Homeschool Plans: Preparing for First Eucharist and First Reconciliation

Once you've decided to homeschool, sacrament preparation for First Reconciliation (Confession) and First Eucharist (Communion) takes on a whole new aspect. Some homeschoolers decide to forego the parish preparation program entirely. We choose to participate in ours but I always supplement that preparation in our lessons at home.

Here's what we do.

Sunday Morning PSR
The K-5 PSR program on Sunday mornings happens between the early and late Masses and at the same time as an adult education class Kansas Dad co-teaches. Even if the information and class time is redundant, the social time is not; all of our children have friends in the parish who attend the PSR program and they enjoy that time together.

Children's Adoration
When Second Daughter was preparing for First Communion, the leader of our children's adoration hour read many books focused on the sacrament. Some of these are ones I read with previous children but some were new to us. Regardless of the actual program, time in adoration before the Lord is probably the very best preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist.

• King of the Golden City by Mother Mary Loyola (I purchased this book used.) - I will definitely read King of the Golden City aloud to all the children this year before Second Son's sacraments. I wrote about this book on the blog a few years ago.
• The Little Flower: The Story of St. Therese of the Child Jesus by Mary Fabyan Windeatt - We don't own this one, but it's one all the kids heard two years ago.
• The Children of Fatima and Our Lady's Message to the World by Mary Fabyan Windeatt (purchased from the publisher) and Patron Saint of First Communicants: The Story of Blessed Imelda Lambertini by Mary Fabyan Windeatt (received as a gift) - I will probably let Second Son choose one of these for an independent read.
• St. Patrick's Summer by Marigold Hunt - I might read this aloud if we have time. I've never read it, but I've only heard excellent reports of it from other families and my own children.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Level 2 classes, including many presentations to prepare children for Reconciliation and Communion. These are offered at our parish and there's even a daytime class for homeschooled students.

Our Preparation at Home

We have two "lessons" each week in second grade. One day we have "catechism" and on another day we have "sacrament preparation."

Catechism
We're going to read Jesus and I by Aloysius Heeg. This is one of my favorite books! It's sweet and straight-forward without being overly-simplistic. There are preparation questions at the end for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, so it could almost work all on its own. I've written about it before on the blog. (I purchased this book from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts, though I don't see it on their site now in June 2018.)

Sacrament Preparation
This is a time, once a week, I have set aside for readings and conversations related directly to sacrament preparation. We'll be reading through a few books and, for those that might like to try something similar, I've included our complete schedule. I've planned 30-31 weeks, but it might need to be adjusted depending on when the parish schedules the sacraments. Sometimes I read this aloud and sometimes the child reads it independently and narrates to me, just depending on time and how comfortable the child is with the subject matter and with reading. After five years of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and two years of weekly adoration, Second Son is quite comfortable with the sacraments already!
Jesus with Us: The Gift of the Eucharist by Tarzia and Ferri - This book gives a good overview of the Eucharist through Scripture and history. (I can't remember where I bought this book, probably at a used homeschool sale.)

• p 3-6
• p 8-12
• p 14-18
• p 20-24
• p 26-30

A Little Book about Confession for Children by Kendra Tierney - This book was recommended by Simcha Fischer. I used this book for the first time with Second Daughter. It seems clear and child-like (but not childish). (I bought this book from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts.)

• questions 1-4
• questions 5-8
• questions 9-12
• questions 13-16
• questions 17-22
• questions 23-24 (only 2 of the saints)
• question 24, remaining 3 saints
• First through Fourth Commandments
• Fifth through Seventh Commandments
• Eighth through Tenth Commandments

Seven Lonely Places, Seven Warm Places: The Vices and Virtues for Children by April Bolton - This book is a short picture book that attempts to place the seven deadly vices, four cardinal virtues, and three theological virtues into a child's ordinary life, showing how the vices separate us from other people (and God) and how the virtues can connect us to others (and God). It's not an essential book, but it's a quick read and a nice addition to preparation for Reconciliation. (I received my copy of this book from another member at PaperBackSwap.com.)

• Read and narrate.

The Good Shepherd and His Little Lambs: A First Communion Story-Primer by Mrs. Hermann Bosch with supplements by Janet P. McKenzie - I used this book with both First Daughter and Second Daughter. Through the course of this book, a gentle and loving aunt guides just a few children in their preparation for Holy Communion. This text is a little longer than the books above and might need to be read aloud even for a proficient reader. (I bought this book from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts, though I don't see it on their site now in June 2018.)

• "Feed My Lambs!"
• Baptism
• Penance
• Obedience
• The Holy Childhood
• Children of Mary
• Faith
• Hope
• Charity
• The House of God
• The Fair White Page
• Service of God
• Heaven
• The Happy Day

The Brown Scapular Coloring Book by Mary Fabyan Windeatt - I bought this book years ago (from Seton, I think) in a set of Windeatt coloring books and it's one of just a few we've kept and used over and over again. Our parish gives each of the First Communicants a Brown Scapular and this book seems to prepare the children well to understand what it is, respect it, and wear it. It can be more difficult to find now, though a Google search turned up a few options. I think another book on Simon Stock would be a good substitute. The series, In the Footsteps of the Saints, has one.

Supplements
These are resources we have that complement sacrament preparation. If you're feeling overwhelmed by what's above, skip these.

My Path to Heaven: A Young Person's Guide to the Faith by Geoffrey Bliss, S.J., with pictures by Caryll Houselander - I bought this originally to read with First Son when we did Connecting with History volume 3 many years ago. It fits nicely with preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion. I've read it along with some children and asked others to read it independently, depending on their ability to focus and mediate. If you follow Mater Amabilis™, this book is assigned for Lenten reading in Level 2 Year 1 (fourth grade). You could choose to wait until then, but I think it's the kind of book that benefits from repetition, so I plan to use it both years. (purchased new, affiliate link to RC History)

First Communion Days by a Sister of Notre Dame - This is a nice little hardcover book that was gifted to me when a local homeschooling family retired from homeschooling. It's one from Neumann Press that has not been republished by TAN books. (At least, I couldn't find it on the TAN site.) There are a number of the type of stories where young children receive the Eucharist and go to heaven happily when they die a little later of an illness, so I choose not to read it aloud. First Daughter loved the stories in it. Second Daughter read some of them but didn't want to finish it. We'll see what Second Son thinks.


