Living Math Books

We may not be full fledged Charlotte Mason method-users, but I do like some of her ideas and try to incorporate them whenever possible. Living books is one of these ideas that is easy to incorporate into our eclectic, leaning toward classical method of homeschooling.

According to Charlotte Mason: "Children have a right to the best we possess; therefore their lesson books should be, as far as possible, our best books."

This is easy for history. There is a plethora of biographies, time period works, and the like. Science is another subject filled with living books. Over the years we have found a multitude of living science books.

There is, however, one subject which alludes us for the most part: Math. Though we have had some success over the years, {You can read about those books here and here.} I do struggle to find living books for math.

How do you find living math books to use as supplements?

The other day, at our local library, we found two such books: Growing Patterns, by Sarah C. Campbell and The Boy Who Loved Math, by Deborah Heiligman.

The first I was drawn to solely for the cover picture. I had no clue what the contents could be. I was simply fascinated with the up close photograph of a sunflower. Upon closer inspection, I discovered Growing Patterns contained not only magnificent photographs of natural items, but it also included information and an explanation about Fibonacci Numbers.

As was the case with the first book, I deemed the second selection worthy of a second glance when I saw the adorable cover illustration. I admit, at first, I did think the boy was grasping an apple, running through a town. Instead, the boy is running and reaching for numbers. Those numbers are dispersed throughout the cover illustration in a clever fashion. Once I recovered from my disappointment, I realized it was a children's picture book about a mathematician named Paul Erdos.  The Boy Who Loved Math reads well. It is engaging and informative. Paul Erdos is one mathematician our family will remember in the days to come.

During another library visit, we found two more: Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem Solving, by Greg Tang and Socrates and the Three Little Pigs, by Tuyosi Morie.

Both books combine math with something else. Math-terpieces combines famous pieces of art with addition. Using one element from each painting, the text prompts readers to figure out multiple ways to add numbers to reach a particular sum. Socrates and the Three Little Pigs combines a bit of philosophy, history, math, and characters of a well-loved fable. The wolf, Socrates, wants to eat a pig. He is trying to minimize the work of finding a pig at home and goes through a lengthy discussion with his friend, Pythagoras as the two work out various combinations and figure the probability of finding one pig in a particular home.


Internet Articles and Helps for Living Books in General:

• Becoming a Charlotte Mason Teacher: Paradigm Shift Required at ChildLight USA
• Using Living Books Effectively at Simply Charlotte Mason
• Choosing Books Like a Connoisseur at Simply Charlotte Mason
• Charlotte Mason: Living Books - a Pinterest board from Dollie at Teachers of Good Things

Internet Articles and Helps for Living Books for Math:

• Living Math Books - Reading for Math at Mama Jenn
• Living Math Book List - a site filled with listings of books {simply click on 'Search Categories' tab and select your topic} 
• Math with Living Books at Lifestyle Homeschool

Snowflakes and Snow: Lesson Ideas and Resources

 

This winter, whether you want snow to fall or not, why not make a fun lesson out of the cold winter weather? A few ideas to get you started follow.

Make a snowflake

• Students can make traditional paper snowflakes with these free patterns or these fun curled paper snowflakes
• Or, perhaps you might want to try quilling like the one pictured below. We saw these on the Yuletide Tour, but I found these instructions on line. 
• If you are hoping to make a snowflake from a solution, try this crystal snowflake (pictured above).
• Do your children prefer to sculpt? Perhaps they could build a snowflake with clay following these instructions.
• Not interested in making a mess? Try this online resource to make your own digital snowflake.

 

History Books

• The Snow Walker, by Margaret K. and Charles M. Wetterer
• Snowshoe Thompson, by Nancy Smiler Levinson
• A New Coat for Anna, by Harriet Ziefert
• The Winter at Valley Forge: Survival and Victory, by James E. Knight
• The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto, by Natalie Standiford

Science Books and Resources
Books:

• Snowflake Bentley, Jacqueline Briggs Martin
• Snowflakes in Photographs, W.A. Bentley
• Snow is Falling, by Franklyn M. Branley
• The Antarctic Habitat, by Bobbie Kalman
• The Arctic Habitat, by Bobbie Kalman
• Who Lives Here? Polar Animals, by Deborah Hodge
• Pink Snow and Other Weird Weather, by Jennifer Dussling

 Resources:

• Observe actual snowflakes following this lesson plan
• Watch this video Science of Snowflakes

Math and Critical Thinking

• Incorporate snowflakes into your math lessons with this idea involving geometry and equilateral triangles
• Show students the symmetry of snowflakes
• Encourage students to test their abilities with this critical thinking worksheet from Math Wire.

