Mom2theBest
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Okay, I admit it. I am not the faithful type where homeschooling methods are concerned. I take bits and pieces from ANYTHING I think will be fun and engaging for the kids. This has lead me to tweak my homeschool approach a few times a year. Now, this definitely has pros and cons. The best thing about learning so many different homeschooling methods and using them is that you really can "tailor" your child’s education to suit their learning styles, needs, and interests. I started with a mix of What Your _ Needs To Know books and Classical. My child did not thrive with the classical aspects of this arrangement. I agree that you should read unabridged classic literature, but most of the books in the outlines I saw at the time were so beyond his comprehension level that I spent more time explaining the text than reading. When the WYNK/Classical education mix didn’t work I moved on. The next hybrid was WYNK series as a spine and a bit of Charlotte Mason. This worked well for us. Although, I still don’t adhere to them as a whole. It is kind of like me trying to use a recipe. For the life of me, I can not use one. I ALWAYS tweak the recipe! Hmm, I guess homeschooling is not the only area in my life I do this. Anyway, I love the WYNK series because it gives you a definite, "this is what _ graders should know". I really needed this the first few years of homeschooling. Those books gave me a way to make sure that I covered all the topics "needed" for his grade. They also gave me a cheap way to get tons of subjects in one easy to use book. I think this will be the last year I will use the books (although I will still use the free lesson plans at www.coreknowledge.org ). I have the Core Knowledge Sequence which has an outline for each year to grade 8 and will use that instead. The problem with researching so many different methods is second guessing yourself. This may not be a problem for some, but I find that I have issues with it. I research something and then think I am not doing everything I can or everything that my kids need. This becomes very stressful in trying to decide the "correct" course of action. Fortunately, I seem to have outgrown this. Yeah! The future of homeschooling in our house is still unknown. My husband is not convinced in the "long haul", so we have agreed to take it year by year. I do know that if I am still homeschooling in the next few years, I will be slipping in more of the Well Trained Mind concepts. Not as a whole (because it seems to intense to me), but mixed with Charlotte Mason, WYNK, workboxes, lapbooks, and anything else I pick up on the way. Happy Homeschooling! Michele |
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As my little princess approaches (Gasp!) kindergarten age, I am reveiwing my teaching techniques and rethinking things. I made mistakes with my son, as he was the homeschool guinea pig. Many of the teaching methods I used with him just will not fit with my attention span deprived daughter. My son would give me a solid 10-15 minutes of focus at her age. I am lucky to get her for 5 minutes. |
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Take some time out to do this!!!! Xerox will print out a card you draft and send it to a serviceperson. It's FREE and only takes a moment. www.letssaythanks.com |
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Everyday Workboxes: First Language Lessons, Levels 1&2 Science, Magnetism "Magnets:Fields of Force" www.coreknowledge.com *go to Lesson plans, 2nd grade, Science History/Geography, Civil War "Meet Addy" www.homeschoolshare.com History/Geography, Immigration "Angel Child Dragon Child" www.homeschoolshare.com History/Geography, Civil Rights "Freedom on the Menu" www.homeschoolshare.com Reading Pathways Random Workbox Fillers: cryptograms < free from http://www.kidzone.ws/puzzles/cryptogram/index.asp crossword puzzle < free from http://www.makingfriends.com/fallcrafts/thanksgiving_crossword.htm Art Masterpieces to Color, Gauguin's "When will you Marrry?" and Magritte's "The False Mirror" Read-Aloud by Mom, The Spiderwick Chronicles Tiger Cub handbook activities planting seeds in the garden various file folder games shape block building cards
Schedule strip add-ons: free reading lego time american sign language play outside Linny (his guinea pig playtime) |
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Okay, I am going to give you everything that I am using for this month in my son' s workboxes. I may find a "new" thing here and there to add, but basically this is it. Paper-Strip Pumpkin Tiger Scout handbook activities Sparkly Spider web Drawing practice janbrett.com and http://janbrett.com/learn_to_draw_an_armadillo.htm |
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In a previous post I wrote out Optimus' IHIP. This post will be about how we do that AND add two little ones! My daughter, Tink, will be 5 in Jan and I take care of a little boy during the week who will be 4 in Jan. So here we go! @6am I like to use this time to get some water, straighten up the living room and figure out breakfast. I like to dress my kids, so I will lay out their clothes for them. Watering the plants and feeding and watering the dog are also done in my "alone" time. @7am My little charge comes at 7. Let's call him, umm.., Iron Man. He loves Iron Man. Kids get up and get dressed at this time. Then it's time to eat breakfast. Outdoor play until math. Music is played in the background. @9am Lessons begin (Math) -Optimus- We use Math-U-See, so first it is the DVD lesson and then Optimus needs to sit at the table and finish 2 workbook pages. If he is really getting it, I let him skip some. -Iron Man and Tink- I have this really fab shape/puzzle game. The littles get to take turns with that or playing with MY legos. Yes, I have my own! I also have a few counting games from HomeschoolShare.com. Love, Love that site! @9:30 (Language) -Optimus- First Language Lessons and Writing with Ease are done one-on-one. -Iron Man and Tink- While Optimus is working on the copywork by himself, the Littles and I clean up the Math games and blocks. Then we play a few letter games and sing the alphabet song. -All- When Alex has finished copywork, we all meet