Monday, October 28, 2013

Pumpkin Week

October 21 – October 25
Our theme for the eighth week of school was "Pumpkin Week." We picked our pumpkins from the garden, painted jack-o-lanterns and took a field trip to a corn maze. The corn maze was at a local farm where the biggest attraction was the goat in the tree house. (We also fed pumpkins to the pigs, took a hayride, jumped on the straw trampoline and endlessly slid down the giant slide.)
Hay Ride

LANGUAGE ARTS
Reading
We are finishing up Bunnicula by Deborah Howe. It is our read-aloud selection for the genre of horror. It's a perfect Halloween novel for kids. It isn't too scary but has plenty of references to Dracula lore.

Poetry and Literature
Because Halloween is almost here, we read epitaphs. I had an afterthought that another field trip to the local cemetery could have been fun too!

Composition
This week's project was to write a letter.

MATHEMATICS
This week we continue our study of addition with a focus on fractions. My favorite manipulatives to use for addition are Pattern Blocks and Rainbow Fraction Bars. (I like Math-U-See Fraction Overlays and Cuisenaire Rods for multiplication and UNIFIX Cubes for teaching the meaning of fractions.)

SCIENCE
Time to study weather!

HISTORY
The Pony Express ceased operations on October 26th. The old trail and station markers are still visible here in Utah Valley. I had planned a field trip but we had to reschedule for another time because the weather was not cooperating. (It did actually stop snowing for a short period in the morning so we could enjoy our time at the corn maze.)

VISUAL ART
The last area to open is our Clay Center of our art studio. As usual, after a five minute introduction, everyone chooses to work in one of the eight centers now open: drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, digital arts, fabric arts, sculpture or clay.

Field Trip Petting Zoo at the Corn Maze

Field Trip Giant Slide at Corn Maze

Field Trip Straw Trampoline

Field Trip Goat in a Tree

Field Trip Cow

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