Learning Log 31

This week the kids had another week filled with music!  Monday they got together with their quintet group and practiced their song they will be performing with the homeschool choir.  On Friday they went to the homeschool choir and practiced singing their songs as well as performing their quintet song on their string instruments.  On Tuesday and Thursday they went to their piano and string lessons at Bows and Bridges, and they practiced their instruments throughout the week as well.  It's fun to listen to them progress! 
Elsie has had a fun time listening to books on CD and finished Little Women, which I had read 2/3 of previously to her.  She loved the characters and the book as a whole.  She also read another 70 pages of The Princess and the Goblin as well as a bunch of short stories from a Usborn book called Illustrated stories of Horses.  For her writing, she finished the story she was writing in journal format about a girl who goes to space and drew a couple pictures for it.  Peter read 75 pages out of a biography about Isaac Newton and enjoyed learning about the earlier years of his life.  He wrote a couple paragraphs for an essay he is writing about why dogs are better than cats, as well as almost 300 words in his science fiction story he is working on.  He also took notes on and participated in a debate about global warming.  Anna finished chapter 1 in Days Go By and also read chapter 2, A Doll For Susan.  She also wrote notes back and forth with her neighbor friend.  They shared poems they were working on with each other and had a great conversation in writing!  Kimball read 50 pages of How Money works.  He says this book is a little trickier to understand.  He also worked on refining his Fun Facts about space story and added pictures from PC Paint in it.  He also wrote notes back and forth with his neighbor friend about when they could play and did some copy work from Peter Pan and Robin Hood. 
For Math Kimball finished the chapter on long multi-digit multiplication  He was multiplying 2 three-digit numbers.  It was quite tedious, but he persisted and finished the chapter.  He just needs to take the test. He also reviewed finding factors, solving for the unknown, and writing large numbers into words.  Anna continued to work on chapter 10, learning to count by 8s.  She also reviewed solving for the unknown and doing story problems.  Peter started chapter 3, finding the value of x in equations, and reviewed least common multiples.  He also read several pages from The Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe about the number 8.  Elsie finished chapter 2 and took the test.  She learned what a numerator and denominator are.  She learned how to draw out a picture of what a fraction is, how to write a fraction numerically, and how to spell it out as well.  She also reveiwed how to find the perimeters of squares. 
We continue to have a fun time learning about the ocean.  We tried an experiment where we layered various liquids to represent the 5 layers of depth in the ocean.  It didn't work out very well, but it helped us understand what the layers are and what kind of life forms live in each of them.  We had a fun time reading about various sea creatures as well.   Peter learned about global warming in Pyramid Project and in his Forensic class he watched a case from the different perspective and heard about other cases the teach had been apart of. 
For the tech/business class the kids had a fun time taking apart a microwave with their dad to use the motor and switches for the incubator for our chicks.  They watched their dad cut a hole in the top of the cooler and put a window so they will be able to see the chicks hatch.  Peter also worked on his Minecraft, where he figured out a name for his restaurant: Pete's Pizza, and he came up with a logo as well. 
Learning the history of Great Britain has been fun.  We learned about the battle of Hastings last week as well as King Richard the Lionheart and his brother John.  The kids also enjoyed building a small trebuchet from a kit and experimenting with various catapults. 

