Holocaust

This is what started it all. I received these in an e-mail and it spurred me onto studying this and taking my children to the Holocaust Museum. Click the above picture to read.

WWII Unit Study Wrap Up

As we closed this study I felt very satisfied.

We didn't do everything on the list.

We didn't even do everything we thought we would do each week.

But we did learn.

We did grow.

We had a few interruptions along the way; some very serious but God had a plan.

When we took our children to the Holocaust Museum I was never prouder.

They *knew* what they were seeing and hearing.

They were solemn, respectful and responsive.

When we listened to a very young Holocaust survivor,(he was 5 years old during that time) they asked questions and thanked him for sharing with us.

I believe God brought together this group of families for this time.

For this study.

Thanks to all of you!

I loved being with you and with your kids!

I know that this study has sparked a light in my son and he will continue to learn more about this subject the rest of his life.

PLEASE send in your pictures of projects, notebooks and your writing so we can post them here to share with each other and with family and friends.

June 6, 1944

This week marks the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings of 6th June 1944.

Holocaust Museum

I was so proud of our students as we toured the Holocaust Museum. They did so well and I was proud to realize that much of it was review for them! It didn't seem as though we learned that much at the time but we did! Even my ds whom has to have everything read to him really comprehended a lot.

File Folder Game - Antonymns

I made this file folder game from a recycled file folder and a poster from Dollar Tree. I used some library pockets also purchased at Dollar Tree. The tall pockets have pictures of antonmyms that "match". The smaller pockets, which I just folded over at the bottom to make them shorter, have words that the student can match.

Otto Frank Interview

Riding the wave of motivation

DS is very motivated by his new cubscout den.  I'm riding the wave with him!

We are working on his activity badges that are required to achieve rank or the way I think about it is graduate to the next level. (I'm still learning too!)

He is working toward Webelos rank and then on to the Arrow of Light.  A bridge-over to Boy Scouts.

So to document the work and to serve as some of his school we are making a lapbook!  He is not all that into cutting and pasting but I am so I do some of that for him.  He comes up with the design and the content to put into the book.  Sometimes he writes it, sometimes he orally narrates to me and I type it up.  We print it out and paste it into a mini-book for the lapbook. 

We are working on "Citizen Requirements" right now.  

Here's what he has to do:

Do this
1.With your parent, guardian, or Webelos den leader, complete the Citizenship Character Connection.
a. Know: List some of your rights as a citizen of the United States of America.
Tell ways you can show respect for the rights of others.
b. Commit: Name some ways a boy your age can be a good citizen
Tell how you plan to be a good citizen and how you plan to influence others to be good citizens.
c. Practice: Choose one of the requirements for this activity badge that helps you be a good citizen.
Complete the requirement and tell why completing it helped you be a good citizen.

Do all of these:
2.Know the names of the President and Vice-President of the United States, elected Governor of your state
3.Describe the flag of the United States and give a short history of it.
With another Webelos Scout helping you, show how to hoist and lower the flag, how to hang it horizontally and vertically
on a wall, and how to fold it.
Tell how to retire a worn or tattered flag properly.
4.Explain why you should respect your country's flag.
Tell some of the special days we fly it.
Tell when to salute the flag and show how to do it.
5.Repeat the Pledge of Allegiance from memory. Explain its meaning in your own words.
6.Tell how our National Anthem was written.
7.Explain the rights and duties of a citizen of the United States.
Explain what a citizen should do to save our natural resources.
8.As a Webelos Scout, earn the Cub Scout Academics belt loop for Citizenship.
At a Webelos den meeting, talk about the service project Good Turn that you did.

And do two of these: #9-17
We chose:
9. Tell about two things you can do that will help law enforcement agencies.
14.Tell why we have laws.

So far he's completed several requirements.  I think we'll be through by next week and then we will start on fitness.  Fitness is mostly about health and safety.  There's another activity badge for exercising and sports.

Pics of the mini-books we have so far:

This is the cover DS designed

This is an idea DS had to put the information for requirement #6 in a little newspaper looking graphic. It'll be a pocket when we put it into the lapbook.

These are little matchbooks with the information from requirement #2.

We're still here..

Just popping in to say we're still here.  

We are working on a unit study with some friends and are studying the Holocaust and WWII. Our family will be doing a very "light" study for ds who is only 11.  

Today he decided he'd like to make a diorama, a large diorama made from salt dough no less of a European or Japanese town/city that was destroyed by the war.  We haven't chosen exactly which one yet, but I'm going to photo-chronicle the project as we go.

We might make a squidoo page when we're done.  Look for it!

Meanwhile I'll leave you with this WWII song:

Songs from WWII

Warning: I'm sure there could be some negative comments, I hardly ever scroll down to read them.

The Mills Brothers "Paper Doll"

The Ink Spots Mama Don't Allow - (A funny song!)

