Sunday, August 09, 2009

Our week of learning - 9th August - Shakespeare's Twelfth Night


English: Lots of reading plus an hour on Spellodrome. He finished all the books he needed to read for this year's Premier's Reading Challenge.

We watched the BBC Shakespeare's Animated Tales of Twelfth Night, and today we went to see it produced by a local Youth Theatre Company. It was Billy's first Shakespeare play and he was very excited! He must regard it as a "grown-up" thing to do as Pete & I go down to Sydney a few times each year to watch Bell Shakespeare productions, and he gets left behind (with family)! So he was so chuffed to find out he was going this time!

It was a really good job for an amateur production - some very strong performers in it.

Shakespeare Stories

We also started reading Twelfth Night in the Leon Garfield's Shakespeare Stories, but haven't finished yet.

Maths: An hour or so spent on the Mathletics site and quite a bit of time spent on the Cyberchase website.

His work on Cyberchase included using Venn diagrams and he did fraction work while cooking. We also played Battleships to reinforce grids and co-ordinates.

Science & Technology: We did a cool experiment involving a lighted candle in a jar, baking powder and vinegar. When you pour a bit of vinegar in to mix with the baking powder at the bottom of the jar, it forms carbon dioxide which rises and snuffs the candle out.

This is a very shaky video of it - my videographer kept getting carried away and forgetting to keep the camera steady!

(video removed)

I showed him how to create a spreadsheet for his pocket money in Excel, so he updated that after he banked some money.

HSIE (Human Society and it's environment): Nothing formal.

Creative & Practical Arts: Drama lessons started back. He seemed quite happy once he came out, so we will see how the term progresses.

We had a folk dancing workshop at the homeschool meeting, so he got to participate in some dances from other countries.

He & Pete attended an exhibition of Dr Seuss illustrations on Saturday which they both liked by all reports.

LOTE (Languages other than English): He watched a school show on living in Germany which was in mainly German dialogue. Good practice for my rusty high school German!

PDHPE (Personal Development, Health & Physical Education): Auskick training, circus class & a trip to the park.




Life skills (cooking, gardening, housekeeping): He deposited his pocket money into his bank account without help - he went up to the counter by himself while I stayed back and watched in case he needed help. The look of pride on his face afterwards was so cool to see!

He also cooked some Anzac biscuits with minimal help.

6 comments:

libby said...

Hi Kerrie,

What an action packed week. I don't know how you fit it all in. No-one could read this and say homeschool kids don't get a proper education. I'm sure he's learning more than he would at school.
And Shakespeare? - I thought Amy was young doing Shakespeare at age 10!

Libby

Tamara Kidd said...

Anzac biscuits? Maybe it WAS today we were suppose to come around! oh no!!!! Tilda has a new cooking book, I'll be sure she packs it in her bag. See you all on Friday!

Love your blog btw!

Kez said...

Thanks Libby - lucky we don't have to fit in going to school as well!! lol

Tam - the Anzac biscuits were to take to Joey's last week :)

Tamara Kidd said...

oh! hehehe

Amy said...

That is an action packed week! Sounds like lots of fun though. Can I join in? It would be a welcome break from dishes and laundry to be sure!

Kez said...

It *was* a busy week! Sure, pop over any time :)