Bye Bye Boats (Wrap up week 15)

The end of our b week was heavy on activities that did not include pencil and paper.

Bible
We read the story of Jesus walking on water again and touched on Jesus calming the storm.  I did not feel like the kids were grasping this concept completely.  To help I looked for a video for a visual retelling.
There were many videos on this and we watched a couple.

Together we also played out both stories.  I put on some awesome storm sounds in the background.  After the main story was told we ran into a couple sea monsters and made port in California.  I have no idea where 'California' came from.


In the picture Doll Dragon is on the boat and Little Dragon is swimming in the sea.

A fun way to experiment and talk about Jesus walking on water is Obleck! 

Our obleck was blue to appear close to water.  Obleck sits as a liquid but if you apply pressure to it it becomes solid.  It is quiet neat.  Because of these properties we talked about Jesus walking on water.  They each had a guy that they walked across the obleck.  We did talk about how Jesus has the power of God and that is how he did it.

They really enjoyed this sensory bin. They covered their bodies and the tub in it by the end.  It is on my list of things to do again.


Alphabet
For the wrap up of the letter b we did activities that started with the letter b, more then just bot activities.

Earlier in the week we watched blues clues because I knew we would be playing Blues Clues later in the week. 

In each week folder the dragons had some paw prints and a tablet of paper or Handy Dandy Notebook.  They used the notebooks to draw each clue.

The clues were aluminum foil, the tub, and Legos. We tried brainstorming what we would do with items but the kids didn't come to a conclusion that involved all the clues with out a bit of help from mom.

Once we figured out blues clues and sang the song we headed upstairs to gather supplies and do the boat science experiment together.  More details below.


The dragons drew boats on their letter b printout. 

After the science was done I used foam letters in the bath for an alphabet review.

Little Dragon drew a boat and added it to our Treasure Map.


By the end of the week I needed some quiet time, as did the kids.  Both of them had less sleep then normal so were a bit on the cranky side.
To overcome all of our tired, sleepy, moodiness we cuddled on the couch and watched Brother Bear. 
The title has double B's! Bam!






















Science

Which shape makes the best boat? 

First we made our boats.  I demonstrated and then the dragons followed.  They each made their boats differently.  I enjoyed seeing the how different the boats were.

 We set them in the water and guessed if they would sink or float.  They floated of course.  We blew the boats around and swirled the water a bit while we talked about Jesus calming the

storm.  After playing with the water and boats for a bit we were ready to move on. Are experiment was to see which boat was the best shape and how many Lego blocks it would take to make the boats sink.

We each set 1 Lego in our boat at the same time.  We observed.  Then another Lego and another.
We did this until the boats started filling with water.  Doll Dragon quickly picked up her boat and dumped her water out so her boat was the last one above water.  The all square boat went under first at 3 blocks, then Little Dragons at four.

We figured that the best boat is a boat that has higher sides all the way around to prevent the water from getting inside.  We re-constructed Little Dragons this way and were able to fit 7 blocks inside.  Doll Dragon had already lost interest and was balling up the other two boats.  Ahhh..attention spans.
I was trying to explain a concept that was too difficult for a three year old so I ripped off two more pieces of foil for them to play with.  Doll Dragon wanted to crumple up more foil, Little Dragon wanted to make another boat.

Other
Each week the kids have the task of completing their week folder.  Inside these folders are many core concept worksheets, reading practice, cutting practice, etc.  This weeks folder had some work on the different seasons.  The dragons drew a picture of what they like to do in each season and what a tree would look like in each season.

The lesson plan we are currently following has a self help practice idea for each day.  I don't post about these because most of it are things I practice in my home daily.

My kids need structure.  A lot of structure.  When I lack and have a lazy day you can tell by my kids behavior.  Therefore I try to keep them busy.  With how much energy they have if I don't keep them busy they always find creative, sometimes not so great, ways to get their energy out.

I do not label the below activities chores.  That term usually brings negative feelings.  They are not optional, it is just what we do.

I have found that having them be special helpers and having a distinct role in how the family operates helps. They always set the table and clear it.
They clean the table.
They help with the dishes sometimes but I usually am doing that while they do their preschool.
They help me cook.  Meaning, cutting, spreading, mixing, pouring, etc.
They serve each other meals.
Make their beds.
Clean their own room.
Put their laundry away.
Sweep and Vacuum.

I have not had them help clean the bathroom yet which is in the lesson plan.  I don't clean the bathroom. That is Jerry's job.  So I leave it up to him to ask for  help in that area. :)

Books we read this week:

For my review on the books click here.

Feel free to share your experience or thoughts in the comments section. :D