Ivan the Great/Ivan the Terrible, Tundra vs. Taiga, and Pendlton Blankets
Hello March!! Our studies have been all over the place this week, as our title suggests! Monday's we have teamed up with another homeschool family to do field trips we wouldn't otherwise do without group support. She suggested the Wollen Mills in Washington as a starting place, knowing we were doing a study of fibers earlier this year. It was FANTASTIC. We learned history of the Pendleton Mills, walked through the factory right by the machines and learned the cleaning, dying, carding, spinning, and weaving process. We were all entranced by the movement of the machines and how quickly they work. Even more impressive is that all blankets come through that factory for finishing, by about 50 seamstresses who do all the work. An amazing local, hand made company. It was also interesting to learn they have a brand new spinning machine from Europe, however they cant run it very much because it is so much more efficient than older machines they cant keep up!! All the kods were gifted "woolly worms" to keep and fyi for those visiting, every child under 12 must have an adult hand to hold (so 1:2 parent to child ratio required).
Monday we also read chapter 23 in Story of the World, learning about the beginnings of Russia and Ivan the Terrible. He is a history name I recognize, however, his grandfather, one of the founding Russian leaders, was known as Ivan the Great, whom I had never heard of before.
Tuesday we joined our learning co-op at a park to learn about bees! We built mason bee homes with straws and tin cans, and played and played and played. We are fitting in well with this group and are looking forward to growing with them. We are also getting good at packing lunches for all our long days out!
Wednesday we stayed home all day and cleaned the house, caught up on laundry, and did three days of homeschooling in one. We have been adventuring so much we were well behind!! All About Reading had us reading about whales and practicing reading comprehension. Avery learned the sound of letter D, and everyone read (or listened to) Spanish readers, did math pages, and worked on their writing books. We also read a plethora of books on Tundra biomes. So, the library had many in this subject but NOTHING on Taiga. Online we have discovered the difference is presence, or lack of, trees. Tundra was not a biome on my list to study, but now I am greatful for the oppertunity to compare the two landforms.
Thursday we were off on adventure again! Learning co-op traveled to Fort Stevens for a day trip to complete one of the Oregon Coast Quests! We just got our Quest books and are excited to attempt completing all the quests! Each one gives clues through history or information about the area you are in, revieling one-by-one a letter to fill in blank spaces. At the end you have a last clue spelled out with the letters you found to expose the hiding location of a unique stamp. Then you get to stamp the spot for that location. A kind of geocatching/tangle box combined for kids to enjoy historic sites along the coast. We couldnt stay as long as others, so ours is incomplete, for now. We will go back again soon, hopefully on a warmer, less windy day! Ha!
And now it is Friday and we rest again. We are spending the day watching movies and intermittently staring out the window at one of our cows who is in labor today...at least I think she is; I have failed in guessing several times this last week what day she will have her baby. Haha. We learned the rule of C and when it says "K" vs. "S" and how to determine when to use C or K for the "K" sound in All About Spelling. Michael had a true "Ah-ha!" moment which was cute to see ("I WONDERED how you knew the difference!" he cried). We also did more math and a Spanish learning sheet. Michael learned how to use the English/Spanish dictionary as well to look up words he was translating.
We also had swimming lessons Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings and have plans to head back to the YMCA for open swim tonight! We have yet again missed doing any technology this week, unless you count the Minecraft we fit in between all the other craziness this week. In addition to ALL of that we also made a library trip, went to Cub Scouts, and put together our Kiwi Co. boxes! Emmet sewed a fauz leather portfolio, Michael made a desk lamp, and Avery's box had us learning about ice science!
I am glad for a quite weekend to celebrate my birthday! I'm hoping to do some gardening, have lunch with friends...and that's it! Haha!
Happy *almost* Spring!
The Dillman's
Oreo our Holstein saying HI! and here is Snow, wider than she is tall and teasing me with possible labor today!
Monday we also read chapter 23 in Story of the World, learning about the beginnings of Russia and Ivan the Terrible. He is a history name I recognize, however, his grandfather, one of the founding Russian leaders, was known as Ivan the Great, whom I had never heard of before.
Tuesday we joined our learning co-op at a park to learn about bees! We built mason bee homes with straws and tin cans, and played and played and played. We are fitting in well with this group and are looking forward to growing with them. We are also getting good at packing lunches for all our long days out!
Wednesday we stayed home all day and cleaned the house, caught up on laundry, and did three days of homeschooling in one. We have been adventuring so much we were well behind!! All About Reading had us reading about whales and practicing reading comprehension. Avery learned the sound of letter D, and everyone read (or listened to) Spanish readers, did math pages, and worked on their writing books. We also read a plethora of books on Tundra biomes. So, the library had many in this subject but NOTHING on Taiga. Online we have discovered the difference is presence, or lack of, trees. Tundra was not a biome on my list to study, but now I am greatful for the oppertunity to compare the two landforms.
Thursday we were off on adventure again! Learning co-op traveled to Fort Stevens for a day trip to complete one of the Oregon Coast Quests! We just got our Quest books and are excited to attempt completing all the quests! Each one gives clues through history or information about the area you are in, revieling one-by-one a letter to fill in blank spaces. At the end you have a last clue spelled out with the letters you found to expose the hiding location of a unique stamp. Then you get to stamp the spot for that location. A kind of geocatching/tangle box combined for kids to enjoy historic sites along the coast. We couldnt stay as long as others, so ours is incomplete, for now. We will go back again soon, hopefully on a warmer, less windy day! Ha!
And now it is Friday and we rest again. We are spending the day watching movies and intermittently staring out the window at one of our cows who is in labor today...at least I think she is; I have failed in guessing several times this last week what day she will have her baby. Haha. We learned the rule of C and when it says "K" vs. "S" and how to determine when to use C or K for the "K" sound in All About Spelling. Michael had a true "Ah-ha!" moment which was cute to see ("I WONDERED how you knew the difference!" he cried). We also did more math and a Spanish learning sheet. Michael learned how to use the English/Spanish dictionary as well to look up words he was translating.
We also had swimming lessons Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings and have plans to head back to the YMCA for open swim tonight! We have yet again missed doing any technology this week, unless you count the Minecraft we fit in between all the other craziness this week. In addition to ALL of that we also made a library trip, went to Cub Scouts, and put together our Kiwi Co. boxes! Emmet sewed a fauz leather portfolio, Michael made a desk lamp, and Avery's box had us learning about ice science!
I am glad for a quite weekend to celebrate my birthday! I'm hoping to do some gardening, have lunch with friends...and that's it! Haha!
Happy *almost* Spring!
The Dillman's
Oreo our Holstein saying HI! and here is Snow, wider than she is tall and teasing me with possible labor today!
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