Homeschool: Fall Harvest (Week 4)

We just completed our fourth week of homeschool. You can view our daily schedule (including which curriculum we use for math and reading) by clicking the link. Below you'll find the art and science activities we did this week - focusing on The Fall Harvest. 

MONDAY:

• Book: Hello, Harvest Moon by Ralph Fletcher
• Activity: Harvest Moon Silhouette Craft
• Supplies: Dark blue & black construction paper, white paint, q-tips, and puffy paint (glue, shaving cream, & yellow/orange food coloring).

Last weekend was the "Harvest Moon" - which is the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox (equal day and night). We decided to take a night trip to see it for ourselves. We bundled up in our pajamas, grabbed a little treat and watched the moon rise from our van. The moon wasn't "orange" like I was hoping, but it was still fun to see the white moon rise over the mountain and the kids thought it was so cool to stay up late and get a treat.

After reading our book, we made our Harvest Moon Silhouette craft. I love how these all turn out so different. We started by painting a harvest moon made from a modified version of "puffy paint" --> 1/4 cup Elmer's glue + 1/2 cup white foam shaving cream + yellow and orange food coloring. We set our moons aside to dry and made a sky from blue construction paper and "stars"/clouds from white paint and q-tips. The next day we added our mountains, trees and animals (upon request). My boys loved adding bats, owls and even a night bear. Haha. 

TUESDAY:  

• Book: We Gather Together Celebrating the Harvest Season by Wendy Pfeffer
• Activity: Face Masks (how Nigerians celebrate the harvest)
• Supplies: Paper plates, markers, Kwik Stix and glitter glue

Today we focused on ways other countries and people celebrate the harvest season. There are many ideas in the book, but we focused on Nigeria. The people there wear raffia skirts and masks that portray turtles, lizards, trees, and the sun or moon to celebrate a cycle of nature. We made our own masks.

WEDNESDAY:

• Book: Apples by Gail Gibbons OR Apples by Ken Robbins
• Activity: Apple Picking & Apple Volcanoes 
• Supplies: Apples, Baking Soda & Vinegar

Today we went apple picking and talked about the different fruits and vegetables that people harvest in the Fall. My five loved climbing the apple trees, my four enjoyed helping himself to the apples, I watched my ten month old crawl around and explore, and my husband did 99% of the apple picking. Haha. It was a fun memory to have together.

We came home and I carved out the inside of a few apples (like you would a pumpkin) and let the kids explore with baking soda and vinegar. We added some dish soap at the end to make a "grand finale." It got a little soapy. My nine month old joined in for a little while.

THURSDAY:

• Book: We Gather Together Celebrating the Harvest Season by Wendy Pfeffer
• Activity: Equinox Corn Muffins (recipe in the back of the book)
• Supplies: 2 cups cornmeal, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 2 cups buttermilk, chocolate frosting (for the night) and vanilla frosting (for the day). Also, globe and flashlight.

After reading our book, we talked about the Autumn Equinox - which means equal day and night. We talked about how the earth spins and that's why it's light/day where we live and dark/night in China. I found a little globe from the dollar store and we shined a flashlight on one side. It was obvious to see how one side of the globe was lit up while the other side was dark. 

Photo Source: Stephen Lippa

Then, we made equinox muffins. You mix 2 cups cornmeal, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, and 2 cups buttermilk together. Pour into 12 greased muffin cavities. Back at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, frost one side with vanilla frosting to represent the day and the other side with chocolate frosting representing the night. 

FRIDAY:

• Book: The Reason for the Seasons by Gail Gibbons
• Activity: Paper Mache Earth
• Supplies: Balloon, newspaper, flour, blue and green tissue paper squares

My five has been asking to do paper mache for a long time. It's messy, but I try not to let the mess bother me and remember the memory we're creating. Blow up a balloon and set aside. Cut the newspaper into strips. Whisk flour and water together in a bowl to make a paste (similar to pancake batter). Dip the newspaper strips in the paste and place on the balloon. Continue adding strips until the newspaper is completely covered. Then, add a second layer. (my boys made it to this point and then wanted to tub). Then, add a third layer with the tissue paper squares.

Paper Mache was fun, but the real highlight of the day was blowing up balloons and watching them shoot up in the air. This entertained my boys for a long time today!

Other Books we enjoyed this week: Kitten's Full Moon by Kevin Henkes, Possum's Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter, Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins, & Ten Apples up on Top by Dr. Seuss.