Karate Belt Test

Both kids took their belt test (a nearly 3 hour physical exam!!) over the weekend and both kids earned their new belts!

Both kids got to spar. (Caitlin had no gear because she wasn't supposed to spar but they threw her in at her request-- they both did great!)

Both kids are now part of Junior Black Belt Club. They head to their first meeting at the end of this month.

"This program is for children 6 to 12 years old. The student will move through ten belt levels (White to Black Belt). Each student receives three stripes per belt. The student must have parent approval in order to receive a stripe. This program is broken into three phases so that students are always challenged and motivated to learn new skills. The student will learn 30 character development and life skills,  65 karate techniques, 45 self-defense maneuvers, 9 kata’s (traditional forms), and a full study of the art of goal setting. This program is full of flexibility skills, endurance drills, and most of all fun! The ultimate goal is 1st degree junior Black Belt in Shotokan Karate."

Halloween Party

Annual karate school party!

Science

Last week in Science, Professor VonSchwartz (aka dad) gave the science lesson. He is the new science teacher and he has an annoying heavy accent. He also named me Professor VonKillJoy. Whatever!

Anyway, last week's lesson covered moving atoms.

Using hot water, cold water, and room temp water, the kids added blue food coloring, learning that when things are mixed without being stirred, it is called diffusion. They also learned that temperature affects how fast atoms and molecules mix with each other.

As the blue dye and water diffuse, we are seeing molecules and atoms in motion. 

After studying the cups the kids learned that atoms and molecules not only move, they move fastest in hotter water. We also noted the condensation and slight evaporation of the hot water.

Jayden is doing amazing in his online science class! He had an oral exam with his professor last week and got 100%. He is now working on the second unit of the class, which involves energy transformation. He is learning about all different types of energy: kinetic, potential, chemical, mechanical, electrical, thermal. radiant, nuclear, and sound.

Legoland

Jayden, who loves legos, built District 11 from the Hunger Games one morning.

 He also built a camera. 

We recently took a trip to Legoland during their homeschool week.

They built legos and we went on rides. 

After every activity they got a stamp.

The both did an English class where they had to make a beginning, middle, and end to a story that they built. 

 Jayden chose to do a Harry Potter scene where Harry played quidditch, the spectators watched, and Harry caught the golden snitch.

Caitlin's story involved people eating while a man swept the floor. A witch came and stole the broom from him. He chased her to get it back but she flew away.

History

We had our first official American Girl "Kaya" meeting.  

The girls mapped out where the Nez Perce lived and traveled.

They also started weaving belts for their dolls.

After a discussion on the book, the girls had free play.

At home we continued reading our Kaya series and worked on weaving.

Jayden reads his history assignments to Caitlin in weird voices. Last week's assignment was about the Victorian Era and the Crimean War.

Each week he has to write about two things he learned. This was his answer for the chapter:

One of the things I learned about in this lesson is about The Great Exhibition, a huge fair held in London. Every country would bring inventions to the glass building at Hyde Park. Queen Victoria hosted the Great Exhibition because she wanted to show all the other countries the power London had. 

Another thing I learned about was The Crimean war. The Crimean war started by Russian and French Christians arguing over the keys to the Nativity church in Bethlehem, where they believed Jesus was born. The war was between Russia, the Turks, and France. It took place on the tiny island of Crimea. At one point in the war, there was a battle called the battle of Balaklava when a group of French soldiers charged into a bigger group of Russian soldiers and most of French soldiers that charged died. That charge was made into a famous poem:

Someone had blundered,

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die,

Into the valley of Death,

Rode the six hundred.