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

Louis Jordan

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

The White Cliffs of Dover

I'm Making Believe - Ella Fitzgerald

There'll Be a Hot Time in the Town of Berlin (This is sung by Dean Martin, I tried to find the one by Bing Crosby but couldn't find it.)

Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer

We'll Meet Again

Dream

Please review the following, I haven't looked at them all yet.

Rudy Valee

You Tube WWII Songs

You Tube Andrews Sisters

Number The Stars

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading23/number_the_stars.htm

There are some good lesson plans on this site for the book "Number the Stars". I don't particularly like the multiple choice questions but the vocabulary and lesson plans look useful.

WWII Unit Study Overview

Each week we will be reading The Diary of Anne Frank as family read aloud at home and when we meet, we'll have discussion questions, vocabulary etc.

Each student will then choose an independent reader, and a topic to research and report on for the next week.

You will have the choice of topic to research and the way you want to present your topic.

Here are some ideas:

• write a diary or journal as if you were there
  
• make a mock newspaper
  
• write and then video some mock newscasts or interviews
  
• write a story or letter from the perspective as if you were there
  
• write basic reports
  
• write character sketches
  
• write a poetic narration
  
• make a lapbook
  
• make notebook pages
  
• write a one act play or skit from one of the stories (you could enlist the others to help you video it!)
  
• write an obituary of the person
  
• make a poster or collage
• make a board game

We also have a stack of approved reading for independent reading for you to choose from each week.

Each week we should have some time to work on reports or projects together. This will give us time to brainstorm together, make videos or just general group work.

So each week will look like this:

Week 1 Friday April 17th

Meet together - brainstorm a little about "Who, What, When, Where, Why, How"

Introductory discussion about The Diary of Anne Frank.

Choose your reader to take home.

Choose your first topic to research and possibly take books for studying.

Choose the way you would like to report.

Group study time.

Work on assignments at home during the week.

Week 2 Thursday April 23rd

Meet together - Review first week of Anne Frank reading (bring something to write with and a spiral or notebook)

Present your report.

Choose your next reader or continue the one you chose last week.

Choose your next topic and report style.

Group study time.

Work on assignments at home during the week.

Week 3 Thursday April 30th

Meet together - Review Anne Frank reading (bring something to write with and a spiral or notebook)

Present your report.

Choose your next reader or continue the one you chose last week.

Choose your next topic and report style.

Group study time.

Work on assignments at home during the week.

Week 4 Thursday May 7th (6-Flags Homeschool Day, possible reschedule anybody going?)

Meet together - Review Anne Frank reading (bring something to write with and a spiral or notebook)

Present your report.

Choose your next reader or continue the one you chose last week.

Choose your next topic and report style.

Work on these at home during the week.

Week 5 Thursday May 14th

Meet together - Review Anne Frank reading (bring something to write with and a spiral or notebook)

Present your report.

Choose your next reader or continue the one you chose last week.

Choose your next topic and report style.

Group study time.

Work on assignments at home during the week.

Week 6 Thursday May 21st (This date is flexible, my son will be in from Indiana but he could go with us!)

Meet together - Review first week of Anne Frank reading (bring something to write with and a spiral or notebook)

Present your last report.

Field trip to the Holocaust Museum.

WWII Unit Study Booklist

This list will be updated as we remove or add books.

• The Other Victims First-Person Stories of Non-Jews Persecuted by the Nazis by Ina R. Friedman
• The Good Fight- How WWII Was Won by Stephen E. Ambrose
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Hitler by Albert Marrin
• I Am a Star by Inge Auerbacher
• The Story of the World (pertaining chapters) by Susan Wise Bauer
• The Diary of Anne Frank
• World War II: The Allied Victory -
• The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
• A History of US by Hakim Vol 9
• America's Centruy a DK book
• The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Boy Scouts of America

DS is so excited.  He started Cub Scouts this month.

He'll begin as a Webelos and will be working on a Bobcat Rank.

Then on to the Arrow of Light.

Webelos stands for "We'll Be Loyal Scouts"

Mom is learning too!

Week 2 Report

Did I say week 1 was a success? Week 2 ...ummm... another story altogether! It was dd's back to college week, and she started a new job, we had doctor appointments, a friend's play, dh went to graveyard shift... need I say more? But we pressed through and got *almost* everything done. It was a hard week. I need a plan A and a plan B for weeks like this. I've read that other families just do the readings and forget everything else on days like that. I think I will follow this advice from now on.

Week 1 Report

I'd say the week was a success. We had many interuptions and outings this week and still got through with the scheduled work. YAY!

There's something about accomplishing everything on your list that makes you feel so satisfied.
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I found that if we get started promptly it still only takes about 3-3 1/2 hours to get everything done. Not as bad as I expected. It also depends on how well ds is paying attention. Getting started early in the day is better for him. As the day goes on, he gets sloppier and less attentive.
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As I was looking through my files for Year 5 I found some notebooking pages for Fairy Land of Science. Here's where I got them! You must be a member to view. I love the sharing that goes on between homeschoolers. It saves a lot of time! I printed these out, ds made a cover that I laminated and I comb bound them. At the end of the term he'll have his own book.

