Spelling

The adapted plan for spelling, thanks to Marsha Johnson at waldorf home educators yahoo group:
Monday- I will present the words, one at a time, and let Avery try to orally spell them. We will also define words, looking in the dictionary for words we don't know.
Tuesday- He will write out each word 3 times
Wednesday- Quiz 1- write any misspelled words 3 times
Thursday- Quiz 2 (previously misspelled words)- write any misspelled words 3 times
Friday- Quiz 3 (previously misspelled words)
The spelling list for each week with definitions will go in a notebook, and old spelling words will pop up in quizzes here and there.
We will be using McGuffey's Eclectic Speller, with some words from our reading added in.

Weekly Schedule Template 4th Grade

I'm still having problems with formatting, but here's the blank template for our school days. In real life this is a full size sheet of paper, with space to write pages or tasks. This is the first year I'm not scheduling everything into 15 minute increments- I'm trying to be a little more mellow, and I plan to let Avery choose the order of at least some of his work.

My plan is to stack the books and supplies that each boy will need in their own baskets each night, so that in the morning we can just smoothly proceed without anyone having to run downstairs to find a book and end up getting lost somewhere on the way back up. Miles will have a basket too, with stories, craft supplies, games, his own projects to work on during school time.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
PUZZLER	PUZZLER	PUZZLER	PUZZLER	PUZZLER
ORAL READING	ORAL READING	ORAL READING	ORAL READING	ORAL READING
ORAL MATH	ORAL MATH	ORAL MATH	ORAL MATH	ORAL MATH
SPELLING	SPELLING	SPELLING	SPELLING	SPELLING
LIVELY LATIN	LIVELY LATIN	LIVELY LATIN	LIVELY LATIN	LIVELY LATIN
CURSIVE PRACTICE	CURSIVE PRACTICE	CURSIVE PRACTICE	CURSIVE PRACTICE	COPYWORK
GUITAR	GUITAR	GUITAR	GUITAR	GUITAR
MATH LAB	MATH LESSON	MATH LESSON	MATH LESSON	MATH LESSON
NATURE STORY & WALK	MAIN LESSON	MAIN LESSON	MAIN LESSON	ARTISTIC PURSUITS
NATURE JOURNAL		ANATOMY		LAB SCIENCE
GRAMMAR	GEOGRAPHY	CHARACTER STUDY	GEOGRAPHY	GRAMMAR
WRITING	WRITING	WRITING	WRITING	WRITING
FORM DRAWING	WATERCOLOR	HANDWORK	MODELING	HANDWORK
PHYSICAL EDUCATION	PHYSICAL EDUCATION	PHYSICAL EDUCATION	PHYSICAL EDUCATION	PHYSICAL EDUCATION
UNITED STATES HISTORY	UNITED STATES HISTORY	UNITED STATES HISTORY	UNITED STATES HISTORY	UNITED STATES HISTORY

Geography

Geography has always just been something I've integrated into our day- we have maps on the walls, a globe or three and atlases, we go on hikes and use compasses, we plot our trips, we've made maps of our street and looked up places we've heard and read about. We've made land and water forms out of play dough, we've climbed mountains and surveyed the land from on high.
But....
I've been feeling a need for a little more.
Next year we'll start with ancient civilizations, and I plan on working through historical maps of the world and the regions we study, but this year calls for an over view, something fun and light, some review of basic knowledge, and some interesting ways to use that knowledge.
So:
We will, of course, be locating the areas we learn about on the map. And we're going all over this year- First Peoples of North America, Vikings, Marco Polo, the New World Explorers, Manifest Destiny.
I also bought this cool book "Earthsearch" and Avery will work through that- it's a Klutz book, so it'll be fun and not too serious, but there's some good stuff in there about garbage and population, resource allotment, exploration, and the interconnectedness of humanity.
Here's the 36 week plan, with fingers sort of crossed that Avery really likes this book and goes ahead of schedule, stopping here and there to try out the suggested activities and games and make up his own:
1-2: review oceans and continents
review compass & map skills, plot journey, lead group hike
3: Earthsearch intro- page 6
4: 7-12 Lives of a Pop Can
5: 13-14 Garbage- make a chart with pictures of what is recyclable here, how long things take to break down, etc.
6: 15-21 Paper- set up a paper reduce-reuse-recycle program for our home
7: 22-23 Germs
8: 24-26 enlist others in creating a "dot map" of our own to study germ movements
9: 27-30 "lines" on the globe
10: 33-37 play "Get Lost" game
11: 38-41 make a tennis ball earth (round-flat distortion)
12: 43-46 make contour map of hand
13: 47-50 inclinometer
14: 51-54 earth's axis
15: 56-58 how did the earth get started?
16: 59-61 solar system model- outside
17: 62-64 earth's shell
18-19: review land & water forms
20: 65-67 earthquakes
21: 68-71 land formation
22: 72-75 land formation
23: 76 arable land-apple model
24: 77-79 human evolution
25: 80-83 population growth
26: 84-85 counting millions
27: 86-87 calorie allotment
28: 88-89 group game- m&ms/wealth/food
29: 90-92 skin color
30: 93-95 shared air
31: 96-97 we're all related
32: 98-99 ocean currents
33: 100-101 world market
34: 102-103 Geobear activity- come up with something similar
35-36: review basic themes, terminologies, facts

The Norse Mythology Blocks

BLOCK 1

To prepare for future lessons: carve apples into faces (one with only one eye), set aside to dry and wrinkle up.

Week 1

1.1 The First Gods and Goddesses; The Creation of the World p 9-20 The Creation of Man p 26-30 Carve, tie, glue, and otherwise create the first man and first woman out of branches, twigs, leaves.
1.2 Yggdrasil, the World Tree p 31-35 make a weaving of the strands of life, with an old embroidery hoop, several grey threads, some brightly colored ones, and one shining gold thread, with a cutout of watercolor painted tree of life woven into the center

1.3 make the runes with sticks, then woodburn them into a wooden plaque, and write them in the lesson book

Week 2
2.1 Asgard and the Aesir Gods; Odin the All-Father p 36-39 Start creating a "family album" of the Gods and Goddesses, with a drawing, name in runes, intricate border-frames, a sentence or two about each one, maybe symbols of their natures; make a model of Asgard with silver and gold buildings

2.2 Thor the Thundergod p 40 A page about types of lightning might be nice.
2.3 Loki the God of the Jotun race; Sif's Golden Hair; Loki's Brood p 42-53 Create a moving picture of Loki, with flames, and his different appearances dancing out of the flames.

