First Grade, Science, Set One

Here is a list of resources we used for learning about the Arctic:

• Ice Bears by Brenda Z. Guiberson -- this book is really great because it doesn't just spew out facts, but puts the facts in a story.
• All Kinds of Habitats by Sally Hewitt -- I used this book the first day of school to introduce the subject. I'll probably get it from the library to introduce each biome.
• Survival at 40 Below by Debbie S. Miller -- another great book that puts facts into a story. We also got our list of (more than) 10 animals that live in the Arctic from this book.
• A Tundra Food Chain by Rebecca Hogue Wojahn -- K. loves this book. You pick an animal and turn to the page designated, then read about it and then choose what it had for dinner last night, turn to that page, learn about it, choose what it had for dinner last night, etc. until you get to plants. There is a lot of information in this book, so to keep it at a 1st grade level we are skipping quite a bit, but it is definitely a book to re-visit when she is older.
• Call of the White Fox by Willis Lindquist -- I read this during our family reading time.
• Nutik & Amaroq Play Ball by Jean Craighead George -- picture story book about a boy and his dog in the arctic
• The Call of the Wolves by Jim Murphy -- a picture story book about wolves in the arctic
• What if There Were no Lemmings? by Suxanne Siade -- I skipped some of this book because it got too politically correct for my taste, but the paintings are great.
• Arctic Adventures by Raquel Rivera -- this book has four stories. Pick and choose which to read.
• These books we just used to research information about animals and plants:
• The Arctic by Wayne Lynch
• Arctic A to Z by Wayne Lynch
• Pole to Pole by Barbara Taylor

• I printed out pages that have a space for an animal's name, its picture (we found them on the internet), three lines to write something interesting about the animal, and she circles either Nocturnal or Diurnal, and Carnivore, Herbivore, or Omnivore.
• One day we looked through our books for ten plants that grew in the Arctic. The next day we looked on-line for pictures of them. I printed out pictures (1-inch high). K. cut them out and glued them by their names.

Here is the list of resources we used for learning about the Antarctic:

• A Penguin Year by Susan Bonners -- learn all about the Adelie penguins in a story format
• Icy Antarctic Waters by Wendy Pfeffer -- has lots of interesting information in an easy-to-read format, especially information about Emperor Penguins, Minke Whales, and Weddell Seals
• Exploring Our World: Polar Regions by Terry Jennings -- has a good diagram and explanation of a glacier. There is information on both the Arctic and Antarctic.
• Penguins! by Gail Gibbons -- a good fact book
• Antarctica by Allan Fowler -- this a a "Rookie Read-About Geography" book, and although it does not give a bunch of information, it is a good book for very young children. It can also be used as a starting point for childen. example: "This book says that some birds and insects live in Antarctica. Let's look in these other books and see what birds live there."
• Antarctic Journal by Meredith Hooper -- picture book, but really a journal about her summer at Antarctica. Don't try to read the entire book at one time.

Here are books I wish we had been able to get to (I didn't think there would be so many good books about Antarctica!):

• The Antarctic Habitat by Molly Aloian and Bobby Kalman
• Amazing Arctic & Antarctic Projects You Can Build Yourself by Carmella Van Vleet
• Antarctic Antics by Judy Sierra -- this is a book of penguin poems
• March of the Penguins from the film by Luc Jacquet
• Antarctica by Lynn M. Stone
• Animals Robert Scott Saw by Sandra Markle

On our last day we made a chart of how the Arctic and Antarctic were Alike and Different. In trying to answer a couple questions, we found the Polar Discovery website. We didn't get to look at everything, so K. wants to be sure to visit it again.

First Grade, Fine Arts, Set One

We are learning about Johann Sebastian Bach. Here is a list of books and cd's we liked:

• Bach's Big Adventure by Sallie Ketcham
• Play Bach! [cd] written by Chris Ceraso and Gena Raps -- this cd is probably more interesting for older students
• Mr. Bach Comes to Call [cd] by Karen Lavnt -- tells the story of Mr. Back dropping in on a little girl at the piano.
• Famous Children: Bach by Ann Rachlin -- tells the story of Bach copying his brother's music, with one page about his adult life
• Johann Sebastian Bach: Great Man of Music by Carol Greene -- this is A Rookie Biography book
• Johann Sebastian Bach by Mike Venezia

Christmas

We don't have school during the holiday season, but we love to decorate, bake, read, and watch videos. Every year we purchase one new Christmas book. On Christmas Eve we watch Pride and Prejudice (the BBC 5 hour version). Between each of the 6 episodes we do something, like make cookies, open presents, play a game, etc. This makes for a full and fun day!