Poetry
Read or memorize a variety of poems about winter or snow, including:

• Winter-Time, by Robert Louis Stevenson
• When Icicles Hang by the Wall, William Shakespeare
• The First Snow-Fall, by James Russell Lowell
• White Fields, by James Stephens

Study poetry by one poet, like Robert Frost

• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
• Wind and Window Flower 
• A Patch of Old Snow
• Storm Fear
• Good Hours

  

Art Appreciation
Younger and older students can view and compare paintings like:

• Hunters in the Snow, by Pieter Bruegel
• The Census at Bethlehem, by Pieter Bruegel
• Winter, by Lucas van Valckenborch
• A Blizzard, by Grandma Moses
• Sugaring Off in Maple Orchard, by Grandma Moses

 

Art Projects

• Allow students to paint a water color winter scene using this idea.
• Or try one of these tactile projects our family completed in past years:

Winter Wonderland Scenes

These snowy scenes made several years ago are made from construction paper (brown, blue, and white). Trees were cut out of brown paper. The falling snow and snow covered hills were torn from white paper.

A Snowman

This snowman is made from felt, construction paper, thin foam, buttons, pipe cleaners, wiggly eyes, pony beads, and glitter. In addition to the different textures, some of the supplies (foam circles, buttons, and pipe cleaner pieces) offered an exercise in size comparison (big, medium, and little) for my youngest when he was in preschool.

Interesting Books to Read Aloud

• Treasures of the Snow, Illustrated Edition, by Patricia St.John
• The Lady in the Box, by Ann McGovern
• The Biggest Snowball Ever! by John Rogan
• Gregory's Shadow, by Don Freeman
• Katy and the Big Snow, by Virginia Lee Burton
• Hans Brinker, retold by Bruce Coville

For Fun

• This snowman maze is a fun activity.
• Play a snowman dress up game.
• Have students put together this online snowman puzzle.

Related:
Winter Poetry
When the Weather Outside is Cold

The Mitten - A Folktale and Mini Preschool Unit

 

Macy's Parade Read Aloud

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade, by Melissa Sweet is a biography about Tony Sarg, the man who created the first puppets of the Macy's Parade.  The book shares interesting tid bits like a pulley and rope contraption Tony made as a young boy so he could feed the chickens without getting out of bed at 6:30 in the morning.  From this initial funny anecdote, Sweet tells of Tony's marionettes in London, his move to New York City, his work on Broadway, and finally his job at Macy's store designing their store window displays. 

 

It is at this point, a parade began for immigrants who missed the festivals of their homelands.  Sweet tells us that Tony began making costumes and floats for it.  Animals were part of the parade, but the live animals scared young children.  Macy's asked Tony to think of something different.  Inspired by an Indonesian rod puppet in his collection, Tony decided on puppets.  His first puppets were a hit, but were too small to be seen by the large crowds.  Over the years, he made some adjustments in materials, enlarged balloons, and eventually made some balloon puppets similar to what we now immediately associate with the Macy's Parade. 

 

Overall, the book tells an inspiring history of Tony Sarg and the Macy's parade balloons.  It is a fitting book for our family as we love watching the Macy's Parade each Thanksgiving Day.  Additionally, since we are currently moving through history toward the present time in our studies, this picture biography fits right into that time period.

Civil War Readings

After spending a good chunk of time reading and learning about the American Civil War, we are almost ready to move on in our history studies.  Before we do, I wanted to share some of the wonderful books and resources we used to learn about the American Civil War. 


