{10 year old's}

The next experiment was to see if an egg would float in fresh water or salt water. They thought it was funny how the egg popped up to the surface in the salt water!

We read the poem "The Ship That Sails". The kids liked it, and they surprised me again with how well they understood the meaning of the words. They illustrated it today.

{7 year olds}

{10 year old's}

Our memory verse was Proverbs 11:2, and we talked about how to keep from being prideful. We read about the Pharisee and the tax collector's prayers in the Temple, and talked about how we have to know we need God before we can ever be saved. If we don't think we need Him, we will never be saved.

Mercie worked in her new devotion book, "God and Me". She loves this series.

Eli is working through the Explorer Bible Study Series.

In math, Mercie is learning how to read and write 3 digit numbers. She is also learning how to add and subtract 10 and 100 from 3 digit numbers mentally. She caught on very quickly.

Eli is learning using estimation to multiply and divide large numbers.

In language arts, Eli is learning how to diagram sentences. Mercie is learning how to correctly write sentences. I really like Rod and Staff for English.

{Reading CT. Studd}

{Reading library books about the seashore and ocean}

For our storytime, we are reading a biography on Lottie Moon. We are on chapter 7, because the chapters are very long. Eli is reading a biography on C.T. Studd, and he is starting Pedro's Journal this weekend, as soon as Mercie finishes it! Mikaela read it in one day.

All in all, we are loving Heart of Dakota. Our days are not too long, and we are all finished by lunchtime. I feel like we are fitting in every subject we need to, without over-doing them. Sometimes, I ask myself "Is this really enough history?", but my kids can tell me almost everything we have learned, so I assure myself it is plenty!