Highlights from “U/V” Week

by | May 25, 2010 | Alphabet Path, Alphabet Path (2009-2010) | 15 comments

Looking back a couple weeks, here are some pictures from “U/V” week.  I can’t seem to find any of the girls completed coloring pages and worksheets for this week. I set them aside to photograph, and now I can’t find them. . . It  looks like I’ve developed a habit of hiding things from myself! 

~ Vetch Fairy Coloring Pages ~

The girls made the letter U & V with Modeling Wax, as well as some Umbrella’s and Volcanoes.  It looks like I forgot to take a picture though!  They also colored the Vetch Fairy from the The Flower Fairies Alphabet Coloring Book and listened to A Flower Fairy Alphabet on CD.

~ U and V are for St. Ursula and St. Vincent de Paul ~
 
Here are our hand-painted saint dolls for with An Alphabet of Catholic Saints.
They also colored St. Ursula and St. Vincent Coloring Pages from Catholic Artworks and completed some copywork, which I created at Writing Wizard using the quotes from An Alphabet of Catholic Saints.

We thought about making Vestments, but since I suggested this craft to Marci for her Summer with the Saints (which will start next month) we decided to wait.

Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE the book God’s Alphabet?!? It is such a great book!!  Here is the quote for “V” week:

V
is for
VICTORY
each child must
win
In his own little heart, against
Satan and sin.

~ Picture Study :: U is for Umbrella ~
Museum ABC’s pictures for the letter  “U” are based on Umbrellas.  I pulled out the nesting blocks and the children drank juice with Umbrella straws and decorated Umbrella cookies, inspired by Amy.  

While the kids were decorating and enjoying their cookies, I read a few books about Umbrellas to them:
~ Picture Study :: V is for Vegetable ~


Rascal also did a picture study on vegetables using Museum ABC’s book and nesting blocks.
We also read:
~ Picture Book Science ::  V is for Volcanoes ~
Since my boys had been studying Mars, and were planning to make Mons Olympus – the largest Volcano in the solar system – for Astronomy, I decided to have the girls study Volcanos as well this week. 

Here are the books we read about Volcanoes:

Volcanoes (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
Volcanoes, Level 2: Internet Referenced
Pompeii…Buried Alive! (Step-Into-Reading, Step 4)
Exploring Creation With Astronomy
Volcano & Earthquake (DK Eyewitness Books)

Volcano Maze (pdf)


Instead of using the directions provided in their Exploring Creation, we used Robina’s directions for making our own Volcano: 


We added sound effects to a video clip of our volcano!

~ V is for Veggie Volcanos ~

Since we’ve been enjoying lots of treats during our weekly Good Shepherd’s Garden Parties, I am trying to choose mostly healthier “treats” as we finish up the Alphabet Path.  This week we snacked on Uncooked Vegetables and made Potato Veggie Volcanos (adapted from Big Snacks, Little Meals: After School, Dinnertime, Anytime) since I had some broccoli that needed to be used up in the fridge.   These were SO easy and such a hit with my children!  

All I did was place a “mountain” of hot mashed potatoes on top of some freshly steamed broccoli.  I then made a well in the top of the mashed potatoes for the opening of the volcano and then topped it with grated cheddar cheese, which quickly melted to look like lava flowing from the top of the volcano.



We’ve since worked our way through “W” week and have moved on to “X/Y”.  It looks like me might be able to finish the Alphabet Path this year after all!

15 Comments

  1. Jamie Jo

    I love how you've put together the Alphabet Path, I am going to try to use you as my resource this next year for Angela, (she'll be 4)

    I always have high goals though….

    Reply
  2. Robina

    I am loving the veggie volcano. I feel the same about all of the treats. I am going to try some more healthy creeative ideas in the future as well.

    Reply
  3. Blair

    Now I realize why I've had such a hard time the past few months with the Alphabet Path…it's because we got way ahead of you guys and I had no beautiful photos and ideas to follow! Hopefully now my kids will be happy that Mommy will finally have some motivation to finish out the alphabet before the end of summer 🙂

    I also love the healthy snack ideas, especially the mashed potato volcano. What a great idea!

    Reply
  4. Anonymous

    How fun!
    I wish I knew what you were doing for z week, lol. I am STUCK. lol

    Reply
  5. Kelly

    Wow! I love seeing what you've done for each letter. I started the alphabet path at the start of the school year with my then 5 yr old daughter and never made it past "B" week, lol! With the pregnancy and then bed rest it just didn't happen. But with your fantastic posts as inspiration, I'm looking forward to trying again in the fall with my soon to be 5 yr old son and now 6 yr old daughter. 🙂

    p.s. My kiddos loved watching your two video clips. My oldest son had made a volcano like yours last summer, but we didn't add the red food dye. Now he want's to give it another go. 😉

    Reply
  6. Anonymous

    Hello!