for reading selections from What Your _ Needs to Know. @10:30 -All- Music in the background. Summer: Structured activity from my stash. Playdoh, puzzles, board game, drawing, coloring, or anything else I find! Winter: above if too cold. Otherwise outdoor play. @11:30 Lunch and free play. Music in the background @12:30 -Optimus- Science/History&Geography. We work on this during this quite time. We use this quite time to check my son's email and respond to that. After we finish with this, then it is on to reading aloud. He may only read until the littles get up. This would be reading for less than 20 minutes because we love us some Science/History! -Iron Man and Tink- NAP!!!! If for some reason I have a non-sleeper that day, then they must sit quitely in bed "reading". They are not allowed to have toys! @2:30 Snack & Play summer: pool and swinging winter: outdoor play @4 -All- Signing Time video or signing review without video @4:30 -All- Total cleanup of all toys/books/etc. Every room must be picked up. Then it is free play. Music again is on until the end of day. @5:30 -Iron Man- leaves with his Mom -Tink and Optimus- eat dinner, play, shower, brush teeth, and READ to the kids. I read chapter books to them while they lay on me or play on the bed next to me. This is the time that they may watch a video or play a video or computer game. @8:30 -All- bedtime for kids. "Alone" time for me and hubby. take care and happy homeschooling Michele www.homeschoolblogger.com/mom2thebest www.thehomeschoollounge.com/mom2thebest |
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I am participating in this contest. So many prizes and a great opportunity to see what everyone else is up to! ![]("http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu74/THL_photos/homeschoolbutton1.jpg"/) |
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Posted in Planning
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Week 2 Lessons First Language Lessons lessons 105-108 Writing with Ease week 30 Poetry Caterpillars I'm expecting you! Corres. Grandma: writing and sending email Literature The Fisherman and his Wife Read-Aloud (me) The Trumpet of the Swan Read-Aloud (Optimus) Dick and Jane choice Science finish Honeybees History/Geography finish Arizona Usborne pg 24-41 Art finish Paul Cezanne Music piano lesson finish Claude Debussy Math Math-U-See, lessons 12-15 ASL review Signing Time Vol 11 Activities Mon: trip to Zoo. Tue: possible Jury Duty for me. If no jury duty, then park day. Thurs: piano lesson. Sat: dinner party for kids. |
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Posted in Planning
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I have decided to TRY to blog my weekly to do for homeschooling. I'll list the work we need to accomplish and the activities we will be attending. My hope is that someone may be able to see that you can get a lot of homeschooling done in a relativly short period of time. I might even be able to log down the minutes I spend for each subject. We will see. I homeschool year-round in Arizona. After a two week break we are back to lessons. This is week 1 of 1st grade for my son, Optimus. I have a 4yr old princess, Tink and am currently providing daycare for a 3yr old boy. July 06-July 10 First Language Lessons Lessons 101-104 Writing with Ease Week 29 Poetry read Bed in Summer and Buffalo Dusk Correspondence write letter to cousin #2 Read-Aloud (by me) lots of picture books, finish last story in My Father's Dragon collection, stories: The Blind Men and The Elephant Read-Aloud (by Optimus) Honeybees Dick and Jane History Usborne history pages 24-41 (read through for review) work on Arizona lapbook. Science What Your First Grader Needs to Know - read pages 304-314 work on Honeybees lapbook. ASL Signing Time Vol. 11 and review Math Math-U-See Alpha lesson 9. Art Paul Cezanne Music Claude Debussy regular rotation of classical music and audio stories piano lesson Mon: We didn't get to lessons today, because Dad was home and threw a monkey wrench into my system. Had fun swimming and goofing off. Tue: Double lessons for some subjects due to yesterday. Storytime at Tohono Chul Park. Wed: Storytime at fire department. Trip to library for kid's reading rewards. Thurs: Piano lesson Bee craft project. Fri: no outside activities planned. Okay, that is the week's to do. I will try to post two weeks at a time. Thanks for reading and happy homeschooling ! Michele |
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Posted in Planning
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Good Afternoon! I was enjoying the early morning just before dawn, thinking about everything and nothing, when the sun rose. You can tell when dawn breaks at our house by the persistant chirping of about 50-60 sparrows welcoming the sun. They all seem to start at once, forcing me from the yard for fear of going deaf!
I retreated into the house to sweet silence. Ahhh. So nice.
I didn't really know what to do with myself, so I took the opportunity to look through the Arizona State Education Standards for 1st grade. You know, just a little light reading before the kids wake up and the day really begins. 152 pages later, I can tell you I am a bit shocked by some of the "standards". Going through them reinforced my reasons for homeschooling in the first place. I had a pad of paper for notes (making the mistake last time of printing the Kindergarten standards thinking I would actually need that kind of a checklist). As I came to the last page my list was 5 topics long. 5, yes only 5. This meant that Optimus was already proficient in all but 5 topics. Thankfully if I ever have to throw him into school, I won't need to worry about where he will place. PS would at this point be remedial for him. I did not count about 10 of the standards as they were really bizarre to even contemplate teaching to a 1st grader. Most, if not all, of these standards had to do with visual arts. I just don't believe that a 1st grader should have to be familiar with production of stage plays in the detail the "standards" were suggesting. My husband was really pleased with the fact that I even cared what the standards were. It is very reassuring to him (not fully on the homeschool wagon) that our kids are above PSer's.
