Bigger Hearts for His Glory - Unit 20

One of the greatest part of homeschooling is all the fun little surprises along the way!  This was too funny not to share!!   So, does anyone remember the yucky mold project about microorganisms from several units back?  LOL!  The hubby sent me this text after he discovered a mysterious Tupperware when he was cleaning out the fridge....  and I nearly fell over laughing.  Shout out to all the homeschooling Daddy's out there that get to put up with our CraZy Science Experiments!

 (FYI:  It was actually incredible and the hairs growing on it were so very soft, no odor, and the kids actually even "petted"  our mold before we threw it away!)   

Good times! 
What a fantastic week with Heart of Dakota!  We learned a lot about loyalty this week.

Our verse was Proverbs 20:6.

We learned this week about William Henry Harrison.  He went into medicine but, soon George Washington made the young officer in the army into a soldier.  He was loyal to his country.

William Henry Harrison met with Tecumseh to see if they could come to an agreement.  He was an Indian leader who united the Indians to fight against the US.  Tecumseh wanted the settlers to go back to the other side of the Alleghany Mountains. 

Benjamin Franklin once said, "There was never a good war or bad peace."  We talked about the reasons both Indians and settlers wanted the land.  Indians wanted to go to war to save their land and to keep things the way they always had been.  The settlers wanted the land that the Indians had sold them and to move further east.  They wanted peace and wanted the Indians to leave them alone.

Both leaders, Tecumseh and Harrison were brave.  The Indians were loyal to Tecumseh and the settlers were loyal to America.  The kids played war with the playing cards. The Indians were the red cards and the settlers were the black cards.  They enjoyed this fun game.

We read about Captain Lawrence's famous last words, "Don't give up the ship."

We learned that Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner on the back of an old envelope while watching an attack from a British ship.

We watched this inspiring tribute about Francis Scott Key's, Star Spangled Banner.  You can find it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avHie2qV4_E   This was an eye opener to my kids and they all showed reverence and understanding after watching this.

Francis Scott Key was a loyal American.

The kids art this week was to use a straw to blow their paint in a splatter like pattern toward the center of black paper. 

This was definitely a different way of doing their art!  The kids thought it was funny. 

Next, the kids wrote 2 lines of the Star Spangled Banner. 

Our art was to show the lights they saw when they heard the bombs bursting in air. 

We read more in our pioneer book and learned about the backwoods schools.  The kids find learning about the ways they lived then to be very interesting.  Often the one room schoolhouses were filled in the winters as there wasn't as much work to be done.  The teacher was often a male and was usually very strict to keep the boys in line. 

 We learned a 'new' way to measure even when you don't have a yard stick.   The kids used a string to measure their arm span. 

Next, they measured from their feet to the top of their heads and to their surprise their arm span was very close to the same as their height! 

We read about the farms the pioneers had and the baby animals they raised. We learned about the different kinds of fences that they made by hand because they did not have the tools we have today.  

Then, the kids built some different kinds with our Lincoln Logs! 

 

With much war in the early years of American History, we learned that many great men and women were a part of making America strong and free.  We must not forget the sacrifices or price these early patriots paid for our freedom that we enjoy today.  The kids finished the week writing our Pledge of Allegiance in their history note booking pages. 

This week we listened to the hymn, Eternal Father, Strong to Save.  I love adding these hymns into our weekly lessons. 

I don't say it enough but, my how we love Heart of Dakota.  I am so thankful for this great curriculum.  I love teaching my children about history and showing them the relevance the past has on our present and future.  I love how Heart of Dakota weaves the Lord into our lessons and shows just how present He was and is. 

Hope everyone had a great week.  If you are reading through my blog, please let me know your thoughts or any questions or comments you may have.  Thank you!

See you next week!



 

Bigger Hearts for His Glory - Unit 19

Our Jesus Calling Devotional has been a success.  Every morning this week, we started our day with an intimate reflection.  I'm always impressed by their spiritual growth and reminded exactly why it is so important for us to be taking time for studying the word.  

This week our character trait was Friendliness!  Our verse was Proverbs 18:25 ....
 "There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Our poetry copywork was Open Range by Kathryn & Byron Jackson. 

We read about Thomas Jefferson and that he was our 3rd president of the United States. We learned that he purchased the land west of the Mississippi River from France in the Louisiana Purchase.  

Our art project was to make a 3D star!  My kids struggled with drawing a star so we used this one we found on Pinterest.  We used a star pattern here:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/185351340887003292/

I printed one copy and then the kids traced it to a blank page and then colored both sides with the pattern of their choice in red, white, and blue.  Next, we cut a slit in each star and slid them into each other.  We placed tape where we inserted to make them stand up.  They turned out great! 