Resources:
The Civil War: Primary Sources, edited by David M. Haugen
People at the Center of The Civil War, by Chris Hughes
You Wouldn't Want to be a Nurse During the American Civil War, by Kathryn Senior
The Gettysburg Address, by Abraham Lincoln
Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman, by Dorothy Sterling
The Emancipation Proclamation: Hope of Freedom for the Slaves, by Michael J. Martin


Historical Fiction Novels:
The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane
Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt
The Perilous Road, by William O. Steele
Turn Homeward, Hannalee, by Patricia Beatty
Shades of Gray, by Carolyn Reeder
Addy: An American Girl, by Connie Porter


Resources for Young Learners:
If You Lived When There Was Slavery in America, by Anne Kamma
Freedom Song: The Story of Henry "Box" Brown, by Sally M. Walker
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, by Carole B. Weatherford
When Harriet Met Sojourner, by Catherine Clinton
Civil War Drummer Boy, by Verla Kay


Abraham Lincoln Biographies
If You Grew Up with Abraham Lincoln, by Ann McGovern
Lincoln: A Photobiography, by Russell Freedman
Looking at Lincoln, by Maira Kalman



Related Post:
Civil War Day

Picture Book Biographies of Scientists

...which my kindergartner loved!

Often, my youngest son and I take turns choosing books.  He chooses one, and I read it to him.  Then, I choose one and read it to him.  In this way, I am able to read him his favorites, as well as introduce him to some really great books which he may have passed over during a recent library trip.  On my turns, I try to read nonfiction books, biographies, or a piece of literature. 

Recently, I have found two new-to-us picture book biographies of scientists.  I shared them with my kindergartner son and he loved them both!  Of course, it didn't hurt that both were about his favorite science topics: dinosaurs and rocks. 

Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World, by Tracey Fern tells about Barnum Brown's adventures hunting fossils and dinosaur bones during the early 1900's.  Most of the adventures occur in the United States, but a few foreign places like Cuba and India are briefly mentioned.  The book ends with a one page biographical sketch of Barnum Brown's life, including a photograph of him cleaning a T. Rex skeleton.  {This book has two references to an old earth.  Both of which I easily changed to young earth terminology.}

Rocks in His Head, by Carol Otis Hurst describes the rock collecting passion of her father.  He loved rocks and always had a collection.  At the beginning of the book, Hurst describes how her father owned a filling station and kept a rock collection.  The Depression results in less customers, and the business eventually fails.  The family sells out and moves.  However, as time goes on, her father finds a job as a janitor in a museum, which happens to have a rock collection.  He fixes an inaccurate label one day and finds himself promoted.  His new job is taking care of the rock collection at the museum.

A Perfect Wizard?

Our local library recently rearranged their shelves in the children's library room, which has made finding certain favorite books harder.  On the other hand, the children and I are discovering new gems every visit. 

The new biography section lines the left back wall.  Typically, I comb through those shelves looking for whomever we are studying in history.  I was quickly scanning the titles when I noticed The Perfect Wizard.  Who is that about? I thought.  Pulling it off the shelf I realized the book was about Hans Christian Andersen a beloved fairy tale writer of ours.  The library also had the book on audio, and I picked that us as well. (In case our youngest wanted to hear the book again and again.)  The library also had a picture book containing eleven fairy tales written by Hans Christian Andersen.  With illustrations by Lizbeth Zwerger, I had to pick it up too. 

Over lunch, one day, I read the book aloud to the children.  They were enthralled as much as I was.  Andersen did not lead a cushy life.  Instead, it was one of suffering and perseverance.  When I finished the short biography, I casually mentioned the book compiled and illustrated by Zwerger.  My daughters immediately scooped it up, took it upstairs to read, and I haven't seen it since.


Linked to Read Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word

Slavery, Underground Railroad, and Freedom

During Civil War Day, our children were enthralled with seeing a hiding place from the underground railroad.  Then, a month later, when we visited the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, one of the first exhibits the children explored was entitled "Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty."  Again, their interest was sparked.

So, instead of just choosing one book about slavery, the underground railroad, and freedom, I opted to borrow five from our library.  These were used as a preview to our upcoming history lessons.

Two books I read aloud to all our children.  They were...

• Freedom Song: The Story of Henry "Box" Brown, by Sally M. Walker - a lyrical story about Henry's journey to freedom.  
• Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, by Carole Boston Weatherford - a beautiful tribute to Harriet Tubman, covering her journey north and her involvement with the underground rairlroad.

While reading both books, I cried as we read of families being separated and dangers faced to get to freedom.

Three other books were checked our for our older children to read.  They were...

• With a Banjo on My Knee: A Musical Journey From Slavery to Freedom, by Dr. Rex Ellis 
• Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students, by Suzanne Jurmain
• Abraham Lincoln & Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship, by Russell Freedman

We'll be studying slavery, underground railroad, and freedom over the next several months as we begin our formal history lessons again soon.

