Our eighth week in review: October 18-22

First of all, the plumbing repair was quick and relatively inexpensive in the grand scheme of repairs.  The threads, yes threads, of one pipe leading to the shower head came off inside the pipe! Who knew?  So we have a working shower again in the master bath.  The ceiling repair and associated ceiling painting in the kitchen, family room, and entry hall are another matter...

I can't believe we're up to eight weeks already!  Good gravy, another week and we'd be ready for report cards!

Math
Ding dong, percents are dead LOL  Much more interesting math is at hand----ratios, proportions, you name it!  We'll start with Patty Paper Geometry next week.

Science
It was a hands-on kind of week.  In addition to taking the Chapter 4 assessment in CPO Earth Science,  Daisy completed the writing portion of Investigation 4A (Weather Cycle--see separate post forthcoming), had a blast with Investigation 4B (relative humidity--see separate post also forthcoming), enjoyed her first class at the local state park, and is working on a ground water and wells demo/project (will also be a separate post but it's not yet done). 

Here is an in-action shot of a portion of Investigation 4B---Daisy laughed so hard while spinning our homemade sling psychrometer!

History
We have finished Egypt!  This week included Ramses II, who Daisy called "the vain pharoh" due to the large number of his statues spread all over Egypt,



a mapping activity from the K12 student pages comparing the range and spread of the Old Kingdom, Intermediate Period, New Kingdom and modern day,

completing the Egypt portion of a Comparing Cultures chart from the K12 student pages,

reading the post-Ramses chapters in The Ancient Egyptian World (chapters 20, 22, and 23),

leading up to Cleopatra

The books pictured are (left to right) Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen , a DK Discovery book (old cover) and Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile (Royal Diaries) which she had already read many times. I love our library system.

On Monday, we will explore the traveling Cleopatra exhibit at  The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia!  I was going to buy tickets ahead to secure our time slot but they want a freaking $4+ "fee" for each ticket!  No way---we'll just take whatever time slot is available once we arrive.  We'll explore the rest of the museum as well, so that will be school Monday :)

English/Language Arts
Grammar:  more adjectives (comparative and superlative, little vs few, demonstrative, interrogative and indefinite)

Writing:  She continued in the NaNoWriMo workbook plus wrote a new short story and a very long letter to a friend who moved to Atlanta last year.

Literature: In the past three days, Daisy has read an unabridged Little Women and The Adventures of Robin Hood, one from her sister's collection and one from her brother's collection.  We reviewed the types of meter from Building Poems and analyzed the meter in various poems.

French
Woot, verbs!  Avoir and etre (imagine the accent), so now we can ask where things are and who has them LOL  Using the Galore Park French I (French Prep) in combination with Older Sister's French 1 books works well.

Other fun stuff

Nutcracker rehearsals have started in addition to the weekly three classes.  Yesterday Daisy enjoyed a hayride/botany class as part of the Earth Explorers program through the closest state park.  She met a homeschooled 10yo girl :)  Hopefully that girl (and others) will participate in other classes Daisy has chosen. 

The best of the week:  I was able to attend an ice cream social for newbie homeschoolers through the local homeschool group!  I talked informally with several great women before a panel discussion led by seasoned homeschooling moms.  I also met someone else new to homeschooling with an 11 yo girl---hopefully our girls will be able to meet at an ice-skating activity next Friday.  Not only do I have a great online support group through the WTM forums, but I am now gaining an IRL group.  Life is good :)

The worst of the week:  all unrelated to homeschooling----the plumbing issue, brake work today on the little car, a broken-in-two-parts teen's cell phone, an overwhelmed senior who has been exploding due to frustration and stress.  But all shall pass.  Eventually!

And looking ahead to next week: which actually starts tonight with a trip to a corn maze in Strasburg PA with Older Sister's Girl Scout troop and families (flashlights! bonfire! smores!), a 50th birthday party for a friend tomorrow (adults only!!!!),  on Sunday the town's annual Halloween parade (ds's marching band will perform) and subsequent trick-or-treating down Main Street, our field trip to The Franklin Institute Monday...I'm tired just thinking about all the fun things to do!

I hope you all had a great week and will have a super weekend :)