Weaver Volume One Chapter 6: Famine and Water Cycle

We started Chapter 6 of Weaver just before Thanksgiving. The timing around that particular holiday was good, because one of the main topics included world famines, past and present. The life application continually reinforced was that we are to become personally involved with famine.

Social studies included the most common causes of famines, as well as the importance of access to clean water. We researched parts of the world that don't have clean water sources, and the struggles that they face. In Bible lessons, we discussed the first famine recorded in Genesis 12.

In science, we covered the Earth's water cycle, clouds, and oceans. There were also several creative writing topics revolving around our Weaver unit, including one where they imagined their life without clean water. One Saturday I took the girls to distribute bread and hugs to the local community where we volunteer. I'm very protective of their safety, while also showing them that there are urgent needs not far from their own home.

Other subjects outside of Weaver are still going well. We switched up some curriculum in October, and so far, the switches have been positive.

Thanksgiving dinner. So. very. blessed.

Weaver Chapter 5: Transportation and Communication

I'm finally catching up on homeschooling posts. We're getting ready to start Chapter 8 on Monday. Christmas break has been long enough to make me excited all over again for lesson planning. When we covered Chapter 5 back in November, I was suffering from some burnout. Our schedule at the time didn't seem to be working quite right, and we were still ironing out methods and timing for grading work and correcting mistakes. It's still a bit hard juggling for multiple children in different grades. We've since ironed most of that out, which is awesome- but writing about this chapter is bringing back the struggles we were dealing with at the time. It's nice to be on the other side of it. Consistency, determination, and prayer has paid off.

The Bible lessons for our new unit on transportation included Abram's journey from his homeland. I learned so many new things from a story that I thought I knew inside and out. One of the things that I hadn't realized before was that God had summoned Abram's father Terah (who worshipped idols) to move first. For whatever reason, he didn't complete the journey, stopping in a land he named after his deceased son Haran.

Other Bible lessons woven into the chapter were Jonah who delayed obedience, early Church members who moved because of persecution, Philip who was mandated to go teach the Ethiopian eunich about Christ, and our mandate to go to all the world and preach the Gospel message. I love the way Weaver ties in so much to the Bible. Everything we learn in science and social studies is linked back up to His Word.

This chapter's science lessons included gravity and friction. The toy car helped demonstrate inertia.

Two wooden blocks to show friction.

One of the fun projects was sewing a hot air balloon. We learned the history and science behind hot air balloons (Did you know the first passengers were a duck, sheep, and a rooster?) and followed a sewing project in the curriculum for our own hot air balloons.

The girls did most of the work on their own.

I don't sew often, and couldn't figure out the last couple steps of the pattern, so I took over for the girls (they had enough by then anyway) and winged it. I finished them off with hot glue. I always burn myself with the glue gun, and therefore probably not the best instructor to show my own kids how to use it. I've been known to take off layers of skin from my fingertips.

Other topics we covered included the Mayflower and early colonial life, and the westward movement in the US. Homeschooling is such a good fit for us, and we're still having so much fun doing it!

Timelines and Family Genealogy (Weaver Volume One, Unit 3, Chapter 4)

I was a little sad to wrap up Chapter 4 a little over a week ago. It's shocking, actually. When I first looked over the material, I told Bill I wanted to just skip the whole chapter because it sounded like a big waste of time. I like to go into detail with lessons, and the thought of trying to put all of world's history into timeline format, and then present it over a two to three week period sounded impossible. Bible, US, world, and family timeline all in one chapter? How is that even possible? I looked up Weaver reviews online and realized that this is the chapter when a lot of families abandon Weaver over the same feelings I was having. Families were frustrated at trying to breeze through US history in just a couple weeks. (US History is covered in detail in Volume Two of Weaver, if I understand correctly.) Bill looked over the material and had no idea why I was so against this chapter. He said that it should be the easiest unit yet. I was basically teaching them the concept of time, and that history is a record of events on a timeline. I was still unsure of this unit, but liked the idea of the Family memory book in the lesson plans, so I decided not to skip Chapter 4 after all. It ended up being one of my favorite units so far.

For this unit, I bought two used books online with great reviews. One of them is Adams Synchronological Chart or Map of History.

 I was shocked when this one arrived on my doorstep. It's HUMONGOUS. I love it, love it, love it. The pages fold out accordion style- up to 25 feet. You can also flip through it like a book, and only fold out pages you want to look at.  It is so very detailed- it's really awesome to see events of the Bible on a timeline like this. I sometimes run Old Testament stories in my mind back to back, forgetting that hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of years separate events.