Week 3
3.1 Balder the God of Light; Heimdall the Watchman of Asgard p 54-57 Try making trumpets out of different recycled materials- plastic, tubing, cardboard. Which would be the best watchman's trumpet?
3.2 Njord, Frey and Freya p 58-63 Decorate Njord's portrait with wind, sails; Frey's with a golden boat and golden grains; Freya's with hearts and golden tears.
3.3 Bragi God of Poetry; Odin's Eight legged Steed p 64-71 Build a stone wall around the model of Asgard.

Week 4
4.1 The Valkyries and Valhalla p 72-79 Make a supper of pork, honey soda, potatoes, have a sword fight.
4.2 Frigg and the Goddesses p 80-83 Look on the map to find Copenhagen.
4.3 Freya's Wonderful Necklace p 84-86 Make a necklace for one of the Grandmas with red jewels (garnet?) and gold teardrops.

BLOCK 2

Plant wheat berries in soil, cover with ice cubes, and put away. Water when Children are not in sight. Also make a papier mache hammer like Thor's to decorate later.

Week 1

1.1 Idunn's Apples of Youth p 87-90 Make baked apples or apple dumplings, decorate the previously dried carved apples as the Gods.
1.2 Skade the Ski-Goddess p 91-95 Buy & eat ski-queen cheese, make a "moving picture" of Skade skiiing, with the aurora borealis, animals, etc..
1.3 Frey and Gerd the Jotun Maiden p 96-99 Bring out the wheat-grass planted a week ago. Decorate with figures of Frey and Gerd.

Week 2
2.1 The theft of Thor's Hammer; Thor and the Jotun Geirrod p 100-107 Decorate Thor's hammer; think of the three magic things that helped him with the Jotun Geirrod- if you could have any three magic things to help you on a perilous journey, what would you choose?
2.2 Thor and the Jotun Utgardsloki p 108-116 Copy in lesson book " No man can eat as much as wild fire, run so fast as a single thought, nor beat old age."
2.3 Thor and the Jotun Rungnir; Thor and the Jotun Aegir p 117-127 Make a water globe from a little jar, with a tiny boat, gold glitter and beads, maybe little fish.

Week 3
3.1 The Death of Balder p 128-136 Make a gold paper boat, set it afloat and afire.
3.2 Loki's Punishment;Ragnarokk the Destiny of the Gods p 137-150 Macrame a small fish net. Paint a page of the lesson book black or grey, with a muted green field, and write "Ax-time, sword-time, ere the world fall; wind-time, wolf-time! Do you know more now or not?"
3.3 A New World p 151-154 Create a diorama of the first man and woman, of the new world.

D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths for story and image inspiration

In the Days of Giants for interpretations of the stories

Children of Odin for interpretations of the stories

October Circle

Merrily, merrily greet the morn, cheerily, cheerily sound the horn, hark the echoes, hear them play, o'er the hills and far away.

(light the candle) Rise up o flame, by thy light glowing, bring to us beauty, vision, and joy.

There's the firm earth under me, The blue sky above me, So I stride, So I stand, And I see you too, With the blue sky above you, And the firm earth below you.

I'm in the mood for singing, hey how about you? I'm in the mood for singing, singing along with you. Hey, hey, what do you say? I'm in the mood for that today! Hey, hey, what do you say? I'm in the mood for that! (clapping, stomping, jumping....) -Raffi

The world is full of colour!/ 'Tis Autumn once again/ And leaves of gold and crimson/ Are lying in the lane. (Week 1)
There are brown and yellow acorns/ Berries and scarlet haws/ Amber gorse and heather/ Purple across the moors! (Week 2)
Green apples in the orchard/ Flushed by a glowing sun;/ Mellow pears and brambles/ Where coloured pheasants run! (Week 3)
Yellow, blue and orange,/ Russet, rose and red-/A gaily-coloured pageant-/An Autumn Flower bed. (Week 4)

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness/Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve
Waiting for the harvest and the time of reaping/ We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves/We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows/ Fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilling breeze
By and by the harvest and the labor ended/ We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves/We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Uncover a pile of bean bag "potatoes" and fill the basket with our "harvest" tossing one by one to each other then into the basket.

Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather be not,

Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot,

We'll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not!

Dump a little basket of acorns, chestnuts, walnuts (all previously gathered from the neighborhood) and lets pick them all up with our toes, quick, quick and lively!

Something told the wild geese/ It was time to go./ Though the fields lay golden/ Something whispered "snow"./ Leaves were green and stirring/ Berries, luster-glossed/ But beneath warm feathers/ Something whispered "frost"./ All the sagging orchards/ Steamed with amber spices/ but each wild breast stiffened/ With remembered ice./Something told the wild geese/ It was time to fly-/ Summer sun was on their wings/ Winter in their cry. -Rachel Field

The lone wild bird in lofty flight/Is still with thee nor leaves thy sight
And I am thine, I rest in thee/ Holy spirit come rest in me.
The ends of the earth are in thy hands/ The sea's dark deep and no man's land,
And I am thine, I rest in thee/ Holy spirit come rest in me.

(Jumping over a still jumprope) The sea is calm, the morn is too. We sail today, for world anew.
(Jumping over a fast rope) The sea is wild, our ship is tossed. The skies are dark, all hope is lost!
(Jumping calm) The storm is gone, as is the night. Our ship sails on, Land is in sight!

