Genie Unit Study

Thing One has been reading Dragonball Z books for a while now. After reading about the character Majinn Buu, he was interested to learn more about jinns (or djinn or genies). So I've been putting together a quick unit study.

Books:
The Arabian Nights retold by Neil Philip (I would suggest this for older children 10+, or preview it to see if it is appropriate for your family. It deals frankly with sex, violence and is written from a Muslim perspective.)
Arabian Nights: Three Tales retold by Deborah Nourse Lattimore (more friendly for younger children)
The Unce Upon a Time Map Book: Take a Tour of Six Enchanted Lands by B.G. Hennessy (includes a map of Aladdin's kingdom)
Grandmothers' Stories: Wise Woman Tales from Many Cultures retold by Burleigh Muten (includes a story about a Senegalese Djinn and a midwife)
The Tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves by Eric A. Kimmel
Be a Genie in Six Easy Steps by Linda Chapman and Steve Cole (this is a 326 page novel appropriate for older kids)
The Genie in the Book by Cindy Trumbore (118 page novel more appropriate for a read aloud)

Movies:
Here is a very useful list of Aladdin movies on IMDb.
Scooby Doo and the Arabian Nights
There are also tons of versions of Arabian Nights and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves available.

Activities:
Mapwork of Muslim countries
Discussion of Islam, the Koran and what Muslims believe about jinn
After reading many stories about genies, I had Thing One compare and contrast descriptions and make drawings of what he imagines a genie to look like.
If you had three wishes, what would they be?

I think our most fun craft was Meringue Genies (borrowed this idea from Easyfunschool.com)

Ours turned out really cute! I halved the recipe. The recipe doesn't specify how much cream of tartar. I just put in a pinch. We used raisin eyes and red sugar sprinkles (because that is what we had in the pantry).

You could put together a fun notebooking or lapbooking project or even a poster. I am considering expanding this unit study to include Sinbad the Sailor as well.

Chemistry is Fun!

We have been having an awesome time with our new curriculum, Real Science 4 Kids: Chemistry Pre-Level 1.

I can't say enough good things about this curriculum. It is so easy to do, and so much fun! The text is well written, has colorful, engaging illustrations, and communicates complicated ideas well to young readers.

Some of the experiments require quite a bit of preparation but are well worth it.

Family Newsletter

We have started doing a monthly family newsletter. It includes short articles about what we are up to as a family, what we are doing in school, and gives the boys a way to publish their artwork and creative writing.

We mailed out our first issue at the end of September, and have received a wonderful response from our family and friends. The things love getting praise for their efforts, and the grandparents love having a brag sheet to share with their friends.

One of the most fun things about the newsletter is that Thing One is including a long story he wrote in serial form. We sent out chapter one in September's newsletter, he's already planning to send a "bonus chapter" in January because that is his birthday month. He is learning so much about how to use a word processing system on the computer, and also how to draft, edit and publish his writing.

We plan on inviting "guest columnists" to write articles for us as well. My uncle is a composer, and the boys want to learn about his creative process. I want to request stories and recipes for the holidays.

I hope this will be a way for our very spread out family and circle of friends to grow closer.

Service Project

We have started helping out our local food bank twice per month. We go by a local warehouse store and pick up any donations, and drop them off at the food bank. It is a simple task, loading and unloading, and it only takes an hour our of our morning, but we feel like we are really helping people. We all agree is it silly to have all that food go to waste.

I did a year of service in AmeriCorps after I finished my bachelor's degrees. It made a huge impact on my life to so much direct service. I want my kids to experience the challenges and the joys of community service.

Coincidentally, we read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl this week. (I wish I could plan my lessons so well and thoroughly, but sometimes I just rely on synchronicity and luck.) If, like me, you hadn't read this gem in 20 years, consider revisiting it. It discusses hunger and poverty in a very relatable way.

Ancient Greece Unit Study

With Thing One's interest in Percy Jackson, a study of ancient Greece seemed appropriate this fall. I put together a list of ideas for lessons, using several resources.

