The first week we studied mail carriers, librarians and teachers! We had lots of role play as these jobs throughout the week. We focused on memorizing our address and learning how to address letters too!
Our verse for this week was Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
We had a pretend mailbox all week in which the kids could send and pick up mail to one another.
One of our favorite silly stories we read this week was Millie Waits for the Mail a hilarious story about a cow who lives to scare the mailman. We read this story too many times to count! We also worked through an old favorite Sonlight book Things People Do.
In Luke and Ben's older science we studied Democritus, who thought that molecules were indivisible. This simple experiment showed us that with a few simple ingredients and lots of fun bubbles you can break apart molecules into their smaller elements.
Ben's "teaching" his youngest brother all about circuits!
Gracie also loves to play teacher with her younger brothers.
Our second week of community helpers study we focused on doctors, nurses, and dentists. We has some role play as doctors and nurses, aided by Mommy's stethoscope! Our verse for this week reminded us of using the gifts and talents God gives us to His glory! Proverbs 25:14 "Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give."
We did a "germ" experiment to see how fast germs spread. We covered our hands with sanitizer gel mixed with glitter. Then we touched kitchen surfaces to see all the places our germs ended up!
We had several fun dental health experiments this week too! We placed an egg into three different liquids (water, juice, and Dr. Pepper) to guess the impact of those beverages on our teeth!
Which drink is better for our teeth? :)
At the beginning of the week we also placed a small hole in an apple to explain what a cavity does to our teeth. This was also a great visual lesson!
Meanwhile in our Science of the Ancient World we were learning about the different parts of an atom! We used hard candies and skittles to represent protons, neutrons, and electrons!
This experiment with pennies and their copper oxide explained more about atoms and charged ions.
Taking some time to practice our cutting skills. A funny story about the different personalities in our household: after spending almost an hour cutting, both Jacob and Caleb had several sheets of cutting projects to show for their efforts. Jacob wanted to save every single one. When I asked Caleb if he would like to save any he looked at me like I was crazy. "Why would I do that? I already cut them....you can throw them away!" (Ahhhhh, a boy after my own heart! This Momma is not one to save either! :)) That is one of the reasons I blog. I can have the memories without the "stuff."
We also learned about Hippocrates in our ancient science lessons. This went along nicely with our study of doctors and nurses! We learned about the Hippocratic oath and why Hippocrates thought it best to cover wounds with a clean bandage soaked in wine! We had an experiment with raw ground beef that sat on our counter for a week. Some of it covered, some not. Some of it soaked in rubbing alcohol, some plain.
Let's just say this was not a very pleasant odor by the end of the week. A great lesson in keeping our meat refrigerated and cooked well!
So, you can totally tell we have a homeschool kitchen. There is rotting meat, rotting apple, fermenting eggs, and Luke's crystal formation project growing on my counter all in the same week!
Our last project for our study on health was rather fun as well. All six of the kids really got into this project. I had saved egg cartons and covered them with a flour/water paste mixed with hard candy. The kids had to floss and brush the pretend egg carton teeth. They tirelessly worked on these teeth until they sparkled!
For week three of our community helpers study we focused on EMTs and Firefighters! Our Bible verse was Psalm 90:17 "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands, yes, establish the work of our hands."
This week we focused on safety and practicing fire drills and our family evacuation plan. Of course we also discussed fire safety and getting low to avoid smoke and the stop, drop and roll.
We also practiced learning how to call 911 from our cell phones. We used our MUS blocks to help us to remember both 911 and Mommy and Daddy's phone numbers.
The kids loved this experiment so we had to do many "trials!" I loved how our studies lined up perfectly without even trying! Hippocrates while studying doctors and a fire and oxygen experiment while studying firefighters and fire safety!
We had a resurgence in interest in Legos this month and spent hours playing Legos!
Fire Fighter coloring sheet:
Finally, for week four we focused on some of our favorite community helpers.....the police officers! Our Bible verse for this week was Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed." One of our all time favorite silly stories we read is Officer Buckle and Gloria.
We made handcuffs this week and continued practicing our emergency contact information and phone numbers!
We also practiced fingerprinting!
We finished up our study with a fun field trip to the police department for a tour! We actually had a tour scheduled for the fire department too, but it had to be rescheduled for next month!
We had a fun month exploring lots of different jobs that serve our community! We also finished up our study of Ancient Israel through the Old Testament with TOG. We are now moving into studying the ancient civilizations that would pave the way for the coming of Jesus, Greece and Rome!
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