Tho my sails be torn and tattered and the mast be turned about
Let the night wind chill me to my very soul
Tho the spray might sting my eyes and the stars no light provide
Give me just another morning light to hold.
And I will not lie me down this rain a-raging
I will not lie me down in such a storm
And if this night be unblessed I shall not take my rest
Til I reach another shore.
Tho the only water left is but salt to wound my thirst
I will drink the rain that falls so steady down
And tho night's blindness be my gift and there be thieves upon my drift
I will praise this fog that shelters me along.
And I will not lie me down....
And tho my mates be drained and weary and believe their hopes are lost
There's no need for their bones on that blackened bottom
And tho death waits just off the bow, they shall not answer to him now
He shall stand to face the morning without us. -Rod McDonald

Brave and true I will be, Each good deed sets me free. I will strive for the right, I will conquer the wrong. I will speak only truth, I will stand tall and bold. I will take another's hand, my heart will shine like gold.

I can turn myself and turn myself, and curl up as I will. I can stand on tiptoe, reaching high, I can hold myself quite still. I can be as small as a small, small seed, I can be as tall as a tall, tall tree. I can be as wide as the wide, wide world, I can just be me!

Holidays::Martinmas

The holiday celebrating St. Martin of Tours falls on November 11 each year.

There's a story of St. Martin, who, as a Roman soldier, stopped to take pity on an old (some say drunken) beggar, cut his warm red woolen cloak in half, and gave half to the poor man. He had a vision the next day of Christ, wearing the red wool wrapped around him, and when Martin asked where he'd gotten the cloak, Jesus asked if he didn't remember giving it to him the previous day, for "Whatever you did for the least among my brothers you also did for me."

On this day we remember St. Martin by retelling his story and gathering coats and other warm things we no longer need to donate to the homeless mission and the domestic violence shelter.

In some places in Europe children carry lanterns and sing songs as the go door to door begging treats. Last year we made lovely papier mache lanterns with tissue paper, to use on our own version of those walks, though we planned to GIVE treats to our neighbors, rather than beg for them, since this seemed more in line with the sentiment of the saint himself, and more practical, since we live here, not Europe, and no one would be expecting to have little beggars with lanterns on their doorstep! But I think we all had colds and couldn't brave the temperatures near zero that night. We'll also resurrect our red felt cape with velcro down the center, for reenacting the famous cape-cutting.

We'll try again this year. My plan is make little loaves of bread, or little cakes, with the boys, and wrap them in bits of red flannel, (with copies of the story maybe?), and deliver them to our neighbors as we take a lantern lit walk.

We'll have a supper of navy bean soup, bread, sausages. I read an idea somewhere, to split rolls in half, and have everyone give half their food to the person sitting next to them. That seems sweet, and simple. Just what I like!

I think our little nature table will sport a red cloth cover, and a mini tissue lantern, a picture of St. Martin and the bible quote, written in gold on watercolored paper. A simple vase with a bare branch, decorated with tiny gold stars hanging, maybe? A little basket with those red flannel cloths waiting to wrap the loaves on Martinmas.

Holidays::Michaelmas

Michaelmas is the first Saint's festival we celebrate after school starts. It comes September 29th, after the Autumn Equinox, and just as the weather is on the verge of turning bitter and cold.

Archangel Michael fought against Satan, and was victorious, and cast the "dragon" out. The Irish say the devil landed in a blackberry patch, and blackberries shouldn't be eaten after this date! Most pictures of St. Michael show him with a spear and the dragon under foot, some, of course, are gorier than others. Sometimes he is holding a balance, weighing good and evil. Sometimes he is holding a globe, for he is the protector of Israel and the New World.

We celebrate St.Michael as a symbol of good prevailing over evil, of new beginnings, of faith and trust in the goodness of the world.

We have in the past added this holiday into our family life in a pretty simple way- blackberries for dessert, reading our story of St. Michael and the dragon. It always comes so fast, just as we're getting into the swing of a new school year's routine, and I am always caught unprepared for any really thoughtful celebration.

This year I will be prepared. On the 21st of September we will prepare our Michaelmas table- an autumn table, with a picture of St. Michael, a dragon of some kind, our lovely wooden scale, with some dark, "evil" stones in one side, a dish of jewels to choose from as the children add one each day, til "good" overcomes "evil". Also a branch or two with some pressed leaves hanging, a little vase of Michaelmas Daisies (asters) from our garden, our school candle, a neatly printed poem or verse on watercolor paper.

On the 29th we will read our St.Michael story, and as much fun as it would be to cook a goose, as the tradition suggests, I just don't know if that will really happen. We'll see. I'm hoping- it seems like roast goose with apples, carrots on the side, would be perfect. After all "He who eats goose on Michaelmas Day shan't money lack nor have debts to pay"! We will make a dragon out of bread dough, and have blackberry pie for dessert. Because, um, vanquishing the devil is as good a reason as I can think of to eat blackberries. Thank you St.Michael!

Fourth Grade Schedule Week 1

In preparation- read together pgs 9-23 of A History of US Book 1

MONDAY 8/31
walk, circle
cursive practice "Honor thy Father and thy Mother" tracing 3 times
reading aloud The Story of Stickeen by John Muir

reading silently w/narration A History of US Book 1 Pages 24-28
writing strands 3 Lesson 1
math lab Calculus by and for Young People Lesson 1, Life of Fred Fractions Chapter 6
math puzzler Mathmania selection
oral math 10 minutes
nature science
Outdoor Hour Challenge #4 "seedpods"; hike Cowiche Canyon; gather sage & make bundles to burn later)
US history choose characters, dates (Inuit) to add to timeline, Smithsonian Education lesson 1
form drawing similar to this
geography review continents and oceans
guitar practice 30 minutes
PE Skills bike safety
Lively Latin Lesson 1
spelling present 20 + words to work out orally

TUESDAY 9/1
walk, circle
reading aloud The Story of Stickeen
main lesson Man and Animal 1.1
cursive practice "Honor thy Father and thy Mother" tracing two times, writing once
reading silently w/narration
writing strands 3 Lesson 1
math puzzler Mathmania
oral math 10 minutes
math practice Life of Fred Fractions Chapter 7, Key Curriculum Measurement Book 3
US History Smithsonian Education Inuit Lesson 2, timeline
grammar Simply Grammar Lesson 1
guitar practice 30 minutes
homeschool gymnastics 1 hour + 3 mile walk
handwork start embroidery- simple stitches
watercolor painting aurora borealis
Lively Latin Lesson 1
spelling write words 3 times each

