Classical Conversations Cycle 3: Week 7 Recap

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 7: Bible, History, Geography, and Science memory work. At the end of this post, I will also share some of the favorite read-alouds we grabbed from the library this week and a fun field trip if you are from Southern California. 

Let's dive right into what we did for Week 7! 

Bible:
Resource: Foundations of the Bible vol.3  |  Bible Memory Songs  |  Hymnology Cards

This week, we learned about Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah. We read from the Foundations of the Bible vol. 3 Teacher Guide, and whatever topics they wanted to learn more about, we read the related chapter in the Bible. The kids color in the activity book while I read. They also drew a picture at the end of the week about a story that stuck out to them the most. They both chose Lamentations 4, which talks about the sadness of the mothers during the Babylonian invasion and their desperation for food. It's a hard chapter!

Note: This study pairs with each week of the CC optional Bible memory work, but you can go at your own pace because there is SO much to learn. You can also jump in at any time — it’s not too late. Anyone can do this study, not just CC families.

History:
Resource: Story of the World Book (Match Up List)
Activity: Try to recreate the picture of the Battle at Fort McHenry in 1814 - Painting Here

We learned about the War of 1812 and the Monroe Doctrine. We utilized the CC timeline cards to learn about both key events. The cards provide great summaries of the historical events. We also tried to use our fine art skills from weeks 1-6 by copying a picture of the Battle of Fort McHenry, which inspired the song The Star-Spangled Banner. We each drew our own picture, and they turned out pretty good! The picture book "Our Flag Was Still There" is a great read for this week! It discusses how the Star-Spangled Banner came to be after the War of 1812.

Science:
Resources: Learning with Friends Year 3 Bundle |  CC Connected Sandbox File
Activity: Kidney filter experiment by Learning with Friends and CC Connected Jell-o Skin

We did two science experiments this week to learn about the excretory system. The first was a skin model made from marshmallows and Jell-o that was recommended in the CC Sandbox file. The second experiment was from Learning with Friends. We tested different filters to see how our kidneys filter waste in our bodies. Both were a hit with the kids.

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. 

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 Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. For our weekly recipe, we made an oatmeal applesauce cake for North Dakota. The recipe came from our Eat Your Way Through the USA recipe book. It's a very "fall" cake with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It was also one of the healthier recipes I've made from the book with no added sugar or butter. It's sweetened with maple syrup. I cut the recipe in half since we just need enough to taste it.

We also read lots of picture books that take place in the states we are learning about (Linked below).

Field Trip:

This week we went on a field trip with our CC community to an apple farm in Oak Glen, CA. They put on events that help kids learn all about life during the Colonial times. The kids learned how to make candles, weave a loom, write with a quill, and proper etiquette for 1774. It was so much fun! If you are in Southern California, check out the field trips events at Riley's in Oak Glen, CA. 

Library Books:

As always, we grab a ton of books from the library because I love picture books. We do our read-aloud time at bedtime.

• Our Flag Was Still There by Jessie Hartland (History) — The story of how the Star Spangled Banner became our national anthem as a result of a poem based on the war of 1812-1814.
•  13 Ways to Eat a Fly by Sue Heavenrich (Math) — A fun book to show different types of flies and the animals that eat them. Relates to math since we are skip counting 13's this week. 
• The Christmas Coat: Memories of My Sioux Childhood by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (Geography SD) — A story about a girl who needed a new coat for the cold winter in South Dakota. 
• When Sue Found Sue by Toni Buzzeo (Geography SD) — In 1990, at a dig in South Dakota, Sue made her biggest discovery to date: Sue the T. rex, the largest and most complete T. rex skeleton ever unearthed. 
• A Garden in Your Belly by Masha D'yans (Science) — Explains the importance of eating healthy to support your gut biome. 

YouTube: Week 7 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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