Studies of Africa & Opportunities to Serve

Over these past few weeks, our Geography & Science lessons “sent” us to Africa (ECC weeks 18, 19 & 20). While there, we learned about an African safari and the animals that roam there, and learned about the different types of grasslands and how plants and animals survive on them. We also learned how to make and play a new game that is popular in Africa, called Mancala. It is a simple game that anyone can make with the use of an empty egg carton and some dried beans. The kids and I enjoyed learning this new game.

 

We also decided to try a recipe made with yams (sweet potatotes), since many people in Africa grow them. Road Runner and I liked the new dish, but Coyote and Daddy did not care for it. At least they gave it a try, and that’s all I ask. Here’s the recipe I used:

Easy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1 can (29 oz) sweet potatoes

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup milk

Brown sugar

Mash the potatoes with the butter and milk. Spread into a microwaveable dish. Sprinkle brown sugar all over the top. Cover and cook on high in the microwave for 5 minutes. 

 As we studied Africa, we also learned about various people who served as missionaries there, such as Samuel Morris, David Livingstone, and Mary Slessor. It was interesting to read their stories and how they all stepped out of their comfortable lives to minister to others. 

Aside from our usual school work, it was neat to see how various opportunities of service come up for us this past week as well. Most of the things we did were not intentionally planned, but it was great to have opportunities arise that allowed us to bless others. It is so important for us to be teaching our kids how to serve while they are young. Here are just a few things that came up for us:

• Awhile back, I came across a genetic research study conducted by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital, who are trying to learn more about Tourettes Syndrome and its causes. The study involved anonymous questionnaires, phone interviews, and they asked Coyote to agree to have a blood draw for use in the study. At first, he was totally against the idea. But, after he thought about it for awhile, he agreed that it would be a good thing to do. So, recently, he had two tubes of blood removed from his arm. He was so brave and we hope that his participation in this study will help bring some needed answers.

• This past Friday, as I was taking Road Runner to her speech class, I noticed a sign for a blood drive taking place that day. So, I followed Coyote’s lead and also gave blood for a good cause.
• With Valentine’s Day approaching, we joined a couple other homeschool families at a local nursing home to pass out valentines to the residents. The kids enjoyed passing them out and seeing how it made the elderly smile. It was a blessing to be involved in that. 
• We also attended a homeschooling event at a library this past week and made valentines to give to those who are being treated for cancer.  

• My husband and son even took some time to fill our bird feeder so the birds could have an easier time of finding something to eat after all the snow and ice we recently had.

Eph 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

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Some Ideas to Share

I’ve recently noticed that the kids and I seem to need something to help us transition from our morning routine into “school mode.” So, I thought I’d share an idea that has been helpful for us in making this transition... We really enjoy watching videos on You Tube and, some of our favorites are from the group GO FISH. Well, this group just happen to have a version of “This is My Father’s World,” which is the theme song for our My Father’s World curriculum. So, we have been using that song to begin our school day and help get us into gear.

Along with that song, we will choose one or two other songs from GO FISH. They have great songs that are so much fun, while teaching us about God's Word and of His love for us. Some of our favorites are:

The 10-Commandment Boogie

The Bible Book Bop

I’ve Got the Joy

Jesus Loves Me

After watching 2-3 favorite songs, we will then watch a video from CRAWFORD THE CAT. Your young ones (ages Pre-K through 1st grade) will really enjoy these short videos, but our 2nd grader and special needs 12-year-old also enjoy them. They are 5 minute cartoons that teach Health, Manners and Social Skills. You can find these videos on You Tube also, but here is the main website where you can watch the videos, as well as find out more info about Crawford: http://www.crawfordthecat.com/

Last week, we finished up week 17 of ECC (Exploring Countries & Cultures - through My Father's World)and finished learning about Germany. We took a moment on Wednesday night to talk with our friend, Rein, who was born in Germany and lived there until he was 9 years old. He said some words to us in German, and told us about some of his favorite German foods. I didn’t get a chance to make a German dish yet, although we do enjoy pork and sour krout on occasion. I also found a recipe for Spaetzle that I want to try soon. Here is the recipe, if anyone else is interested in giving it a try. It came from the book "Cooking the German Way" by Helga Parnell:

SPAETZLE

Especially popular in the Black Forest region of Germany. Usually served in place of potatoes or noodles, along with a roast.