WEDNESDAY 9/2
walk, circle
reading aloud The Story of Stickeen
main lesson Man and Animal 1.2
reading silently w/narration
cursive practice "Honor thy Father and thy Mother" tracing once, writing twice
writing strands 3 Lesson 1
math puzzler Mathmania
math practice Life of Fred Fractions Chapter 8, Key Curriculum any book 1
Anatomy Lesson 1
US History Smithsonian Education Inuit Lesson 3, timeline
geography locate Arctic regions, mark map with regions from readings
guitar practice 30 minutes
Character Study RESPECT First People respect story, talk about respect, activity 1
modeling Stickeen the dog and John Muir
Lively Latin Lesson 1
spelling test, practice writing incorrect words 3 times each

THURSDAY 9/3
walk, circle
reading aloud The Story of Stickeen
main lesson Man and Animal 1.3
cursive practice "Honor thy Father and thy Mother" writing three times
reading silently w/narration
writing strands 3 Lesson 1
math puzzler Mathmania
math practice Life of Fred Fractions Chapter 9, Key Curriculum any book 1
oral math 10 minutes
US History Museum of Man Inuit Lesson Geography and Ecology, timeline
grammar Word Play pg 6 "Humorous Modifications"
guitar lesson
PE Skills bicycle skills
handwork embroidery stitches
Lively Latin Lesson 1
spelling test of words incorrect yesterday, practice writing incorrect words 3 times each

FRIDAY 9/4
walk, circle
copy work "Honor thy Father and thy Mother" with illustration
reading aloud The Story of Stickeen
reading silently w/narration history reading- Inuit
pen pal letter or journal writing
math puzzler
math practice Life of Fred Fractions Chapter 10, Key Curriculum any book 1
oral math 10 minutes
lab science The Milestones of Science kit
US History write paragraph about Inuit, draw picture in main lesson book
art appreciation and technique Artistic Pursuits Lesson 1
swimming 2 hours
Lively Latin Lesson 1
spelling test of words incorrect yesterday, practice writing incorrect words 3 times each

September Circle

Merrily, merrily greet the morn, Cheerily, cheerily sound the horn! Hark the echoes, hear them play, over the hills and far away.

(Light the candle.) Rise up o flame, by thy light glowing, bring to us beauty, vision and joy.

There's the firm earth under me, the blue sky above me, so I stride, so I stand, and I see you too, with the blue sky above you, and the firm earth under you.

Smile awhile and give your face a rest (smile), stretch awhile and ease your manly chest (arms out-stretched), reach your hands up to the sky (reach up), while you watch them with your eyes (look up), jump awhile, shake a leg there sir, (jump around), now step forward, backward, as you were, then reach out to someone near (hold hands with your neighbor), shake his hand, and smile!

I have a fawn from Aden's land, On leafy buds and berries nurst; And you shall feed him from your hand, Though he may start with fear at first. And I will lead you where he lies For shelter in the noontide heat; And you may touch his sleeping eyes, And feel his little silv'ry feet.-Thomas Moore

Can you soar like an eagle, flying through the sky, the sky, can you soar through the sky?
Are you silent like a salmon, swimming to the sea, the sea, can you swim to the sea?
Can you walk like a bison, heavy on the earth, the earth, can you walk like a bison?

(Rod jumping game- lay out two rods, close together, and gradually farther and farther apart, and have the kids jump over, farther and farther, one foot, the other, etc. Don't jump in the river! Finish by moving them fairly close together, and everyone sitting between them, canoe-style)

My paddle's keen and bright, flashing with silver, follow the wild goose flight, dip, dip, and swing. Dip, dip, and bring her back, flashing with silver, swift as a wild goose flight, dip, dip, and swing. Dip, dip, and swing.

All things bright and beautiful, All creature, great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all. (Week 1)
Each little flower that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings. (Week 2)
The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water We gather everyday- (Week 3)
He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things so well! (Week 4)-Cecil Frances Alexander

The world stands out on either side, No wider than the heart is wide. Above the world is stretched the sky, no higher than the soul is high. The heart can push the sea and land, So far away on either hand; The soul can split the sky in two, And let the face of God shine through.- Edna St. Vincent Millay

(put aside the rods) Right hand, left foot, meet in the middle, Left hand, right foot, meet in the middle. Right hand, left foot, meet down low, Left hand, right foot meet down low. Right arm over left arm, play the fiddle, Left arm over right arm, pull the bow. Reach to the right, stretch to the left, reach in front, stretch behind. Look down below, what do you find? (the kids always like shouting out the first thing they see!) Right hand reach out to a friend, left hand reach out to friend, form a circle without end. Moving to the right, in a ring, moving to the left, we will bring, our circle to the center, in a ring, then back out again, like the tide. Our circle to the center, in a ring, then back out again, like the tide.

For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies, Lord of all, to thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour, Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, Sun and moon and stars of light, Lord of all, to thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child, Friends on earth and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild, Lord of all, to thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise.
For each perfect gift of thine, To our race so freely given, Graces, human and divine, Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n, Lord of all, to thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise. -Conrad Kocher

I can turn myself, and turn myself, and curl up as I will. I can stand on tiptoe, reaching high, I can hold myself quite still. I can be as small as a small, small seed, I can be as tall as a tall, tall tree. I can be as wide as the wide, wide world, I can just be me.

italics=songs to be sung

What We're Not Doing

In the interest of cutting out the stressful and unnecessary, the complicating factors of our busy life, and making our school days a simple, easy rhythm, here are the things we're cutting out:
Homeschool Gym & Swim- too much time trying to keep two little ones still and at my side. Instead we will have weekly hikes, weekly gymnastics (Avery and Miles can both go to the homeschool class), and drop-in on the homeschool swim sessions- I think they are still Mon, Wed, Fri from 1-3, and again, both boys will be able to go. There's a possibility that there will be a little kickball league organized too, which would be wonderful. Soccer in the fall and spring, and skiing this winter, no matter what! I'm determined.
Spanish- The Papa and I would like to get Rosetta Stone for all of us to work with, but it is just too expensive right now. Maybe this winter, probably not til tax return time. I was having a really hard time with this decision, but I'm actually okay about it now. This will give us some time to really work on Latin, with the Lively Latin program we bought last year and let fall by the wayside. And a good long break from Spanish will be fine with Avery, who was more than a little tired of trying to slog it out alone. Then when we do get Rosetta Stone we'll all be doing it together, which will be better for everyone.
Taking phone calls in the morning. No matter what. Unless it's an emergency. And you call twice!
Separate cooking lessons. Avery and Miles both like to help, and both are interested in cooking. But adding in a special cooking "class" means it never happens. So no more- they'll just help with the regular cooking times, I'll make an effort to plan in foods correspondent to our studies, and it'll be fine. Better than fine. It'll be doable.

