SPELLING ~ Unit 3 ~ Paddington Bear's Adventure

Alisdair has written a story using the spelling words from this week's Unit.  He is using the workbook, "Building Spelling Skills Grade 6+," which is published by Evan-Moor Educational Publishers.

Paddington Bear's Adventure

(Highlighting words with the short and long 'O' vowel sounds

 and recognizing the 'aw' sound spelled 'O')

***

A stowaway named Paddington Bear was on a ship, hiding in a lifeboat.  The only problem was, when an officer came and turned the boat upside down, it made Paddington's oxygen level lower.  From his hiding place, Paddington heard a little girl recite a poem. Then he heard clapping because everyone in the audience thought the poetry was brilliant.  He often got frightened that someone would catch him, as lots of men with trolleys kept coming by.  When his trip was over, Paddington quietly got off the boat and went to the zoo, where he saw an antelope.  Then he went to see the fish at the aquarium and an old proverb came to mind.  He got an envelope out of his suitcase and slipped a zoo leaflet into it so he could post it, with what little money he had.  He was very obstinate when the zoo was closing as he wanted to stay longer. The young bear approached the Browns. They saw his tag that read, "Please look after this bear.  Thank you!" Although they weren't planning to take a bear home with them, they took Paddington to #32 Windsor Gardens.  When they arrived, Mrs. Bird was getting an awl out of a drawer so Paddington went to watch television, with a marmalade sandwich and a coke.  At first a show about atoms and molecules was being shown.  As he searched through the channels, Paddington came across an old replay of an Olympic awards ceremony.  Hockey was on BBC Sports.  The goalie made a good save, after the star player tried to shoot it in the net, past several obstacles.

BOOK REVIEWS ~ Henry's Freedom Box ~ Quiz and Vocabulary Worksheet

Ellen Levine's picture book

Imagine being a slave.  Your wife and children have been sold and you are left to work long hours in a tobacco factory.  In deep despair and in utter desperation to gain your freedom, you enlist the help of two friends and decide to "mail yourself" in a wooden crate.  That's what Henry Brown did, back in 1849.

Joyous moments as Henry is let out of the box

Henry spent 27 hours in transit from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - a distance of about 350 miles.  This illustration, by Kadir Nelson, is a marvellous depiction of the joy as the wooden box containing Henry is opened at the Anti-Slavery Office in Philiadelphia.  It was March 30, 1849 - Henry's first day of freedom.  Since he didn't know when his actual birthday was, Henry decided to adopt that date as his special day to celebrate.  He also received a middle name that day - as he soon became known as Henry "Box" Brown.

To accompany our reading of this book, on the Underground Railroad, I found some worksheets.

The first was a quiz, based on the contents of the book:

Page 1

Page 2

There was also a vocabulary page with the words:  vitriol, pry, warehouse, tobacco, beckoned, quilt, Masters and Slaves.

We also found another website with more information about what happened to Henry "Box" Brown after his escape to freedom.  Sadly, it appears he never was reunited with his wife and children.  However, he toured various places - even to England - lecturing on the evils of slavery.

CURRICULUM ~ Honourable Mention Authors (With Birthdays in January) ~ Remember Me Pockets



LEWIS CARROLL
JACK LONDON
PHYLLIS NAYLOR

While we were constructing our "bookshelves" last weekend, we also made these "Honourable Mention Author Tags" to remember six more writers.  This is another method of getting students familiar with the vast array of literature available for their reading pleasure.

We printed the tags and grapics on card stock and cut them out.  Then we glued the proper graphics on each tag.  The finishing touch was to add a little bit of the gold ribbon that was left over from wrapping wedding cake (two years ago!)  They turned out pretty nicely, if I do say so myself!

The featured information on each author includes:  Name, Birth Date and Birthplace, Death Date (if appropriate), their Pseudonym(s) and a List of their Literary Works.

 

THORNTON BURGESS
EDGAR ALLEN POE
MICHAEL BOND



VALENTINE'S DAY ~ Isobel's Valentines for the Kindergarten Class

Precious Printing

Isobel celebrated Valentine's Day a day late as there was no Kindergarten on February 14th.   So the class exchanged Valentines on Tuesday.

