September Fun Stuff

There are national "days, weeks, and months" for almost anything. Those that are absolutely inspirational and others that are not so much. Did you know that September 5th was National Be Late for Something Day? Yes, really.

Here is our list of some of the one from a long list that we are going to explore and how I plan on implementing them. I hope you will join us! - Michele

September Fun Days

September is National Courtesy Month
*We will be watching, "Time For Table Manners", a Disney Educational film. My kids already are pretty good at please, thank you, and basic manners. Their table manners could use some work though. This one is kind of fun too.

September 1st - Labor Day
"Why do Americans and Canadians celebrate Labor Day?"

September 7th - Grandparent's Day
The kids will be making cards and we will pick up a few small items to put in a basket for each set of grandparents. I love this goofy photo album idea. 

September 12th - National Video Game Day
History of Video Games followed by some Minecraft!

September 13th - Roald Dahl and Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day
I'm thinking of having the kids make a Roald Dahl inspired dinner. I think that they could use the Three Course Gum from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. Anyone up for some Tomato Soup, Roast Beef & Baked Potato, and Blueberry Pie and Ice Cream. 

September 17th - Constitution and Citizenship Day
I plan on letting the kids explore this page founded by Sandra Day O'Conner. 

September 21st - Wife Appreciation Day
I think I will switch this up a bit and throw in a love note to my hubby and kids. 

September 23rd - National Great American Pot Pie Day
For the PKUer in the family, I think I will us this recipe with modifications: 
Veggie Pot Pie
160gm potatoes cut into small cubes
50 gm onion, chopped
75 gm carrots, sliced
25 gm celery, sliced
1 can of swansons Vegetarian Vegetable broth
1/2 cup of non dairy creamer
1.5 tbsp butter divided
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp. sage
Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust dough ( the kind you can unroll)

Boil cubes of potatoes in veggie broth until soft, about 10 mins. Meanwhile saute onions, carrots and celery in 1/2 butter until barely tender, about 5 mins.Drain potatoes, reserve 1/2 cup broth in seperate cup. MAke a white sauce by adding melted butter, and cornstarch and whisking until smooth.Slowly add cream and veggie broth and simmer until thickeneds. Add sauteed veggies and potatoes into while sauce, along sage, and salt and pepper, if desired. Fill 2 small (4oz) aluminum pot pie tins with mixture (about 235 gms in each).Then top each pot pie with 28 gms of pie dough. Bake in oven @ 400 degree for 15 - 20 mins.

Total phe: 324
Phe pre gram: 61

and this for the dough

Pot Pie Dough

1 1/2 cups Wheat Starch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Butter flavored Crisco

1 tablespoon water

2 1/2 tablespoons light Karo corn syrup

Combine wheat starch and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, fork, or 2 knives, until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs; sprinkle water over and blend with a fork. Dribble syrup over and continue mixing with a fork. Dough will be moist. Gather dough into a ball, adding wheat starch to your hands if sticky. toll out onto surface dusted with wheat starch, or pat out into desired shape.

Makes enough dough for one of the following:

10 pot pies

8 small turnovers

4 large turnovers

four 4-inch diameter pie pans

                                

               Phenylalanine (mg)  Protein (gm)        Calories

Per recipe          29             0.5                     1696

Per pot pie          3              -                      170

Per small turnover   4             0.1                     212

Per large turnover

or 4-inch pie pan    7             0.1                     424

For the rest of us a Super Easy recipe is just what I was looking for.

September 25th - National Comic Book Day
We are kind of a nerdy family, so a trip to the comic book store is in order. I am also planning on sending my nephews and niece a few through the mail. I was also thinking about making these

haha, my skill level is no where near that! This would be great for my hubby's birthday day though. 

September 26th - National Pancake Day
Also know as, Teach the Kids to Make Their Own Pancakes Day! ;o)

September 27th - National Hunting and Fishing Day
We will be taking a trip to the National Wildlife Museum for an event specifically designed for this day. 

September 28th - National Good Neighbor Day
I think we will just be taking some cookies to our neighbors. I really want to try Loaded M&M Oreo Cookie Bars. Doesn't that sound delicious? I will need to work out an low protein version for my PKUer. Maybe gluten free fake oreos and less of the M&Ms, or a few M&Ms and butterscotch chips? 

Whatever you do don't do this!

September 29th - National Coffee Day
A trip to Starbucks would be fun, but my daughter would not be able to have anything. So, we are attempting to make them at home. She wanted to try a Cotton Candy Frappuccino, my son wanted a Coffee Frappuccino, and I love the White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino. I will need to figure out how to make these at home. I will post the recipe when I work out the details.

September 30th - National Chewing Gum Day, National Mud Pack Day
While chewing some Bubble Yum (PKU safe), we will apply our masks. I am going to try to find this one at the drugstore. Maybe we will even do some cucumbers over our eyes. 

Don't forget to check me out on Facebook!-Michele

The Medieval Indian Empire

Story of the World

 Volume 2, Chapter 5

The Medieval Indian Empire

Day 1
Listen to Chapter 5 by Jim Weiss.
Cut out Ajanta Caves booklet from lapbook pages.
Write two narrations from the SOTW Activity Guide.

Day 2
Watch : India Gupta Empire
Add "Ajanta Caves deserted" on timeline (550 ad)

Day 3
Read, Mohammed.
Watch, The Life of Muhammad.
Write a summary in the notebook and add him to the timeline.
Map and worksheets.

