Study vegetation and economic maps of Sub Saharan Africa. Watch videos "Carving Up Africa", "History of African National Congress" (the end of apartheid). Next, Devon looked at African masks on the internet. She was excited as she chose the masks she wanted to make. Good session.
I had Devon open her computer and view her camp photos. We will be using them in a photoshop project in the near future. We looked to see if they were all downloaded, using iphoto. The first lesson was to assign a keyword (we used the name of the camp) to each photo. She noticed that she only had to type the keyword once, and then the word was on a drop down menu for the other photos. She also discovered she could assign a keyword to all images that were taken on the same day, using a batch process. She also assigned each photo a location, on the map provided by iphoto. I had Devon create a 'smart album' by directing all photos with the same keyword into the album. We then turned to the task of tagging the photos with the names of her friends. She was amazed how many names she had forgotten, so I suggested this year she attend to this task right away, so she will always have a record of her friends names. We nearly finished this task when class time was over.
I had Devon draw the part of the eye - as a means to have her full attention during our discussion about the brain processing sensory information. She was happy to draw the shapes as I directed, but was more concerned about her artwork, than the lesson. Once the lecture part got underway, she started to clean the wall of her room as we spoke. So the lecture turned to one of concept, rather than anatomy. We spoke about how inside the eye the is a water solution that also contain some salt. She was curious about why we have salt in our bodies, but cannot use the salt water from the oceans. I they started to explain a membrane and osmosis as a means for cleaning water. The idea that a more dense solution will flow towards a less dense solution seemed to be hard for her to understand. I tried to use the idea of a vacuum and how air will flow into a vacuum bag instantly. This lead to a brief discussion about how a jar could have nothing in it - not even air. We talked about how outer space is a vacuum, without air - but she had a real difficult time in grasping the fact. She asked about the planets and meteors and where they came from, in that vast empty universe. I again described the big bang theory - and was adamant that if we cannot know how the universe was made - why bother to study about it? We had a very nice and deep conversation about all of this, until she could hear no more.
LCM GCF: Devon did a great job finding the LCM and GCF working independently. She understands concept and operational techniques. Your doing a super job Devon.
Creative writing - Devon chose the writing prompt - "A to Z" meaning she will write things she is thankful for…beginning with each letter of the alphabet.
English - review possessive and indefinite pronouns. Explain/give examples of hyphenated words, such as, numbers (twenty-two), between syllables at the end of a line (be-tween), and some compound words (brother-in-law). Complete exercises. Devon did a good job today…is working on her writing.
Fast Forward
Reading - finish reading "The Dog of Pompeii" then answer comprehension questions - discuss the theme of the story and find examples from the story to support answer. Devon became somewhat frustrated with fast forward spelling exercises, but finished them. She seems to enjoy reading...has good comprehension skills.
Study maps in tech book to learn about the physical characteristics, culture, population density, and economic conditions in various regions in Africa. Discuss various projects Devon will complete by the end of May and select one. Devon is going to make African masks…she will design and decorate them. She seems excited about it, and so am I.
Fast Forward
Reading - Explain the new selection is a short story - a brief work of fiction, a limited number of characters, a central event, and may have an historical setting. Begin reading orally, "The Dog of Pompeii." We did not finish story and will continue tomorrow. I am very pleased with Devon's new program on Fast Forward. It reinforces all aspects of language arts and identifies those areas that need extra attention, Good session!