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 to 3/4 cup warm water
2 TB butter

Sift flour and 1/2 tsp. salt together in bowl. Add eggs and 1/4 cup warm water. Slowly stir to mix the flour and liquid. Stir in remaining water, little by little, until cookie dough consistency. Beat with wooden spoon until small bubbles form. Fill a larg saucepan half full of water and add 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Scoop up small pieces of dough with a wet teaspoon and drop into the water. Cook only enough at a time to fill the pan without them touching. Boil, uncovered, 6-8 minutes. Remove from water with slotted spoon. When all of spaetzle is done, rinse with cold water and drain well. Just before serving, place spaetzle in medium saucepan with the butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until butter is melted. Serves 4-6.

Review of the Past Couple of Weeks

In the past couple of weeks, our Geography lessons (ECC week #14) took us to France.

For Science, we  learned about how different animals defend themselves, how they adapt to their surroundings, and we used You Tube to tour a couple of different caves.

For Bible, we are still reading through the book of Matthew (using You Tube to watch the Visual Bible), and also learned about Menno Simons, a Roman Catholic priest who changed his views and became a leader of the anabaptist churches.

For Music, we learned some new songs from European countries, started a new chapter in our music workbooks from Christian Light Education, and watched some Christmas videos on You Tube. (If you haven't figured it out by now, we LOVE You Tube!)

Physical Education was done in various ways as the kids ran around outside, played in the snow, danced to music, and went bowling.

Art hasn't been anything especially fancy lately. They either colored a Christmas picture, added features to a paper snowman, or learned how to draw an animal (such as a tiger or reindeer).

For Math, we continue with Mastering Mathematics by Letz Farmer. Both kids are currently in the Attacking Addition workbook. They are learning how to carry, and also how to add dollars and cents. Road Runner is concentrating on memorizing her addition facts, while Coyote mainly counts in his head without memorizing.

Language Arts, Spelling, and Handwriting have continued on as usual.

Last Friday, we all went on a field trip to tour a local radio station, as well as a printing factory. See photos below....

For Home Economics, the kids helped me in the kitchen as we made some Christmas goodies to take around to our friends and neighbors. This is a yearly tradition that we all enjoy.

Today is Christmas Eve and we are taking a break from school for awhile. We look forward to the time off as we celebrate the birth of our Lord.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Our Week of Events

First of all, we had a really nice Thanksgiving week, as we took some time off of our regular studies and focused on some Thanksgiving activities. The following week, it was hard to get back into the routine of things, especially since I had come down with a pretty bad cold and didn't feel much like concentrating. So, we took it easy that week as well. Then, this past week, we were finally able to return to our regular studies, but kept getting side-tracked with one thing or another. Even so, I think we accomplished what needed to be accomplished, for the most part. But, anyway, here are a few photos of some of the activites we did together this past week....

Last Saturday, we all took a trip to Home Depot for the Kids Workshop. They hold these workshops on the first Saturday of each month, and they are totally FREE. The kids get to make something and take it home. At this workshop, the kids made a wooden picture frame. They still haven't been painted and decorated, but we DO have the paint, and will hopefully be doing that soon!

On Sunday afternoon, we decorated Christmas cookies to help celebrate a friend's birthday.

On Monday, we began our week with a "trip" to Norway (ECC Week #13). Then, in the afternoon, we made Cool Whip Cookies for a cookie swap. With the leftover dough, Coyote made a snowman, and he also helped Road Runner make a dog (Its kinda hard to tell what it is in the picture, but at least the kids know what it is. LOL.)