Previewing Our History Lessons

We are still enjoying our summer break, but that doesn't mean we aren't learning new things!

For the most part, our summer learning has been very laid back and relaxing.  However, one thing I definitely wanted to do over these relaxing weeks was provide our children with an introduction to some of our upcoming history topics, especially for the younger children.  The older two children have been through this time period before, but even so, a refresher can be nice before the school year 'officially' starts.

A few library books we borrowed recently...

Whatever Happened to the Pony Express, by Verla Kay
Using a poetical style, Verla Kay intertwines family letters with a wonderful poem full of strong rhythm and fun descriptive words. This style made the book an enjoyable read aloud with fascinating facts interspersed.  {Personally, I learned about the trial run with camels, which didn't work out and were replaced by horses.}  The extended family's communications span the time period of the pony express.  The family's dilemmas increase with time, and are eventually worked out just as the telegraph and trains completely replace the pony express.  It was a wonderful way to trace the historical developments of delivering mail throughout the continental United States.

Civil War Drummer Boy, by Verla Kay
Another selection by Verla Kay was also a poem.  Civil War Drummer Boy is the story of a young boy who becomes a drummer for the Confederate Army.  Though the book has an adventure feel to it, the reality of war is shared.  Vivid words describe the experiences of Johnny as he signs up, serves, and eventually returns home during the Civil War era.  The ending does leave readers with some hope as the family gathers on a porch to enjoy the flower blossoms and one another.  

A Picture Book of Sam Houston, by David A. Adler and Michael S. Adler
This one was quite the informative picture book biography.  We learned about Houston's political career as governor, senator, and president of Texas. Intertwined amongst these roles, we read about Houston's personal beliefs against slavery and his courage to stand up (and lose his job) because he would not be swayed to sign something he didn't believe: a loyalty oath to the Confederacy.  The illustrations by Matt Collins are superb, soft pictures filled with vibrant colors.

The Cowboy ABC, by Chris Demarest
A fun alphabet book telling about cowboys and the west was another read aloud.  Each page has one letter and one short one sentence per page.  The illustrations show the idea or item of the word highlighted for that letter.  Some of those items are kerchief, lariat, reigns, and tumbleweed.  It was a simple and easy introduction to cowboy and western life for my youngest who will begin kindergarten soon.

Looking at Lincoln, by Maira Kalman
This book was about a young girl who sees a man who reminds her of Lincoln.  This prompts her to research and learn more about Abraham Lincoln.  She shares her findings within the book by narrating them to the reader.  Interesting tidbits, like there are 16, 000 books written about him, are blended with common facts about his schooling.  The main character exudes a fascination and admiration of Lincoln which makes the fact reading enjoyable.  Our children recognized the Lincoln statue referenced to at the end, because we had visited it years ago on one of our trips to D.C.

Not only does this simple preview of a few of our history topics excite our children, it helps me to plan for our upcoming year as I gauge their interest and knowledge.

Studying the Lewis and Clark Expedition

We started with chapter 32 in The Story of the World, Volume 3.  Then we mapped the Louisiana Purchase on the map and colored a picture of Sacagawea from the Activity Guide. 

Together we read through several books, including The Crossing, A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, and The Lewis and Clark Expedition.  The children narrated and summarized.  They answered some questions and asked plenty more. 

We perused through a binder of information friends gave us.  It included a printed copy of a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to Meriwether Lewis, a roster of the people on the expedition, and various articles about the journey. 

Using the computer, we looked at Edgar Samuel Paxson's painting of Sacagawea.  Then we checked out this site: Discovering Lewis & Clark. 

Finally, we also took the time to watch a documentary streamed from our Netflix account.  It was called Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West, by National Geography.  This resource had a few opposing facts to what we found in our reading.  When this happens, it is a good chance to discuss information sources and how to discern opinions guised as facts.

Our oldest was assigned a report.  He chose to focus on the various travel methods used in the journey.  As he also had a large science experiment to finish for science, I cut him a slight break and gave him some extra time to finish his Lewis and Clark report.  Don't you just love the flexibility of homeschooling?


