Sunday, September 22, 2013

songs and chants for cc cycle 2 week 4

Carbon and Oxygen Cycle
and the Nitrogen Cycle

Our "actions" of a "stirring the cookie dough" nature.  We decided on this movement to represent the circular shape of a cycle. 

Friday, September 13, 2013

More memory work songs for cycle 2 wk 3

Somehow we came up with two great (at least we thought so) songs for cycle 2 wk 3 memory work.
When I looked at a way to memorize the Western European Countries I was trying to think of a western song that everyone would be familiar with.  It happens that "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" worked perfectly!!! 
Before we filmed the song, we had been singing it with a country twang.  It was fun to sing that way.  The kids will like it, too.  The "little dance" was country hoe-down arms.  
I have tried about 8 times and for some reason I can't put my video in this post.  So, here's the link to the Western European Countries song
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nMFM4BiOPpA&feature=c4-feed-u

For the pronoun order my daughter started singing it to "Kookaburro Song" and it fit so well.  Thank you Lord!  He made it easy on us today. Here is that link:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zWZLoLyhRUY&feature=c4-feed-u

A little tip:
I write the song title very small next to my memory work on my white board.  That way should I forget in the middle of CC class, I can find the song without wasting much time.
You can see here I have written "Row" next to my skip counting 5's numbers.  
Hope these are helpful in your CC home/class.

Oh, I guess it did add the Western European Contries, but that was after sitting and loading forever.  
   Again I'm adding screen shots of the Pronoun Order song and Western European songs so I have something to pin on pinterest.  Below are not links, the links are above in the paragraphs.
I don't know why I can't pin these when the are the actual linked youtube videos, but this is how we'll handle it for now.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Back to normal?

Well, we have our home on the market, finally.  In the midst of all that chaos we had to take a trip to Key West (poor us, right) for a business meeting.  Sorry, I didn't get to post much in all that business.  I hope it will be a bit more consistent until we get to move (soon??? please, Lord).
preparing for week 3
We came up with this little chant for science.
Hope you can use it.

In my plans for wk 3 post I wrote how I would divide the class into 3 groups, give one some fruits/veggies from our play food, one holding forks/spoons, the last holding toy bugs/mushrooms.  In the video I have my girls attempting to hold up each as we say it, and you can tell it's too hard to switch that quickly.  They sure thought it was gross to learn about decomposers :) but I told them the world would be a stinky place without them.
once again, I couldn't pin my video for some reason, so I had to screen shot and add this in.  don't play the bottom picture, play the top smaller one.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Killer Cricket Addition (lol)

We've been hard at work.  Two and a half weeks in to the school year.  With my middle girl we've had a bit of a attitude problem.  This is very unusual for her.  She is overall very compliant and always wants to please us.  I'm thinking she is a little hesitant this year, because we've changed spelling curriculum and added Story of the World.  She likes things to be the same.  She likes to know what's going on and what's coming next.  I hope once she gets used to the new things that she'll become her old sweet self again.  Right?
Today we had some fun with flash cards.  I don't think no one has ever done this before, but I hadn't come across the idea.  So, in case you too haven't, I thought I'd share.
We've been working on flash cards for math proficiency and the girls are usually fine with doing them the old fashioned way.  Even the preschooler wants to do flash cards and is always saying "my turn".  I usually just ask "what number is this?" and let her tell me either number on the card.  Or she just randomly shouts numbers, as this is probably what it looks like we're doing.  
Today, just for fun we laid a group of cards down in a grid and used fly swatters.  I'd ask the girls to slap a card who's sum was 8, or 5, or 12.  What ever sum I felt like saying.  Once they slapped the addends we'd flip the card over.  
Example: I might say "find a card who's sum is 10".  They could slap 2+8, or 9+1... Then we'd flip it over until all the cards had been flipped.  Of course, little E wanted a turn and so I'd say "slap one that has a 5". 
Even a little cricket wanted to join our fun, but little E used her fly swatter a bit too effectively/literally.
However, it is very unusual that 2+3= dead cricket :)
We also had some fun with geography.  Who doesn't love sticky notes? Honestly, who?  I got out our sticky strips, you know the skinny papers, but not the arrows.  I said "put the purple on the North Sea" etc. until we went through all the European waters.

Then we did a trace of Europe and labeled the waters.  
We will do the sticky notes tomorrow also.  So, I took one of each of the five colors (there happens to be five European waters in CC Cycle 2 Week 2) and posted them on our white board next to the name of each water.  Tomorrow they'll be able to look at my board and match their waters with my colors.  I can pop some laundry in while they get their stickies to match mine:)
Hope you can use these ideas somehow.