Curriculum 2014-2015

I can not believe I just wrote those years in the title! Can it really be that I have been homeschooling for (gasp) seven years? It has been a hard road at times, but I am so thankful for this time with my two little ones. This has been the most amazing road and I wouldn't trade anything about this life I am living right now. Okay, on to my curriculum picks for this year.

Curriculum Picks for 2014-2015

 

Poem Memorization

We are memorizing our favorites. Nothing special.
 

Spelling

I downloaded a list of the most commonly used words (a list of 1200) and we are working through those. They get a few days to study and then a test on the last day of the week.

Grammar

We are starting this year with a free curriculum from Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool. We are beginning with Language Arts Year 4 and skipping the spelling and writing exercises.

 

Typing

Typing Tutor

I have been using Typing Tutor with the kids for about a year. I created a main account and each kid has their own account that is connected to mine. They kids get on and continue the lesson they have been working on. I only allow them to "save and continue" when they have achieved 98% or better. This is an easy lesson that only takes them about 5-8 minutes. 

Cursive

If you remember how to write in cursive, all you really need is a copy of the cursive alphabet for each child. I go through one letter at a time, with them mastering as they go. 

History

Science

 videos from Khan Academy and Youtube.

Geography

We are learning to blob and will expand our studies from there. 

Art History

A friend is leading a co-op that is covering all the isms with this book.
Name That Style

She is also covering biographies and history with this one.
Art: Everything you Need to Know About the Greatest Artists and Their Work

These look absolutely fabulous. I am excited for the kids to get started!

Thinking Skills/Logic
We are going to be using a Battleship game and Chess.

 

Required Reading List, my own list

4H
Projects include: Sewing, Yeast Bread, Cake Decorating, Electricity, Leathercraft, and possibly Sport Fishing.

6th Grader

Math

Writing

Student Directed Project
Alex will be working on modding Nerf guns and making movies with his dad.
 

4th Grader

Math

Writing

 

Student Directed Project

We are using the website called, DIY. It looks super cool. Kids get to pick their own projects and complete them to earn badges. I am hoping this will give Sidney the feeling of scouts. It is subscription based.

DIY (skills list)

 

Ecce Romani 1

We started Latin last year, when someone offered to lead a class. We used Latin for Children, Primer A, as our text. Although the class and teacher were excellent, it moved to fast for my kids. This year we are using Ecce Romani I as our text. Ecce Romani has a story and gives us glimpses into life in Rome. I prefer that much more to the very formal style (imo) of Latin for Children. We are probably going to move through it at a snail's pace, but I really want mastery before we go on.

Before we are even opening the book, I am having the kids study the chapter's vocabulary. When we have memorized that, we will go through the chapter in the book. I am planning on following this same procedure for each chapter.

I have the kids write down five of the words with their definitions and then study them quietly. They study those for a few days, then move on to the next five. Every few days I say a Latin word and they say the definition. Then I will say the definition and they tell me the Latin.

As you can see by the page here, translating starts right off. Once familiar with the vocabulary we should be able to focus on the structure of the sentences. It helps to be strong in English grammar concepts. We are working on the concepts we will need for Latin in our grammar lessons too.

Are your kids learning Latin? If so, what do you use and why do you like it?

By the way, we only study for 15 minutes per lesson. We tried studying Latin for Children for about 3 hours a week and I don't think we got any further than we are getting with just 15 minutes of focused attention. You CAN fit it into your day if you feel up to it!

Happy Homeschooling
-Michele

Poem Memorization

Poem memorization is something that I was introduced to while using Susan Wise Bauer's, First Language Lessons. My kids actually loved most of the poems and have since it's introduction, enjoyed reciting poems.
I have found some curriculum online, but never really anything that I felt passionate about buying. Since finishing First Language Lessons, I have pieced together my own set of poems that we tackle together each year.

The way we approach learning them is simple. We practice a poem by reading it through about three times every lesson day until we have it down. Then we move on to the next. Every lesson we repeat all the ones we have learned and then the one we are currently memorizing. After we have about five poems under our belt, we move on to the next five. We come back and repeat EVERY poem we have learned so far about once a month to keep them fresh in our minds.

I'm not sure how many of these poems will stick with the kids as they grown into adults, or if it is really that important to memorize the poems I have selected. I do know that we are having fun with our selections! I will leave you with our current poem:

The Yak

By Hilaire Belloc (1896)

As a friend to the children commend me the Yak.

You will find it exactly the thing:

It will carry and fetch, you can ride on its back, 

Or lead it about with a string.

The Tartar who dwells on the plains of Thibet

(A desolate region of snow)

Has for centuries made it a nursery pet.

And surely the Tartar should know!

Then tell your papa where the Yak can be got, 

And if he is awfully rich

He will buy you the creature - or else he will not.

(I cannot be positive which.)

Happy Homeschooling!

-Michele

Tale of Cubby Bear

The Tale of Cubby Bear was written by Arthur Scott Bailey and published in  1915.

This particular title is not on the Robinson Curriculum list, but it was the title that appealed to us. It is a cute little book about a very mischievous cub that gets into all sorts trouble. I couldn't find any links for activities.

Here is the book for free.
The Tale Cuffy Bear

Grizzly Bear Worksheet

The Tale of Jolly Robin

The Tale of Jolly Robin was written by Arthur Scott Bailey and published in 1977.

Here are some links to some sites that will help activities for this great little book. It is the first book from the Robinson Curriculum list.

You can download the book here for free in various formats.
The Tale of Jolly Robin

Here you can have your student study vocabulary from the book.
Tale of Jolly Robin flash cards

If you want to listen to more tales you can listen here.
Arthur Scott Bailey tales