Resource Books:
Animals on the Trail with Lewis and Clark, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent* - This book is a resource indeed!  Filled with information on various animals encountered by Lewis and Clark as well as tidbits about their journeys, the book is perfect accompaniment to any Lewis and Clark study.  There is even a table outlining and dating chronologically when and where Lewis and Clark first saw each animal.  Honestly, the possibilities for structured lessons using this book span science, history, and geography.  We happened to use it more for interest led studies and allowed our children to freely explore it.

The Lewis and Clark Trail: Then and Now, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent* - Another fascinating find by Patent.  This book includes maps, images of historical paintings, and photographs by William Munoz.  Basically, the book is set up in two facing page sections, similar to an Usborne book, but meatier in content.  A few of the sections are "Equipment and Supplies," "The Bitterroot Valley," and "Living with the Nez Perce."  The book would lend itself well to the outlining activities often suggested by Susan Wise Bauer in The Well Trained Mind.  However, we used it more as a reference book, reading the sections we found interesting and skipping those we didn't.

Picture Books:
Lewis and Clark: Explorers of the American West, by Steven Kroll*
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, by John Perritano*
A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark, by David A. Adler*
Sacagawea, by Lise Erdrich*
Seaman's Journal: On the Trail with Lewis and Clark, by Patricia Reeder Eubank
The Crossing, by Donna Jo Napoli*
Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President, by Shirley Raye Redmond

Chapter Books:
The Incredible Journey of Lewis & Clark, by Rhoda Blumberg
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, by Richard L. Neuberger
As Far As the Eye Can Reach, by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel*
The Journals of Lewis and Clark, by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, edited by John Bakeless

*Books we found at our local library.

Light House Books

When our youngest finished his A to Z preschool year, I decided to review his letters and sounds, numbers and counting until summer break.  With that in mind, I started looking through the library shelves for some interesting books with a summer theme or summer topic.  We had already spent a great deal of time in science co-op learning about the ocean and coral reefs, but we hadn't really touched upon light houses.

Last year, for Mother's Day we had hiked to a nearby light house, and I knew our youngest remembered the experience.  He knew what a light house was for and the importance of it.  Without having to explain this to him, he could simply enjoy two new to us books we found at our local library.

The Bravest Woman in America, by Marissa Moss, describes the true adventures of Ida Lewis in picture book form.  Ida grew up with a father who maintained a light house in the mid 1800's on the coast of Rhode Island.  Ida helped her father and eventually became the light house keeper.  The book we read told about Ida's first time saving lives at sea.  Apparently, Ida went on to save many lives and was even awarded the Congressional Life Saving Medal.  Following the story, an Author's Note offers a brief biographical sketch of Ida's life and work.
 
The Sea Chest, by Toni Buzzeo, offered a poetical version of a light keeper legend.  Set on the coast of Maine, this book tells the tale of one light house keeper's family who finds a chest wrapped in bedding.  Upon opening the chest, the family of three finds a baby with a note attached to her wrist.  The family adopts the child and raises her on the light house island.  Though the story is based on a legend and its truth is unknown, the story offers readers a sweet reminder of grace and love with the beautiful message of a child being a blessing.

In the past, our older children have enjoyed other light house books.
From our personal book shelves -
Manning the Light, by Terry Webb
Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie, by Peter Roop and Connie Roop


Linked to Read Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word

Industrial Revolution ~ A Lesson

Having finished our Revolutionary War studies, we have marched through time in our history lessons.  One more week of general world history, and then we will be learning in depth about Lewis and Clark's exploration.  In the between time, we read about the French Revolution, Napoleon, the Haiti Revolution, and the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in our history spine, The Story of the World, Volume 3.

Though not a war, the Industrial Revolution was a time of great changes in the world.  We took the time to learn about several inventions that dramatically altered life.  Some were the cotton gin, the steam engine, and railroads.  We also learned a bit about the inventors themselves.  The two we read more about were Eli Whitney and Robert Fulton.  While reading about Whitney in SOTW, we learned about interchangeable parts and standardization. 

Some of our resources were:
The Story of the World, Vol. 3 Chapter 27, by Susan Wise Bauer
Robert Fulton: From Submarine to Steamboat, by Steven Kroll
Robert Fulton: Boy Craftsman, by Marguerite Henry
Maker of Machines: A Story about Eli Whitney, by Barbara Mitchell

Afterwards, each of our children tried their hand at inventing.  Using a suggestion in The Story of the World Activity Book, Vol. 3, Chapter 27, each child invented a device.  They drew pictures and diagrams, depending on the child's age.  Then, each child presented their invention and attempted to 'market' their invention to our family. 

