Math Fun and More...

I recently bought this "used" from another homeschooler, as well as the second book in the series, Challenge Math for the Elementary and Middle School Student, from yet another homeschooler. And WOW! We did lesson one yesterday, with The Girl working at levels 1-2, and The Boy working at levels 3 and Einstein. First off, let me say I love doing ONE math lesson with both kids, and having it be challenging enough for both! can go back through this book later and do the higher levels that The Boy is currently completing. The Girl worked on patterns in numbers, adding and subtracting, while The Boy worked on more advanced patterns that included fractions and negative numbers. We'll probably use this math book twice a week, and when we're done, I'll just bump The Girl up a level, and move The Boy right into the second book. The text is lighthearted and appealing, with just enough humor to keep the kids really interested.

After that, we were having so much fun with math that we went ahead and read two chapters in Life of Fred Apples!

We also read a couple of short books (from the ever-awesome lists in A Picture Perfect Childhood)...

The book on Molly Bannaky led to a great discussion about slavery, indentured servants, and bravery, as we thought Molly was one very brave young woman! In case you are not familiar with her, she was a dairymaid in England, accused of "stealing" milk from her master (when it spilled). She was sentenced to exile rather than death on the mere technicality that she could read the Bible, a nice little legal loophole. She served 7 years as an indentured servant in the New World, then started her own farm, bought a slave, freed him, then fell in love with him. They married--fortunately none of her neighbors called the law down on her for this--and had 4 daughters, one of which became in turn the mother to Benjamin Bannaker. I think we should follow this reading up with a book like Dear Benjamin Bannaker.

The second book was a lovely little story about Cambodian dancers gong on a trip to Paris, and meeting Monsieur Auguste Rodin, which was an actual event in the early 1900's. We liked the action in the sketches Rodin made of the Cambodian dancers, and thanks to movies, my kids were able to connect Rodin with The Thinker. I think we have a field trip we need to schedule soon, to go here! We also had to look up Cambodia on the map, and I need to find a video source of Cambodian dancing to show The Girl.




Other than that, we've been discussing Norse mythology, reading about prehistoric peoples, and getting supplies laid aside for a venture into chemistry and physics. The Boy and I read a bit more of The Magic of Reality--when we're finished with that, I think we'll get into The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way.

Hope you're all having a good week!