Sharpen Thy Mind and Thy Pencil

September School Plans

Art Institute of Chicago - Chagall

 School is fast approaching. I'm posting our September plans here for quick access and review and so those interested can see what it is we do at home all day long! Each week, we will also be part of a Classical Conversations Community which has a stand alone curriculum that will compliment our studies at home. I do not teach at CC. A nice break for me and it allows the kids to study with other students and I have a school planning day.

Many of our extracurricular art, music and science field trips and programs will begin in October. I look forward to sharing those adventures.

Art

Monday afternoon: Art Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Adventures in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Paper, and Mixed Media-For Budding Artists of All Ages

First lessons will be: creating paint wheels and beginning contour drawing. 

Wednesday afternoon: September is Gothic Art. We will explore:

•  The Book of Kells (illuminated manuscripts) 
• The Sailor Who Captured the Sea, A Story of the Book of Kells
• Celtic Coloring
• The Secret of Kells (DVD). We will have to preview this first. A "maybe" in our studies. 
• Write their names in Latin on a vellum scroll. Enhance with a lion or peacock from Draw Right Now books then add more detail work.
• The Story of the World Middle Ages Vikings 
• Map Ireland, major towns, rivers, mountains.
• Map Iona and Kells
 
 
• The Good Shepherd Pio-Christian Museum, Vatican (sculpture)
• Art Treasures in the Vatican 
• 13 Sculptures Children Should Know Angela Wenzel
• New clay for sculpting!
• Stained glass activity?
• Frescoes: Upside down drawing under a desk. Tape up a pencil sketching/coloring sheet from a famous fresco. They paint their fresco on their backs.

 Daily Bible

The Names of God by Kay Arthur and then Responsibility for Boys

English / Language Arts – M/W/Thursday

Brother: First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind Level 2, English for the Thoughtful Child

Sister: Essentials of the English Language – IEW – Ancient History at Classical Conversations, “Write Night” at a local college once a month, First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind Level 3 to review and then begin Level 4.

Latin

English from the Roots Up. One root a day. Transparent Language Latin Word a Day Blog, Latin chanting and memory work at Classical Conversations. 

History and Geography - Mondays and Wednesdays after lunch.

Review (last year's Ancients) and map the continents and oceans and all other parts of a world map. Review the seven ancient civilizations and their rivers and local mountain ranges. Books:

• Kingfisher Atlas of the Ancient World
• The Story of ManKind by Henrik Willem Van Loon
• Off to Class, Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World
• What the World Eats 
• Where Children Sleep
• Material World: A Global Family Portrait

Daily Math

Sister: Saxon 4/5 textbook and Horizons worksheets on busy days

Brother: Singapore 2a and 2b and Horizons worksheets.

Life of Fred – Free Reading

Music

Piano once a week

Art Theory at Classical Conversations

Instruments of the Orchestra Book

September Musician: Henry Purcell

Penmanship – 10 minutes daily – M/W/F

Brother: Classically Cursive

Sister: Finish Cursive Book / Calligraphy various quotes

Poetry Fridays

Copywork with drawing time Tasha Tudor's Time to Keep? Mary Oliver's The Summer Day, Ode to Tomatoes by Pablo Neruda

Science -  Monday and Wednesday afternoons before art.

Weeks 1 and 2, finish Chemistry

• Bill Nye Chemical Reactions
• Science Whiz Chemistry Set 
• Evan Moor Simple Chemistry Grades 4-6

Week 3 begin Christian Kids Explore Physics

September Scientists: Review Aristotle, Archimedes, Da Vinci and Copernicus

Spanish

Every Thursday morning we head off to Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 with a friend who is a teacher. Homework a few days a week before lunch.

Spelling - Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and some Fridays.

Brother: Spelling Workout B

Sister: Spelling Workout finish C, begin D

Ideas for brother: Spelling City.com, Banana Grams, Fridge Poetry, and the grocery list

Extra Curricular and Sports for Fall

Brother: Soccer

Both: Horse lessons at a local horse rescue program

Sister: 4H begins in October

Community Kitchen a few Thursday late afternoons a month

Wednesday Night Kids Club

Alas, it's time to sharpen those pencils! God give us endurance, grace and patience for another year of home schooling. I'm not sure how long this journey will continue, but it's the right one for this year.