Their creative inventions included a snowball tank with snow plow, a portable refrigerated lunch pail, a large flat night sky light that hangs from a bedroom ceiling, and a convertible scooter/skateboard.  Though some, or all, of these may already be invented somewhere in the world, each child put their own spin on their inventions making them unique.

It was a fun endeavor into the world of industry and inventions for our family.

Biographies about George Washington

No, we aren't quite done studying the Revolutionary War yet!  Last week, I shared a few titles that our daughters read about the Revolutionary War time period.

This time, I asked our daughters to read different biographies about George Washington.  Our youngest read George Washington, by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire and our oldest daughter read George Washington: A Picture Book Biography, by James Cross Giblin.  Both books are typical biographies spanning a good portion of Washington's life.  Each girl was required to read the book and present their findings to our family in an oral presentation.

For our preschooler, I read him Where Was George Washington? by Carla Heymsfeld.  It is a fun book we picked up years ago at Mount Vernon.  The book follows Liberty, George Washington's cat, around the plantation as he looks for Washington.  Our son has heard it before, but gladly listened again.

For all of our children, I read aloud Meet George Washington, by Joan Heilbroner.  {This is one of the Landmark Books.}  The book is 18 short chapters in length, and was read over three days. 

During each reading the children were required to choose an accompanying activity.  They could write a narration, draw a picture, or create a comic strip related to the day's readings.  With such an open invitation to creativity, our children had a wonderful time.  Our oldest son created a comic strip summarizing the entire book.  It was complete with dialogue.  One daughter chose to draw pictures the first two days.  She drew of farm life and a war scene.  On the third day, she tried her hand at a comic strip.  Our oldest daughter chose something different each day.  The first day, she wrote a lengthy summary.  Another time, she tried creating a comic strip.  Each and every day, the extension activity helped the children remember highlights of Washington's life.

A side note: Since our oldest son continues to work on a research report about Benjamin Franklin, he was exempt from extra readings on George Washington.  Currently, our son has read three biographies and is in the process of fusing his outlines.  This assignment originates from his writing curriculum: U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons, Volume I, by Lori Verstegen.

Ships, Navigation, and Whaling

This year, our oldest son completed a small unit study on ships, navigation, and whaling.  This unit fit easily into the context of our current colonial America studies, but reached beyond the 1700's into the 1800's. 

For bite sized nonfiction information, he read Ships, by Philip Wilkinson and Whale Port, by Mark Foster. 

Ships, published by Kingfisher, is divided into four main sections: Trade and Discovery, Ships of War, Peopling the World, and Discovering Ships.  Each section has numerous topics displayed in the typical two page spread of this type of book.  The information was just enough to create an interest and determine a course of more in depth study. 

Whale Port is a fun book that follows the fictional town of Tuckanucket from colonial times to contemporary times.  Though the book has elements of imagination, it is seeped with true facts of interest.  The overall effect was the story of whaling through the years.  It was a good book for my son to read after his recent reading of Moby Dick.  {He read this title on his own by his own choice.  Though it was not part of this unit study, it did lend itself well to the theme.}

For a personal example of navigation and shipping, he read Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham.  This biography follows the remarkable life of Nathaniel Bowditch.  Bowditch's determination, perseverance, and diligence are character traits are showcased in this well written book.  If you only want to read one book on navigation, let this be the one.  I highly recommend it.

For more hands on activities and further navigational information, he used Tools of Navigation, by Rachel Dickinson.  This book includes the history, as well as the science, of navigation.  Some of the topics include ancient navigators, explorers, using the stars to navigate, and land exploration. With directions to make your own compass and explanations on contour mapping, the fifteen different activities are applicable and interesting for children and adults. 

Previously read books relating to ships, navigation, and whaling:
All Set Sail, by Armstrong Sperry
Clipper Ship, by Thomas P. Lewis

Picture Book Biographies and a Capybara

Don't you just love those picture book biographies by Diane Stanley?  We have read aloud five this year, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Good Queen Bess, Bard of Avon (Shakespeare), and most recently, Peter the Great. 

