Q1W1 - History

     This week we setup the History section of the notebooks and discussed the leading idea and Biblical principle. We discussed the purpose and need for government and of a constitution. We defined Christian self-government and its application in the home and during schooltime. I typed up a school constitution and went over it with the boys and then we signed it and I hung it up in our classroom area and also made copies for their notebooks.

     For history this year my Kindergartener, D, will be studying in the first quarter: introduction to History; and introduction to the Chain of Christianity - God's Principle of Individuality and the Creation link; in the second quarter: the Moses and the Law link; Jesus Christ link; Paul and the Christian Church link; the Bible in English link; and Celebration of "Plimoth Plantation Day"; in the third quarter: introduction to the Principle "Conscience is the Most Sacred of All Property"; the Columbus link; Christian Founding - Pilgrims, Patriots, & Pastors link; in the fourth quarter: introduction to the Principle of America's Heritage of Christian Character; the American Christian Republic link; Expansion and Erosion link; Restoration link; Symbols of Liberty in America; and Celebration of "Liberty Day".
     For history this year my 2nd Grader, S, will be studying in the first quarter: introduction to History - Biblical foundation; review of God's Principle of Individuality and "Conscience is the Most Sacred of All Property"; introduction of the Christian Principle of Self-Government; the Creation link; Moses and the Law link; Jesus Christ link; Paul and the Christian Church link; the Bible in English link; in the second quarter: review of the Columbus link; Christian Founding link; and the celebration of "Jamestown Plantation Day"; in the third quarter: the study of Virginia - John Smith, Princess Pocahontas, Alexander Whitaker, and the Government in Virginia Colony; and a Survey of North American Indian life; and in the fourth quarter: the American Christian Republic link; Virginia becomes the "Mother of Presidents" through her "School for Statesmen"; the Expansion and Erosion link; the Restoration link; and the celebration of "Liberty Day".

Q1W1 - Literature

     This week in literature we setup the section in the notebooks and created a cover title page. We defined literature as learning through books. We discussed the purpose of literature and the qualities of literature. With D, I defined psalms as poems; prayers to God; and praise songs to God. I identified the book of Psalms as poetry and explained how the book of Psalms illustrates the Principle of Unity with Diversity.  

     For literature this year my Kindergartener, D, will be studying in the first quarter: a selection from the book of Psalms; Lullabies from around the World; the poetry of Christina Rosetti; and a selection of Fairy Tales; in the second quarter: Mother Goose and other Nursery Rhymes; Winnie-the-Pooh; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; Isaac Watts; the Christmas Story from the Bible and a variety of Christmas poetry; and the Tale of Peter Rabbit and other stories by Beatrix Potter; in the third quarter: Aesop's Fables and Uncle Remus; Bambi; Abraham Lincoln by d'Aulaire; and Robert Louis Stevenson; in the fourth quarter: Little House in the Big Woods; and As You Like It from Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare.
     For literature this year my Second Grader, S, will be studying in the first quarter: The Psalms; and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; in the second quarter: Heidi; and a selection of Christmas poetry; in the third quarter: completion of Heidi; poetry of Eugene Field; Comedy of Errors from Lamb's Tales of Shakespeare; and Emily Dickinson; in the fourth quarter: Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin; and Benjamin Franklin by d'Aulaire.

Q1W1 - Geography

     This week we set up the geography section of the notebook and made a cover title page. We defined geography as the study of the Earth God has made. We discussed the Biblical foundation of geography and also defined and discussed creation and the Creator.

     For geography this year my Kindergartener, D, will be studying in the first quarter: the Earth in its universal setting; the Earth and its shape; the world map and the globe; the Earth, created by God, as a dwelling place for man and the stage for his activities; and divisions, or elements of the surface of the Earth; in the second quarter: direction; individuality of the physical world map, the map standard; and waters of the Earth; in the third quarter: land masses of the Earth; and the Continents of History; in the fourth quarter: the Continents of History continued; and the Chain of Christianity moves west with the study of Jamestown Colony, John Smith, and the Atmosphere of the Earth.

     For geography this year my 2nd Grader, S, will be studying in the first quarter, the individuality of the Earth in its universal setting; in the second quarter: Asia - Origins; Europe - Development; and North America - Christian Civil Government; in the third quarter: continuation of NA; South America - Vegetation; Antarctica - Hidden Resources; and Australia - Antiquity; in the fourth quarter: continuation of Australia; Africa - Animal Life; and Atmosphere of the Earth.

Q1W1 - Science

     For science this week we made the cover title pages for the notebooks. We talked about the Biblical foundation of science, how science began from the very mouth of God when He spoke all things into existence in six days.  We defined science as the expression of God's creative power; the study of God's orderly world; and the knowledge of God's creation. We also discussed the importance of studying science by reading some Scripture verses. With my 2nd Grader, S, we also discussed the purpose of science and a simplified version of the scientific method.

     For science this year my Kindergartener, D, will be studying human anatomy and physiology in the first and second quarter; meteorology in the second quarter; zoology in the second and third quarter; ecology in the third quarter; and botany in the fourth quarter.
     For science this year by 2nd Grader, S, will be studying geology in the first and second quarters; astronomy in the second and third quarter; and botany in the third and fourth quarter. S is really excited to do a volcano experiment in quarter one week five.

Q1W1 - Art

     We do art twice a week, on the first day the 2nd Grader does an Art With A Purpose lesson and the Kindergartener does his Kumon books, which include -- More Let's Color, Let's Fold, More Let's Cut Paper, My First Book of Tracing, and Make a Match: Level 1, and on the second day do some type of artist study and project.
     This week we did the first lesson in artpac 2 which focuses on coloring, cutting, & pasting skills.

