Main Lesson Schedule Fourth Grade

Man and Animal
1)Head, torso, limbs
2)Head Animals-Octopus
Vacation- 1 Week
3)Torso Animals-Mouse
4)Head, heart, hands/eagle, lion, bull
Norse Mythology
1)12 Gods of Asgard, the runes (woodburn tablet?)
2)12 Gods (nordic patterns/celtic knots)
3)Adventures of the Gods
4)Aesir, the end of Asgard
Zoology 1
Mammals- 2 Weeks
Mollusks- 2 Weeks (1 short- Thanksgiving week)
Nordic Tales- 3 Weeks
Winter Holiday- 2 Weeks
Vikings- 3 Weeks
Zoology 2
Reptiles- 2 Weeks
Amphibians- 2 Weeks
Poetry- 4 Weeks
Spring Break- 1 Week
Zoology 3
Insects- 2 Weeks
Spiders- 2 Weeks
Beowulf
1)How Grendel the Ogre Warred with the Dane Folk
How Beowulf the Goth came to Daneland
2)Beowulf telleth how he warred with the seafolk
How Beowulf overcame Grendel the Ogre
How the Water Witch warred with the Danefolk
3)How Beowulf overcame the Water-Witch
How Beowulf returned to his own land
4)How the fire dragon warred with the Goth folk
How Beowulf overcame the dragon
Beowulf's last rest
Zoology 4
Fish- 2 Weeks
Birds- 2 Weeks

Man and Animal Main Lesson Block

It seems that the typical Waldorf schedule would have two "Man and Animal" blocks this year, but there is variation, and in that variation I find my hope. We will do one good block, and 4 more main stream Zoology blocks, though even these will be Waldorf flavored, if not straight from the Steiner shelves.
This lesson finally made sense to me when I stopped thinking about animal science, and started thinking of it as a deeper understanding of the human. The animals are really in the lesson to illustrate our characteristics, with Man alone standing and the animals falling away from this ideal in stages, closer and more bound to the earth as they go. There is an understanding that for the other animals their existence, their body, is the total scope of their being, the reason for their work, but that for humans the body is but a shell, a vehicle, or a tool, and it is our thoughts, our soul, our will, that is our real presence, our important work, and the way in which we best honor God.

Week 1
This week we are guided by this idea: Man is the Living Word, the one created in God's image, the culmination and central idea. We talk about this in various ways, but the important aspect is this idea that Man's ability to reason is what pulls him upward, above the rest of the animals, who show different aspects of the divine, but in a one-sided way. It is Man alone who stands tall and free, with a balance of these aspects.
And so: We have conversations about the senses- eyes to see, ears to hear, tongues to taste, noses to smell, skin to feel. Without the senses nothing would make sense, we wouldn't know anything about the world. We would be in chaos, as everything was before the creation of the world. With our heads we are able to make sense of the world around us, with our senses. We are able to think, to imagine, and it is as if God were shining a light down for us, illuminating our understanding, lighting the world for us.
So the head is like the sun, lighting up everything it sees. Both are round, and high, and help everyone around. With our heads, our thoughts, we can understand and brighten the world around us. Also like the sun, which is not bright just for itself, but in service to the whole earth, making things beautiful and warm, helping them grow and be strong, our heads take in food, water, air, not so the head can grow bigger, but for the body to grow big and strong. The understanding we gain about the world is passed down, too, to the body and limbs, so we can take action, go about the world, and love the world.
We talk about the trunk- always changing, breathing in and out, notice how the shape changes, like the moon, waxing round and full, waning to the thinnest crescent, like waves coming in and going out. Did you know the tides are pulled by the moon? Sailors and farmers keep a close eye on the moon, to know the tides and the rains, when to sail, when to plant. The moon helps everything grow in its time, as our trunk, our lungs and heart, help us grow as we should.
And then those limbs- Legs that crouch, leap, hold us up, feet that move us, dance, and hold us to the ground, arms that stretch and reach, fingers that grasp and spread. Look! Like a star, overhead. We are earthbound, reaching always for heaven. Our legs and feet move us, help us go from place to place, the carry our bodies, our trunks, everywhere on the earth we want to go, but it is really our arms and hands that are free to do what they want. We need them not to move around, but to do the things we imagine- painting, writing, playing music, growing food, swimming, swinging, even, reaching up to heaven, even praying we move our hands in certain ways. What about holding hands? Reaching out to one another? Our legs and feet are meant to serve us, to carry us around, our arms and hands are meant to serve others.
1.1 The threefold human being- head (draw a full, glowing sun near the top left-ish part of a big watercolor sheet of paper) Write out, nicely "The Sun shines and makes the world brighter; I shine and make the world better."
1.2 The threefold human being–trunk (draw a crescent moon in the center right-ish of the paper) "My breath flows in and out, guided by the Moon."
1.3 The threefold human being-limbs (draw stars all around, four biggish ones, some tiny ones, and draw a correspnding person) "My feet hold me to the firm earth; my hands reach for the stars, and yours."