Does anyone else use state standards? If so, I would be happy to know your thoughts on them and how you use them. -Happy Homeschooling Michele |
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Posted in Curricula (by grade)
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1st grade starts at the end of the month in our house. I have almost all of my resources! I love getting the new books and going through them to plan. Anyway, here's Optimus' IHIP. 1st Grade for Optimus General Resources What Your 1st Grader Needs to Know (Hirsh, E.D. Delta Books) What your 2nd Grader Needs to Know (Hirsh, E.D. Delta Books) Arizona State Educational Standards, 1st Grade English Language resources Second and third leveled books The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists (Fry, Edward. Jossey-Bass, 2006) Phonics Workbook & CDROM, Grades 1-3 (School Zone Publishing, 2007) The Read-Aloud Handbook (Trelease, Jim. Penguin Books, 2001) Writing with Ease: Writing Fundamentals (Wise, Jessie. Peace Hill Press, 2008) First Language Lessons, Levels 1&2 (Wise, Jessie. Peace Hill Press, 2003) First Language Lessons, Level 3 (Wise, Jessie. Peace Hill Press) Math resources Math-U-See, Alpha Student Workbook (Demme, Steven P., 2004) Math-U-See, Beta Student Workbook (Demme, Steven P.) Challenging Word Problems, 1 (Singapore Math) History & Geography resources What Your 1st Grader Needs to Know (Hirsh, E.D., Delta Books) What Your 2nd Grader Needs to Know (Hirsh, E.D., Delta Books) The New Children's Illustrated Atlas of the World (Lye, Keith. Running Press Kids) Story of the World: Ancient Times, Book 1 (Bauer, Susan Wise. Peace Hill Press 2002) Story of the World: Ancient Times, Book 1: Activity Book (Bauer, Susan Wise. Peace Hill Press 2002) D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths (D'Aulaires, Ingri and Edgar Parin. Bantam Doubleday, 1962) The Usbourne Book of World History (Usbourne Publishing, 1985) Where in the U.S.A. is Carmen Sandiego? CDROM Science resources What Your 1st Grader Needs to Know (Hirsh, E.D., Delta Books) What Your 2nd Grader Needs to Know (Hirsh, E.D., Delta Books) The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia (Taylor, Charles. Kingfisher, 2006) Physical Education and Health Weekly P.E. class with instructor Participation in seasonal sports Technology Keyboarding, digital photography introduction to email (sending, writing, and reading) Music Weekly piano lessons with instructor Visual Arts resources Artistic Pursuits, Grades K-3 Book 1: An Introduction to Visual Arts (Ellis, Brenda. Artisticpursuits.com) Foreign Language resources Signing Time, Volumes 9-? (Two Little Hands Productions, 2002) Talking with Your Hands, Listening with Your Eyes: Complete Photographic Guide to ASL (Grayson, Gabriel. Square One Publishers, 2003) If you have any questions or comments, I'd like to hear from you! Happy Homeschooling Michele |
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Posted in Planning
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We have completed our first "official" year of homeschooling! This year has been a learning experience. I have had many ups and downs, curriculum changes, and adjustments. I think the year was successful overall and am so pleased with Optimus' progress. We are homeschooling year-round. I am taking two weeks off to get together Optimus' portfolio and plan for 1st grade. Arizona does not require a portfolio (or anything else), but I wanted to have one for him. I took a look at a few other blogs about this subject and came up with one that I am happy with. This is what I put in it: Individualized Home Instruction Plan - Kindergarten End of the Year Assessment - Kindergarten List of Topics/Materials covered List of the books Optimus read List of family read alouds Optimus listened to Schonell Reading Test results (this is a free test I found online) Examples of work from all subjects If you would like more details, just email me. Happy Homeschooling! Michele
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Posted in Ah, the Simple Life!
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Sonoran Desert Museum My "TK"and I went to the Sonoran Desert Museum for our 8th anniversary. We didn't take the kids and we both felt a bit guilty during the day because of that. We hardly ever get to go out together without the children, so this was a nice change.
I don't know what the draw is, but my husband seems to take more pictures of lizards and squirels than anyone else I know. I walked right under this lizard. He was hanging upside down on the tree right above the walkway. TK almost touched him, but at the last minute the lizard scurried away. They are fast!
All of the animals were out and enjoying the cooler early morning temperatures. They were also waiting for the chuck wagon. We were able to see some of the snakes get their morning meals. That was interesting.
Rattlesnake. When the keeper fed the rattlesnakes, he moved the snakes back with a hook. Then the keeper used a gripper stick to mimic life in the dead mouse being offered. The boa grabbed the mouse and tangled it in the snake's coils. The rattlesnakes struck the mouse once and the keeper let the mouse fall to the floor. The rattlesnake bite paralizes small animals, so the snake can eat at their leisure. Very interesting. This was a great trip. I would say that anyone between 3-103 that is mobile should go there. HOMESCHOOLING NOTE: Thier website has printouts about the desert and the animals that call it home. Check out the kids section or the educators section. I will leave you today with some pictures of cactus flowers. Take care -Michele
Nightblooming Cirrus?
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Mexican Grey Wolves. 
Posted in Ah, the Simple Life!
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My son, "Optimus", just turned six and is now old enough to take part in Arizona's Junior Ranger program. Basically, the kids have to fill out an activity, take an oath to protect the park and they receive a Junior Ranger button. We started with Catalina State Park, which is located on the north side of Tucson, Arizona. We went on the Romero Canyon trail to Montrose Pools. We had an early start, so there were very few people. The hike was a little over a mile, but it was a bit strenuous. On the way in we saw a turkey walking alongside the road. Romero Canyon has the ruins of the Romero homestead ( the family that owned the area after the Hohokolms left). It also has the remains of mud walls built by the Hohokolm people.
This was taken when we got to the bottom of the canyon. The pools are a bit low right now. I was so proud of the kids for hiking all the way. Some complaints from "Tink", but overall she surprised me.
The night before we left, Optimus and I, packed his backpack. In it we put snacks, sunscreen, hat, a small medical kit (complete with transformer band-aides) and a journal. After we had our snacks and enjoyed the area for a bit, Optimus opened the journal. He was very careful about what he wrote. He spent about ten minutes drawing the opposite bank and rocks.
This is a look up the pools. It is so beautiful. I spent some time watching a lizard catch and eat a moth. My husband had taken the kids up stream to explore. By the end of the hike we counted 6 golden retrievers! Odd. We had a wonderful time and Optimus was so excited to get his button. The ranger gave him a poster with photos of all the buttons on it. Optimus wants to collect them all. I asked him to count how many there were. There are 27 state parks in Arizona. We should be able to manage that right? Take care, Michele |
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Posted in Lesson Plans
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Homeschool Lesson Plan Introduction to MesoAmerica by Michele Dial www.homeschoolblogger.com/mom2thebest Inspiration from:
http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/12k_Maya_Inca.pdf http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/05_1_MayaAztecInca.pdf http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/02_1_TravelMesoam.pdf Media used: The everyday life of the Aztec & Maya : an expert account of the great Central American civilizations with over 200 magnificent photographs and illustrations, and 30 maps, plans and drawings / Charles Phillips ; consultant, David M. Jones. The illustrated encyclopedia of Aztec & Maya : the history, legend, myth and culture of the ancient native peoples of Mexico and Central America / Charles Phillips ; consultant, David M. Jones. Miro in the kingdom of the sun / Jane Kurtz Aztec, Inca & Zapotec (DVD) SWR Media Inca mummies: sacrifices and rituals / Michael Martin The boy who wouldn’t obey: a Mayan legend / Anne Rockwell The bravest flute: a story of courage in the Mayan tradition / Ann Grifalconi (nice picture book of "modern" Mayan villiage) The sad night: the story of an Aztec victory and a Spanish loss / Sally ? (very long picture book. Good for older students. I will only be using the last few pages for my youngins!) The lost temple of the Aztecs: what it was like when the Spaniards invaded Mexico / Shelley Tana (very interesting) What your first grader needs to know: fundamentals of a good first-grade education / edited by E.D. Hirsch jr. Before you start!