 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Week 1 Presentations and Science

Our group is starting the year with an interview type presentation.  Our skill focus is simply getting to know our classmates (mostly feeling comfortable with speaking in front of them).  I looked on CC Connected and found a file for impromptu open-ended  questions that you can print and cut into cards.  
I don't recall the uploader's name, but if you search "impromptu speaking cards"  you should find it.  I think I found it by searching these terms.
week: 1
Cycle: All
Subject: presentations

There were only nine, and I wasn't sure they would all apply to my kids.
So I googled impromptu speech topics.  There are many resources to find in this manner.  I think most of the questions I wrote on notecards

were from about.com  .
I decided to clip them to my white board above the presentation "line up", so they are right where I need them when I need them.  
When making my Line up, I decided to place the students who've been in CC before, near the top.  The newcomers will be on the bottom of the list.  I thought it nice to allow them time to know what to expect and hopefully relax any fears they may bring.



Science 
I found some good printable resources on CC Connected.  This weeks experiments won't take much time, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to employ the scientific method on a worksheet.  Here's what you should search:
emoticons method (is a "poster" with emoticons to help the younger students have a visual of each step)
same place, uploaded by jen30- a worksheet to fill out the steps for the scientific method
shaded #2 , also by Jen30- a similar worksheet 
C2W1_sci_exp  was another helpful file.

Hope this helps your last minute prep for Week 1.
We have our first day on Monday!! My girls and I are so excited.  I am guessing I'll have another post for you this weekend as I put together my specific supplies Sat and Sun night.  

  

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

You Zoo Book Review

I ordered a book a couple weeks ago called The You Zoo.  It is a wonderful tool written by Jami Kirkbride and Kathryn Robbins.  This book is a wonderful personality assessment tool to allow you to get to know your children better.  Not only that, but it assesses the parent and gives wonderful examples of how parent and child can work together.  
Let me give you some detail.
The book is a story format.  You read about four monkeys in the zoo.  These monkeys make their way through 12 scenarios.  You read how each monkey handles the situation and the child chooses which monkey they are most like.  It was so simply laid out for my kids to complete.  I have an 8yr old and 6 yr old and they did wonderfully.  I could tell they felt like one answer might be "right".  As the books instructions direct the parent, there is no wrong answer.  If I really felt they were choosing an answer way out of their norm, we would just discuss it.  If you need to break it into multiple settings, to the authors let you know that it doesn't have to be completed all at once.  You can come back and see if the child answers the same way if you feel like confirming an answer.  I hope that doesn't make it sound like it was hard, or work- It was fun and easy.  My girls breezed through it and asked if we could do it again the next day.  They loved the time reading it with me and felt valued knowing I wanted to hear their answers.  
I thought it evaluated them quite precisely.  It placed them right where they should be.  We now know better what their strengths and weaknesses are.
After doing the parent evaluation (which also pegged me right on)  there is a section that helps you know your child better.
 
(trying to take photos that don't give away the great content :)
Then there is a section of parenting tips that match parents personality and how to work with each type of child personality.
The book ends with a FAQ section and information on how to contact the authors for additional info.  I have contacted one of them, Jami, and she was so sweet in responding and even signed my copy before sending the book.  Her note in the front of my book "God bless your zoo!"  How'd she know?  LOL!!
I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know their child or student better.  This is a great classroom resource and was even piloted at a school.  The teachers had great things to say about this assessment.
For something that seems like fun to the children it is truly a blessed way to get to know them more. I have found myself checking the parenting tips several times since the books arrival to see the suggestions and how they can help my "zoo".
You can find it on Amazon or at YouZooKids.com




Monday, August 19, 2013

CC Cycle 2 Week 1 Walk Through

So, I enjoy being prepared, not just planning, but practicing.  So, yes, I go through the weeks grammar with my kids the week before (sorry, just being honest). My purpose is to work out the bugs.  We don't totally drill and have it perfect.  We do run through what I'm going to run through with my class at CC.  If I start having trouble with my children "teaching" during class my first action will be a verbal "knock it off" kind of correction.  If they continue I won't be able to continue running through the new grammar ahead of time with them.  No body likes the no-it-all kids who take over class.  We love kids to be involved when they need to sing/speak up/ answer and the like.  However, I'm going to try not to let my girls step out of line.  Last year they were so shy I had to almost bribe them to answer any questions :).  However, it's always different when you have your mom for a teacher, in this case tutor.

