We started using Apologia Exploring Astronomy with Mercie and Silas, and they love it! We had a fun week learning about the universe, NASA, and satellites. We made a sundial with a paper plate and a wooden dowel {no pictures, sorry}. We also made a model solar system using balloons and index cards. It's hanging above our couch in the trailer! They thought that was a lot of fun, and Mercie can now name the planets in order.
Titus learned the letter "D" this week, and we had a dinosaur theme! He painted dinosaur prints all over a letter "D" using plastic dinosaurs, "traced" a "D" with plastic dinosaurs, reviewed the numbers 1, 2, and 3 by putting the correct number of dinosaurs on each card, and read several fun dinosaur books. We also played a game called "Dino Count". We took turns rolling the dice, counting the dots, and taking that many dinosaurs from the pile. When the dinosaurs were gone, we counted to see who won! {I bought a plastic tub of 72 small dinosaurs for this week.}
Silas completed 5 lessons in phonics, and is now reading words with the letters S, T, A, N, M, C, K, CK, I, H, and P. I am so proud of him! He is still learning his addition facts to 10, and is getting pretty quick at some of them! He worked on Reading Eggs several times this week, and is now on Map 3.
Mercie learned how to write a friendly letter in LLATL and wrote and mailed one to her friend back home. She also learned how to combine two sentences using "and" and reviewed contractions. In math, she is adding with two "carrying" digits {798+459}. She read some Junie B. Jones books this week, worked on her typing, and did a few lessons in Spanish.
Eli has completed over 24% of the 6th grade level on Khan Academy for math. In science, he read about weather and climate and the different climate zones in the world. In history, he learned about Indians, specifically Pocahontas and John Smith, and is making a Pocahontas museum this weekend. In LLATL, he worked on making a bubble graph to organize his writing and wrote a paragraph about his favorite holiday. He also reviewed contractions, adverbs and adjectives. He is on Module 3 in Writers in Residence, worked on his typing and on Rosetta Stone.
Mikaela completed 5 lessons in Principals of Mathematics. She is reading about the deep ocean in science and had to research one branch of oceanography and write a paper on it. In history, she read about the Breadbasket of America {among other things}. She finished 5 lessons in LLATL and is on Module 11 in Writers in Residence. She completed the Typing Instructor program and is on Lesson 3 in Rosetta Stone.