 

After reading through a chapter about Peter the Great in Story of the World (volume 3), we read Stanley's picture book biography.  Since the children had already completed a written narration and a map, we simply enjoyed the book.  Afterward, we discussed some of his decisions and how he was portrayed within the biography. 

A family favorite read aloud of ours is Capyboppy, by Bill Peet.  This time around, I read it to our youngest son late one afternoon.  The story is about a typical family.  One son, named Bill, happens to be an animal lover.  He has a zoo/museum in his bedroom.  As a college student, he wants a boa, but the family rejects a snake.  He gets a capybara instead.  The young capybara comes to live with the family.  Capyboppy, as Margaret the mom calls him, becomes a beloved pet to the family.  However, as with most wild animals, Capyboppy outgrows the home, and needs to live somewhere, anywhere other than the residential home of the family.  We laugh aloud with the antics of Capyboppy each time we read this book.



Linked to Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and More

This year, our history studies will only carry us through 1850.  Which is about a hundred years too early for studying Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.  However, that will not stop us from incorporating a few history books into our lessons for the day.  Several of the books we will peruse today are...


A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet, written by Kathryn Lasky tells of Phillis Wheatley, who lived during the time period of our current history studies.  This picture book biography will be a fabulous starting point. 


Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans, by Kadir Nelson, offers a comprehensive history from the American Revolution through Martin Luther King, Jr.  We will read parts of this together.  Then, I will ask the older two children to take a few days and read through it independently.


and


My Uncle Martin's Words for America, by Angela Farris Watkins, PhD., rounds out our mini unit.  A fantastic biography using Martin Luther King, Jr.'s own words intertwined into the narrative.  The repetition of key words like love and freedom focus the reader on the values King promoted.  It is an excellent introduction to the impact of his life.


Another book I should mention is one that we read almost every year.  It is The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles.  Ruby Bridges is a young girl caught up in the large scale drama of desegregation in the public school system.  Her poise, compassion, and honest outlook are touching and humbling.  {I read this book with a pack of tissues nearby.}

Books for Boys

Strolling through the children's section of our library, this cover caught my eye.  Though it is about baseball, I was drawn to the illustrations by C.F. Payne.  The pictures are realistic, but with a bit of whimsy and slight exaggerations of features.  Instantly, I knew my sons would like this book.   

The picture book, like the poem it is based upon, is arranged alphabetically naming twenty-four iconic baseball players.  Two letters, I and Z, do not represent baseball players.  Instead, I stands for the Incurable fan (poet Frederick Ogden Nash) and "Z is for Zenith..." 

Lineup for Yesterday, by Ogden Nash features not only the poem, but biographical inserts for each of the players mentioned.  The informative biographical notes were written by Nash's daughter, Linell Nash Smith.  The book can be read in a couple of ways.  For younger listeners the main alphabetical poem is sufficient, but for older audiences, the poem and biographical information can be poured over together.

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Another book we read offered more comedy than history.  Entitled Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea, the book's subtitle, A Fairly Fabricated Story of a Pair of Pants, hints at the tone to come.  Written in the style of a tall tale, Tony Johnston tells the story of Levi Strauss and the invention of denim jeans. 

The book had us laughing with delight as Strauss joins the California Gold Rush, only to discover he is late, there is no gold left, and the men's pants have disintegrated.  Strauss laments his loss of gold and devises a way to fix the miners' pants problem.  Like any good tall tale, these story elements stretch the historical facts and create a humorous adventure. 

The book does conclude with a page telling the real story of Levi Strauss and denim jeans.

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The final book I'll share today was read more for my youngest son.  Solomon Crocodile, written by Catherine Rayner, is a fantastic read aloud book for preschoolers.  The vocabulary used is perfect for my active boy!  Verbs such as stalk, splats, slops, charges, and croaks are his kind of words.  The repetition of several lines makes for a delightful read aloud.

Linked to Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word where you will find a lot more great books!

Bach and Handel Biographies

Over the past several weeks we have read aloud from Sebastian Bach: The Boy from Thuringia.  Covering a chapter or two a week, we followed Bach's travels and growing musical talent.  Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher create an interesting tale of Bach's life with a focus on his music.














Following the biography of Bach, we decided to read of Handel.  Personally, I am enjoying this one far more than Bach's biography.  Perhaps it is due to Handel's passion for music or his father's reluctance to allow him to pursue music as a career, but knowing what a great musician Handel became.