I'd just like to mention a book I think is a great First Communion gift. It's Pray Always: A Catholic Child's First Prayer Book. Second Daughter received a copy of this book from a priest last year, I think just because we were in the right place at the right time. It's a lovely hardcover prayer book. I wrote a bit more about it here.

Links to Amazon, RC History, and PaperBackSwap.com are all affiliate links. Other links are not affiliate links. I received nothing in exchange for this post and it is only my honest opinion.

An Update for Chemistry on the Range in Third Grade

Last summer, I revised our third grade science plans for chemistry and posted them on the blog. I wanted to follow up and let you know how the went (and make a reminder for myself for the few modifications I plan for Second Son).

Overall, these plans worked very well for us and we enjoyed learning about chemistry together. There are a lot of fun activities that are the sort of thing the kids remember long after the study is over, like the experiment we do together at the end of the year.

As I anticipated, The Elements is a little difficult for a third grader to read and narrate on her own. An older student, even just by one year, would be able to handle this book more easily. On the days pages from that book were assigned, we read them together and narrated them one or two paragraphs at a time during her lesson time with me. I often helped her with the activities from that book as well. Because we spent much of our "exploration time" going through what I had planned as independent lessons, we sometimes missed those. So for Second Son, I'm going to take the "exploration activities" from the weeks we read from The Elements and incorporate them into the independent lessons even though I anticipate they will not be done independently. That way, we won't miss that. There's plenty of time in the lesson plans to extend the study a few weeks.

The periodic table connecting tiles were colorful, well-made, and came with a little booklet of activities. I think we waited too long to get it out and intend to add it to the schedule every time we read about the periodic table in The Elements. Especially if the teacher is reading aloud, the student can be connecting the tiles as he or she listens.

After we finish The Elements and before we start How to Think Like a Scientist, I'm going to assign a biograpy of Marie Curie, because I like her and we own it: Marie Curie's Search for Radium by Beverly Birch and Christian Birmingham. This is one most third graders would be able to read independently. (It's one of a number by the same author that we have enjoyed.)

Second Daughter didn't seem to care for the activities and ideas in Super Science Concoctions. As we went through the year, I felt like we had a good number of activities planned, so we often just looked through the pages together without doing the activities. I still like this book and will use it with Second Son, but I may consider it more of a supplement, a source for more information and more activities if he is especially excited or interested.

So, to sum up:

• Be prepared to read The Elements together.
• Move the exploration activities for the weeks we are reading The Elements to the independent plans so we have extra time scheduled for them.
• Add the periodic table connecting tiles to the following chapters / assignments for The Elements:
• Ch 2 pp. 12-15 (week 10)
• Ch 4 pp. 39-40 (week 14)
• Ch 5, each day (weeks 15 and 16)
• Ch 6, each day (weeks 16 and 17)
• Ch 7, each day (weeks 18 and 19)
• Ch 8, each day (weeks 19 and 20)
• Add Marie Curie's Search for Radium between The Elements and How to Think Like a Scientist (week 20 or 21)
• Use Super Science Concoctions more as a supplement to avoid overwhelming the student.

It's hard to believe next summer I'll be preparing for the last round of third grade chemistry, but these children keep growing up.

Greek Myths, Illustrated: D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths

Mater Amabilis™Level 1A recommends Classic Myths to Read Aloud in Level 1A (second and third grade) and we loved it. But after reading it aloud for the first two children, I was ready for a change. So Second Daughter and I read Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire instead.

We had already listened to the audiobook from our library, which is wonderful and a book even Kansas Dad enjoyed hearing. The book we also had on the shelves, a gift from dear friends of ours many years ago.

In the first year, second grade, I read the stories aloud to Second Daughter. In the second year, third grade, I started out reading them aloud, but she asked if she could read them independently and then narrate them. The disadvantage of independent reading is that many of the names are difficult to pronounce and even more difficult to remember. So I would usually try to model the name for her during her narration if not before her reading. (I also learned from the audiobook that there are multiple acceptable pronunciations for many of the names.)

These stories are exciting and entertaining. They are wonderfully illustrated, of course, in the d'Aulaire style you might recognize from one of their many books. Many incidents in the Greek myths are not appropriate for young ears, but the d'Aulaires manage to phrase them in a general and circumspect manner that makes them acceptable for all ages.

For those that are interested, I'll post our schedule. It's easy to spread the stories over the two years leaving plenty of extra time for breaks during Advent or for important things like trips to the zoo.

Year One (second grade), reading once a week:

• In Olden Times and Gaea pp 9-11
• The Titans pp 12-15
• Zeus and His Family pp 16-23
• Hera pp 24-27
• Hephaestus pp 28-29
• Aphrodite pp 30-31
• Ares pp 32-33
• Athena pp 34-37
• Poseidon pp 38-39
• Poseidon cont pp 40-43
• Apollo pp 42-43
• Artemis pp 44-49
• Hermes pp 50-55
• Hades pp 56-57
• Persephone and Demeter pp 58-63
• Dionysus pp 64-69
• Minor Gods and Prometheus pp 70-73
• Pandora pp 74-75
• Deucalion pp 76-79
• Eos pp 80-81
• Helios and Phaethon pp 82-85

Year Two (third grade), reading once a week:

• Selene pp 86-89
• Pan pp 90-91
• Echo pp 92-93
• Syrinx pp 94-95
• The Wild and Vulgar Centaurs and Asclepius pp 96-99
• The Nine Muses pp 100-101
• Orpheus pp 102-107
• Europa and Cadmus pp 108-111
• Tantalus and Pelops pp 112-113
• Danaus, Perseus, and the Gorgon pp 114-122
• King Midas pp 123-125
• Sisyphus pp 126-127
• Bellerophon pp 128-129
• Melampus pp 130-131
• Heracles pp 132-139 (stop before 11th labor)
• Heracles pp 139-147
• Theseus pp 148-157
• Oedipus pp 158-161
• The Golden Fleece pp 162-166 (stop before "The Black Sea was a dangerous…"
• The Golden Fleece pp 166-175
• The Calydonian Boar Hunt p 176-177
• The Apples of Love and the Apple of Discord p 178-184
• To the End p 186-189

I have never really done exams with the kids, but inspired by Know and Tell, which I had recently read, I asked Second Daughter to tell me her favorite Greek myth at the end of this book and she beautifully narrated more than one of them. It was one of those moments when you think perhaps this homeschooling thing will work out alright after all.

I wouldn't say this book of Greek myths is better than Classic Myths to Read Aloud, but if you happen to have it on your shelves it can make an excellent substitute.

