Classical Conversations Cycle 3 Week 3 Tutor Plans

I was thinking this afternoon that 1/12 of the semester is already over.  All three previous years when we've participated in CC, I've found that the year goes very quickly.  A sober view of the semester's brevity helps give me perspective when things get busy.  God uses the shortness of time to wake me up to the wonder of the moment and to try and take time and really love the students around my breakfast table as well as those circled up in my CC class.  

When I was 23, a verse in Psalm 39 woke me up to time's quick pace.  'O Lord, my life is a mere handbreadth...'  Now 12 years later, my hand seems smaller than it did back then.  

When your days feel like more than you can handle, take a look at your hand, remember the shortness of these days and ask God for grace to 'live to the hilt' the moment in which you find yourself.    

To hopefully make the most of your brief moments, perhaps these plans for Week 3 will save you a bit of time this week.  

Timeline
I always start the class with Timeline.  For the first few years tutoring, I taught hand motions.  But over time, I've found that the students were focusing so much on the gestures that they missed the overall picture of the timeline and the actual wording.  So, this year, we're slowly filling in a grid (7 columns down and 6 rows across, providing for half of the semester).  You can easily do this in a Word document table.  

So far, drawing symbols each week has gone well. But I do have to keep my class moving as some want to draw an entire scene in one grid.  

Card 15-I'll see if they can draw this symbol for Hinduism.  Otherwise, just a swastika
Card 16-ABC
Card 17-O
Card 18-A fire and cloud
Card 19-A gavel
Card 20-Greek symbol for Omega
Card 21-crown
History
We'll review the sentence about three times and learn it by 'chunking' the material.  This is a key skill in memorization: learning to break large parts of information into smaller chunks.  

I don't want to type the full sentence here for copyright purposes.  But, these are the final words of each phrase:
1773, Mohawks, Company, Harbor.
  
Then I'll hand each student a tea bag.  They'll line up in a straight row facing me.  The students will take turns and tell me the sentence in a relay, each student saying a phrase of the sentence, tossing their tea bag and then retrieving their tea bag and running to the back of the line to go again.  

With four phrases within the sentence, four students will recite their phrase and then we'll start the sentence again.  With 8 students, we'll probably rotate through the class 2 or 3 times, singing the song about 6 times. We'll move quickly.  

My students loved relays like this last year and it provides a great opportunity to practice 'chunking' and repetition without becoming monotonous.  

Latin
Latin is more difficult this week with six definitions.  I'll teach them quickly and have index cards with one English or Latin word on each.  I'll divide the class in half and give the Latin cards to one group and English to the others.  Then we'll recite the list as each student finds their partner.  There are six words, so I'll either involve parents if they're in the room or I'll give one or two students two cards, making sure to give a student on the other side the two matches so that they're still a pair.  


English
The students are starting to love the English raps, a previously dreaded subject.  So, we'll keep doing.  If you've missed the previous weeks' raps, they're here.  

Science 
Science is a fun one to do away from the table.  My favorite way is to have the students form a circle and either sing together, motion together, or pass items in a relay.  

This week, we'll likely use Missy Wilson's Science song and first stretch out for skeletal, step in and make a wave form with our hands for smooth, and then pound our chest for cardiac.
We'll start slow and go faster and faster until it's ridiculous. 

Math
For fives, we'll first sing the song a few times through.  Then we'll get partners and give high 5's to one another and sing the song.  Then rotate partners and do it again.  
For sixes, we'll first sing the song about 3 or 4 times and then pretend to be insects and crawl or buzz around and sing a few more.  

Geography
I always finish New Grammar with Geography.  The setup for Geography changes the flow of class and so I find it is a good activity with which to end New Grammar.  

We'll keep adding to our parchment paper maps this week.  We started this in Week 1 and we'll work until we complete the entire US.  I've started having the kids label the abbreviations on each state as well.  We sing the Geography song and review the capitals as we go.  

Fine Arts
We will warm up with a mirror image review.  I'll give the class paper and ask them to place it in portrait position (short side on the top and bottom) and fold it in half and then in half again.  I'll challenge the class to draw as many mirror items along those folds as they can think of in a few minutes.  Then, we'll do some of these together.  I took all these from the Usborne'What Shall I Do Today?' book that must be out of print.  But, you could find ideas like this in any drawing book.  Or, just use mine!

Then, I'll teach upside down drawing with a few simple images like a bug, a chair or a car.  
After the simple introduction, we'll get into the larger project as this is what they enjoy most. 
I'll have pre-folded paper, horizontally (landscape) in half and then in half again, giving me four columns horizontally.  I'll then fold the paper vertically (from portrait position) into 2" sections, which should give me five rows vertically.  Look at the picture below if this seems confusing.  This will give us blocks to work in so that I can direct the students where to place each item on the page as we draw upside down.  I'll then start at the top of the paper but the bottom of the image and instruct the children to draw one item at a time.  We'll work through the picture together and then flip it over for a fun reveal.  
We'll do either or both of these pictures below.  George Washington's profile comes from Draw Write Now book 5 and the Mayflower comes from Book 3.  

Review Game
Our first week of class, we played BINGO and the students really enjoyed it.  I printed up 50 states Bingo cards for free here.  

You can print State Capital BINGO here.  
I used stones for BINGO markers and the kids took turns answering a question from Grammar and then dropped a stone over the map.  If it was on the line, the students could place markers on all states surrounding the line.  It's a great way to reinforce geography, ask new Grammar questions and add a bit of competition for interest all at once.  

After this week, we'll be 1/8 of the way through the semester!  Let's pray for grace to live each moment to its fullest, learning more about God's love for us in Christ and finding more opportunities to share that surprising love among those who He brings to our table.  

I'd love to hear your ideas or questions for Week 3 in the comments.