Wow! that was a long intro.  
All that was to say this:
We introduced science and math grammar today for week one. This is my original thought for science to have them draw a little snippet of what each biome might look like.
It worked well, they enjoyed completing the drawings.  However, I like doing memory work to songs.  So, I looked for songs on CC, and just a general google search.  I did find a couple on CC.  They are fine songs and I applaud the work that went into the songs.  However, I like to stick to melodies we already know, so we aren't learning grammar and melody.  We found that it fits well to the melody of Joy to the World.  Here goes:



Thursday, August 15, 2013

CC Pronoun Song Weeks 4-8

So a couple weeks ago I told ya'll (I lived in Virginia for 5 yrs, picked up a bit of southern :) that I had a Chicken Dance Pronoun Song.  The first time I found the song was at Practicum this summer, in the hotel with two of my girls sleeping in the bed next to me.  I was planning our sample week to share with the other Foundations Tutors.  I found the great song somewhere online.  WHERE?  I can't find it. Someone commented on the post a couple weeks ago that they had looked and couldn't find it.  Could I find the link?  Nope.  I searched for an hour and a half.  I know I didn't look that long the first time.  So, I'm wondering if it got taken down.  Could just be lost in cyber space.  Or hiding from me.

So, I told this reader I'd do the song in a video and post it.  Why did I say that?  A moment of crazy weakness? Yes.  No.  I can do the song.  I had to get my mom back on her way to Wyoming and get our school year started.  I am ready now, well, as ready as I'll be.  My kids think it's great to post videos on youtube or facebook.  They say "we're famous".  Well, I'm not looking to be famous, and it's a good thing... any fame I was on the way to, I'm taking a couple steps back here.  If it can help my fellow tutors and CC moms, I'll do what is needed.
So weeks 4-9 in chicken dance style...
Well, my first video.  Maybe shouldn't have done it right after I woke from a much needed nap.  I hope you can use this in your class.  You could add actions more than just the clapping, but this was enough of a stretch for me just doing the video. :)

For some reason I couldn't pin the picture of the video, so I had to take a screen shot, add it to the post, then pin the pic of the video.  So, below is not the video, but the pic. confusing, but wanted to get it on pinterest for those of you who follow me that way :)

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

CC Tutor Traveling white board

Today's post will be rather simple.  ( I have to work my little delivery job this weekend, so I suppose I should spend some time on prep work)
Some of the classrooms at our facility have small white boards which is great.  However, I'm not sure I'll have the time I need to write everything when we show up the morning of CC.  I'll get there early, but I'll have an 8yr old, 6 yr old, and 2 yr old with me.  They are "helpers" of course, but just in case, I'd like to be mostly ready when I arrive.  So, I know you can find the foam trifold display boards at many stores.  Those work great.  I just had to do a trifold white board.  We love whiteboards and use them often at our place.  I thought that would be easier than putting paper in sleeves each week, printing all the memory work... 
We are supposed to be able to model teaching with a stick in the sand.  Showing that parents need no special equipment, that they can just write out memory work for their children.  (blah, blah, get to the white board already lady).
So, at hardware stores they have available showerboard/whiteboard.  It's not magnetic :(, but hey we're simple.  So I had the hubs bring home a large piece of showerboard.  I had figured out what size I wanted my traveling whiteboard to be.  It's about 4'w by 3' h when folded up.  That is the size of the center panel.  So divide 4 by 2 and you get the size of the two side panels 2'x3'.  When you go to cut the shower board be aware that your saw should be coming from the brown back side.  Our saw made a line down the white side when we ran the saw along the front.  
Then take a pencil and lay it between the center panel and one of the side pieces on the top and bottom.  The pencils space out the boards so when you use your handy-dandy duct tape as a hinge the boards will be spaced enough to close.  Tape along the front, remove the pencils, then tape the  back.  Then do the other side panel in like manner.   I also went around the whole opened up trifold with tape just for a finished edge.  I folded it around the edges.
Maybe I should give a visual so you have some clue what I'm jabbering about.
The closed trifold board.
Here it is open.  The kids even left a little work of art for us:)
You can see along the bottom edge I have plastic sleeves for the timeline cards (8, 1 from the previous week, and 7 from the current week).  I currently have the attached by one clear self adhesive hook and loop disc at the top.  However, I shall be adding a second on the bottom in order to keep them from swaying.  
One other adjustment yet to be made is putting a handle on top.  The plan is two drill holes handle width apart and use those hiking clip things... what are they called? Come on brain. Thanks to a search engine, not my brain, the name is carabiner.  Place a carabiner through the two layers of the folded board and somehow make a handle between the carabiners.  Ooh, idea.  I could use my jumbo size cushioned carabiner as the handle.  Those "mommy" clip things that are supposed to hold all your grocery bags.  I'm sure my "instructions" for the "handle" are quite clear.  So, clear that I'll post again to show the finished product.  I don't want  you thinking I'm as crazy as I sound.
We had a bunch of leftover showerboard since hubby bought the super size. So, I had him cut them into individual whiteboards for each student in my class.  I also finished the edges with fun tape.
I thought I said this was a simple post.  I may not have been completely accurate.  


Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Day 2

No, I'm sure we wont blog every day of school this year, though it would be cool to have it all for memories sake.
While I'm excited, refreshed from summer and not burned out :) I thought I would post about our days.  
On our school menu today- Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Monks and the Pope spreading religion.
Coloring their Celtic brooches while I read.  The wanted to use their flying carpets again. 
Also coloring Beowulf from yesterday. They loved coloring the Illuminated letters like the monks would have used in book making.  We counted the hours it took monks to make a book and it could have been near 100 hours.  They found that amazing (I did too).
Then we wrote our names in lettering the monks used.  We just covered a template of the alphabet with tracing paper, and traced the letters we needed.  
We painted (really just washable marker) blue swirls on our arms (yes me too) and their faces.  I'm trying to sink in these facts about History.  Doing history makes you remember at least a little.  So they made the celtic brooches and pinned on their cloaks (still the silly rugs).  Then they finished up their celtic axes- mom didn't read the directions, they are supposed to be double sided.  So, these are only half as effective at war.  You can see we are sitting on our large sheet map of Europe.  I wanted them to be finding points on the map as we read about them.  
Of course, we did all our usual spelling, math, language, geography.  Science today will be Wild Kratts.  Gotta say that show is so educational that I'm okay with using it on days we're busy and mom needs to get things done.  Our plate is full today, so we're using our resources- Netflix :)
I have to say Bella is having a harder time than I imagined for her.  Last year she did so well.  I know she likes knowing what we are doing. She doesn't care for new things, but would rather be routine.  So some of the things she's saying "I don't want to do this" are because she's not sure what we're doing.  I think she'll become more familiar with the SOTW curriculum and love it.  I guess at the end she did say "I didn't know school was going to be like this.  I thought we were doing workbooks more like math and stuff."  This was a positive statement, not criticism.  She's such an observer, gotta watch, then do.
Claire, on the other hand is really loving it, and when we finished, she got out more school books to work on.
Still happy for our day two success :)
Oh, and Emery is up to five states!  she's doing good and even talked about her states at lunch :)


Monday, August 12, 2013

Callie

To the person called "Callie" who commented on my post titled CC Tutor.  You asked what age group I work with.  I tried to reply, but the comment disappeared and there was no where to reply.  I don't' know why (she swallowed a fly...).  I was doing some maintenance on my blog last night, trying to make it easier for people to find what they need. I think somehow it messed  up your comment.  So here is my reply:
I am still fairly new and don't know all the titles that go with the age groups.  I've heard them, and tried to quickly look up on CC's website, but couldn't find my answer.  So, instead of the title of the age group, I'll say that I work with 1st-3rd graders.  I know I've got some 6 yr olds, and 8's. I think/hope most of this could be adapted to different ages/levels.  I hope you find this reply.  I really try hard to get back to everyone who comments:)  this is my attempt.

1st Day of School 2013-14

We did it!  We started the year with a BANG! Or rather a gluten free cinnamon roll as a treat.
 I was nervous.  Not sure why.  I think adding Story of The World onto what we were already doing, made me feel like it might be overwhelming.  Not to mention adding in pre-school for Emery. However, with prayer, preparations, and plans we made it through day one.  One day at a time, right?
So, here's a peek into our day.  We started out with a game.  That's the game lover in me coming out. We played match ten (I think that is the name).  Using playing card you pick out Ace-10 and the Q.  We laid them in a grid like most matching games.  The point is to draw two cards that have a sum of 10.  Nine and one, eight and two... then we also use 10 and Q, the Q representing zero.  They loved it!  
Then they worked on coloring their SOTW activity pages while I read Chapter One.  
Chapter One has you pretending to ride a magic carpet over the Roman Empire- thus the girls sitting on the carpets.
You can see how much of the first day "jitters" they have- LOL!  She couldn't get enough.
Lil' Emery was having fun with her preschool. 
She was threading foam onto a plastic needle and cord.  She didn't enjoy this as much as threading pieces of felt onto a ribbon "snake".
A ribbon with a button sewn onto one end, and piece of felt as a "stopper" on the other end.  About 12 pieces of felt with button size slits cut into them are threaded onto the "snake".  She did this about four times.  Each time she would finish she'd shout "I did it!". Then ask to to it "again!".  Of course if you take the time to make one for your toddler and have my fortune they'll probably not enjoy it this much. You know, I had made this last year and she wasn't interested, but is this year.