Here is my list of favorite books to read for Christmas (in no particular order):

• The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Demi
• The Nutcracker by Alison Jay
• Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco
• The Light at Tern Rock by Julia L. Sauer
• America's First Christmas by Hertha Pauli
• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
• Miracle in a Shoe Box by Franklin Graham
• The Christmas Stories of George MacDonald
• No Tree for Christmas by Marilyn Lashbrook
• Merry Christmas With Love by Sandi Patty
• Christmas in Happy Forest by Mary Hollingsworth
• Silent Night: A Mouse Tale by Betsy Hernandez and Donny Monk
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski
• A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg
• Christmas Stories from Grandma's Attic by Arleta Richardson

and my most favorite Christmas book:

• All is Well: A Story for Christmas by Frank E. Peretti

Videos we like:

• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (with Loretta Swit)
• Silent Mouse (narrated by Lynn Redgrave)
• The Nutcracker

Making A Spinner

A lot of the games on my blog use a spinner. If you don't have one, here is how I made mine.

First I took a scrap piece of wood and a nail. I had this spinner face that we were using at the time (yes, this spinner is probably 14 years old). I stapled the spinner face to the piece of wood then pounded the nail in at the center of the face.

Next, cut an arrow out of a piece of construction paper and tape or glue it to a large paper clip. The other end of the paper clip slips easily over the nail and freely rotates for spinning.

When you need a different spinner face for another game, just make a small hole and slip it over the nail (take the paper clip off first, then put it back on).

To work the spinner, place one finger on top of the nail and flick the pointer/paper clip with your other hand. If the pointer lands on a line, sometimes we spin again, and sometimes we add the two numbers together -- depending on the game.

School Break Goals

I've made charts with goals that I want K. and myself to accomplish each week during our winter break. Some of the goals are: drinking 6 glasses of water a day, reading a new book each week, completing a sewing project each week, and doing an exercise video four times during the week. Some are chores that need to be done. Some are things I want K. to start doing (like brushing her hair). Some are things I want to remember to do (like watching BJU's archived webinars).

At the end of each week we see who has the FEWEST boxes completed on their chart. That person has to put $1 in a jar. On the first day of first grade we will take the money and treat ourselves at Golden Spoon.

Bible Memory Verses

God gave me this really good idea: Read the passages we are going to memorize next year during our winter break.

As I thought about this, I realized that reading each passage once a week for nine weeks will make K. so familiar with the passages that when it is time to memorize them it will probably be easier.

Kindergarten, Book Study, Week 42

This week we finished reading A Bear Called Paddington and started reading Margaret Pumphrey's Pilgrim Stories. We also recited Psalm 62:5-8, and played Fast Track and Egg Carton Tales.

Friday evening we celebrated K.'s kindergarten graduation with  family dinner. After the dinner I awarded her a Kindergarten Diploma and an Award of Merit certificate and ribbon for her memorization work. After that we went to Marie Callender's for pie.

Here are some activities you can do to expand on the book Pilgrim Stories (these are just from the first chapter):

• Read/learn more about Robin Hood
• Geography: England, Sherwood Forest, Scrooby, Holland
• Find out about Scrooby Manor
• Learn more about King James and Queen Anne
• What did the separatists believe?
• Play Hide-and-Seek
• Play Drop the Handkerchief
• Draw a picture
• Scrooby Manor's garden
• The Queen's carriage
• A rose
• The church service in the barn

Kindergarten, Bible, Week 41

This week we:

• Reviewed Psalm 62:5-8
• Reviewed Catechism (3 days)
• Read Stories 261 - 270 in Picture Story Bible
• Other books, stories, and videos:
• Boys and Toys from Storytime . . . Millers
• Red Boots from Other Lands
• Mrs. R-P and the Chocolate Cherry Treat
• The Princess and the Kiss
• Prayer
• It is interesting, K. has started her own prayer journal in a small notebook she got at a birthday party.
• Song: He Keeps Me Singing

Kindergarten, Writing, Week 41

Practice "Sentence": And talk of God who cares for me.

• I thought K. would need 2 lines to write it, but she wanted to write it on 1 line. The first day "for me" was really squished. But she learned to write everything skinnier so it would all fit nicely on the line.

Small Muscle Development:

• Activity: Say It With Pictures, see Writing, Week 9 for instructions
• Our theme was Thanksgiving

Story Development:

• Activity: Strange Sentences, from Games for Writing -- this game gives children the opportunity to compose nonsensical sentences while helping them understand the grammatical anatomy of common sentences.
• You'll Need: a Strange Sentences Chart, and a Spinner with numbers 1 - 6, paper, pencil
• In the book are charts with sentences broken up into pieces (Who/What, Did What, Where, When, and Punctuation). Each chart has six sentences.
• How to Play:
• Have your child flick the spinner.
• It it lands on 3, then you take the Who/What from sentence number three.
• Spin again.
• What ever number it lands on, you take the Did What from that sentence.
• Continue spinning a getting the sentence parts until you have the complete sentence.
• Let your child illustrate the sentence and tell you a story about it.
• Our sentence was: My cat lost a part in the barn during lunch!

Writing Practice:

• Activity: Traveling Words, see Writing, Week 28 for instructions
• The shape to write on was an autumn leaf

Kindergarten, Reading, Week 41

The genres from our textbook were:

• Informational article
• Poem
• Fiction

Activity: Oops, see Reading, Week 37 for instructions