http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/05_1_MayaAztecInca.pdf 1/ print pg. 44this is a test for the three major civilizations. It will give you a direction for your teaching. You can give your child the test at the end or use it for review. 2/ a timeline. Your child will need one to help with understanding that these civilizations were not active at the same time. It would be helpful for them to add Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt from prior lessons. You can find one here This site will help to fill it out 3/ Maps. Print maps that are suitable for your child’s age. Blank maps are fine for older children, but younger ones may need something more like these: Mayan map or Map of Mexico Lesson 1: Where In the World? 1/ This lesson is just to orient your child with where in the world Mexico and Central America are. Show them pages from an atlas, wall map, or globe. 2/ Let your child label and/or color in a map. Allow them to label the areas being discussed each lesson. lapbook map 3/ You may also want to discuss that there were most likely other exploreres that "found" the New World first. You can use this to help: discoverers
Lesson 2: The Olmec (1400BC to about 400 BC)
Olmec history notes: One of the earliest people in Mexico. They grew maize, sculpted in jade and made giant size heads. La Venta was the most important center. Olmec means rubber people, for the rubber trees in the area. They had an early script and calendars. They built temples on platforms and had pole thatch dwellings on top of earth mounds. They ate corn, fish and turtles. The first known great empire builders of North America. They made life-size sculptures of babies. These could have been made to represent gods or royal children. They built large ball courts. They made rubber soles for shoes and rubber bottles for holding water and balls. They had a 16 story mound in San Lorenzo city center. The Toltec's were considered by the many to be the originaters of Mayan beliefs. You can learn more here. You can also print any of the images: Olmec history 1 or Olmec Lesson 3: Mayan Civilization (2000 BC - 900 AD) Mayan history notes: The Maya were the first to record history in books. Tikal was the strongest most long lasting city. The view from the top of Temple IV at Tikal was the backdrop for the Massassi Temples in the movie Star Wars. The Maya invented one of the world’s most accurate counting systems. 615-683 A.D. Pacal was crowned King at the age of 12. He was buried at the "Temple of Inscriptions". May have been the first to use chocolate. Pacal’s son, Kan Bahlam, took over as king at the age of 48 years old and reigned from 684-702 A.D. The Maya had a complete number system, 800 years before the Europeans. They built aquaducts underground for all the water to be diverted out of the city. They had running water. Mayan crops ceased to grow so they left their beautiful cities. Caracol was a temple for astrology. They tracked the travels of Venus and had a very accurate calendar. 90% of the population was killed by small pox after the Spanish invasion. They made their home in an unstable and unpredictable physical environment. They endured drought, hurricanes, violent storms, jaguars, and the Earth Monster (earthquakes). Spanish priests burned probably thousands of Mayan books. A few Catholic priests were able to rescue only four books. These are the only ones that exist today. The Mayan language wasn’t deciphered until the 1950's. The earliest known Mayan city was Uaxactun dating back to 328 A.D. The bigger Mayan cities were religious and political centers. Many of these cities were famous for their pyramids. Most of the Maya people lived in small villages and went to the bigger cities only to worship. It is believed that over farming helped cause the fall of the Mayan people. War, famine and changes in the climate added to their fall, and by 889, the Mayan cities lay in ruins. 1/ Print pg. 25 of this cute song about the three main civilizations. 2/ vocab: Peninsula-a large piece of land that juts out into water and is nearly surrounded by water, Maya-one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world. It consisted of two hundred cities in southern Mexico, Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador. The Maya wrote using glyphs, Stele—large stone slabs that were carved with Mayan symbols usually recording a special event or date 3/ Chichen Itza Chichen_Itza 4/ Pyramids (cenote) what is their purpose Tell the students that they Maya built these great pyramids to worship their gods. The top of the pyramid had a temple on it. how were they built? Build a step pyramids from legos or blocks. 5/ Maya language and number system What was the importance of writing? Draw name. Solve the glyph. Print out pg. 21 of this for a copy of Mayan Cartouche pendants. the Maya picture symbols recorded customs, rituals and literature. The priests, rulers and scribes knew what these symbols meant. The Mayan people recorded information on flat stone slabs called steles. They would carve the symbols into the slab using stone tools. The Mayan people also wrote in books made out of fig-tree book. To strengthen these books, they would coat them with gum resin. When the writing was complete, the strips were folded like a fan and enclosed between two wooden or leather covers. 5/ Mayan classes. Print pg. 29 and 30 of this Mayan jobs chart. vocab: ruling class—people who make the rules/laws of the land, scribes—people who know how to write, priests—a person who performs religious rites, craftsman—a person who practices a skilled trade Mayan children had to work in the fields or help around the house. Only the noble and priest’s children went to school, so the other children were taught at home. Mayan image coloring page jaguar mask Print this out on cardstock and have your child decorate it.