Both biographies have study guides and enhanced CDs available.  Study guides have comprehension questions for each chapter and a time line.  The CDs have musical examples of each composer's compositions along with coloring pages and sheet music that can be accessed and printed.  We used the CD to its fullest extent.  I print up the pages for the children and play the music when called for in the readings.

Although we have the study guides, we haven't been using them.  Instead, I use a few coloring pages for each chapter.  As I read the chapter or chapters aloud, the children color a picture of their choice.  After the reading we discuss what we've read and I write some of the names of people and places on the chalk board.  Then, each of the older children writes a summary of the chapter they just heard.  We file these pages into their history notebooks.



To find out about more read aloud selections, visit Amy at Hope Is the Word
for this week's Read-Aloud Thursday link up.

A Book I Might Just Need to Buy

Surely you have read this title in a post somewhere else.  I know I have seen it mentioned many times this summer, and to everyone who has ever posted about it, consider yourself hugged, big bear hug group style by myself and our children.  Seriously, what a treasure you have shared with us!

After reading more than half a dozen posts on this book, I decided to request a copy from our public library.  It arrived, and we started reading it.  And, thus began our family's intrigue with Celeste, the sweet natured mouse in A Nest for Celeste, by Henry Cole.

From the beginning pages we were captivated as we followed Celeste's adventures with the rats, a cat, a human friend, and a few other mishaps.  With delight and great anticipation, we looked forward to the day's reading.  Each day, enjoying it more.

The children even started picking the book up between readings, paging through it, and saying to one another, "A Nest for Celeste is cool!" "Do we own it?" and "Oh, it is a library book.  It has to go back."

Perhaps this is a book that needs to be added to our own shelves as the children and I enjoyed it tremendously.

After we finished the read aloud, I gathered some additional books.  The first is one we have.
 
Audubon's Mammals: The Quadrupeds of North America
The others I found at our local library.  These included:
Capturing Nature: The Writings and Art of John James Audubon, edited by Peter and Connie Roop
Into the Woods: John James Audubon Lives His Dream, by Robert Burleigh
Audubon: Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier, by Jennifer Armstrong

For related fun, we read How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird, by Jacques Prevert (Thank you Amy for mentioning this one!)
The children freely perused these extra titles.


Some of the posts I read that mention A Nest for Celeste are these at Homegrown Learners and Grace in Loving Chaos.  I am truly sorry to the other ladies who shared about this book, I cannot remember each post I read.  Please know I am extremely grateful for your recommendations, and our children (and I) are blessed by your words!

Linking to Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope is the Word.

After the Rembrandt Exhibit

After we saw "The Faces of Jesus" showcasing Rembrandt's paintings at a museum, I read aloud from The Life and Work of Rembrandt van Rijn, a short biography.  The children listened while adding color to free coloring pages I found at Kid-n-Fun.  Afterward, the children wrote down a few sentences about Rembrandt.  It is always interesting to me what they found important, and consequently, write about in their summaries.  One child focused on his works of art, while another wrote about his family life.

To Read or Not to Read

Though I find great enjoyment in reading Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, I have shied away from sharing Shakespeare's plays with my younger children in the past.  Since our oldest now reached seventh grade, I thought we ought to read more than the sonnets.  Laying aside my apprehension, we embarked on a mini unit including all the children from preschool through seventh grade. 

To begin, we read through three plays, including A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet.  Instead of reading the originals, we tried illustrated storybooks of the plays retold by Bruce Coville.  The younger children were enthralled with these read alouds, and they served as a great introduction to the story lines and characters for our older children.  Afterward, the older children sought out more Shakespeare to read.  They tried some of the stories found in Charles and Mary Lamb's Tales From Shakespeare.

For a biography of William Shakespeare, we read Bard of Avon, by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema.  This is an illustrated text offering a summary of his life, relationships, and work on a level that interested the younger children, but did not overwhelm them. 

For a fun historical fiction account involving Shakespeare, our oldest son read The Shakespeare Stealer, by Gary Blackwood.  It is the first in a three book series about a young orphan boy living in England who works at the Globe Theatre.

All in all, I am glad this year, we chose to study Shakespeare and his works a bit more closely. 


Linking to Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope is the Word.