     I am not including pictures of what the Kindergartener did with his Kumon books, because they are to numerous. In about 20 minutes he did nine activities each in the matching and tracing books, one coloring page, three cutting pages, and four folding pages, before I told him that was enough and he could do more next week.
   
     On the second day of art we started an artist study of Fra Angelico and studied his fresco of The Adoration of the Magi, which he did in San Marco, Florence in a monk's cell in a Dominican Monastery in 1445.
     We learned that a fresco is a painting that is done on either wet or dry plaster on a wall and that this particular fresco was the same shape and size as the window in the cell. Fresco's, when painted on wet plaster lasted longer and could only be done in the amount of time that a painter could paint in about 10 hours.
     I only have a picture of my 2nd Grader's fresco, because my Kindergartener decided that after he painted his fresco that it would look better if he used it as play-dough, and so he no longer has a fresco.

This fresco was made using Watercolor's and a flour paste for the plaster.

     Normally a fresco is made with Plaster of Paris, but since we did not have any, I made a flour "plaster" instead.

Q1W1 - BAR/Reading

     BAR is Bible as Reader this is part of the Noah Plan curriculum and is part of the reading curriculum. We are doing this three times a week and the other two days the 2nd Grader will be using Pathway Readers Days Go By (DGB) & More Days Go By (MDGB).

     This quarter the 2nd Grader will be going through the book of Mark, so this week we covered the vital statistics of the book of Mark and made a cover page for this subject. He also did a workbook page and read a story from the DGB reader & workbook.

     With my Kindergartener we went over a very brief, as in one paragraph per bible, history of the English Bible to the King James Bible and made a cover page for this subject.

Q1W1 - Bible

     We have finished Q1W1 for Bible in the Noah Plan lessons for K & 2nd Grade.  We start our day with prayer, the song we are memorizing, and our memory verse box.
          The Song: Am I a Soldier of the Cross? by Isaac Watts
          The Memory Verse Box:
               2nd Grade:
                    Sunday School verse - Hebrews 13:17;
                    Bible verse - Proverbs 1:7
               Kindergarten:
                    Sunday School verse: Ephesians 6:7
                    Bible verse: Genesis 1:1
     Next, we went over the Notebook Standard of Form (NSF), this is the way that we are setting up our Bible notebook and how they are to take care of their notebook. We will cover this for each new subject, because most of the subject's notebooks are set up slightly differently, with different tabs, etc.
     We discussed the purpose of the notebook; this is why we are keeping a notebook and the notebook grading sheet.
     We also went over the Bible overview for the year. Then we created the Bible cover page. This page has a title, picture - either to draw and color or to color, 2nd Grader had a Scripture verse, and at the bottom was the student's name and grade.

      Next, we discussed the memory verse for this week and I defined any unfamiliar vocabulary in the verse.
      Then I explained the Leading Idea & Biblical Principle and defined any unfamiliar vocabulary in them.

      Then for the Kindergartener I explained the purpose of the Bible and how the Bible is our guide for life, and for the 2nd Grader I explained and discussed the key to being wise as it pertains to his memory verse.

      To finish off the week the Kindergartener was shown how the Bible has two divisions, the Old Testament and the New Testament, and the 2nd Grader was shown how the Bible has different types of books within the two divisions, the Old Testament - Law, History, Poetry, Major Prophets, & Minor Prophets, and the New Testament - Gospels, History, Paul's Letters, a Letter to the Jewish Christians, Letters to the Entire Church, & Prophecy.

     One thing that I have decided after finishing this week is that I do not think that I will be making more notebook pages than are suggested in the lesson plan, so expect to just see one or two pages each week for each child in the coming weeks.

School Photos

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"Not" Back-to-School Student Photo Hop 2013

2013-2014 Homeschool Curriculum

5th Annual Not Back-to-School Blog Hop Curriculum Week

Kindergarten (4 year old D)

• I will be using The Noah Plan Lessons Kindergarten for:
• Bible
• Reading and English (includes using Rigg's Writing Road to Reading)
• Literature
• History
• Geography
• Science
• Math
• A Primary Arithmetic and Teacher's Manual by Edward Olney (1875)
• Art
• Kumon
• More Let's Color
• More Let's Fold
• Let's Sticker & Paste Amazing Animals
• More Let's Cut Paper
• Let's Cut Paper Food Fun
• Let's Cut Paper Amazing Animals
• More if we finish before the end of the school year.
• Possibly some Artist Study from The Noah Plan Lessons Kindergarten Art Overview
• Fra Angelico (1400-1458)
• Michelangelo (1475-1564)
• Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)
• John J Audobon (1785-1851)
• Claude Monet (1840-1926)
• Walt Disney (1901-1966)
• Music
• Piano (maybe)
• Recorder (probably)

2nd Grade (14 year old S, has learning disabilities)

• I will be using The Noah Plan Lessons 2nd Grade for:
• Bible
• Bible as Reader
• English (includes using Rigg's Writing Road to Reading)
• Literature
• History
• Geography
• Science
• Reading
• Pathway Readers Days Go By & More Days Go By (1st Grade)
• Math
• Miquon Math Yellow & Purple (3rd Grade)
• Saxon Math 54 (if finished with Miquon Math before end of school year)
• Art
• Art with a Purpose Artpac 2
• Artist Study
• Christian Cathedrals
• Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
• Jan Vermeer (1632-1675)
• Benjamin West (1738-1827)
• Renoir (1841-1919)
• Norman Rockwell (1894-1978)
• Music
• Piano
• Recorder

5th Annual Not Back-to-School Blog Hop