Lesson 3: the Toltec (900 AD-1100 AD) Toltec history notes: The Toltec were a warrior society in the Valley of Mexico after the fall of Teotihuacan. Their capital city was Tollan (or Tula). They were masters of architecture and arts. They were influenced by Teotihuacan and the Olmec culture. The Toltec's were advanced in smelting metals and stonework. They had a polytheistic religion centering on Quetzalcoatl. They practiced human sacrifice and sun worship. The Chichimec people over-ran the city of Tula and ended the Toltec empire. You can learn more here: Toltec
Lesson 4: Aztec Civilization (1325 AD - 1521 AD) Aztec history notes: Warriors were the elite in Aztec Society. The Jaguar and Eagle Warriors were the most powerful. In 1325 the city of Tenochitlan (now Mexico City) was founded on an island in Lake Texcoco. They were a wandering people until Tenochtitlan. Their first priest-king was Tenoch. Slowly the city grew to over 250,000. "The legend of Tenochtitlan" They had a calendar of 365 days and 18 months. In 1455 a huge temple was built for the war god, Huitzilopochtli, in Tenochtitlan. Sometimes as many as 20,000 sacrifices a day after a war. Herman Cortez came to the city in 1519 with only 500 men. King Moctezuma treated his visitors royally. He was betrayed by Cortez who had hundreds of Aztec royalty killed. A year later the Aztecs led a revolt. Many Spanish were killed, but after Moctezuma’s death, Tenochtitlan was destroyed and Cortez because govenor of Mexico. The Aztec (or Mexica) Plaza housed one of the world’s largest markets. Tens of thousands of people would come for it. Priests served as astronomers and made human sacrifices to their gods atop the Great Pyramid. They demanded tributes from the Spanish used this to gain local support for invasion. In 1428 the Aztec Alliance is formed by the Aztecs joining with Texcoco and Tlacopan. Two powerful potential foes. Under Moctezuma I and II they conquered tribes and expanded into Central America. With 200,000 allies he took Tenochtitlan from 11 million Aztecs. Tenochtitlan had ziggurats like Mesopotamia. 1/ vocab: Moctezuma (coloring page: http://www.edupics.com/en-coloring-pictures-pages-photo-montezuma-i3162.html ) -was the ruler of the Aztec when it was conquered by the Spanish, Tenochtitlan-great city that was located on an island where Mexico City is today, Island-a piece of land smaller than a continent that is completely surrounded by water, Aztecs-people who once ruled a great empire in Mexico, Causeway-raised roads across water *Here are some cute Aztec puppets: puppet 1 puppet 2 2/ Warriors pg. 36 of this has directions for a warrior headdress. They captured three prisoners alive, and kept them for slaves or used them as sacrifices to their gods. Remind the students that a warrior needed to capture three prisoners to become a "full warrior". Once he was a full warrior, he was rewarded with land, special names and important jobs. He also got to wear a special feathered headdress. 2/ Tenochitilan Tenochtitlan draw/paint the eagle sitting on the cactus eating a snakes, they can draw/paint the legend after the format in The Sad Night book, http://www.homeschoolshare.com/docs54367/FLAGS/mexico.pdf 3/ Aztec language (codex) Draw name on same page as Mayan (and later Incan). compare these. Aztec coloring page: http://www.edupics.com/en-coloring-pictures-pages-photo-aztec-i11008.html 4/ Aztec beliefs and calendar http://www.homeschoolshare.com/docs54367/abuelamc.pdf Explain that the Aztec usually used two types of drums. The drums would keep a beat while the dancers performed. They also made rattles to play along with the drums. The dancers would tie stands of bone, shells and bells to their clothes, which would add to the beat of the music. Coloring page of Aztec marketplace: http://www.edupics.com/en-coloring-pictures-pages-photo-market-place-i3160.html The Aztecs worshiped Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent, ( http://darkcavernsonline.com/caves/images/Quetzalcoatl_1.jpg ) and depicted him with a headdress of quetzal feathers. The Mayans considered the male's tail feathers worth more than gold, and hunting the sacred bird was a capital crime. Quetzal plumes were the Mayans' most precious objects, along with jade. Archaeologists believe that only Mayan priests and nobility could wear quetzal plumes, as a symbol of authority. Really nice picture of the Aztec calendar: http://www.azteccalendar.com/images/aztec_calendar.jpg Lesson 5: Incan Civilization (@ 1100 AD- 1572 AD) Incan history notes: Originated in Andean Highlands great power in mid-1400's under Pachacuti (He who Transformes the Earth). By 1500 the empire had reached what is now Ecuador to central Chile. They had paved highways with inns at regular internals for traders or officials. They did not have a written language, but kept records by trying knots in string called Quipus. In 1470 the Incas conquered the Chimu state of Peru. The Incas were impressed with Chimu’s advancements in agriculture, engineering, politica organization and irrigation systems that they adopted much of this knowledge into their culture. Incas call gold the "sweat of the sun" and silver "tears of the moon". In 1531, Francisco Pizarro was able to conquer the Incan empire with only 168 men. Over half of the Incan population had been killed by small pox. Incas controlled most of South America west of the Andes and had about 8 million people. News traveled by relay runners. People needed government approval to marry. They had very strict rules. In the 1100's sculptures were made of warrior chiefs. Cuzco was the Incan capital. 1400's Incan’s began to use llamas. Machu Picchu was built in the mid 15th century above the Urubamba. Pachacuti's son, Topa Inca, expanded into Bolivia and northern Chile. His successor gained control of Ecuador. Potatoes were a large part of the diet. Emperor Hyayna Capac, died in 1525. His sons faught and in 1532, Atahualpa took over. On the way to his coronation in Cuzco, Pizarro ambushed the entire company. Atahualpa was spared because he paid a huge ranson to the Spanish. He took them to a room filled with gold and silver. The Spanish then killed him. The last Incan stronghold was found and beaten in 1572. Having spent 35 years in the mountains raiding the Spanish. The Incan empire came to an end. More here : Inca 1/ Geography: http://coe.fgcu.edu/students/webb/meso/inca.htm Introduce the location of the Incan Empire using a large map of the world. Explain that the empire stretched along the Pacific coast of South America. Point to all of the countries included in the empire, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and parts of Chile. Explain that the Inca built great cities high in the Andes Mountains and farmed in the valleys between the mountains and Pacific coast. The capital city was called Cuzco. Point out Cuzco. 