    I have been quite inspired by all of your ideas, thank you so much for sharing all of them!

    I struggle with one area of homeschooling – organizing all of the supplies. May I ask you how you organize all of your supplies? AND How do you line up what you are doing each week?

    i.e. (supplies in bins all in a seperate room?)
    i.e. (plan 1/2 the year at a time)

    I am always looking for ways to improve, and it seems as though you must have a nice system in place. We are expecting our fourth child soon and I am getting a little nervous about how to get set for things to come.

    Thank you so much in advance for your help.

    God Bless ~

    Reply
  7. Patty

    I LOVE the vegetable volcano!

    Reply
  8. sabrina Leite

    Olá Jessica,

    Sou brasileira e estava a procura de mães que vivam o que quero viver.

    Que linda e abençoada sua família. Eu moro no Rio de Janeiro, tenho 23 anos e estou noiva me casarei no próximo ano e pretendo ter também muitos filhos e cria-los em casa.

    Você aceitaria me enviar seu email, para que possamos conversar?

    Favor não aceitar este comentário.

    Reply
  9. Nicole Bradica

    That is an awesome veggie volcano! Looking forward to the last few letters:)

    I also wanted to ask you to share some on what you do with snuggles while the others have more formal lessons? From the pictures it looks like he participates quite a good deal, but do you have any activities set aside for him?

    Also any thoughts to share about having littles (snuggles and rose) to occupy and take care of while instructing the older children.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  10. Fruitful Harvest

    Girl your are so clever!
    Great job…..looks like total fun!

    You goodie got mailed out Tueday morning so the should be to you by Thursday or Friday.
    (thats what the postal lady said anyways)

    Give me a shout when you get your package!

    Warm Blessings,
    Georgiann

    Reply
  11. Fruitful Harvest

    Sorry about so many
    mispelled/type-o's….I sound like a total Hillbilly!
    I get in a hurry!

    Thanks,
    Georgiann

    Reply
  12. Jessica Gordon

    Jamie ~ I would have never been able to do it without the inspiration from Elizabeth Foss! I hope Angela enjoys it as much as my girls have!!

    Robina ~ That you again for the simplified version for the volcano!

    Blair ~ I think it has more to do with that little baby you have on the way!

    Amy ~ I wish we had a Zoo around here and could do a field trip together. Wouldn't that be fun?!

    Kelly ~ I tried to start the Alphabet Path in 2008, and that's when I came up with the painted saints to go along with it, but then I found out I was pregnant (and sick!) and then I miscarried. At that point our Alphabet Path got put off for a year. My girls were 4/5 and 6 this past year as well, and it's such a fun age for this type of learning! 🙂

    Anoyomous ~ To be quite honest, even though I am constantly striving for organization, I am not very organized… It just seems like each time I start to make progress, something changes (i.e: a new baby arrives) and everything changes again. I do have a Basket that contains all the books we use on a weekly basis for the Alphabet Path, and another basket used for each weeks books – whether from our own shelves or from the library. As for the extra crafts/recipes, etc, I usually look at Serendipity a couple weeks ahead of each letter and decide what we'll be focusing on and go from there. Right now, the craft supplies are all over the place (since the boys moved into the old school room, and now the schoolroom in quite a bit smaller and without a closet) – whatever didn't fit I ended up putting in my own closet. Which explains why I am constantly misplacing things! 😉

    Sabrina~ I am sorry… I've been unable to translate your comment, but I will ask my Husband for help soon.

    Exspectantes ~ Yes, Snuggles does participate quite a bit. He also loves puzzles and watching Signing Time, which keeps him buys during some of our "formal lessons." I also have "School Time" Toys for my little ones which I posted about here. (lol! I just noticed my husband left a comment on that post which I don't remember seeing!) Personally I find it very hard to homeschool with lots of little ones (I dream about how nice it would be to hire someone to come in and help with the housework so I could focus completely on the babies and homeschooling), but it CAN be done and I believe that what we are doing (even if it's not done as well as I would like) is the best option for our children.

    Georgiann ~ Thank you!!! Oh, and I do the same thing when I leave comments!

    Reply
  13. Kristyn Hall

    My friend's four year old son is obsessed with volcanoes right now. I am going to share the veggie volcano idea with her. He loves his veggies so I know he'll go for it.

    A restaurant in town serves "Volcanoes" which are just chili in a bread bowl covered with cheese. It is a big mess but my 9 year old son likes to order it and surprise the waitress by eating it all. (I am not sure I could finish it… it is a big bread bowl.) At home my son is not a huge chili fan, but call it a "volcano" and suddenly it's great. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Aubrey

    Awesome! I think that I'll make that volcano on our supper table one night….

    Reply

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