I also bought a world history timeline book, The Wall Chart of World History published by Barnes and Noble. It folds out accordion style also. 

The kids loved filling in dates on the Biblical timeline. We plan to keep up with it throughout their Bible lessons, adding to it as we go along in their school years.

We also started a US history timeline. We mainly studied the Mayflower voyage, George Washington's life, the writing of the Constitution, and the history of the Star Spangled Banner. The point wasn't to give a detailed US history, but to give the concept that certain events in time built our country.

My mom's hobby is genealogy, so she went over family history with them during an overnight stay, including stories passed down through the generations. Creative writing revolved around their own memories of childhood, and why their family is special to them. Final copies will be put into a binder (I haven't actually got around to do that yet.) We had fun looking through their baby scrapbooks, teaching them that they have their own history. Bible lessons pointed to God's plan for mankind that He is carrying to completion. 

I have to confess- usually when I read verses in the Bible with genealogy, I tend to gloss over long names I can't pronounce and quickly move on. This chapter forced me to look at those names and realize that family is important to God-He felt it necessary to have those names included in His Word. I am really glad Bill talked me out of skipping this unit!

Sound and Language Unit Wrap up: Weaver Volume One, Unit Two

So we've been living and tweaking this homeschooling lifestyle for several more weeks now. It is hard, and time consuming, and sometimes messy. And yet, I have zero regrets of pulling my children out of the public system. Homeschooling has been incredibly rewarding, and our unity as a family has soared. I am more patient- not perfect - but God in His grace has equipped me to work this life for our family. There are times I forget, and freeze in a panic over the sheer responsibility of it all- but when I go to Him in prayer and ask for His peace, He always delivers. 

In my last homeschooling post, we had just completed our first week in Unit Two of Weaver's Volume One. For the remainder of our Sound and Language unit, one of the science topics I taught was the anatomy and physiology of the ear. Considering my former career as a Physician Assistant, I was tucked inside my cozy element. My five year old can recite to you the anatomy of the outer, middle, and inner ear, and my heart just melts in joy. My kids are in for a blast when we get to the human body unit! I'm a tiny bit nerd obsessed with all things medical.

We also covered how sound works, and took a crazy fun field trip to the Clay Center in Charleston, WV. Their children's museum has an entire exhibit on light and sound, and we were able to expand so much of our unit in just a couple hours. The pictures would have been amazing from that trip. However- I left my camera at home, and my phone with all my pictures was killed in coffee. Still in mourning, as you can tell.

We took another field trip during this unit to the Pittsburgh Zoo. It was perfect weather with no crowds at all. We had learned about animals with ultrasonic and infrasonic hearing, so I was able to tie it all in during the trip.

I can't remember what animal Lydia was so excited about. Three year olds inside zoos are the most fun ever.

She was telling me how small, cute, and tiny those baby lions were. Yes, those grown, male African lions over there. Every giant, ferocious animal we saw was so tiny and cute to her.

Madeline hugging the statue boy, pretending he was her prince. 

Lydia finally braved the big slide this time. "I did it!"

 Our verse of the week was from James- "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!" James 3:5 Our Bible lessons also covered how our words are to bring praise to God, and we are to let our lights shine for Him in the darkness. We learned how feelings can be communicated without any words, and played a game to illustrate. 

 Isaac demonstrating anger. Can't you tell?

Brooke demonstrating happy. I was really trying to hold it together during this game. 

And this is Madeline communicating anger. 

Lydia was just happy to be there.

Isaac yelling out his guesses of the crystal clear emotions written on his sisters' faces. 

Lydia loves doing her schoolwork now. Her material is Horizons Preschool for Threes Workbook. It's completely voluntary on her part. I encourage her when she wants to participate, and I put it away when she doesn't want to.  

I sold Discovery Toys several years ago, and this is a math game I bought back then.They love playing it.

Bill's recent birthday celebration. Love this man.

I have so many friends and family tell me what an awesome thing it is we are doing, but they could never do it- usually saying they lack the needed patience. If only they could peek inside my imperfect, often fear-stricken brain! If God's calling your family to homeschooling, and you say to yourself that you can't do it, just look at who God called in His Word. He didn't call those who had all the answers and a plan from the beginning. He raised up a scrawny shepherd kid to become King of Israel, a scared man with a speech impediment to lead His children out of captivity, a young girl of no significance by world's standards to mother the Son of God. He equips those He calls. I'm telling you- when God calls you, it is so safe to follow where He leads. Steps of faith bring huge reward. Whatever He is calling you to do, say yes to Him!