Ihomeschool

September 1, 2010 Day One
Here we are, the first day of school! And the first day of Sophie’s tenth year, her 5th grade year, and our first day of homeschooling. Today is a Wednesday and a heat wave in Maine with temperatures in the high 90s with oppressive humidity. It’s hot. Sophie and I planned to attend an Open House at a local homeschoolers group and we began the day by dropping Lily at the farm before heading off to meet some fellow homeschoolers.
Well, we came, we saw, we met a few folks, and we decided that at least for now this group was not for us. Not that there was anything wrong with the group, they all seemed very nice and interesting but Sophie felt the space and atmosphere felt like a daycare and she was not happy about joining the group or attending the classes. I assured her she feelings were valid and we didn’t have to join any group or take any classes that weren’t interesting. We decided to go down the street to visit Courtney and the Patten Free Library. We updated our library card and searched the database for books about early American exploration and Maine colonies. Sophie checked out two books: Adventure at the Popham Colony by Alex Popham King and a novel, Hitty: Her Fist Hundred Years by Rachel Field.
We introduced ourselves to the children’s librarian, Carol, and we learned about some great programs and exciting classes and groups offered at the library. Sophie is excited about the Patten Players, a new theater group meeting on Wednesday afternoons and the Chess Club on Tuesdays. The library also hosts a homeschooling group as well and we will attend their first meeting next Thursday.
After our positive experience at the library, we decided to grab some lunch and drive out to Popham to visit Ft. George and the failed Popham colony of 1607. Sophie read Mr. King’s book aloud as we drove down Rt. 209 to Phippsburg. We stopped at the Civil War era fort, ate lunch, and continued to read the book aloud to each other. The book is well written, informative, and grade-appropriate. The protagonist is a ten-year old cabin-boy on the ship the Gift of God with Captain George Popham as they voyaged from England to the new world of Virginia to embark on the adventure of establishing one of the first of two permanent colonies in North America. We walked around the fort, knowing it was not the Ft. George of the original Popham Colony, but confused about where the site actually was. We knew we were close, so we stopped at the local library and asked directions. The kindly gentleman librarian directed us to a right turn on Ft. Baldwin road and what was left of this magnificent historical site.
Unfortunately there isn’t much left of the original site, although there was a marker set with a flagpole that referenced the original map and plan of the colony drawn by John Hunt in 1607. We walked the nice wooded path to some interesting but unmarked structures. We continued to read the book aloud and learned about the terribly harsh winter of 1607 and what became of the failed colony. Although the structures that are there appear to be, like Fort Popham, from the Civil War era, not the early 1600s. The marker there references an intricate archeological dig but nothing remains of the site now.
Sophie finished reading the book aloud to me in the car on the drive back to the farm to get Lily. She also made notes for her first 5 x 5 for 5th grade (see Template below). She played ArithmaTick on the Iphone for 15 minutes, which is a timed math game that practices addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Due to the heat, I relieved Sophie of her schooling for the afternoon and let her rest, rehydrate, and play with her sister. At four o’clock she typed and finished her 5x5 assignment and wrote her first blog entry.
It was a successful and pleasant, albeit hot, first day of school.
Sophie’s Daily Work Plan

5 x 5 for 5th Grade
5 Facts/ Details What did you learn? What did you notice?
5 Vocabulary Words/ Definitions 5 new words a day with definitions—Spelling & vocabulary Quiz every Monday with total of 25 words
5 Questions & Answers (or where/how you can find/research the answer) Did you learn something today that you didn’t understand? Is there something in particular you want to learn more about? What would you ask a professional or expert?
5 Complete Sentences Write 5 complete sentences using the 5 new vocabulary words about what you learned today. Sentences should be correct with proper grammar and spelling.
5 Pictures/ Photos/ Illustrations

Daily Work
Quick Math—worksheets, games
Language Arts—reading aloud, creative writing, handwriting, letter writing, games
Reading—one chapter from book of choice
Blog entry—one post for every school day with 5 x 5 post

Choice Activities (3 days a week Sophie will choose 3 prescribed activities)
Music—lesson, history, exposure
Art—gallery or museum, project or practice, artists or art history
Creative Writing—short stories, poems, plays
Volunteer
Visit Workplace
Book Report/ Encyclopedia Entry
History Project—on going, goal of 1 completed project per month
Field Trip—in addition to Field Trip Fridays
Teach Lily
Movie/ Documentary—Mom’s choice, related to curriculum
Web Quest—Sophie’s choice, related to curriculum
Cooking/ Chores/ Crafts
Science Experiment
Nature Walk
Game—board, card, computer

Weekly Schedule
Monday: Spelling Quiz
Daily Math
Language Arts
Reading
Blog 5 x 5
3 activities
Skating
Tuesday: Farm School—3 Activities
Daily Math
Language Arts
Reading
Blog 5 x 5

Wednesday: Skating & No school day
Library

Thursday: Farm School—3 Activities
Daily Math
Language Arts
Reading
Blog 5 x 5
Skating

Friday: Field Trip Day
Daily Math
Language Arts
Reading
Blog 5 x 5

Saturday: Dad Day
Math Lesson
Computer Literacy
Reading Blog 5 x 5