Weekend Activities

☑ Quiet weekend recovering from the flu.

Planning Update

As my work is picking up after maternity leave and I consequently have less free time, I am going to change to recording our activities on a weekly basis. I am also finding that both boys participate in each other's work, so it does not make sense to divide activities into Kindergarten and Pre-K. I am therefore going to record our activities during the week under the NSW Kindergarten Foundation areas, and also record any extra Play-Based Learning observed, from both boys. For Boronia, I will continue to add a photo record and observations on her development, but without attempting to categorise her activities.

2012 Term 4 Week 5 Day 5

Kindergarten

Religion: Bible Story
☑ Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac - dramatic retelling
☑ What is a sacrifice?

English: Reading Eggs
☑ Map 5 Lesson 50
☑ End of Map Quiz

Mathematics:
☑ Fractions - halves and quarters

Creative Arts: Craft
☑ Paper mache - Waratah had some issues with the texture, but was able to join in while wearing gloves.

Human Society & Environment: Discussion / Debate (Clarifying Values)
☑ What is war?

Science & Technology: Craft
☑ River Diorama - I had planned a diorama of a river from the mountains to the sea, but Waratah preferred to make a model of his favourite part of a river - a waterfall.

Our inspiration picture

Our paper mache base - it will need to dry over the weekend.

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: My Body
☑ Once Upon A Time... Life: The Heart [Playlist - 3 episodes]

Cultural Studies:
☑ Documentary: The River Nile [Link]

Infant - Learning stories

2012 Term 4 Week 5 Day 4

Kindergarten
Religion: God's Gifts

English: Games
☑ Rocket Spelling

Mathematics: IXL / iPad
☑ Motion Maths: Wings (pre-multiplication)

Creative Arts: Drawing / Painting / Colouring
☑ Experimenting with Oil Pastels

We watched this tutorial and then looked at lots of images of chameleons to get inspiration. This was Waratah's favourite image:

Waratah's three-horned chameleon

Mum's rainbow chameleon

Human Society & Environment: Discussion / Debate (Clarifying Values)
☑ What is war?

Science & Technology:
☑ Parts of a river

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: Skills Practice
☑ What are bacteria and viruses?

Cultural Studies:
☑ Documentary: The Ganges [Link]

Pre-K - Play Based Learning

Mulga's bubble train

 

2012 Term 4 Week 5 Day 3

Kindergarten

Religion: Lives of the Saints
☑ David Self, The Lion Treasury of Saints (2003) Saint Francis

English: Reading Eggs
☑ Map 5 Lesson 49

English: Story Time
☑ Hugh Lofting, Dr Dolittle's Post Office (1923) Chapter 1

Mathematics:
☑ John and Jennifer Barwick, All About Money - Australia's Notes and Coins (2002)

Creative Arts: Music
☑ percussion instruments; match this rhythm

Human Society & Environment: Discussion / Debate (Clarifying Values)
☑ Discussion of issues arising from the Congo video, and from reading Dr Dolittle's Post Office: slavery, hunting, and the ivory trade.

Science & Technology:
☑ Nicola Edwards, Geography First: Rivers (2004)

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education:
☑ Crawford the Cat, Try a Bite Club [Link]

Cultural Studies:
☑ Documentary: Congo, the river that swallows all rivers [Link]

2012 Term 4 Week 5 Day 2

Kindergarten

Religion: God's Gifts
☑ Thank you God for Rivers

English: Story Time
☑ Hugh Lofting, Dr Dolittle (1920) Chapters 19 - 21

Mathematics: IXL / iPad
☑ Little Matchups Tell Time Game

Creative Arts: Drawing / Painting / Colouring
☑ Waratah and I tried out our new oil pastels for the first time. Photos to come when we finish our masterpieces.

Human Society & Environment: Investigation
☑ Protection of rivers - World Heritage, National Parks, State legislation.

Science & Technology: Investigation
☑ Jane Pearson and Katrina Shepard, Wild Rivers (2008)
☑ We also looked at where the Nepean / Hawkesbury went on the NSW map.

