Friday 1st May.

Chloe woke up and wasn't feeling very well this morning. So we spent the first part of day reading - and snuggling!
She found another spiderwick book at the library ans has nearly finished it already.

She felt better by the afternoon, so we continued with our geography topic - The Oceans. Initially we were working from a unit i downloaded from the net. And although it is good. i feel it is abit too old for Chloe (it focuses on underwater trenches and making an underwater contour map etc) She is only 10, and so i've gone back to basics.
What do i want Chloe to know when we have finished this topic??

* The names of the 5 major oceans.
* To be able to locate these oceans on a world map.
* To know the difference between an ocean and a sea.
* To know about currents, tides and waves. What causes them? What effect do they haveon our world?
* How do we have use the ocean? - transport, medicine, food, resources/energy etc. Maybe even link in with the somalia pirates situation???
* To know that the oceans are different to each other - climate/temperature/weather, animal habitats.
* To know what a tsunami is and how they are caused, plus underwater volcanoes.
* To look at marine animals - This can also link in with our science topic of living things.
* To what a coral reef is and where they are.
* To know about life/food cycles and how it is important to keep the balance - fishing stocks Vs making a living - dolphins caught in tuna nets etc. Enviroment issues.

So plenty of ideas, plus a fun trip to the sea life centre.

Thursday 30th April.

Chloe had English this morning. We started off by finishing our 'said' tags. We've been looking at different words to use instead of said. Then we read chapters 9 and 10 of Despereaux and worked on the literature unit i made to accompany the book.

Then in the afternoon Chloe looked at stone age monuments - Stonehenge. We're going to make a 3d model of it. Either using polystyrene - if i can get some if not it will be good old salt dough. It should be an interesting project. I'll post some pictures once we've finished.

Wednesday 29th April.

We had a lovely day yesterday. Chloe worked on her maths co-ordinates in the morning. I made a worksheet up using a map of England. She had to find the co-ordinates for certain cities or counties. Then find the places for the co-ordinates i gave her. So geography as well as maths. Then she finished up her KS 3 maths book.
I also found a great co'ordinates game. Very simple design, just numbers (answers) on a grid. You ask a question/sum like 3 x 5 = and then they have to look at the answers on the grip and give you the co-ordinates instead of the answer. Thought it would be a good game to play next session.

In the afternnon we went to the library, then looked through our books. It was a great start to our science topic looking at amazing mammals, and quirky little facts about reptiles etc. It has wet her appetite, so next session she will be rearing to go. We're hoping to look at how animals are classified and then make several lapbooks. Chloé also had a great idea on a game we could make. Abit like guess who only for animals. Probably make about 5 cards for each animal group (mammals, reptiles,amphibians, birds and fish) pop them into the existing guess who game/frame and then ask questions until we know the animal.

Chloe is busy reading Beyond spiderwick at the moment. We've already read them once but she saw the film on sky recently at is now busy reading her way thought the whole set again! They are good books though.

Later were working on Despereaux and then British history.

AWOL

Well I've been AWOL for a few months now!! We had computer problems and it took a while to sort out and then everything was just up in the air, but hopefully i'm back for good now.

Our time table this term is as follows:
Monday - Swimming, then maths (Co-ordinates, tables and graphs.)
Tuesday - English (The tale of Despereaux) and History (Ancient Greece lapbook)
Wednesday - Maths, then Science (Animals)
Thursday - English, then History (British history)
Friday - R.E (Religious festivals)/ French (around the town) and Geography (Oceans)

I'm writing my own unit for Despereaux - with hints and tips from other study guides on the net.
We're working on an Ancient Greece lapbook. There's so much to learn and look at, maps, the Minoans, the Myceneaens, olympics, sparta, alphabet, myths, gods etc. I just know this is going to be a great topic. I'm wanting to do a dress up day and maybe a mini olympics in the garden too.
I had a great unit on oceans saved from ages ago. So we are using this for geography and hopefully we'll fit a trip to the Seal life centre in too.
Should be a fun packed term. Fingers crossed.

When did you last see your father?

This is Chloe's version of the civil war painting 'When did you last see your father?' I think it's wonderful. She is currently working on another one, only with oil paints.

Well Chloe has been busy working on her English civil war lapbook.
She's really working hard on it. And today she even said that she would miss history when we finish her lapbook - Little does she know what plans I have for her. LOL

She's taking the lead in her work alot more now that she is on her own.
She designed the front cover of her lapbook and had clear ideas of what she wanted - and didn't want!!

Next week we will start back to our timetable properly. This week has been mad with the kids going back to school and college.
I'm really looking forward to re-starting our learning journey again. Our timetable has had to change though.
On Mondays we will study Maths and Science.
Tuesdays will be art day with swimming at lunch time.
Wednesdays we have Maths, skating, and French.
Thursdays we will study english and History.
And Fridays we will study English and Geography.
Every morning we have an hours private reading, spellings and personal study.
Personal study is something new I'm trying. At first I'm going to give Chloe a card with a persons name or an event on it. She will have all week to research it and then produce something on it. She may want to do a lapbook, a power point presentation, a leaflet. Who knows it will be her decision.
I got a great book from the library on Famous people which has given me lots of ideas.

Knitiing.

Well I've nearly finished my first history unit. It's on the village of Eyam in Derbyshire. I've wrote out all the information - all 18 pages of it!!! Now all I have to do is make up the questions, tasks and activities to accompany the unit.
While I was working Chloe asked if I would show her how to knit.
At the moment she is busy knitting a little scarf for one of her teddies.
I can rememebr my mum showing me how to knit and having my own little knitting bag.
If she takes to it I might try and make a patch work blanket. Maybe showing certain events - though I don't know what yet!!!