I was so impressed, I had to take a photo of her printing on the cards she took to exchange with her classmates.   She did them all herself - inside AND on the envelopes (except for Tavianna - because her name was too long for Isobel to squeeze on the tiny card!)   There were 11 cards plus the teachers Valentine!

I told her what letters to print and she wrote them down on the paper.   Only a very few were backwards.

Part of me says it is so exciting to see her learning and the other half of me says she is growing up far, far too soon.  Definitely a Valentine's Day to remember!

CURRICULUM - "Bookshelves" for Author's Pocket ~ Remember Me Pockets: JANUARY

Although it was Saturday evening, Alisdair and I decided to do a little bit of work on our Remember Me Pockets from January.  We hadn't download the free material until the month was almost over, so we are still finishing some of it up.  It was fun and didn't really feel like "work" ~ cutting out the book spines and then deciding which shelf they should be glued on.

We'd done the featured author's activities, (see three previous January posts), but we hadn't completed the three "bookshelves" yet.  The reasoning behind this project is to make students familiar with the various works by each writer.  If all twelve "Remember Me Pockets" are completed, the pupil will have a somewhat extensive knowledge of classical literature and can use the "bookshelves" for further reference.

There is an intital cover page for the featured authors of the month.  They are shown in numerical order by the the day of their birth.

COVER PAGE
Book of the Month Club
JANUARY

The first "bookshelf" is for J. R. R. Tolkien. 

A Selection of J. R. R. Tolkien's Works

Fairy tales we all, know and love, that are the work of Charles Perrault:

I've never heard of "Patient Griselda"
We will have to check that one out...

The final "shelf" for January contains our dear friend, "Winnie The Pooh" and other equally enchanting titles:

Books by A. A. Milne

SKETCH TUESDAY - Something on a Boat or Ship

Today's sketching opportunity was to draw something that might be found on a boat or a ship.  Alisdair drew a ship's rudder (though he called it a steering wheel).  His drawing is the last one in the slideshow.

Colourful contribution

Next week's assignment is to draw something that you might find "growing down on the farm!"  The possibilities are almost endless on that one.  Pick up a pencil and draw an animal, some fruit or vegetables, or even a crop!  It's always fun to view the show on Tuesday mornings.... join us, and Harmony Art Mom,  for "SKETCH TUESDAY!"

CURRICULUM ~ MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ~ HOLIDAY POCKET ~ Remember Me Pockets: January

He was just a little black boy named Michael, after his father.  But, as a 5-year old, his parents changed his name to "Martin Luther" after the founder of the protestant religion.  His father, likewise, changed his name, and so the lad became known as Martin Luther King, Jr. or MLK. 

Although no one knew it then, MLK would be a force for change in the United States of America and he would be celebrated with a holiday every January.

Like the author pockets and activities, there is a "Biography" page for Martin Luther King, Jr.  There are also several activities to be placed in the "Holiday" Pocket.

Biography - Martin Luther King, Jr.

These include:

A "Tag of Time" for the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The "Tag of Time" gives specific significant events from Martin Luther King's life.  We cut them out and Alisdair had to paste them in the proper order and then decorate the tag.

"I have a dream speech" - Fill in the blanks

Alisdair "listened" to one of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most famous speeches -- "I Have a Dream..." and then he was asked to pick the appropriate word to fill in each blank.

Finally, there was a "Wall of Time" activity for MLK:

Completed "Wall of Time"

Like the puzzle completed for the author, J. R. R. Tolkien, there were 16 questions and answers to match up.  These included:

* Where was Martin Luther King, Jr. born? Atlanta, Georgia
* Who did Martin marry? Coretta Scott
* How old was Martin when he entered college?  15 Years old
* What honourable prize did he receive?  The Nobel Peace Prize
* When do we celebrate the life of this man?  The third Monday in January

There were also other activities suggested for a "Mini-Unit Study," which we have not yet completed.  We have also borrowed two extra reading books on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the library and are reading through these and completing other additional lapbook activities.