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: Free Choice Activity
☑ Trace Moroney, When I'm Feeling Scared (2005)
☑ Caroline Pitcher, Don't Be Afraid, Little One (1998)

Cultural Studies: Investigating Diversity
☑ Rivers of the Sun - Amazon river documentary


PreK - Play-based learning (EYLF)

☑ Mo Willems, Listen to my Trumpet (2012)

☑ Rocket Spelling

☑ Bugs and Bubbles

Infant - Learning stories

☑ Practising hand co-ordination

☑ Practising sitting up

2012 Term 4 Week 5 Day 1

Kindergarten

Religion: Bible Story
☑ Etta B. Degering My Bible Friends, Book 4: Go Wash in the River (1977)

English: Independent Reading
☑ Browsing through library books

English: Story Time
☑ Luke Tidies Up based on the Large Family stories by Jill Murphy (2008)

English: Story Time
☑ Hugh Lofting, Dr Dolittle (1920) Chapters 14 - 18

Mathematics: IXL / iPad
☑ Butterfly Math - addition (the basic (free) version of this app is too simple for Waratah, who has many others that he prefers, so I am moving it into Mulga's section).

Creative Arts: Music
☑ Both boys had a try at playing a trumpet and a trombone.

☑ We then watched Rafael Mendez, The Trumpet, Musicale of the Day (1940s?). If you want a treat, watch the third section in which he plays Flight of the Bumblebee and The Mexican Hat Dance.

Human Society & Environment: Brainstorming
☑ How did Aborigines use the Nepean river?

Science & Technology: Why Is It So?
☑ Recap of Waratah's understanding of the water cycle.

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: My Body
☑ Once Upon A Time... Life: Blood [Playlist - 3 episodes]
☑ Once Upon A Time... Life: Platelets [Playlist - 3 episodes]

Cultural Studies: Investigating Diversity
☑ Introduction to famous rivers around the world - the Nile, the Yangtze, the Thames, the Mississippi, the Congo, the Ganges,  the Danube, and the Amazon.

PreK - Play-based learning (EYLF)

☑ Mulga joined in the trumpet playing and Rafael Mendez video, Story time, and the My Body videos.

☑ He also spent time today working with the Mini Train for Kids (logic / puzzle solving) app, and got out his nesting firemen and nesting dolls for some dramatic and manipulative play.

Infant - Learning stories

☑ Boronia is working on movement. She is rolling around all over the place!

Weekend Activities

☑ Quiet weekend at home.

2012 Term 4 Week 4 Day 5

English: Story Time
☑ Hugh Lofting, Dr Dolittle (1920) Chapters 12 - 13.

Mathematics: IXL / iPad
☑ Motion Maths: Wings (pre-multiplication)
☑ Mini Train for Kids (logic / puzzle solving)

☑ Excursion: Camden Library

☑ Excursion: Camden Museum

Mulga investigating a butter churn.

Waratah looking at a wooden airplane propellor.

 

Human Society & Environment: Investigation
☑ At the Museum, Waratah was particularly interested in the Aboriginal artifacts. He also asked the guide if he knew how Bent's Basin got its name. Our hypothesis that it was named after someone who owned the land nearby proved correct, as we were told that the land grant was originally made to an Ellis Bent.

2012 Term 4 Week 4 Day 4

☑ Excursion: Swimming lessons

☑ Excursion: Nepean river exploration.

Waratah is interested in learning more about the Nepean river, as we have seen it from several angles - it is the river at Penrith we have picnicked beside, and the river at Camden we have ridden our bikes beside, and we cross it on numerous bridges, at Camden, Cobbitty and Penrith.

Today we started our exploration by looking at the both sides of the river as we drove across the bridge going up the mountains to swimming, and on the way back.

Next, we drove out to the Nepean River lookout called "The Rock" at Mulgoa. We climbed the rock and looked at the river. It was very windy!

After leaving The Rock, we drove on to Bent's Basin, a waterhole (or billabong as we like to call it) on the Nepean at Warragamba. We looked from the car but did not stop today. We plan to go back again for a proper explore.

Then we went on to Warragamba Dam, where we explored the visitor's centre and looked out over the dam talking about how and why the river had been dammed and what effect this had on the river, the wildlife and the people.

2012 Term 4 Week 4 Day 3

Kindergarten

Religion: God's Gifts
☑ Discussion of miracles and whether saints are real.

English: Reading Eggs
☑ Eggy Words

English: Story Time
☑ Hugh Lofting, Dr Dolittle (1920)
Chapters 10 - 11.

Mathematics: IXL / iPad
☑ Geoboard

Waratah's design

☑ Motion Maths: Wings (pre-multiplication)
☑ Mini Train for Kids (logic / puzzle solving)

Creative Arts: Art Study
☑ Henry Rousseau, The Dream

We discussed the original in terms of media, composition, and interpretation. Waratah then used the app PlayART to create his own version.

