Tapestry of Grace Year 3-Week 5: Jefferson and the Supreme Court

The last couple of weeks, I've been reading more about Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling.  I've read a few books about it before, but I got onto the Ambleside Online website this week to figure it out a bit more.  Even though I'm happy with what we're doing, I just always really like to evaluate other curriculums and glean the best stuff from them to implement in what we are doing.  I loved a lot of what I saw on Ambleside Online!  

The entire curriculum is free online. You can access the schedules and titles, and many of the literature selections have links to free Kindle or audio versions here.  I ended up downloading about 40 books from the Years 2 and 3 list to my Kindle... for FREE!  We have been enjoying the Burgess Book of Animals, and This Country of Ours since then.  

Charlotte Mason is not technically a classical education. But there are many elements that overlap.  A chronological study of history paired with historical literature, some memory work, the study of Latin and Greek, for a few examples.  I really love the philosophy of education in CM method, and hope to implement some of her ideas as I learn more about them (how to do them!). I think it will dovetail nicely into a more strictly classical approach in the upper grades.  I'm grateful for the literature recommendations.  Tapestry is wonderful, and their literature picks are great, but are all historical in nature.  CM is giving me lots of good reading for the kids outside of that!

One of the things I love about CM is the focus on nature.  That's always been a challenge for me, though, because we just don't have a lot of it around.  This week, for Kiryn's Classical Writing Primer nature study, she was to draw what she can see from the west side of our house.  Well, we could see the park from there.  So we took a walk.  We spent about an hour that morning at the park.  

She got a much better view of it in order to draw it more accurately.

Luke enjoyed running around and throwing sticks. : ) He did listen to some Aesop though!

She found a bug....

Toward the end of our hour, a female peacock swooped down over us and landed at the other end of the park.  We were able to watch her for quite a few minutes as she walked around, then flew up on the fence, then flew up on top of the house across the street.  The kids were fascinated!

In Tapestry this week, we studied the judicial branch of the government, the Supreme Court, and the Constitution.  So we wrote down our own rules on parchment paper. 

We also made silhouettes!  This was a fun activity!

We began a cumulative map project this year.  We're adding each state as we come to it in history with it's date it joined the Union. 

Here is Luke's notebook page for history.  He drew a tree with three branches to represent the government. 

Here's Kiryn's drawing of the park!

I love Kiryn's illustrations of the Aesop's fables she's reading! :)  


Comments

  1. BrandySeptember 26, 2013 at 10:29 AM

    I think....from what I know of you and me....that I am to Charlotte Mason what you are to Classical. I love nature....and one of the hardest things about being here is that it's hard to get in nature, but we've been amazed at little bits we get and what visa runs do just because we still try to focus on it and learn. Wish we could do a nature walk together!

    ReplyDelete
  2. NoelOctober 14, 2013 at 3:25 PM

    Megan,

    Do you need any "stuff?" I'd love to send you a package! :) I lvoe your homeschooling posts...makes me want to homeschool my girls!!!!

    Heather Wiens

    ReplyDelete
  3. NoelOctober 14, 2013 at 3:26 PM

    Megan,

    How are you feeling? You look great!!! Let me know fi you need any "stuff?" I'd love to send you a package. :)

    Heather Wiens

    ReplyDelete

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