Example ACTIVITY REPORT

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WWW.ABWHOMEED.COM  

 Overview

A.      9 year old, female

B.       Interest: Bible, music, computer, crafts/arts, outer space.

C.       Test results: see table1; Performance equivalency, see Table 2

D.      Learning style: Auditory, Kinesthetic, Social

2. Homeschooling: Per Option 1

3: Filling School/District:

A.      Chesapeake; Chesapeake Public Schools

B.       Address: School Administration Building 312 Cedar Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322

C.       School academic calendar: cyclic.

D.      Superintendent / Principal: W. Nichols

(1) Homeschooling coordinator: Jack Hannon

1.        Phone: (757) 5470545

2.        Fax: (757) 5472035

4. Curriculum Blended

A.      Primary Resources:

1.        English: Novel based

2.        Mathematics: Mathematics 4

3.        Science: Science 4

4.        Social Studies: History 4

B.       Supplemental resources: No Supplemental Resources Used.

5. Parental Subjects: Spanish, Bible

6. Performance: Stanford 10 Achievement Test

7. Goals:

1.        Long Term: prepared for college; apologetics.

2.        Annual: enhance written communication skills.

 8: Administrative Requirements:

A.      Parent approval of academic plan

B.       File Intent-to-Homeschool letter

C.       Deliver Activity Reports.

D.      Submit evaluation of academic progress (testing).

E.       Deliver Year End Report.

Support Materials / Special Events

Monday  

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—half empty tube of toothpaste

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—Scrapbook Materials

Tuesday 

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—modeling clay (or flour/salt dough), vinegar, baking soda, baking powder

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—block of clay (optional)

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—wax paper, molasses, toothpick

—Virtual Tour of Ibn Battuta

—Materials provided separately.

—Science Assessment

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—Social Studies Assessment

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(Day and Date)

Special Events:  N/A
Review Concepts: 

Lesson

Time

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1.       Writing

A.      Daily Journal:  Have your child choose a “journal”.  This may be a spiral, folder, composition book, etc.  This will be for creative writing entries on a daily basis.  Allow them to decorate the cover, label the journal (“My Buddy”, “Jon’s Writing”,  “My Thoughts”, etc.)  Make sure each day is dated.  The writing selections will vary from a few sentences to a few paragraphs to perhaps a few pages. 

2.       Spelling/Vocabulary

A.      New words:  rancid, warily, tedious, cautious, relentlessly, journey, vigorous, apt, impatient, fierce, medicine, pneumonia, beautiful, poisonous,  breathe/breath, vegetable, field, potato/potatoes, scarce, peered

*Note to Parents:  Feel free to add or subtract from the spelling and vocabulary lists each week to suit your child’s needs.  For example if your child needs a smaller list, you may delete a few words.  If there are other words they are having problems spelling, go ahead and add them.

B.       Copy and Define:  Have student copy the new words into a spelling folder (three brads, two pockets) and define on the first day of every week when new words are introduced.  Place the Spelling Contract sheet as the first paper in the folder.

*Note:  Test will be on the last day of every week.

3.       Reading

A.      Make a Reading Folder:  Provide a folder (three brads, two pockets) and allow student to decorate.   Use this folder to store reading sheets disbursed by SA.  Place the reading sheets in the following order.  Story Map, Literature Log, Character Traits, Frisby Predictions, Story Starters

B.       Before Reading:  Introduce the novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh.  Allow the student to peruse through the book.  Examine the cover.  Look through the Table of Contents.  Who is the author?  Has the book won any awards?  (Newbery Medal) Where do you think the story takes place?  What do you think the story is about?  What does the picture on the cover tell you about the book?  Who do you think is riding on the bird?  What kind of bird is it?  Are birds and mice usually friends?  What is the difference between someone who is a hypochondriac and someone who is actually sick?

*Note: Find a cinder block or a picture of one.  This will help students to understand the home of the mice before they read the first chapter and be used in an activity after reading. 

C.       Read Chapter 1:  “The Sickness of Timothy Frisby”

*Note:  When reading the novels, vary the strategy the student reads:  i.e. read silently, read out loud, listen while you read to them.

**Note:  Always make note of the spelling and vocabulary words used within the readings.

(1)      Using context clues, what does the underlined word mean?  “There was plenty of food for breakfast, and lunch and dinner too, for that matter; but still the sight depressed her, for it was the same tiresome fare they had been eating every day, every meal, for the last month.”

(2)      Mrs. Frisby has four children:  Who are they?  Use adjectives to describe each one.