Human Society & Environment: Investigation
☑ We continued our virtual exploration of Melbourne Museum, today investigating the dinosaur exhibit (which Waratah found disappointing as he wants to see dinosaur skeletons in real life), and the Aboriginal exhibit (which Waratah was very interested in.)

Science & Technology: Experiment
☑ Today we played with water beads, starting with the unexpanded beads, hypothesizing what would happen when we added water, and then soaking and observing them as they grew. The boys spent several hours investigating the properties of the expanded beads.

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: Free Choice Activity
☑ Name it to tame it - we spent some time with the ABA Flash Cards & Games Emotions app, identifying and discussing the emotions portrayed in the photos.

Cultural Studies: Craft
Theme: Babies
☑ We made Guatemalan worry dolls from wooden beads, pipe cleaners, embroidery thread and fabric scraps.

Waratah's worry doll

PreK - Play-based learning (EYLF)

☑ Mulga said the water beads were frog food...

☑ Mulga has been having bad dreams lately, so together we made a Mummy and boy worry doll for him to put under his pillow and take his worries about going to sleep away.

Infant - Learning stories

☑ Boronia had some time in the jolly jumper and watched all that was going on.

2012 Term 4 Week 4 Day 2

Kindergarten

Religion: Lives of the Saints
☑ Discussion:

• who lives in heaven?
• what is an angel? 
• what is a soul? (Waratah wanted to know whether it was the same as the soles of his feet!)
• what is a saint?
• what is a miracle?

English: Handwriting Practice
☑ Waratah tried to convince me to let him watch Tom & Jerry cartoons early in the morning, by writing a note. I was pleased to see him attempt phonetic spelling (as he usually prefers to have me spell words for him to write). On this occasion he was trying to see if he could communicate what he wanted by writing alone, so to ask would have spoiled the surprise. He wrote Tom, cat (with the C reversed), Gere (with the G reversed) and malse (mouse). (His efforts were rewarded with a single episode, as a compromise of our 'only educational tv on school mornings' rule.)

☑ Waratah also used Maily to compose an email to me. He took a photo of himself and Boronia, and wrote both their names correctly (after asking me how to spell hers).

English: Story Time
☑ Hugh Lofting, Dr Dolittle (1920)

Dr Dolittle is still extremely popular. We read chapters 3 - 9 today. Waratah wanted me to keep going, but my voice gave out! He is keenly interested in the story and happily answering comprehension questions.

Mathematics: IXL / iPad
☑ Motion Maths: Wings (pre-multiplication)
☑ Mini Train for Kids (logic / puzzle solving)

Creative Arts: Craft
☑ We attempted to use coloured blu-tack as modelling clay. However, it was too sticky, so it was impossible to separate the colours after they were initially joined in the first attempts. After that, Waratah experimented with mixing the colours by rolling and spreading the resulting ball, and investigating its texture (squishing, rolling, pulling slow to stretch, pulling fast to snap).

Human Society & Environment: Investigation
☑ We virtually visited the whale exhibit at Melbourne Museum. Waratah correctly identified an ambulocetus skeleton, and told me more facts about whales than were provided in the exhibit. He enjoyed this app and we will return to it again.

Science & Technology: Experiment
Theme: Egg and Chicken
☑ Today Waratah learned how to blow the contents out of an egg. We used the contents to make breakfast and the shells for our culture craft.

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: Skills Practice
☑ Waratah demonstrated his mastery of the side gallop, performing it on the trampoline.

Cultural Studies: Craft
☑ We used our gouache paints to decorate the eggshells. Acrylic paints may give a better effect, but the boys were very pleased with the results of their efforts.

Waratah called his creations "Big Eye", "Longnose" and "Super Egg". He said he was inspired by Picasso (which is cool, as he didn't seem to pay much attention when we looked at Picasso a couple of months ago.) I thought we were making Christmas decorations, but the last time we painted eggs, about two years ago, we made egg faces. I had forgotten, but Waratah had not!

Big Eye and Longnose

 

Super Egg

PreK - Play-based learning (EYLF)

☑ Mulga similarly enjoyed the egg painting.

Infant - Learning story

☑ Boronia was introduced to Monkey See, Monkey Zoo (Lamaze). She particularly liked the leaping tiger, and after looking at all the pages closely, decided that they were also rather tasty.