Stay tuned for additional posts on the life and times of MLK.

CURRICULUM ~ Weekly Pocket ~ National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week ~ Remember Me Pockets: January

National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week
January 17 to 23rd, 2011
(Dates on information sheet are for 2010)

 Did you know January 17th through 23rd was "National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week" in the United States?

To be honest, until going through this information with Alisdair, I hadn't really even considered the differences between ordinary juice and the freshly squeezed version.  In my mind, juice was juice!

But it appears I've been mistaken all these years.  I told Alisdair about my friend from university days.  She decided to drink concentrated juice and went out and bought an expensive juicer machine.  She put large 5 pound bags of carrots through the juicer and drank the deep orange liquid for several days.  Then some of us, who were Donalda's roommates, noticed her skin was taking on a slightly orange tinge.  At that point, she decided perhaps some variety would be a good idea!

According to the material included in this pocket, "When you have the juice from a fresh piece of fruit or a vegetable, you have all the enzymes from it.  Enzymes are killed when heated, so store packaged juices lose this benefit.  Enzymes are very important to our bodies.  They trigger thousand of chemical reactions in our bodies, are important for digestion and absorption of nutrients, help our body tissue, and produce energy in the cells."

Fresh juice provide vitamins and minerals.  The minerals in fresh juices are:

Iron

Copper

Potassium

Sodium

Iodine and

Magnesium.

The activity also provides a worksheet with stickers of various vegetables that can be put through a juicer and used as a fresh drink.  These include:

Watermelon

Garlic

Carrot

Potato

Cabbage

Cucumber

Green Pepper

Spinach and

Beet.

Juicing also removes indigestible fiber.  If you eat the vegetables raw, some of the nutrients remain trapped in the fiber.  If you eat a carrot, for example, you only get 1% of the beta carotene from it.  If you "press and squeeze the carrot and get the juice from it, then throw away the fiber part, you have 100% of the beta carotene.  Fiber is very important and so are the nutrients in the plants.  Making sure we get both juice and raw veggies is a good way to be healthy and balanced."


Sticker Worksheet

CURRICULUM ~ Monthly Pocket ~ Hot Tea Month ~ Remember Me Pockets: January

"Polly put the kettle on ... and we'll all have tea!"

In addition to being "NATIONAL OATMEAL MONTH," January is also "HOT TEA MONTH."  Until working through this section of the Remember Me Pockets for January, I didn't realize there were so many interesting things to know about this beverage.

The first tea bags, originally made of silk, were created by Thomas Sullivan in 1904.  One cup of tea has 40 mg of caffeine ~ compared to 99 mg for a cup of coffee.  Apparently the Emperor of China was the first to drink tea.  The material states that Americans drink 50 billion cups of tea each year (with 40 billion of these served as cold tea!)  I'd hate to know the number of cups the British drink... it seems like, on Coronation Street at least, any time there is a crisis, the characters make a brew and suddenly the world is right side up again! 

Alisdair and I had just finished reading these tea facts and completing a "Tea Time Test" before I headed out to an Open House a lady from our church was hosting.  She is launching her own tea importation business, selling small quantities of various blends of loose leaf tea to local people.  Carol calls her enterprise the Sips Tea Company.  I wrote an article for the newspaper about her venture and it was published online, as well as in the Battlefords Regional Optimist.  For more information, click on the above link.



Tea ~ "What's your bag??"

In order to complete the "Tea Time Test," Alisdair was given facts about BLACK, WHITE, GREEN, OOLONG, ROOIBOS and PU'ERH tea.  They each have different properties.  Some are non oxidized, while others are fully oxidized.  Some teas aid digestion while others help skin irritations or treat colic!  Want restful sleep?  Drink some tea!  Oolong tea, for example, will aid your digestion, treat eczema and psoriasis, has floral fruit and chocolate tones and will also increase your metabolism. 

Alisdair often likes to drink some green tea (especially Tim Horton's brand) before beginning his studies in the morning.

Alisdair's tea party!

Now, go brew yourself a pot!  Then relax, just for a few moments, over a steaming cuppa... you'll be glad you did!

