Blue Skies Dragonflies: grade 2, block II fables, week IV

monday, september 20th

(heart) walk/hike with circle time

(head) main lesson:
*read on own 15 min, "patter paws the fox & other stories"
*2 pages in basic skills, grade 2 workbook
* math review, roman numbers I - XII

copy from board into main lesson book, roman number, number, and number word

*form drawing, christopherus, p. 26

reminiscent of the donkey & his load...

*tell animal intro for fable...

"the horse"

Galloping across the open plains, the stallion of a herd of wild horses stops to sniff the air for danger. Horses are able to detect smell & sound from great distance. Flicking his tail & moving forward, he signals to the others that the coast is clear. The herd races off with flying hooves.

Their bodies are lean & muscular, the necks thick & their legs long & slender. They use the sharp hooves to get at water in the earth. Most of their day is spent grazing & foraging for food.

Horses have been one of man's many helpers in years past as well. They have been seen carrying us into battle or on long journey's to explore new & unsettled lands. They have carried us along in carriages, over the cobbled streets before the invention of the motor car. Horses are proud & noble creatures, and their jobs have been as well.

"donkey"

Horses brother, donkey is both sweet and humble. He is the most simple and unselfish of animals, working long & hard days with little rest & poor forage.

He is sure footed and is one so man's best friends when their is work to be done! He will haul timber for our houses and carry heavy loads over rough and dangerous terrain. He will help a traveler reach his friend in the next village all without a single utterance of his own needs.

*tell story "the horse & the overloaded ass"

a man is headed out to market to sell his wares with his horse & his donkey.

he works hard making wooden bowls & spoons; his wife weaves beautiful cloth. they also have some extra fruit & vegetable from their garden to sell.

the man has everything in boxes & crates and has strapped all of these onto the back of his donkey.

he has loaded a small pack with his blanket, his food & a clothes onto his horse.

they set out on the long journey to the next village where the market is held. the road they travel is rough, and filled with sharp stones. the air is hot & soon the donkey grows week as his load is very heavy.

he asks brother horse for help..."please, brother horse, will you please take part of my load. your load is so very light & mine is so very heavy. i feel as though i might faint."

brother horse looks over at donkey and says, "why should i help you, what concern of it is mine if you are tired??"

upon hearing such a cruel response, the donkey collapsed. the man ran over & untied his load. he tried several times to revive his poor donkey, but alas, i was too late.

but he still had to get to market, so he loaded all of the crates & baskets that donkey had been carrying onto horse, and again they set off.

the horse was heard to murmur thoughts of regret, wishing that he had helped his fellow beast of burden in his time of need.

(hands) continue work on weaving pouch (30 min)

tuesday, september 21

co-op & play group on the island...:)

wednesday, september 22nd

(heart) walk/hike with circle

(head) main lesson

*read on own, 15 min, patter paw the fox

*2 pages in basic skills, grade 2 workbook

*math review, we ended up playing monopoly. aydin was awesome! not only did we have a ball, but he insisted on being banker & kept wanting to stop & count his money. so, we definitely got A LOT of math practice in.

*recall fable, illustrate in lesson book

(hands) baking day, blueberry muffins!

thursday, september 22nd

(heart) walk/hike with circle

(head) main lesson

*read on on own, 15 min, patter paws the fox
*2 pages from his basic skills, grade 2 workbook

*math review...

since we had no problems with the review i went ahead & introduce vertical math problems, adapting the squirrels story from christopherus', grade 2 math book (p. 16) to fit with our math gnomes.