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Also this week ds wrote two different short narrations from his readings this week and I thought they were very nice. He's come a long way.
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The math switch-over has been challenging. One day he asked to do math first, one day he said, "I want my old math back!". We are sticking with MEP for now. MUS is always there if we need it.
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We also went on a nature hike this week. It was wonderful! The kids walked 5 miles, my friend and I walked 2. We made a nature notebook page from something we observed while on the walk. I really needed the break. The fresh air was great. It was a bit cold but not too bad on the trail, just in the open wind.

Here are a few pics my dd took (click to enlarge):





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Librivox

Can I just say a few words about Librivox? It has become one of my favorite resourses on the internet! I can download many books on the Ambleside Online Curriculum for ds. This is very helpful since his reading level isn't anywhere near his comprehension level! Did I mention it saves my voice? I don't really like reading out loud. I love the stories, but my voice just can't handle reading EVERYTHING to ds. Here are some of the gems I've found there for this year.

Age of Fable

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Lamb's Shakespeare Tales

Fairyland of Science

The Boy's Life of Mark Twain (Our substitution)

Additional Reading for Year 5:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Treasure Seekers by Edith Nesbit
The Wouldbegoods by Edith Nesbit
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Hans Brinker by Mary Mapes Dodge
Rilla of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Story of My Life by Helen Keller

Getting Back on Track

I'm just now getting around to tweaking this semester's schedule. We started back to school on the 5th but we have just been finishing up a few loose ends. My mom has been in the hospital so we've had to make adjustments here and there. Hopefully she'll come home tomorrow! Pray!

We're using AO Year 5. (mostly)

Here's how the next few months should line up for ds/5th grade-

Mon-
1 Bible
2 Math (currently we are using this)
3 Wild Animals I Have Known
4 Copywork
4 Grammar
5 Poetry of Rudyard Kipling
6 Dictation/Spelling
7 This Country of Ours 1 chapter per week
8 Phonics Lesson (still working on reading, progressing wonderfully! yay!)
9 Fairy-land of Science
10 Folk Song- Drinking Gourd(Jan) ~ The Cruel War (Feb/March)
11 Abraham Lincoln’s World
12 Typing
13 Drawing
14 Music

Tue-
1 Bible
2 Math
3 Wild Animals I Have Known
4 Writing
4 Current Events
5 Poetry of Rudyard Kipling
6 Dictation
7 Boys Life of Mark Twain
8 Phonics Lesson
9 CLP Nature Reader 5
10 Artist Botticelli (Jan) ~ Van Gogh(Feb, March)
11 Abraham Lincoln’s World
12 Typing
13 Drawing
14 Music

Wed-
1 Bible
2 Math
3 The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
4 Copywork
4 Grammar
5 Poetry of Rudyard Kipling
6 Dictation
7 Age of Fable
8 Phonics Lesson
9 Isaac Newton Bio
10 Hymn – All the Way My Savior Leads Me (Jan), When We All Get To Heaven (Feb)
11 Abraham Lincoln’s World
12 Typing
13 Drawing
14 Music

Thu -
1 Bible
2 Math
3 The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
4 Writing
4 Shakespeare: King Lear ~
5 Poetry of Rudyard Kipling
6 Dictation
7 Book of Marvels (begin week 6)
8 Phonics Lesson
9 Physics Lab in a Houseware Store
10 Composer - Bach Jan), Beethoven
11 Abraham Lincoln’s World
12 Typing
13 Drawing
14 Music

Fri -
1 Bible
6 Dictation
9 Albert Einstein (carryover from last year)
10 Timeline
11 Abraham Lincoln’s World
12 Typing
13 Drawing
14 Music

The numbers out to the left are the "order" numbers I use for inputting into HSTracker. I know, I know there are two 4's!

The main change for us is going to be #7. Right now we aren't reading anything in this slot, so adding in that reading and some sort of narration is going to extend our school day about 30 min. I hope that we can add that in without too much fuss!
Fridays are "light" so that if we need a day off during the week we can double just a couple of subjects on Friday without too much pressure. We always have Saturday if we just can't get it done and if we can't even do that well, then we just keep going "doing the next thing"! LOL

I must add that dictation is doing wonders for DS's reading and spelling ability. Occasionally I think we should be doing a spelling book or some such program only to realize that this simple method really is best for him, along with a little phonogram study and some sight words. He's reading more and more by himself! PTL!

I'm really excited to get started!

Hymn Study All the Way my Savior Leads Me

Traditional Version


Modern Version

Folk Song Follow the Drinking Gourd

Bach Composer Studies

Biographical Info on Johann Sebastian Bach

Magnificat in D


Chaconne


Cantata~ Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring


Brandenburg Concerto no. 6


Art of the Fugue played by Nageeb Gardizi


Or to listen toArt of the Fugue On Organ