2/ vocabulary: Incas- group of people who ruled an empire in western South America and built cities high in the Andes. Incas did not have a written language. Andes- a mountain range along the western coast of South America, on the Pacific Ocean, Cuzco-ancient capital of Peru, Machu Picchu-lost Mayan city high in the Andes 3/ Machu Picchu http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo/Peru/machupicchu.htm http://www.edupics.com/en-coloring-pictures-pages-photo-machu-picchu-2-i6964.html Inca also built buildings out of rock and stone. The Inca built an amazing city called Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was a city built on a mountainside. It was surrounded by a moat and was protected by a double stone wall with a wooden gate. (Show a picture if you can find one.) In the city were temples, a palace, homes, a prison and storage buildings. Water was brought into the city by canals and channeled to individual homes. The walls still stand today, because the Inca builders cut the stones into blocks and matched up so carefully they did not need mortar! The spaces between the stones were so small to even slip a piece of paper in there. 4/ Incan culture Discuss the legend of how the Inca begin. This is a paraphrased version condensed from various sources: "When the earth was new all the people lived in little holes inside the earth. These holes were called paqarinas. The Inca paqarina was located in southern Peru and had three caves. One day Manco Capac walked out of the middle cave. Manco Capac’s Father, was the Sun and his mother was the Moon. Three of Manco Capac’s brothers and four of his sisters followed him out of the cave. Soon ten groups of people came out of the other two caves. All of these people were looking for some fertile land to farm. The Sun gave Manco Capac a golden rod and said, "Throw this golden rod to the ground and when the Earth swallows the rod then you will know that you have found the place to build your city." The rod disappeared into the ground in Cuzco, and Manco Capac founded the Incan capital of Cuzcomeans "the bellybutton of the world". Later in the very place where the Earth had swallowed up the golden rod a beautiful temple was built to honor the Sun. Inca also believed that after they died, they would live in another world. Therefore, they were also buried with many of the things they would need in their next life. Use freely but please do not take this to sell! |
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The Human Body
by Michele Dial www.homeschoolblogger.com/mom2thebest
This lesson plan was inspired from these sources:
http://www.ckcolorado.org/units/1st_grade/1_OurSystematicBody.pdf (use some of the appendixes)
Books:
Magic School Bus (dvd) Inside the Body
Inside Your Outside! All about the Human Body by Tish Rabe
Scholastic My First Discovery: The Human Body
Janice VanCleave's Play and Find Out about the Human Body
The Quest to Digest by Mary K. Corcoran
**Before you start you may want to print these out and fill them in as you go. Or use the labeled one for younger students to show the areas you are discussing that day.
You could use this game throughout as well:
Lesson 1: Skeletal System
1/ vocab: Skeleton - the supporting frame of the human body, Backbone (spine) - a set of bones protecting the spinal cord, Spinal cord - a long bundle of nerves located in the backbone, Tarsal Bones - one of the seven short bones in the ankle, Fibula - one of the bones of the lower leg (the fibula is the smaller of the two bones), Tibia - one of the two bones of the lower leg (the tibia is the larger of the two and is also known as the shinbone), Patella - also known as the kneecap, it is a small bone which is positioned over the knee joint, Femur - the long bone in the thigh and the longest bone in the human body, Pelvis - a basin-shaped structure that helps support the top of the body, made up of the two hip bones, Ribs - one of twelve pairs of bones that curve around from the backbone to the chest (together they form a bony cage that protects the heart and lungs), Sternum - also called the breastbone, the sternum is a flat bone at the front of the chest to which most of the ribs are attached, Carpal Bone - one of the eight small bones in the wrist, Ulna - one of the two bones of the lower arm (the ulna is the longer of the two and lies on the outside of the arm), Radius - one of the two lower arm bones (the radius is the shorter of the two and lies on the inside of the arm), Humerus - the long bone in the upper part of the arm (it extends from the shoulder to the elbow), Cranium - the top of the skull, the cranium is made up of eight bones that protect the brain, Cartilage - a tough elastic tissue forming parts of the skeleton, System - the body, or a number of bodily organs, functioning as a unit.
2/ Name those Bones! Complete a bone identification book. You can use the Scholastic book for identifing the bones. http://www.homeschoolshare.com/docs54367/body/bones.pdf 3/ How Many bones are in the body? Inside Your Outside book pg. 14-21 http://www.homeschoolshare.com/docs54367/body/how_many_bones.pdf 4/ Print out a life size skeleton. You can print either an adult or child size one. Click on the site then under "Resources" (left side) click Teacher Resources. Choose and print the skeleton. I will probably use this printout like a puzzle. We will most likely also label all of the major bones. http://www.eskeletons.org/ 5/ This website has a online skeleton building game http://sv.berkeley.edu/showcase/pages/bones.html 6/ Experiments from Janice VanCleave: pg. 42 Taller in the Morning. If you can't get a hold of this title Janice VanCleave has tons of science books for younger and older kids. Her books are fabulous so check them out! 7/ How are skeletons the same? This printable shows a frog skeleton and a human one. It helps to show the differences and similarities between skeletons. http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/reproducibles/skeletons.htm Lesson 2: Muscular System 1/ Vocab: Involuntary Muscles - muscles that are independent of conscious control, Voluntary Muscles - muscles directed to move by conscious control, Skeletal Muscles - muscles that move your bones, Smooth Muscles - muscles that move your organs and vessels, Cardiac Muscles - muscles that make your heart beat, contract- to tighten; a muscle becomes shorter when it contracts; this causes part of the body to move, exercise- activity that keeps people fit and healthy; exercise uses muscles and makes them stronger, healthy- fit and well; healthy muscles are strong, heart- a body part that is inside the chest; the heart pumps blood through the body; the heart is a muscle that works all the time, muscle- a body part that produces movement, pump- to force a liquid or gas from one place to another, relax- to loosen; a muscle becomes longer when it relaxes. 2/crossword puzzle http://sciencespot.net/Media/hlthskelmuscpuzz.pdf 3/ You can use this site to explore muscles. http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/pg000123.html 4/ This printable will help to see muscles. Use the Scholastic book for the transparency of muscles on the body. http://www.learningtreasures.com/suite101/science/biology_003.jpg 5/ Coloring page of the heart. http://www.edupics.com/en-coloring-pictures-pages-photo-heart-i3635.html 6/ Read: Inside Your Outside pg. 28-29. Watch Magic School Bus: Flexes Its Muscles.
