With the weather being sunny last weekend, we were finally able to take Juju Jr. out to the beach and enjoy some time reading. It was a nice way to end the weekend and get ready for another week of learning and activities.
April 22
Ethan has always loved The 13 Story Treehouse series of books and he’s been enjoying The 78 Story Treehouse while we hung out in Juju Jr. down at the beach. We didn’t want to leave but Ethan was registered for a workshop on bumblebees.
The bumblebee workshop got interesting once the kids were outside looking for bees and being in nature. The kids were given nets to try and catch bees for closer observation. Unfortunately, we didn’t catch anything but it was fun, nonetheless.
Ethan has been working on math worksheets and Canadian Reader articles. He works on whatever math topic is interesting/challenging for him and on this day it was multiplying decimals.
With the Canadian Reader articles, we work through an entire issue of the magazine by working on one article per day.
We feel that it’s been helpful to have Ethan do a few set tasks, such as math and reading an article and answering comprehension questions. He likes the sense of accomplishment from getting these things done.
Most of the time, he’s happy doing math on the computer or learning a new math concept. Here, he wanted to know what the “e” meant on a calculator when he’s tried calculating large numbers.
He uses Babbel for learning a second language and we let him choose which language he’d like to try. Today, it was Spanish.
One thing we decided to try was borrowing TinTin DVDs in French so Ethan can watch something he likes, TinTin, while listening to French. He enjoyed watching the DVDs so we’ll keep trying this and see how it goes.
April 23
Every morning we go jogging. It’s been a lot of fun and a great way to start the day, especially when the weather is so nice out.
Ethan always wants to read at the table when we’re eating. We love that he enjoys reading so much, but we do want him to engage with us and his food during meal times. Anyway, he was reading about math.
We’ve also discussed with him why we’d like to eat a vegetarian diet but want to respect his choices, too. One thing Dong Eun discovered is that Ethan thought the meat we consumed was already dead and so it was ok to eat those animals. He didn’t quite realize that the animals are slaughtered.
The Classroom Ready Science News articles have been helpful in getting Ethan to read articles for comprehension and writing practice.
He has improved his ability to write in complete sentences, something he never really enjoyed but should improve so that he can communicate better with others.
Ethan worked on the next Canadian Reader article. We try to ask him questions related to the article to expand his thinking and knowledge about the topics discussed. It’s something that we as his parents have to work on.
We’d like Ethan to learn in a holistic way so we know it’s up to us to provide that type of learning opportunity.
He also practiced more math problems. We’d like to use word problems more than just equations.
Learning about multiplying and dividing powers via Khan Academy.
Ethan has been working on his typing each day and is starting to remember where each letter is located.
Violin is also part of Ethan’s daily practice. He practices on his own, then comes out and plays for us.
Ethan wanted to make a model of our solar system using elastics but he didn’t have enough, so he started gluing strips of paper together. He didn’t want to make a mess with the glue, so he created “the glue workspace.”
Reading books about space while trying to eat lunch.Â
Drawing elliptical orbits using an elastic and a push pin.
We realized that Prodigy math has a teacher function allowing us to set assignments and create plans. We were thinking of abandoning Prodigy because the math was getting too easy for Ethan and he was becoming more engrossed by the gaming aspect of the site.
We were happy to find out that we could assign more challenging topics and get detailed information about what his strengths are and what he needs more work on.
Spanish again today.
Ethan really enjoys the typing practice and likes to see the accuracy score and words-per-minute he can type at.
Ethan wasn’t too interested in the critical thinking parts of the article. He said he wasn’t sure how to answer or write his own opinions. We think it’s partly that reason and partly because he doesn’t want to write đ
But then he’s fine with writing creatively and even teaching how exponents work.
Ethan took apart his Rubik’s Cube. Not sure if he’s still trying to solve all his cubes to get a new cube.
Ethan’s been using the SelfDesign library and here he was watching a video about Raspberry Pi, as we talked about possibly building a PC.
Ethan hasn’t played chess very much lately but he still likes it and watched some videos about chess mistakes.
The SD library is full of information we never knew about. Ethan learned about puzzles and was inspired to learn more using other resources.
He decided to make a real version of a puzzle he was playing online.
The object is to form a square with all the puzzle pieces.
