It's a Wrap: Session 2 Week 2 - The Microscopic World and Pumpkin Noms

In Our Life this Week

Puttering around the yard! I know it's typically the Dad that does the yard work, but around here it's usually me...and I'm definitely OK with passing along the dirty dishes to Dad. ::wink:: So, I raked up more leaves to add to the chicken and duck run, re-hooked the chicken wire fencing to the metal poles around the garden area, covered the chicken run with plastic sheeting (with help from White Pine and a new staple gun), and moved the sandbox into the run for the duck's "winter pond". With our days oh-so-much-shorter now, it's nice getting out for some crisp, fresh air and sunshine. How about you?

Homeschool High School
There was some pretty cool stuff happening with the microscope this week! (I had to join in and see all those cells! ::laugh::) White Pine had some catching up to do with his Biology labs. He currently has 3 labs running, 2 of which take about 2 weeks to complete, and 2 require the microscope. Not much Biology BOOK work was done, but he did finish up Chapter 8 (minus another experiment) on Photosynthesis and got a 90% on his self-test. 

He also really enjoyed his South America mapwork with Around the World in 180 Days. He spends lots of time making sure his work is neat and complete!

Accomplishments
The Three Musketeers, Dumas Approach Paper, Negative Exponents, Reactions in Photosynthesis, Plant Population Lab, Growing Bacteria Lab, Plant and Animal Cells Lab, South America: Mapwork, Community Service Project (Scouts)

Homeschool Elementary
Have you tried handicrafts with your kids? I can't say was we're 100% Charlotte Mason, but the handicraft stuff is a definite winner around here! This week we made puzzle wreath ornaments. (And yes, I know it's kinda early to be thinking CHRISTMAS, but why not? ::grin::)

Sugar Maple and Balsam Fir also made some Mini Pumpkin Pies. Super easy! Ingredients? A can of pumpkin pie mix (that needs just evaporated milk and eggs), pre-made pie crusts, an egg mixed with a splash of water, a little cinnamon mixed with white sugar, and a large pumpkin cookie cutter. They mixed the pumpkin filling with the milk and eggs and cooked it in a casserole dish (according to the can directions). Once the filling cooled, they sandwiched dollops of it between 2 pumpkin-shaped pie pieces, sealing the dough with egg wash. These were cooked at 350 degrees until the tops were golden, then pulled from the oven and lightly dusted with a little cinnamon-sugar. 

But I still had some pumpkin puree left and we certainly couldn't throw it out, right? So, we also made some pumpkin chocolate chip brownies. Nom! Nom!

We continued on with Story of the World after a 4 week break with Ancient China and Ancient Africa. We read about Huang Di, the emperor of China, who may have started the first teaching practice of medicine, and his wife, Lei Zu, who discovered silk, and Anansi, an African story character.

Leaves! I probably should have made sure we completed this chapter of Apologia Botany BEFORE the leaves all tumbled down from the trees, but...We studied photosynthesis and transpiration this week. 

Sugar Maple's Other Accomplishments
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth, Sequential Spelling Days 13-15, Spelling/Reading Comprehension With Samson, Spectrum Reading Comprehension,  Journaling, Improper and Mixed Fractions, Dance Mat Typing, Lumber Mill Field Trip, Clarinet/Band, Thanksgiving Cookies (Library), Homeschoolin' Mama's Burrito Bake

Balsam Fir's Other Accomplishtments
Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble, Sight Words/Spelling with Samson, Time Monsters, Journaling, Place Value to Millions, 100 piece puzzle, Handwriting, Lumber Mill Field Trp, Thanksgiving Cookies (Library), Homeschoolin' Mama's Burrito Bake

For the Love of Books

Have you heard of Heifer International? H.I. works with communities around the world to end hunger and poverty, and one way they do that is to give families livestock that can provide them with food and even a living. What's really cool about them (beyond giving families a HAND UP of course) is that they provide FREE resources to instructors on economics here for grades PreK-8 (FAVORITE RESOURCE)! What does this have to do with our read aloud for this week? Well, Beatrice's Goat is a story about a young African girl who wants to go to school. But only families who can buy uniforms and books for their kids can go. This beautifully illustrated story tells how a goat from H.I. helps Beatrice attain her dream.

Something  to Share

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