Week 16 Work....

This is the "end" of my first semester, even though I'm not technically through week 18 yet.  The calendar just fell funny this year and I couldn't manage 18 weeks prior to Christmas break.

For Bible, we finished up listening to the tape series we've been doing and will continue the little Advent/Christmas study we've been doing over the holidays. 

And may I just add here that I started reading about the dates and stories for "Old Christmas" back when I was in about seventh or eighth grade and one year I wrapped my alarm clock in a towel and put it in bed with me so that my parents wouldn't hear it.  At midnight on twelfth night I got up and went to the barn to see if  I could hear the animals talk, but they were trying to sleep, LOL.... 

I also distinctly heard jingle bells on the roof at about the time I was beginning to really question the idea of Santa Claus (and so have my children)....  So here's hoping that all of you have a very merry holiday season, as I always have!

Our algebra class got snowed out this week, so he finished up the chapter of fractions in Russian Math and today we did a chapter from a Mark Twain publication Geometry workbook.

And may I just continue to gush over how much I like Russian Math?  I keep hearing that a lot of kids have problems as they get into higher maths with some of the basics such as fractions and decimals.  This book really works those subjects and helps kids get proficient in the basics so that upper level math will be simpler for them.

Copywork related to The Age of Reason and Peter the Great has been completed the last couple of weeks, along with some of the work from Lessons and Carols.  We'll pick L&C back up after the break and complete it then.

He continued with his 50 States geography and also did a project from another geo workbook on Asia.  I have liked the 50 States book because it has some writing prompts that I'm using with him and also has some research for him to do online to answer some of the questions.

The Exploring Asia book will be used at various times throughout the year when we're reading about countries in Asia.  It explores a variety of topics regarding the people, cultures, etc. as well as map work.

And we caught up with his SOTW map work, too.

In languages, he finished up the year with one last Spanish class and started work in a new chapter of Barron's grammar at home.  He did two lessons and took a quiz in Latin.  He completed chapter 16 in Greek.

He continued working with verbs and direct objects in Easy Grammar and continued with Vocab for the College Bound.  He completed the written work related to The Green Book and wrote a science fiction story for his last lit class.  They were supposed to have a breakfast with everyone from all the classes there after their presentations, but it all had to be cancelled due to ice!  Now I'm swimming in fresh fruit, LOL!  Guess I'm going to be wearing my hands out juicing this weekend.... 

He also finished up some of his writing projects (related to history) at home this week....

In Literature, I've been trying to finish up Three Musketeers and Witch of Blackbird Pond.  Since we were reading about India under the British this week, I read an illustrated version of Gunga Din and read from Just So Stories, as well as starting The Jungle Book.

For history, we covered two chapters in SOTW this week, the one on the Ottomans and the one on India under British rule.  He read those chapters and outlined one section from the one on India.  I read aloud from some of our encyclopedias and other books on these cultures.  Nothing much interesting in history this week....  Ds read a book called India, by Donna Bailey, which is just about the culture.


For science, he continued with his Matter workbook, we'll finish it up shortly after the break.  I think it has been a good anchor for the chemistry work we've done this semester to help cement concepts. 

He completed a large block of experiments from Adventures with Atoms and Molecules, which also helped to cement concepts we've been talking about all semester.

We worked through the first five chapters (they're very short!) of Friendly Chemistry, which gets us through the introductory stuff and ready to start working with notation after the break.  He played Element Bingo (one of the games that goes along with FC).

He read Science Lab in a Supermarket, Bob Friedhoffer, and Science Factory Chemicals and Reactions, Jon Richards, and chose some experiments to do from them.  He did a few of those today.



He had his annual piano recital tonight.  He played three pieces in it.  He and his teacher played a duet of The Harmonious Blacksmith (Handel); He played a duet with a young neighbor boy who just started lessons - a nice variation on Jingle Bells; and then he played Pachelbel Canon alone.  He did a good job!

We had to leave the after party to rush to another late night soccer game - ugh!  I'll be glad when they are done with that place - at least we don't have soccer this weekend.

I hope everyone is ready for the holidays because they are upon us!  I've been asked every day for a week when I'm going to wrap presents and put them under our tree, so I guess I'm going to have to get that done this weekend.   Have a holly, jolly, happy, merry, wonderful Christmas everyone - and don't forget to listen for those jingling bells....

Regena