We drew a large map of the Roman Empire on our 4x4 white board.


Then they flew their carpets around the Empire.
Of course they are too busy flying to pause for a pic.
Then we made our Roman signums and they had to go outside to march like soldiers.  Claire wanted to be England and fight against Rome. It's bright out :)
After spelling and language arts Claire wanted to dress like a Roman.  Here's what we came up with on the spur of the moment. Dad's t-shirt, old satin curtain, belt, brooch, and some safety pins- tada!
She made her own paper plate leaf crown (sure that's the proper term for it:)
Claire was disappointed when we finished.  I think that's mainly because she thrives on spending time with... well, anyone, but particularly mom and dad.
We made it through!  One day complete!
Praise The Lord!
 




Friday, August 9, 2013

Fine Arts plans

Okay, I had started this another way, but it sounded negative... Here goes again.
I am still muddling through "tutorship".  I am still becoming aware of how it all works.   So, I read through the Foundations guide to get an idea for fine arts plans.  Then I moved onto CC connected.  This is the part I thought was a little negative, sorry.  I have a hard time with the CC connected site.  Not sure if it's because I'm on an ipad, but I think I found it this way on my windows laptop, also.  When I fill in a field and then go to the next field... it has to reload the page.  EVERY TIME.  I kinda get frustrated.  So, to eliminate some frustration you might incur, I'll pass on what I've found.  There are some wonderful resources on CC Connected, so here are some that I will use in presenting the OiLS drawing skills.

Uploader- Mom2five has great lesson plans for all six weeks.  They are charted in three columns, warm up, lesson and project.  She has typed instructions as well as drawn examples for each instruction. If you search Mom2five it actually comes up as the second file, but here's the file name 
Weeks1-6 Lesson Plans Drawing.pdf

Another great  OiLS for week 1 is one that combines with the science for the week with deciduous forests. 
Uploaded by:  loriberlie  
The file:  C2 Fine Arts W1- Trees.pdf.  
It has a wide variety of trees that can all be drawn with OiLS.  Younger students could draw one or two of the trees, while olders could perhaps duplicate them all.

For week 3 we are to draw upside down images, to help them learn not to draw the image as a whole, but as each individual OiLS part.  I found this resource that is something the kids will really enjoy.  You draw it with the "top" up, it looks like a frog.  When you are done you turn it upside down and it's actually a prince.  You can tell the kids "don't guess what we're drawing, because you are going to be wrong".  They'll have so much fun saying "oh, I know what it is".  Then when it's all done you can tell them to turn it the other direction and see the prince.  
Uploaded by: roynjillnkids
File: cc fine arts upside down instructions.pdf 
  
Week 4 is abstract art.  This file looks like much fun.  
File: Abstract art using name.pdf
Uploaded by: photomommy
It's kinda funny to find this one.  It's listed under  "cycle 4" and "week ALL".  I think they meant it the other way around.  
I thought I would do my name to show how neat it can be.
I chose mostly cool tones (that's just me).  I thought my name was sort of odd with this exercise.  I have mainly angles in my name ARIANNA.  Three A's and two N's.  kinda the same.  So as I wrote them I rotated my paper so they wouldn't just be stacked one on the other.

You could also play a drawing game using dice.  You have each type of "line", (OiLS) assigned to a number on the dice.  Whatever you roll they draw and see what type of picture turns up.  If they roll a 5 or 6  it could be a choice shape/line.  Of course, these types of abstracts look great when colored.
Here is the file for the drawing game:
OiLS review activities updated.pdf  
uploaded by: loriberlie

These were not the only files on CC Connected for OiLS.  These just happened to strike a chord with my personality and the age of my class.  Art is easily adapted for different ages, so I hope you can still find them useful.  

Happy Drawing Weeks!

