Greenhouse Effect and Autumn Leaves

Phew. Some days are diamonds and some days are stones.
We had talks about respect, respecting me and each other. Wasting time with stupid little bickers...basically crap. Yes...sometimes my kids just don't want to cooperate.  It does my head in. Then life discussions happen and we move on. Thankfully.

We started the day with a DVD...a simple synopsis of Romeo and Juliet. It was great because it gave them an idea of the story and characters before we read it. We used a no fear Shakespeare book which I used...and the kids had R and J plays to read. We all took it in turns. They were surprisingly interested.

We then used a kit...earth lab kit...and enjoyed doing experiments about the greenhouse effect. We all learnt something.

When coal, petrol and wood is burnt the carbon dioxide produced stays in the earth's atmosphere and this creates a heating effect. They also discovered that co2 doesn't allow a flame,  which they quite enjoyed testing over and over again until the air was back to normal in the test container. 

They finished off their water colour and crayon autumn pic th ure and drew a native animal from the bushcare area they are looking after.

A little bit of music, some skipping and some geography to still go. 

It certainly was a good learning day...

Until next time

M C J M

Week One Term 3 2014

We are into the second half of the year. We are escaping major illnesses, which is one of the main reasons we began home schooling. Our household was constantly full of illness, my schooled kids often having 13 weeks off school each year. It was rolling illnesses, so there was rarely a time when everyone was well. But I digress.

We had a reasonably successful week. It started with s delivery of books, and then a second and a third box. Still waiting on many, but the most important ones came. Story of the World and the Geography texts.

The kids continued with their maths excel revision books, and for English they wrote a narrative. I did this just to see how their writing has come along. I gave them no direction at all. They will need one more lesson to finish (and Jacob decided he wanted to write another novel so he will need longer).

They continued with their NOEO Physics lll science kit looking at gravity, Kepler and Newton.

They began Story of the World.
I have to say this is perfect for the way they learn. They actively listened and questioned and then they rewrote what they had learnt. We will go through the first two books, SOTW 1 and 2 and see how they go from there. Jacob and Maddie will cover their History curriculum for Stage 4 by doing this, and Connor will be using a supplementary history program where he will cover the rest of Stage 5 curriculum. I have made a workbook for him, one of which I will assign time each week for him to independently complete.

The kids also started a new Geography text and activity book. They have done mostly natural learning in the area of Geography, and I just haven't felt satisfied with it so far, so after a bit of research I took the plunge and purchased new books for both stage 4 and 5 geography.

Now, from kids who aren't overly enthusiastic about written work, for them to say that they enjoyed doing the workbook, well that means it must be pretty good.

For visual arts this week the kids did a sample run of a stop motion animation. They used this little set and furniture from IKEA. Knew it was going to be a winner. We had planned crating a video for visual arts, and this could also cover design and technology.

We decided to get some fresh, windy air yesterday and try flying a kite. ...it kept dive bombing...so we all need a little practice .

There was cooking and a whole lot of learning happening...

Looking forward to next week, with more hands on learning and outings and sending off my application to re register.

Cheers

M C J M

Stop Motion Animation

We have had a very difficult few weeks. My beautiful mum and the kids gorgeous grams passed away. Mum has been a huge part of my kids lives and we will all miss her with all our hearts....love you ma xxx

It has been very hard to get back into school work with the kids this week, but we have all soldiered on.

It has been hot and cold....teens can be very moody and under the circumstances I have tried to be patient.

They've done some great work. We started story of the world...but more of that in another post. Maths text work and they started a new Geography text and workbook, and they seem to like it.

Today they finished with a stop motiin animation clip.

A few months ago I purchased a furniture set and a backdrop scene from ikea...knowing it would be perfect for stop motion videos. I was right...a dor able !!!

I will show you their trial run and hopefully a better one next week. It was enjoyed by them all. Maddie setting up the scene. They will be adding sound to it next week too.

Until next time

M C J M

Speedart and Acrylic Paintings

C J and M got their art on this week. Maddie and Connor did a landscape using acrylic. Connor added pigment pen. Jacob did a a speedart using his new pen and tablet gor the computer.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=knZax8Lc350

Jacob's speedart link above.

Connor's art.

Maddie's art.

Used hands for the sky...gee it was good therapy...lol...
I like the texture they got into the sky.

Take care
M C J M

Auslan

Each fortnight we get together with a couple of families and have fun learning Auslan.

We do it as a LOTE...I know that's not on the official list of languages in nsw but we do it because it is the most useful to us.

We use the stage 4 and 5 language outcomes minus the written outcomes. We used the German outcomes and I swapped German fpr Auslan.

Syllabus

It certainly covers all the outcomes nicely.

RiDBC have a free app of 100 most common words you can sign...

You can find loads of sites with auslan finger spelling which is probably the most beneficial thing to learn. Heres one

Signbank

Free resources for learning Auslan

Thanks Sarah...another great link...



My daughter has lost 2/3rds of her hearing and its getting worse. .. so out of all the languages to learn auslan is the most beneficial. ..

This week we all practiced our finger spelling with a partner. ..

We also practiced action signs.

Here is Miss M having her go at the action word.