I received nothing for writing this post which contains only my honest opinions. I purchased a used copy of Classic Myths to Read Aloud and we received the d'Aulaire book as a gift. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

A Coloring Plan for The Burgess Bird Book for Children

The Burgess Bird Book for Children

by Thornton W. Burgess

Mater Amabilis™Level 1A recommends The Burgess Bird Book for Children as one of the books for year 1 (2nd grade) science, a focus on nature study. I tried reading this book to First Son and we made it through most of it but he often found it tedious. First Daughter read it to herself but didn't enjoy it very much.

Second Daughter, though, loves birds and is the best at bird identification in the family. I knew she would love this book, but I also knew she would not want to read it herself. I wanted her to be able to color pictures for each of the birds. There are lots of websites out there with links to all sorts of pictures for each bird in the book. I found these pictures to be troublesome to print because they're all over the internet and, for the same reason, they were often of uneven quality. (Any accomplished bird artists out there? I think you could make good money on a coloring book of the Burgess birds; all you need are line drawings of all the birds in the books in one PDF and a site to sell it.)

Anyway, I thought I could purchase a coloring book that would get me 90% of the birds at a fraction of the hassle and ordered the Peterson Field Guide Coloring Book: Birds.
The main problem with my plan was the unexpected lack of an index in the coloring book. I therefore had to go through and look page by page for each bird. You don't have to, though, because I've typed it up below. This list is only useful if you have a copy of the Burgess Bird Book and this exact Peterson guide; I can't make promises for other Peterson guides because I don't have any others in front of me.

I read one chapter a week to First Daughter, which means this book carried over into the third grade year. (I gave her the option to finish it herself, but she preferred to double up on science for a while.) Each week, she'd find the birds in the guidebook (I gave her the page number) then color it to match the Peterson sticker while I read the chapter. Then she'd narrate for me. With interest and time, we would check a few other resources, too:

• YouTube for videos of the bird (there are some playlists, but I found it easier to just search)
• All About Birds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (particularly good for listening to the birds)
• The Guide to Kansas Birds and Birding Hot Spots (obviously, choose a guide for your area, but we love this one and use it all the time)

Integrating the Peterson Field Guide Coloring Book: Birds with The Burgess Bird Book for Children

• Chapter 1: house wren p 43
• Chapter 2: English or house sparrow p 55
• Chapter 3: song sparrow, white-throated sparrow, fox sparrow - all on p 64
• Chapter 4: chipping sparrow and tree sparrow on p 63 (no vesper sparrow)
• Chapter 5: bluebird (eastern) p 45, robin on p 47
• Chapter 6: phoebe on p 38 (no least flycatcher)
• Chapter 7: kingbird p 37, great crested flycatcher p 38
• Chapter 8: peewee p 38
• Chapter 9: woodcock p 27, spotted sandpiper on p 25 and 27
• Chapter 10: red-winged blackbird p 56, northern flicker p 36
• Chapter 11: downy and red-headed woodpeckers p 37, hairy woodpecker p 36
• Chapter 12: brown-headed cowbird p 57, Baltimore oriole p 57 and 47
• Chapter 13: orchard oriole p 57, bobolink p 56
• Chapter 14: northern bobwhite p 22, eastern meadowlark p 56
• Chapter 15: chimney swift p 35, tree swallow p 39
• Chapter 16: purple martin p 39, barn swallow p 40
• Chapter 17: American crow p 41, blue jay p 47
• Chapter 18: red-tailed hawk p 20, ovenbird p 52
• Chapter 19: ruffed grouse p 22, common grackle p 57
• Chapter 20: osprey p 19, bald eagle p 21
• Chapter 21: great blue heron p 9, belted kingfisher p 35
• Chapter 22: bank swallow p 39, American kestrel p 22 (sparrow-hawk)
• Chapter 23: common nighthawk p 34 (no whip-poor-will or chuck-wills-widow)
• Chapter 24: yellow warbler p 50, American redstart p 55
• Chapter 25: black and white warbler p 49, yellow-throated warbler p 53, yellow-breasted chat p 55
• Chapter 26: northern parula p 50, magnolia warbler p 50, yellow rumped myrtle warbler p 51
• Chapter 27: gray catbird p 44, cardinal p 47
• Chapter 28: scarlet tanager p 58, rose-breasted grosbeak p 59
• Chapter 29: red-eyed vireo p 49, warbling vireo p 49 (no yellow-throated vireo)
• Chapter 30: brown thrasher p 44, northern mockingbird p 47
• Chapter 31: wood thrush p 44, hermit thrush p 45 (no Wilson's or tawny thrush)
• Chapter 32: indigo bunting p 59, eastern towhee p 62
• Chapter 33: American goldfinch p 61 and 63, purple finch p 60
• Chapter 34: mourning dove p 32, yellow-billed cuckoo p 33
• Chapter 35: ruby-throated hummingbird p 35, loggerhead shrike p 48
• Chapter 36: European starling p 47, cedar waxwing p 48
• Chapter 37: black-capped chickadee p 41 (could also include the Carolina chickadee, same page)
• Chapter 38: common loon p 8, Canada goose p 12
• Chapter 39: brown creeper p 42, white-breasted nuthatch p 42 (red-breasted on p 43)
• Chapter 40: dark-eyed junco p 63 (tree sparrow done earlier)
• Chapter 41: horned lark p 63, snow bunting p 63
• Chapter 42: screech owl p 34
• Chapter 43: red crossbill p 61
• Chapter 44: common redpoll p 62 (no pine grosbeak)
• Chapter 45: great horned owl p 34 (no goshawk)

There are lots of birds left to color now that we're finished with The Burgess Bird Book.  I thought a bunch might be in The Burgess Seashore Book which we already own, but it appears there are only a handful in that book. I plan to let Second Daughter just color the rest of the birds on her own.

This is the copy of The Burgess Bird Book we have, which was pricey at about $20 when I bought it in 2010. I wanted the full color illustrations, which were indeed nice and helped my oldest son focus while we were reading. I think the addition of the Peterson Guide, though, makes the illustrations less important. If I were looking for a copy today, I'd probably get the Dover one above. Be careful about some of the print on demand options as they often have minuscule text, no page numbers, or limited margins. The Dover one has a complete index which includes the common name of the birds as well as the nicknames used in the text.

Links above to Amazon are affiliate links. I received nothing in exchange for this post.

Chemistry on the Range for Third Grade

We don't follow the Mater Amabilis™ plan for third grade science, though we do cover atoms and molecules. First Son did Noeo Chemistry 1 and First Daughter did The Elements and some of what he had done. Finally, with Second Daughter, I think I have a third grade chemistry course tailored for us!

