Monday, March 30, 2009

Week 27: March 30- April 3

Religion & Bible
Writing a passage a day and illustrating

Reading
at least twenty minutes a day
Writing
short stories

MaTh
Solving for "n"

Science
The Universe
-size and distance
-different theories
*"Big Bang" theory
*slowing down theory
*"Big Crunch" theory
*Oscillating Universe theory



Language/Spelling/Grammar
Reviewing punctuation

History & Geography
West Africa: c. 800-1500
-Kingdoms of gold
-Mansa Musa of Mali
-the city of Timbuktu
-map of West Africa
-rulers of the forest
-the kingdom of Ife
-the kingdom of Benin
-the Portuguese arrive


Art & Music Appreciation
Music: Richard Wagner
Art: Nature picture study
"Sunflowers" 1888 by Vincent van Gogh
"Farm Garden with Flowers" 1906 by Gustav Klimt
"Mastaba" 1989 by Jean-Perre Raynaud
Project: Printed petals
1. mix your paint with a little flower to thicken it.
2. cut a petal shape from a thin piece of sponge.
3. dip the sponge in paint. Print a ring of petals.
4. use your fingertip to fill in the middle.
5. dip a leaf in paint. Print it next to the flower. Add more flowers and leaves.

Physical Education
It's Spring! Lots of outdoor activity, Hooray!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Week 26: March 23-27

Religion & Bible

Reading

Writing

MaTh

Science
Types of Galaxies
-spiral galaxy
-barred spiral galaxy
-elliptical galaxies
-irregular galaxy
-cartwheel galaxy
-nearest galaxies



Language/Spelling/Grammar

History & Geography
North Africa: c.400-1500
Conquerors of North Africa
-map of North Africa
-Byzantine rulers
-Fatimids in Egypt
-Mamelukes in Egypt
East Africa: c. 1000-1500
-cities of East Africa
-cities of gold
-the kingdom of Ethiopia
-map of East Africa

Art & Music Appreciation
Music: Giuseppe Verdi
Art: Nature picture study
"Footbridge over a River" 1800s by Utagawa Hiroshige
"Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" 1885-86 by John Singer Sargent
Project: Paper Blossom
1. Lay two sqares of tissue paper together
2. Fold them in half, and then in half again
3. Draw a petal in the corner. Cut out and unfold.
4. Use a blunt needle to thread the flower onto yarn.
5. Thread on more flowers. Add some paper leaves too.



Physical Education

Monday, March 16, 2009

Week 25: March 16-20

Religion & Bible

Reading

Writing

MaTh

Science
Galaxies
-the milky way
-star clusters




Language/Spelling/Grammar

History & Geography
Spain: c.700-1500
The struggle for Spain
-Moors move north
-map of Spain
-the kingdoms of al-Andalus
-learning and leisure
-the rise of the Christian kingdoms
-Christians fight back
-El Cid
-kingdom of Granada

Art & Music Appreciation
Music: Johannes Brahms
Art: Weather/Nature picture study
"Snow Storm" 1842 by Joseph Turner
Project: Stormy Seas
1. tear lots of dark clouds from construction paper. Glue them down to another paper.
2. cut out big, curvy waves. Glue them below the clouds.
3. Flick some white paint over the top, for rain.

Physical Education

Monday, March 9, 2009

Week 24: March 9-13

Religion & Bible

Reading

Writing

MaTh
speed drills
complex story problems
fractions

Science
The Solar System:
Sun, stars and planets



Language/Spelling/Grammar

History & Geography
The Russians: c. 700-1500
the rise of the Russians
-map of Russian lands-Rurik the Rus
-Vladimir the Saint
-Yaroslav the Wise
-the Tartars arrive
-Nevsky's victories
-the growth of Moscow
-the Tartars weaken
-Ivan the Great

Art & Music Appreciation
Music: Antonio Vivaldi
Art: Weather/Nature picture study
"Water Lilies" 1916-19 by Claude Monet
Project: Watery rainbow
1. draw a row of houses and trees in crayon
2. brush clean water all over the paper
3. make some  runny red, yellow and blue paint
4. paint curved lines of red and yellow in the sky
5. let the paint run together. Add a blue line.
6. fill the rest of the sky with splotches of blue
Where the red and yellow mix you get orange, yellow and blue blend to make green - a full rainbow!


Physical Education

Monday, March 2, 2009

Week 23: March 2-6

Religion & Bible

Reading

Writing

MaTh
complex story problems

Science
The Sun
-inside the sun
*core
*radiative zone
*convective zone
*photosphere
-surface of the sun
-eclipses
-auroras


Language/Spelling/Grammar

History & Geography
Eastern Europe: c.500-1500
Kingdoms
-Magyars in Hungary
-the Holy Roman Empire
-kingdom of Hungary
-Count Dracula of Transylvania
-kingdom of Bohemia
-the Teutonic knights


Art & Music Appreciation
Music: Joseph Haydn
Art: Weather picture study
"Boating on the Seine" 1879-80 by Auguste Renoir
"Winter" c. 1840 by Utagawa Kunisada
"Entrance to the Port of Honfleur" 1899 by Paul Signac

Physical Education