Winter Term is built around winter holiday breaks and knowing it’ll be a bit on and off a again. On the other hand, I’m hoping we will have hit a rhythm by then and be settled into homeschooling.

Winter Term (December, January, February)

Term Studies

History

• Local History: Colonization to American Revolution
  • America First: One Hundred Stories From Our Own History by Lawton Evans
    • Pilgrims and Puritans
    • Roger Williams
    • King Phillip’s War
    • William Penn
    • The Charter Oak
    • Young Washington
    • French and Indian War
    • Paul Revere’s Ride
    • The Father of His Country
    • Nathan Hale
    • Declaration of Independance
    • How Lafayette Came to America

• World History
  • Creation Stories From Around the World
    • Pan Gu and Nu Wa (China)
    • Creation By and From The Self (India)
  • China
    • A Little History of the World by E. H. Gombrich
    • Xia Dynasty
      • rice farming, pottery
    • Shang Dynasty
      • writing, oracle bones, Mandate of Heaven
    • Qin Dynasty (Gombrich p. 80-82)
      • unified China, legalism, Great Wall, standardization
    • Confucius (Gombrich p. 57-61)
    • Taoism (Gombrich p. 57-61)
  • India
    • Harappa
    • Vedic era and Aryan migration
    • Ramayana and Mahabharata
    • Hinduism
    • Jainism
    • Buddhism (Gombrich p. 51-56)

In Term 2, we cover ancient India and China, and read creation stories from both cultures. We also look at America’s creation story: the American War of Independence.

Geography: Our Planet’s Lands

• Land Masses
• Geographical Readers for Elementary Students by Charlotte Mason
• National Geographic Map Essentials, Grade 1
  • Poles and Axis (Mason p. 26-28)
  • Four Seasons (Mason p. 29-36)
  • Continents
  • Biomes
  • Maps and Compass Points (Mason p. 66-69, NG all)

We pick up where we left off in Term 1 and discuss how the Earth’s Rotation and axis create seasons. We discuss different biomes and distinguish them from continents, then use beeswax to do modeling on landforms. We also start map skills, on a global and local scale and learn the compass points.

Mathematics: Rightstart Math

I like the hands on, manipulatives basis of this program (and that I could get the manipulatives used.)

English

• Penmanship and Writing
  • Italic Handwriting Series Book B
• Poetry
  • A Child’s Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa
• Literature
  • Fairytales of Old Japan by Williamm Griffis
    • Child of Thunder
    • How the Jellyfish Lost His Shell 
  • Indian Folk and Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
    • The Tiger, the Brahman and the Jackle
  • The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
  • Among the People Series by Clara Dillingham Pierson

These will be read one story a day on an alternating loop through out the entire term.

Handwork: Hand Sewing

Practicing basic hand sewing is another early Waldorf handwork. We’re going to make a simple doll blanket and pillow.

Family Studies

Science

• Natural Philosophy
  • Rocks and Minerals
• Engineering
  • Lever and Wedge – The New Way Things Work by David MacAulay

Winter is the perfect time to study rocks and minerals. Kai already loves rocks, and this gives me a chance to help both girls broaden their experience.

While Charlotte Mason often allows nature study to be the whole of science, and many Classical programs do away with it entirely, we plan on spending the first three terms discovering simple machines. We’ll be doing this with Reggio style provocations to play, with MacAulay providing further information.

Music Appreciation: Duke Ellington

I pulled Mr. Ellington from the Wildwood Curriculum for our modern musician. He’s a great introduction to jazz and I enjoy his music.

Music

• Folksong: We Shall Overcome
• Hymn: We Are a Gentle, Angry People (#170)
• Instrument: Hoffman Academy Piano

All hymns come from the Unitarian Universalist hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition. We’re adding in the piano for the winter term, with the hope we’ll be settled into a routine by then, and this addition will be easy to incorporate.

Art Appreciation/Picture Study: Piet Mondrian

Most artist studies I’ve seen, leave out modern art. I was inspired by a Charlotte Mason-er on Instagram who was covering Mondrian with her daughter, after all, a lot of modern art is pretty classical now. In the years to come, I hope to cover people like Dali, Rothko, and Pollock.

Art: Waldorfish Weekly Art

I really like these video based art classes. They use a wide variety of art mediums and give clear instruction about different art techniques. I am not artistically inclined, and I did all the sample projects before deciding on it, and had fun and learned a lot of useful stuff. I’m hoping the kids will enjoy this as much as I have.

Physical Education: Cosmic Kids Yoga

More yoga!

For the rest of our year:

• Summer Term
• Fall Term
• Spring Term
• Kai’s Summer Term
• Kai’s Nursery School Terms

 

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