Today we are wrapping up our "M" is for Moon unit. I was delighted at how engaging and fun this week was, as well as the unique way our moon unit built upon the sun unit from last week. When I chose MFW I worried that the biblical integration portion of the curriculum would be too scripted, coming across as contrived to "fit" the unit. I couldn't have been more wrong! Our bible time has flowed nicely and has allowed additional character development while pointing the boys to Jesus. It is lovely to see our unit themes through the lens of the Gospel!
This week we learned that we reflect the light of Jesus just as the moon reflects the sun's light. We memorized Mathew 5:14,16 and looked for ways to intentionally reflect Jesus' love. The boys were really engaged with the material and soaked it up. One of the joys of home schooling is the flexibility to add richness and depth to a subject of particular interest to the kids and not feel pressured to rush on to a new unit.
So here's a little recap from our week:
Our SunMoonEarth model to give the boys a better idea of the moon's orbit of the Earth and the Earth's orbit of the sun.
Books we are reading:
Magic Tree House books #3 and #4 (my boys are loving these books so very much and I've seen their creativity and imagination explode after reading these adventures.) Luckily #3 is Mummies in the Morning perfectly coinciding with "m" is for moon : )
Mathstart Books - These books are crazy fun and educational. I truly think these are an invaluable addition to any home library. This week we chose Mighty Maddie in keeping with our "m" theme!
What we're watching:
Bill Nye Science Guy - the moon (also on you tube), and the Earth's Crust
The Magic School Bus - Space Adventures
The Universe, Phases of the Moon - You Tube
Both of the boys were fascinated with the theory that long ago something crashed into the Earth and sent particles into orbit eventually making up the moon. I explained to them the concept of "theories" and expressed to them that on this side of heaven there will always be unanswered questions - all we need to know is however it all came about God planned it and purposed it and it is good and for His glory.
Tactile letter practice with Dot paint on a letter M
It's hard to tell from this picture but we experimented with moon phases and a lunar eclipse in the bathroom with an Earth, a "moon" (styrofoam ball) and a sun (flashlight) in order to see the moon hide in the shadow of the earth at different times in orbit. Fun experiment from the book Experiments With the Sun and Moon by Salvatore Tocci!
Tactile letter practice on the chalkboard
"M" is for M&M's of course!!!
The Moon - white paint mixed with flour, then bottle caps smudged on top to "crater" the moon
Painting moons!
Letter practice with the geo board
Blane and Gavin are so curious about the moon's phases. Luckily we've been able to find the moon each day and identify what "phase" it's in! Some of the terminology can be difficult for a three and four year old to understand (waxing, and waning…really?!). So we decided that waning (the visible portion of the moon shrinking) sounds a lot like whining…when the moon "whines" it needs to go away to it's room. And when it's waxing, the moon is getting polished an clean and brighter so that we can see it again : )
Learning moon phases with Oreos
"Moon Glow" bathtime! Simply glow sticks in bath water for endless fun
Lunch - Moon grilled cheese, cantaloupe stars and blueberry asteroids
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