** Edited to add on June 20, 2018 - You can read about how these plans worked here. **

Books and Resources:
An asterisk marks the ones we'll use over multiple days.

• *A Drop of Water by Walter Wick
• *Super Science Concoctions by Jill Frankel Hauser - This book is just full of information and lots of demonstrations and experiments you can do. Nearly all of them use regular kitchen items. There's a supply list at the front and for each activity. For each section, there are enough options you should be able to choose some without going to the store every week.
• *DK Eye Wonder: Rocks and Minerals by Caroline Bingham
• The Rock Factory: The Story about the Rock Cycle by Jacqui Bailey
• Young Scientists Kit 7: Minerals, available in this set at Rainbow Resource. We don't have the other kits (kit 7 was left over from our Noeo days), but they'd fit right in with this study.
• a crystal growing kit. I have a cheap one I picked up somewhere, but there are lots of options for nicer ones on Amazon. You can make your own rock candy at home as well.
• A Rock Is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston
• Geology Field Trip in a Bag
• *The Elements: Ingredients of the Universe by Ellen J. McHenry - I have the third edition, so page numbers might not match up.
• Photographic Card Deck of the Elements - I have this because I asked for it for Christmas one year long before we had homeschooling students who might use it. Your library might have a copy of the book it's based on.
• Periodic Table Connecting Color Tiles - These are the only things I bought this year for this course of study. They haven't come yet so we'll have to see what we think of them.
• EIN-O's Molecular Models kit
• *How to Think Like a Scientist: Answering Questions by the Scientific Method by Stephen P. Kramer
• The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake by Linda Beech

How it works:

Many of the concepts introduced in these books are complicated so I've made the readings quite short on most days. Second Daughter will read on her own twice a week and narrate. I expect I will be helping her through many of the activities and readings to make sure she's understanding at a basic level. She doesn't have to learn it all! On another day, we'll do an experiment or play a game. Those are the Exploration Days.

The readings, even twice a week, only take 24 weeks, so there's time to drop a book or combine just a few readings to make the readings only once a week. Or you can slow down even more and play more games with your student without worrying about getting behind.

The Lessons:

Week 1
1 - A Drop of Water p 7-11. Narrate.
2 - A Drop of Water p 12-15. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Sticky, Creepy Water  p 93-101. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 2
1 - A Drop of Water p 16-19. Narrate.
2 - A Drop of Water p 20-25. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Sticky, Creepy Water p 102-110. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 3
1 - A Drop of Water p 26-31. Narrate.
2 - A Drop of Water p 32-37. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Sticky, Creepy Water p 111-117. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 4
1 - Rocks and Minerals p 4-11. Narrate.
2 - The Rock Factory. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Young Scientists Kit 7: Minerals

Week 5
1 - Rocks and Minerals p 12-19. Narrate.
2 - Rocks and Minerals p 20-27. Narrate.
Exploration Day - crystal growing kit

Week 6
1 - Rocks and Minerals p 28-35. Narrate.
2 - Rocks and Minerals p 36-45. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Draw with rocks: charcoal and colored chalk.

Week 7
1 - A Rock Is Lively. Narrate.
2 - Catch up / review.
Exploration Day - Geology field trip in a bag.

Week 8
1 - The Elements Ch 1 p 1-2, Activity #1 and #2. Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 1 p 3-4, Activity #3 and #4. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Symbol jars game (from The Elements)

Week 9
1 - The Elements Ch 1 p 5-6, Activity #5. Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 1 p 7-10, Activity #6 and #7.
Exploration Day - Photographic card deck of the elements

Week 10
1 - The Elements Ch 2 p 11-12 (stop at the break). Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 2 p 12-15, Activity #1 and #2. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Periodic Table of Elements Battleship

Week 11
1 - The Elements Ch 2 p 16-20, Activity #3, #4, and #5.
2 - The Elements Ch 3 p 21-23. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Periodic table connecting color tiles

Week 12
1 - The Elements Ch 3 p 23-25, Activity #1 and #2. Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 3 p 25-28, Activity #3 and #4. Narrate. (Mom will do the Activity #3 with you.)
Exploration Day - The Quick-and-Easy "Atom-izer" (from The Elements)

Week 13
1 - The Elements Ch 3 p 29-32, Activity #5, #6, and #7. Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 4 p 33-36, Activity #1, #2, and #3. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Watch "Eureka! Episode 23 - Electrons"

Week 14
1 - The Elements Ch 4 p 37-38, Activity #4. Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 4 p 39-40.
Exploration Day - Symbol jars game (from The Elements) with more elements

Week 15
1 - The Elements Ch 5 p 41-42, Activity #1 and #2 (stop after #2). Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 5 p 42-44, Activity #3. Narrate.
Exploration Day - EIN-O's Molecular Models kit

Week 16
1 - The Elements Ch 5 p 45-48, Activity #4, #5, and #6. Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 6 p 49-50, Activity #1. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Lab Experiments (Teacher's section p 127 of The Elements): Disappearing trick using liquid bleach and Use iodine to test for starch (if we have citric acid, do edible chemical reaction, too).

Week 17
1 - The Elements Ch 6 p 51-53, Activity #2. Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 6 p 54-56, Activity #3.
Exploration Day - Make an element card (from The Elements).

Week 18
1 - The Elements Ch 7 p 57-58. Narrate.
2 - The Elements Ch 7 p 59-61, Activity #1 and #2. Narrate.
Exploration Day -  Make an element card (from The Elements).

Week 19
1 - The Elements Ch 7 p 62-64, Activity #4 and #5. Narrate. (We're doing something like #3 in Mountains and Volcanoes.)
2 - The Elements Ch 8 p 65-66 (stop before "Our Periodic Kingdom Story…"). Narrate.
Exploration Day - Make an element card (from The Elements).

Week 20
1 - The Elements Ch 8 p 66-70, Activity #1, #2, #3, and #4. Narrate.
2 - Catch up or review or play Battleship again.
Exploration Day - Play quiz games about the elements.