Lesson 3: Circulatory System 1/Vocab: Oxygen - gas in our air that we need to breathe in order to live, Circulating - means going round and round, Heartbeat - the regular contractions of the heart muscle, aorta- the biggest artery in the body; the aorta carries blood away from the heart. artery- a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to every part of the body; blood in arteries carry oxygen. blood- the red liquid pumped through the body by the heart; an adult has about 1.5 gallons of blood. blood vessels- tubes that carries blood around the body. heart- a body part inside the chest; the heart pumps blood all the time. lungs- the body part that takes air into and out of the body. veins- blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart from everywhere in the body; blood in veins does not carry oxygen. 2/ Use this heart coloring page that your child has already colored to discuss the heart's role in our body. http://www.edupics.com/en-coloring-pictures-pages-photo-heart-i3635.html 3/ This printable will tell you the basics of the circulatory system. http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1168372079321About%20the%20Circ%20System.pdf 4/ This printable is also about the heart. http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1168372455304About%20the%20Heart.pdf 5/ experiments: pg. 60-67 Janice VanCleave. Listening to your heart, How much blood do you have in your body? 6/ Read: Inside Your Outside pg. 30-33 Watch: Magic School Bus: Inside Ralphie
Lesson 4: Digestive System 1/ Vocab: Digest - to convert food into forms that can be absorbed by the body, enzyme- a substance that helps break down food. Saliva- the clear liquid in the mouth; an enzyme in saliva begins to break down food. esophagus- the tube that caries food from the mouth to the stomach; muscles in the esophagus push food into the stomach. stomach- the place where chewed food is broken down: the stomach uses gastric juices to digest food; gastric juices are made of water, acid and enzymes. small intestines- long tubes between the stomach and the large intestine; the small intestine is coiled to fit in the body; digested food in the small intestine passes into the bloodstream. large intestine- a tube that is the last part on the digestive system; the large intestines push solid waste out of the body. 2/ Read: Inside Your Outside pg.36-39. The Quest to Digest 3/ Watch Magic School Bus : For Lunch. 4/ This is a very nice labeled printout of the digestive system. There are many on this site, so have a look. http://www.edupics.com/en-coloring-pictures-pages-photo-digestive-system-i7893.html 5/ Nice explanation of the digestive system. http://www.slimgoodbody.com/teacher_resources/click/break-down-that-food--digestion-steps/ Lesson 5: The Nervous System 1/ Vocab: Nervous System - the collective name for the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, brain- the body part in the head that controls the body; the brain helps people move, think and feel; it controls breathing and the heartbeat. nerve- a think bundle of fibers that send signals; the signals go from one part of the body to another. signal- a message; nerves carry signals to and from the brain to the spinal cord. spinal cord- a long thick cord of nerve tissue; the spinal cord starts at the brain and goes down the back; the spinal cord carries signals between the brain and other parts of the body; the spine protects the spinal cord. 2/ Read: Inside Your Outside pg. 10-13 3/ Cool game about the parts of the brain. http://www.ellenjmchenry.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/ectomy.pdf 3/ Funny brain and nervous system songs http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/songs.html 4/ This can be a coloring page or use it for labeling. http://www.edupics.com/en-coloring-pictures-pages-photo-brain-i9487.html Lesson 6: Respiratory System 1/ experiments: Janice VanCleave pg. 70-86, Lung expansion, how much breath do i have?, How do I talk? 3/ funny looking booklet on the heart and lungs. Printout what you like. http://www.lung.ca/children/pdfs/grades1_3_training_booklet_1.pdf 4/ Check out this website with info about this system. http://yucky.discovery.com/noflash/body/pg000138.html *As always use this for yourself and please DON'T sell it! |
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SEE DECISION DOWN AT BOTTOM! Okay, I am giving myself a headache with trying to decide on Opitmus' math curriculum. Up until this point (grade 1), I have used Singapore math. I was happy with it in K, but so far I haven't really been pleased with the grade 1 material. The books are CHEAP which was great, but now I am thinking that I should just spend more money for the "better" programs. Horizons math is supposed to be great for K-3. Has lots of pictures, manipulatives (that you can make or use what's on hand), and handy teachers guides. The problem from the reviews I have read seems to be that when you get past 3rd grade the teachers manuals don't do enough to help the parent teach. I am confident I can teach elementary math, but sometimes I need advice or teaching techniques to change my "language" into something my child can easily understand. The upper grades supposedly move really fast too. Horizons is @ $65.00 a year On to Saxon! My son does not like tons of repetition. The K-3 math program is (again from reviews I have read) filled with tedious review. However, people seem to really like the Saxon math from 5/4 on. Saxon math is also supposed to be slower and not as "advanced" as the upper Horizons math. Saxon is @ $70.00 a year So, I guess I will be buying the Horizons math through grade 3 and then switching to Saxon for 5/4 and above. I guess I could add the Singapore Challenging Word Problems and Extra Practice books for good measure. Is there anyone else out there that has structured their math program like this? How did you succeed? Any helpful advice/comments would be greatly appreciated. Happy Homeschooling Michele 09/02/2009 UPDATE: After looking over so many math programs, I decided on Math-U-See. I am soooooo glad that I chose this! My 1st grader loves it with the DVD for the lesson. The teacher's manual is actually very helpful and easy to use. The program has a website to generate worksheets www.mathusee.com I absolutely say give this a try!