Week 2
This week we begin talking about animals that represent some aspect of the human being. We will start with the Octopus, because we have access to view a live octopus at the aquarium, and I think it will be more interest-grabbing than the cuttlefish, which is often used for this section in Waldorf curriculum.
And so we start a conversation: In the sea, at the bottom of the sea, in dark little caves with only the tiniest entrance, lives an animal with a rounded body, like a head, round and empty, with a sharp beak at one end, the mouth, which takes in food and also water, to breathe. When we eat the food goes down into our stomach, and when we breathe the air goes to our lungs, blood carries the nutrients and oxygen up, up to our brains. In an octopus this is all much simpler, everything is right there in one place. Stomach, hearts (3!), gills. There is no separate body, no trunk, just this great head with no bones, and these long limbs, reaching out for food and climbing around on all those rocks, suction cups to hold it where it wants to be, and to pry open shells. Yes, it's an octopus! It has eyes to see, and a brain to think, but its brain cannot understand what its own arms are doing, or where they are, or even the whole shape or the thing it is holding. Imagine if your arms and legs moved around of their own accord, going up and down and grabbing things your brain didn't intend to grab! When an octopus is attacked it can shoot out ink, to make a big sort of cloud to sneak away in, and if someone hungry grabs hold of one of his arms, he can detach it, just let that arm go, with no pain, no problem. His limbs are useful only to keep that head- that is important part of the octopus, so important he will gladly lose his arms to keep the head safe!
Down in the ocean, under the sea, the octopus lives a kind of dreamy, floaty life, crawling around, swimming, shooting off here and there when it gets spooked. Holding on tight to things it wants. We are like that octopus, sometimes, taking in everything we need and sending all that information to the head, but sometimes our heads float off on a gentle current when we might be attending to our lessons, or we create diversions when we want to escape some task we don't want to do, just as the octopus creates a diversion with all that ink.
What other head animals can we think of? Cuttlefish, of course, really are nothing but a head, hard outside and soft inside, jellyfish, crab, mussel. What about snail?
2.1 The Octopus as head animal, (make a wet felted octopus figure)
2.2 The Octopus, drawing, writing
2.3 The Octopus final writing, other head animals

Week 3
Now we talk about the trunk animals.
Let's start with the Mouse, as Steiner suggests. A mouse does not seem to have a head separate from its body- there are not shoulders and neck like we have. It looks like the head is part of the body, just one end of the trunk happens to have a face, and is then the head, narrowing down to that little pointy, sniffy nose, sniffing and smelling and pointing the way. What about those whiskers, long and shivering, trembling, telling the mouse if danger is near. Sharp, pointy little teeth, always wanting to nibble, nibble, eating up food, carrying food back to its cozy little den, nibbling holes into packages, and holes in walls, even tunnels for the whole mouse-trunk to crawl through. Tiny little eyes that don't see very well, and big ears, standing guard, always alert. A mouse's head is like a little toolbox, full of all kind of equipment to help the trunk get around. Even the mouse's tail, long, and made in rings, is a wonderful tool for the trunk, made so that mouse can stand on its own tail and reach up to climb. Its short little legs can scurry fast, but they are there just to move the mouse along. It is really the trunk that is important to a mouse, and everything else serves that main body.
What other animals are trunk animals?
Fish, for sure. Those fins just move the trunk along, and the mouth seems to open right in to the stomach!
What about the pig? It is hard to tell where the body ends and the head begins on a pig. Like mousey his body tapers down to a nose- for him, though, nothing pointy, but a long, hard, blunt snout, always digging, rooting around, sniffling around for something to eat. It snorts and grunts, swallowing and digging, pushing and chomping. A pigs eyes are small, and deep in all the heavy weight it carries. His ears hang down lazy, not much needed. It's that snout and mouth that do the work, finding food for that massive trunk, with short little legs to help move that heavy body around.
Now what about the horse? Might he be a trunk animal too? Those long, strong, graceful legs are nothing like a pig, short and heavy or a mouse's, quick, but so small and limited in their movement. A horse can walk, trot, gallop, leap, even dance! Maybe it is a limb animal? Horses can see and hear and learn their own way home, even. Maybe they are head animals? But no. Horses may be proud, but just like their awkward and humble cousins, the donkey, they are trunk animals, for their legs, no matter how graceful, are just for moving their bodies around, and their minds, no matter how keen at remembering, are easily broken, and mostly concerned with remembering their task. Even in a horse everything serves the trunk.
3.1 The Mouse (felted wool sewing project)
3.2 The Mouse, drawing and writing
3.3 The Mouse, writing, and other trunk animals