Learning Log 30

This was a fun week in science for our family as we have been studying the ocean and were able to go on a field trip to the aquarium!  We had a lot of fun at the touching pool, feeling anemones and sting rays (especially Elsie).  Anna loved watching the jelly fish because she learned all about their bio-luminescence.  Watching the sharks and penguins were a big hit with all the children, as well as watching the 4D video on global warming and the melting the the ice in the north and south poles.  This was especially helpful for Peter because he was preparing for a debate on global warming for next week.  Kimball was also intrigued with the facts from the video as well.  Through the week we continued to read about various creatures from the ocean as well.  We really enjoyed learning about the sand dollar.  Peter also enjoyed his Pyramid Project and Forensic classes.  In the former class he listened to a guest speaker who was a geologist and learned about earth's plate tectonics and how they work and about volcanoes.  He also did an activity where he identified rocks using an acid and visual observations.  In his forensic class he learned about poison and how different poisons can be detected. 
The kids enjoyed their reading as well.  Kimball was waiting for some books I ordered online and so he entertained himself with a short book called Safari Animals, and he read the #6 Magic Treehouse book.  He finished the Solar System Book early in the week he had been reading.  Anna read a Bob book in Level 2, and decided she wanted to start on the Grade 1 Primer of her Pathway book called Days Go By.  She read 6 pages from that book.  Peter finished his book The Man Who Counted for his Pyramid Project class, and Elsie started reading The Princess and the Goblin, reading about 70 pages.  She also enjoyed listening to The Goose Girl on CD.  Kimball worked on copying sentences from various selections from Peter Pan and Robin Hood and wrote notes back and forth to his neighborhood friend.  Anna also wrote a few notes to her neighbor friend as well and did some copy work from various selections of books she was familiar with.  Peter wrote another 100 words on his Science fiction story and wrote in his journal, and Elsie worked on writing her story in journal format about a girl that goes into space.  She also did several worksheets of cursive handwriting where she practiced writing the first 6 presidents and other copy work in cursive, and she wrote in her journal several times. 
For Math Kimball learned larger multi-digit multiplication and did several problems and story problems.  He had to learn to be very careful with place value and math facts.  He reworked problems he got wrong and paid close attention.  Elsie finished chapter 9 and took the test and started on chapter 10.  Chapter 9 was about adding 9s, and chapter 10 is about adding 8s.  She used the maniupulatives to solve them.  Peter finished chapter 2 and took the test, learning the order of operations when solving equations.  He also reviewed dividing decimals and fractions.  Elsie finished chapter 1 in her new math book and took the test.  She learned how to build fraction problems and find the solution, such as find 5 of 15.  She also reviewed finding the perimeter of rectangles.
The kids did not have their music lessons this week, but they continued to practice.  They had a fun time working on their newer songs that they had put on the back burner as they practiced their recital pieces for the Strings Festival.   They also got together with a couple other people and started a quintet with other choir members.  Their choir director is helping them prepare a piece so that they can perform it with a choir in April.  It is an especial stretch for Kimball, who is the youngest and least advanced out of the group.
For tech or business class, they learned some tech from their dad this week.  They are working on building an incubator to hatch chickens from.  They watched and helped put switches and a motor on a board to hook onto a cooler.  The board as a temperature sensor and motor switch to turn the eggs every minute or so.  They learned how to program the switches using their dad's phone and how all the pieces work together. 
We continued to study the history of Great Britain.  We have thoroughly enjoyed learning about Caedmon the musician, Ethelred the Unready, and King Canute, the first Danish King. 

Learning Log 29

This week for school the kids started off the week at a homeschool ski day up at Beaver Mountain.  They had a lot of fun and enjoyed the sunshine up in the mountains.  They finished out the remainder of the week finishing strong on their school.  They all worked on their math.  Elsie started working on chapter one of her new book Epsilon.  She started to learn about fractions and how to find a fraction of a fraction using manipulatives.  Kimball finished chapter 27, where he learned to write out long numbers.  He also practiced putting numbers in standard placevalue notation, and he reviewed multidigit multiplication.  Peter finished chapter 1 and started chapter 2 of Algebra.  He is reviewing the order of operation to solve equations using the anachronime Please Excuse My Dead Aunt Sally. Anna continued to work on chapter 9, where she is learning to add 9s.  It is coming slow and steady.  She has also done some review, such as counting by 10s, and worked on some story problems.  I also read Sir Cumfrance and the Round Table to Anna and she learned what a circumfrance, diameter, and radius are.
The kids also read a little and did some writing.  This is something we are trying to get better at.   Peter read a little from the book The Man Who Counted.  He wrote an outline for an essay and the first paragraph for it.  Elsie finished A Wind in the Willows, reading about 70 pages.  She also worked on her story she is writing through journal entries from a fictional character that goes to space.  She did about 3 pages of her handwriting, practicing her cursive and writing the states and their capitals.  She also did about 4 pages out of her spelling book.  Kimball read about 40 pages out of his book about the Solar System.  He also copied several versus from the Bible and studied the spelling of the words.  Anna finished her First Steps book!  She read about 10 pages from her book and is ready to continue her adventure in reading.  She wrote a letter to a neighbor and copied a sentence from a book she likes.  I also read a couple books to her, one was called Tim and Ginger, and another was St. George and the Dragon.  I also read part of Winnie the Pooh.
The kids also did some science.  I read to them out of a book about the ocean and we learned about Seastars, Coral reefs, sea fans, and anemones.  We looked at pictures of them and discussed how they grow, eat, and live.  For Peter's forensic science class he watched 2 cases from the defendant and prosecution, and decided who was right and who was wrong based on the evidence.   
For their tech/business course, their "business teacher" was sick, so they did tech on their own.  Elsie started a science class for girls through the Maker's Club and she learned how a 3-D printer work.  She also learned there are negative and positive sides on a circuit board, and she was shown how to solder.  All the kids watched and helped take apart our flat-screen tv that broke.  They learned how flat the screen is and that there are 3 circuit boards in the tv.  My husband taught them that the biggest circuit board holds all the smarts to the tv, another board is for the display, and the third board distributes electricity to the other boards.  Peter also worked on Minecraft and took a test stating what he would sell and details about the restaurant he is going to build. 
For music, all the kids practiced and went to their lessons for piano and strings.  On Saturday they competed in the Strings Festival.  Kimball played Go Tell Aunt Rhody on the cello, Anna played Twinkle Little Star Variation A, Elsie played Minuet 2 on violin, and Peter played Judas Maccabeus on the viola.  They all did a great job!  I was really proud of them.   Anna was really nervous, and I was proud of her for being so brave. 