We read that Thomas Jefferson paid Lewis & Clark to explore Louisiana, the land west of the Mississippi.  They followed the rivers closely as they traveled from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.  We made a tape outline of the United States and the kids added the Mississippi & Missouri Rivers.  We learned that the longest river in the US is the Missouri River.  The kids wrote down interesting facts about the expedition in their history notebook.  

We read about the Great Continental Divide and learned that the rivers flow East on one side and West on the other side.  We poured water over a bent plastic lid to show the water flowing  down each side just as the rivers do.  Couldn't snap a pic of this one as I had to hold the lid!  Very simple demonstration though to show the kids exactly what we had learned.

We started reading 'A Pioneer Sampler', our new favorite!!  The kids really are enjoying learning about the daily lives of this pioneer family. 

We learned about the importance of roosters and hens in the pioneer days.  The families looked forward to the spring when the hens began laying eggs again. 

We read about how everyone in the home had to work together... Cleaning, cooking, chopping wood, gardening, and taking care of the animals.  

Fires were important to cook on inside the homes but, sometimes they would get out of hand and even burn catch the home on fire.  The pioneers kept buckets of water near the fire and would wet quilts and cover the flames if it sparked up.  We experimented and set leaves on fire in a jar.  We learned that flames need oxygen from the air to burn.  When we covered the jar with a lid, the fire went out. 

We learned and labeled the different parts of a tree.  

We read & found it interesting that tree sap works as an antifreeze for the tree.  We watched a quick YouTube video showing how the tree is tapped and syrup is made.  You can watch it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiAh2J1lIOs

The kids now want to try it!!  If only we had an orchard of maple trees?!?!  

There are a few we can maybe try and visit nearby. I'll have to look into it a bit further. Has anyone ever seen this live? Is it something the kids would enjoy or a tedious repetition? 

Hope everyone had a great week! 

See you next time! 

Bigger Hearts for His Glory- Unit 18

We started out the week slowly.... with coffee in hand of course!  LOL! 

Thank God that our character trait was optimism!  

We tried extra hard to find the good in everything all week long.  

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Our verse this week was Proverbs 19:21.  'Many are the plans in a mans heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.'

We finished learning about the Wilderness Trail that Daniel Boone and his men carved out for new settlers to travel west of the Applachian Mountains. 

We learned about rural and urban areas. 

We played a quick game with flash cards.

 I named items and the kids showed me if it was urban or rural. Pigs, taxis, farms, creeks, and skyscrapers. 

Our new vocabulary words from our reading were quicksilver, ferrule, and vessel. 

The kids were fascinated to learn about quicksilver.  We watched a quick YouTube video on Mercury.  You can watch it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52eYa0K3EA0

We learned about Robert Fulton aka Quicksilver Bob. As a young boy, he was optimistic about his inventions.  He was a good artist and made drawings for gun makers.  We read about his experiment in making a Roman candle to shoot sparks into the air on the 4th of July.  

We skipped the painting today and the  kids watched a short tutorial on how to draw fireworks.  You can find it here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0zmxW81slU

They outlined in black sharpie dotted lines and colored. I think they turned out great. 

It was simple and fun! 

We learned that Robert Fulton invented a paddle wheel for his flatboat as a child and used it later on the steamboat. 

We read about James Watt and how he became the real inventor of the first steam engine. 

John Fitch made his engine drive a number of oars to paddle the boat forward.  His engine was feeble and the boat ran slowly. 

Robert Fulton perfected the steamboat with the Clermont and it became well known traveling from New York to Albany. 

We watched a short YouTube video here that the kids were able to understand the reading a bit more. You can find it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkB47kYtMJI

In Poetry, we copied the poem 'The Harbor'.  We learned about onomatopoeias and circled them on our poem! 

'The Harbor' by Olive Miller

In Science, we learned about green plants and funguses. 

The kids drew several samples of each. 

We learned God made them to grow differently and they have different purposes.  We also learned there are many different kinds of animals who depend on the woods to survive. 

We learned that insects have compound eyes and see many images when we only see one.  We experimented with taping straws together and looking through to see what multiple lenses look like.  The kids thought it was neat! 

My little one is acing her math quizzes and blazing through her 2nd grade workbooks.  So proud of how well she is doing in math. 

In Bible this week, we read from Matthew 14:22-33  We learned that Peter needed to be optimisic  to walk out on the water to Jesus.  He took his eyes away and became distracted and lost faith in God.  He began to sink.  He cried out, "Lord, save me!"  We need to be optimistic about our plans, but when our plans fail we should turn to Jesus. 

Sometimes it's hard to see the big picture and easy to get discouraged.  But, we can be optimistic knowing that Gods purpose always prevails.

We started Jesus Calling as our daily devotional.  Looking forward to growing our family closer to God in 2015. 

Wishing you a happy new year! 

See you next week!

Christmas Around the World

This week we took a break from Heart of Dakota studies to spend time learning about different customs and traditions around the world. We gathered around our lighted Christmas tree in the living room, made crafts, and learned about many different countries. 

