I lost most of the day yesterday to Life Happens, so we’ll pretend today’s Friday and I haven’t broken my New Year’s resolution already. (Hey, and if the world indulges me in that fantasy, can I pretend Monday’s also part of the weekend? Please?).
We’re studying the Middle Ages this year (Vikings and castles and knights, oh my!). Perfect for lots of fun projects, such as making a Viking longship. I found this awesome make-a-Viking-ship-out-of-a-milk-carton project (we used an eggnog carton) and set D. to work on it with Sir I. I’m more artsy and D.’s more craftsy, so anything that requires ruler-straight lines falls into his domain.
I also found this cool animated Bayeux tapestry (only part of the story, but still fun) on YouTube.
For science, we’re charting the phases of the moon for a whole month (it’s a gibbous moon tonight, with a full moon tomorrow). I found a moon phase calendar and a moonrise/moonset chart online; I’ve never paid much attention to the lunar cycle before this, but I think this unit will be good from a worldbuilding perspective. We’re also watching episodes of the History Channel show The Universe, which is really good, except they love to blow up the Earth in all its computer-animated glory in various creatively catastrophic ways. Sir I.’s really into all things space (as am I) so we’re having a lot of fun reading and watching and talking astronomy.
“…which is really good, except they love to blow up the Earth in all its computer-animated glory in various creatively catastrophic ways. ”
:giggles: You giveth me my happy moment! :grins:
I LOVED doing that time period. And both my girls were in awe at the animated Bayeux tapestry. Can’t wait until next year when I start over with ancient history, though it’s going to be challenging doing elementary and middle school grade levels together.
I think it’ll be my favorite time period, too. Ancients is all right, but it can’t compare to knights! castles! samurai! Robin Hood! Mongol hordes!
Do you follow The Well Trained Mind method?
Let’s say we strive for the WTM approach. It’s the classical plus frenetic mommy school of homeschooling
Sounds about right.
The Vikings are great – although they did do a fair bit of rape and pillage before settling down here in the uk. The Jorvik centre in York is excellent if you ever get a chance to see it. All our Norman castles are pretty awesome and there are so many of them! They are such solid structures yet were built relatively quickly. I suppose they didn’t have the Internet in those days.
I have a moonphase calendar on my desktop and it’s made me so much more aware of what the moon is doing! Still haven’t got the hang of it rising in different places though…
Ooh, I love York! I visited it in Nov. of 2000, and it was all decorated for Christmas and just a magical place. York Minster was grand, and I loved the maze of streets around, with chocolate shops and buildings all leaning towards each other.
Yeah, I don’t really understand how the moon does what it does, but but both my husband and older son are both much more spatial than I am. They’ll figure it out.
“…they love to blow up the Earth in all its computer-animated glory in various creatively catastrophic ways.”
The Discovery Channel is good for that too. I love watching shows like that
The crafts sound fun!
I have a sensitive 7yo, so we try to keep the earth-blowing-up parts to a minimum.
I watched a tv programme last night and thought of you: Illuminations: the Private Lives of Medieval Kings. The presenter had access to the collection of royal illuminated books kept in the depths of the British Library. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0192nrg/Illuminations_The_Private_Lives_of_Medieval_Kings_Ruling_by_the_Book/
I can’t see the show since I’m in the US, but it looks really good! Thanks for bringing it up!
Ack! I didn’t know that. Sorry. I love illuminated manuscripts – especially the animals which have such quaint expressions