Friday, August 2, 2013

Plans for CC Cycle 2 Week 12

The last week of the semester!!!! Plans for the whole semester done!  
Well, at the end of this post.
Timeline: song and motions.  
Science: time for an acrostic. My Goat Ate Socks
History: Simple song and visual today.  If we have time we'll write it on the board and erase a word or two each time we repeat.  I'm trying to hurry and get to a longer review time.
Geography: "Pop Goes the Weasel"
All around the cobbler's bench
What are the Eastern European Seas
The mon-key chased the weasel
White Sea, Barents Sea,    Black Sea
The monkey thought it was all in fun
Caspian       Sea,           and A-ral Sea
Pop, goes the weasel 
Eastern European Seas

Math: Teaspoons and Tablespoons, my kids never really did well remembering this kind of thing, no matter how many times we repeated it, or actually did it with spoons.  
So, we'll try adding a song a poster visual.
Do you know the song Michael Finnegan? cute song, and it kinda fits.  
There was an old man named Michael Finnegan
Tea-    Spoons    a-nd Tablesoons
He had whiskers on his chin-egan
3 Teaspoons equal 1 Tablespoon
He shaved them off 
2 Tablespoons 
And they grew in again
equal 1 Fluid Ounce
Poor ol' Michael Finnegan, begin again
 Tea-- spoons and Tablespoons
Because we have several songs today, I think we should do this one passing spoons around in a circle.  At least, that way we can get out of our seats, sit on the floor, change scenery, and include some movement.
English: Continuing with the song from last week: A Tisket a Tasket
A tisket a tasket
Indefinite Pronouns
A green      and yell ow basket
Everybody, Everyone, Everything  
I wrote a letter to my love
Few, many, more, most, neither
And on the way I dropped it
Indefinite       Pro   -  nouns

Latin: Review from last week. I think today we'll play red light green light.  We'll sing the song and while singing they can walk forward.  I'll hold up a stop for them to freeze and if anyone moves they get sent back to the wall. 
Review Game: Bingo

Plans for CC Cycle 2 Week 11

Timeline: After looking at the cards and working through the hand motions, we'll give a little "concert".  I'll have them stand at the front of class, or against a wall, and each will be assigned a timeline event. They will do their hand motions as we sing through.   I have 8 students and so I will have one be the conductor.  Then they'll switch places and timeline events.
Science:  http://io9.com/5987254/whats-the-difference-between-a-comet-asteroid-meteor-meteoroid-and-meteorite
this link has the perfect visual for this weeks science.
History: Wow! the thing that sticks out to me is the guillotine.  This seems like a good one to illustrate.
1st box: the year and flag of France.
2nd box: citizens
3rd box: stormed
4th box: Declaration of Rights
5th box: I drew rain, but put the crown in to remind the kids it's a royal reign
6th box: terror
7th box: guillotine
Geography: Geo- folders  tracing on the page protectors.  Then again on tracing paper, and color in the 
countries.  I will bring the large map and do some fly swatting with the kids.
Math: Cubes, Lets do some cake walking with this one.
English: I looked for a song, I found a good one, but it wasn't to a tune I recognized.  I like using songs that 
people already know so they can sing it later at home.  So, I kinda made it fit to "A Tisket a Tasket" 
A Tisket a Tasket
Indefinite Pronoun
A    green and yellow basket
all, another,  any,    anybody 
I wrote a letter to my love
anyone,      and  anything
And on the way I dropped it
Both, each and     eith-er
It happens to work out that the next two weeks of indefinite pronouns also fit this song.  So, we will build on 
to this song.
Latin:  work with the poster and song.  We'll do this in a circle passing a bean bag.
Review Game: BANG!!!

Plans for CC Cycle 2 Week 10

Timeline: Old faithful. This section of the timeline goes by rather quickly.  I would work on making sure they are getting the words.  It's easy to mush them together.
Science: This fits to B-I-N-G-O
There was a farmer had a dog
What are the phases of the moon?
and Bingo was his name-o
New, Crescent,     Quart-er
B I N G-     O
Gibbous,   Full
B I N G -      O
Gibbous,     Full
B          I                  N G - O
New,      Crescent,    Quart-er  (they squeeze in, trust me)
and Bingo was his name - o
Gibbous,                           Full
A visual would be great.  These are really unknown words to most and a visual would make sense of these words.