Week 21
1 - How to Think Like a Scientist Introduction p 3-6. Narrate.
2 - How to Think Like a Scientist How Do You Answer Questions p 7-16. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Strange-but-True Brews p 15-22. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 22
1 - How to Think Like a Scientist Using the Scientific Method p 17-29 (stop before "Scientists have a better way…"). Narrate.
2 - How to Think Like a Scientist Using the Scientific Method p 29-35. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Strange-but-True Brews p 23-33. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 23
1 - How to Think Like a Scientist What Do You Want to Know? p 36-39. Narrate.
2 - How to Think Like a Scientist What Do You Think? p 40-42. Narrate.
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Just a Phase p 35-43. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 24
1 - The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake.
2 - Design an experiment with Mom.
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Just a Phase p 44-49. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 25
Experiment Week! Spend all your science time this week completing the experiment you planned last week.

Week 26
From this point on there are no more independent reading assignments.
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Presto Change-O p 51-57. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 27
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Presto Change-O p 58-67. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 28

Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Go with the Flow p 69-77. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 29
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Go with the Flow p 78-84. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 30
Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Go with the Flow p 85-91. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 31

Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Goo Gobs of Fun p 119-127. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 32

Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Goo Gobs of Fun p 128-133. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 33

Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Goo Gobs of Fun p 134-141. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Week 34

Exploration Day - Super Science Concoctions: Goo Gobs of Fun p 142-155. Read together and narrate as we go along. Choose 1-2 activities to try for ourselves.

Weeks 35-36

Time for review, catch up, or running around outside.

Mapping the World Level 2 Year 2: Africa (Fifth Grade)

We use the Geography Coloring Book for mapping activities in geography over the course of many years. In fifth grade, Mater Amabilis™ Level 2 Year 2, First Daughter will repeat the assignments First Son did three years ago.

You can read about some of the books set in Africa I read before First Son did this study.

First Daughter will be reading Safari Journal, Listening for Lions, and A Gift from Childhood. Because she has a tendency to read more than I've assigned, I expect her to finish the three books quickly so I've also listed Mamba Point and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Reader's Edition) (written about later on the blog) as optional books at the end.

[UPDATE June 2020: I have written a master lesson plan for The Geography Coloring Book to avoid assigning the same map in multiple years as much as possible. I'll leave First Daughter's assignments below, but here is the Africa Mapping Lesson Plan for the master list.

These mapping activities can be used with any of the Africa readings. They do not follow a particular schedule. At this age, the student could be encouraged the read the paragraphs for each country as they color.

First Term

Lesson 1
Algeria and Chad on p. 39

Lesson 2
Egypt and Libya on p. 39

Lesson 3
Mali and Mauritania on p. 39

Lesson 4
Morocco and Western Sahara on p. 39

Lesson 5
Draw the border between Sudan and South Sudan and color both on p. 39

Lesson 6
Niger and Tunisia on p. 39

Lesson 7
Benin and Burkina Faso on p. 40

Lesson 8
Cape Verde and Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) on p. 40

Lesson 9
The Gambia and Ghana on p. 40

Lesson 10
Guinea and Guinea-Bissau on p. 40

Lesson 11
Liberia and Nigeria on p. 40

Lesson 12
Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo on p. 40

Second Term

Lesson 13
Angola and Cameroon on p. 41

Lesson 14
Central African Republic and Congo on p. 41

Lesson 15
Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea on p. 41

Lesson 16
Gabon, São Tomé & Príncipe, and Zambia on p. 41

Lesson 17
Burundi and Djibouti on p. 42

Lesson 18
Eritrea and Ethiopia on p. 42

Lesson 19
Kenya and Rwanda on p. 42

Lesson 20
Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda on p. 42

Lesson 21
Botswana and Lesotho on p. 43

Lesson 22
Madagascar and Malawi on p. 43

Lesson 23
Mozambique and Namibia on p. 43

Lesson 24
South Africa, Swaziland (now eSwatini), and Zimbabwe on p. 43

Third Term

Lesson 25
Congo River on p. 38

Lesson 26
Gambia and Limpopo Rivers on p. 38

Lesson 27
Niger River on p. 38

Lesson 28
Nile, Blue Nile, and White Nile Rivers on p. 38

Lesson 29
Orange and Senegal Rivers on p. 38

Lesson 30
Ubangi and Zambezi Rivers on p. 38

Lesson 31
Lakes Albert, Chad, and Edward on p. 38

Lesson 32
Lakes Kivu, Malawi, and Turkana on p. 38

Lesson 33
Lakes Tana, Tanganyika, and Victoria on p. 38

Lesson 34
Atlas Mountains on p. 38

Lesson 35
Drakensberg Mountains on p. 38

Lesson 36
Ethiopian Highlands and Ruwenzori on p. 38

END UPDATE]

There are 23 lessons using the Geography Coloring Book. I'm scheduling them separately from the novels but concurrently, so she'll read once a week and map once a week (but not on the same day). There are alternative ways to schedule out the lessons, however.

• Spread out some of the coloring so fewer countries are colored on a given day.
• Alternate the coloring book with readings from your selected novels.
• Including assignments to trace or freehand draw maps of the areas using the coloring book.
• Add some tests or exams where the student would label a provided map.

We also use the Concise Atlas of the World, but any atlas you have at home would work. 

Lesson 1

Find the newest country in Africa on p 111 of the Concise Atlas of the World. Draw the changes on the maps in The Geography Coloring Book on pages 37, 38, and 39.

Lesson 2
Read the instructions on how to color the maps in The Geography Coloring Book on the pages before p. 1: How to Use and Color This Book, What the Symbols Mean, A Glossary of Geographical Terminology.

Lesson 3
Geography Coloring Book - Color the Northern countries on p 37 with light colors (see instructions under Africa: The Countries). Be sure to color South Sudan a different color than Sudan and add it to the list.

Lesson 4
Geography Coloring Book - Color the Western countries on p 37 with light colors (see instructions under Africa: The Countries).

Lesson 5
Geography Coloring Book - Color the Central countries on p 37 with light colors (see instructions under Africa: The Countries).

Lesson 6
Geography Coloring Book - Color the Eastern countries on p 37 with light colors (see instructions under Africa: The Countries).

Lesson 7
Geography Coloring Book - Color the Southern countries on p 37 with light colors (see instructions under Africa: The Countries).

Lesson 8
Geography Coloring Book - Color the Colonial Africa map on p 37 with light colors (see instructions under Africa: The Countries).

Lesson 9

Geography Coloring Book - Color the Principal Rivers on p. 38 folowing the instructions under Africa: The Physical Land.

Lesson 10 

Geography Coloring Book - Color the Principal Lakes on p. 38 folowing the instructions under Africa: The Physical Land.

Lesson 11
Geography Coloring Book - Color the Principal Mountain Ranges on p. 38 folowing the instructions under Africa: The Physical Land.