☑ Looking in the mirror after her bath, Boronia was clearly focusing on her own reflection, and when asked, "Where's Mummy?" she directed her gaze to my reflection, then looked back and forth between the two reflections with a big smile. She is starting to recognise herself as a separate identity.

2012 Term 4 Week 4 Day 1

Kindergarten

Religion: Bible Story
☑ Dramatic retelling of David and Goliath. Waratah is now keen on making a slingshot (particularly having recently watched the Blinky Bill movie, where Blinky uses a slingshot to fire gumnuts.)

English: Story Time
☑ Hugh Lofting, Dr Dolittle (1920)

Having now finished reading all three books in Dorothy Wall's Blinky Bill series, I went looking for our next "living book" to read aloud. We started today with the first two chapters of Dr Dolittle and it is proving immensely popular. Both boys are listening with full attention, and Waratah is eagerly answering my comprehension questions along the way.

Mathematics: IXL / iPad
☑ Geoboard

I have seen Geoboards used to great effect in various activities (mainly through Pinterest). Making one for Waratah has long been on my to-do list. However, in the meantime, I have found an app which offers an electronic version. Not quite as much fun as playing with rubber bands and nails, I am sure, but useful now as an introduction to the concept, and later as an adjunct for exploration. For example, I envisage setting up patterns on the app for Waratah or Mulga to copy on the real board.

Creative Arts: Craft
☑ Sewing.

Waratah had an interest in making a treasure pouch, so we started sewing one out of felt. Today Waratah appliqued some decorative fabric on the front and sewed on a button. He also practiced threading the needle.

Human Society & Environment: Brainstorming
☑ What are the good and bad things about being a member of a family?

Science & Technology: Observation and Report
Theme: Chicken and Egg.
☑ Waratah let the chooks out and reported verbally on his observations of their behaviour.

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: My Body
☑ Once Upon A Time... Life: Blood [Playlist - 3 episodes]
☑ Once Upon A Time... Life: Platelets [Playlist - 3 episodes]

Having had several cuts and grazes recently, Waratah watched these episodes very attentively and asked questions, as well as answering comprehension questions along the way. He was particularly interested in the role that platelets played in forming a scab.

Cultural Studies: Investigating Diversity
☑ Waratah asked to decorate some blown eggs as Christmas ornaments, so we investigated various cultures which had a tradition of decorating eggs. We looked at pictures of traditionally decorated eggs from many different places, commenting on their similarities and differences, and the methods used to decorate them. Here are some of our favourites:



Poland - cut paper applique

Ukraine - wax-resist. Waratah noted a similarity to Aboriginal art in the egg on the left.

More from the Ukraine - wax resist.

Here is a tutorial for the wax resist method that we really want to try: http://susanbenarcik.wordpress.com/projects/what-to-do-on-easter/

Eggs decorated with seeds, beans and grains.

Russian icon egg

 

PreK - Play-based learning (EYLF)

Mulga was in a dramatic, creative mood today. He pulled a number of cans out of the pantry to build a robot which would "do all Mummy's work so all she has to do is play with us!" Unfortunately, this robot did not reach the final testing phase.

Mulga also spent a long time building a track for our wooden train set and dramatising voices for the trains.

His creative urges carried over into his iPad time, as he designed and tested some very unique vehicles in the Create a Car app.

Infant - Play-based learning

Boronia enjoyed her usual "air bath" and dabbling her toes in the grass.

Weekend Activities

☑ Quiet weekend at home, as Waratah and I were fighting colds. Unfortunately, this meant Waratah had to miss his end of year soccer trophy presentation.

2012 Term 4 Week 3 Day 5

☑ Excursion: Circus Oz at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre with the Penrith Homeschool Group.

☑ Excursion: Picnic and play at Tench Reserve with the Penrith Homeschool Group.

2012 Term 4 Week 3 Day 4

☑ Excursion: Swimming lessons
☑ Excursion: Picnic at Tench Reserve on the Nepean River

Mulga faces off against the goose. He thought he was going to chase it, but instead, the goose chased him!

 Boronia dabbles her toes in the grass.

Waratah wanders off to explore.

2012 Term 4 Week 3 Day 3

Kindergarten

Religion: Craft
☑ Kateri Tekakwitha was skilled at beadwork despite her damaged eyesight. Waratah chose to make a "snake" bead string of his own design.