Until next time

M C J M

Two Artworks Finished and a New Book...or 8...

Almost the end of the week again. It comes around so quick each week don't you think? Today we took it easy. I think the kids are getting sick and I'm not feeling that wonderful either. It is Winter now I guess.

   

By Connor

By Maddie

By Jacob

Got this from Bookworld online...great book and super quick delivery.

Got these from Amazon...great books.

Got these from Dover Publications. Pricey...but these will be great for when we do Vikings for Stage 4 and Romeo and Juliet soon.

Each first wednesday of the month we get together with a bushcare group and volunteer our morning for getting rid of invasive weeds in a local area. The children love it and work very hard. It's such a rewarding activity and I thoroughly recommend it.
For more information just google bushcare and find your local group. I am happy to email people with our local persons contact.

A more detailed post will follow written by tbe children. Here are some happy snaps from the day.

Getting ready to saw down some privet with mates.

An interesting bug.

Some bridal veil creeper with the huge tuber like root system. The kids are learning so much about the environment and caring for their local area.

Until next time

Take care

M C J M

Vivid Inspired Art

Last week the kids and I went with friends to the beautiful light show in Sydney,  Vivid.
It was stunning. We all caught a ferry to Darling Harbour and enjoyed the lights from the ferry. We also enjoyed a delicious gelato and an amazing hologram light show.  The kids also had fun with the interactive lights at Circular Quay.

This week they have been working on an artwork inspired by the display on Customs
House at Circular Quay.

 Of course I joined in as well... ;-)

The top photo is the lights. The rest their works in progress.

Until next time
Lots of it
M C J M

Our Vegie Patch

Last year, for design and technology, Connor planned a vegie patch utilizing our yard. He was going to use the non grassed areas. .. However last week,  inspired by Jamie Olivers woollies cards and videos we all decided that we don't need grass as much as growing or own vegies so we went ahead with vegie patches in the backyard. The kids were in awe of the garden they saw on the videos. Me too just quietly.
The yard was a mess as we are having a rubbish pickup tomorrow so it looked even worse. ..lol...they helped put together the organic garden beds. ..The soil was ordered and the shoveling from front to back began. In one weekend. .. day 2 in the pouring rain... we made and  planted 4 garden beds. Some of the vegies planted were broad beans,  cauliflower,  spinach, onions,  purple carrots,  beetroot,  Brussel sprouts and kale.

The kids haven't quite finished. .. still cleaning up and figuring out what to do in the pathways. There's also one or two more raised beds to put together and create two more garden beds. Whipper snipper the edges. There is organic cane mulch to add to the top as well.

It's stage one of creating food in our back yard. The kids are coming up with more ideas for more ways to add food in the yard. So we'll slowly get more and more that we can eat from our own backyard. It's fantastic. First photo is a before...thats for our council rubbish pickup.

              

     These beds are 2 metres by 1 metre each.

Tomorrow there will be photos of the rest of the beds and the whole backyard. 

Until next time

Have a good one. 

Day 1 Term 2

Well, an interesting start to the day. Kids got up, did maths, and then all that brainwork sent to of them to sleep...lol...the other stayed up and played with me for a while, in fact one of the goodies I got from amazon today.

It was a wonderful surprise, so after maths I opened all the games and books and had a little play. Jacob wanted to play the .Educational Insights Fraction Matchin .with me. It was a success with him and after moments was making links about fractions that he hadn't thought of just by doing paperwork. There is a game creating equivalent fractions, but we also used it as adding fractions to create the selected fraction. I will use it for Maddie to teach equivalent fractions and to solve problems and work in her text book.which she was doing today without the use of the hands on game. I'm sure she'll find it easier, and like Jacob discover links with fractions. By the way, Maddie and Jacob are using a stage 4 maths text book, so I could see these covering more than one stage. They sold things like this without the game aspect, so glad I selected this one. Just makes it multi use really.

So excited to get stuck into the other resources I bought for the kids at the end of last term. If you're interested I'll show you more of our resources and how we use them. 

After the kids woke up again, we got ready, went up the mountains for our ukulele group, and on the way listened to The Book Thief. We went to visit my poor nephew who broke his leg last week and that pretty much summed up our first day back of term 2. Phew, one down 44 to go ;-)

Until next time, lots of it

Mandy

xxx

Term 1 Over

This term flew. We had many family issues we had to deal with, but we made it. We went on a few lovely excursions. Apple picking at Bilpin was fun, and the Youth Week event at Mamre House was enjoyed by Jacob and Maddie. Weekly parkour lessons have been a firm favourite, with weekly hang outs with other home schoolers and ukulele group up the mountains fulfilling my need to have some music ;-)

Many outcomes were achieved this term, however I really over planned, as per usual, not nearly finishing the book thief unit, as the kids were also doing a writing course. Geography will have a bigger focus this term, as the kids only did natural learning with that. History was enjoyed, and Connor will continue war studies, with Jacob and Maddie doing Ancient Australia.

With lots of lovely maths goodies coming soon I'm really looking forward to next term.

Hope you all have a lovely Easter.

Until next time
Lots of it
Mandy
Xxx