Lesson 12

Geography Coloring Book - Color the Land Regions map on p. 38.

Lesson 13

Geography Coloring Book - Color Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, and Mauritania on the map on p. 39.

Lesson 14

Geography Coloring Book - Color Morocco, Niger, Sudan, South Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara on the map on p. 39 (Don't forget South Sudan.)

Lesson 15

Geography Coloring Book - Color Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, and Ghana on the map on p. 40.

Lesson 16

Geography Coloring Book - Color Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo countries on the map on p. 40.

Lesson 17

Geography Coloring Book - Color Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Congo on the map on p. 41.

Lesson 18

Geography Coloring Book - Color Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe, and Zambia on the map on p. 41.

Lesson 19

Geography Coloring Book - Color Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia on the map on p. 42.

Lesson 20

Geography Coloring Book - Color Kenya, Rwanda Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda on the map on p. 42.

Lesson 21

Geography Coloring Book - Color Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, and Malawi on the map on p. 43.

Lesson 22

Geography Coloring Book - Color Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe on the map on p. 43.

Lesson 23

Concise Atlas of the World - read p 102-105. Look at the maps on p 106-107. Narrate orally.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.

Our Level 4 (8th Grade) Six Week Unit on World War I

Mater Amabilis™ gives some lesson plans for History in Level 4 (8th grade) in which a student studies national history for twelve weeks followed by four six-week terms chosen from six options.

In the first term, First Son will follow the Mater Amabilis™ study reasonably closely, modified only a little to add in a few Kansas-related books.

Beginning in the second term, First Son will spend six weeks studying World War I. Mater Amabilis™ recommends Witness to History: World War I by Sean Connolly as the main book but our library didn't have it and I already owned The World Wars by Paul Dowswell, Ruth Brocklehurst, and Henry Brook so I decided to use that instead. You can find it on Amazon, but I bought my copy from a friend who sells Usborne books. 

Because my main book is different than that recommended, I had to revise the lesson plans considerably and thought I'd post them here in case anyone else happens to have this book and wants a six week study of the First World War. I haven't seen Witness to History: World War I, but I do have the World War II book of the same series. It is shorter than the part of The World Wars devoted to World War II and I think would therefore allow for more exploration of topics of interest, World War II saints, or the Church in World War II. It's probably also cheaper than the Usborne book.

I haven't actually read any of the books yet, but I have no reason to believe my plans are any better than the Mater Amabilis™ plans, so this post is for the few people who might already have the Usborne book lying around.

Also, these plans have never been used. Hopefully I have the courage to report back if they turn out to be a disaster!

Mater Amabilis™ says history at this level should take about 45 minutes each day three times a week. In addition, a supplemental reading book should be chose from the recommended books. (I picked War Horse which I was able to find on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Our Resources

• Usborne The World Wars (I purchased this new through a friend.)
• Kingfisher HistoryEncyclopedia, as recommended in the Mater Amabilis™ plans (I bought this used from a mom in my local homeschool group.)
• MapTrek Outline Maps of World History (I've had this for years as it's recommended in Connecting with History; I probably bought it at RC History.)
• I printed to PDF most of the articles linked in the plans and placed them in a binder before the term began. Movies or audio files I linked in a Google doc I shared with my son.

Week 1

Lesson 1

Kingfisher History Encyclopedia p 376-377 and 386-387 - Narrate. (The Balkan Wars 1921-1913, The World at a Glance 1914-1949)

The World Wars p 9-11 – Narrate. (The Great War)

MapTrek Modern World Map 20: The Balkan Wars

Review the map of World War I in your history notebook (MapTrek Modern World Map 21 completed during the first term’s American History)

Lesson 2

Kingfisher History Encyclopedia p 388-389. (The Start of World War I 1914)

The World Wars p 12-17. (Balance of power, Assassination and crisis, Europe in arms)

Notebook: Write a brief note on the causes of the First World War.

Lesson 3

The World Wars p 16-19 – Narrate. (Plans unravel)

Read First Battle ofMarne from History.com.

Notebook: Write a brief summary of the Schlieffen Plan or the First Battle of Marne.

Add an event to your Book of Centuries from this week.

Week 2

Lesson 1

The World Wars p 21-27 – Narrate. (Over by Christmas?, Carving a new frontier, Fire, wire and mud, Going up the line)

Watch a video of life in the trenches onHistory.com.

Notebook: Sketch a copy of the map on p 23 of the battles and front lines in the first year of the war. Write a brief summary of life in the trenches.

Lesson 2

The World Wars p 28-29, 32-37 – Narrate. (A storm of steel, North Sea raiders, Your country needs you, A day of peace)

Read more about the Christmas Truce in two articles in your history binder: a BBC special news report and a Smithsonian article.

Notebook: Write a summary of the Christmas Truce.

Lesson 3

The World Wars p 39-49 – Narrate. (Going global, Cruiser warfare, African action, Turkey enters the war, Jihad and genocide, The Eastern front)

Notebook: Sketch the map of the Eastern front on p 48.

Add an event to your Book of Centuries from this week.

Week 3

Lesson 1

The World Wars p 51-55 – Narrate. (Deadlock, A deadly mist, Settling in)

Watch a video on poison gas in World War I.

Lesson 2

The World Wars p 56-61 – Narrate. (A dangerous voyage, Out of thin air, The home front)

Read more on the Lusitania in articles in your binder: A survivor story from Slate, Lost Liners Lusitania on PBS, RMS Lusitania: The Fateful Voyage on FirstWorldWar.com.

Notebook: Write a newspaper account of the sinking of the Lusitania from England or Germany’s point of view.

Lesson 3

The World Wars p 62-65 – Narrate. (Gallipoli, War in the snow)

See photos and watch the video on The Gallipoli Campaign.

Notebook: Sketch the map shown on p 63 of the Gallipoli campaign and write a brief summary of its failures and successes.

Add an event to your Book of Centuries from this week.

Week 4

Lesson 1

The World Wars p 67-77 – Narrate. (The mincing machine, Dreadnoughts duel, Doomed youth, Sky fighters, Slaughter and Sacrifice)

Flying Aces by John Wukovits (from our library) – read Introduction and chapter 1 on the Red Baron.

Notebook: Written narration on the Battle of Verdun, Battle of Jutland, Air warfare in the First World War, or the Battle of the Somme.

Lesson 2

The World Wars p 78-87 – Narrate. (Trials and trauma, Women in uniform, Shock tactics, Secrets and spies, Desert wars)

Read about Lawrence of Arabia at IWM, found in your notebook.