Learning Log 28

This week has been an exciting one for our household because the children's aunt, my sister, got married!  We spent Friday and Saturday celebrating in festivities.  I had a lot of fun seeing cousins, siblings, Aunts, Uncles, necies and nephews.  I also loved watching my children play with their cousins and meeting their great aunts and uncles!  The wedding was beautiful, and I will post more about it later.  Needless to say, our thoughts were easily distracted from school, but we persevered!
Elsie finished her Delta math book this week!  She took the unit test and then the final test, which reviewed everything she has learned about division.  Mom has yet to correct the test, but Elsie is excited to be done and on to the next book!  Peter started his Algebra book this week.  He took a readiness test for Algebra and aced it.  Then he started on chapter 1 learning and reviewing negatives, and solving for the unknown using negatives, exponents, addition and subtraction, etc.  He also reviewed how to divide fractions.   Kimball took the test for chapter 26 and started on chapter 27.  He learned how to read and write out big numbers, such as 287,436,234.  He is learning his spelling of numbers as well.  He said he also learned that there are 14 quarts in a gallon.  He reviewed multiplication as well.  Anna started a new chapter on adding 9s.  She practiced building the problem with manipulatives and found the pattern to adding 9s.
The kids all did some reading this week.  Elsie read about 50 pages in The Wind in the Willows and started The Princess and the Goblin.  Kimball read 140 pages about the Solar System and read a few pages of Dinotopia aloud to me.  Anna read a chapter from First Steps called Peter Finds a Name.  It's about a boy who names the family's baby horse.  She is almost done with the book, and is excited about that!  Peter read about 50 pages from A Man Who Counted.  He is less enthralled in the book, but is persevering.  The kids all wrote as well.  Anna worked on some copywork and is paying close attention to the spelling and the correct forming of her letters.  Elise thought of a bunch of ideas to write a story about space, and picked one.  She wrote about 60 words. The story unfolds itself through entries of a diary of a woman that goes to space.  She also started a long poem written in iambic pentameter.  Every 2 lines are dedicated to each state, but she has only written about 10 or so states.  Kimball also tried his hand at his own writing, but stuck to nonfiction.  He wrote about a bunch of space facts he has learned from his readings, and wrote about 150 words.  He also did some copywork and studied the spelling and structure of scentences, and he did several handwriting worksheets.  Peter wrote about 100 words in his science fiction story.  He also learned about essays and how to write an outline for one.  He will work on an outline of his own this coming week.  For science we studied the formation of the earth through glaciers (and had a great snowball fight to feel how snow at warmer temperatures is easily compacted and manipulated).  We also learned about coral reefs and how they form land formations called atolls.  We watched a clip from Wild Kratts about them as well.  We also learned about the crust of the earth and how thin it is compared to the earth in it's entirety.  Peter also learned about the brain in his Pyramid Project class.  They did brain games and learned how our brain is influenced.  In his Forensic class they learned how blood spatter convicts criminals.
The kids all went to Bows and Bridges for their music for both their instruments.  They practiced the piano and their prospective string instrument.  They only have one more week before the string festival, and they are working hard at their performance pieces.
Peter worked on his Minecraft class and read a story about a boy who started a business and then he took a quiz on it.  He learned that it is really important to have a unique business that finds a niche in the community to serve other people.  Elsie, Kimball, and Anna also worked on their business class.  We discussed what we sold during the week and how hard it was.  We also learned about the importance of time management, and we learned how to set effective goals.  We also discussed the importance of retaining customers and encouraging loyalty and different ways we can provide the customers with a voice about how they like our product and services.