I pinned a lot of ideas on my pinterest page.  You can take a look at them here:   http://www.pinterest.com/lovemynavypilot/christmas-around-the-world/

We all know you can't go anywhere without a passport! With each place we visited, the children drew the flag or something special about that country as their stamp.

We packed our suitcases and away we went!  We used the bottom portion of a brown paper bag. These were awesome with all the supplies we used all week. The kids were able to keep their projects & things together nicely. 

Our first stop was Israel! 

We read a book by Michelle Edwards called Papa's Latkes. We learned Latkes are a special food made of potatoes and onions.  

We watched a short YouTube video here to understand more about the lighting of the Menorah:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tws_uMAEOs    

The kids liked this youtube Driedel song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKreDYVWark    We made a driedel, the kids followed the rules, and actually played for quite awhile! 

The kids used play money as they played for fun. 

Next, we traveled to Italy! 

We went to Italy and learned about La Befana. The kids were actually scared of this old lady who comes into the house on a broom. She sweeps up the soot and takes all the bad from the year and leaves the good children treats and the bad children coal. 

We visited Mexico on Day 2. 

 We read The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola and learned that the flowers that look like a bunch of green weeds bloomed into beautiful red poinsettia flowers that were laid at the manger of Baby Jesus in the Mexican procession. 

 The kids followed a step by step tutorial for drawing a poinsettia. I love how they are each unique.  

We also cut snowflakes out of large flour tortillas. A special Mexican treat!  I held them closed while they cut shapes out of them. 

The kids spread the butter and then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. I've heard that you can also use popcorn cheddar or garlic and salt as well.

We baked at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes or until crisp light brown. 

Mmmm...  The kids loved making & eating these yummy Mexican treats! 

We read about Argentina and read a cute story about Tamales. We learned that traditions are similar to Mexico.  

We read this book about Saint Nicholas in England. The kids enjoyed the story and talking about the special English traditions.  They begged to make a plum pudding.

Next, we traveled to Austrailia and read about The Christmas Wombat!

 We learned that it is very HOT in Austrailia at Christmas time! Picnics are popular at the beaches as Santa rides in on a surfboard. 

With all this traveling, our living room was starting to turn into a big disaster! Lol! It didn't stop us... We headed on over to Sweden.   We watched this great youtube video showing Sweden at Christmas.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLA4uNm6c7A

The kids cut out & colored shapes and we made a Lucia wreath with candles on it for our youngest girl & pointed star hats for the boys.

Don't mind the karate tops that we used as our white robe for our mini procession. We watched a quick YouTube video that explained this tradition. 

I'm looking forward to the early morning breakfast buns served to us in bed! 

We learned that a Christmas gnome - Tomte lives under the floorboards of the house. He dresses in red, has a long white beard, rides a straw goat, and understands the barn animals talking.   We watched a youtube book called The Tomten. You can read it here too:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANgulkJBJVM

We traveled to Russia and loved their nesting dolls or matryoshka. The children even decorated their own! 

I love the way these turned out! So cute! 

One didn't want to color his but, I still think it turned out great!

This one took his time and made them look much like the ones we have here at home.  He copied them on the colored copier and put them on top of gifts to give to family.  He was very proud of them!

This Russian dancing doll ornament was fun for the kids to make also. We learned that Noel means Christmas! 

On our visit over to Germany, we learned about the traditional Christmas pickel ornament! 

The kids couldn't wait to try this out! Lol!

 We hid it on the tree and the first one to find it on Christmas got to open the first present. It hid pretty well! I think we will continue this tradition in our home! 

We learned of the many nutcrackers in Germany and the Christkind who brings the children gifts in their shoes.  We listened to O' Tannenbaum and learned that it means O' Christmas Tree. 

We made gingerbread men and ladies as their traditional Christmas cookies.  The kids enjoyed cutting out the shapes and of course decorating them too.

They did a great job and they turned out really cute!

 We also delivered some to our special friends. 

We certainly learned a lot this busy week. Including many customs and traditions around the world from other countries. We thought some were weird, strange, and some very interesting and exciting. In the United States, we have traditions that other people may think are different & odd also. Besides we didn't read anywhere about any other place that sprinkles 'reindeer glitter food' on the lawn on Christmas Eve.  

We talked about the similarities and differences of the customs and the traditions of our own. 

Every year we like to make Christmas gingerbread houses. Grammy helps! 

This year I let our Facebook friends vote on their favorite! The kids had fun with this! 

We also bake Christmas cookies and decorate them each year! 

Great grandmother reads 'Twas the Night before Christmas' and the Christmas story from the Bible. 

Lastly, Grammy has passed down a yummy tradition of making cinnamon & sugar Buttons & Bowknots on Christmas morning. A yummy start to Christmas! 

We hope you've enjoyed our week. 

We wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! 

Be blessed! 

See you in 2015!