Notebook: Write a short biography of Lawrence of Arabia.

Lesson 3

Read Pope Benedict XV’s Peace Note of 1st August 1917, found in your notebook.

Explore the EWTN Fatima website: https://www.ewtn.com/fatima/

Notebook: Written narration on the apparitions at Fatima.

Add an event to your Book of Centuries from this week.

Week 5

Lesson 1

The World Wars p 89-91 (Riots and Rebels)

Kingfisher History Encyclopedia p 392-393 (Ireland: Civil Unrest 1916-1923)

MapTrek Modern World Map 24: The Division of Ireland.

Notebook: Written narration on Ireland just before, during, and after World War I.

Lesson 2

The World Wars p 92-93 (Peace, bread and land)

Kingfisher History Encyclopedia p 394-395 (Russia 1917-1924)

MapTrek Modern World Map 23: The Russian Revolution.

Notebook: Write a summary of how Russia’s participation in World War I ended.

Lesson 3

The World Wars p 94-95 (Waking the giant)

Read Wilson’s War Message to Congress and what it meant, both in your binder.

Notebook: Question to answer – Do you think the USA should have entered the war earlier? Explain your answer.

Add an event to your Book of Centuries from this week.

Week 6

Lesson 1

The World Wars p 96-105 – Narrate. (Drowning in mud, Backs to the wall, Death throes, Armageddon, The time for peace)

Review MapTrek Modern World Map 22 of the final allied offensive, in your binder from first term.

Lesson 2

The World Wars p 107-113 – Narrate. (Peace and its aftermath, Coming to terms, Redrawing the map, The glory and the pity)

Read some war poetry in your binder: Dulce etDecorum Est by Wilfred Owen and The Soldier by Rupert Brooke.

Review MapTrek Modern World Map 25: Europe, Post WWI, in your binder from first term.

Lesson 3

The World Wars p 114-121 – Narrate. (A changed world, Soldiers’ stories, Visions of war, Lest we forget)

Notebook: Write an essay sharing what you have learned from studying World War I.

Add an event to your Book of Centuries from this week.

Reading Rocks, Rivers, and the Changing Earth and Enjoying Geology

Rocks, Rivers, and the Changing Earth: A First Book About Geology
by Herman and Nina Schneider, with illustrations be Edwin Herron

A fellow member of the Mater Amabilis facebook page mentioned this book coming back into print last summer and I immediately asked our library to purchase it. They did! When I skimmed it, I knew I wanted First Daughter to read it in the coming year (in third grade) because we were planning a trip out West and this book would be a wonderful introduction to the landscapes that would soon surround her. She's an avid reader who loves more subjects to check off her list, so I just added it to Mater Amabilis Level 1A Year 2. She was already scheduled to read Mountains and Volcanoes. I wrote about our plan for Mountains and Volcanoes before First Son completed it here. I simplified it for First Daughter since she was also reading this book, but thought they complemented each other well and left both in her lesson schedule.

First Daughter read a handful of pages from this book once a week. She would verbally narrate to me and often did activities suggested in the text. Most of the activities were straightforward and easy to complete with materials we had in the house or in the dirt outside, though a few would have been improved with a trip to the garden section for a few things.

This book delightfully explains geological themes such as the water cycle, erosion, underground water, minerals, mountains, coastal areas, oceans, earthquakes, volcanoes, precious stones, and metals. Through it all is the idea that the earth is ever-changing as tiny particles are slowly or, more rarely, dramatically broken down and incorporated anew.

Over and over again, water keeps making its journey from the clouds. The water you used to wash your hands this morning is millions of years old, and it has made millions of journeys to and from the clouds, and has traveled millions of miles. Perhaps, long ago, it turned a water will in a mill in Vermont, or it was churned into white foam by Columbus' flagship, or floated off the coast of Greenland, part of a huge iceberg, or shone as dew on a lilac leaf. It may have pushed a few grains of sand on to the banks of the Nile River in Egypt, or dripped off Abraham Lincoln's hat as he walked alone in the rain. You might have rolled it into a snowball or seen it steam out of a pot of soup. It might have been in the mud puddle your dog played in last week. But each time, the warm sun lifted it, and made it pure, and sent it up into the clouds, ready to fall again, clear and fresh, upon the earth.

The text and illustrations clearly explain and show the geological concepts. My daughter narrated the pages well and was able to identify some of the ideas at a visit to a local water center at the end of the school year.

As I mentioned, First Daughter read this book in third grade, but I think it would be appropriate at a range of levels. Second Daughter (age 7 and in first grade) would have understood the book if I had read it aloud to her. First Son (back when he was in third grade) probably would have needed me to read it aloud to him. I would be comfortable assigning this book through fifth grade, and perhaps even some sixth graders would benefit from it. (I often wondered if First Son would have struggled a bit less with A Doorway of Amethyst this year if he had read Rocks, Rivers, and the Changing Earth first.)

You are part of the earth's story. In your blood is iron from plants that drew it out of the soil. Your teeth and bones were once coral of the sea and tiny, beautiful sea animals. The water you drink has been in clouds high over the highest mountains of Asia and in lovely, misty waterfalls in Africa. The air you breathe has blown and swirled through places of the earth that no one has ever seen. Every bit of you is a bit of the earth, and has been on many strange and wonderful journeys over countless millions of years.

We enjoyed this book in addition to Mountains and Volcanoes. I will probably include both for Second Daughter when she is in third grade, but if I could only choose one, it would be Rocks, Rivers, and the Changing Earth.

For those that might be interested in using this book, here are the page breakdowns we used. There are assignments for 25 weeks because we took Advent off. If you live in areas allowing for outside exploration to complement the studies (you know, by a mountain or a coast, etc.), those weeks might also be used for field trips. We visited a local spring one week (as part of our nature study) where the water table was visible, for example.

Part One: The Land Torn Down
3-10
10-15
16-22
23-28
29-34
35-40
41-47
49-55
55-59
61-66
67-73
73-80
81-84
85-91

Part Two: The Sea Filled In
95-101
102-106

Part Three: The Land Built Up
109-116
116-122
123-134
135-141
142-147
148-154
155-161
161-166

Part Four: Man and the Earth
169-171

Third Grady State Study: Kansas and the United States

2020 update - Here's a new book you might want to include in a study of Kansas:

Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town

end update

****

Almost three years ago, First Son did a study of Kansas history and state symbols, mainly because I did something like that when I was in third grade (for Georgia) so it seemed appropriate. I remember a lot about Georgia from that time and hoped First Son learned to know and love his home state a little better. I never wrote about it on the blog, but I've been thinking about it again because First Daughter will be in third grade next year. I'm going through my plans and modifying them a bit. This post is partly a review of what First Son did and a plan for what First Daughter will do next year.