CURRICULUM ~ Monthly Pocket ~ National Oatmeal Month ~ Remember Me Pockets: January

JANUARY - National Oatmeal Month

Did you know that January has been designated as "National Oatmeal Month?"  This is primarily because the largest amount of  oatmeal is sold during the month.  According to the material in the "Remember Me Pockets," there are three reasons for the spike in oatmeal sales:

1) The cold months of Winter;

2) Affordability: and

3) The desire to be healthy at the start of a New Year.

As someone whole doesn't like eating porridge, I was surprised to learn the most popular use for oatmeal is in cookie recipes.  The second most popular use is in meatloaf ... now that's A LOT of meatloaf, folks!

We also learned that oatmeal is considered a "whole grain."  The information explained that "A whole grain has not had the parts of the plant removed which hold the vitamins and minerals.  These parts are called the bran and the germ.  Because oatmeal has lots of fiber, this food is very good for the digestive system of the body."

Worksheet - National Oatmeal Month

So maybe Mother was right when she encouraged us to eat up our porridge because it would "stick to our ribs all day!"

LAPBOOK ~ The State of ALASKA

In addition to the "Remember Me Pockets" for each month, "Fortunately For You Books", also offers many other products for homeschoolers.  Their company website featured this free mini lapbook on the State of Alaska.  The instructions appeared to indicate that the mini books would fit inside a folded sheet of cardstock.  When we had everything printed and cut out, however, it didn't fit!  So we made some modifications and used a regular file folder lapbook and put our mini books inside this.

FRONT COVER

BACK COVER

LEFT FLAP - Accordian mini books open

MIDDLE SECTION

MIDDLE SECTION - State Symbols showing. 
This information is enclosed in the pink cone-shaped pocket. 

RIGHT FLAP - Information about State flag
 in pocket and "Places to See" tab book

Some facts that Alisdair learned are:

The industries of the State of Alaska include:  fishing, natural gas and oil.
Alaska is the largest state in the United States.  It is more than two times bigger than Texas!
The capital of Alaska is Juneau.
Alaska comes from the Eskimo word 'Alakshak' meaning 'Great Lands.'
Most of the United States supply of crab, salmon, halibut and herring come from Alaska.
Nearly on third of Alaska lies within the Arctic Circle.
Alaska became the 49th state in the United States on January 3, 1959.
Seventeen out of the 20 highest peaks in the United States are in Alaska.

The Sitka Spruce is the official state tree.  The Alaska state flower is the Alpine Forget-Me-Not. The Willow Ptarmigan is the official state bird and the state land mammal is the Moose.  Alaskan moose are the largest in the world and can weigh up to 1,600 pounds!  Now wouldn't that make a tasty burger?!

For all intents and purposes, this lapbook is complete, but I am going to get Alisdair to write a letter to the Governor of Alaska, Sean Parnell to ask for leaflets which might offer additional information about the State.  If we receive an interesting response, we will write another blog post about it.

CURRICULUM ~ Remember Me Pockets: January ~ AUTHORS - Charles Perrault

I didn't know who Charles Perrault was ~ so I guess I learned something right off the bat!  For those of you, who like me, were unfamiliar with Perrault, he was a French author who is credited with writing the first fairy tales.  He was born on January 12, 1628 in Paris, France.  After studying law and working in the government, under King Louis XIV, he changed career paths and became a writer.  He was 62 years old when he decided to dedicate his efforts toward children's literature.  (So I guess there is hope for me yet to write that  "Great Canadian Novel," as I have a ways to go before reaching the grand age of 62!)

Perrault wrote Tales of Mother Goose, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Puss In Boots! Though I didn't know him by name, I did know the stories for which he is famous.

Biography Page - Charles Perrault

Worksheet - Sticker Study Format

Again we had an interesting activity to do.  This time the worksheet asked three questions and we cut out little "stickers" with the appropriate answers and glued them in place.  There was also a word list (taken from the biography sheet) with definitions and Alisdair had to fill-in the blanks.

We have some other "book" oriented activities to finish for our January "Remember Me Pockets" but this is the last of the specially highlighted authors.

