In this recap I am going to share what we did at home for more hands-on learning related to Classical Conversations Cycle 3 Week 4 Bible, History, Geography, and Science memory work. At the end of this post, I will also share some Fine Art tips for Tutors and a few of the favorite read-alouds we grabbed from the library this week.
Let's dive right into what we did for Week 4!
Bible:
Resource: Foundations of the Bible vol.3 | Bible Memory Songs | Hymnology Cards
We finally hit the part of the Foundations of the Bible Volume 3 study that I feel is the "sweet spot." We are learning about all 66 books of the Bible! This week, we focused on Genesis to Ruth. My kids were very interested in the book of Numbers (which we have never studied together before). They were interested in the story of the earth swallowing the men who rebelled against Moses and Aaron. We also read Leviticus 10 to learn how Aaron’s sons died after offering an improper incense offering to the Lord. We loved the connection of Ruth and her kinsman redeemer and how that relates to Christ. Lesson 4 has so much to learn and it's available as a free sample if you want to try the study!
If you are new here, we learn the optional Bible memory work for Classical Conversations each week and we dive deeper by using my Bible study Foundations of the Bible. It's been such a blessing for our homeschool and many others! You also do not need to be in CC to use the study. Any Christian family can use it!
We are still learning about a new hymn each week using the hymnology cards linked above. I love reading the words like a poem and learning the backstory of each author. We then play the song from the playlist provided on the cards through the QR code. Super convenient!
History:
Resource: Story of the World Book (Match Up List)
Activity: Draw with a Quill and Ink
Supplies: Quill (Turkey Feather) | Ink | Stencil | Video on how to trim the quill (2 min)
We learned about the Declaration of Independence so I thought it would be fun to write with a quill and ink since that’s how Thomas Jefferson would have done it. The kids loved it! I linked the supplies above as well as a short video that helped show me how to trim the feather. You need to trim the tip in order for the ink to stay inside and continue writing. It's interesting to learn and easy to do.
I printed out this simple design I made on Canva. I colored the backside where the words are with pencil so that I could trace the words onto watercolor paper in a neat line. You can skip this step and just free write it, but if you want to trace it, I'll link my stencil I made. You color the back side with a lot of pencil wherever the words are. Then you place the paper on top of the watercolor paper (pencil side down), and you trace over the words with a pencil. The pencil on the back of the printout will copy the words onto the watercolor paper, creating a stencil for the kids to trace over with their quill and ink.
I had the kids paint a light design on the watercolor paper. After they finished painting, they traced over my words with the ink and quill. It was a super easy and a fun project!
My oldest decided to use this for his presentation for the week, too!
Science:
Resources: Science with Friends Year 3 Bundle | CC Connected Sandbox File
Activity: Catch a ruler and egg drop test
This week, we learned about the 3 parts of the nervous system: brain, spinal cord, and nerves. We used the Learning with Friends’ unit to test their nervous system by seeing how quickly they can react to catching a falling ruler. It was super simple, but the kids had so much fun trying to beat each other. Even the 2-year-old played. We also did an egg drop test to show why our brain needs to be protected by fluid in our skull (part of the axial skeleton we learned about in weeks prior). We dropped 1 egg into an empty bowl and another egg into a bowl with water. This was to help show how the egg (the brain) can easily hit the skull if we didn't have fluid surrounding it. After the eggs broke, we used that as an opportunity to make pumpkin bread. Totally unrelated, but delicious! I didn't want to waste perfectly good eggs lol.
Geography:
Resources: CC Sandbox Geography page | Drawing the USA | Eat Your Way Through the USA Cookbook
Activity: Make a meal from one of the states we are learning each week.
Recipe: Easy Chicken and Dumplings | Green Fried Tomatoes
Each week we color and find the states using the CC Connected map printouts that are located in the Sandbox e-zine file. We then draw the states using the geography book Drawing the USA. It's super simple and easy to follow.
This week we learned about Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana. For our meal, we made chicken and dumplings to try food from Mississippi. I used the easy recipe linked above because I had to make it on a weekday and needed something super simple. This was the first time I tried it, and the kids really liked it.
I also wanted to make green fried tomatoes, but we couldn’t find any green tomatoes. So we did our best and tried to substitute with red (despite the resounding "no" from true Southerners haha). The recipe linked above was really good, and probably even better if you have access to green tomatoes. Be prepared for your house to smell like a county fair after. 😉
Library Books:
As always, we grab a ton of books from the library because I love picture books. I especially love trying to find picture books that take place in the specific geographical regions we are learning about. For Alabama, we read “If A Bus Could Talk” which is about Rosa Parks and takes place in Montgomery, AL. The Legend of Papa Noel: A Cajun Christmas Story is a fun spin on Santa Claus that’s based in Louisiana, and he rides in a boat with 8 alligators.
- If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold (Geography: Alabama)
- The Legend of Papa Noel: A Cajun Christmas Story by Terri Dunham (Geography: Louisiana)
- Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Hunt by Carrie Clickard (History)
- Rescuing the Declaration of Independence by Anna Redding (History)
- Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock (History)
Fine Art Tips for Tutors:
Inside the Lines Lessons | Tutor Plan Template
**Update: Added a link to the tutor plan template I fill out each week to help me stay organized and ready for Grammar, Fine Arts, Science, and Review. It's a blank template in Canva for you to fill out yourself.**
I love to use Inside the Lines Lessons for fine arts because she relates everything to US history for Cycle 3 and provides lesson plans. Per her suggestion, I printed out each of these examples of abstract art and came prepared with a little background for each one. I had the kids observe each painting, identify the OiLS they see, guess their titles, and guess how much they sold for. The kids (and parents) were super engaged, and it was a great intro before we started drawing our own abstract US flag.
After the kids drew and colored their pictures, I had them each give a title and price for their drawing. They each stood up and showed the class their abstract art and shared their title and price. It was really sweet and the kids enjoyed it!
YouTube: Week 4 Playlist
I created my first YouTube channel to record all the songs and hand motions I want to use with the kids. I've compiled each subject's songs into a weekly playlist. I create this primarily to help the parents in my class review the motions with their kids at home. I also think this is a great resource for other tutors to use to build their plans for the week.
If you are a parent and not tutoring, the "best practice" for CC is to let the tutor introduce the memory work in class for the first time on community day. You then review the week's memory work with your child until the next CC community day. You ideally use the methods you saw the tutor use in class at home with your child.
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