Teresa: oldest; Martin, biggest, strong, quick, dark haired, handsome; Cynthia: youngest, slim, pretty, light hair, light headed, over-fond of dancing, Timothy: sickly, weak, thin, smartest, most thoughtful

(3)       Using context clues, what does the underlined word mean?  “After a while we’ll fix you a pallet in the living room so you can lie out where it’s light.” 

(4)      What is wrong with Timothy?

D.      Activity:  Allow student to recreate what they think the Frisby home looks like either using a real cinderblock and leaves, grass, cloth, cotton, feathers and other soft things OR draw the cinder block home using crayons or colored pencils.

*Optional Activities:  Throughout the book you may use a Venn Diagram and compare Mice and Human’s Way of Life.  This can be a fun activity for the students to fill in as they recognize differences or similarities after each chapter. 

*Field Trip Suggestions:  Visit a pet store and observe rats and mice.  Have students take a pen and paper and write down their observations of behaviors.  This can be done one time or several times throughout our novel study.

4.       Grammar

A.      Sentence/Fragment Review:  Review that a sentence expresses a complete thought.  Fragments are parts of a sentence that do not express a complete thought.  Point out sentences in chapter 1. Point out the fragment at the end of the 6^th paragraph.  “Cat territory.” Point out there is no subject or predicate.  Demonstrate how to correct that fragment and change to a sentence.  I.e. “That was cat territory.” That=subject, was=predicate

B.       Find and Correct Fragments:  Go back through the chapter, find these fragments and correct them.

i.e. “Not very likely, so far from the stream.  More likely a squirrel or a ground hog.” “Nonsense.” “Not now.”

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1.  Place Values.

2.  Course book pages: 7-9

A.  Each lesson will contain the words "Math Facts practice."  By this I mean, do warm up drills.  The drills are not necessarily related to any lesson or exercise, but review the basics.  Do as a precursor to executing a math lesson, and only for two to three minutes. 

3.  Math Facts practice:

A.   Drills: child should easily know addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts to 12. Throughout the year attempt to increase this to 15.  Randomly quiz child with numbers of your choosing:

(1) 7x8, 9x6, 8+8, 72/9, etc.   This is not meant to be complicated, just refresher.  If you determine child has difficulty with math facts, please let me know.

B.   Money.  Counting money by this grade is normally not a problem.  Making change may be.  As such, try to use real currency and play store for a minute or so.  You buy something, child plays cashier and makes change. 

4.  Concept. This place value lessons should be easy/review for your child.  With these beginning lessons, the focus is on whole number place values; i.e. numbers to the left of the decimal point.  If child struggles reading large numbers, it likely indicates lack of numerical place value understanding.  

A.  It is normal for child to verbally or mentally note the place values prior to reading a large number; i.e. comments ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.  and then say the number. 

B.  For starters write a large number on a piece of paper or a dry eraser board for child to read: $174,753,000,000. 

(1) Note the ease and accuracy child reads the number.  If it seems to you child has difficulty reading the number; repeat, but this time use a slightly smaller number: S174,753,000.  This time prior to reading the number, have child verbally identify each place value to you.

(2) If necessary, the chart in WY5thG, on page 268 may be useful.  I think it is better for reviewing than the chart in Primary Mathematics 5A, page 7. 

5.  Assignment:

A.   Mathematics 5A, workbook, exercises 1 & 2

B.  It is very important you check exercises for accuracy.  If child has difficulty with place values, same must be corrected immediately.

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Assessment answers: 1. place where hot, molten rock comes to the surface, 2. melted, 3. magma: molten rock inside the earth, lava: magma which has cooled or hardened on the surface.; 4.alvanche;  5. crack in the earth where the lava escapes; 6. see lesson for Day 2.

1.       Vocabulary:

A.     shield volcano – dome shaped, formed of lava

B.      cinder cone volcano – steep volcano, formed from cinders and ash

C.      composite volcano – formed from layers of both ash and lava

2.       Teaching: Look at the “Ring of Fire”, p. 337, SR4G, which we discussed when studying earthquakes.

A.     Observe where volcanoes are located:

B.      Volcanoes and earthquakes appear to be very different, but predominant theory is they have the same root causal factors; associated with plate tectonics. 

