Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Homeschool First Grade: A Rag Coat


Last week we talked about the book, A Rag Coat by Lauren Mills. In the book, the poor girl Minna does not have a coat so the Quilting Mothers make one for her out of their scraps, and they tell stories about each of the scraps they give her. She goes to school and the kids tease her until she tells them the stories behind each of the rags, and they remember their things. We talked last week about quilting, shapes, played with tangrams, talked about Appalachia and where it is in the USA, talked about death & funerals, about coal and coal mining, and made a "coal helmet." We also made a paper quilt with triangles of two sizes and squares. I liked her design! She also decorated a rag coat with patterned paper (that old scrapbook paper comes in handy!)
Printable found here.
Printable found here.

It was another fun week in Five in A Row with my first grade girl! She is finally starting to get used to the writing she needs to do this year!
Here is she playing with our tangram shapes and cards. She liked making this caterpillar. She also sorted the shapes by shape and color.
Here is my silly girl with her "coal helmet" that we made on Friday. It is Dad's headlamp with her hat on top!

Have you ever read this lovely book to your children? You may have to look for it next time you go to the library!

This week we are talking about a neat book called Who Owns the Sun? We'll tell you all about it later!

1 Samuel 17:38
Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.

Luke 6:29
If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.

Acts 7:57-59
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Thursday, September 24, 2015

American Girl class: Rebecca week 2 (Time #2)

We had another great American Girl class this week! We discussed Rebecca and Ana, the 2nd book in the Rebecca series. We also discussed patriotism, wave U.S. flags and discuss school in the 1910’s.

For craft, we worked on Russian nesting dolls, painting them in our class with acrylic paints. I had lots of colors of acrylic paints, including a nude/skin color. The girls were quite creative in their color choices, ways they painted them, and if they were people or animals. Some of the girls even named them. I loved watching them paint and listening to them talk, making friends with each other. I was glad that I covered the tables with tablecloths, that made clean up so much easier!

I had found the Russian nesting dolls at Hobby Lobby in the past, but when I looked this year, they were too expensive there! I looked online and found these at bestpsanky.com I ordered each girl one set with four dolls in it, and got free shipping since I ordered 16 dolls! I was happy with their product, but one of the sets only had two dolls in it. The girl who got that set was ok with that, but I will be sure to check the boxes if I get them next time! 

Our snack this week was Bagels. Each of our class moms brought cream cheese for toppings. Rebecca had eaten bagels in our book that we read this week. The girls enjoyed the bagels!
 My younger daughter painting her wooden dolls...
 My older daughter and her friend starting their dolls...
 Getting started at the other table...
 She had a doll for the different holidays-- Christmas, Halloween...
 My younger daughter's finished set. Dad Hulk, Mom Hulk, Captain America and baby Hulk/ Captain.
 Love these two finished sets... the little smiles are so cute!
 The 2:00 class starting to paint...

This girls worked hard and was so quiet! Her dolls were too cute!

Looking forward to next week and discussing book 3, Candlelight for Rebecca!


Genesis 1:27, 30-31
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. ...And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Exodus 16:29
Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.”

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Homeschool first grade: A Pair of Red Clogs!

Last week in first grade, we talked about the FIAR book, A Pair of Red Clogs. We looked at different aspects of the book: the country/ island of Japan and where it's located on a map, colored the flag of Japan; looked at Japanese culture shown in classic story illustrations, and Japanese writing; we also looked at human relationships, honesty, trust, and using good stewardship of what we own.

We discussed reminiscing literary technique, autobiographical story, and new vocabulary words. In art, we practiced colored pencil techniques, cross-hatching, using theme in illustrations, action and expression in illustration figures and traced figures in book. In science, we discussed weather, weather forecasting, four seasons, types of weather, what meteorologists do, discussed water cycle and did a cool water cycle hands-on experiment. It was a fun book and we loved reading it!

 Bethany using our moveable model for art, to go along with sketching and tracing figures in the story.

