I see Asia and Vikings

Tuesday's work included some masking tape "I"s:

 

and an introduction to Asia in Geography. Caleb appeared with unrolled dental floss, so Noah took the opportunity to show him Asia on our map: 

Today, we learned about Vikings: 

and colored, cut and dressed Viking boys:  

The boys cut the horns from their helmets after learning that Viking warriors most likely did NOT have horned helmets. 

Bugs and Books

I was told recently that people in Scotland call pest control when a woodlouse is found in the house. We keep those found in the house in our handy bug kits, and we search for more outside. In the last week, our bug kits have been home to a fly, a spider, several snails, and presently to a community of woodlice and one millipede. The kits are occasional knocked over leading to a mad scramble to collect the escapees.

Nick and the boys search for bugs:

Caleb proudly shows his first catch:

Below are books we're loving right now:

We are family...

We read Genesis 2:7, 20-23 to find out how God made the first people. When asked if God has always made people in the same way, Noah responded by singing: "God made Adam's body out of the earth, and he made Eve from Adam's body." He knows his catechisms :)

We talked about all people descending from Adam and Eve, and then we made our family tree:

It's Electric!

Static electricity and friction lesson using wool and balloons:

Then, a little hair action:

We read The Little Red Hen and, of course, did a craft.

There was a little painting:

and tracing:

Ta-da:

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

We've spent several weeks studying South America, and much of our reading and activities has focused on the Amazon Rainforest. Today, we shifted our focus to people and celebrations. The people who live in the deserts of northern Chile make rainsticks from dead cactus tubes, hammer in spines, and place lava pebbles inside. Our resources are limited, so we made our own version.

Crinkle foil into the shape of a snake:

Twist and shape into a spring:

Place foil and rice into cardboard tube.

As an aside, Caleb was extremely careful and meticulous:

Decorate and shake, shake, shake.

There was a gentle shower:

that turned into a violent rainstorm:

Mixing it up

"He always loved the primary colors..." (Ted, Curious George)

Thankfully our little monkeys didn't paint the walls like Curious George:

They learned about mixing colors:

and painted grapes:

after reading The Fox and the Grapes (Aesop's Fables).

Another beautiful day called for romping outdoors and a picnic lunch:

Three Billy Goats Gruff and Silhouettes

After reading The Three Billy Goats Gruff, the boys each made a billy goat:

and then acted out the story:

The open door behind Cooper is that of the troll:

Caleb is sitting on the sweet green grass:

There are no photos of the actual performance, because the photographer was needed to play the part of the ugly troll.

In science, we learned about shadows:

Can you distinguish the silhouettes? 

Mind you, there was a lot of wiggling going on.

Silhouette #1:

Silhouette #2:

Silhouette #3: