What is Zoology?

After much thought and debate, I've decided to add Zoology 1 to our curriculum this year. This is the long term plan:

08/09 - Adventures in MFW; Zoology 1

09/10 - Exploring Countries and Cultures; Zoology 2

10/11 - Creation to the Greeks; Zoology 3

11/12 - Rome to the Reformation; Astronomy (included)

12/13 - Exploration to 1850; Botany (included)

13/14 - 1850 to Modern Times; ??

You get the picture, right?

What is Zoology? ~ Lesson 1 (Free Download Here)

Day 1: "What is Zoology?" p.1
DO: Make a list of "flying creatures."

"Classification" p.2
DO: Discuss drawing in text

Day 2: "Latin" p.4
"Binomial Nomenclature" p.5
DO: Try This! p.5
(a) mnemonic phrase: KPCOFGS (b) look up Latin names (c) explain/narrate taxonomy and binomial nomenclature.

Day 3: "Flight" p.6
"Uplifting Pressure" p.6
DO: Try This! p.7 ~ experiment

Day 4: "Airfoil" p.8
"What a Drag" p.8
DO: explain lift, thrust, and drag

Day 5: "Your Notebook" p.9
DO: gather pages, put in notebook

"Mid-Lesson Experiment" p.10
DO: experiment

Day 6: "Habitats" p.12
COPY: All an animal really needs in its habitat is water, food, and shelter.

"Instinct" p.14
COPY: Instinct is a built in need to do something for survival.

Day 7: "Extinction" p.15
COPY: Animals become extinct when every single one dies out and there are no longer any of them living on earth.

"Extinction Errors" p.17

Day 8: "What Do You Remember?" p.18
DO: Make a drawing for notebook pages
DO: Make a Field Notebook

Day 9: "Project" p.19
DO: Nature Scavenger Hunt (list on p.20)

**I will edit my plans as the weeks progress to more closely match what was actually done.**

On Canal Street

Family Photo (and Reunion)

This is our first Family Portrait since Nov 2007.


We went to the Natural Tunnel again. This time was for a Family Reunion.

We took the .4 mile trek up to Lover's Leap. *L* walked most of the way and still had energy to climb and run when we got to the top.

You remember Lover's Leap, right?

You see that fence way at the top? That's where we were.

And this is where I took the previous picture from (taken from Lover's Leap.)

School Pictures 08/09

20% Yankee, 80% Dixie

This is quite funny considering that I spent my first 27 years in OH.

You Are 20% Yankee, 80% Dixie

You're completely Dixie all the way. You've possibly never even met a Yankee!

Are You a Yankee or Dixie?

Real Life Dress-Up Doll...

The "book" he has is a Hannah Montana CD cover.

Posing for the pic?

Adventures in MFW ~ Week 6

Sorry it's been a while. We took an "unofficial" break.

Here's a slideshow of our Yeast Experiment. I had it in our tiny laundry room with the dryer running. So, the whole thing took around 20 minutes.

As soon as I take a picture of our "Names of Jesus" wall art, I will post it.

A New Twist on FLYing

Before I ever heard about Fly Lady, I had read Sidetracked Home Executives. If I remember correctly, Fly Lady got her inspiration from the authors. I really like the index card system in the book. It's very similar to Fly Lady's Control Journal, but you write everything on different colored index cards. I always got overwhelmed because I'd write out all of the index cards and get bogged down. So my new plan is to sort of combine Fly Lady and SHE.

My "Chore" Box



I have dividers with the months of the year and numbers 1-31. At the very front, I have the current month's calendar. (This one is from Donna Young.) Directly behind that is an index card for everything that needs to be accomplished that day. (Which hangs out IN FRONT OF the number17, because today is the 17th.) When I finish something the card goes in front of tomorrow's date.

Here are a few examples of daily items.



I've been very slow about my baby steps. I don't go to the next one until I'm completely comfortable with the previous. I guess I need newborn steps. You know how fast a newborn moves!

Just today I added two things that need to be done weekly. 1) Weigh Myself and 2) Lesson Prep.



On the back of "weigh myself" I wrote today's date with my weight. After that was completed, I filed it under next Thursday (July 24th).

I can't find my book and I can't remember exactly how they do the cards, but here's how I'm going to do mine.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

I am embarrassed to say that I had NEVER read this book before tonight.

