I need to really be good at recording learning outcomes for my Westwind teachers, so this blog is of utmost importance this year. I think I will go through each of the four main subjects (math, language arts, Social Studies, and Science) for each kid every week, including William a lot of the time even though he is technically not part of Westwind.
I think I'll go in random order a lot because that puts the fun things first, and I'll still put extra stuff in there.
So....here it goes:
SOCIAL STUDIES
So this year we're studying the founding of US and Canada. This begins with the First Nation People of course. I bought this historical fiction book about the Blackfoot people living right here! They even mention Chief Mountain, the Peigan Tribe, the Blood tribes etc. Pretty cool. But what's not cool is that the main underlying story is that this 15 year old girl can't wait to get married and start her own polygamist family, especially when her 13 year old friend just got married.
It's called Sweetgrass
We also have read the first two books of the Kaya: An American Girl series which is about a Nez Pierce girl in the 1700s. I love American girl books.
And of Course that wasn't enough for Maxwell and he's currently reading the rest.
We made Teepees one day as our activity. Which is perfect for the First Nations here who were Teepee dwellers.
Then we went to Writing on Stone as a First Nation field trip. SO FUN! I love playing on hoodoos. I think Dustin will never let me forget how I called panicking because I was ten feet up a steep bank and couldn't get down with Abraham in my arms.
I'm scared of heights, okay?
The interpretive centre was very informative about First Nations and Daniel especially loved a First Nation game he learned there.
While we were on the hoodoos, I read to them ancient First Nation legends.
And then on the way home we found another visiter's centre that had some cool things:
And THEN my friend Jenny called as we were headed home, inviting us to a Maker's Party. We all brought crafts and ingredients, and let creativity flow. This was perfect, because I was planning on having my kids make totem poles, and this was my push to actually do it! I love my friends!
See Daniel's First Nation painting? A teepee with a fire drying a hide, a horse in the background, and some warriors hunting a buffalo herd. Love it!
SCIENCE
We've done a few weeks of science....because...well, we've been doing school for a few weeks. And this is my first post of the year. Oops.
The first week, we had an introduction to magnets. We had to quickly explain atoms again so that magnets could be properly understood. We talked about lining up the atoms with in things. We talked about opposite attracting, and what elements were magnetic.
The next week we talked about the magnetic poles of the earth. We talked about compasses and made our own compasses from pins that we had rubbed until they were magnetic.
The next week we introduced electricity. We talked about how magnets made electricity and how electricity made magnets. We even made our own electro magnet!!! I was so proud.
We talked about how electrons moved. We had everyone sit on the couches and move over so one kid could fit on and one kid on the opposite end fell off, and then they would move in the same direction again and the kid that had fallen off would move to the end that was waiting to get on the couches, and made our own "direct current" with our child "electrons." Then I had the kids make a "alternating current" by changing direction each time they move over a space.
We of course learned about lightning and static electricity as well. The good ol' rub-the-balloon science experiment never gets old.
This is my crew this year:
MATH
Maxwell's math has picked off right where it left off, so I made him review all the math he did last year in a test before we started, but now we're moving along in the new books.
Daniel is doing great. Rightstart level E starts out with fun math puzzles called "Magic Squares." I found this book about Benjamin Franklin that went along with these lessons, which was perfect since I want to have my kids know who Benjamin Franklin is this year.
Hyrum's math. Heh heh. Funny story. Umm well, I bought new worksheets, but his actual teacher's manual is in....ummmm...Vanuatu. We'll be there soon. I've been delaying starting math with him. I have a fraction book I can use until then.....I just need to do that.
LANGUAGE ARTS
Maxwell's language arts have been smoothly moving forward. His keyboarding has been challenging him which he hates and I love.
His IEW grammar and writing is moving him right along at a steady pace.
Hyrum is being tutored by Jandy in Barton book five until we leave. Then I guess it's up to me.
One thing I'm proud is my consistency with daily reading of Stand Alone chapter books, and creative writing dictation and handwriting that I do with both Hyrum and Daniel.
We had done a bit of the story Hyrum is writing before summer. We do a full page and a half of him dictating and me writing, but skipping every other line so that he has to practice his handwriting.
This is Hyrum's story so far:
The Warrior Elements
The water elements were having a meeting. The plant elements' favourite thing was to eat the water elements. The water elements eat the fire elements, and the fire eat the plants.
The water elements were tired of being worried that they would get eaten by the plant elements. One of the water elements mentioned "Hey, what if we make ourselves look like the fire elements to scare away the plant elements?"
There was a big long pause. Then another water element spoke up, "I know where we could get disguises! Let's send a search party to the Lava Fire Temple. I have a map. I know there is armour there that looks just like the fire elements. We can use the armour to disguise us as fir elements, so the plant elements will leave us alone."
The captain agreed. "We will send a party at dawn."
They went, and as they were walking in the forest, they could hear something in the bushes.
"Plants!" said the guard, as suddenly tons of plant elements jumped out and surrounded them. A fire element instantly appeared. The fire element cared the plant elements away. The water elements were ready for anything. The fire element spoke, "Hey, It's me, Bloop! I ran ahead and got the armour."