CURRICULUM - Remember Me Pockets: January ~ AUTHORS: J. R. R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa.  His "claim to fame" is as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 

Tolkien was the second author that Alisdair and I completed for our Remember Me Pocket for January.  In order to complete the Tolkien activity puzzle, we printed three separate pages from the downloaded template on to cardstock.  One had the picture puzzle on one side of the various squares.  On the other side (we had to print back-to-back) were brief answers to, as yet unasked, questions about Tolkien's life.  The actual questions were printed, in full, on the third page of cardstock.

Some of the 16 questions were:

What did Ronald's father die from?  Rheumatic Fever
In World War I what did he serve as?  A signals officer
What type of illness did he get while serving in the War?  Typhoid Fever
When did Ronald begin his book writing?  While recuperating from Typhoid Fever
How old was J. R. R. Tolkien at the time of his death?  81 years old

Once Alisdair selected a question on the grid and found the corresponding puzzle piece with the answer on it, we could glue the question and answer side together.  This created a two-ply picture puzzle, which the creators at Fortunately For You Books call a "Mini Wall of Time."

Alisdair and I both learned a lot and it was also a good "taking off point" for some interesting conversations.  Since Alisdair did not know what rheumatic fever was, having never heard of it before, I suggested he call his Grandfather and ask him about his own experience with this illness many years ago.  After Grandpa was done telling Alisdair about his own sufferings with this illness, Grandma told Alisdair about her sister Charlotte having been bedridden during much of her teen years due to this ailment.

Now, after having learned a little about J. R. R. Tolkien, we will have to find the time to read some of his incredible literary works!

Biography Page - J. R. R. Tolkien

Completed "Wall of Time" puzzle

CURRICULUM ~ Remember Me Pockets: January ~ AUTHORS: A. A. Milne

Alan Alexander Milne was born January 18, 1882 in London, England.  He is, of course, the author of the beloved Winnie-the-Pooh stories, which he wrote in the mid to late 1920's.  The tales of Winnie stemmed from a poem, first published in Vanity Fair, called "Vespers."  The poem featured his son, Christopher Robin Milne.  The cute little bear who was very chubby eventually was expanded upon to create the delightful tales so many children have enjoyed.

Since A. A. Milne was born in January, he is included in the Remember Me Pocket for Authors for this month.  There is an "Author Biography" (photo below) and an activity puzzle to remember important information about him.  Little puzzle pieces were cut out and glued in the appropriate places to create "A Line of Time for A. A. Milne."  Alisdair enjoyed completing this, although he could guess which answer went where without even having to refer to the actual Biography.  However, the next activity (for author J. R. R. Tolkien) was much more challenging!

Biography Page - A. A. Milne

Timeline

LAPBOOKS - Mary, Queen of Scots ~ Queen Without a Country

As a half-Scottish lad, Alisdair said he wanted to study about Scotland and its people.  After a brief search at the Homeschool Share website, I found a Unit Study on Mary Queen of Scots.  It is based on the book, "Mary, Queen of Scots ~ Queen Without a Country" by Kathryn Lasky (which centers around her childhood) and "Mary, Queen of Scots" by Jacob Abbott (which is available online here), that tells more about her adulthood.  The latter is a very old text, having been "prepared by volunteers associated with Heritage-History, using as a copytext, the book by Mr. Abbott, which was printed by New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1860. (Originally published in 1848)."

The Homeschool Share Unit is broken down into 13 lessons which cover the major events in Mary's life.  There are lapbook components for each lesson and also questions for each of the sections.  Today I read all the information from the Homeschool Share website (templates here) to Alisdair, so he now has some overall idea about what transpired and what questions he will be asked to answer.

I was especially pleased to see how everything we have studied thus far, "dovetails" perfectly with this work.  In Lesson One, the notes state that "Mary saw a renewed interest in fine arts and viewed the works of artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael" (all artists we have been working on). In Lesson Two they speak of "Michelangelo's Surprise" (the lapbook we have partially completed) as Mary married Francis, the son of King Henry II and Queen Catherine de Medici.  The Medici family of Italy featured prominently in the Michelangelo book, so this gives more context.  Then, back in November, when we studied about Guy Fawkes, Alisdair had a colouring picture of James VI of Scotland and James I of England.  Of course he was Mary, Queen of Scots son!  It is nice to see all the loose ends tying themselves together to present the bigger picture.  I'd like to claim this was all due to my methodical planning - but it is delightful happenstance!