Usborne Book of Greek Myths
Story of the World Volume I, text and activity book
Kingfisher Book of the Ancient World
History Pockets Ancient Civilizations
Greek Mythology Activities

Some of my favorite ideas:
Use a compare/contrast chart to compare creation myths.
Go for a nature walk to look at the changing leaves, and talk about the story of Persephone.
Go for a spider hunt and talk about Arachne.
Read about Atlas, and discuss what an atlas is, find some at the library.
Plant narcissus bulbs and read the story of Narcissus.
Read about Daedalus and Icarus, and make candles.
Read about the chimera and make up your own mixed up animals.
Read about sirens and play with sound.
Read about Theseus and the minotaur, and go to a corn maze.
Learn about Greek architecture, and make a gingerbread parthenon.

First Day of School 2011

We had a really great first day today. I got up early and went for a walk, luckily missing the bad weather that plagued the rest of the day. We had some french toast for breakfast, and I introduced the newest permutation of the chore plan to the boys. I got total buy in, until I told Thing One that he can't get credit for any of the for-pay chores until his regular chores for the day-Including Schoolwork-are done. He didn't think that was fair, so we had a long talk about it. He said he already knows everything. He said he can't do a proper backbend because his head is so heavy with knowledge. I reminded him that there are a lot of things he still has to learn, and that I have a legal obligation to teach him since he is not attending public school. He countered with "I'll be happy to do school as long as I get to pick the subject." We agreed that we would study what he is interested in, but that there will be days that I have to introduce other subjects and ideas to fulfill my obligation.

Both Thing One and Thing Two did their everyday morning chores (straightening room, making bed, getting dressed and brushing teeth)and their Wednesday chores (taking the recyclables to the curb).

Thing One begged to do IXL math (since curricula have not arrived yet) and he did that until I literally had to pull him off the computer to return our rental car. Oh yeah, we just bought a new-to-us car when our old one died. Boy, am I glad that we are mostly back to normal after that ordeal. Meanwhile, Thing Two was experimenting in the back yard with a water balloon, and drawing robots.

After returning from the car rental place, we had lunch and then did our chemistry lesson. We're using a Science Wiz chemistry kit, and a Real Science for Kids Pre-Level One Chemistry curriculum. Thing Two has been begging for a chemistry set. Yes, he is only 4 and a half. But he is my little scientist and engineer. Ironically, he deemed today's experiment "boring," but Thing One, my creative artsy child, loved it.

I stopped "school" at that point so I could get some housework and prep work done. I say "stopped" because Thing One spied one of the books I was looking over, Jason and the Argonauts, yoinked it, and read two chapters over afternoon snack. He just finished the five Percy Jackson books over the summer and he is very interested in Greek mythology right now. We will be using Story of the World Volume I, especially the activity book, History Pockets Ancient Civilizations, Greek Mythology Activities, and the Kingfisher Book of the Ancient World, for our study of ancient Greece. I'm hoping to move on to the Roman Empire in the late fall or spring.

We are continuing Voyages in English this year. Thing One is writing his first book on a word processing program, and he is picking up spelling and grammar rules very quickly as the computer underlines any mistakes in red, which he cannot stand. We will be trying Saxon Math for the first time, and doing some geography terminology and map reading. I have put together an art history and fine art curriculum drawn heavily (see what I did there) from Discovering Great Artists, and some homeschooler friends will be joining us each Friday. Thing One has also requested intensive drawing lessons, so we are trying out an online subscription to Mark Kistler's website Imagination Station. Add a few awesome classes and field trips in the DC, Annapolis and Baltimore areas, weekly gymnastics classes, lego club, and chess club, and I think we'll have a great school year!

The End of Summer Wrap Up

We had a great summer! We had a ton of fun finishing 10 of 24 Parkquests. We read tons of books, mostly Goosebumps, Animal Ark, Bernie Magruder, and Percy Jackson.

We also entered some things in the Maryland State Fair. Thing One entered a drawing and his cactus garden.

Thing Two entered a drawing and a painting.

I am so proud!! I think they caught the fair bug, and can't wait to exhibit next year.