Big Sarah's Little Boots - Week 2 (Sept. 9-13)

DAY 1

BIBLE:
Missions Study - Johnny Appleseed

My favorite family devotions growing up are when my Dad started to read missionary biographies instead of just Bible Stories. Something about people closer to my times doing things for God helped translate how to really walk out what the Bible taught in a vibrant way.

This morning we read:
JOHNNY APPLESEED - A Tall Tale Retold and Illustrated by Steven Kellogg

This is my favorite Johnny Appleseed book we have read so far as it points out which part of Johnny's life may be embellished through years of stories while honoring Johnny's connection to God through nature and service to his community.

DISCUSSION: Respect for nature, care for community, following your calling.

MATH: Counting. Liam counted 5 groups of ten popsicle sticks and bundled them into groups of ten. I briefly introduced the concept of tens (that 5 groups of 10 made 50)

READ-A-LOUD: Big Sarah's Little Boots

I LOVED this book about coming of age. Below you can SEE why I loved this book. It is all about the expressive pictures!

DRAMA AND CREATIVE WRITING: Exercise CSBM (Come Sit By Me) 'Expressive Feet' 

We brought a basket of footwear downstairs. Each child had to pick a pair of shoes to put on and spontaneously tell an creative story that focused on using expressive words.

JOURNAL: Liam (and David) each drew a picture from their story. Liam narrated a few sentences for her stories and even copied a few of the words out himself.

LANGUAGE (Extra Curricular): Watched 'Signing Time - Family, Feelings and Fun'

Day 2

Social Studies and PE: We went for a walk in Centennial Park. We spent the morning spotting birds - the most special being a wood pecker which Liam spotted himself. 

Discussion: We talked about what wood pecker eat and how God designed their beaks so that they could get the food they needed. 

Activities: We fed the animals at the petting zoo

PE - We spent a good 3 hours outside walking, playing on the play ground and chasing birds ( I DO try  and stop them but boys will be boys)

Day 3

Mom had an appointment in the morning so the boys did school with Aunty today. 

Language Arts: As a group they did Son Light Language Arts.

Printing: The kids did several printing practice worksheets. 

SCIENCE: We spent the afternoon doing Science co-op. We did our week together on 'Fur Scales and Feathers' 

Experiment: We used our experiment materials to touch fur, scales and feathers and discuss their FUNCTION in animal survival. 

The group had to identify animals that had the various coverings and discuss what would happen if they did not have those coverings. 

CONCLUSION: God DESIGNED each covering to best suit the animals needs. Fur to keep mammals warm, Scales to protect fish and reduce friction in the water, Feathers allow birds to fly and special oil in feathers keep water away from their skin. 

Experiment: We wet our hands and blew on it and described how it felt ... COLD

Then we tried the same procedure this time putting a covering of fur on our skin and described the difference.

Experiment: We wet a cotton ball and compared it with a wet feather. We discussed how the oil in the feather allowed the water to wick away from the bird like a rain coat of sorts.

WORKSHEETS: Liam completed the 3 worksheets in this section giving verbal answers, circling the animal groups, and printing their names.

READ-A-LOUDS: Romana Is a Pest Chapter 2.

Day 4

Language Arts: Journalling (printing practice)

Liam nature journaled his wood pecker siting from the Tuesday's nature walk.

Math:

Number formation - Roll-a-dough

#'s 1-10 and letters 'G' and 'H'

Read-a-louds:

Apples by Gail Gibbons.

This book had the boys wanting to plant an apple tree using seeds from their freshly eaten apples.

BIBLE: The boys attended Awana.

Day 5

MATH:

Zero's Worksheet

SCIENCE:

Life Science. What do living things need to survive. We completed to worksheets in this week of Life Science talking about all living things' need for food, sunlight, air and water.

We discussed and gave answers for what would happen to various living things if their NEEDS were not met. 

(Socials - needs of humans)

LANGUAGE:

Liam did 3 pages of instructions worksheets in the green book of Hand Writing Without Tears.

Week in Review:

It was a busy week but we seemed to get a good hour plus of school in each day at least. 

GRACE MOMENTS and TRIUMPHS: I love goals and tangible things getting DONE. I was able to stop and take a day to go enjoy the morning sunshine and just go for a walk. It was a stretch for me but the high light of my week for sure. Grace - in sometimes less is more. He makes beauty come out of moments if we stop and make time for them.

STRUGGLES: We can't do it all. There were lots of great activities in this week that we didn't get to. Too bad! It's hard to balance getting in some of the subjects that aren't included thoroughly enough in CSBM, especially when there are so many great activities given each week as options. 

UPLOADING PICS -  What is a blog without pictures! I definitely took some but finding time to upload them and insert them, will take some time.

DAY 6 - Davison' Orchards and David's Birthday

More to come :)