 Caleb reading the book to Bethany on Friday...
Our cool water cycle science experiment, where we made it rain. You can learn more about this science experiment here.
For Mallory's science, we talked about freezing and melting water. We froze a block of ice in a plastic container, then we dumped it out onto a pie plate. We put salt on it, let it set a little and then added food coloring. It was cool to watch it melt and see the colors fill in the cracks and crevices!

Have you ever read the book A Pair of Red Clogs (by Masako Matsuno) to your kids? It is a great book worth discovering!


Acts 17:28
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

Genesis 7:4
Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

Genesis 7:12
And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Joshua's birthday 2015

Even though his birthday happened on the busiest day in our busy week last week, we still made time to celebrate and tried to make it an extra-special day for him! The kids wanted to know what the theme of his birthday party was going to be, and didn't understand that when you are in your 40's, birthdays aren't always a time to have a party, and not even one with a theme! : - D
 After a yummy breakfast of Chocolate chip pancakes, he opened presents. He was happy with his new items for working on his car and around the house...
 He got new jean shorts that he REALLY needed!...
 And a cool "Star Wars" t-shirt!

One of the ways that he celebrated his birthday was being "Coach Josh" on the baseball field! We had a game scheduled that night, and it was also one of the player's birthdays, so he got cupcakes there!
After we got home from the ball game, we gave him another gift and had ice cream with a candle in it! We made sure to sing "Happy Birthday" too!

It was a great day, we are so thankful to God for his life, and the gift that Joshua is to us! We sure love this wonderful guy!


Psalm 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

1 Thessalonians 3:9
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?

This is Joshua's favorite Bible verse...

Romans 12:1-3
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Update: Our homeschool

I just updated Our Homeschool page, you can read about it here:
http://thywordisalamptomyfeet.blogspot.com/p/our-homeschool.html

American Girls: Rebecca Week 1 (time #2)

We had a great American girl class this week! It was exciting to begin a new semester and meet some new girls. First, I asked the girls questions about our story, Meet Rebecca, (book one in the Rebecca series). After we discussed our book, we began our craft for this week.

Our craft was to add 24" of lace to a 6" square of muslin by hand-sewing. This was a challenge for most of the girls. The younger girls needed help, including my younger daughter Bethany. This is her first semester in this class!
 Working hard hand-sewing...
 This girl finished and put it on her head! :-D
 After craft, we had Challah bread for snack. It was part of the Sabbath feast that was discussed in our book. You can find the recipe here. We also worked on our geography notebooks. You can find the USA map here. You can find the Russia flag to color here. You can find the New York page here.
 The 2:00 class hand-sewing...
 The Challah bread was had for snack...
Coloring the Geography pages...

I was hoping to read a part of the book The Family Treasury of Jewish Holidays, but we ran out of time. I planned to read pages about Shabbat (Sabbath) to them. But the hand-sewing took longer than I expected. The girls did great in class, and are so sweet. It will be nice to get to know them better during the semester!

It was a fun class and I am looking forward to next week!



John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Exodus 20:8
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Isaiah 58:12-14
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

First Grade/ "Madeline"

Last week in first grade, we discussed the classic book, "Madeline." The story takes place in Paris, so we discussed France, colored the French flag, looked at pictures of different sites in France, and more. We cut out copies of Madeline and used them for counting the girls "in two straight lines" and in different groups of threes and fours. We talked about healthy habits and printed a chart of healthy habits to implement this week. It was another fun week of homeschool! I found some printables here. A good Eiffel tower printable can be found here.

 Sometimes, in first grade, you just want to do your work on the floor! It's all part of the flexibility of homeschooling...
Counting and grouping the Madeline dolls...

I was busy enjoying the kids and the work and I didn't take too many pictures. It was a fun week of homeschool!



Philippians 2:1-2 NIV
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

1 Thessalonians 1:3
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Preparing for Rebecca, Time #2

This week was our registration day for American Girls and other classes at our co-op for this fall. I am excited to have a new group of girls to teach this semester. I have changed this outline a little bit from the last time I did this class. I changed a few things that didn't work or that we didn't have time to do. I hope it will be a great semester!


