We really have been busy this summer. We traveled and went to camps and VBS during the month of June. In July, we have started a gradually moving back into school mode. The girls have been working on their summer checklist this month. Each day, they are required to complete their checklists after morning swim team. Now really these checklist are not complicated! They have to practice piano, work on music note flash cards for 20 minutes via one of 2 iPad games, minimum of 30 minutes on AlwaysIceCream.com working on typing, geography, and history skills, 1 session of XtraMath.com which is an add/mult fact review, 20 minutes on SplashMath (grade 6 or 3) which an iPad game which reviews many areas of math, and finally they are to complete their book club reading. For book club this month, the girls have been re-reading Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie. This time the girls have listen to the audio version of the books while following along in their own books. After each chapter, they did complete Pockets of Time timeline activity for the chapter as a review.
On Thursday this week, we met for book club to discuss the books. We also make butter, and played a few pioneer games. Ms. Jennifer also had "What are you going to pack in your wagon?" activity the girls completed. they had to take into account how much the items weighed, take enough food for their family, and still remain under the weight limit for the oxen to pull the wagon.
On Tuesday, we went over the Pike Road Library for one of their summer events. The program was led by the Alabama Department of Archives and History, and they brought all kids of American Indian activities for the kids to participate. The kids molded clay, learned about hunting, made gorgettes, ground corn, and learned how to work a pump drill. It was a fun afternoon!
On Saturday, the girls and I went to see the film Walking With The Enemy at the Capri Theatre in Old Cloverdale. This film was inspired by a true story during World War II of young Jewish man who is separated form his family in Budapest and sent to a concentration camp. He escapes and disguises himself as a Nazi officer in order to save as many people as he can. After his escape, he finds that life has changed more than he had imagined.
We studied WWII in April and May, so Lauren and Lyndsey understood what was happening. Corynne was exposed to WWII in 6th grade, but I am not sure as to how much they covered in her school. They had also read many books and seen quite a few movies based on events of this time frame. They loved The Diary of Anne Frank (movie) and Number the Stars (book). Walking With The Enemy was definitely more graphic. Lyndsey (7) did start crying during a few of the scenes like when one of the main characters friends was hung and another was shot. Like I said, it was violent. It was not a pretty, romantic time in history. It was real, but they got it. So I would not recommend this movie for the mild, very emotional child! Although, I believe that the best way to understand history is to SEE it in action.
As for the rest of the month, we plan to continue easing back into school. Next week we will continue with our morning checklists. We are going to read Swiss Family Robinson together over the next few weeks. The girls are also going to take a few classes at AUM one week. They will be taking a math class in the morning and a lego math/lego robotics class in the afternoon.
After the week at AUM, we will be ready to hit the gas petal for our new school year! I am getting excited!!! We will again start a few weeks before the big kids start at their private schools. Our plan is to take off the whole month of December again. We loved that big break last year!
