Felix Mendelssohn and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel by Isaac, Noah, and Isabelle

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel

Felix and Fanny were brother and sister.  They were born four years apart.  They were both very good composers and painters.  Felix often said when someone said his music was good, "You should hear my sister."  Felix brought back an interest in the music of Bach.  He thought Bach was a genius.  Fanny had a more difficult time being taken seriously.  She sometimes published her compositions under her brother's name.  Fanny was playing one of her brother's compositions when she died.  Her brother Felix died the same year.  We like them both.  They have good music.  Just listen...

Felix Mendelssohn

Concrete and Abstract Nouns by Isabelle

A concrete noun is something you can smell, touch, see, taste and hear.  Words like Isabelle, dog, and teacher are concrete nouns.

An abstract noun is something you cannot smell, hear, touch, taste, or see, like a feeling or idea.  Words like love, hope, happiness are abstract nouns.

Declaration of Independence by Isaac

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.  56 delegates signed their name.  John Hancock was the first signature.  The Declaration of Independence is a document that states that the thirteen states of America are independent from Britain and no longer subject to British rule.  Basically that means that America wanted FREEDOM!  They believed in this so much that they were willing to give their lives for it and many in the Revolutionary War did just that.  King George was terrible to the colonists in America.  He taxed them highly, he brought in soldiers, he allowed them no judges of their own, and even in the Boston Massacre, his judges allowed the British soldiers who shot and killed the colonists to go free except for two who were found guilty of manslaughter and were branded and then set free.  The founding fathers fought against everything King George did and the Declaration of Independence was their biggest statement ever.  This document is the most important document in American History.  We would not be the nation we are today without that document.  I am very proud that these men wrote it and were willing to die for it.

Little House in the Big Woods, Chapter 1 -3 by Noah

Little House in the Big Woods was written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In the story Laura's family lives in the Big Woods. She lives in a log house with her mom and dad. She calls them Ma and Pa. She has two sisters, an older sister Mary and a younger sister, Carrie. Laura is the middle child. Laura's favorite thing is when her Pa tells stories and plays the fiddle. Her Pa cut up a pig and blew up the bladder and tied it, so it was like a balloon but it was a bladder. They also ate the pig's tail. They smoked the meat inside a hollow log and then they stored it away for the winter. Pa told Mary and Laura a story about their grandpa in the Big Woods without his gun. Their grandpa was riding home on his horse and a black panther was chasing him. He made it just in time to his house. He ran inside and grabbed his gun but the panther jumped on his horses back, so he shot him. Laura Ingalls was a real person who wrote about her life in Wisconsin in this book. She wrote other books about her life too. I really like this book. I like Mommy reading it to us and learning about Laura and what it was like to live a long time ago. I don't think I would like living back then, but I do like the story. I really like that Pa got to ride horses and live in the woods and I like Jack their bulldog.

Original Cover of the 1932 1st Edition

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Charles and Caroline Ingalls

Laura and Almonzo Wilder

The Little House Replica near Pepin, WI

Our return by Mom

So glad we have internet service again and can pick up where we left off with our Blog.  This blog is the best part of the kids day.  They enjoy sharing what they have learned and they especially enjoy knowing others are reading it.  It also works well as a refresher for them, just another way to reinforce a topic they are working on.  Although we did not get to post for many weeks, we were studying very hard.  We made it through the Colonial Period up to the American Revolution.  We learned how the people in the colonies celebrated Christmas among other things.  We began our work on fractions.  I was so pleased to see how quickly they grasped the concept.  They were tested over many subjects and the lowest grade any of them received was a B!  I'd say they are doing well.  We are glad to be back though and can now include this blog again in our weekly routine.