While they were putting on the armour, Flame, a real fire element, was watching them from the bushes. Flame was examining the armour and realized the water's plan. Flame ran home and told the chief what the water elements were up to.
Flame also went to the plant elements, to tell them what was happening. He used Morse code to tell the plants because they were scared of him.
Everyone was mad at each other. The Water elements were mad that the Fire elements broke their cover, the fire elements were mad that the water elements had pretended to be them, and the Plant elements were mad that the Water Elements tried to trick them.
A war broke out. Everyone started eating each other. No one felt safe or happy except those that hid under ground.
Flame hadn't meant to start a war. He had just wanted everyone to be safe. He wanted to find a way to end this war. While he was walking in the forest, he remembered how he had once seen a temple a long a certain path. He walked that way, and he thought he heard something rustling in the bushes. In the bushes, he found a plant element.
"Don't eat me!" he yelled.
"I'm not much of an eater." said Flame. "What's your name?"
"Vipe." said the plant element.
"Hey Vipe, have you seen a temple near by?" asked Flame.
"Yes, but not on this path. Why are you on this path? And I didn't catch you name." Said Vipe.
"Flame is my name, and I remember seeing a temple along this path. I think it will lead to something helpful. Do you want to come with me?"
"Sure!" While they were walking, it felt kind of strange walking with a plant elements. Flame had been peaceful with the plant elements for a long time, but it was strange to be with one up close without them running away.
"We're here!" Vipe said. The temple stood before them and Flame was wondering how he didn't notice the temple until now. Flame and Vipe entered the temple. Then, in the centre of the whole temple, there was a giant purple crystal floating in mid-air.
While they were walking inside, they saw many statues. One looked like Vipe, one looked like Flame, and there was another that looked like a water element.
Vipe said "What should we do with this big purple crystal?"
"I was wondering that too. Let's see what it can do first." said Flame. "What happens when you try to shoot thunder from it?: Flame went over to the crystal, which was as big as he was. It was light to pick up because it had hovering capabilities. But when Flame moved it away from where it was positioned, it suddenly became very heavy. Flame dropped it, and it shattered into a million pieces.
Dadadaduuuunnnnn. To be continued.
HEY! That was really long! I guess it just goes to show how if you are consistent, little things can add up!
Also, I've been trying to get them to do their spelling more regularly. We'll see.
Daniel's story was started when school started. As with Hyrum, I had him outline his story before we began. He dictated to me the setting, the characters, and the main events.
So without further ado, here's Daniel's story:
The Adventures of Digital 3s
I was on the ground passed out. I opened my eyes and looked around. I saw fine white sand along a beach. The last thing I could remember was a dark wizard about to attack me. I had been far away from any beach.
"Where am I? What just happened?" I wondered.
I got up and looked around. There were two other people lying on the beach. One was awake.
"What just happened?" asked the man that was awake. The man looked up and saw me. He quickly picked up a rock to throw it at me.
"Wait! I yelled. "I want to know the same thing you do!"
"So you were randomly teleported to this beach and passed out? asked the man.
"I think so. That same thing happened to me." I said.
The man dropped the rock and looked confused. The man had brown skin, brown spiky hair and brown eyes. "Who are you?" I asked.
"My name is Twister. Who's that?" and Twister pointed to the man that was just waking up.
"He must be another guy that we got teleported with." I said. Suddenly the man that was lying down jumped up and threw a ninja blade at Twister and me. He totally missed.
"Hey, we are on the same side as you." I said. The man calmed down. He had straight light brown hair and brown eyes. His face was covered in freckles, and three scar lines went passed his eye down to his cheek. He was wearing an eye patch over that eye. He said "so you teleported me to this beach?"
"No, but somebody did." Twister said. A ninja blade suddenly appeared the man's hand.
Twister asked "What are you guy's names?" We all introduced ourselves. "I'm Jim" I said, and the man with the eye patch was named Jack.
A beacon of light suddenly appeared right next to us. We heard a voice coming out of the light.
"You three are great warriors. You were brought here to protect this world. You will each be given a gift and an ability. Twister, you will have the ability of shapeshifting. Here is a weapon. It is a boomerang that is also a shape shifter. When you shape shift, the boomerang will shape shift into the best weapon for the creature that you chose." A boomerang suddenly appeared out of the light.
"Sir Jack, you have the ability of strength and skill. You will never tire and will know combat moves that you've never been taught. Your gift is a staff thetas enchanted. You will find out more about it as you journey with it." Jack grabbed the staff with wonder.
"Jim, you get the gift of a very powerful magical wand, and your ability is that you are a warlock." I gave a confused look. "A warlock is a boy witch. You will be able to enchant things."
"This land is full of Chompers, beasts that are eating everything. Your quest is to protect this world." The beam of light disappeared.
"What just happened?" Twister said.
Jack said "Well, I guess we're chosen warriors or something?"
I looked away from the ocean and saw the jungle. "Hey, let's start our quest right now. I think we should go into the jungle."
To be continued.....
And in other news, Robotics and Art classes have started and they are loving it like always
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