Making Connections

How do we make connections with our memory work?  How do we review and build vocabulary?
This section will be ideas for making those connections from straight rote memory to using the information we are memorizing.

History Crossword Puzzle
This crossword puzzle reviews vocabulary used in Cycle 3 history sentences.

Day 19 - NATURE CONVERSATION

SUN

4 In them he has set a tent for the sun,

5 which comes out like a bridegroom

leaving his chamber,

and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.  

Psalm 19:4c-6

NATURE CONVERSATION

I can sure relate to the "nothing is hidden from its heat" part. I'm outside for only a few minutes and feel like I'm getting a sunburn.

Some things to consider about the sun. First, is that God is creator of the sun. Ancient people often worshiped the sun. Our first day of the week is even called "Sun"day. But we as Christians worship the Creator and not created things. We marvel at God's majesty by observing creation and giving Him glory.

We can dive into discussions about the purpose of the sun. One purpose of the sun stated in Genesis 1 is to measure time. For more on that discussion, see my Nature Day about the moon.

Other purposes of the sun, for discussion and study, are heat energy for plants to grow and a source of light.

NATURE JOURNAL

• Record the temperature at various times of day or in different places (shade, nonshade). We purchased thermometers for use in our experiments from Steve Spangler Science. I don't believe they sell them anymore, but they can be purchased inexpensively on Amazon.
• Track the movement of the sun by watching the shadows.

NATURE STUDY

• Learn the parts of the sun. We did this as part of our CC cycle 2 science.
• Observe and learn about eclipses. There will be a full solar eclipse over North America in August, depending on where you live.
• Study of how sunlight affects our bodies - Vitamin D, sunburns, skin cancer, etc. - as well as how to protect our skin from the sun.
• Observations of how the sun and lack of sun affects plants. If you are into gardening, this is a natural discussion. We plant certain plants where there is full sun (that is, little shade) and other plants in shady areas.

Putting my Kid's Creativity to Work

Summer boredom.  That's where we are right now.  Too hot outside, plus our little ones have been sick, so we can't have friends over or go places.  Here's one activity I found for the kids that was not just busy work.  Creative but useful.

Envelopes for our Money

Our church is going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, which encourages you to use cash for budgeting.  We made some cute, durable envelopes and even added Scripture to them. 

These are made with cardstock (some plain and some scrapbooking paper) and tape - colorful duct tape on some and clear packing tape on others.   

My daughters came up with most of the designs and Scriptures themselves.

Day 18 - NATURE CONVERSATION

ANTS

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-8

Nature Conversation

Our yard is covered in ant beds. So, this has been a main topic when we are outside. (In fact, these ants seem to be making their way into our house. ....) So, today, we read portions of Proverbs 6 and Proverbs 30 and discussed how the ants are busy in the summertime. They are self-motivated, not needing a ruler to direct them. Are we self-motivated like that? Or are we like the sluggard described in the following verses?

We struggle during the summer - with it too hot to be outside. We easily sunburn and the heat seems to drain our energy and make us cranky. However, God does not want us to be lazy and waste our summer. We need to be as diligent as ants in making the use of our time, doing whatever the Lord calls us to do.

Nature Journaling

• Proverbs 30 is filled with imagery, word pictures. My girls were inspired to draw based on some of these word pictures. It mentions ants, but also includes roosters, snakes, eagles, lizards, etc.
• Make record of size and locations of anthills. 
• Take time to watch ants. Not just the "watch out for ants" as you spend time outside, but watch ants to observe where are they going? Are they following other ants or out alone? Are they carrying food on their backs? How far do they venture from their homes? A lot can be learned by simple observation.

Nature Study

• Identify types of ants.
• If the Bible identifies ants as wise, why do they bite us? This is a paraphrased question from one of my kids. Dive into the protective instincts and abilities of different creatures. Also, see the discussion about Animal/Human Interactions.
• Explore/research what works for pest control.

Nature Connections

Aesop's Fable: "The Grasshopper and the Ant"

We sang this song this morning: it has a part that says, "Learn a lesson from the bugs."