We’ve been reading Black Beauty every night before bedtime and Ethan is very engrossed in the story.
I’ve also really enjoyed it, even though I still find the language a little hard to read and understand. However, it’s been fun to find out how to read this book with the proper rhythm and intonation.
April 24
Starting the day with math worksheets might not sound fun but Ethan enjoys the practice. This morning, he worked on division and decimals.
And then we went for our morning jog.
Ethan worked on a new article from Classroom Ready Science about supersonic travel. He wanted to compare supersonic travel to the speed of light so it was good to see him adding more information to his answers.
Morning solo violin concert.
Then some math practice using Prodigy. We see that Ethan is working at a Grade 7 level but we’re not sure the assessment is completely accurate.
More typing practice. This time it was learning C, F and R.
Some practice with rounding numbers.
And solving for missing values.
In this Canadian Reader article, Ethan worked on compound words. He wasn’t totally sure what a compound word was so we worked on identifiying a couple of words before letting Ethan complete the exercise.
Spanish again today.
Then some reading after completing all the learning tasks we’d like him to work on. This method has been working well with Ethan. He seems to like the sense of accomplishment after getting all his work done.
He’ll usually work on other learning projects that he’s interested in, such as learning about space or doing more math.
Reading about math before taekwondo class.
And doing some writing before heading out.
Ethan picked these flowers for Dong Eun.
Playing with friends in the fountain about taekwondo is something Ethan loves doing, especially as the weather warms up.
He also played some soccer.
Back home, he checked out some information on video games in the SD library.
A fun and interesting book we found recently is “The Science of Why 2.”
April 25
Ethan started the day by solving his 3×3 Rubik’s Cube.
After he came home from nature school, Ethan worked on some math.
And he worked on completing the Classroom Ready Science News article, as well.
For dinner, we tried a new Persian flatbread that we used to wrap some “tuna” salad made from chickpeas.
Typing practice has helped Ethan improve his WPM.
Today, it was French for the language studies.
Ethan read about the Bermuda Triangle and we looked on a larger map to see where it’s located.
We also dug a little deeper to learn about why ships and planes have disappeared in the area.
We found out that the Bermuda Triangle experiences blasts of wind that shoot straight down to the ocean at 170 mph (274 kph). These wind bombs can overturn ships and push planes.
Ethan wrapped an elastic around his toothpaste to try and get the last bit of toothpaste out. We usually cut the tube open afterwards to get the remaining toothpaste out.
We again finished the day by reading Black Beauty.
April 26
This morning after our jog, we walked with Dong Eun to the dentist and Ethan got a nice little massage from the massage chair at the clinic.
At home, Ethan told me about the names of different polygons and asked if I knew how many sides they had.
This led to me showing Ethan how the aperture blades in a camera lens create polygons, as well. He could count the number of aperture blades and see what the name was.
We also took a few photos to demonstrate how the polygons show up in the background lights.
He then read about constellations.
And reviewed the order of operations because he was trying to figure out how to add exponents.
We had swimming earlier in the day and now it was time for taekwondo class.
Back home, he learned about bats and how the flying fox was the world’s largest bat with a wingspan of 2m. We wanted to see what the flying fox looked like so we Googled and watched a National Geographic video about the flying fox.
The Canadian Reader story he read today was about North Atlantic right whales.
And finished the day with reading Black Beauty.
April 27
Wake up and read. A typical start to Ethan’s day. This morning he read about the solar system…again đ
He then practiced some equations with exponents.
We went out for our jog.
Afterwards, he drew a Fibonacci spiral with his compass. It’s been a while since he used his compass to draw.
Having breakfast and working on the equations with exponents.
Reading about rational and irrational numbers.
Learning about irrational numbers and surds.
He then practiced a bit of French using Babbel.
Later that day, Ethan had a couple friends over to play and to have pizza for dinner.
And as usual, we wrapped up the night with Black Beauty.
April 28
After a sunny couple of days, we were back to a bit of cloud and rain. We still went jogging, though. Dong Eun and I don’t want Ethan to use the weather as an excuse not to jog and besides, it’s been a lot of fun and a great way to start the day.
Back home, Ethan told us about the music he’s learning to play and what the last song in his book is. We listened to some of the songs he’ll eventually learn and he also played some songs for us.