 
I will have the kids draw five circles and color one in fully for new, all but a banana-ish portion for crescent, half for quarter (which will probably confuse the kids:),  a fat banana-ish portion for gibbous, and nothing for full. I will make mine in advance to be the example.  This pic I posted also talks about waxing and waning, but I'm working with 1st and 2nd graders and that's just too much info, and it's not required.  SIMPLE, Ari, keep it simple.
History: I thought this would be one we could act out.  After singing it a couple times and showing the visual from CC. I'll tape a paper V onto person's shirt with masking tape to be Vladimir.  He will carry a Cross (or simpler still, a Bible) to the map of Russia.  Another student will have a taped on I for Ivan and they'll use blocks or a hammer to show they are building the Kremlin. A student with a taped on C for Catherine will have a paper with the word "Russia" on the middle third.  C will open up the other two sides of the paper to represent expansion.  
Geography: Get your geography folders out kiddos.  Let's trace the outlines and write the first letter of each country. If we have time we'll erase and do it again. Or I'll bring tracing paper so we can get a second round in.  On the tracing paper we can color in the countries
Math: Squares. I plan to bring worksheets with 15 square shapes printed on them.  The kids can write in the numbers and we'll sing several times.
English: I tried looking for a song or rap, since that last one was so much fun. No luck.  I think we'll just chant and use some actions.  Point to the space in front of them for "this".  Point to something across the room for "that".  Act like you are carrying a bundle for "these".  Sweep your hand in front of you for "those" as if pointing to multiple items.
Latin: we'll do the puzzle thing again.  I think someone should comment to me on if you do some creative and fun things with latin.  My brain seems to be stuck.
Review Game: Guess what time it is!! Battleship time.  Or this time I could do it Jeopardy style.  Instead of avoiding the hidden x's, we'll try to get the extra points.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Plans for CC Cycle 2 Week 9

Timeline: Good ol' CC song and hand motions.  I tried to come up with something fun, but I remember how hard it was to just get through all 7 cards, so I do try to keep it simple - plus I want to spend a bit of extra time on Science today.
Science: I am not a great lover of science, I don't hate it, but I was always more of a fine arts person.  HOWEVER, I do love planets.  I think they are just so incredible and show the handiwork of our Heavenly Father.  (Okay get on with it Ari) I have great visuals for this.  I was shopping in Minneapolis at a Toys R' Us much bigger than the two in my area.  They had a huge science section that happened to be 30% off.  Here's what I snatched
Our solar system in a bucket!  Glow in the dark and all.  Let me get it out for you to see (only $12ish)
(the barbie in the background is not included:)
I think I might string these by their hangers and hook them to the ceiling tiles the morning we do this (if we have time).  Wouldn't that just be fun!!! If not I'll put it together in a sensory bin (things I'm doing for my preschooler) and let the kids view it that way.Like this I found on Pinterest
from here: http://youcanteachyourtoddler.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-planets-sensory-bin.html
I have a big thing of purple star glitter/confetti that I'll throw in as well.  And no, there won't really be time
 to play with it during CC, but maybe at lunch.  Fun to picture it in "space" though.
There are a bunch of incredible planet ideas on pinterest.  Check out my board- Arianna Kuriscak, then
 get on my cc cycle 2 board.  
History: I believe I shall print out pictures of each of these monarchs and on the back write their country.  
I will pass out the posters, and as we sing the kids will show their monarch, and when we say the country, 
they can flip it to the country.  
Geography: ooh, the Caribbean!  I'm tempted to go pirate-y on this, but... I better just go island-y.  
Still simple, though.  I'lm thinking flower shaped sticky notes (I know I've seen these, but I better start looking now,
 because it's always when I need something that I have a hard time finding them).  I'll pass out 5 notes to each 
student (which means I need 40) then have them write C for Cuba, J for Jamaica... Then we'll place them in 
our Geography notebook.  I looked at the maps and I think I'll have to find a larger one.  These locations are so 
small in our CC guide.  But if I print it out I'll just stick it in the extra page protectors of their geography folders. You
could do pineapple stickers, or coconuts, sea shells, and have them just put the stickers directly onto the map.
Math: 15's We'll do the lego thing again.  You can write on legos or mega blocks with chalk markers all the 
numbers in this skip counting pattern.  Then the kids will each get almost 2, one person will have one (that'll 
probably be one of my own girls so I can tell them ahead of time), as we sing we'll stack the right numbers.
English:  Just found this super cute rap on Youtube.  Like she says she's a little out of her box, I know it will 
stretch me.  The kids will love it though and more than likely never forget it.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iCNQKMzwz-A&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiCNQKMzwz-A
Latin: 
Basics: using the song and visual to drill the endings.  
Review Game: Big Dice

