Giotto images

I won't claim this as "creative", but here's a link to a bunch of Giotto images. To make it a little more interesting, consider having your kids see if they can identify the Bible story from the picture without reading the caption first.

Song for multiples of six

You may consider singing this week's multiples of six to the tune of "Skip to my Lou":

6, 12, 18, 24;
30, 36, 42;
48, 54, 60;
66, 72!

-Janel

Alfred the Great video

The History Channel comes through again with a video on Alfred the Great.

Please note: There is what I've come to identify as "History Channel violence" in this: not gory--you don't actually see someone shot, stabbed, etc.--but there is some blood. The worst is around the 43 second mark, so do check this out before showing to your children at your own discretion, and you may want to prepare them before viewing.

-Janel

Rockin' minerals--and rock candy

To elaborate on our science fact this week, you may to try to grow your own crystals with household items. Note: This takes a few days, so you may want to start early in the week. Consider using this site's description to make a clear tie into our science fact; scroll to the bottom, click on "Fun Activities", and then "Growing Crystals Activity".

(Note: To tie the crystals discussion into math, you may consider discussing geometry this week, namely three-dimensional figures [corners, faces, prisms, cubes, etc.]--a discussion made a little more hands on by swiping rectangular prisms of cereal boxes, cylinders of tin cans or marshmallows, or construction-paper cones from around the house [with boys, my clan will probably go on an imaginary archery hunt around the house and shoot cubes, pyramids, spheres, etc.]. The latter site mentioned above mentions these three-dimensional figures and how they affect the formations of crystals. This could even be turned into a drawing lesson of 3D shapes...but I digress.)

But as an alternative, I think we're going to attempt making rock candy! You may just have to check out this cool photo tutorial. My kids are going to love this, and edible experiments definitely grease the homeschool wheels over here.

Without telling them, see if your kids can identify why the crystals you make wouldn't qualify as minerals. Our man-made rock candy won't qualify as minerals like halite (i.e. table salt) crystals would, because cane sugar is organic as opposed to inorganic, and even in the first (salt) experiment, our homegrown crystals are man-made, not naturally occurring. Yes, I had to look that up.


This Learning Zone site is a great intro to minerals including the Moh scale, and I love how this site compares minerals to, of all things, a cake.


And as much as I've tried to change it up, our science work still often goes best to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", which I'd recommend this week.

You might consider making or having your student make five flashcards of minerals' characteristics, possibly in five different colors and/or fonts (maybe even pictures!) for all those visual learners out there. From the Learning Zone site hyperlinked above:

•Minerals are naturally occurring
They are not made by humans

•Minerals are inorganic
They have never been alive and are not made up from plants or animals

•Minerals are solids
They are not liquids (like water), or gases (like the air around you)

•Minerals have a definite chemical composition
Each one is made of a particular mix of chemical elements

•Minerals have an ordered atomic arrangement
The chemical elements that make up each mineral are arranged in a particular way - this is why minerals 'grow' as crystals

-Janel

Songs for Comm. Central

In assembly, the K4-4th graders (?) have learned the first song and are now working on the second, below.  If you're reading this in an email, click on the titles and it will take you to YouTube.

Code of Justinian through Queen Elizabeth to the tune of Addams Family:


From the establishment of Jamestown through the Mexican-American War, to the tune of The Ants Go Marching One by One.

Photos = coloring pages, drawing lessons

For a fun twist on coloring pages, you can turn your photos into coloring pages at www.crayola.com/colorme!

In order to use their program, you'll need an access code after you register on the site. This one should work: PRVP3ZPH

Bonus: This is also great for older students learning to draw, because the program "drains" the color from the photo you select, so that you only see the photograph's lines--a difficult skill when you're learning to draw. In high school, I learned a lot about drawing from using the grid system (which this lesson recommends for ages 10-14 or grades 6-8). For a simpler version of grid drawing for younger children, scroll down on this page.

-Janel

Museum of Discovery

Most people probably know this, but just in case you don't -

Every second Sunday of the month is "Pay What You Can 2nd Sunday." For a donation of any amount, you may enjoy the Arkansas Museum of Discovery.

This Sunday, September 12, is the second Sunday of the month.

Lamination Extravaganza

Mardel has free lamination this week, September 6-11, up to 25 feet.

Thanks, Amy Loften for the tip!

The Well-Planned Day

Another blog pointed me to this planner, which looks like a great resource.  Available for preview is this pdf.

Picture-Word Journal

Went into a Lakeshore Learning Store in Houston, where I drooled all over their educational stuff. But since I'm on a limited budget, John and I noodled on some of the ways we could do the ideas ourselves. I'll try to post some of them so that no one else out there has to recreate the wheel.

Their explanation of their Picture-Word Journal: "Our journal lets kids create their own picture-word dictionaries! It has lots of room for writing and illustrating words".

I'm making one for our firstborn so that when he finds new vocabulary or spelling words, he gets the dexterity practice of drawing while writing the word down, and also creates ownership of the word.

Feel free to use this one if you'd like. You can download this font, Print Clearly, if you'd like to use it in your own picture-word journal. Basically, just print two of these for each letter of the alphabet; we store them in a three-ring binder, and he writes down unfamiliar words as he reads. (As a side note, I want to honor entrepeneurship, but have to be somewhat resourceful since I can't buy everything I lay eyes on!)

-Janel