Cycle 3, Week 2

Science

Them Not So Dry Bones by School House Rocks

History

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Liberty Bell Activities

• Watch National Treasure (not suitable for all ages, rated PG)
• Dot-to-Dot Liberty Bell to put in your notebook
• Watch Dick Van Dyke season 5 episode 8 "Odd but True," available on Netflix.  Not super educational, but I love this show and so do my kids. I like when TV shows connect to what we are learning - pegs in their brains are forming through repetition of concepts.

Books to Read, relating to the Geography

• Adventures of Taxi Dog, by Debra and Sal Barracca
• The Mystery at Snowflake Inn, Boxcar Children Series, by Gertrude Chandler Warner, set in Vermont
• Raising Yoder's Barn by Jane Yolen (set in Pennsylvania)
• Homespun Sarah, by Verla Kay (set in 1700s)
• Stories about Milton Hershey (Pennsylvania) - we have the audio version of the YWAM publishing: Heroes of History

These are set in New York, but might be studied later on, with discussions of immigration

• A Picnic in October, by Eve Bunting
• The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
• Draw the statue of liberty
• Draw (or build with legos!) things from the New York skyline

Thomas A. Edison, Young Inventor, by Sue Guthridge of the  Childhood of Famous Americans (New Jersey)  You might save this one for later in the year, when we get to the early 1900s and we learn about builders of industry.

Day 17 - NATURE CONVERSATION

STONES/NATURE IN GENERAL

38“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”  Luke 19:38-40

NATURE CONVERSATION

This morning my kids and I sang together "Ain't No Rock," a song inspired by the above Scripture.

"Ain't no rock gonna cry in my placeAs long as I'm alive I'll glorify His Holy name."

There are a few other verses that speak of creation responding in worship to God or in anticipation of Him setting things right.

NATURE JOURNAL

Make a list of things God created, as you see them. This may seem elementary, but the activity makes you slow down for a moment and ponder all the different aspects of creation. It may inspire a poem or drawing or it may inspire a moment of awe and worship. It might also inspire questions in need of further study.


One of the main purposes of the nature journaling is to slow down because in slowing down we have time to observe. The process of observation leads to internalizing. It also leads to curiousity and wonder.

NATURE STUDY

Take time to study something in depth, inspired by your time out in nature.

STATES NOTEBOOKING

Our states notebook is filled with all kinds of activities, information, maps, and memories.  It is not in the least bit fancy - it was done by pre-schoolers through 3rd graders.  

So, lay off the idea that it needs to be perfect or you need to have it all planned out from the beginning - just get started!

My regional dividers were just construction paper, like the one posted here.  We occasionally added maps of various regions, that I printed from online.

I like using these pages that have a place for drawing and a place for writing.  The kids can write the name of the state and anything else that stands out to them.  They can draw a picture of anything that relates to that state.  For younger students, the parent can do the writing.

Our family started on this states' notebook more than 5 years ago and added to it for a few years.  I only recently pulled it off the shelf, since we are going to focus on US history and geography this year.  I love to look back at what we learned and see the work that my kids did a few years ago.  I don't keep most of their drawings or schoolwork, but just a few of these notebooks - based on year or on subject.

Begin your USA states notebook.  

• Trace the states on tracing paper.
• Insert your sheets from your states coloring book.
• Add a drawing related to books on the states or history events on the states or whatever theme you choose.
• Have your child write the name, capital, and abbreviation on one of the pages in the notebook (coloring sheet or drawing or traced page).
• Copy a USA map and have students color just the states you are working on for the week.

Activities Related to the States

• If you know someone in these states or you have been there previously or you are traveling there, add extra to your notebook.  For example, save brochures from a place you visited or call your uncle who live in that state and let him tell you something extra about the state.  (For us, that would be pictures of alligators from the Everglades in FL or drawing a picture of a train after talking to an uncle who has worked at the railroad in NE for 40 years. 

 Other samples of what we included in our notebook

Artwork, book reports or summaries with illustrations, flags, Draw Write Now inspired drawings, etc

Ohio, spelled with appleseeds and gun for Annie Oakley

picture for Alabama, Draw Write Now provided instructions for drawing bus

covered wagon drawing and summary of a Little House book