A day in the school life of a Dixie Chirp!

At the beginning of our day:
Prayer Journal Entries/Prayer
Pledge of Allegiance

Math workbooks for each (ABeka)

Spelling/Penmanship/Language/Phonics for each (ABeka)

Spanish: Rosetta Stone on computer

Bible*: Nightly Bible reading with Daddy (NKJV)

Geography: Paddle to the Sea, Tree in the Trail, and Seabird all written by Holling C. Holling

American History Biographies*: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Buffalo Bill all written by Ingri D'Aulaire; Annie Oakley Young Markswoman by Ellen Wilson

History*: Trial and Triumph (Church history from a definite Protestant perspective) by Richard Hannula (selected chapters); An Island Story by H.E. Marshall, chapters 1-21 (this book known as Our Island Story in England); Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin for selected chapters; Viking Tales by Jennie Hall (hero stories and myths of Norway) Part 1, chapters 1-11

Natural History/Science (this year we'll focus on birds and wildflowers): Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock (we plan to follow the Ambleside suggested rotation for nature studies in years 1-6, so we will cycle through every section in the Handbook of Nature Study...it's a book that I highly reccommend for everyone!); James Herriot's Treasury for Children by James Herriot; The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess - we'll make our selections of bird studies based on the season and which birds frequent our geographical region. (Supplements for Bird Study: our interactive CD on North American Birds, birdfeeding, nature walks, notebooking what we see/draw.)

Poetry: A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson; Now We Are Six/When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne

Literature: Aesop's Fables; Complete Works of Shakespeare; The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang; Parables from Nature by Margaret Gatty

Artist Study Schedule: Study reproductions!
(September - November) Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525-1569) Flemish Northern Renaissance (December - February) JMW Turner (1775-1851) English Landscape
(March - May) Titian (1485-1576) Italian High Renaissance

Composer Study Schedule: Listen to composer's life story, then music!
(September - November) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1785) (Classical/Roccoco)
Listening selections for this term:
Piano Concerto 20 (2 weeks)
Symphony 40 (4 weeks)
Quintet in A maj for clarinet (2 weeks)
Piano Sonata in A maj K.331 (2 weeks)
Concerto for bassoon and orchestra in B-flat major, K. 191 (the only
bassoon concerto he wrote)
(December - February) Robert Schumann (1848) (Early Romantic)
Listening selections for this term:
Carnaval (for piano)
Scenes from Childhood for piano
Symphony no 1 in B flat Op 38 "Spring"
Symphony no 2 in C Op 61
an arabeske or humoreske
Liederkreis or other song cycle
(March - May) Richard Wagner (1813-1883); Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) (German Romantic)
Listening selections for this term:
Wagner: Siefried's Idyl (orchestral)
Wagner: Selections from The Valkyries (opera)
Wagner: The Love Feast of the Twelve Apostles (choral) (massive work requiring 1200 singers and 100 instruments!) (4 weeks)
Offenbach: Selections from Orpheus in the Underworld (opera)
Offenbach: Selections from The Tales of Hoffmann (opera)
Additional composer (daily listenings): Judy Rogers

Music Appreciation/Memorization/Copywork: (Folksongs/Hymns)
Folksongs
(September-November): Cockles and Mussels
(December-February): Minstrel Boy
(March-May): Star of the County Down

Hymns
September: Marching To Zion
October: My Jesus I Love Thee
November: O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
December: Star in the East
January: Thus Far The Lord Has Led Me On
February: Blest Be the Tie That Binds
March: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
April: On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand
May: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee?
June: It Is Well With My Soul
July: Great is Thy Faithfulness
August: My Faith Looks Up To Thee

Physical Education:
Fall - PE classes at local college; soccer; ballet
Spring - gymnastics; ballet

Handiwork: Help in house and garden; clay modeling; beadwork; artwork (Draw 50 Flowers, Trees and Other Plants by Lee J. Ames); drawing from nature and from tales

*Timeline entries: we are corresponding our readings with our timeline (each of us, including Mommy, has our own 3-ring binder with our own timeline) and possibly a map

Additional Activities:
Unit Study - Little House on the Prairie
Weekly American Heritage Girls
Monthly Book Club
Monthly Writing Club
Monthly Fieldtrips
Weekly Story Hour/Arts and Crafts at Library
Soccer/Ballet/Gymnastics