Alisdair completed the first lapbook component for Lesson One today - a map of Europe.  He coloured Scotland in blue, England in red and France in pink.  He also answered questions about the origins of Mary's parents and Francis' parents; where the Reformation took place; and noted where Mary was born; where she moved when she was five; and where she died.

Outside Cover of mini book

Map and initial questions

A good start, indeed!

LAPBOOKS - Michelangelo's Surprise - PART II

Cover of the actual book reproduced for the lapbook cover

Yesterday Alisdair made three more little mini books for his Michelangelo's Surprise lapbook (to add to the pile we had already completed.)  Then we began gluing the components into the folder itself.  We still have more books to complete, but it is nice to get some of them attached so they are all together and not getting misplaced!  The red square at the bottom with the gold tie contains little mini pictures of some of Michelangelo's artwork.  Alisdair also completed a Michelangelo themed crossword puzzle today.  It contained some interesting facts.

Completed crossword

I didn't know, for example, that the Sistine Chapel ceiling covered one thousand square yards!  That's a lot of area.  Michelangelo was apprenticed to a famous painter when he was twelve years old, so Alisdair and I joked that he would be sent to paint ceilings in September, of this year, when he turns twelve.  He was willing to "give it a go" and thought he could probably draw "naked stick men!"  Michelangelo spent twenty years designing tombs and a chapel for the Medicis, an influential Italian family.  This puzzle (and many others) are available at this website.  I have also printed off several activities for Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and other people we hope to study this year.

Here are some photos of the first section of our lapbook.  I'll post some additional photos when we have completed this project in its entirety.

First flap and first folder
(We put two folders together to allow for additional worksheets)

Inside of the "Speaking Italian" mini book
(Italian flag with talking head on it)

Close-up of artwork samples

BIBLE ~ U B David + I'll Be Jonathan Lessons

When I was about Alisdair's age, I was involved with an organization offering free Bible correspondence classes called "The Mailbox Club."  Fast forward several decades and we were pleased to learn this group still exists, only now they call themselves "U B David + I'll B Jonathan." Alisdair is doing paper lessons via Canada Post, however they also offer online lessons, if that makes participation easier.

The website (see link above) explains their new name as follows:

"U.B. David" refers to anyone who uses these lessons for personal spiritual development. The model is, of course, the David of the Old Testament. The Bible notes seven wonderful character traits which were true of David and which ought to be true of God's people today.

First, David was a person "after [God's] own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14). Here was someone who loved the things God loved, hated the things God hated (sin), chose to do the things God would choose, and desired to do the things God desired.

Second, David was "skillful in playing" (1 Samuel 16:18). This especially referred to his musical ability with the harp. But David was a talented young man in many areas who honed his skills throughout life to be a person of excellence. The question is: who are you going to use your skills for?

Third, David was "a mighty valiant person" (1 Samuel 16:18). He was brave, courageous, gallant, dauntless, lionhearted, drawing strength from the Lord as he faced some giant challenges.

Fourth, David was a "person of war" (1 Samuel 16:18). This may not sound very positive to us but it is a very important quality. David stood for what was right and learned to deal with the enemies of righteousness. He knew how to wage war against the forces that would destroy him and his people. It is a quality we too must have as we war against "the world, the flesh and the devil" (1 John 2).

Fifth, David was "prudent in matters" (1 Samuel 16:18). That is, he had good solid judgment, discretion, carefulness, tact and foresight. Prudence involves the ability to make wise decisions, not simply for short-term benefits but with an eye on future results. David had this quality and it opened the door of expanding opportunities as he matured.

Sixth, David was "a comely person" (1 Samuel 16:18). He was an attractive person, both outwardly and inwardly. This attractiveness was rooted in godly character and internal victory which David enjoyed as he walked with God.