Tuesday was interesting, since we had NO HEAT! Our furnace went out on Monday night and the temperature dropped down to the lower 50's inside the house. We all slept in the same room on Monday night, with lots of blankets and a space heater. Then, in the morning, we called the furnace guy to come out and fix it, but he didn't arrive until Noon. So, for the morning, the kids and I huddled together in the family room, sitting next to the space heater. It was too cold to do any writing, but we did spend some time reading. Here you can see Coyote reading one of his Hooked On Phonics books to me and Road Runner.

We left for Road Runner's Speech class right after lunch and spent some time warming up there. Then, we were able to come back to a warmer house, as the furnace guy was just finishing up. Boy... times like that sure do make one appreciate heat!

The rest of the week went pretty much as planned. Then, on Friday afternoon, we went to a homeschool day at the library. The topic there was "Christmas Around the World." It tied in nicely to our studies with ECC, since we are learning about different countries and cultures this year. We learned about different Christmas customs and traditions, including some in Norway (which we studied this week). And, then we had crafts and the kids chose to make an ornament that is traditionally made in Sweden - a star made out of straw.

We also learned ways to say "Merry Christmas" in different languages around the world. Here are a few of them . . .

Brazilian - "Boas Festas"

Chinese (Cantonese) - "Saint Dan Fai Lok"

Dutch - "Vrolijk Kerstfeest"

Filipino - "Maligayang pasko"

French - "Joyeux Noel"

German - "Froehliche Weihnachten"

Greek - "Kala Christouyenna"

Hebrew - "Mo'adim Lesimkha"

Hawaiian - "Mele Kalikimaka"

Icelandic - "Gledileg Jol"

Irish - "Nollaig Shona Dhuit"

Lithuanian - "Linksmu Kaledu"

Norwegian & Swedish - "God Jul"

Romanian - "Craciun Fericit"

Spanish - "Feliz Navidad"

And, or course, in English - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Time for a Change of Pace

Maybe it’s the time of year - weather getting cooler, skies getting grayer, no more pretty leaves on the trees - but I found this past week to be especially difficult for all of us to stay on track with our tasks at hand, both physically and mentally. Both kids were having a hard time paying attention during our studies this week and, even when they did seem to be listening, I think their comprehension took a flying leap out the window. My patience ran thin more than it should have and we had more than our share of raised voices, grumpy faces, and tears to contend with. I’ve decided, as Thanksgiving approaches, we will be taking a break from our normal routine and doing things a bit differently around here. We all need the change of pace and, hopefully, the following week will produce better attitudes for all of us.

Hope everyone has a

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yanomamo Indians and More....

This week, as we have concentrated on South America in our studies, we learned about the Yanomamo tribe living in the rainforests of southern Venzuela. They have been known as a fierce tribe, often having battles with neighboring tribes and capturing their women. They also have a strong connection with evil spirits and will train a young man to become a Shaman, so he can listen to the spirits and tell the rest of the tribe how to appease them.

As we researched online for more info about the Yanomami, we came across the testimony of a Shaman Chief from who battled with many evil spirits. It was only the one, true, living God (known as The Great Spirit to this man) who was finally able to deliver him. This is an amzing testimony and I encourage you to take the time to listen to it when you get a chance. It comes in two parts....

Yanomamo Shaman Chief's Testimony - Part 1

Yanomamo Shaman Chief's Testimony - Part 2

We also had a couple of homeschool activities this week. On Thursday, our community met on the courthouse lawn for a Veteran's Day ceremony to recognize all of our veterans. Coyote took part in the ceremony with his Cub Scout pack. They led us all in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. It was neat to see him being a part of that.

Even more neat was the fact that Coyote was wearing the same Cub Scout shirt and hat his daddy wore when he was that age!