After breakfast, Ethan printed out the final article in the Canadian Reader issue he’s been working through. He also printed out a worksheet to practice identifiying irrational numbers.
Later, we went grocery shopping and then to my parents’ house to make pizza for lunch. My mom had already prepared the dough and Ethan and Dong Eun got to shape it and add the toppings.
Ethan brought his Canadian Reader worksheet and laptop with him so he could finish his work. He rushed through these and had to rewrite some of his answers so he learned that he needs to do put in the effort whenever working on something.
His cousin had come over to my parents’ place and we invited her back to our place to play with Ethan.
They spent most of the afternoon trying different slime recipes.
They made some clay with one batch.
Then eventually hit upon a recipe for some very stretchy slime.
It was strong enough to suspend a marble. I even dropped the marble onto the stretched out slime and the marble just sat on top without ripping the slime. Very cool.
So that was Ethan’s week on unschooling.
One of the things we want to work on with Ethan is teaching him about morals and ethics. We realize it has to come from our own examples as parents, but we also want to learn about how to have those conversations with Ethan.
The journey continues.
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Future Directions
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Will you please include some future direction for Ethan in your next Observation for learning? I am looking for 2-3 things Ethan will be working on or doing this summer?Â
Natasha
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Mazes and mandalas made by feet
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The maze Ethan made in the playground with his foot was amazing!! I suggest you get into more beach and sand art with him. I wonder what he will be creating someday.
This artist, Simon Beck, makes incredible mandalas with snowshoes:
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Critical Thinking
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“Ethan worked on the next Canadian Reader article. We try to ask him questions related to the article to expand his thinking and knowledge about the topics discussed. It’s something that we as his parents have to work on.
Ethan wasn’t too interested in the critical thinking parts of the article. He said he wasn’t sure how to answer or write his own opinions. We think it’s partly that reason and partly because he doesn’t want to write :)”
I am so happy to hear you are trying to encourage Ethan to develop critical thinking skills and ways to express himself. Here is a very cool infographic on the topic.
There are many wonderful resources of critical thinking and social justice in the Learning Library:
https://selfdesign.learning.powerschool.com/selfdesignlearning/library/cms_page/view/29208200
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Black Beauty novel study
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It is wonderful that you are both enjoying reading âBlack Beautyâ together. I imagine it is a wonderful way to develop some new vocabulary and explore some more challenging literature together. It might be an opportunity to try some expository writing. From what I have read Ethan is reluctant to write complete sentences so I imagine this writing style (short or longer essays) will be challenging for him, yet a very important skill to develop in terms of expressing oneâs ideas in the written form. Here are some open ended questions you could try. I suggest modeling for him or having him dictate to you at first as a way to build confidence and fluency. It is a great way to introduce how you can build an essay from a thesis statement, topic sentences for the supporting paragraphs and have a conclusionâŚ.
Beofre trying writing answers maybe just discuss thoughts about these questions:
1. After reading the novel, Black Beauty, do you think people’s opinion of animal cruelty changed and made the reader aware of how big of a problem it is? If not, then why? Provide examples from the novel.
2. Do you think people cared more about fashion than they did about their horses? Why?
3. Ginger was not treated well when she was young so she thinks it is ok to bite people now. Do you agree with her? Explain.
4. Do you think it was ironic that, at the end of the novel, Black Beauty was sold back to his original owners? Why?
5. What do you think the author’s purpose was of writing this novel? Explain.
Here is an example of a short answer:
Do you think Black Beauty is a childrenâs novel? Use evidence from the book to defend your answer.
The book contains features which suggest the designation of âchildrenâs novel.â Talking animals are perhaps the most clear, but it is not the only fantastical element of the story. The happily-ever-after ending for both Jerry and Black Beauty reads much like any other simple childrenâs story. Who is a villain and who is a good guy is quite clear with a few linesâeither through names or later actions. On the other hand, when Sewell herself explains why she wrote this book, she mentions nothing about childrenâs literature and instead points out that her goal is to encourage kindness.
Some more discussion or essay questions:
What role do the women of the story play? Do they all fit in the same role or are they varied?
The book contains elements of moral ambiguity and elements of clear cut morals. Which one dominates in the story?
How does Gingerâs relationship with Black Beauty shape the latterâs life? What does their friendship demonstrate?
