We’re studying ancient history this year, and we’ve enjoyed our brief look at the Egyptians, Sumerians, and Assyrians. We met with Wendy and her girls last week for a history activity day, and as usual, our afternoon was packed with fun!
We were out to build a working model of the Nile River/Fertile Crescent.
First we formed a river from clay.
Then we lined the river banks with fertile soil, and sprinkled an outer layer of sand. Next, we planted seed in the fertile soil, as the ancient Egyptian farmers did, and then stuck in a little red pyramid for aesthetic reasons.
Finally, it was time for the annual rising of the Nile, so we filled the river until it’s banks overflowed, watering our seed.
Finally, we feasted on succulent fruits most likely enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians. Yum!
And a few days later we found that our river banks were fertile indeed!
![marchingchildren[2]](http://candidreflections.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/marchingchildren2.jpg?w=1024&h=434 "marchingchildren[2]")
Teacher’s Prayer
Author Unknown
Lord, Please help me teach them
To strengthen their voices,
bodies and minds,
To express their feelings and
control them sometimes,
To explore what’s near
and venture afar,
But most important to love
who they are.
One of the my favorite sights to see is that of children reading books.
I’m always trying to figure out ways to make books more appealing to my kids. Imagine my delight when I spotted this bookshelf at a rummage sale last weekend, it cost me a mere dollar! I love how this shelf displays the most attractive side of books – the cover, rather than just the spine. I think books on display this way are a little more enticing, as they call out to the eye, ”Pick me, pick me up!”
Can you tell I judge books by their covers? 
We’re studying inventors and inventions for History and Science, if you couldn’t tell!
Now, if this shelf were only five feet longer… OR… maybe forty-five feet longer and wrapped around the entire room, or mounted to the wall at about their eye level… with regular shelves underneath, and beanbag chairs scattered here and there! Ahhh… do I dream big, or what?
If you build yourself a home out in the sticks and opt not to bury the 1000 feet of cable to ensure yourself any form of modern televised entertainment, don’t be surprised when you start referring to activities such as: competing in huckleberry wars (I never win cause I’d rather eat them than throw them), cheering on the honeybees as they crash-land into their hive because their legs are too heavily laden with pollen, or tweezing your eyebrows into different, random expressions as popular forms of entertainment.
We’ve been craving performances of the theatrical nature lately, so Wendy (my teaching/cooking partner-in-crime) and I printed off some scripts from our study in History, scheduled in a few practice rehearsals, threw in a box of dress-up clothes, and told the kids to have at it. Wow, did they blow our socks off!
Honestly, I’m thinking we’ll survive alright without the cable . Why, can’t you just see it now… Homeschool Idol or how ’bout Homeschool’s Kitchen… maybe Which Denim Jumper Not To Wear…yah, I’m thinking I’ll be just fine out here in the sticks… maybe a little rough around the edges, but I think I’ll make it through.
We begin our Reader’s Theatre with a beautiful, periodic musical interlude ~ ”When Johnny Comes Marching Home”
And the curtains open:
Four score and seven years ago…
Beautiful performance! And now for a delicious homecooked meal, era appropriate, of course! Not only can they act, but they’ve got some mean cooking skills as well!
Can you name that era/war?
Did I mention that History is my favorite subject? We’re making these not exactly proportionally accurate maps as part of our Westward Expansion study of U.S. History. A little bit of salt dough for our mountain ranges and some water colors on cardboard, a great reinforcement for the kids as they listen to each lesson. Today, we read about the First Transcontinental Railroad and they drew tracks across their maps.
Our weekly art/craft day with friends involved a fun day of activities… carols, games, and gingerbread houses.
Now you do!
This was the view from my lap during our History lesson today. Here am I, reading to, and surrounded by a group of kids working on knitting and crocheting Christmas gifts they hope to complete in time to give as gifts this year. Gotta love it!
On Wednesday, our friends came over for our weekly Art Appreciation class. My good friend Wendy, who is also an excellent piano/music teacher, introduced the month of November’s composer – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She introduced some different musical elements, shared a brief overview of Mozart’s life, and played some various concertos and symphonies for us to listen to. She was sure to leave us with a collection of Mozart’s music to listen to through the month of November, with the idea that by the end on the month we might be able to hear a concerto, or piece of his chamber music and be able to identify his style.
Then, for art, we took a glimpse at the life of Giotto di Bondone, a famous florentine painter. We glanced at some of his famous, seven hundred year old paintings that we found pictures of on the Internet, and discussed certain elements as dimension, space, volume, and structure; all of which Giotto is noted for discovering simple solutions in representing.
We learned that artists of Giotto’s time didn’t have art stores, so they made their own art supplies. We were inspired to make our own paints with similar materials as they did, so we gathered up some egg yolk, water, berries, and colored chalk ( in place of minerals) and set to work making our own tempura paints, and subsequently - masterpieces.
What do you do with a busy little toddler when you’ve got a gazillion other kids to teach???
You get her her own personal tutor! Man I love me some good babysitting phonics vidoes. I figure in a couple of months time, Mr. Reader Rabbit will have my little tot reading and writing like an accelerated, gifted, bright little preschooler… and if not, then he can just kiss that Christmas bonus goodbye! I’m serious.
Well, we made it through the first day of yet another school year of reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Then we headed out doors to gain ourselves some nature appreciation.
“There is no kind of knowledge to be had in these early years so valuable to children as that which they get for themselves, of the world they live in.” ~Charlotte Mason
And we can’t forget their favorite subject – P.E.
All in all, we are pleased with our first day of school. Fresh, new curriculum and exciting things to study in history and science… P.E. at the Y.M.C.A, rollerskating every other Friday, fieldtrips, music lessons, and weekly art lessons with great friends. Life is good…until about mid November, by then I guarentee I’ll be wanting to throw in the towel!
I solemnly assert: I won’t become discouraged…I’ll renew my inspiration…I’ll grow to be consistant… I will not become complacent!!! I think I can… I think I can…