A seventh quality is expressed in the climax description about David: "the LORD is with him" (1 Samuel 16:18). With this assurance of God's presence and blessing it is not surprising that David became such a great man of God.

The desire of our organization is that multiplied thousands of young people would become "Davids" with these seven character qualities.

"I'll B. Jonathan" refers to anyone who helps make this discipling program available and effective for all the "Davids". Again, the model is David's closest friend in Old Testament times, Jonathan, who had an intense commitment to help David become all that God wanted him to become (1 Samuel 18).

UB David & I'll B Jonathan involves a host of volunteers and some staff personnel who mark lesson responses, answer questions, pray, provide counsel, make award plaques, process the mailings and give financially. These praying, giving and living-example "Jonathans" are committed to doing what they can so that thousands of young "Davids" may be encouraged to become the people God intends them to be. Our satisfaction will come when "David" knows the Word of our God (2 Timothy 3:16) and we see Jesus Christ on the throne of his life (Luke 1:32).

For every lesson completed, students receive 100 points and for each book read (and a report turned in), 200 points are given.  At various point levels, different prizes are awarded.  Alisdair now has accumulated 7,600 points (which means he has completed 74 lessons and one comic book).  He has received discount cards totalling $20 off his registration fees for summer camp, as well as other prizes like a music CD, discounts on youth retreats, (which he unfortunately is not yet old enough to attend), and "Certificates of Achievement" when he completes a particular series of lessons.

During the summer, when he went to Regina with his grandparents, Alisdair was able to tour the "U B David + I'll B Jonathan" headquarters on Marquis Crescent.  He was thrilled to discover what happened to his lessons after we mailed them and before they were returned to him with new lessons to complete.

In that last few months, we have been busy doing other things and Alisdair hadn't sent in any lessons for quite a while.  Between Christmas and New Years Alisdair received a letter from the organization, containing a special Christmas lesson.  We completed that today and, even though there was no mail service because of the New Year's holiday, we sent it off this afternoon.
 

Read the text and complete the question sheet

It's a terrific program for children (of all ages - Isobel has some "See and Do" lessons, too!) and even for adults.  If you know of anyone who would benefit from these Bible lessons, let us know and we will make sure to pass the information on to the administrators in Regina.  Or simply click through the link and get involved directly.

LAPBOOK - More Photos of Our Leonardo Da Vinci Lapbook

We still aren't finished the Leonardo da Vinci lapbook, but we've added several more mini books to the project.

We have also received a book from the library - Leonardo's Horse by Jean Fritz.  This book is what much of the Homeschool Share templates are based upon.

Second Cover

Fritz tells the story of Charles Dent, an American man who caught the vision to create a bronze statue of a horse like the one Leonardo began to make for Lorenzo de' Medici as a gift for the Duke of Milan.  Leonardo constructed a clay model of the horse that was twenty-four feet high.  It was shown off at a special occasion in November 1493 and was a sensation.  Da Vinci collected metal to be used in the casting of the horse but in 1498, with rumors of a French invasion of Milan, this was used to make a cannon.  The French did come in 1499.  The French archers thought Leonardo's clay model was perfect for target practice with their bows and arrows.  The arrows, coupled with a lot of rain, reduced Leonardo's clay model to a lump of mud.   

Dent was first inspired to build a horse like Leonardo in 1977.  Many trials and tribulations followed.  Then Dent learned he was dying - but his family promised him they would complete the project after his death.  The statue was finally unveiled on September 10, 1999 - exactly 500 years (to the day) since the French had invaded Milan and destroyed the model horse.  The bronze horse now stands as a testament to Leonardo da Vinci and Charles Dent - on a pedestal in a small park in front of Milan's famous racetrack.

Detailed information on Italy

Alisdair tried writing backwards as an experiment!

A English translation of the words to the Italian National Anthem

Worksheets about Leonardo da Vinci - a crossword puzzle, a word search, multiple choice, ABC order, dotty letters, etc.

Will post the final photos of our book as soon as we complete the lapbook - we'll try to finish before Christmas so we can start some new activities in January.