Rebecca Rubin, a Jewish girl from Russia (1914) outline- 6 weeks

Book 1: Meet Rebecca 9/15/2015
Theme: Shofar, holidays; Geography notebooks
Craft: Lace doilies with beige muslin and lace on edges
Snack: Challah bread

Book 2: Rebecca and Ana 9/22/2015
Craft: Russian nesting dolls, paint, brushes
U.S. Flags to wave;  Snack: bagels

Book 3: Candlelight for Rebecca 9/29/2015
Theme: Chanukah Read- Pearl’s 8 days of Chanukah
Craft: Dreidels (printed)- color & assemble; Make a Menorah;  Play dreidel game with gelt 
Snack: Candy dreidel assemble (for fun)

Book 4: Rebecca and the Movies 10/6/2015
Theme: Passover Read- The Four Questions, Song- “Dayneau”, teaching plate
Craft: 4 questions, hide Afikomen; Black framed name with star, word search
Snack: Charoset (to try); Egg Cremes

Book 5: Rebecca to the Rescue 10/13/2015
Theme: Coney Island Visit
Tickets & prizes- candy, bands, stickers, pencils
Craft: Paper bag for prizes, Crown Treat Basket
Snack: Root beer/ lemonade, coney dogs

Book 6: Changes for Rebecca 10/20/2015
Theme: Hollywood- Pictures
Craft: Leaf garland; Family book for Rebecca
Snack: Squeeze our own lemonade


*This outline may change without notice... If I can’t find the craft supplies I need or the snack recipes. My main intention with the crafts (and snacks) are to heighten the girls interest in learning about different periods of history. Hopefully the above collection of crafts will do just that!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Esther 3:6
Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

Esther 4:3
In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Matthew 27:37
Above his head they placed the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Lentil book/ Lemons!

We had another fun week of homeschool last week. In our Five In A Row lesson plans, we learned about the book, "Lentil" by Robert McCloskey. It is a classic story written in 1940, and we had a fun time reading it, learning about the 1940's, the state of Ohio, graphing the fictional town, playing the harmonica, tasting lemons, puckering and making a small glass of lemonade!

On Friday, we tasted a lemon, and Bethany liked it! It made me pucker up, but she licked it a lot! The girls juiced the lemon, we added water and sugar, and it was a good cup of lemonade! It was a fun way to end the week. Bethany looked forward to tasting the lemon all week! The bummer part of juicing the lemon was when big sister Mallory got lemon juice in her cut on her hand... OUCH!

We also talked about the different tastes-- sour, sweet, salty and bitter. We made a list of each of those with foods that we could think of. First grade sure is fun!


Psalm 107:37-38

They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.

Isaiah 32:17
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.

Jeremiah 31:30
Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sourgrapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

First week of school/ ducks!

We had a great first week of school last week. I didn't take lots of pictures of the kids doing their work, I didn't think of it or didn't want to interrupt them. Mallory loves doing her hands-on science experiments, and Caleb does his own General Science this year. He does all of his science on his own (first time this year in 7th grade). He seems to enjoy doing the experiments so far. We are learning about the 50 states and U.S. geography. We haven't started doing everything yet, no spelling so far and no art. We will do more of that this coming week. The kids and I are adjusting to the school schedule again, and to writing/ reading and learning/working more again! I keep reminding myself that the first few weeks are always hard and then we get into the groove.

Since Bethany talked about the book, "Story about Ping" in school last week, we asked a friend of ours if we could visit him and see his ducks at his house. He has been raising a few pairs and about eight "babies". They are not tiny fluff-balls anymore! We enjoyed seeing the duck's nest, how they eat and drink, seeing them walk around the yard and seeing our friend's bees too. He has a hive in his yard, which we looked at but that was all. He has chickens too! It was fun, and we were glad to be able to see ducks up close for our science last week! It was a fun little "field trip".

Here are some pictures...
The little guys eating from their food container... they're still kinda cute...
A clutch of eggs that will be incubated/ hatched later this fall...

A pair of ducks playing with each other... (wink, wink)
Another pair of ducks walking around...
Drinking their water... love their bills in this one... can see their feet well too...

Walking over to their pool to get a drink...
And here are the chickens... the kids liked that there were some gray ones that we don't have!


Psalm 8
Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
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