Essay Topic 1
Black Beauty learns many valuable lessons throughout the novel. What are some lessons he learned? Who did he learn them from? Which lesson do you feel is the most valuable, and why?
Essay Topic 2
Death appears in Black Beautyâs story many times. What are three examples of death from Black Beauty, and what might the authorâs purpose have been for including those deaths?
Essay Topic 3
Black Beauty experienced a variety of masters. What are some things he learned from different masters? Did he learn more from his kind masters or his mean ones? Which master do you think Black Beauty liked the most?
Essay Topic 4
Black Beauty is a story told from a horseâs perspective. What are the challenges for an author of having the story told from having a horseâs perspective? What are the challenges for a reader?
What is the role of children in the novel?
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Holistic Education
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From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holistic_education
Holistic education is a philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to humanitarian values such as compassion and peace. Holistic education aims to call forth from people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning. This is the definition given by Ron Miller, founder of the journal Holistic Education Review (now entitled Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice). The term holistic education is often used to refer to the more democratic and humanistic types of alternative education. Robin Ann Martin described this further by stating, “At its most general level, what distinguishes holistic education from other forms of education are its goals, its attention to experiential learning, and the significance that it places on relationships and primary human values within the learning environment.”[1]
Holism in general is the idea that all the properties of a given system in any field of study cannot be determined or explained by the sum of its component parts. Instead, the system as a whole determines how its parts behave. A holistic way of thinking tries to encompass and integrate multiple layers of meaning and experience rather than defining human possibilities narrowly.
Some principles:
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Freedom (in a psychological sense).
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Good-judgment (self-governance).
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Meta learning (each student learns in their “own way”).
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Social ability (more than just learning social skills).
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Refining Values (development of character).
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Self Knowledge (emotional development).
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Ideas from another learner
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Finally some other ideas from my other grade 4 learner, there are some gems in here, has Ethan ever watched Bill Nye the science guy episodes? He is so interested in space and that seems to be his passion right now. I support you following that. Perhaps there are some episodes which might spark his interest in other science topics:
This is a fun way to create some writing prompts
She chose some National Geographic photos and used them as prompts to write short stories. Â She read a stack of picture books and did a âVerb Scavenger Huntâ, making a list of all the different verbs she could find in the stories. Â She found dozens and dozens of verbs and wrote them down.
Watched and discussed some Bill Nye the Science Guy episodes. Â Layla really likes doing the interactive quizzes at the end.
The episodes she watched at breakfast this week:
RESPIRATION
Layla understands that we take in oxygen and food to give us energy, and she has a good understanding how our lungs work, thanks to last few years of anatomy studies. Â She has strong healthy lungs, due to lots of exercise, and she understands this connection.
FARMING
We talked about how irrigation is a big part of farming, and how farming changes the environment. Â She is familiar with basic farming practices in our big garden here and the gardens of her friends.
CLIMATE CHANGE
A topic she has a better understanding of than I ever did until I started learning about it with her. Â She knows that if the worldâs climate changes too much, sea levels rise. She understands that climate change is a natural occurrence on earth, but the problem is that humans are speeding it up. Â She understands the variety of climates on earth, and she can deduce a countryâ climate by looking on the map, and noting its proximity to the equator, or the Arctic/Antarctic, etc.
NUCLEAR ENERGY
A good talk about atoms. Â This was an energy form we didnât talk about when we did our energy projects a couple of years ago. Â I totally forgot about it. Bill Nye gave a good explanation, and she is aware of why this form of energy is not ideal.
NUTRITION
She knows that you are what you eat. Â I have shared bits with her from Michael Pollanâs books over the years, specifically âFood Rules.â Â Layla is always happy to eat good, healthy food, and she understands that she needs a variety of nutrients from various foods to grow and be strong.
PRESSURE
We also talked about how different kinds of pressure is everywhere around us. Â A particularly informing episode!
BUOYANCY
Lots of good connections to the boating world she knows about through kayaking, canoeing, sailing, surfing, paddle-boarding, and the huge fishing boats parked at the docks out front. Â And of course good connections to our recent fish/shark studies, like about SWIM BLADDERS. Layla plays with buoyancy all the time (in the bath, at the beach, in the river). She wants to build a raft to boat across the inlet. Â She is figuring out a way to make it buoyant enough to carry her and a friend.
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