Homeschool Squirrels

Science Last fall, the kids attended another farm day at Heritage Farms. They helped harvest sunflower seeds to be used for dye, were able to have hands-on experience with some of the farm animals, and check out the plants growing in the greenhouse, among other activities. We began our second vegetable garden. We learned about winter sowing and each child planted their own seeds in miniature greenhouses (milk cartons). We tore up an old tree stump in the yard to make room for our garden beds, which meant we were up close and personal with the ecosystem beneath the old stump, and were able to observe tiny organisms that lived within the trunk and roots including insects, grubs, worms, and different fungi. We also began a compost pile, and these experiences led to lots of conversations about the decomposition, ecosystems, soil, and how to better care for the environment.  We also took a few field trips to the zoo and the girls enjoyed many books about animals (listed in their booklists).

Austen dabbled in embroidery. All three kids took Waldorish art classes, and learned how to work with watercolors and pastels, how to shade and blend colors, and how to make perspective drawings. They also frequented YouTube for sketching tutorials, and River was especially interested in drawing human anatomy this year. River and Austen studied photography this year. They learned how a camera works and about composition, exposure, and lighting. Below are some of their favorite chosen works: We all were fascinated by the life of Van Gogh and enjoyed a very thorough study of the artist! River and Chase's favorite painting is The Sunflowers.  Austen's is Cafe Terrace at Night. Books list: Portrait of an Artist: Van Gogh by Jan Greenburg and Sandra Jordan (read in its entirety with River, excerpts read to Austen and Chase) Eyewitness Guides: van Gogh What the Artist Saw: van Gogh by Amy Guglielmo The Yellow House by Susan Goldman Rubin Vincent van Gogh by Mike Vinezia Kid Artists

Language arts is probably everyone's favorite subject! River and Austen completed the English Grammar Workbook and Arrow lessons by Brave Writer with the book The One and Only Bob , which covered copywork, spelling, and grammar. Chase continued to work through 100 Easy Lessons for reading, and First Language Lessons for language arts. Narrations are given by all children after reading. RIVER - Book List and Example of Work River and Austen received Kindles for Christmas, which took their reading to the next level. One week River read for a total of 24 hours, and we joked about how he had made it a part-time job!  What If?  by Randall Munroe Howell's Moving Castle  by Diana Wynn Jones Kid Authors  by David Stabler The Hunger Games  by Suzanne Collins Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone  by JK Rowling The Witches by Roald Dahl Treasury for Children by James Herriot The following books by Erin Hunter: Into the Wild Fire and Ice Forest of Secrets Rising Storm A Dangerous Pat

Activities: Made canals out of playdough to learn how the ancient Egyptians watered their crops. All the kids made models of the first machine, a shaduf, out of sticks and yogurt cups. Together with my help, Austen and Chase cooked and enjoyed an Egyptian meal with flatbread and hummus, dolmados, salatet zabadi (a yogurt dish similar to tzaziki), and a traditional soup made with lentils, quinoa, peppers, tomatoes, and raisins, with lemon ginger tea. Books read: Ancient Egypt by Barnes & Noble Publishers The first half of  Story of the World, vol. 1 by Susan Wise Bauer Pyramid by David McCaulay Mummies by Morning by Mary Pope Osborne (read by River) Mummies & Pyramids by Mary Pope Osborne (read by Austen) Mummmies Made in Egypt by Aliki Brandenburg Of numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia  by D. Anne Love Cinderella of the Nile by Beverly Naidoo King Tut, Tales from the Tomb by Diana Briscoe (read by River) Documentaries: Egypt's Treasure Guardians Tut's Treasures

Physical Education, Health & Safety All three kids took tennis lessons at the park down the street with Free Tennis 4 Kids. We took countless walks and scooter rides, climbed trees, played tag, jumped rope, swam several times a week during the warm months, and other forms of exercise through outdoor play.    We grew a vegetable garden during the summer of 2021. The kids learned about nutrition and how to eat a balanced diet, and what different food does in our bodies. River really loved making meals for the family this year! Two fires on our street in the past few months sparked conversations about what to do in the event of a fire. The kids watched videos on fire safety on YouTube and we came up with a fire plan. Super Smart Fire Safety Rules Fire Safety Field Trips Visited a sunflower farm and the pumpkin patch during the fall   The Baltimore Zoo   Bethany Beach Nixon Park Nature Park   Farm Day at Heritage Farms where the kids learned about shearing sheep for wool, making fiber