Week 4
Many Waldorf teachings would concentrate this week on "Limb" animals, but we will not. This is something I've spent a lot of time thinking about, reading and trying to take in. I don't believe there to be really Limb animals, where everything goes to the glory of the limbs. The human is the only creature with limbs that are used for anything other than glorifying the body, as our limbs, our hands in particular, enable us to glorify others as well as ourselves and God, and to do all the work our souls demand. Nothing else in the world has hands as useful and wonderful as ours. No one else has hands so perfectly matched to spirits yearning to do good work. And we are balanced- our hands may be much more capable than other animals', but our legs, our feet, are bound to the earth, able to jump and leap, run, and dance, but not so fast or strong as other animals, not so protected or such good weapons as some animals. But we are not disadvantaged, indeed, we have minds and hands to clothe and protect us, better than furry, clawed or hoofed legs would. We will be concentrating this week on the three-fold aspects of the human being again. Head, heart, hands, using animals again to illustrate the lesson.
And so: We speak first of the eagle, the King of the birds, high in his rocky, barren mountain top aerie, carefully surveying the world below. Maybe he his soaring through the sky, graceful and silent, when suddenly he streaks down, like a bullet, a fighter jet, and that beak, sharp and iron strong, opens and immediately clamps hold of some unsuspecting prey. The talons, immense and dagger sharp and strong grab hold and don't let go. Back he flies, fast and furious, to his home, to eat alone, without distraction.
Aren't we like that eagle, casually floating about the lovely day, swooping down and catching hold of some idea that can transform us, help us grow and learn, at least give us something to think about when we are in our nest and quiet? Don't our thoughts flit and fly, soar to the heavens and streak this way and that, chasing ideas, morsels of truth? Doesn't our head sit above the commotion of our working bodies, in the heights like that eagle keenly observing the world's events. Even the eagle's shrill shrieking sounds like it comes from his head. When we make that eagle sound where does it seem to come from? Deep in our abdomen, or way up high?
The eagle's shrill sounds seem to come from the head, but what of the cow in the field, mooing about the grass or her full udders ready to be milked? What about the bull, bellowing his strength and power to the world? That sound, when we make it, we can feel it down low, in our gut. It is a torso sound, not a head sound, don't you think?
How even do the cows and bulls move about getting their food? Do they swoop and leap and chase nuggets down? Not at all. They lay or stand to graze, moving slowly throughout the day about the field, nibbling the green soft grass and chewing their cud. Their heavy bodies are slow and cumbersome, their mouths encased in soft thick lips and no eagle- beaks, sharp and hard, they have soft, wet noses and big brown, mournful eyes. All day they chew grass and make milk, which they don't keep for themselves, but make just to give, to their little babies, and to us. We can learn from the cow, though, of course, to be patient and gentle, to chew our thoughts over and over and over again, to take everything in and change it into something useful for others, to share what we have and to be gentle despite our strength.
Who else might be in that field with all those gentle, timid cows? The bull, of course. He is not gentle, but fierce and angry, storming across the field, charging full force, head first at whatever is bothering him? Where is the power of the bull? Not in his head, he uses that merely as the tip of the weapon. His might is in his torso, all that muscle and strength moving forward on legs meant only propel. Without those legs he is nothing, though. His strength is manifest in those pounding, sod-breaking, dirt-flying, legs, powerful enough to move that great body forward, fearlessly forward. A bull is most wonderful and terrible to watch when he is charging, those legs going a mile a minute. How are we like that bull? When we are working hard, at something physically demanding and hard, like digging a ditch or moving logs, when we say "He is as strong as a bull". When we move forcefully and obstinately, when we dig in our heels and stick with our work until we're done, no matter how hard, no matter how sore our arms and weak our legs, when we keep going forward until we've pounded our way through our task.
But who is the King of the Beasts, strong and sleek? The Lion of course. How is his roar? Not from the head, or the gut. Lion's roar fills our chest, surrounds our heart, makes the blood flow fast and strong. Lion rules the forest with that roar. How does he move? Low and silent, crouching and waiting, then pouncing, deadly fast and sure. He is strong; all muscle, silent on the earth and in his leaps, between the earthbound heaviness of the bull and the windswept heavens of the eagle. Lion is most beautiful and frightening, most himself, in his leap, his pounce, all muscle and spring, grace and strength. When the lion leaps we feel our own hearts leap, it is such a powerful thing. It is so akin to our own hearts, all muscle and strength, unnoticed until death, though the very movement of the heart, clasping in and bursting forth, is so like the crouch and pounce of a lion. That is why we are called lion-hearted when we are fearless and brave, observant and decisive.
We can see all these things- an eagle in our thoughts, the strength and determination of a bull in our limbs, a lion in our hearts, and it is all of these together combined with the grace of God, the spark of the divine, that make us who we are- humans.
4.1 The functions of the human: head- eagle (create an eagle mobile figure)
4.2 The functions of the human: hands/limbs- bull (create a bull mobile figure)
4.3 The functions of the human: heart- lion (create a lion mobile figure, and a self-figure, and hang them appropriately)

US History

This will be a daily lesson for us this year. We will be using Joy Hakim's A History of US as our spine, with various other books, both fiction and non-fiction, added in as we go.
I'll also be adding in links, books, plans, and the actual lessons we do.

Weeks 1-6 Indigenous Peoples
The Indian How Book
Between Earth and Sky by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker
Read A History of US Book 1 pgs 9-23.
1)Inuit
A History of US Book 1 pgs 24-28.
Stickeen the Story of a Dog by John Muir
Smithsonian Education Eskimo Collection
Smithsonian Education 3 Eskimo Lessons
Museum of Man Inuit Lesson Plan
Caribou Girl by Claire Russell Murphy
The Inuit Thought of It by Alootook Ipellie
Dogsong by Gary Paulsen
2)Pacific Northwest
A History of US Book 1 pgs 33-41
Raven: A Trickster Tale From the Pacific Northwest
Map of NW Coastal Tribes
Totem Poles and Tattoos Lesson Plan
NW Coast Longhouse and totem pole model
The Rain Game (circle time?)
Basket Weaving video and lesson
3)Great Plains
A History of US Book 1 pgs 42-49
Daily Life in a Plains Indian Village 1868 by Michael Terry
Knife River Lesson Plan (1&2)
Ojibwa Art Project
Importance of the Buffalo
Great Plains Tipi Model
4)Southwest and Southeast
A History of US Book 1 pgs 29-32
Thinkquest 2000 Navajo information
PBS Navajo Story "Five Sacred Medicines" collect and burn sage
Navajo Thunderbird crossstitch pattern
Orchard School SW Indians Information
Seminole Tribe Website
Seminole Patchwork
5)Northeast
A History of US, Book 1 pgs 52-59
Iroquois Oral Traditions
An Algonquin Year by Michael McCurdy
New York State Museum Iroquois longhouses, village life
Iroquois Longhouse Model
Hiawatha by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
America First Building a Canoe
6)Aztec, Inca
A History of US Book 1 pgs 107-110
The Aztecs
Mexicolore Aztec Resources
National Geographic Inca Lesson Plan
NOVA Suspension Bridge Activity
Llama Sounds

Weeks 7-12 Explorers
National Geographic Exploration Experience
Smithsonian Education To The Ends of The Earth and Beyond
Explorers Tombstones Wrap-up Project (not planned this year, but cute)
Our wrap-up project will be an Explorer's Travel Pillow: I'll transfer a map of the world onto fabric, and Avery can stitch the different explorers' paths in different colors, and at the end of the unit we will stuff it and make a pillow perfect for his own explorations!
Vikings- study during "Viking" block lesson

