Human Body Unit Week One

Actually, we've managed to turn one week into two somehow. We've still had some sickness off and on and it's been hard to accomplish anything more than the basics. But I would like to share what we are doing as far as a current unit study and what we're using right now in school. So, this is another one of those catch-up posts filled with randomness.

If you decide to do a human body unit, you must purchase this resource by Teacher Created Materials.

My sister gave me hers. But even if you aren't that fortunate, it's only 7.99 .It's very neat and very affordable. It's 100 percent reproducible so you can use it over and over

again, which I'm sure you will do. It's well worth the money.

I love Let's Read and Find Out Books and the ones we are using for the first two weeks are:

Use Your Brain by Paul Showers (this can be a hard one to find, for some reason)

Why I Sneeze,Shiver,Hiccup and Shake by Melvin Berger

I faced a dilemna. I would've liked to have done a lapbook, but felt it was too much work placed on me, and more planning than I have time for. So, I decided to make them a dry erase anatomy folder. Basically, it contains pictures and blank label me type diagrams for all parts and systems of the body that we'll be studying. I put them in sheet protectors and then they can use their dry erase markers to label the worksheets over and over. It's been a really nice compromise: Something they can practice with over and over and also something they can hang onto that will help them later on.

Here's the sites I used to get the diagrams:

Crayola Human Body Worksheets

Label Me Body Enchanted Learning

How The Body Works by Kids Health (this site is awesome and has so many resources we will be using. Just click on the system or body part you want and it will list some movies, worksheets and activities.)

We made paper mache Thinking caps to remind us of the lobes of the brain...

Oh, gosh! I think I misspelled Occipital????? I wish God had given me built in Spell Check...

Oh, if only they really worked...

Played this game

Used these diagrams for our body books...

Label the Neuron

The Brain

Will be making a beaded neutron...

Lots of different nervous system activities

Watch This

Well, as we cover more, I'll link up more resources.

I have said on here before how much I love Nancy Hall's Explode the Code. It really turned Lillie onto reading after I about destroyed any love for it she might have had. So, I bought Nancy Hall's SpellWell for Lillie and so far, it's just as much a hit. Like, ETC, it's super affordable, nothing too complicated or fancy. I'm supplementing with worksheets off Super Teacher Worksheets.com.

Lillie is still working on her addition facts, she's up to the 3's. These two games have been highly effective.

She's currently finishing up ETC 2 1/2 and has aced both the spelling tests I have given her, so I'm convinced more than ever that she is going to be just like me and love history, english, writing, reading and be really good at spelling, but is going to despise math. But God made her that way for some reason, so who am I to change her? I don't know much advanced math, but the basics have served me well.

One neat thing I've been doing with Lillie is using a tape recorder for her reading practice. See, if I'm sitting with her then she feels like she doesn't have to work at sounding out unfamiliar words, she just asks me and knows I'll help her. So, the other day I found my grandpa's old tape recorder and told her to pick a book, go to her room and record herself reading the book. Then I go in and listen to the tape and correct any mistakes she made and helped her with any words she was unsure of. It has worked great.

Jack has started ETC 1, is working on adding and subtracting on a numberline, and is practicing writing his numbers and letters. He can use both his hands, always going first for his left when he writes. He is still reversing some of his letters, but I'm hoping that will iron itself out.

Have a Blessed Day!