I was so touched by the story. It has so much meaning! I almost cried. When we were done *B* said, "Mommy, it sounded like you were going to cry." And then I almost cried again! I'm a very emotional person, but this was a good story. If you've never read it... go read it now!

Galveston, TX

Latin works!!

We were reading from the book of John. It was *C*'s turn and the word was "disciple," he said, "discipuli." I laughed. I shouldn't have, poor guy was so embarrassed that he almost cried. Here's how the conversation went.

*C* "Why are you laughing?"

Me "It was cute. You said a Latin word instead of an English word."

*C* "What does disciple mean?"

Me "Well, it's an English word that comes from the Latin word discipuli. What does discipuli mean?"

*C* thought for a second. "Student."

Me "Very good. So what do you think disciple means?"

*C* "Student."

Me "Who were they students to?"

*C* "Jesus."

Me "That's right. So, whenever you're reading the Bible and it says 'the disciples' who do you think they're talking about?"

*C* "Jesus's students!" 

FLYing update

I kind of lost track where I was, so I picked a spot that I hadn't done yet. I don't know if it's right, but it'll work for me! :)

I did, however, keep my sink shiny every day. It's so nice to be able to wake up to a clean sink!

Daily Work Folders

I decided to come up with some independent work for the older two, while *T* and I work on Kindergarten. They said that they love it because it feels like they're doing homework! 

In the pockets are:

1. Assignment Sheet (example below)

2. Any worksheets needed

3. Extra lined paper

4. Assigned Reading Book 

When the assignments are completed, they "check" the box. In my first free moment I look over what they've done and put the date next to their check marks. (Writing the date is my way of knowing that I've checked something. I do it for all subjects.)

Basically, it has an assigned reading and a page from Adventures in Phonics. *C* also has his copywork assignment from Sonlight LA. The only "limit" is that it has to be completed before they go to bed.

Click here to download a PDF version.

/m/, /m/, moon

I cant' get over how much he *loves* Kindergarten. He learned the sound of the letter "m" and made this week's Moon Badge. We also redid the Sun Badge since I got some of the interfacing.

Baby Step 3...

I got dressed to my shoes and shined my sink before bed. It was very tempting to leave those 2 pizza pans til the morning, but I resisted. I even dried them and put them away! :) 

I also started a new job tonight! :) Thanks Kevin and Stacie! :)

Check out the link at the top to Open Arms Ministry.

Adventures in MFW ~ Week 5

We read about why the Pilgrims came to America and what happened when they got here. Then we constructed a paper house. We got the template from The Light and the Glory Children's Activity Book. (If you don't have it I highly recommend it!)

Later the baby destroyed our Plymouth Colony. I'm thinking that this is what happened to Jamestown! :)

We made oiled-paper windows. This is what the Pilgrims used, since they didn't have glass. The first paper is oiled, the second is not.

In Science, we learned about stars and constellations. I printed out constellation dot-to-dots from Enchanted Learning and Learning Page.

The last activity was sort of from MFW K. We were supposed to make a sun wall-hanging with paper plates and crayon shavings. Too much work for me. So, instead we made suns with Construction Paper - my best friend! :)

*B* picked blue so that her sun could be in the sky.

*C* picked black because the sun is in space.

*T* picked green because he wanted to be different.

We also finished reading Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims.

As far as the "other" subjects go, I implemented a "Daily Work" folder for *B* and *C*. It worked so wonderfully that I'm going to write a separate post about it.

I'm FLYing... again...

Last night I decided to start FLYing again. I've started and stopped a few times, but I'm thinking that if I blog then I'll be more faithful. It was too late to shine my sink so I combined Baby Step 1 and Baby Step 2. My big job for today was to shine my sink. Now, you've got to know that I'm embarrassed and proud at the same time... here goes...



It took almost all day to accomplish this, but I'm proud. :)

the TRUE meaning of July 4th

Imagine the most excited kid voice you can. (Going to Disney World or something like that.)

*C* says, "*T* tomorrow is Independence Day! The day we celebrate not being from England!"

I busted out laughing! The funniest part about not being FROM England is that my Memaw (mom's mom) was born and raised in England.

I'm still laughing! :)

Attack of the Giant Baby!!