Classical Conversations Cycle 2: Week 14 Recap
This week felt a little rushed for us because we didn't do school on Monday since it was a holiday (MLK Day). So, what I usually fit into a 4-day school week, I had to fit into a 3-day week since we don't do any additional school on our community days. We still managed to get the core subjects in; I just had to substitute our baking day for science day — which was still fun because we made butter.
Bible:
Resource: Foundations of the Bible vol.2
This week was a great week of Bible study! We learned about the New Covenant, which was prophesied by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31. The Old Covenant was the Law of Moses, which was a specific covenant for the nation of Israel. But, as far back as 600 years before Jesus was born, Jeremiah prophesied about a New Covenant that would be written on our hearts rather than stone tablets. It is so amazing to see God's promises fulfilled. Many times, the prophecies made were not fulfilled in the prophet's lifetime or even the generation after. It's just a reminder to trust God because He is faithful always to do what He promises.
The study led us to have some great conversations. My 4-year-old, in particular, asked some pretty great questions. She loves Jesus and tells me often. While she was coloring Jesus on the cross in her activity book, she asked me if Jesus still has holes in His hands today. I love these questions because it allows our conversations to go deeper. While we may not know for sure what He looks like in heaven, I did end up explaining that when Jesus resurrected in His glorified body, He showed Thomas and the other disciples His scars and holes in His hands. He even allowed Thomas to touch them so he could believe. I also explained that in Revelation, it tells us Jesus looks like a lamb who had been slain, which could be an indicator He still has the scars from His crucifixion as a symbolic reminder of His sacrifice.
If you are doing the Foundations study, I truly hope it's a blessing for your family and helping lead your family to know God's word in a deeper and more meaningful way. It's such an honor to create such a special resource.
History:
Resource: Story of the World Book 4 - Chapter 20 (Second half) and Chapter 21
For history, we learned about the leaders during World War 1. Not every week has to have a craft, and for this week, I opted not to do one. Partly because I felt rushed from the 3-day school week, and also because I couldn't find a craft that helped them understand the history lesson in a more meaningful way. Just reading Story of the World seemed to be enough. So, we ended up doing a narration journal with a sentence about what we learned. My son chose to draw a picture of each country's flag.
Science:
Resource: CC Sandbox | Science Flash Cards for CC Weeks 13-24
Activity: Make Butter
For science we learned about the states of matter. I loved the CC Sandbox recommendation of making butter, so we did that. Here's a tip: give the kids small jars filled halfway with heavy whipping cream. You don't want a ton of liquid, or it will take foreveeer. This activity takes about 15 minutes. If you have a trampoline, that's a plus! Have your kids jump on the trampoline while shaking their jars. They will burn lots of energy in science this week.
I also loved the science book we found at the library this week. They had great activity ideas for each state of matter. For example, showing how liquid takes the shape of whatever jar you place it in. You can also do a gas experiment with baking soda, vinegar, and a balloon. Lots of fun things you can do this week!
Geography:
Resources: CC Sandbox Geography page, Animals in Time activity book, LeapFrog Globe
Activity: Eat Pierogies (A Polish Dish)
We learned about the Baltic region in Europe. The only country I could find a book on was Poland, so that's what we learned about. We are actually Polish — my maiden name is Lewandowski — so it's always fun to learn about the country. Like I mentioned last week, I love the All Around the World books, and my library thankfully had one for Poland.
A great idea is to grab pierogies from the grocery store, and you can eat those while you learn geography. They are a traditional polish food and very tasty! A pierogi is kind of like a Polish version of a ravioli or dumpling, but with potato, onion, and cheese. So good!
Homeschooling with a Toddler:
The biggest challenge in my current homeschooling season is having a toddler in tow. As many of you probably have experienced, toddlers add a new complexity to homeschooling. They may throw the pencils or crayons off the table 3x in one morning, scream for your attention, cry for food, or whatever else they may need — it's a lot.
I've been doing two things that have been helpful for me. The first is play dough. When we begin Bible study time, I have been giving my youngest play dough, and that's been super helpful at keeping him occupied and quiet so I can read aloud.
The other tip is to give yourself as much margin in your day as you can. That way, when interruptions happen, you aren't stressed because you have to finish by a specific time. If I can avoid it, I don't schedule appointments or activities during school and nap hours, which is 9-12 and 1-3. I need those hours so I can get school done, plus my own work.
When I do have a one-off appointment during those hours, I can sense myself becoming easily irritable or frustrated because I have to rush our learning. When you aren't rushing, you can take your time, pause for interruptions, and just enjoy your time together. It's so much better!
Library Books:
I didn't have a ton of options this week for the library, but I did enjoy the few books I was able to find.
Books I enjoyed for week 14:
- English:
Lazily, crazily, just a bit nasally: more about adverbs by Brian P. Cleary - Geography:
All Around the World: Poland by Kristine Spanier - Science:
Change It!: Solids, Liquids, Gases and You
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