September 26-October 2: Our Homeschool Weekly Report, week 5
We don't usually celebrate Michaelmas (pronounced Mickel-mas), even though it is a traditional Catholic feast day, but since we are studying the Middle Ages this year, and Michaelmas followed the fall Ember Days, I thought it would be good to celebrate and learn about it this year. At dinner, I told the boys about how Saint Michael fought against Lucifer and the fallen angels, and that there is a legend concerning Lucifer falling into a blackberry bush after being expelled from heaven by St. Michael, which is why we eat traditionally eat blackberries during this feast day. Geese were, at least at one time, plentiful during this time of year as it was the time when the fishing season ended, the hunting season began, so roast goose dinners are traditional. Eating geese on this day is said to protect against financial hardship, according to Irish and English folk belief. Apples are harvested at this time, so they are often added to the meal as well. As geese are not readily available these days, we had a baked chicken. We also had a cheddar and apple frittata, blackberry salad and apple juice, with blackberry cobbler for dessert.
Week 5
We had a hard time accomplishing schoolwork this week, and some days we didn't get past the required reading, writing and arithmetic. We did accomplish a few hands-on projects...
World Geography and Culture (World Food Cafe): The Seychelles
Our geography studies this week took us to a set of 115 islands a little south of the Horn of Africa. I added our study this week to the post we had done last year on Ethiopia because we reviewed Ethiopia as we looked on the map and found La Digue Island, one of the Seychelles Islands.
United States Geography: Squished Penny Geography Album: West Virginia
We began our mainland tour of the United States with West Virginia.Science: Chemistry
We worked on learning about atom anatomy, atom charges, electron energy, clouds, shells and orbitals and valence electrons. We made this huge diagram of an atom. I mean HUGE. It takes up most of the wall in our dining room. We glued on pictures from Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry Level II of the electron orbitals. (post on this coming up)
Co-op: Art (Drawing) and Leadership/Team-building
In art class, we worked on two-point perspective...
and in their teamwork class, they had the task of working together to make the tallest balloon tower that they could using balloons, both blown-up and un-blown-up, straws, yarn and tape.
How was your week?
Join me at...
- Weekly Wrap-Up by Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
- Friendship Friday at Living and Learning with Our New Normal
- My Week in Review at Home to 4 Kiddo
- Collage Friday at Homegrown Learners
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