C.      There are three types of volcanoes:

(1)   shield volcanoes: looks like dome or shield, with gently sloping sides and wide at the base; composed of hardened lava; formed by quiet, flowing eruptions; Hawaiian islands were formed by shield volcanoes: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/interior/shield_volcanos.html&edu=elem

(2)   cinder cone volcanoes: cone-shaped, with steep sides and fairly narrow at the base; composed mostly of cinder and ash (they do not flow); formed by explosive eruptions with little lava flow; rapidly wear away because they are made from loose materials; Paricutin: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/interior/cinder_cone.html&edu=elem

(3)   composite volcanoes: sides are steeper than shield volcanoes, but not as steep as cinder cone ones; composes of alternating layers of lava and cinders and ash; eruptions alternate between explosive and quiet; most famous volcanoes are composite: Fujiyama (Japan), Vesuvius (Italy) Rainier (Washington State), Mt. Shasta (California): http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/interior/composite_volcanos.html&edu=elem

D.     All lava is not the same either. If it is rough and jagged, it is called aa (ah-ah) and if it is smooth it is called pahoehoe (PAH HOE ay HOE ay).

(1)   Practice pronouncing these words.

(2)   Look at a map and see if you can guess which islands were created by underwater volcanoes. (These include Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines. In 1963, Surtsey, off the southwest coast of Iceland emerged, but is probably too small to be seen on a map.)

(3)   You can look at specific volcanoes at www.volcano.und.nodak.edu.

3.       Resources: modeling clay (or flour/salt dough), vinegar, baking soda, baking powder

4.       Activity: There are complicated volcanoes that you can make, using a variety of chemicals, a bike pump, etc. Here is a simple one:

A.     Using modeling clay, construct a volcano.

B.      Be as simple or elaborate as you would like with painting a landscape on the board base and the volcano.

C.      Be sure to leave a hole in the top.

D.     Put into the hole equal amounts of vinegar and baking soda with a teaspoon of liquid detergent and a few drops of red food coloring.

Science Assessment:

Name: _____________________

Date:  ______________________

1.      A volcano is _________________________________________________.

2.      If rock is molten, that means it is _____________.

3.      What is the difference between magma and lava? ____________________

4.      A mass of earth, snow or rock sliding down a mountain is called _______

5.      The vent of a volcano is _________________________________________.

6.      Name and describe the three types of volcanoes.

7.      Using your diagram of a volcano, explain aloud how it erupts.

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1.      Resources:  Scrapbook Materials

2.      Mind Prep:  Describe a strict king or queen.  What would you think if someone told you that you couldn’t sneeze?  We’ll read about someone like that today!

3.      Objective:  “Today we will learn about the very rich and powerful ruler: Mansa Musa of the Empire Mali.”

4.      Read p. 152 “The Splendid Reign of Mansa Musa”

A.    How did Mansa Musa keep the kingdom orderly and peaceful?  (huge army of soldiers on foot and horseback)

B.    What do you think about people not being allowed to sneeze when the king was around?

C.     Mansa Musa was a Muslim and wanted to make the pilgrim to visit Mecca.  What was so unusual about his trip?  (he took over 50,000 people, many slaves carried gold bars which he spent whenever he wanted)

5.      Activity

A.      Read More:  Visit http://www.dailypress.com/extras/solutions/archive0901.htm

(1)   Scroll down to the section on Mali. 

(2)   Click on the following links and read the comics:

(a)     Oct. 1, 2001: Who built the empire of Mali?
Oct. 2, 2001: Who was Mali’s Mansa Musa?
Oct. 3, 2001: How did Mali’s gold travel?
Oct. 4, 2001: Did Mali have religious freedom?

6.      Scrapbook/People:  Add Mansa Musa to your scrapbook.

(1)   Read more about Mansa Musa: http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/biographies/musa/ 

B.     Scrapbook/Empires and Dynasties:  Add African Empire Mali to your scrapbook.

7.      Review Objective:

A.   What was the name of the rich and powerful ruler of the Empire of Mali?  (Mansa Musa)

B.   Explain his unusual pilgrimage to Mecca. (took 50,000 people with him; slaves carried his bars of gold)

C.   Describe Mansa Musa’s leadership style.  (strict)

D.     Review all previous objectives since last assessment.

http://library.osu.edu/sites/blackstudies/MansaMusa.gif

http://www.afropop.org/img/wa/m/mali_map.gif

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Student Achievement Timeline

 Subject 

 Required Items 

 Completed Total Items 

 Percent Completed 

 Projected Items 

 Percent Projected 

 English 

 81 

 38 

 47% 

 6 

 7% 

 Mathematics 

 78 

 37 

 47% 

 8 

 10% 

 Science 

 67 

 32 

 48% 

 6 

 9% 

 Social Studies 

 73 

 37 

 51% 

 7 

 10% 


 

 Subject 

 Key 

 English 

 Mathematics 

 Science 

 Social Studies