Then, after the ceremony, our homeschool group met to draw pictures and write letters of encouragement to our veterans, as well as collect items to go into care packages for the veterans overseas. I am "proud" of our homeschool group and for their willingness to participate in community projects such as this.

On Friday, we went to a Hodgson Mill factory to see how they make and package different products, such as flours, yeast, pancake mix, pastas, etc. It was a neat learning experience for all in attendance. Our Road Runner thought the factory was a bit too loud for her ears, however, she really did enjoy seeing how all the machines worked. I'm glad we had the chance to go.

Finished North America

The past couple weeks, in between illnesses and other distractions, we concentrated on the study of Canada and Greenland, along with learning about forests and the arctic regions. This concluded our study of North America and now, this week, we begin learning about South America.

Someone on the My Father's World Yahoo Group sent a link from UPM for a virtual field trip to the forest. So, we spent one morning going through this site and it was the neatest thing! Even if you are NOT learning about the forest right now, I recommend this site. It is very educational and informative. If you can't visit a forest in person, this is the next best thing. (NOTE: You do need to have a pretty good internet connection in order to view this and, even then, it may take a couple minutes to load in.)...

Virtual Field Trip of a Forest
http://w3.upm-kymmene.com/upm/forestlife/index.html#lang=0

We also spent some time on You Tube, viewing a paper mill and watching how they make paper out of wood. I love You Tube! So many neat educational things to find on there. We even watched videos from National Geographic that showed more about the animals we have been learning about. (NOTE: Parents do need to watch WITH the kids, as You Tube can sometimes show things that may not be acceptable, especially to young viewers.)

As we finished up Canada, Coyote helped me make a desert that is regularly made in that country, and we shared it with grandparents who came for a visit over the weekend. Instead of using the traditional blueberries, I used a can of cherry pie filling. We all enjoyed it....

Our Mexican Meal

Last week, I told you to check in at the end of this week to see if we made a Mexican dish. Normally, my husband isn't a big fan of Mexican foods, due to the spices. However, we do eat mildly seasoned tacos and chicken fajitas on occasion. So, that's what we had.....

A Trip to Mexico and Beyond

This week, the kids received their "passports" and we all took a pretend trip to Mexico. While there, we watched a Mexican hat dance (on You Tube), learned some Spanish words, and made Mexican suns with Model Magic clay.

We also learned about desert lands and talked about how certain animals survive in the drastic temperature changes (hot in the day, cold at night). To experiment with this, made our own turtles and put them out in the sun and in the shade, along with a thermometer, to note the difference in temperatures. We also put two bowls of ice cubes outside - one in the sun and one in the shade. The kids learned that the sun will melt ice cubes faster than the shade.

As we continue to learn about North America and the names of the countries, we also played a geography game this week. Even Mom is learning with this game, as geography was never my strong point. It's fun to be learning along with the kids.   

On Thursday afternoon, we took a field trip to the local Veterinarian clinic. This didn't have anything to do with Mexico, but was still a neat learning experience.  

On Friday afternoon, we had our Homeschool Library Day and learned more about the Spanish language, as well as some German and American Sign Language.

Next week, we continue with our travels in North America; and, if I can find a recipe my husband will eat, we may be making a Mexican dish of some sort. Check in next week to find out!

Just the Basics

Nothing really exciting happened this week in our school work. We didn’t really do any fun art projects or go on a field trip, because this week was.... well, let's just say it was a challenging week over all. So, we mostly just got the basics done - but that’s okay. Some weeks are like that.
One thing I would like to mention, however, is that we started going through the Gospel of Matthew this week and, in order to help the kids visualize what might have happened during those times, we watched The Visual Bible, found here on You Tube:

The Visual Bible - Gospel of Matthew

Oh... and we also played in GOO this week... LOL!

NOTE: Goo is made with cornstarch, water, and food coloring. Its a fun time of sensory play, especially for your hands-on learners. 
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