Automobile Lapbook

This week I've been working on the automobile lapbook.

I have learned about the transmission, the clutch, the engine, the crankshaft, and the first car made.

Carl Benz was the first person to invent a car. It wasn't safe and it could sometimes knock an arm off the driver when the driver was trying to start it.

Henry Ford later invented a much safer car - The Model T Ford. This car was also affordable, but other cars that were invented were mostly for wealthier people.

After learning about old automobiles and the inventors, the older automobiles are really cool. It's really neat to learn about how the cars changed throughout the years.

I look forward to learning more about cars. Although, I don't have to do a lapbook to learn about cars, all I have to do is listen to Dad!

This is the fourth lapbook I have finished. I am currently working on the Renaissance lapbook and it is really exciting!

Middle Ages Lapbook

This week I worked on a lapbook for summer. It was supposed to keep me busy for a couple of weeks, but it ended up taking two days. This is my third lapbook I have completed.

Out of my astronomy, heart, and this one, this one is my favorite one. 

I learned about the medicine they used, which is basically none. If you got sick then it was because you were very sinful. It was God's punishment. 

Hats of the middle ages were very interesting. Some were not even hats, they were just cloth that covered your head. 

When boys became knights, it started at the age of seven and goes throughout their childhood. Through the whole thing they are training knights. They go to a knight's house and do things for him so they can learn what it is like to be a knight. 

I got to learn more about Leif the Lucky and Eric the Red. I forgot that Leif the Lucky was Eric's son. When I read that it reminded me of reading a book about Leif. 

For my next lapbook, I'd like to learn more about the history of different wars the United States was involved in.

Pizza Science

Whitney is just learning to be creative in the kitchen.  She always wants to cook with Mom, but never with the help of her sisters.  (I think there might be just a bit of sibling rivalry going on there!)  She decided that she wanted to help make pizza dough even after I explained how messy it can get.  She cannot stand to have any glue on her fingers when we do paper projects, so I wasn't sure how well she was going to handle the stickiness of pizza dough.  She started out very industrious.

Then she wanted to really know how the dough felt and what she could do with it.  She didn't really care that the purpose was to knead the dough rather than pull it all apart and dissect it.  She was quite fascinated with what happens to water and flour when you mix them together.

I finally persuaded her to add more flour so that we would actually have a finished product that we could eat!

And in the end, she was threatening everyone to stay out of "her" kitchen so that she could make it all by herself!  Surprisingly enough, it was pretty good.  

The Dog Days of Summer

Although the puppy looks cute, I think he really is a demon!  This is our second summer with a very active Siberian Husky.  This morning he demonstrated his ability to turn on the water (all by himself) in the back yard and dig a nice, muddy hole....all this occurred prior to breakfast!

So far this summer he has managed to dig multiple holes in the yard, lift off the irrigation covers and chew them, prune all the bushes to a 1" height, and chew through the wires for the air conditioning unit.  I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the summer brings!

Falcon Study

Over the last couple of weeks we have been watching various falcon cams and new babies hatching.  Jordann has been fascinated (not surprising since she is our animal lover) and will spend all day observing the falcons' behavior.

Here are some of the sites we have been looking at:

Santa Cruz Bird Research Falcon Cam

Netherland Falcon Cam

Boise Falcon Cam

Pennsylvania Falcon Cam

For more interesting facts about falcons, visit the San Jose Peregrines site.

Another Semester of School Finished!

Well, at least for Mom school is finished for the semester.  I always enjoy finishing spring semesters because that means I get to take a break for the summer.  I'm not sure the girls view it the same way, though!  The time is here to really focus on the girls' schooling for the summer and work on some of the skills they are struggling with.  

For Whitney that means getting her to write more than one paragraph, which is similar to pulling teeth!  She was really thrilled (well...maybe not!) when I told her that she would be writing and illustrating a book this summer.  We may need to find some duct tape to help her hold her pencil for more than two minutes at a stretch...

Jordann is doing really well in most of her studies, but I'll also be working with her on the organization of her writing.  She loves to journal and create stories, but needs a little help in producing a finished piece of work.  She has such a creative imagination that I would not be surprised to see her work published one day!  

I always enjoy spending more time engaged in direct instruction with them and figuring out what our plan will be for school in the fall.  I think this year we will be looking to make some changes for their education and stir things up a bit! 

Children's Book Recommendation

We discovered John, Paul, George & Ben this week while I was completing an assignment for my children's literature class.  The girls have had so much fun reading it over and over!  

The story begins when bold-schoolboy John (Hancock) writes his name so large on the blackboard that his exasperated teacher remarks, "We don't need to read it from space." Similarly, loudmouthed Paul (Revere) embarrasses a lady who comes into his shop to buy extra large underwear; honest George (Washington) admits to chopping down an entire orchard; clever Ben (Franklin) annoys the neighbors with his platitudes; and independent Tom (Jefferson) presents a list of grievances to his teacher.

This is a great book to introduce younger elementary students to our American founders and spark interest in the American Revolution.  

Illustrator Lane Smith is well known for his book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.  This book is a hilarious fracured fairy tale that children will also enjoy.