 

English: Story Time & Comprehension Questions
☑ Ian Sands, How to Milk a Dinocow! (2011)

Mathematics: IXL / iPad
☑ Motion Maths: Wings (pre-multiplication)
☑ Mini Train for Kids (logic / puzzle solving)

Creative Arts: Drawing / Painting / Colouring
☑ Procreate - sketch, paint, create iPad app

The Twirly Picture

Human Society & Environment: Investigation
Theme: All about me.
☑ Waratah learnt about his paternal grandfather who was a cornet player

Science & Technology: Video
☑ David Attenborough The Amber Time Machine

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: Skills Practice
☑ Throw and Catch

Cultural Studies: Investigating Diversity
☑ Kids and Home app - Waratah was particularly fascinated by the "Ketuvallum" or Indian Knot Boat - a houseboat made from coconut fibre and bamboo with just knotted rope, no nails, screws, bolts or other fasteners.

 

PreK - Play-based learning (EYLF)

☑ Mulga was extremely excited today when the mailman delivered his Christmas present - a trumpet. He could not bear the thought of waiting until Christmas, and spent the whole day playing his new instrument, even wearing the (oversize for him) white gloves that came with it, so that he would not get it dirty. At first he had difficulty making any sound, but he quickly developed the knack for it.

 

 

 

  

☑ Mulga was also keen to try the Indian beading, and with help, was able to follow the pattern and create a beaded fish.

 

 



Infant - Learning stories

Unlike her brothers, who generally were much more demanding of instant attention, Boronia is showing herself to be a happy, calm, self-soothing thumb-sucker (try saying that three times quickly!)

2012 Term 4 Week 3 Day 2

Kindergarten

Religion: Lives of the Saints
☑ What is a patron saint?

English: Games
☑ Phonics Genius
☑ Meme Tales

Mathematics: IXL / iPad
☑ Motion Maths: Wings (pre-multiplication)

Creative Arts: Drawing
☑ Stencil Drawing

Human Society & Environment: Mystery Activity
Theme: All about me.
☑ Shopping excursion with Daddy

Science & Technology: Why Is It So?
☑ Dancing raisins experiment - why does dried fruit "dance" in a glass of fizzy drink?

Science & Technology
☑ Audio illusions. Following on from yesterday's optical illusions, Waratah asked to re-watch one of our favourite videos, David Attenborough and the Lyre Bird. We also found this video of a lyrebird in Adelaide zoo that (very briefly) captured a human whistling and speaking as well as a range of construction equipment.

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: Video
Crawford the Cat lets everyone play

Cultural Studies: Craft
☑ When investigating talking sticks yesterday, we discovered the Aboriginal Journey Stick:

This is an idea that originates from the aboriginal people from Australia. When they went on long journeys, Australian Aborigines created a journey stick to help remind themselves about the things It acted as a verbal map, enabling them to recount the story of their journey to others. It involved tying objects to a recording their experience. Find a short stick and wool to show places, objects and feelings to stick. Your special tree! Hold your palm in front of you and draw on the main palm lines. You could use a stick dipped in wet mud to draw with! Now look around you for the same pattern in the branches of a tree, the tiny twigs, bark, roots or other parts of the plant. This is your special tree. Draw your unique palm pattern and the tree that you link with. they had seen and experienced. stick (that represented different experiences or parts of the journey) in the order that they found. It was an individual, unique and personal way of recording their experience.
(WESTONBIRT: The National Arboretum)
 

Waratah was intrigued by this idea, so we decided to make one, recording the "journey" around our house.

Waratah's Journey stick on the left, mine on the right.

Detail of Waratah's Journey stick

Talking about it afterwards, we noticed the way in which a journey stick can be a map of the different environments we passed through.

From the pasture / grassland in the front paddock ...

through the fruit trees, chook pen and flower garden around the house...

to the bush out the back.

PreK - Play-based learning (EYLF)

Sensory Play
☑ Dancing raisins - fizzy fruit

Exploratory Play
☑ Mulga loved this David Attenborough spoof and asked to hear it multiple times!

Manipulative Play
☑ Zibitz Robot track

Dramatic Play
☑ Building a play fort

Creative Play

Mulga enjoyed running around with the stick and wool rather than creating a Journey stick.

Mulga did enjoy some sticker work, and using crayons to add some extra background colour.

Infant - Learning stories

☑ Boronia played in the clover, exploring the way the leaves and flowers felt on her face, her fingers and her toes.