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Plans for CC Cycle 2 Week 8

I hope I'm providing enough variation in how I present these.  I may have to get back on some of these posts and change things if I determine some approaches aren't working.
Timeline: Song and hand motions from CC's website.
Science: Parts of the sun. http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/gallery/images/sunparts.html
This site from Nasa has a printable parts of the sun. Of course we'll repeat, repeat, repeat like drill sergeants. 
or this

History: This is such a long week for history.  I will either bring the large map and print out pictures
 of the explorers for us to sail around their paths. The alternative is having them get out their Geography 
folders (yes for history) and have printed out little explorers for them to move to the correct location.
  I think the most important thing, especially for those working on memory masters would be repeating the song. 
However some need visual aids and the maps with little explorers would be a great visual. Like this one:
Geography: I'm so glad this really coincides with the HIstory sentence.  Today we will kind of smush
 the two subjects together.  We'll make a little GH on the Cape of Good Hope, an M on the straight of Magellan, 
a CI o the Canary Islands, and T on the Treaty of Tordesillas.  
Then we'll spend some time drilling them in order, then out of order. 
Math: 14's sing the song while we pass around a bean bag.  Hot potato style!
English: We'll do a little chant on this one.  I think to help them with a visual I'll print out the list with 
large bold capitol beginning letters to help them remember the order.
Myself
Yourself
Himself...
Latin: Review from last week. I like cutting up the posters and having them put them in order.
Review Game: Rocket

Plans for CC Cycle 2 Week 7

Timeline: Today after the song and hand motions I'll try to allow for kids to lead the song while pointing to the cards.
Science: Yipee!!! Space!  I've been anxiously waiting for the weeks about space.  I thought we could do an acrostic. Good Daughters Visit New Nanas
You can also draw a star and write each type in an arm.  Mine is too little.  Make yours bigger:)

History: We'll do the good ol' song.  Then on the dry erase board we'll erase a word or two each time we go through the song.
Geography: We are really just going to repeat, repeat, repeat the peninsulas and trace them on our Geography folders
Math: We did this for the 7's, but it's worth doing again.  We just have thirteens this week. We'll do the cakewalk approach.  Our class has eight kids so I'll lay out 7 foam sheets.  One student will start in the middle, the others around on the foam sheets in a circle.  We'll sing the 13's song and I'll randomly stop them and whoever is on the foam sheet marked with a star (appropriate for today) will move to the spot in the middle.  
English: stickin' with the Chicken (song)!
Latin: 
Introduce the endings and how the pictures tie in.  Sing the CC song. 
Review Game: This will be our first time playing our Simple Sponge Stack game.  
 

Plans for CC Cycle 2 Week 6

Timeline: I think for today we'll wear Grecian leaf crowns (I'll either make them of paper and pipe cleaners, or dollar store leaf vines). You know I'll include the song and hand motions.
Science: Can be sung to "Come Thou Fount" .
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
What are six forms of pollution?
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
What are six forms of pollution?
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Noise,    Air,Water, La-nd, and Thermal
Call for songs of loudest praise
a-and Ra-di-o-ac-tive
To help them remember the types of pollution I thought of some actions
noise- point to ears
air- point to lungs
water- like you're drinking a cup
land- point to feet
thermal- fan yourself like you're hot
radioactive- all I could think of was act like a robot :)
History: I'll print out the sentence and cut it into strips, keeping the artists with their art, after we sing the song a couple times I'll let them put their sentences in order.
Geography: This seems like a good week for an acrostic.  Really you could just have them remember it spells PACCU, that's simple.  Peter And Claire Cut Umbrellas.  Get out our Geography folders and find all these mountains. Since it's a shorter section we could spend a couple minutes using the fly swatters on the big map.
Math: For the 11's I'll write them in a column going down the board and just point out how it's simply counting.  Then for the 12's (this will be fun!!) I'll bring a plastic egg carton we have from our Resurrection Eggs.  I'll have it filled with empty Easter eggs and while we sing the twelves we'll see if a student can move the eggs from the carton to a bucket on the other side of the room one at a time.  I won't have them balance them on a spoon, it will take long enough just to use their hands.  While they are running the eggs we'll be singing the twelves song. 
English: CHICKEN DANCE!  again :)  Just a note: make sure you get up and move for this.  Do the clapping part and everything.
Latin: Today as we repeat the latin grammar we'll sit in pairs and pass a ball or bean bag back and forth.
Review Game: BINGO!!