Third Grade Week 8 in Review

Caleb and I both worked really hard this week to double up on his schooling so that we could leave for Florida this weekend.  That way, when we come back, we’re not behind in our schooling.  So, I’m so glad we were able to get all of week 8 completed.  Here’s how the week went:
Bible – Our lessons this week were on “God is Faithful” and “God Has Many Names.”  We read from Joshua 21:43-45 and Exodus 3:1-4, 10-14.  Caleb’s memory verse for the week was Hebrews 10:23b.
Science – We continued to discuss plants this week.  We continued to review the parts of plants, and we dove into the process of photosynthesis.  There are so many videos/presentations on the Internet that teach this concept, and we took advantage of them.    We also discussed the many uses of plants.
Social Studies – This week our lesson was on “the fortune hunters.”  We learned about Esteban, who was a black slave, and because of this, they didn’t want him to be the leader of the journey into Mexico.  So, Father Marcos, a priest, became the “leader” under Esteban’s guidance.  They thought they’d find houses made of gold and all kinds of treasure, but when they reached Cibola…that’s not what they found.  Cibola was just an ordinary place.  Esteban was eventually killed by the Pueblos, but his journey was a major milestone…it shoed the Spanish explorers the way to the American Southwest.
Reading – This week we focused on our Reading Detective book.  We worked on making conclusions and drawing inferences.  I feel this is something Caleb needs to know how to do, and I like the way the Reading Detective series goes about teaching that concept.
Vocabulary – Caleb continued to study his words, and he took his test and scored 91%.
Math – We worked on telling time:  hours. 
English – Caleb worked on identifying asking, telling, and exclamatory sentences and using those end marks.  We also worked on changing telling sentences to asking sentences and vice versa.  He also worked on reviewing his lowercase cursive letters.
***I have to brag just a bit.  We switched to Spelling Power this year for our spelling program, and I am amazed at how much better Caleb is doing.  We did have to stop using it the way it is intended, but they gave recommendations on using it with younger students.  So, that’s what we’re doing.  On the first day, he writes his words in a spelling dictionary.  On the next day, he does his study sheet where he does the 10-steps to study each word.  On the next day, I give him a pre-test.  If he scores 100% (which he has every week but one), then he’s done for the week.  If he scores less than 100%, he studies the words again and takes the test again the next day.  Regardless of his score the final day, he’s done with that list.  If he misses any words, I write them on index cards and put them in his review box.  Again, he’s doing so well this time.  As a natural speller, that makes my heart sing!  ***
How’s school going for your child(ren)?  If you haven’t started, when do you plan to start?  We’re looking forward to taking a few days off to go visit our friends down in Melbourne for the weekend (pending Tropical Storm Emily doesn’t turn into a major hurricane).  It’ll just be the boys and I, but I’m sure we’ll still have fun.  We’ll miss Brian, but he’ll be home working.