7) Marco Polo to Columbus
A History of US Book 1 pgs 66-86
National Geographic Exploration Experience (NGEE)p4-5
Marco Polo
National Geographic Xpeditions Lesson
Make a Compass
Vasco de Gama
NGEE p8-9
Columbus lesson plan
NGEE p6-7
The Columbian Exchange Rhyme
The Columbian Exchange Worksheet
8) Cabot to Balboa
A History of US Book 1 pg 86-87
John Cabot 1497
Matthew of Bristol Cabot's ship reproduction website
NGEE p 14-15
Pedro Alvarez Cabral 1500
NGEE p 8-9
Amerigo Vespucci 1502
A History of Us Book 1 pgs 93-96
Juan Ponce De Leon 1513
A History of US Book 1 pgs 111-112
NGEE p 10-11
Vasco Nunez Balboa 1513
NGEE p 12-13
9) Cortez to Cartier
PBS Cortez and the Aztecs Lesson Plan 1519
A History of US Book 1 pgs 97-106
NGEE p 10-11
Ferdinand Magellan 1521
A History of Us Book 1 pgs 88-92
NGEE p 8-9
PBS Cabeza de Vaca and the Exploration of North America Lesson Plan 1528
A History of US Book 1 pgs 116-119
NGEE p 10-11
PBS Pizarro and the Incas Lesson Plan 1531
A History of Us Book 1 pgs 112-115
NGEE p12-13
Jacques Cartier 1534
NGEE p10-11
Historica Minute Lesson Plan
10) De Soto to Drake
Hernando de Soto 1539
A History of Us Book 1 pgs125-128
NGEE p 10-11
Juan Vasquez de Coronado1540
A History of US Book 1 pgs 120-123
NGEE p 10-11
PBS Orellana and the Amazon Lesson Plan 1541
NGEE p 12-13
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo1542
Sir Francis Drake 1577
NGEE p 8-9
A History of US Book 1 pgs 162-163
11) Champlain to Hudson & Review
Juan de Onate 1598
A History of US Book 1 pgs 129-130
Samuel de Champlain 1599
NGEE p 10-11
Henry Hudson 1607
NGEE p 14-15

Weeks 13-18 The Colonies
13) The Earliest Colonies
The Huguenots & Charlesport 1562
A History of US Book 1 pgs 140-143
St. Augustine1565
A History of US Book 1 pgs 144-146
Quebec 1608
A History of US Book 1 pgs 147-149
Sir Walter Raleigh 1584
Roanoke
A History of US Book 1 pgs 154-161; 164-166
Smithsonian Education Pigs, Weeds, and Other Players
Library of Congress Tinker, Tailor, Farmer, Sailor 3 Lessons about the 3 Colonial regions
14) New England
Mayflower Website
Thunder From The Clear Sky by Marcia Sewall
15) Middle Colonies
You be the Historian Lesson Plan Delaware Colony
16) Southern Colonies
Jamestown Interactive
17) Major Events- Witch Trial, etc.
The Antimonian Controversy
18) Major Events- French and Indian War

Weeks 19-22Independence
Movie: 1776
19) A Growing Movement
Smithsonian Education Revolutionary Money and Money Pictures Telling Stories
We The People History Lesson
Betsy Ross Flag Lesson
PBS American Flag Lesson
20) Revolutionary War
Boston Tea Party Poem
21) A New Country
Dicovery Education Characteristics of Leaders
Movie: Ben and Me
22) The Constitution
Make and Write with a Feather Quill

Weeks 23-30 Manifest Destiny
NGEE p 18-19
23) Lewis & Clark
NGEE p 16-17
PBS Inside the Corps
PBS Lewis & Clark Resources
Smithsonian Education Establishing Borders Lesson 1
Smithsonian Education Lewis & Clark Animal Encounters
Smithsonian Education Mapping the Unmapped
National Geographic Lewis & Clark Diorama Lesson Plan

24) War of 1812
25) Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears Lesson Plan 4 Days
Original Source Lesson Plan Trail of Tears
26) Technological Wonders
Smithsonian Education The Camera 1846 Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Educaiton Home Sweet Home Lesson Plan
27) Texas Revolution
Smithsonian Education Establishing Borders Lesson 2
Cowboys and Brands Lesson
28) Oregon!
PBS Free Land Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Education Establishing Borders Lesson 3
Smithsonian Education Blacks in the Westward Movement
29) Gold
30) Handcart Pioneers
PBS Sweet Betsy from Pike Lesson Plan

Weeks 31- 36 To the Millennium

31) Slavery
PBS Slavery Lesson Plan
Original Source Lesson Plan
32) Civil War
Smithsonian Education The Face of War
movie: Abraham and Mary Lincoln- A House Divided
33) Civil War
Yale-New Haven Lesson Plan
What do You See? Civil War Through Photographs Lesson Plan
34) Reconstruction
35) Industrialization
PBS Political Cartoon Lesson Plan
The Chinese Must Go Lesson Plan
36) US-Spanish War to 1899
PBS Learning About Location- the George W. Elder
PBS Statue of Liberty Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Education Great Grandmother's Dress Lesson Plan
Philippines Lesson Plan
General Links:
Archaeolink Lesson Plans
Library of Congress America's Library
Baldwin Project America First:100 Stories From Our History
U Penn Digital Library This Country of Ours

Construction 4: Almost Done!

Avery's third grade culminating project- build a structure- is nearly done. He's done every aspect of the construction, from drawing to sawing, measuring to tightening screws.

Our wonderful friend Bob took this project on himself- perhaps Avery's parents were moving too slowly?- from showing up with a truckload of posts and a post hole digger, to buying supplies and making sure Avery learns each step. It's been a tremendous blessing, for I'm sure if it were left up to us, we'd still be in the making excuses for not starting the project phase. Having a friend with the time and generosity to make sure this project happens has been wonderful.

Here's the last little bit they need to finish- the railings in the one back section, and trap door. But they can play up there, now. I think we'll attach the rope ladder for now.

Character Study

Whew! I finally finished the character study schedule for next year! I am having a hard time getting posts to stay formatted, as well as some other irritating but not life threatening technical issues, so it looks a little shabby, but the info is there and in one place so at least I have something to work with.
The plan is right here, or you can just scroll down or search for it.
Anyway, I included quotes and bible verses to use for general learning or copy work, as well as stories and activities.
And now, on to actual ordering and re-budgeting and scheming and planning. How to fit my lovely $1200 plans into a much smaller budget? We'll figure it out somehow, and soon!