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When I have more time I will edit this. We are into first grade now and it's hard to find time to go back. I used the What Your Kindergartner Needs To Know book by Hirsch and spread out the contents for these sections: You can find more information about the lesson plans here www.coreknowledge.org Jan. *means out of order **means my notes ***means there is a lesson plan on either Baltimore, CK, or Colorado site Feb. Mar. Apr. M: **cultural music from S. American and Australian cultures May Jun: Domitila adapted by Jewell Reinhart Coburn (Mexico) Jul. Aug. HG: Pilgrams in the New World p.141 Sep. Oct.
Nov. Dec.
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Here is my lesson plan for Mesopotamia. I was inspired by http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/02_1_MysteryMeso.pdf and resources found here http://www.42explore2.com/mesopot.htm As always, these lesson plans are free to use, but NOT for profit. -Michele Dial www.homeschoolblogger.com/mom2thebest Mesopotamia: The Cradle of Civilization Lesson 1 1/ Vocab: civilization - it is the stage of cultural development at which writing and keeping of written records is attained, order - it is the rule of law or proper authority, chaos - it is the state of utter confusion, Tigris & Euphrates Rivers - rivers begin in easter Turkey, flow in a southeast direction, converge in southeast Iraq and empty into the Persian Gulf, Mesopotamia - it means land between two rivers. Mesopotamia is the site of the world's first civilization, Sumer, fertile - it means productive, Fertile Cresent - it is an area of land that is fertile because of the irrigation developed by ancient farmers using the Tigris and Euphrates River and crescent because the land area is shaped like an upside down horseshoe. 2/ Discuss chaos and order. You can do this exercise with just you and your child, but you must participate. It's nice to let brothers and sisters in on this one. Have your child(ren) run around in any direction (the crazier the better), tell them there are no rules. Challenge them to think of how a world would be with no rules. People could hurt each other, cut in front of others, take things without asking, etc. Then call them to stand still, walk in a line. Challenge them to think about our world with it's rules. On a piece of paper draw a line down the middle. Order on one side and chaos on the other. Let your child describe what they like/dislike about each. 3/ Map work: With a map of Mesopotamia and the fertile crescent have your child find the locations of the Tigres and Euphrates rivers. Let them trace or draw them in with colored markers. 4/ Read: Eyewitness Mesopotamia by Steele Lesson 2 1/Vocab: resource - it is a source of supply or support: an available means, irrigation - it is a way of watering crops by using a system of canals. By devising such an irrigation system, the Ancient Sumerians were able to establish a permanent civilization. 2/Discuss resources: wool, spices, grain, fish, mud, copper, wood, and farming. Have your child draw a symbol for each of these on their map. 3/ Activity: assemble and finish an accordian flip book ( http://homeschoolshare.com/docs54367/minit%20book%20templates/accordion_ticket.pdf ) with Mesopotamian resources and information about each one. 4/ Read: Bible Lands by Tubb Lesson 3 1/ Vocab: cradle - it can be a place of origin, infancy, invention - it is a discovery, finding, or a product of the imagination. 2/ Discuss "firsts" by Mesopotamia. Technology, astronomy, electricity, the wheel, laws, and writing. 3/ Activity: Use a 3-tab book ( http://homeschoolshare.com/docs54367/minit%20book%20templates/tab_3.pdf ) to discribe each of Mesopotamia's "firsts". 4/ Read: Mesopotamia by Service Lesson 4 1/ Vocab: cunniform - it was the world's first writing system. It means wedge shaped, stylus - it is a wedge shaped instrument made out of reeds or wood, reed - it is any of various tall grasses with slender pointed stems, symbol - it is an arbitrary or conventional sign used in writing or printing, scribe - it is a person that writes. After graduating from a Sumerian school, a young man because a scribe or writer, cylinder seal - it is a cylinder shaped stone that have a continuous design cut into it, seal - it is a symbol or form acting as a signature or business transactions. 2/ Activity: Use a 3/4 book ( http://homeschoolshare.com/docs54367/minit%20book%20templates/3-4book_small.pdf )for drawing and translating a bit of cunniform. Visit http://www.upennmuseum.com/cuneiform.cgi so that your child might write their name in cuneiform. Lesson 5 1/ Vocab: Hammurabi - he was a warrior and strong king of Mesopotamia. He established many new reforms including the Code of Laws, code - it is a systematic statement of a body of law, rights - it is the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled, reform - it is to improve by change, Babylon - it was a cultural and political center for Mesopotamia, justice - it is the administration of law, law - it is a rule of conduct or action. 2/ Discuss the code of Hammurabi. visit here http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/hammurabi.htm 3/ Color the bust of Hammurabi. http://karenswhimsy.com/general-hannibal.shtm 4/Activity: LawCode crossword puzzle (page 16 on this page http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/02_1_MysteryMeso.pdf ) Lesson 6 1/ Vocab: ziggurat - it means "mountain of god". It was a temple located in the center of each city-state, gate of Ishtar - this was built by King Nebuchadnezzar in the city-state of Babylon. The Mesopotamians were the first to use the arch. The arch allowed doorways and roofs to hold more weight, Hanging Gardens - this was a series of terraced gardens kept lush and green by an elaborate irrigation system. The gardens did not really hang but were actually overhanging. The Hanging Gardens are still considered on of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 2/ Activity: Zigguart maze (page 17 on this page http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/02_1_MysteryMeso.pdf ) 3/ Read: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Woods 4/ Read: Pieter Bruegel's Tower of Babel by Jockel. Use a matchbook ( http://homeschoolshare.com/docs54367/minit%20book%20templates/matchbook.pdf ) to summerize the story. Lesson 7 1/ Read: Gilgamesh, the Hero by McGaughrean 2/ Activity: Draw a picture (summerize for older students) the story of Gilgamesh. 3/ For older students: review what they have learned by taking this quest http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/fellows/Weinshel/webquest/jrwindex.htm |
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