Kansas (From Sea to Shining Sea) by W. Scott Ingram was First Son's main "text" book and I liked it very well. It is written at a level good for second or third graders to read independently but still gives lots of information.

Week 1
Chapter 1- Narrate. Draw a map of Kansas. Draw a sunflower.

Week 2
Chapter 2 - Narrate. For a notebook page, describe the three regions (Dissected Till Plains, Osage Plains, Flint Hills). What are the two main river systems? Add them to your map of Kansas.

Weeks 3 - 8
Chapter 3 (a history of Kansas) pp 17-22, pp 22-29, 30-34, 34-39, 39-43, 43-46 - Narrate each week.

Week 9
Chapter 4 - Narrate. What are the three branches of Kansas's state government? Describe them. What is the capital? Add it to your map.

Week 10
Chapter 5 - Narrate. Add some of the places mentioned to your map. Write pages for two of the places, drawing pictures and making notes.

Week 11
Kansas State Seal coloring page. Read the text on the coloring sheet and at this website. - Narrate.  We checked out How to Draw Kansas's Sights and Symbols from the library, just for fun.

Week 12
Kansas state flag coloring page. Research the state flag (some information is here). Narrate and color the flag for your notebook.

Week 13
Governor - Make a notebook page for the governor. Include where the governor was born, how long the governor has been in office, how else the governor has served in Kansas and any interesting facts.

Week 14
Make a notebook page for the state song. Write the lyrics and add drawings to illustrate it. The Higley text is the official state song. It's pretty long, so I printed the lyrics for First Son. I may have First Daughter just copy the first few verses. (We are familiar with this song, but if not, we would learn to sing it and work on memorizing it.)

Week 15
Bison for Kids by Todd Wilkinson - Narrate.
Make a notebook page on the bison. Include a drawing and some notes.

Week 16
Winter Wheat by Brenda Z. Guiberson - Narrate. Make a notebook page for it. Be sure to tell why it's important in Kansas.

The official Kansas study finished, we used time in the rest of the year to memorize states and capitals with States and Capitals Songs. I copied the CD onto the Kindles and let the children listen once a week. They all love the little songs, though they get repetitive for adults pretty quickly. More than two years later, my six year old will still ask to listen to them occasionally.

I worked with First Son to memorize the state abbreviations and postal codes using Learn the States and Postal Abbreviations. I thought this would be useful for First Son, but eventually decided it wasn't worth our time to worry about memorizing them.

We also read from My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States occasionally during our weekly poetry time. (I would read poems from the book and we'd enjoy them together.) We often played the Scrambled States of America game, which is fun. Even non-readers can play if you adapt the game a little.

Melissa and Doug Wooden USA Map Puzzle can be useful in addition to mapwork on paper. We've had this puzzle for about ten years and it's still in great condition. We managed to keep the pieces safe by keeping it up high and only bringing it down when requested when we had babies and toddlers. Now that our youngest is four, it's still on a shelf, but low enough for any of the kids to use at any time.

For First Daughter next year, I'm going to modify the study a little. We'll start with Me on the Map. I intend to have her draw a map of her room, a map of our house, a map of the area around our house (being in the country, we don't really have a neighborhood), and label a county map. (The county names can be found here. This activity is useful in case of a tornado watch or storm moving through, familiarizing her with our county and the counties near us.) She can already find Kansas on a map of the United States and the US on a world map.

Then we'll read Kansas and go through the rest of the state study (seal, governor, flag, etc.). At the end, I'm adding a week for her to read Amelia Earhart: Adventure in the Sky by Francene Sabin. A biography with more detailed information and lots of photographs, Amelia Earhart: A Life in Flight, will be lying around if she's interested in learning more. The following week, I'll ask her to look through the photographs in The Four Seasons of Kansas.

First Daughter will then listen to the states and capitals songs, about one song a week or more often if she likes. She'll finish the year by reading Smart About the Fifty States.

In addition, I might offer some independent reading set in Kansas. Many of these books are use din our American history, so it just depends how our history studies match up. If it's something we'd read in a few months for history, I'll wait. If we wouldn't read it during the year, I'd provide it as an option for First Daughter's independent reading.

Wagon Wheels, Level 3, Grade 2-4 (I Can Read) by Barbara Brenner is a early reader book that tells an exciting story based on real life.

Pioneer Summer, Cabin in the Snow, and Our Kansas Home by Deborah Hopkinson is a trilogy set just as the settlers in Kansas territory were debating whether to become a free or slave state.

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder - of course! First Daughter has read this book many times already, so it won't be an option for her, but First Son did read this in third grade.

From Kansas to Cannibals: The Story of Osa Johnson by Suzanne Middendorf Arruda is the true story of a young woman from Kansas who traveled to exotic locations around the world making films with her husband of wildlife and native peoples. This book works really well in third grade for us as it covers both Kansas and jungle life, coordinating with our Jungle Islands study. Be aware the attitudes of Osa and her colleagues are very different from those we expect today regarding conservation and diversity which can prompt discussions. You can find many examples of her work on youtube, too.

Additionally, I'll put some Kansas picture books in book baskets for Second Daughter or Second Son.

Aunt Minnie McGranahan and Aunt Minnie and the Twister by Mary Skillings Prigger
Going West by Jean van Leeuwen
Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly by Carolyn Parkhurst - This book isn't really about Kansas, but Henry wisely uses Kansas wheat in his waffles and the depiction of advertising is too funny to miss.
S is for Sunflower: A Kansas Alphabet by Devin Scillian - I never read all the words in books like these to my little ones, but the older ones might like reading it themselves.

Some fun picture books of all the states:
How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. by Marjorie Priceman
The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller
America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates, illustrated by Chris Gall

Finally, I'm really hoping to add some Kansas travel to our year. I don't often travel alone with the children, so our travels will depend on a combination of when Kansas Dad can get away and how adventurous and brave I am. Some of the sites I'm considering are: Topeka, Abilene, the Martin and Osa Johnson Museum, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, the Cathedral of the Plains, and the Flint Hills. Over the summer and in early fall, we're planning to visit the Little House on the Prairie Museum and Old Cowtown Museum. Kansas Trail Guide: The Best Hiking, Biking, and Riding in the Sunflower State has me dreaming...