This week in our homeschool, we’re bringing learning to life with engaging hands-on activities inspired by Caddie Woodlawn, The Day the Crayons Quit, westward expansion, and our ongoing science studies. Here’s a look at what we’re diving into this week. Take a minute now to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see how our week wrapped up.
Keep in mind I plan ahead but also behind. What does that mean?
It means I write everything down in my planner I want us to accomplish (plan ahead), I write in pencil so if there is anything we don’t accomplish or maybe we follow a rabbit trail and our week takes on a self led learning route I can erase what we didn’t do and move it or scratch it all together and write down what we did do (plan from behind).
Language Arts
We’re starting Caddie Woodlawn with the Dyer Tyme book guide, exploring its themes and historical setting. We’ll also analyze The Day the Crayons Quit through text structures, helping both kids understand how stories are built.
Hands-On Activities:
- Compare & Contrast: My 11-year-old will compare Caddie Woodlawn’s life to their own, while my 5-year-old will match the color words to the emotion discs.
- Pioneer Home: We’ll discuss pioneer homes and draw what a log cabin would have looked like inside and outside compared to our home today. We’re going to use the house board with a piece of paper cut to size to draw the inside of a log cabin.
Science: Arabian Oryx Study & Microscopic Exploration
This is our second week learning about Arabian Oryx and learning how to write a research report. Here’s the book we’re using to learn how to write reports, it’s age appropriate and breaks it into bite size pieces.
Microscopic Fur & Adaptations Study
- Activity: We are going to observe the difference between cat, dog, and horse hair placing them under the microscope to examine texture and thickness. Compare this to what we learn about the Arabian oryx’s fur and how it helps reflect sunlight and keep the animal cool.
- Record: Record findings in our journals.
Heat Reflection & Color Experiment
- Activity: The Arabian oryx has white fur to reflect heat. To test this adaptation, take two pieces of fabric or paper, one black and one white, and place them in the sun. Use a thermometer to see which one absorbs more heat.
- Record: recording predictions and observations.
Oryx Tracks & Desert Animal Footprint Study
- Activity: The Arabian oryx has broad, flat hooves to walk on sand. Create an experiment by pressing different objects into play dough to compare how hooves, paws, and feet leave prints.
- Make a model of an oryx hoofprint and compare it to a horse’s hoof. Hopefully our horses will cooperate and let us take a hoof print.
Desert Weather & Adaptation Discussion
- Record: Record weather conditions in our area and compare them to the Arabian Peninsula.
- Drawing: Drawing lesson from our previous Secret Explorers unit study on the Sonoran Desert.
History: Westward Expansion & Life in Wisconsin (1860s)
We’re exploring the journey west, pioneer life, and how people adapted to new environments.
Hands-On Activities:
- Truck Board: We’ll discuss how modern transportation compares to covered wagons. My 5-year-old can load small objects onto the truck board to “pack” for a westward journey, while my 11-year-old creates a list of essential pioneer supplies.
- Lincoln Hat Dry Erase: We’ll write about Abraham Lincoln’s connection to westward expansion.
Math: Place Value & Pioneer Problem Solving
While we still have our Singapore Math Workbook. Math this week includes problem-solving related to pioneer travel, measurement, and historical connections.
Hands-On Activities:
- Place Value Board: My 11-year-old will solve math problems related to distances traveled by pioneers, while my 5-year-old will use manipulatives to build numbers.
- Cracked Eggs: We’ll use the eggs to break down multiplication and division problems related to how many eggs a pioneer family might collect in a week.
French, Music, Independent Projects & Nature Journaling
- French: We’ll label common pioneer items in French and practice simple phrases.
- Piano: Practicing simple pioneer-era songs or hymns.
- Quiet Time: My 5-year-old will build a log cabin with blocks which gives me time to work with my oldest one-on-one.
- Nature Journaling: We’ll sketch and describe natural materials pioneers might have used for survival.
Ending the Week with Family Tea Time
To wrap up the week, we’ll gather for a Caddie Woodlawn-inspired tea time with homemade baked beans and brown bread from Dyer Tyme unit study, discussing our favorite parts of the book and sharing what we’ve learned.
This week is packed with interactive learning, and I can’t wait to share more in our upcoming YouTube video!
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